Archive of Our Own

A morning frost and a clear blue sky on the day of Karasuno's graduation ceremony leaves the air chilled and charged with a sort of restless energy. It's the sort of late winter day where standing in just the right spot means feeling the warmth of the sun but only until the wind of the mountains sweeps in and steals it away. The gymnasium isn't heated, but they've dragged in the space heaters from around the school to keep it warm enough to manage.

Yachi's only ever attended the graduation ceremonies at her previous schools out of obligation. Through elementary school and middle school the friends that she'd made were always in the same year as her. It wasn't that she didn't associate with her senpai on occasion, just that she'd never gotten close enough that saying goodbye felt like something significant. This year is different.

First years aren't technically required to attend the ceremony for Karasuno, but when Hinata found out that they wouldn't be there to see off the third years from the team he'd dug his heels in and refused to accept it. Kageyama was on board, of course, out of respect for what he'd learned from Daichi and the others if nothing else.

Convincing Tsukishima had seemed like an impossibility, yet to everyone's surprise he wanders into the gymnasium minutes before the ceremony begins that morning, Yamaguchi at his side. Yachi wonders if the timing isn't intentional, especially seeing as the shocked tirade bubbling on Hinata's lips is effectively silenced by the band's opening strains signalling the start to the third year's entry procession.

The ceremony itself is simple, to the point. None of the third years from the volleyball team have been chosen to speak, but Yachi can still pick them out from where they sit on the floor. Kiyoko sits closer to the front of the gym, far enough ahead that Yachi only knows it's her because she'd been watching as the third years had filed in to take their seats. Even from behind, she's poised and attentive, her shoulders swept back and posture perfect throughout the ceremony. Daichi and Sugawara are further back, composed and calm, as always, while Asahi seems to be valiantly fighting off tears with every passing moment.

It's heartening to see them again, following the team's victory at the spring tournament, all four of them save for Asahi had almost immediately vanished from practice to devote their time to studying for entrance exams. Even Asahi's presence had somewhat dwindled over the past few months with the press of studying and finishing out his finals.

Yachi had still seen Kiyoko on occasion, but it was only for snatches of time, short exchanges in the hallway compared to the way they used to have the whole of morning and afternoon practice together. Fidgeting slightly in her seat, Yachi reminds herself that even though she has the chance to see them again now, graduation only means that the divide between them will spread wider. The corners of her eyes sting with the thought and she resolutely blinks it away. Just because they won't be going to the same school anymore doesn't mean they won't keep in touch.

By the time the ceremony ends, the combination of the tiny space heaters and the collective crowd gathered in the gym have warmed the air just enough that when the students, parents, and teachers file out into the yard the brisk air reminds them that winter hasn't quite given up yet. Yachi shivers despite herself, earning a concerned look from Yamaguchi at her side.

"Hitoka, are you cold? I've got some extra hand warmers in my bag if you need them."

Yachi's hands fly up at the sudden attention, waving his concern away quickly. "Oh, no! I'm fine, really. I just thought it would warm up a little bit while we were in there."

"It still is pretty cold isn't it..."

Yachi watches as his gaze strays off to the side, following the trajectory of Hinata and Kageyama as they both charge off to where the rest of the team is swiftly massing around Daichi, Sugawara, and Asahi. Yachi turns just in time to catch sight of a teary-eyed Noya fling himself to cling to the sleeve of Asahi's uniform. She can't help but smile a little bit.

"It looks like everyone's there," she says, turning back to Yamaguchi. "Were you going to say goodbye as well?"

"Ah, yeah," Yamaguchi nods, glancing over to where Tsukisima's pointedly looking the other way at his side. "Tsukki, did you want to come with me?"

"Do what you want," Tsukishima huffs out in a sigh. "I'm staying here."

"All right," Yamaguchi turns to Yachi, his hands burrowing deeper into his pockets as he does, seeking out warmth. "Did you want to come with me, Yachi?"

"Oh--I--" Yachi stammers for a moment, stealing a glance back at the press of boys that is the Karasuno volleyball team. It isn't that she doesn't want to stay goodbye to them, she knows she'll miss each of them in their own way, that the team won't be quite the same without their influence. But as her eyes scan over the group she notices that there's someone missing. For one reason or another, Kiyoko hasn't joined the group yet.

"I--I think I'm going to go find Shimizu-senpai," Yachi says. "I'm sure we'll meet up with the rest of you later."

"Right," Yamaguchi nods, offering her an encouraging smile. "I'll see you later then."

With that, he turns to weave his way through the crowd to where the rest of the team is gathered. Left alone with Tsukishima, Yachi breathes out a short sigh. She can imagine Kiyoko's reasons for delaying her time in joining the group. Even though it might not make much of a change, giving Nishinoya and Tanaka time to wear themselves out will at least make them somewhat less enthusiastic in their attention. Kiyoko probably has classmates she'd want to speak to first as well. Not everything hinges on the volleyball club, after all.

Still, as Yachi's eyes scan the crowd she suddenly realizes there's just a tiny error in her judgement. Even though she wants the chance to see Kiyoko on her own, to thank her for her guidance and assistance throughout the year as they worked together on the club, she has no idea where the other girl is at the moment.

Just as the despair of the realization sets in, her attention is caught by Tsukishima sighing at her side. It's an obvious gesture, enough that Yachi glances up at him, wondering if he has anything to say. Tsukishima is impassive as always, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket as he stares out over the crowd.

"She's by the main entrance with her classmates," he says, not even sparing Yachi a glance.

Yachi blinks, the full realization of what Tsukishima's said not quite sinking in for a moment. When it does, she can't help but fluster. It probably had been pretty obvious that she had no idea where to go.

"Thank you--" she manages, bobbing her head in a short bow, one hand rubbing at the back of her neck. "I'll--ah--I'll see you later then."

Tsukishima's gaze flicks to her for a moment before he looks back out over the crowd. One shoulder raises in a half-hearted shrug.

"Go on and see her if that's what you want to do."

"R-Right," Yachi says. Her head ducks in another bow before she even realizes it. Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she quickly turns away to pick her own way through the crowd.

It only takes her a couple of minutes to get to the entryway with as crowded as the yard is. True to Tsukishima's word, Kiyoko is there, chatting amiably with two of her classmates. Yachi pulls up a little short of the group, not wanting to interrupt or draw too much attention.

In the months they spent working together, Yachi realizes she never heard too much about Kiyoko's friends in her own class. Of course Kiyoko's time after class was always occupied by the volleyball club and practices, but Yachi can't imagine that someone as kind, considerate, and beautiful as Kiyoko wouldn't have her own group of friends despite that. Stalled out at the fringes of the group, the thought twists and turns in Yachi's mind to the point of distraction until Kiyoko's attention suddenly catches on her.

Yachi nearly jumps out of her skin in surprise at just the simple gaze that Kiyoko gives her. She lifts one hand, offering a feeble wave as Kiyoko's classmates turn to see what's caught her attention. Yachi tells herself she didn't want to interrupt, that really Kiyoko should keep talking to her friends if she wants to, but when Kiyoko offers the other girls a pleasant smile and moves over to Yachi she can feel her stomach flip-flopping in a way she's never really felt before.

She dutifully forces the feeling down, lips pursed as Kiyoko approaches.

"I didn't think that I'd see you at the ceremony today," Kiyoko says. "Attendance isn't mandatory for the first years, is it?"

"I-It's not," Yachi blurts out, stumbling over her words. "Ah--that is, we didn't have to be here, but it was Hinata's idea--he thought it wouldn't be right if we didn't have the chance to see you off. I thought he was right, and so the rest of us came along too."

"I see." Kiyoko's smile settles on her face, a comfortable expression that Yachi's grown used to over the past few months. It sets her frayed nerves at ease. "I'm glad that you came."

"Ah, yeah," Yachi says. "I really wanted the chance to thank you properly for everything that you've done for me. I--wasn't interrupting anything was, I? With your friend..."

Yachi glances over to where Kiyoko's classmates have wandered off, the two of them now chatting up a few of the boy's from Kiyoko's year.

Kiyoko's gaze follows hers for a moment, the soft smile on her face unchanging.

"You weren't interrupting at all, Hitoka-chan," she says. "We were just talking about where we're going for university and who's going to the same schools, that sort of thing."

"I see," Yachi nods. "You're going to be in Tokyo, right?"

She remembers the practice after the entrance exam results were posted. Daichi, Sugawara, and Kiyoko had shown up at the end to announce their results. Daichi hadn't been scouted, but he'd still managed to secure himself a spot at a university in Osaka with a strong team. Sugawara wasn't planning to play at the university level, so he'd stayed closer at a university in Sendai. For Kiyoko, it had been her grades and studying more than anything else that had influenced her choice to aim at a school in Tokyo. She'd gotten her first choice, of course.

"That's right," Kiyoko says. "There's about a month before classes start up, but I'm going to be living in the dorms there so I'll need to get my things together and move."

"It sounds exciting. You'll be living in the city?"

"Right," Kiyoko nods slightly. Her attention turns back to Yachi, the careful smile on her lips warm and encouraging. "I won't be as close to help you out with the team. Do you think that you'll be all right?"

Yachi offers her a wide smile in response, waving the worry away with a hand. "You don't have to worry about me, senpai. I've been doing fine on my own lately. Plus I'll have Ennoshita, Takeda-sensei, and coach Ukai there to help me. We'll all do our best!"

Her fists clench together, pulled tight against her chest as she thinks of the past few weeks of practice. Even though it's been over a month since their win at nationals, it feels like the rush of victory hasn't quite left the team yet. Practices seem like they pass in a flurry of activity and effort that leaves everyone with a restless, infectious energy until the next one.

The team is still trying to find its way with the loss of their third years, but Yachi knows that they'll manage, and she'll do everything she can to support them along the way.

Something in Kiyoko's expression shifts ever so slightly at the display. Her fond smile seems to warm at the edges with the flush of her cheeks and nose from the cold. She reaches out, resting one hand against Yachi's fist, squeezing lightly in reassurance.

"I'm happy to hear that," she says. "I knew that I could trust you."

Yachi flusters at the sudden attention. In a split second her breath catches at the back of her throat. A shiver races up her spine and she doesn't really think that it's from the cold at all. Staring wide-eyed at the warmth of the smile on Kiyoko's face, feeling the pressure of her hand over Yachi's mittens, a single thought seems to smash through her mind with enough force to obliterate everything else that was in her mind. Kiyoko's really beautiful like this.

"Y-yes," Yachi stammers, her thoughts still scrambling to piece back into something resembling order. "You can trust me, senpai--"

"We won't be at the same school after today," Kiyoko says, her voice gently chiding. "If you'd like to, you can just call me Shimizu."

"Oh--Shimizu," Yachi repeats. Kiyoko's hand is still on hers. Some distant part of Yachi's mind is utterly impressed at how she hasn't passed out by now with the way her heart's pounding against her chest.

"That's right." Kiyoko offers her another soft smile, squeezing her hand once more before releasing it. "You'll stay in touch, won't you?"

"Yes," Yachi says, letting out the breath she's been holding for the past few minutes. "I--I've still got your number. It's all right if I message you?"

"Of course," Kiyoko says. "I'd like that."

"Then I will--" Yachi nods firmly. She doesn't quite understand how it is that she's merited this much attention from Kiyoko herself. It's true that the two of them were able to bond in the past few months sharing duties for the team, but to her Kiyoko has always seemed like someone elevated, someone every so slightly out of reach. But if it's what Kiyoko wants, she'll more than gladly accept.

"That's good," Kiyoko says with another smile. She pauses for a moment, a private thought flitting across her expression as she gazes out over the crowd. Her lips purse, her eyes narrowed slightly as her shoulders shift, not quite uncomfortable but somewhat out of her element.

"I'm glad that you decided to join the team, Hitoka-chan," she says, another beat passing between her words. "Not just for the work that you've done for the boys, but I'm glad that I was able to get to know you as well. I'd like it if we could continue that."

Yachi blinks, for a moment uncertain at what she's just witnessed. She's seen Kiyoko's shyer side at times. The way that she hesitates and holds herself back when it's something that matters to her, when it's a thought that she has difficulty expressing. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Yachi sucks in a slow breath to try to calm her nerves. Kiyoko wants to be friends with her, and it's something that matters, something important.

"I'd like that too," she says, not letting her surprise at the confidence in her own tone show.

Kiyoko looks back to her. There's something unreadable in her expression for a moment, quietly searching as her eyes flick across Yachi's face. Yet the look is gone as quickly as it came, an easy smile settling back over her features.

"That's good," she says with a slight nod. "Have you found the rest of the team yet?"

"Oh, they're over that way," Yachi gestures, the tension of the earlier moment slipping away in the cold air. "But I haven't said goodbye to them yet. Did you want to go with me?"

"All right," Kiyoko says, nodding slightly for Yachi to lead the way. "Let's go."

---

If Yachi had to choose, she wouldn't specifically describe herself as shy. Nervous, certainly. Uncertain as well. But once she's had a chance to establish herself in any situation, once she's gained the right amount of confidence, she feels that she has a strong enough awareness of what she can do.

In the context of relationships, it means that changes are always jarring and terrifying at first, but once the dust settles Yachi finds that more often than not it all comes down into something that's easy to call normal. Two months following the end of her first year, the cherry blossoms on campus are in full bloom, painting splotches of pink against the bright blue of the sky. Yachi's adjusted after the first few weeks of classes, she's busied herself with the club's recruitment drive and helping to manage the surprising number of first years eager to join following the team's success.

In just two month's time, the ongoing conversations that Yachi and Kiyoko share over text messages have turned from a fumbling and awkward attempt that makes Yachi's heart race every time her phone buzzes to something comforting and familiar. At first she couldn't bear to check her phone during the school day, knowing that whatever Kiyoko's said, no matter how mundane, was bound to set her mind reeling to the point of distraction as she tried to think of a suitable reply. Yet now she finds herself checking in the breaks between classes, during lunch, firing off replies as easily as if Kiyoko were standing next to her.

Over the short span of time, their conversations have shifted from Kiyoko imparting words of wisdom on how to best manage the unruly second years on the team to more casual discussions of her life away from home at university. Yachi hears about the dorm that Kiyoko's living in, the manager's an older lady who sometimes cooks the girls dinner and makes the round gathering everyone up so they can all sit together in the common area like family. There are some girls who resent it, Kiyoko thinks, but she appreciates the chance for conversation and a warm cooked meal she hasn't made herself.

Yachi, in turn, tells Kiyoko about her classes, about the team's preparations for Inter-High, and the sudden but certainly not unwelcome expansion of the team. Kiyoko reminisces at how the second years when they'd joined the club had been the same way, chasing the dreams of the Small Giant in the same way that Hinata was, but not all of them had lasted through the rigors of the club's activity.

One evening, as she's making her way home in the chilly spring air, Yachi checks her phone and finds a message waiting from Kiyoko.

>> I hope practice doesn't last too long tonight. How are the practice matches for Inter-High going?

Yachi smiles a little, despite herself. The new recruits from the first years aren't the only advantage that their victory has secured them. Tapping her fingers against her phone's screen she texts back.

>> It's really amazing compared to last year. The coaches at Aoba Jousai and Date Kou already reached out asking if we'd be willing to play against them. Plus Nekoma's coming to visit again this weekend. It feels completely different from last year.

Tucking her phone into her hands, she watches the screen, waiting for the telltale buzz of Kiyoko's reply. It comes a moment later.

>> I'm not surprised. It makes sense that they'd want to try their best against a team that's beaten them before. You're helping Takeda-sensei with the arrangements, aren't you?

Yachi flusters a little at the implication in Kiyoko's message. It's her job as the team's manager to help where she can, but even Kiyoko knows that the matches they arranged last year were almost entirely due to Takeda-sensei's stubborn determination.

>> Just a little bit. He's really persistent as it is. I've been doing my best just to keep track of what happens during the matches.

>> You'll get used to it.

Kiyoko's reply comes quickly, settling the nervous thrum of energy running under Yachi's skin.

>> A lot of it feels like it's easier already. Everything that you showed me last year has helped a lot.

The gap between Yachi's thumb hitting send and Kiyoko's reply seems to stretch longer this time. Yet just as curiosity starts to gnaw at the corners of Yachi's thoughts, her phone buzzes with a new message.

>> It was nothing. I was just doing what I could to help you out.

Yachi's head tilts slightly as she reads the message. It doesn't seem like the sort of thing that Kiyoko would hesitate over. Although it could be that something caught her attention for a moment.

>> I'm still really grateful.

She types out. A moment later, she adds.

>> If there's something I can do to repay you, just let me know.

>> You don't have to. It's very kind of you to offer, Hitoka.

Yachi feels a smile settling on her face despite herself.

>> I want to! It's more than just the club, I took your advice on Harada-sensei's quizzes last week and I got a perfect score!

>> I'm glad. It really is easier once you make sure you're reading the questions carefully.

>> It is.

Yachi nods slightly, even though there's no one to see, cheerfully tapping away at the rest of her reply.

>> You're not having any trouble with any of your classes yet, are you?

>> It's a lot different from how it was in high school, but I haven't had any trouble yet.

>> That's just like you. Do you know what you want to major in already?

Yachi pockets her phone with the latest reply, making her way into the lobby of her building and pressing the button for the elevator. By the time the doors open on her floor, Kiyoko's reply is waiting on her phone.

>> I've given it some thought, but I haven't made a decision yet. Something like business or marketing seems like it would be interesting, but I'm not quite sure what the work involved would be like.

An idea sparks in Yachi's mind, her fingers flying against the screen as she makes her way to her apartment.

>> That's the kind of thing that my mom does! I can ask her for advice if you want. She's really good at her work.

The next reply comes after a delay as well. Yachi's already set her shoes in the entryway and made her way to her room by the time her phone buzzes again.

>> I wouldn't want to be a bother. I'm sure they have some resources on campus that I could look into.

Yachi's lips purse, the reminder of her earlier conversation still visible at the top of her phone's screen.

>> It wouldn't be a bother. My mom likes talking about that kind of stuff.

Her fingers hover for a moment over the screen. Normally, she wouldn't insist on something when Kiyoko's already turned her down. But it's true that Kiyoko's advice over the past months and the year before has been invaluable to her where she is now. It's true that it's thanks to Kiyoko that she feels more settled in her place, that she feels like she can express herself properly, even outside of the volleyball club.

She resolves herself in a moment, tapping the characters out on her screen.

>> Besides, we could call it my way of paying you back for everything you've done for me.

She waits for Kiyoko's reply with bated breath. Kiyoko won't see it as Yachi ignoring her wishes, she hopes. It really is just that she wants to be able to do something nice for Kiyoko in exchange for once. With all that Kiyoko's guided her thus far, she wants to help guide Kiyoko on her way as well.

Yachi finds herself so caught up in her own thoughts that she nearly jumps off her bed when the phone buzzes in her hands. Fumbling her hold on it just for a moment, she swipes the screen lock open to see Kiyoko's reply.

>> If you insist, I'd like that. Thank you.

A warm feeling bubbles up in Yachi's chest, scattering her worries as if they never mattered at all.

>> All right. I'll ask her once she's home and let you know.

>> Of course. Thank you again.

Yachi hums lightly under her breath as she types her next reply, pulling notebooks from her bag to put things into order on her desk.

>> It's nothing. I need to start on homework now though. I'll talk to you later?

She's just settled down, textbook open with pen to the page when her phone buzzes again.

>> I should do the same. I'll talk to you later, Hitoka.

---

In the end, it's a few more weeks before Yachi can align her mother's schedule with Kiyoko's courseload and her own dedication to the team in the Inter-High preliminaries. When the stars do align, it's a week after Inter-high on a Saturday. The team has advanced, of course. It's no surprise to Kiyoko since Yachi texted her about it almost instantly, giddy and nearly trembling with the high of victory as she clutched her phone in her hands at the back of the team bus.

Her mother had been surprised at the request at first. Yachi couldn't be sure, but it was almost as though her mother hadn't expected her to think so favorably of her career to offer her advice to a former classmate. In the end, when she'd agreed to the offer, Yachi doesn't bother to press the issue.

Dinner is the plan, so Kikoyo arrives just as the sun begins to sink a little lower in the sky. Yachi's apartment is close enough that the station is only a short walk away. She waits for Kiyoko on the other side of the turnstiles, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she watches the hands on the old station clock tick slowly forward.

Although she somehow hadn't realized it, over the course of time it took to arrange Kiyoko's visit Yachi has become aware of two exceedingly important facts. One, it's the first time that she's seen Kiyoko in person since the two of them began texting back and forth regularly. Two, Kiyoko's never been to her apartment before.

Normally, Yachi thinks, neither of those two facts should make her worry too much. It's true that in the time they knew each other at school she and Kiyoko have never spent such a long period of time apart. It's also true that since she wasn't as close to Kiyoko in school as she is now she never really felt there was a need to invite her over. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for it all, but reason doesn't seem to be doing much to calm the butterflies gnawing at the edges of Yachi's stomach.

Determined, she swallows against the feeling. Her hands spread against her shirt, roughly smoothing it out. It's silly to be worried anyway, she thinks against her own thoughts. It's mostly going to be Kiyoko talking to her mom. It's not the same as having a friend over or anything like that.

Still, the feeling doesn't settle. Yachi worries against the inside of her cheek, her face twisting into a scowl a moment before she hears the rumble of the train pulling into the station. Her eyes flick up to the clock overhead--it's the local train from Sendai, right on time.

All nervousness and butterflies forgotten, she takes a few steps forward, looking up to the top of the stairs for when the flood of people will begin. She spots Kiyoko only moments later, her eyes forward, purse slung over her shoulder as she steadily follows the crowd outward. It's only when Kiyoko makes it to the turnstiles that her eyes lift, carefully scanning the crowd until the come to rest on Yachi.

Yachi smiles, lifting her hand to offer a short wave. Kiyoko's head ducks a little in the way it always does when she smiles suddenly, and she makes her way over to where Yachi's waiting.

"It's good to see you again, Hitoka," she says when she's in earshot over the din of the crowd and the sound of the automated announcements overhead.

"It's good to see you too, se-Shimizu," Yachi stumbles over her name only a little. She feels her cheeks tinge faintly with embarrassment, but pushes it away.

"I'm glad you could finally make it. My mom's been talking you visiting all week long."

"She has?" Kiyoko asks, eyebrows raised slightly in question.

Yachi frowns slightly. She doesn't quite understand what reason Kiyoko would have to be surprised.

"Yeah," she says, diving into an explanation. "I think it's just because she's nervous. She just wants to make sure she gives you the right kind of advice, or something like that."

"Oh," Kiyoko's expression settles, calmer yet still somewhat flustered. "I didn't want her to worry about it."

"It's all right," Yachi says with a slight wave of her hands. "It's just the way she is. She's really happy to meet you too."

"I see," Kiyoko nods, her earlier surprise vanished. "Should we head for your place, then?"

"Ah, right," Yachi says. She turns towards the exit, "It's just about 10 minutes this way. I'll show you."

"Thank you," Kiyoko answers, following along at her side.

They chat idly on the way. Kiyoko's just hit the first few tests and papers in her classes. She isn't too worried about the results, but she's being measured against a different set of criteria and she doesn't want to fall short. For Yachi, there's the matter of helping to pin down the matches and schedules between now and the Inter High finals in a few weeks [check this]. The boys are enthusiastic, as always. A few of the new first years have even shown some real promise on the team which has led to more than one fumbling encounter of Kageyama trying to behave properly both as the team setter and as a senpai. Yachi sighs at how she's playing social interference more often than not which earns an amused smile from Kiyoko.

"I'm sure they appreciate you," she says. "You're an easy person to get along with, Hitoka."

"I--oh--do you think so?" Yachi scrambles, taken off guard by the sudden compliment.

Kiyoko nods, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she does. "I think so, at least."

"Ah--well--thank you," Yachi says with a flustered smile.

They arrive not long after, the welcome distraction of conversation keeping Yachi's mind from lingering on the comment for too long. Dinner isn't quite ready when they make it up to the apartment so Yachi hastily excuses herself, toeing her shoes off and making her way to the kitchen to help finish up. Her mother scolds her, tells her she should be spending time with her guest, but she's grateful for the help nonetheless.

Through their combined efforts, they have dinner on the table within just a few minutes. Yachi's mother sets the last of the plates down with a sigh, offering Kiyoko a self-effacing sort of glance.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Shimizu. It's been a little while since Hitoka's had company and I didn't get the timing quite right in the kitchen."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Kiyoko answers with a polite smile. "I'm grateful that you're willing to take the time to talk to me."

Yachi's silently grateful that the expression of gratitude seems to set her mother's frayed nerves at ease. Without missing a beat, she seems to settle, effortlessly honing her attention in on Kiyoko.

"It's nothing at all. It's really a man's world out there, so we women need to do what we can to support each other. Ah, but I shouldn't keep us from eating. Shall we?"

Kiyoko nods slightly and the chorus of 'itadakimasu' sounds around the table. True to her character, Yachi's mother only waits until they've all had a chance to serve themselves before diving straight into business.

"So Hitoka tells me that you're interested in business or marketing, is that right?"

"Something like that," Kiyoko answers. "I haven't quite made a decision yet since it's just my first year."

"It's true, you can't rush it," Yachi's mother says with a solemn nod. "It's important to find something that calls to what you're passionate about. You're taking introductory courses right now, aren't you?"

"Yes," Kiyoko nods without missing a beat before launching into a summary of her current semester load, the extracurriculars that she's looked into on campus, as well as a few places she's considering for a part time job.

Yachi finds herself almost completely left behind in the slowly building flow of Kiyoko and her mother's conversation. She knows that her mother can be blunt at the best of times, even though she does it out of concern, but she hadn't imagined that Kiyoko would be able to meet her exacting standards so easily, to answer with such confidence that it she even manages to earn a few looks of approval from her mother's usually stern face.

Yachi's already over halfway through her meal when it's her mother who realizes she's gotten caught up in the moment, turning to her with a look of chagrin.

"I'm sorry, Hitoka, I've been completely monopolizing your friend. Was there anything that you wanted to talk about as well?"

Yachi waves her mother's concern away quickly, gulping down a mouthful of rice to clear her throat.

"No, no it's fine. It's all right. This is why I wanted to have her over. We caught up on the way here from the station."

"It's true, Yachi-san," Kiyoko says, backing her up. "Hitoka and I message each other almost every day. I'm glad for the opportunity to visit, but I'd certainly love to hear more about your experience in the field."

"Well, you've already heard quite a bit of it," Yachi's mother relents. "But you really should eat before your food gets cold."

"Of course," Kiyoko nods. "Although, you were saying, about your first internship..."

They pick up as quickly as they left off, though somewhat slower now that the groundswell of enthusiasm has been tempered by Yachi's mother remembering her daughter's presence at the table. She turns to Yachi more throughout the conversation, reminding her that what she has to say isn't just valuable for a college student, emphasizing points that Yachi might be able to apply to the volleyball club.

Yachi's happy for it. She's happy for the way that her mother is intent on Kiyoko, invested in making sure that she's giving advice that matters for where Kiyoko's at in her career. She's happy for the way that Kiyoko is listening as well, the way that she engages without missing a beat, pressing Yachi's mother with unexpected questions. Even after they're all finished eating and the plates are cleared away, Kiyoko still takes a seat at the table as Yachi's mother pulls out a piece of paper to write down the titles of a few books that she says really helped to guide her on her way. By the time it's all done, the sun is setting and it's only the beep of an alarm on Kiyoko's phone that distracts them.

Kiyoko checks it quickly, her eyes widening slightly as she realizes how late it's gotten.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I'm staying with my parents tonight and I told them I'd be home before too long."

Yachi's mother seems startled only until she glances up to the clock in the living room. "When did it get so late?" she says, half-amused at the realization. "I didn't mean to keep you so long."

"No, it's' all right," Kiyoko replies with an apologetic smile. "I told them that I might be out late. I won't be heading back until tomorrow evening."

"It is a bit of a long trip to make just for dinner," Yachi's mother says. She moves to stand, holding the paper with her suggestions out to Kiyoko as she does. "I shouldn't keep you from your family, though."

"Of course," Kiyoko replies. She stands as well, reaching out to take the paper with a light bow. "Thank you again for all your advice."

"It's nothing," Yachi's mother says with a light smile. "Are you headed back to the station?"

Kiyoko nods. "I'll be catching a bus from there."

"Oh--I can walk you there," Yachi interjects, the words leaving her mouth before she's even put thought to them.

Both her mother and Kiyoko glance over at the sudden break in her silence. It's Kiyoko who speaks first, favoring Yachi with a warm expression and a soft nod. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Well, then that's settled," Yachi's mother says. "You two should hurry up so Shimizu-chan doesn't miss her bus."

"Right," Yachi nods quickly, turning to make for the entryway with Kiyoko following after.

"I'll be right back," she calls out to her mother before stepping out the door, Kiyoko at her side.

The two of them walk together in silence for only as long as it takes to reach the elevator before Kiyoko speaks up.

"Your mother really is an impressive woman, Hitoka. I'm glad we had the chance to talk."

"She is, isn't she?" Yachi says, glowing a little with pride. "She's pushed me a little hard sometimes, but I'm really grateful for it. When I first joined the volleyball club she told me I shouldn't do it unless I was passionate about it, or else it would be rude to the rest of the team. It sounded a little weird back then, but I'm glad she made me think about it that way. We're really nothing alike, but she's always been there for me."

Kiyoko pauses for a moment, tilting her head to regard Yachi as they step into the waiting elevator.

"I don't think that's true," she says as the doors slide closed.

Yachi blinks, turning to look back at her. "What do you mean? Which part?"

"That you're nothing like her," Kiyoko says easily. "It's true that your mother may have her own experiences that have turned her into the woman she is now, but I can see a lot of her in you. I think you have the same sort of determination."

Kiyoko turns away as she speaks. Her gaze lifts to the elevator door while she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. If Yachi had half a mind to think, she might have recognized the gesture for the nervous habit that it is, but her mind's already on a race against itself, scattered and fumbling for thoughts while valiantly trying to fight the blush crawling up over her cheeks.

"I--ah--y-you think so?" she stammers, half laughing at the thought, incredulous. She rubs at the back of her head with one hand, trying to dispel the nervous energy prickling across the skin of her neck. "I really don't think I'm that--I mean, I'm glad that you think so--"

"I do," Kiyoko says with quiet determination.

The elevator doors slide open and she turns to look back at Yachi. It's then that Yachi recognizes the faint flush across Kiyoko's cheeks, the uncertain way her lips purse into a cautious smile.

"You're very impressive as well, Hitoka."

---

By the time summer vacation hits the image of Kiyoko's blushing face and the sound of her simple compliment haven't stopped buzzing through Yachi's mind like the mindless hum of the cicadas outside the classroom. Sometimes they'll stop, lulling her into a false sense of security before some offhanded comment in one of Kiyoko's messages or some picture posted on Facebook sends them into a buzz of excitement again.

She isn't obsessed, at least she doesn't think that she is. She's always admired Kiyoko for her beauty and she's always looked up to her for guidance with managing the club so it just makes sense that hearing a compliment like that and seeing a side of her that she's never seen before would set her off, right?

The reasoning doesn't sit quite right in Yachi's mind, nor does it seem to do much to calm her frazzled nerves and racing thoughts whenever the memory does surface again, but she sticks to the story with stubborn determination, throwing her energy and focus into schoolwork and helping the team.

They didn't make it past the quarterfinals at Inter High, which seemed to leave the team as a whole only momentarily dejected before they collectively channeled their frustration into hot headed adrenaline and the need to qualify for the Spring Tournament again. Fortunately, the invitation from the Fukurodani group comes just in time for the boys to burn off their extra steam.

Yachi's less nervous about the trip out to Tokyo this time. Although she won't have Kiyoko there to guide her, she knows she'll at least find some familiar faces in the managers for the other teams. It's also hard not to find herself swept up in the energy of the team at large. Hinata and Kageyama spend the start of the bus ride animatedly talking to each other about things like if Lev's smash has gotten stronger, or who's going to fill the gap that Bokuto's left on the Fukurodani team, things like that. Even from a few rows ahead of them, Yachi can see Tsukishima casting them a baleful glance that would all but scream "please shut up" to anyone less oblivious than the duo. She feels a little sorry for him, but fortunately they seem to wear themselves out less than half an hour in.

Tokyo is every bit as hot as she remembers it from last year, and the teams waste no time in getting started. The flurry of activity in helping to prepare meals, setting the courts up, filling water bottles, and running loads of laundry in addition to her usual notetaking at the sidelines of every practice match has Yachi collapsing into her futon every night with an exhausted sigh.

She's grateful for the moments after dinner has been served and the dishes taken care of not only for the silence they bring with the boys off practicing on their own but also for the chance to catch up on the messages Kiyoko's sent her over the day. It's summer break for Kiyoko as well, so she's back up in Miyagi with her family.

One day, she tells Yachi about traveling into Sendai to go shopping with a few of her old classmates. The next, it's about a book she got caught up reading and how she almost forgot to put the laundry out to dry. Yachi replies with tales about how Tanaka challenged Nekoma's ace to a pillow fight that poor Ennoshita and Nekoma's captain had to break up before they damaged the school. Or about the way that Hinata finally introduced Kageyama to Fukurodani's setter and Kageyama was so caught up with emotion that he couldn't even say his own name right.

She talks about her own duties as well, about helping the other girls in the kitchen, sharing notes and observations with Coach Ukai. The messages are just text, nothing more than characters on the screen, but sometimes Yachi feels like she can hear them in Kiyoko's voice, an echo of her words in the elevator so many months ago.

>> It really sounds like you're coming into your own. I'm proud of you.

Kiyoko texts one night and Yachi nearly has to put the phone down before she can come up with a coherent reply. What do you even say to something like that?

She's just barely gotten her thoughts back in order, squared her shoulders and lifted the phone up between her hands when the door to the room slides open.

"Oh--Yachi? Is something wrong?"

It's Yamaguchi. Yachi knows it's Yamaguchi, can see it's Yamaguchi, but somewhere in the chaos of being complemented by Kiyoko again and his interruption, her brain switches to full on fight or flight, arms flailing as she jumps to her feet.

"I--No--Yamaguchi!" she says, breathless and scrambled.

"Ah--yeah," Yamaguchi favors her with a wide eyed stare. "Tsukki and I just had a question...are you all right?"

Over his shoulder she can see Tsukishima looking down on her, one eyebrow lifted in question. Unfortunately, it does nothing to set her nerves at ease.

"Yes--I--yes, I'm fine. I'm all right. What did you need?"

Yamaguchi seems unconvinced by the display, frowning slightly as he speaks.

"Are you sure? If you want, I can go get Takeda-sensei--"

"Yamaguchi," Tsukishima cuts in, effectively silencing him. "If she says it's nothing it's nothing. She was probably just texting Shimizu-senpai, right?"

The last word is leveled at her, the question so precise that she can't even think to dodge it.

"Yeah, I was just--you startled me, you know--"

It only takes that long for chaos to erupt in the hallway.

Barreling in from out of nowhere, Nishinoya and Tanaka both skid to a stop behind Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. It's enough to make Yachi yelp and jump in surprise again, and that's before they both fix their attention on Tsukishima, determined.

"Tsukishima!" Nishinoya shouts.

"You just said something about a message from Kiyoko-san, didn't you?" Tanaka demands, leveling a finger at him in accusation.

"Didn't you?!" Nishinoya adds fervently.

The twitch of Tsukishima's eyebrow is the only evidence of the surely herculean effort it's taking him not to just turn around and abort the conversation all together. Yachi lifts her hands in a vain effort to ward off the tension in the air. Yamaguchi cringes.

"What are you two going on about?" Tsukishima says with a sour glare cast in Nishinoya and Takana's direction.

"Don't play dumb with me, Tsukishima, we both heard you!" Tanaka quips, arms crossed over his puffed-out chest. "If you're hiding something from your senpai we'll never forgive you!"

"Maybe Kiyoko-san's going to visit us to see how we're doing this year," Nishinoya jumps in, fists clenched as his mind careens full speed ahead into baseless daydreams. "After all it's thanks to her inspiration that we won in the first place!"

"Ah--I don't think it was quite like that..." Yamaguchi says, his words losing strength in the face of their dauntless enthusiasm.

"Why would she want to visit some washed up losers like you two?" Tsukihima says, his impatience replaced with biting sarcasm. "It seems like the only person worthy of even talking to her is Yachi-san, probably because she doesn't run around acting like a child."

"That's rude, Tsukishima!" Tanaka scowls.

"You can't talk to your senpai like that!" Nishinoya adds.

"Ah, well," Tsukishima gives an exaggerated shrug, lips curled into a sharp smile. "I'm terribly sorry, senpai, but it's only the truth."

For a moment it seems like Tsukishima's attitude has won the day. Yachi can almost feel the tipping point of Tanaka and Nishinoya's frustration getting the better of them before they stalk off to whatever else they were doing before. But just as soon as she's about to let out a sigh of relief, their attention abruptly shifts, zeroing in on Yachi herself.

"Yachi-san," Nishinoya says, eyes wide and intent on her.

"Yes--?" she yelps, hands flying up again.

"Is that true? Have you been talking to Shimizu-san?"

"I--ah--" Yachi fumbles for a moment, mind still reeling from the sudden encounter before something in her snaps. Her hands curl to fists, shoved down to her sides, her cheeks puffed as she stands at her full height.

"Of course I have!" she says, putting force behind her words. "She's the one who knows the most about how to manage this team. So--I've been talking to her ever since graduation."

"Since graduation--?!" both Tanaka and Nishinoya exclaim in unison.

"Yes--?" Yachi falters, unsure of how to answer the question. Casting a quick glance to Yamaguchi only earns her a confused but sympathetic shrug in reply.

"Oh, so that's what it is." The fire in Nishinoya's eyes seems to blink out in a moment, his expression shifting to something almost thoughtful in turn.

"Come on, Tsukishima, why didn't you just tell us that?" Tanaka asks with a swift slap to Tsukishima's back. Tsukishima glares at him in return.

"You didn't exactly give us a chance to explain it."

"There's nothing to explain," Yachi says, finally letting the tension slip from her shoulders.

"Yachi-san truly blessed," Nishinoya says, off in his own world again. "Kiyoko-san's gifted her with her personal phone number."

Tanaka nods empathetically in agreement.

Yachi can't help but mirror Tsukishima's look just a little in the way her lips twist into a scowl.

"I'm not going to share it with you."

"We wouldn't want it!" Tanaka assures her without hesitation. "After all, getting a girl's number is something you've got to earn. The pain and hardship of every rejection are just part of the path to greatness!"

Yachi isn't sure that she understands, nor that she wants to. Fortunately, Tanaka and Nishinoya's particular brand of delusion needs no reply. The two of them turn to her a moment later, offering a thumbs up in eerie unison.

"Make sure you treasure it, Yachi-san!" Nishinoya says with a grin.

"Ah, yeah..." Yachi replies, still uncertain.

"And don't you ever lose it," Tanaka adds on.

"I wasn't planning on it," she says.

"Excuse me," a voice rises from behind the boys, causing all three of them to turn at once to face Fukurodani's manager, Suzumeda. She's not quite the imposing figure that Shirofuku was last year, but it seems like Yachi isn't the only one who's learned a few lessons from her senpai. Suzumeda fixes all four boys with a smile that's pleasant to the point of being dangerous, hands clasped behind her back.

"This is the room for us girls, you know. If you don't have any business with Hitoka I might have to go and tell the coaches or your captain that I caught you loitering around here..."

The unsaid threat comes across perfectly well. Ennoshita is no Daichi, but there's already been a handful of encounters throughout the year that have shown Tanaka and Nishinoya that he's not afraid to exercise his authority on the team. Both boys straighten up instantly, offering Suzumeda winning smiles in reply.

"No problem," Nishinoya says.

"We were just on our way out!" Tanaka adds. The two of them turn, offering Yachi and the rest a quick wave before they make their way down the hallway.

The air settles only for a moment before Suzumeda fixes an expectant look on Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi startles under the attention, hands up in surrender, as Tsukishima looks away, clearly having had enough of the entire encounter.

"We'll be quick!" Yamaguchi says, turning his attention back to Yachi. "Ah, that is, I think Takeda-sensei and the coach are off drinking with the other teachers, so we can't ask them, but we just needed to get into the supply closet from the second gym for the air pump."

"Oh, yeah," Yachi says, grateful for the return to something resembling normal. "I can get you in, just a second."

It doesn't take more than a couple of minutes to take care of the errand. Yamaguchi is still profusive in his thanks at the end, apologizing more than once for drawing the attention of Tanaka and Nishinoya, even though it's Tsukishima's comments that caught their attention. Yachi waves it all off easily.

"It's nothing, really," she says, pausing a moment when something catches her thoughts. "Although...how did you know it was Shimizu, Tsukishima?"

Tsukishima glances at her for a moment before offering a nonchalant shrug. "You've been on your phone more after practices this year. You weren't spending time with any of the boys from our class during school, so it couldn't be a boyfriend. Then I saw you heading to the station with Shimizu-senpai a couple of weeks ago which explained it."

"Oh..."

Sometimes, Yachi thinks, it's easy to forget that Tsukishima's indifference doesn't mean that he's unobservant. She feels her cheeks flush slightly, embarrassed in the moment at how easily he's read her behavior. Tsukishima sighs again, catching her attention.

"Don't get embarrassed over it," he says without heat. A moment later, he adds, "But whatever you do, don't let her visit. Those two idiots would be impossible to deal with if she did."

"Aha, right," Yachi grimaces at the thought of it. "I wasn't planning on asking her that."

"Good," Tsukishima agrees.

Something about Tsukishima's words sticks with her on her way back to the classroom where the girls are set up for the week. The initial embarrassment of the moment has passed now, but it's still there, just at the edge of her thoughts, impossible to pin down. It's true that she has been texting Kiyoko almost daily after practices. Sometimes she'll even use the downtime between matches to send her updates, things like that. But Tsukishima hadn't assumed it was Kiyoko at first. He'd thought Yachi had a boyfriend.

Yachi frowns at the idea of it, turning it over in her head as she makes her way up the stairs to her room. She'd had plenty of classmates who have dated, both in middle school and now in high school. It's almost impossible to pass the day without hearing someone's gossip about a confession or trying to attract some boy's attention or something like that. Yachi's taken part at times, usually just to offer advice or her opinion, but if she's being honest with herself she's never really thought of any of the boys in her class as particularly attractive.

She understands romance, at least in an objective sense. The thought of having someone you can be close to, someone who puts you at ease, someone you admire has always flitted in and out of her daydreams, but she's never been able to pin that sort of nebulous thought or attribute that sort of feeling to any of the boys she knows.

It's true that her own thoughts and feelings might not be obvious at first glance, but it still nags at the back of her mind. Why would Tsukishima even think she had a boyfriend? There's a difference between texting a friend for advice and keeping in touch with a significant other, isn't there? She's seen Hinata texting furiously between practices with the setter from Nekoma sometimes. Yet even though Hinata's face always lights up with each new message leading up to their practice matches, none of it seems quite the same as the sort of starry eyed adoration that she's seen in her classmates time and time again.

With a sigh, Yachi steps into the classroom, pulling the door shut behind her to lean against it for a moment.

"Who cares about having a boyfriend?" she says to nothing, trying to dispel the thought.

Making her way back over to her futon, she can see her phone blinking with a new message. Tsukishima's offhand comments and the thoughts of dating and boyfriends scatter to the back of her mind as she remembers that she'd been texting Kiyoko before. Quickly, she settles down and swipes her phone open, tapping the notification to open her messaging app.

She hadn't gotten a chance to reply to Kiyoko's latest message before, but sitting there, beneath their conversation, is a string of new messages, sent just a few minutes after Tsukishima and Yamaguchi's interruptions.

>> If I'm remembering correctly, the training camp finishes up next week doesn't it?

>> I thought, perhaps, if you'd be willing to take some time off, why don't you come out to visit that weekend?

>> You could stay at my place, if your mother will allow it. There's a festival near my dorm with a fireworks display over the river.  We could go together.

>> If you're too busy with school work, it's all right. But I'd like it if you came.

Yachi reads the messages in a rush, then once more just to make sure they aren't some sort of ridiculous figment of her imagination. Her breath flutters at the back of her throat, light and giddy while her fingers fly against the screen.

>> Are you sure it's all right? I don't think my mom would mind, but I wouldn't want to be a bother. Your place isn't that big is it?

>> It's fine. There isn't a lot of space, but I wouldn't mind your company.

Yachi's lips purse in a smile. She's suddenly aware of a flush rising to her cheeks, Tsukishima's words echoing in her mind at the same moment as a realization comes upon her.

"Oh," she breathes out, eyes wide. Her cheeks flare to life, the flush spreading darker across them. Her eyes lock on Kiyoko's messages on the screen, tracing them over and over again until the characters seem to lose their meaning in the midst of the tumult that her mind has become.

"Ooh..." her voice wavers on the exhale. The awareness of it hits her all at once. The way her pulse is pounding, her flustered expression, the butterflies in her stomach, nervous tension in her fingertips as their grip tightens around her phone. Yachi squeezes her eyes shut in embarrassment, pressing her phone against her forehead with an incoherent whine.

Tsukishima didn't think she had a boyfriend because of how much she was texting or anything like that. No, he was more observant than that. He'd seen the way she smiled, the way she would fluster with excitement and energy every time a new message came in. Tsukishima thought she had a boyfriend because he'd realized she has a crush on Kiyoko before she was even aware of it.

---

Although Yachi's sudden awareness of her own feelings for Kiyoko couldn't have picked a worse time to make itself known, she still accepts Kiyoko's invitation regardless. It doesn't seem fair to confront this sort of thing in LINE messages and texts, she thinks. If nothing else, visiting Kiyoko will give her a chance to meet it face to face, to tell Kiyoko how she feels and sort it out there.

Yet as she sits alone on the bullet train to Tokyo not more than two weeks later, her own anxiety at the outcome seems to be an unstoppable presence, gnawing constantly at the edge of her thoughts.

Of course, she doesn't want it to be something that damages their friendship. More than anything, she thinks she probably wound up in this situation because of the way that Kiyoko's always been so supportive of her. Kiyoko's beautiful, of course. Yachi's always thought that she was attractive--though she looks back on those thoughts now with a sort of incredulous wonder at how she could have been so dense--but in the week and a half she has left at the training camp to sort out her feelings, she realizes it's not Kiyoko's looks that Yachi's really fallen for.

It's the way that Kiyoko was always patient with her, always willing to guide her during their time on the club together. It's Kiyoko's genuine praise, the way the smiles she shares with Yachi have a sort of warm pride to them. It hasn't even been much more than a year since they met, but even then Yachi can't imagine what it would be like without Kiyoko at her side, without Kiyoko gently pushing her forward.

That isn't something that Yachi wants to lose. Even if she's got a crush, there's still Kiyoko's feelings to consider. She's seen the way Kiyoko's rebuffed the attentions of Tanaka or Nishinoya or any number of boys from their opposing teams with cool indifference. Yachi's stomach sinks at the thought of being on the receiving end of something like that. Of seeing Kiyoko brush her off with a closed expression and cold apathy. Just the thought of it makes her shudder. How in the world could anyone find something like that appealing?

In the end, the balance of fear, anxiety, and rationality tell her it's probably best to wait until the last day of her visit to tell Kiyoko. If she blurts it out right away and if Kiyoko doesn't take it well, then it's just going to have over both their heads for the entire weekend. Halfway through doesn't work either, for the same reasons, so her determination settles on the last day.

She can manage this, she tells herself. Really, she's felt this way for Kiyoko for months on end now without even realizing it, so surely she can just act like she usually does and everything will be just fine.

The tail end of the trip into Tokyo station is an exercise in breathing, trying not to mutter to herself for fear of scaring the other people on the train, and nearly losing her grip on her phone when Kiyoko texts her, twice. In the end she makes it, unscathed but exhausted, pulling her small suitcase along behind her through the gates at the station.

Kiyoko's there waiting for her, a mirror image of Kiyoko's visit to Yachi's apartment just a few months ago. Yachi feels her own expression light up when she catches Kiyoko's gaze, her hand lifted to wave back when the sudden crushing awareness of her own crush grips the gesture in a half-hearted abort.

She can't let Kiyoko know she has a crush--it must look so obvious right now, right? But it's not like she isn't happy to see her. Friends can be happy to see their friends if they haven't seen each other in a long time, can't they?

Her thoughts tumble one over the other, her face stuck in a half smile as she slowly, awkwardly, pulls her hand down, forcing her feet to move forward across the station. Kiyoko's watching her the whole time, of course, a concerned look spreading over her face as Yachi approaches her.

"It's good to see you again, Hitoka," she says. "Did you have a good trip?"

"A-Ah, yeah!" Yachi says, her words jump-starting her thoughts into some semblance of order. She waves one hand, trying to dispel the worried look on Kiyoko's face. "Sorry, I just--ah--I got a little motion sick, I think? I'll be fine, it's all right."

Kiyoko's gaze lingers on her for a moment before she smiles, giving her a slight nod in return.

"We need to catch the subway from here. Do you think you'll be all right?"

"Oh, yeah, it's fine, really." Yachi offers a smile and hopes that it's convincing. "Your place isn't that far, is it?"

"No, it shouldn't be too long," Kiyoko says. She offers her hand. Yachi stares at it in confusion for a moment before Kiyoko speaks up again. "I can take your bag. The transfer's just this way."

"Right--" Yachi turns, fumbling for a moment before passing over the handle for her suitcase. "Ah, right. Just lead the way."

"Just stay close and follow me," Kiyoko says, stepping out into the station.

The rush and press of the crowds in Tokyo station provide Yachi with a welcome distraction that keep her thoughts from lingering too long on the embarrassment of that short exchange. She can't feel like an idiot when she's dodging salarymen, tourists, and school trips anyway.

Even when they make it onto the subway, Yachi's shoulder pressed against Kiyoko's with the two of them sitting side by side, the unfamiliarity of the station signs flashing by outside the windows is enough to keep her distracted.

Yachi's been to Tokyo a few times before, usually on class trips and the like. It's still been years since the last one, though, and the way the subway trains speed along beneath the busy streets of the city is just close enough to the trains back in Miyagi to be familiar but just different enough to seem uncanny. She catches herself staring at the multicolored map of crisscrossing stations and subway lines when Kiyoko's shoulder gently nudges against hers.

"This is us, let's go."

Yachi nearly jumps out of her seat in the instant that follows.

"Ah--yes!"

Kiyoko smiles in reply, pushing herself up with one hand on Yachi's suitcase as she extends the other in an offer. Yachi stares at it for what feels like a solid minute before Kiyoko speaks up.

"Come on, it's a little crowded so it's better if we stick together."

"Oh--right."

Yachi reaches out, curling her hand slowly around Kiyoko's, her mind racing at just the simple touch. Is her grip too tight? Too loose? She knows she's blushing as well, and is for the moment can't even think of how grateful she is that Kiyoko's turned away, leading both of them off the train and into the bustling station.

It isn't as big as the central station, but in Yachi's mind that only seems to make the crowds worse. Her fingers tighten on Kiyoko's instinctively, holding onto her like a lifeline as they both make their way out of the station and onto the streets above. To Yachi's surprise, Kiyoko doesn't let go when they leave the station. Instead, she turns to Yachi, offering her a soft smile to accompany the light tug against her hand.

"It's this way, just a couple of blocks."

"It's good that you live so close," Yachi says, silently thankful that Kiyoko hasn't made any comment on the very obvious blush across her cheeks. Maybe she thinks it's just the heat, Yachi thinks. Maybe.

"It is." Kiyoko nods. She slows her pace a little now that they're free from the crowds, falling into step with Yachi beside her. "The campus is a few stops away, so it's not too much trouble getting to classes in the morning."

"Oh, so you ride to class every day?"

"That's right," Kiyoko says with a light smile. "It's even busier in the mornings, if you can imagine that."

"I think I'd die," Yachi says, only half-joking.

"It certainly took some getting used to," Kiyoko says, her voice lilting faintly with amusement. "But I don't mind it so much anymore."

The conversation carries them all the way to Kiyoko's dorm room. It isn't much to speak of: a small single room with a window and short balcony for drying clothes. There's communal baths down the hall, Kiyoko tells her, and a kitchen on the floor with the dining hall on the first floor.

"It might be a little crowded for the weekend," Kiyoko tells her with an apologetic smile when she sets Yachi's luggage down in the corner. "I hope that's all right."

"N-No," Yachi blurts out. "I mean--yes, ah--no, it's fine. I'll be all right."

Kiyoko's gaze lingers on her for a moment and Yachi panics. Both hands fly up, as if she could simply wave the awkward exchange away.

"I'll be fine, really. I was just--it's really impressive how tidy it is in here! I'm surprised at how much it looks just like what I imagined."

"What you imagined?" Kiyoko asks, a curious look on her face.

"I--yeah, well," Yachi stumbles on, trying to find some way to explain herself. "You know, with the sort of person you are. I guess I just sort of thought 'oh, if it's Shimizu's room, I bet it looks like this,' or something like that. And--ah--it's just like that, I mean. Not that--I mean I wasn't thinking about your room or anything, ah, it's just...a thought...I had..."

The words spill out from Yachi's lips in a magnificent rush only to slowly taper out at the end. She's really done it now, she thinks. She hasn't even been in Tokyo for more than half an hour and already she's embarrassed herself beyond all possible belief. There's nothing normal about how she's acting now, and there's no way that someone like Kiyoko would think it's normal. She'd probably be better off just grabbing her bags and turning around to head straight back to Miyagi right now.

But somehow, miraculously, after what feels like an eternity in Yachi's mind, Kiyoko's lips curl into a sudden, surprised sort of smile, one knuckle pressed to her lips like she's trying to hold back a laugh.

"I see," she says, the amusement clear in her voice. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I--" Yachi nearly laughs herself, the nervous tension and energy slipping from her shoulders so quickly she thinks that she might just collapse to the floor in a heap. "Yeah. I mean, it is. It's really like you."

"Thank you, Hitoka," Kiyoko nods to her, the smile still on her face. "It's a little late, but did you want to find somewhere to go for lunch?"

The question brings with it the dawning realization that aside from some snacks she'd bought back in Miyagi, Yachi hasn't had much of anything to eat since breakfast. She can almost feel her stomach rumbling in agreement, insistently reminding her of the fact. The distraction from the conversation at hand certainly isn't an unwelcome one either.

"Lunch sounds great," she says.

They find a nice spot a few blocks away at a bistro serving up sandwiches and iced coffee. Kiyoko asks about Yachi's summer homework on the way, giving her a more than ample opening to dive into the reading she's been assigned for lit class and the more interesting points of the speech she's working on for English. In the end, verb conjugations and Natsume Soseki eat away the lunchtime hour faster than either of them realize.

After paying and offering an apology to their waitress for lingering at the table for so long, Kiyoko suggests a walk. They're not too far from the national gardens, and with the good weather they've been having as of late the park should be lovely. Yachi readily agrees, her earlier worries completely forgotten with the ease of Kiyoko's company.

The rest of the day seems to pass in a blur. The gardens are bigger than Yachi could have imagined, and she can't help but stop every couple of steps, snapping a picture of these flowers or those on her cell phone while Kiyoko watches with an amused little smile.

She'd felt the same way when she first visited, she tells Yachi over dinner later on--at a conveyer belt sushi place they've found just a little off the beaten path. Visiting Tokyo was one thing, but living in the city, having the experience of a place so full of energy and life just outside her doorstep every single day was something else.

"You don't get homesick, do you?" Yachi asks, snagging a set of nigiri off the belt.

"A little bit, at first," Kiyoko admits, her chopsticks pausing in the air over her plate as she considers. "I still do sometimes. I'll wonder how my parents are doing, about how different it is to cross paths with so many people every single day. But I think I'm getting used to it."

"You're really something else," Yachi says, a sigh of admiration slipping from her lips. "I know mom wants me to go to a good university after next year and of course most of the good schools are in Tokyo, but even after just today it feels like so much."

"It is a lot," Kiyoko admits, taking another plate off the belt. "But you won't have to worry that much, Hitoka. After all, if you come to a school out here then we'll be in it together."

"Oh--" Yachi's cheeks burn with the thought, both from imagining being so close to Kiyoko again and at the fact that she somehow hadn't made the connection before this moment.

"That's right," she says, quickly pushing another piece of sushi into her mouth to save herself from saying anything more embarrassing than that.

It's late by the time they make it back to Kiyoko's dorm. After spending so much time on the move, Yachi's only wish is for a hot bath and the blissful embrace of sleep. The shower attached to Kiyoko's room isn't quite big enough to share, so while Yachi pre-emptively plants her face into the plush softness of Kiyoko's comforter, Kiyoko excuses herself to wash up.

Less than a half an hour later, Yachi is vaguely aware of the insistent nudge of a hand on her shoulder. Slowly blinking sleep from her eyes, she looks up to find herself greeted by the blurry sight of Kiyoko's concerned expression hovering just inches over her face.

Yachi startles awake in an instant, sitting bolt upright as her entire body jerks away from the touch.

"I--Shimizu--" she stammers, reality quickly tumbling back into order only a moment later.

Kiyoko stands over her, wearing a pair of pajama shorts and a loose tank top. Her hair is still damp from the shower, droplets of water glistening against ebony strands, sinking into the damp towel around her shoulders. Unperturbed by the sudden display, she smiles down at Yachi, cheeks still flushed from the heat of the water.

"I'm sorry for startling you," she says. "You can go ahead and wash up now, if you'd like."

"Oh..." Yachi is staring. She knows that she's staring, but somehow she still can't help it. She blinks once, forcing herself to look away and tries to shake the lingering grogginess from her mind. "Right. I--I'll be right back."

The heat of the water does nothing to still the racing pace of Yachi's pulse. How was she supposed to forget a sight like that after all? She's known all along that Kiyoko is beautiful, of course. But the sight of her just then had been nothing short of gorgeous. Even just the memory of it makes Yachi want nothing more than to melt into the ground in an incoherent puddle of happiness. She wants to tell her. The warm and wanting feeling inside of her won't settle if she has to endure anything more than this.

Still, she reminds herself, she has to wait. Even if it seems like torture, even if she knows that after stepping out of this shower she's going to get into bed and spend the entire night with Kiyoko at her side, if she knows what's good for herself--for her and for Kiyoko--she has to wait.

"You can do this, Yachi," she whispers to herself in the bathroom mirror after pulling her pajamas on, staring down her own face flushed from the heat of the water and the impending thought of sleeping at Kiyoko's side. "Just a few more days, that's all you'll have to endure, then you can tell her. You can do it."

Somehow, the steely gaze of her own reflection doesn't quite provide the sort of encouragement she's looking for. Yachi sighs, a slow exhale stealing breath from her lungs, before she brings both hands up, lightly smacking them against her cheeks.

"Okay," she says, and heads back into Kiyoko's room.

Kiyoko's already turned the overhead light off when Yachi steps in. The room is lit only by the warm light of the lamp on Kiyoko's bedside table and the glow of the city from outside her window. Kiyoko herself is under the covers at the far end of the bed, checking her phone. She looks up when Yachi comes back in and abruptly Yachi is very aware of how well the dim light compliments her features, how the play of shadows and the glow of the city paint an impossible perfection across her dark hair and pale skin.

She tries not to let it stop her, tries to shove the thought far far away as she steps over to the bed.

"You--didn't have to stay up--" she says, fumbling for the words. Each one of them feels forced in her mouth, as forced as the stilted and awkward jerk of her arms and legs as she climbs into the bed, her thoughts an unending chorus of "act normal, act normal."

"It's all right," Kiyoko replies, setting her phone aside with a soft smile. "I was just setting an alarm for tomorrow."

"Aha, right," Yachi says with a sigh, settling down into the bed. She tucks her arms down in rigid lines at sides, determined to avoid any sort of contact with Kiyoko at all. Yet when her head hits the pillow her body remembers the weariness of the day. She feels her eyelids droop lower over her eyes, blurring the orange and black hues of Kiyoko's ceiling together into an indistinct mess.

"Tomorrow--" a yawn cuts her words in two, "--did you want to get up early...?"

"Not too early," Kiyoko says, her voice lilting lightly with amusement. Yachi feels the shift on the futon next to her, Kiyoko reaching over to flick the bedside lamp off and set her phone aside before settling in herself. "But I don't want to sleep in too late either."

"Mhm," Yachi nods, letting her eyes slide shut with the promise of sleep lingering just at the edge of her senses. "Not too late..."

The stillness of the night sweeps over both of them quickly, drawing Yachi closer and closer to the welcome embrace of sleep. Somewhere at the edge of it, in a place where she can't be sure if she's dreaming or not, she feels the gentle touch of Kiyoko's hand against hers, of Kiyoko's fingers sliding across her palm, holding on with a pressure that's almost feather-light.

Without thinking, her hand curls against the touch, a sleepy murmur escaping her lips. In the silence of the room, a faint whisper answers her.

"Sweet dreams, Hitoka."

---

The next few days pass in a warm summer blur. Any worries that Yachi had at being unable to escape from her thoughts, at being too caught up in the worry of exposing herself and her feelings to Kiyoko before the time is right prove themselves to be completely unfounded. With the sticky heat of the sun over their head and the city of Tokyo spread out before them, Yachi finds that there's hardly any time to spare for those kind of thoughts in the midst the flurry of activity. Together, they make their way up to zoo at Ueno, then south to Rainbow Bridge and the sights at Odaiba. One day is taken up entirely by a train ride out of town and everything that Tokyo Disney Sea has to offer.

Each day finds Yachi so pleasantly exhausted that she's not sure how she could manage another. Every night she finds herself slipping off to sleep faster and faster, the nervous anxiety at the thought of sleeping next to Kiyoko quickly fading into a growing comfort at being by her side.

Coming back to Kiyoko's dorm on the day of the festival--the night before Yachi's departure--it isn't until she's pulling her yukata from her suitcase that she remembers her self-imposed deadline. Staring at the brightly colored fabric, patterned over with flowers in different shades of pink, Yachi can feel her resolution waver. She's been on trips with her class before, trips with her family. Yet somehow, spending the days with her mother and classmates have never felt as effortlessly happy as the past few days she's spent with Kiyoko.

In their time together, she's completely forgotten about the nervous tension of trying to hide her feelings that marred her arrival. In Kiyoko's presence, she can be herself. She can talk freely about anything and everything, and Kiyoko is there with a smile and her own stories to share.

Yachi's fingers curl slightly on the fabric of the yukata. She knows there's no way of doubting her feelings now. If anything else, the time they've spent together has all but solidified it. She's hopelessly, absolutely head over heels for Kiyoko. Yet as much as she knows that, she knows that what she has with Kiyoko isn't something that she wants to lose. Even if it's just as a friend, she doesn't want to think of what it would be like if she couldn't spend time at Kiyoko's side like this.

"Hitoka, do you think you'll need help with your obi?"

Kiyoko's voice snaps her attention away from her thoughts in an instant. Turning, she looks up from where she's knelt next to her luggage to where Kiyoko's standing at the foot of her bed, her own yukata held against her chest, her hair already drawn up into a simple but elegant bun.

"Oh--I--no--I mean, maybe..." Yachi pauses a moment, then her mind catches up to what Kiyoko's asked her. "--Actually, I think so."

Kiyoko smiles at her, the expression seeming somehow warmer than before. "I can help you with yours if you'll help with mine."

"Yeah," Yachi nods, gathering her yukata up as she stands. "That sounds like a plan."

"All right."

Yachi turns away as Kiyoko starts to change, offering her at least that much privacy and busying herself with getting out of her clothes as well. There's a very loud, very insistent voice at the back of her mind reminding her that Kiyoko changing means that right behind her, right now, she could turn around and see Kiyoko in only her bra and panties. Even if she can't fight the blush that creeps to her cheeks at the thought, she quickly shouts the voice down into submission without hesitation. It wouldn't be right, she stubbornly thinks, loosely tying her own yukata shut with the under cord for her obi. And anyway, it isn't polite.

"Are you almost ready?" Kiyoko asks from behind.

"Ah, yeah," Yachi says, turning around at last. "Should I do yours first or..."

Her voice trails off, leaving her bereft at the sight.

Kiyoko's obi isn't tied yet, the ends of her yukata still brushing against the floor, but the sight is still enough to take Yachi's breath away. The dark color of her yukata stands out in a stunning contrast against her pale skin. Against the inky black of it, pastel flowers in light pinks and blues almost make it seem like there's stars reflected in her eyes.

"...lovely..." Yachi lets the word slip from her lips, her senses catching up with her a moment too late.

Eyes wide, she slaps a hand over her mouth, her whole face flaring red in embarrassment.

Kiyoko tilts her head slightly in question, and even that much looks elegant with the way that the collar of her yukata and the sweep of her dark hair accentuate the pale skin of her neck.

"Hitoka?" she asks, and Yachi's sure that she could just die then and there.

"It's nothing--" Yachi says, but from behind her hand it comes out sounding more like "Ffsn nuurfngh."

Abruptly realizing the mistake, she lets her hand fall, pointedly looking up to the ceiling as she does.

"Ah, sorry. I just--I--I can help you first?"

"All right," Kiyoko says, seemingly unperturbed by the entire display. Yachi waits until she sees her move out of the corner of her eye before she looks back down, steeling herself with a quick breath and stepping forward.

Kiyoko's yukata is one that comes with a pre-tied bow, but the obi itself is still a hassle to tie single-handedly. Yachi resolutely keeps her focus on the task at hand, pulling at the ends of the obi and passing them back to Kiyoko while pointedly avoiding any brushes of their fingers or letting her hands linger too long where they shouldn't be. They make short work of it, the bow slipping into place easily to complete the look.

"There," Yachi says, stepping away with a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Kiyoko says, turning to face her with a pleased look on her face. "How does it look?"

"It's lov--ah--it really suits you, Shimizu," Yachi stumbles, cheeks flaring red again as the embarrassment from just a few minutes ago comes creeping back to rear its head.

"Thank you," Kiyoko says. She takes a step closer, extending her hand to Yachi in offering. "Can I help you with yours now?"

"Oh--right."

Yachi turns, immediately distracted by the task of fixing the cord at her waist, picking her obi up from where she set it on Kiyoko's desk to start the process. Her obi is the same style as Kiyoko's, which makes it easy enough to get started before she needs to hand the end of it off to Kiyoko behind her.

With their positions reversed, Yachi isn't even thinking of her earlier apprehensions until she feels the firm pressure of Kiyoko's fingers against hers as Kiyoko takes the fabric from her hand.

The touch feels like a jolt, a spark of electricity that sends spiderwebs crisscrossing against her skin. She's sure the hair at the back of her neck is standing on end. Yet before she even has a chance to react, a chance to wonder if maybe it had just been an accident, she feels another touch. This time, it's the pressure of Kiyoko's hand against the small of her back, her palm smoothing over the fabric of the obi, pressing it to lay flat.

Yachi's breath catches in her throat. The heat from Kiyoko's hand suffuses throughout her body and Yachi's almost certain she can feel her legs melting out from under her. When Kiyoko passes the fabric back to her, it's only reflex that reminds her to take it, her mind long gone in a jumbled rush of thoughts.

Their hands touch again when she passes the fabric back. Kiyoko's touch is gentle but firm against Yachi's back, carefully tying off the obi, lightly tugging the lines of Yachi's yukata straight and flat before she slips the bow into place.

Even though the whole process of it doesn't take more than a few minutes, Yachi can swear it lasts hours. It feels like someone's thrown a warm blanket over her thoughts, or like she's looking out at the world from behind a screen that casts everything into a hazy and indistinct blur of happiness.

When Kiyoko finishes, Yachi turns silently, a million words waiting on her lips. It can't have been a mistake. The first time, maybe, but certainly not after she did it more than once. But if it wasn't a mistake, then what was it? Was she just trying to be helpful? Was it the same sort of thing she'd do for any friend? It was only a touch, the slightly more rational part of Yachi's mind reminds her. There's nothing to say that it meant anything at all.

"Thank you," is all that she can bring herself to say, a shy, nervous smile across her lips.

Kiyoko is smiling back at her, like she always does, and offers her a short nod in reply.

"You look lovely, Hitoka."

---

At the festival grounds, the air buzzes with the hum of a late summer evening. Cicadas hum from the trees just beyond the stalls set up along either side of the sidewalk around them, valiantly straining to be heard over the call of the shop owners and the crowd around them. Yachi doesn't think she's ever seen so many people in one place in her entire life. She can hardly take more than a few steps without running into a crowd of girls in yukata, a family with children in tow, college students, foreigners, or any number of other people. Just the sight of it leaves her awestruck, staring out over the masses with eyes wide and her mouth hanging open in shock.

Fortunately, Kiyoko is there for her. She catches Yachi's hand in hers, pulling her gently out of the flow of people.

Yachi does her best not to jump into the crowd of college boys next to them in surprised, her entire body jolting with the surprise of Kiyoko's touch.

"Ah--I--"

"It's a little much, isn't it?" Kiyoko offers an understanding smile.

"Y-yeah," Yachi says, as breathless as though she's just run a marathon even though they've just arrived. "I didn't think there would be so many people..."

"It is a popular event," Kiyoko says, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her hand hasn't left Yachi's yet. A small part of Yachi hopes that it never does. "I've heard some people show up in the morning just to get a seat near the river."

Yachi lets out a laugh at the absurdity of the thought, the racing of her heart lending it a nervous tone that she hopes Kiyoko doesn't hear.

"I guess you'd have to, wouldn't you? Ah--but we can still find a spot, can't we?"

"It should be all right," Kiyoko says with a reassuring smile. "We may not be as close to the fireworks as they are, but we should still be able to see them."

"That's good. I'd hate to miss them," Yachi says.

"Don't worry, we won't."

It's surely just Yachi's imagination, but she swears that she can feel Kiyoko's fingers tighten against hers in the barest hint of a squeeze. Her stomach twists against itself, nervous energy humming under her skin. Only a few more hours, that's what she told herself.

"I--" Yachi starts, tugging her hand from Kiyoko's grip on impulse.

Kiyoko turns to look at her, her eyebrows drawn together in a look of concern.

For a moment, Yachi panics.

She could say it now. Maybe there was something more to those touches, something more to the way that Kiyoko looked at her, called her lovely.

But the heavy apprehension at the back of her mind reminds her the touches, Kiyoko's hand in hers means nothing. It's just a gesture of Kiyoko wanting to keep her from getting lost, of Kiyoko's willingness to help her when she asked for it. She can't say anything now because it would certainly ruin the evening for both of them. How could Kiyoko even stand to sit by her and enjoy the fireworks after rejecting her feelings?

"Hitoka?" Kiyoko asks, startling Yachi out of her thoughts.

"I--I wanted--ah, did you want something? From the stalls, I mean. Like takoyaki or some squid, I bet they've got candy apples, and, aha...you know..."

Self-conscious, Yachi rubs her hand at the back of her neck, her heart leaping higher into her throat with every word.

Kiyoko's silent for a moment, considering, before her expression softens again.

"I'd like a candy apple, if you wouldn't mind. I can wait for you here?"

"Yeah!" Yachi agrees, perhaps a little too quickly. "I'll get them. I'll be right back!"

"All right--" Yachi doesn't wait for Kiyoko's response before she's turned to vanish into the crowd, more than grateful for the repreieve that it offers.

She finds her way to the candy apple stall quickly enough, though the wait in line leaves her alone with her thoughts again. Drawing in a long, steadying breath, she lets it out with a heavy sigh. Even just a few more hours feels like torture. It isn't even that she's afraid of rejection anymore, the entire thing has just built up into too much for her to handle. It's the unknown, the uncertainty. Having no idea if Kiyoko's smiles, the way Kiyoko looks at her, the way she thinks about her means the same thing as the way she looks at Kiyoko.

"If I could just say something it would be easier..." she mumbles, rubbing the heels of her hands against her face to try to take her thoughts off it again.

"Ah, miss? What was that?"

"Ah--" Yachi yelps, dropping her hands and staring up at the shop keeper in front of her. Somehow, she'd made it to the front of the line without realizing it.

"Oh--" she lifts her hands again, waving any unwanted concern away. "It's nothing, really. Two candy apples, please?"

The man fixes her with a curious gaze that seems to only last a moment before he's pulling the apples up from the display in front of him. "Two candy apples. That's 600 yen, please."

Yachi pays quickly, snatching up the apples with a short bow before she turns to make her way back to Kiyoko. Having Kiyoko worry over her is embarrassing enough, she doesn't need complete strangers working the festival stalls wondering just what's going on in her head. Honestly, she tells herself, she just needs to keep it together. She's managed this long, just a little bit more time won't make that much of a difference. She just needs to find Kiyoko then they can find a place to watch the fireworks and it'll all be all right.

She glances up at the thought, stepping aside to pause momentarily as she takes in her surroundings.

"That's strange..." she whispers to herself, not loud enough to be heard, before turning to look back the way she came.

This is definitely the spot where she left Kiyoko, or at least close enough to it, but Kiyoko's nowhere in sight. Yachi turns again, lifting up on her tiptoes to scan the crowd just to make sure, as an uneasy feeling settles in her gut.

Kiyoko isn't the type to wander off. She certainly wouldn't have gone somewhere else without saying so either. Yachi settles back down on her feet, letting out a short breath. She's just about to shout out, to make herself heard over the crowd, when a burst of laughter catches her attention.

Turning, Yachi finds herself facing the backs of three college boys, all of them crowded around someone who seems to be at the middle of the group. She's about to turn away, about to renew her search for Kiyoko, when she catches sight of a familiar pattern--pastel pink and blue flowers against a dark background--through a gap in between the group. A moment later, a snatch of conversation carries over the crowd to her ears.

"Look, it's a festival isn't it? You don't wanna be out there all on your own, do you?"

Yachi isn't quite sure if it's bravery or stupidity that spurs her forward, cautiously working her way towards the group, but whichever one it is, it brings her just close enough to hear the overly polite reply that comes.

"I'm terribly sorry, but as I've already told you, I'm just waiting for a friend to return."

The voice stops Yachi in her tracks, her suspicions confirmed in that moment. It's Kiyoko in the midst of the group, the target of the boys and their unwanted attention.

The boy at the center, dressed in a loose t-shirt over tight black jeans and a dark tanktop laughs again.

"Come on, it's the more the merrier, right? When your friend gets here, why don't we keep both of you company?"

"Right, right," the guy at the left--a shorter and stockier boy, dressed in a plaid shirt over a ripped up t-shirt and baggy pants--joins in. "I bet your friend's as cute as you are, right? A bunch of cute girls like you deserve some guys like us."

"That's right," the leader adds. Yachi doesn't need to see his face to hear the smug grin behind his words. "We're just trying to help you out here. We've got a good spot and everything."

"I've told you," Kiyoko says, her voice wavering at the confrontation. "I would rather not--"

"Hey, sister," the boy at the center leans in, forcing himself into her space. "It's just for tonight, all right?"

"She said no, you stupid jerk!"

All three boys turn at once, breaking up just enough so that Yachi can see Kiyoko behind them, her eyes wide in surprise. Yachi is just as surprised at the outburst herself, but it's too late to take it back now. She can feel the adrenaline buzzing at the edge of her thoughts, her hands curled tight around the candy apple sticks.

Brows furrowed, lips pursed, she fixes each of the boys with a glare, refusing to back down.

"So just leave her alone!"

"Huh?" it's the boy on the right this time, a tall, lanky guy with baggy red pants and a bright orange t-shirt with illegible English scribbled across the front of it. "What'd you just say?"

"I said cut it out!" Yachi shouts back, raising her voice high enough to be heard by the crowd around them. Behind her she can already hear the murmurs of the passerbys, wondering at just what's going on.

The boys notice as well. The leader's shoulders square, his chin jutted up as he glares down at Yachi.

"Hey, little girl. We're have a conversation here, so why don't you mind your own business?"

"Wait, up, wait up," the boy on the left says, fixing Yachi with a look that makes her skin crawl. "She's pretty cute. No need to be jealous, cutie. You just want to join in too, right?"

"There's no way I'd want to join you," Yachi retorts. Her hands are shaking at her sides. The entire exchange seems to be racing as quickly as her heart beating in her chest. "I'm telling you to leave her alone."

"Listen up, kid," the leader turns now, all three boys focusing their attention squarely on Yachi for the moment. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to respect your elders?"

"I'll respect you if you deserve respect," Yachi says, curling her hands into tight fists at her sides. "But if you won't even listen when she's already told you that she doesn't want your attention then you don't' deserve it at all!"

"This chick's got some nerve," the boy at the right scowls, silenced by a short gesture from their leader.

Yachi can feel the tension on the air as the leader's scowl turns on her. Her skin prickles in the momentary silence passing between them, but she refuses to back down, meeting his glare head on with an angry scowl of her own.

"I told you, kid," he says at last, punctuating the last word with excessive force. "Mind your own damn business."

"It is my business," she says, pouring every ounce of indignation in her body into the words.

"Yeah?" he sneers down at her, hands fixed on his hips. "And how is that?"

"I'm her girlfriend," Yachi says, the words spilling for her lips in pure defiance.

It isn't until Yachi registers the shock on the boy's face that she realizes what she's said. For a moment, it feels like the ground's dropped out from underneath her. Her breath catches in her throat, eyes wide in disbelief. She can't see Kiyoko. She has no way of knowing whether or not she's completely shattered everything that they've built up over the past few months together. But just as quickly as it left her, her adrenaline surges up again, crashing through her veins like water released from a dam, wiping away any sort of rational thought that she might have had. She grabs on the leader's shocked silence and presses forward without abandon.

"So--" her voice cracks and she stops, swallowing the sound down, "So all of you can just get lost! Even if she wasn't there's no way that she'd want to hang out with a bunch of stupid losers like you guys who don't even listen to what she has to say! You're disrespectful! You're disgusting! And I've had enough of you!"

The tirade doesn't last more than a minute but it still leaves Yachi gasping for breath, her whole body shaking with the intensity of it. For a moment panic grips her. She's in a public space, but she and Kiyoko are still outnumbered two to three. As quickly as it comes she shoves it down, standing her ground.

The boys are stunned into silence for what seems like an eternity. It's the leader who moves first, his lip curling in disgust as he abruptly turns away, signaling for the other two to follow.

"Come on, these chicks ain't worth our time," he says with a scowl.

The other two follow, obedient, both of them mirroring his look of disgust, muttering under their breaths as they make their way back to the crowd.

Yachi watches them go, her eyes following their exit like a hawk. It isn't until they're completely out of sight that she feels the reality of what she said crash back down against her.

Her legs wobble, threatening to give out, as she turns back to face Kiyoko with trepidation. Kiyoko is watching her, her expression impassive for a brief, terrifying moment, before she steps forward, taking Yachi's wrists in her hands.

"Thank you, Hitoka," she says, a hint of a smile against her lips. Her fingers squeeze briefly against Yachi's skin.

"I--ah--Shimizu..." Yachi gropes for something to say. Should she apologize? Ask if she's all right? Pretending like nothing happened at all?

Before she can find an answer, Kiyoko pulls one of the candied apples from her hand, sliding her fingers into Yachi's grip instead. Yachi curls her hand around Kiyoko's on instinct.

An explosion booms from above, fireworks suddenly painting the sky in color. Yachi yelps in surprise, squeezing Kiyoko's hand tighter. Suddenly, the tension between them breaks. Kiyoko smiles at her, easy and genuine, tugging Yachi towards the crowd.

"Come on," she says, "let's go find a place to sit."

"Yeah," Yachi nods, too captivated by Kiyoko's smile to do anything but agree.

Overhead, the fireworks fill the sky with light, popping and buzzing against the city skyline in a brilliant display. Yachi can only steal glances at it for the moment, her attention caught by the sight of Kiyoko's back in front of her, of her outstretched hand curled securely in Kiyoko's grip. There's too much noise to make herself heard without shouting, too many people crowded together for them to slow for even a moment. It seems like an eternity passes before finally Kiyoko pulls them both aside at a relatively empty spot by a line of trees near the banks of the river.

There's trees overhead blocking out most of the sky, which is probably why it's so sparsely populated, but Yachi can still see them flickering between the leaves like stars in the night sky. Kiyoko comes to rest with her back leaning against a tree and Yachi falls in at her side, their hands still joined, shoulders brushing lightly through the fabric of their yukata.

It feels too surreal, Kiyoko's hand in hers, the crash of the fireworks overhead, the faint din of the crowd in the distance. Yachi's mind whirls, trying to find the right words. She should apologize, if nothing else, for what she said. It wasn't fair of her to try to paint Kiyoko as something that she isn't, even if it did get the boys to stop bothering them. But it's Kiyoko who speaks first, her words soft in the twilight.

"That was very brave of you, what you did back there."

"Huh--?" Yachi blinks. She looks up at Kiyoko in disbelief, unsure of what she's just heard. "That--ah--I--no, it wasn't really--"

"It was," Kiyoko says, offering her a smile in return. "It's not easy to stand up to complete strangers like that."

"Aha, I didn't really stand up to them," Yachi says, suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "I mean, I did. But it didn't really work out. And I probably just made the whole thing worse in the end..."

"What do you mean?" Kiyoko asks with a slight tilt of her head.

"Ah--well, you heard it right?" Yachi ducks her head, glancing away at Kiyoko's sudden scrutiny. "Those guys are going to--I mean, everyone who heard that's going to think the wrong thing about you. You know, that you like girls--that kind of thing..."

Kiyoko's fingers twist in Yachi's hand. Yachi loosens her grip, certain that Kiyoko's about to let go before she speaks.

"Is that the wrong thing?"

The question is soft, Kiyoko's voice just barely above a whisper. Yachi glances up, just in time to see the way that Kiyoko considers the candied apple in her hand, her expression somehow contemplative. Yachi's sure it's just her imagination, but she swears that she can see the faintest hint of a blush in Kiyoko's cheeks.

"Shimizu?" she asks, cautious.

Kiyoko startles, looking every bit as if she didn't intend for Yachi to hear her. She tugs her hand away from Yachi's in an instant, turning to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she does. Yachi's hand curls closed on the empty air, her heart pressed into her throat, but she doesn't look away.

"I've really enjoyed the time that you've spent here, Hitoka," Kiyoko says at length, twirling the candied apple slowly in her hand. "And before as well. You've always impressed me with what you're capable of. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud of how far you've come."

She pauses for a moment, lips pursed in a hesitant smile before she continues. "But I think, more than that, you've become someone that I feel that I can rely on, someone who I can be myself with. It's comforting. It's a very warm feeling. For a while now, I've found myself looking forward to the times when we can talk. I've found myself thinking about you throughout my day, even when you're not there."

"Ah..." Yachi stammers. Her cheeks are burning, heart pounding in her chest.

Kiyoko turns, her dark eyes taking in the expression in a moment before she smiles, reaching out to curl her fingers around Yachi's hand once more.

"That's why, I was thinking," Kiyoko hesitates a moment, glancing down to their joined hands before she looks back up to meet Yachi's gaze. "I thought, if you'd like to try being my girlfriend for real. I don't think that I would mind it at all."

"I--" Yachi chokes out. It's the only word she manages before something snaps inside her, the floodgates of her own feelings released in an unbridled wave of giddy euphoria. She shivers, her fingers squeezing tight against Kiyoko's hand. She's smiling wide, her face still flushed red, but she doesn't care at all.

"Yes," she blurts out, breathless and giddy. "I mean--yes. I wouldn't mind it either. Actually, I'd really--I--" She pauses abruptly, sucking in a deep breath to steady herself.

"I'd like that...I'd like that a lot."

Kiyoko smiles back at her, and Yachi can only think that there's nothing in the world more beautiful than Kiyoko's smile.

"I'm glad," Kiyoko says.

Her fingers twist, curling in Yachi's, pulling her closer. Yachi glances down at their joined hands for a moment then back up before she realizes what's happening. Her pulse flutters and races in her chest. It suddenly feels as if the world is spinning too fast, hurtling forward out of control, but she doesn't want to stop it.

"Shimizu--" she breathes out, hesitantly leaning in as she does. "Can I--?"

Kiyoko exhales a soft laugh that tickles against Yachi's lips, squeezing against Yachi's hand.

"I'd like that too," she says, and kisses her.

Yachi never really spares much thought to what kissing might feel like. She's seen movies, gossiped with her classmates, that sort of thing, but somehow none of it seems like it could have possibly prepared her for the soft touch of Kiyoko's lips on hers, the warmth of their palms pressing together in the heat of a summer night. In the moment, with Kiyoko at her side, knowing that her feelings are returned, Yachi can't care less about classroom gossip, about movies or fireworks, candied apples or the whole city of Tokyo spread out around them. As Kiyoko pulls away, their breath still mingling in the space between their lips, for Yachi there's only the beauty of Kiyoko's smile and the wonder at what their future might hold together.