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She was confident.
Determined. Persistent to get this done and to do it right. She felt her hand begin to shake a little and pushed it aside. She took a deep breath and swiped her brush up another one of Aoi’s fingernails, painting it a light turquoise. Aoi giggled, so apparently it tickled.
“Wow, you’re really focused on painting my nails perfectly Mei~” Aoi teased, blowing on her newly colored nails. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned to face Mei.
“So, how do they look?” She asked, flipping her hands around and putting them side by side for Mei to see. She seemed quite proud of Mei's work. She decided to take note to do more things for Aoi.
“They look great! They really compliment your hair color. You’d be a perfect model for a painting, you know.” Mei dabbled in the thought of Aoi posing for a portrait that she was painting. The thought made her blush so she shooed it away to the back of her mind, where she contained most of her romantic fantasies about Aoi. It wasn’t in a weird perverted way like how it was in most of the minds of the students at their school, rather in a “sweet hopeless romantics” kind of way. The more Mei thought about it the more it gnawed in the back of her head how these thoughts were abnormal.
She probably shouldn’t be having these kinds of feelings about a girl, let alone Akane Aoi, the most popular girl in all of Kanome.
There was no way she would even like someone like her. So she found herself lucky to have Aoi consider her a friend.
“Haha, you really think so? I’ve never thought of me possibly becoming a model, but maybe it’s a good idea~”
Of course it’d be a good idea, what was she kidding? Aoi was gorgeous. “I think it’d be a good idea, honestly. I can control what career path you pursue, but…You’re a very beautiful girl, Aoi.” Mei was praying Aoi didn’t notice her face
heating up as she complimented her.
Aoi’s smile fell for a moment and it looked like she was genuinely surprised, but only for a moment. Seemingly almost a second after she was back to gleefully smiling. “I’m so glad you think that of me, Mei~ You’re a very beautiful girl yourself!” That made Mei’s heart throb, for some reason.
“…Thanks.” That was simply all Mei could muster. At one point, she was able to have interactions with Aoi without having to worry about the rapid increase of her heart rate or her cheeks suddenly feeling hot.
She lost the ability to do that a while ago.
“Are you embarrassed? No need to be~ I’m not joking, you know! You’re quite the beautiful girl.” Aoi continued piling on, just making Mei’s predicament worse. At this point she was going to die of heat exhaustion with how warm and fuzzy Aoi’s comments made her feel.
“I’m not embarrassed as much as I am skeptical! It’s just that no one’s ever said something like that to me before. So I wouldn’t know if people find me beautiful or not…” Mei waved her hands around wildly, trying to draw attention away from her face.
It was embarrassing, after all.
“Skeptical? Oh no, no! I really do think you’re very pretty. Even if others disagree~”
Others disagree? Well, of course. Compared to Aoi, Mei was nothing in the eyes of the people around them. Even though she was the art club President, she really wasn’t all that popular.
Which wasn’t surprising.
Not a lot of people found art all that interesting.
Mei wondered if she could possibly get Aoi interested in art.
“You’re prettier. I mean, your figure is perfect for perspective paintings. And your hair has a unique look to it that’d be fun to draw.”
Really, she had no other references for compliments other than comparing it to drawing.
But it wasn’t a lie.
She would love to paint Aoi, if she was given the chance.
“That’s so sweet, Mei~” cooed the younger, reaching for the purple nail polish on the table to the right of the bed they sat upon. She picked up a clean brush and dipped it into the paint, gently guiding it to Mei’s fingertips.
“How’s this color? I think it’d look great on you.” Shelooked up at Mei, waiting for a response.
All she could do was nod.
“Well then, that’s great. I’m very knowledgeable with fingernail painting, if you must know. It’s the only kind of art I’ve done or mastered~”
Mei had been making mental notes for a long time, and most of them concerned Aoi. ‘ I should do this. Aoi said she likes it.’ Or ‘ I should be like that person. Aoi likes them.’ This time she made a mental note to introduce Aoi to actual painting.
She may like it, she thought.
When Aoi started on her right hand, her left hand had already dried. She considered adding a layer of glitter, but that would stand out too much to her parents. Or Aoi’s. Perhaps they didn’t care, though. Maybe if they didn’t care, Mei and Aoi could have sleepovers all the time.
Mei would like that. But she mustn't be selfish, or Aoi might notice and think Mei is trying to keep her all to herself.
She would like that as well, just not as much as the sleepover.
“That’s the only art you do, huh.” Asked Mei, trying to keep a calm composure despite how completely aware she was of Aoi’s soft hand warming her own just by the occasional brushes that happened when Aoi painted a new nail.
“Yes. If that’s not a problem with you, ms art club President?” Aoi was teasing her? Either that or she was serious and Mei was reading the situation wrong.
“No, it isn’t a problem for me…” Mei trailed off, unsure what to add.
She heard Aoi let out a soft giggle in response.
“I was just teasing~”
Ah. Mei really needed to get better at reading social cues.
“…Still, if you ever want to teach me some of your artist skills…” Aoi said, staring down at Mei’s fingernails and blowing on her right hand for her.
“…I’ll be happy to learn whatever you have to teach me~” she sounded so delighted. Too delighted to be talking about hanging out alone with Mei, learning about art of all things.
As much as Mei enjoyed Aoi’s company, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to survive while being alone with her that long.
“Maybe someday. All you have to do is ask.” Aoi nodded, falling onto her back. She bounced ever so slightly and the springs under the mattress made a ringing noise.
Those were details Mei could only notice while being around Aoi, since she made everything seem so surreal and in the moment.
“Maybe I will! I’d love to know more about art if its you teaching me~”
She was probably smiling.
Mei couldn’t tell since she had copied Aoi’s action and had fallen onto her back, unable to see Aoi’s face. Which was okay, since she could still hear her voice.
She was content with that.
She heard Aoi yawn next to her. They were facing opposite ways.
“Mei, do you mind if I fall asleep here? I'm feeling tired, you see~” asked Aoi, stretching out her
arms.
Mei wasn’t one to say no.
Besides, she didn’t really mind it.
She liked that, actually. She liked the idea of Aoi sleeping next to her.
She wasn’t sure why. She didn’t need to know. Really, it was better if she didn’t. If she didn’t indulge in these silly thoughts, there was no doubt they would pass with time.
Or that’s what she had been telling herself the last 2 months.
“No, I don’t mind at all.” She feigned a yawn as well. She wasn’t really tired. How could she be, with Aoi around her? She felt excited.
“Thank you…” whispered Aoi, snuggling in the comforter next to Mei.
“No problem.”
She had been telling herself these feelings would fade, and they were simply admiration for a popular schoolmate.
She wondered how many people felt this way about Aoi.
She felt more than admiration.
Some would say she had a crush on Aoi, but that simply wasn’t true.
Because she was a girl.
Girls didn’t like girls the way Mei liked Aoi.
That’s what Mei was told growing up. And no matter how much she wished it could change, it couldn’t.
There was no way she could ever tell Aoi how she was feeling.
So she wouldn’t.
Aoi mumbled in her sleep, and Mei turned to face her.
She was sleeping peacefully.
She was smiling.
Mei didn’t need to tell Aoi how she felt for her to feel comfortable. She could just watch Aoi be happy, which in turn made Mei the happiest.
“I love you.”
She whispered, and upon closing her eyes, drifted off to sleep.