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“I love you”
Those words stuck in Rei's head. She attended her afternoon classes, but her mind was somewhere else. Not in a dream like it usually was. She wasn’t even thinking about Fukiko, it felt weird.
“Asaka, pay attention” the teacher said, rei snapped out of her thoughts and scribbled down some notes.
Since it was a French class she didn’t need to learn much.
She didn’t like her class much; she didn’t even attend most lessons. Teachers were surprised if she even showed up.
Rei had been planning on skipping the entire day, so she had asked Nanako to go with her. It went well until Nanako confessed her feelings for her out of the blue.
It wasn’t like she was disgusted, she herself also liked women. It was more of a shock that had driven Rei to go back to school.
The bell rang and all the students quickly stood up and left the classroom.
Rei left the classroom last, walking through big crowds wasn’t for her.
“Took you long enough” a voice said, it was Kaoru.
Rei smiled and turned around.
“I assume you are here to take me to practice” Rei said.
Kaoru smiled back and nodded.
“Well go ahead” Rei said and Kaoru's smile grew bigger.
“I knew that you would come!” Kaoru said.
“We have to hurry up otherwise the coach is going to be mad!” She said as she grabbed Rei's wrist and pulled her with her as they ran to the locker rooms.
As long as Fukiko didn’t see it it would be fine.
She felt alive once again.
“Hurry up!” Kaoru said as she opened the locker room door.
Rei smiled as she walked through the door.
“Calm down Kaoru, we can’t have an accident like the last match” Rei said, kaoru paused and put her hand on her hips.
“Well, it made you play again so I’m glad it happened!” Kaoru said. Rei laughed, she had missed this, more than she liked to admit.
They both grabbed their training uniform.
“I’m surprised that they didn’t get rid of mine” Rei said, kaoru chuckled.
“Well, you never quit! You just never showed up!” Kaoru said as she removed her shirt and put on her jersey.
Rei removed her blazer and put it to the side, it felt way lighter now that there were only painkillers in it.
“I’m proud of you, you know that right” Kaoru said softly.
Rei looked away. “I’m trying my best” Rei said.
Kaoru didn’t say anything but gave her friend that knowing look.
“Maybe one day you’ll even remove that bracelet, I would love to see that” Kaoru said as Rei started unbuttoning her blouse.
She didn’t say anything, and Kaoru just smiled sadly.
“Take your time, that you are playing basketball again is a small step in the right direction” Kaoru said and Rei removed her blouse, turning away from Kaoru, she wasn’t ashamed of her own body. But she didn’t want to show the scars.
“orihara! Asaka! Hurry up!” The coach yelled from the outside.
“On our way coach!” Kaoru yelled back as she put on her pants, rei still took her sweet time getting dressed.
“Rei if you don’t hurry up I’ll pull you on the court right now!” Kaoru said, Rei laughed, and quickly put on her pants.
Kaoru was stretching a little before Rei finished getting into her sports uniform. They walked onto the court where their teammates were already playing a match.
“You two really couldn’t hurry up?” The coach said in a disappointed tone.
Rei shrugged and the coach sighed.
“Just get on the field” he said and Kaoru ran onto the field immediately joining the match while Rei slowly walked onto the court.
The training wasn’t anything special, but Kaoru was more than happy to see Rei play again after all those months.
After the training, Rei and Kaoru stayed longer and just threw the ball around.
“I heard that you skipped classes again this morning” Kaoru said.
Rei just nodded, she wasn’t hiding it, if anyone knew about it it would be Kaoru.
“Yes, only in the morning” Rei said as she threw the ball to Kaoru who threw it in the net.
They were silent as the ball bounced back.
“I saw Nanako with you, you took her with you didn’t you” Kaoru said, rei just looked away, she wasn’t ashamed that she took Nanako with her but the words Nanako had said came back into her mind.
Those three words, playing on repeat.
“Rei! Stop daydreaming!” Kaoru said. Rei snapped out of her thoughts again.
“Yeah I took her with me” Rei said as she grabbed the ball from the ground.
“We had a nice walk”
Kaoru smirked.
“Only a walk? I mean she seems quite fond of you” Kaoru said winking. Rei chuckled.
“I assure you we just took a walk around the park” Rei said.
She threw the ball to Kaoru again but she didn’t throw it back or through the net.
“Is that girl breaking that curse?” Kaoru said. Rei paused her eyes wide.
“No, I only have eyes for Fukiko” Rei said.
Kaoru sighed.
“Give it a break Rei, once you forget her you will be able to live freely again,” Kaoru said as she walked towards the locker room.
“It’s getting dark, let’s go home” Kaoru said, rei nodded and she followed.
Inside the locker room, Rei was shaking with her can of deodorant.
“Come on!” Rei said.
Kaoru laughed before she grabbed her own deodorant can and gave it to Rei.
“Thanks” Rei said. They both got dressed again and left the locker room.
“I also have noticed you have a follower” Rei said, kaoru sighed.
“She’s a lot! But she isn’t a groupie and she is only near me when Nanako is with her, "Kaoru said.
When they left the school gates they parted ways.
Rei sighed and she grabbed a cigarette and a lighter out of her pocket. She put the cigarette in her mouth and lit it. She took a long drag of the cigarette before blowing out the smoke.
“She loves me. Ma Cherie la poupee…..” Rei mumbled as she walked into her apartment building.
She took the elevator to the 5th floor and walked to her apartment, she opened the door and stumbled inside. She was greeted by the sight of the countless mirrors. She immediately, after removing her shoes, walked to her bedroom. She grabbed her doll.
“Ma Cherie la poupee….” Rei said, a tear fell down her cheek.
Was she having feelings for someone else? It couldn’t be, she was bound to be with Fukiko.
It had to be because she looked exactly like her doll.
The words I love you stayed in her mind. She could have said anything, but she walked away, saying that they would go back to school.
“I love you too…. But I cannot be with you, ma Cherie la poupee…..”