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“Oh come on! It’s been raining this whole week already!”
Her blazer—her pride, her joy—was utterly soaked from cuff to collar. The rest of her being no different. With a hard twist, the water splats on her shoes. Kyoko grimaced.
“Watch it, Onēsama.”
“I-I’m trying to!” Yui sputtered. “Not like there’s any space…”
They should’ve been at the dormitory by now. Bundled under blankets after a much needed hot shower. With mystery novels exchanged between them. Not taking cover under the library stairwell, of all places.
Kyoko—-ever the most secure—had her back towards the wall; holding her suitcase against her chest. Clothes only partially wet. At least from what Yui could parse anyway. She couldn’t see a thing through her lenses. Rubbing away the droplets only made it worse.
“Well, I guess we should be glad no one else is here.”
Granted it was only the start of the semester, but that didn’t necessarily mean some of the girls would hold back on getting ‘familiar’ with each other. That’s just how it was at this school. The outside stairwell was one of the many ‘hangouts’ around campus some of the new students would have learned about by now. At least she can take comfort in knowing the girl code was still being held up.
“Hmph.” Kyoko’s face blotched in her vision. “And what would you have done if 'someone' was here?”
“Hm, I guess we would have kept running to the dormitory then.”
“So we could have been at the dorms already—“
“—We would have no choice at that point, Kirigiri-chan!” She scrunched her hair—in all of its sopping glory. “By all means, you can go ahead."
In the distance, the sky roars.
“…I’ll pass.”
5 minutes later, and Yui’s only comfort came in the form of okaki—in all of its crunchy goodness. The saltiness was enough to hide her dismay over Kyoko eating her onigiri with—sigh—umeboshi.
The thunder was a lot louder; the air thicker, humid; lighting made itself known—frolicking between the clouds that loomed. Dangerous was what it was. And unfortunately, the library was locked.
Logistically, it would be better if the two of them stayed crouched where they were. She’d hate it if Kyoko were to get hurt because of the weather—of all things.
Sigh.
Her snack would taste even better if Yui had an eyeful of Kyoko’s cute face right about now. While the water droplets had long evaporated—the condensation building up was quite annoying.
At least she could savor the warmth of her shoulder pressed against hers. Speaking of—-
“Were you still cold, Kirigiri-chan?”
“N-not really.” The sound of paper getting crumbled is quickly stashed in Yui’s designated snack trash-pocket in her backpack. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
Uncharacteristically, Kyoko swallowed nothing. Placing the back of her palm on her forehead only worsened her suspicion.
“Ah, you’re developing a cold.“
“I said I was fine, Onēsama.”
“Well right now—-yes, but—“
“—What are you doing?”
Yui stands up somewhat. “I’m trying to get around you. Could you move just a little?”
After a bit of shuffling, Yui’s back was against the wall and Kyoko was curled up against her chest—her blazer was dry enough to serve as a cool blanket. And the suitcase served as a barrier against stray raindrops. They were perfectly contained!
“…Onēsama.”
“I don’t mind if you fall asleep. I’ll protect you from the rain.”
“No, that’s not…”
Sickness; it had its sort of magic—in her opinion. How quickly it made Kyoko’s voice dry, her body slow to spike in temperature; and shiver all the same. She really wished she had some water on her.
Kyoko doesn’t protest the thermos pressed against her lips, and takes slow sips of the black tea.
“Not all at once, Kirigiri-chan.”
“I know.”
Yui puts the thermos back, and wraps her arms around Kyoko’s waist. In the same sort of snuggle she’s done before—from those nights when she found herself back on her bed, with Kyoko next to her.
Well, that’s just how it’s been for a couple of weeks now. And to think Kyoko had the audacity to pick out a dorm inside of the high school dormitory. Surely the school would get around to transferring someone to that abandoned room, or give her another bed.
Not to say she doesn’t mind Kyoko sleeping in her bed. Yui likes what they have;—but her bed is tiny; it’s not enough for two people. The space was no different than how much there was between her legs. The same Kyoko has molded herself in—fast asleep against her chest.
Cute—like it always is. But surely not ideal.
The rain continued to lull, but it wasn’t slowing down.
Back then, her and Mayu would play in the rain until their parents dragged them back inside. She missed the feeling of mud pressed against her feet—the rain soaking her hair; and how much her little sister loved to kick puddles.
But it made the hot bath feel a lot better against her cooled skin.
Sigh. A hot bath sounded really good right now. Or maybe a nikuman…
“Onēsama, you’re crushing me.”
She squeezed her just a bit more. “I’m so hungry, surely I could just eat Kirigiri-chan—“
Kyoko squeaked, and it was the cutest thing ever. She was probably blushing. “—You will not.”
“And deny myself the delicious snack right in front of me? I don’t think I can—“
“I said stop it!”
Roughly, Kyoko pushed out of her grasp—
And tumbled straight into the blistering rain.
Her blazer was too big for her, but at least it was dry. Kyoko’s was laid over one of the drier spots on the stair railing.
“…Did you want to talk about it?”
No response. Her face buried in her knees.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, if that’s what it was. If I said or did something I shouldn’t have…”
“You didn’t…“ Kyoko mumbled, her face finally peeking out. “…do anything wrong, Onēsama.”
“Then what—?”
“I’m sick.”
“Of course you are…?” Yui tilted her head. “But I guess I shouldn’t have messed with you while you were trying to sleep.”
“No.” Kyoko pursed her lips. “That’s not what I meant. I mean mentally sick.”
“I don’t get it. You seem perfectly sane to me.” As any middle school detective can be, she supposed.
“Yui-onēsama.” Kyoko grits her teeth on her words—her nickname—as if it were bitter.
Or was it something else? Yui leans closer, her face now a bit clearer—
Was she crying?
“Kirigiri-chan, what’s wrong?”
“I like girls.”
It’s said with such a finality to it. Each syllable beaten down on the other; cascaded with the rain.
And Kyoko was crying. Her voice unbecoming, as the tears fall down her sweet face. It broke Yui’s heart. And she wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in her arms.
“Don’t cry…”
“I’m disgusting—“
“Don't say that!” Yui yelled. “Who told you that you were disgusting for liking girls?”
Kyoko was oddly silent.
“…Was it one of your classmates?”
“No.” Her voice was clipped. The answer too quick for her taste.
It was almost unnerving. How small she was. With her face soaked in tears. It’s easy to forget how much of a girl she really was than a cold detective—that vulnerability.
“You don’t need to tell me their names, just their homeroom number; that’s all.”
“Onēsama doesn’t need to do that.”
“I’ll just stalk you if you don’t tell me~”
“You’ll just make it worse!”
Make it worse? Something about the way she said it rubbed her the wrong way. Yui parts her lips slightly—her voice whispered against the rain.
“Kirigiri-chan…how long have they been bullying you?”
She doesn’t budge.
“Were you ever going to say something?”
No reply.
“Is that why you’ve started living in my dorm? Did they try to hurt you?”
“I-If Yui-onēsama doesn’t want me anymore I—“
“That’s not what I said and you know it. Of course I want you, Kirigiri-chan!”
“Do you?”
“Yes! It will always be yes. You’ll always be my detective partner. In sickness and in health!”
Kyoko’s lips thinned; eyes casted shadow. “And if I said I liked you?”
Yui stilled. The sound of her heartbeat skipped.
“I…”
“You don’t need to lie to me.”
“..I don’t mind if you do. I just can’t wrap my head around it.” Yui bites her lip. “That’s all.”
“Right.” Kyoko kept her eyes on the rain.
It’s quiet. The rain—nothing more than a drizzle. Safe too, so long as they mind the mud.
And Kyoko still won’t even look at her. Holding onto her suitcase tightly enough for the knuckles in her hands to go white.
At least she kept her blazer on. Pale lilac and forest green…nice colors. They look good on her. Just like every bit of her.
…
“Listen, Kirigiri-chan. I meant what I said. About always wanting you by my side.”
“Yeah?”
“But I don’t think I’ll be a good…girlfriend to you.”
“Yui-onēsama is perfect the way she is.”
“No, I’m really not.” God, she really doesn’t want to say it out loud. “I’m not the kind of onēsama you think I am.”
“It can’t be that bad—“
“I get around.”
“…Huh?”
Ugh, she wants to die on the spot.
“You could…consider me experienced with girls.” Yui said sheepishly. “I’m quite familiar with this stairwell.”
“Oh.”
“More specifically, this is my spot. Where I bring girls that I like over…that’s why I knew no one would be here…”
“Oh.”
Yui likes looking at her when she’s thinking. Seeing her mind churn as she processed the information spilled to her. Her face colored into a deep red.
“So…if I hadn’t said anything…would you have..?”
“I thought about it, but I didn’t think you were the type to fool around so—“
“DAMN IT!”
Yui snickered. “You’re not really missing out on much, Kirigiri—-wait!”
Kyoko grabbed onto her shoulders. Pushing her face against hers. “I can fool around! I can do anything Yui-onēsama wants me to do!”
“O-of course you can but these things take time—!”
“Then I’ll take all of your time!”
“Kirigiri-chan!”