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“Would it kill you to be clear for once Kumiko?”
“I feel like I’m being clear.”
A young, brown haired woman rolls around in her bed as she speaks on the phone.
“We’ll you’re not. I think you know what I’m trying to get at here,” she responds, looking out her apartment window onto the autumn street below.
With an awkward laugh, Kumiko on the other side responds,“Reina’s good, she’s doing well. We’re just really focused on prepping for the last of our competitions.”
An annoyed groan escapes Natsuki as she covers her face with her hand. “I thought maybe your last year would have finally made you speak like a normal person instead of a lawyer, but I guess not…”
“Um…well. Oh uh, how’s Yuuko?” Kumiko sputters out.
The brunette responds deadpan, “I can’t believe you’re trying to flip this on me.”
“Look, needless to say it’s complicated, okay? But how are things on your side?”
Natsuki finally escapes her facepalm pose and sits up as she regains some life, “Yuuko’s doing good, not too much interesting has happened since the last time we talked. Just school and then home and repeat. Things get way less interesting past high school.”
Kumiko laughs sheepishly and says, “Here I was hoping something super amazing had happened in the last couple weeks.”
“Nope. That’s what I was hoping to hear from you, that’s what’s supposed to happen to you in your last year of high school,” Natsuki replies.
“Guess so.” Kumiko looks to be thinking, “Well I guess with Reina it’s like-”
Just then a large bow with a young blonde woman attached to it walks into the apartment, “Natsukiii, I’m home.”
Natsuki shoots up in bed and turns to face the doorway “Welcome back. How was your last class?”
Yuuko removes her shoes as she speaks, “Hmm not too interesting, no homework at least.”
The phone camera turns her way from the bed, “I’m talking to Kumiko if you wanna say hi.”
Giving Natsuki a slightly annoyed glance, Yuuko waves at Kumiko, saying “Hi Oumae, hope you’re doing well.”
“Sorry Kumiko, that might be my cue to go….”
The girl on the other side responds understandingly, “No worries haha, talk to you later.”
“And just when I was getting you to say somethin…” Natsuki sighs, “See ya then,” and she hangs up.
“You didn’t have to hang up on her you know,” Yuuko moves her way from the entryway as she puts up her things.
“Well yeah but I know you’d prefer me be off the phone when you get back from a long day,” Natsuki rises and goes to accompany Yuuko.
“.... well thank you, but still. How is she anyways?”
“Hmm she’s good, but still I can’t get her to budge on Reina. I was getting closer but that girl just refuses to say what she’s thinking.” Their shadows dance across the floor as Natuski follows Yuuko around the apartment.
“Right…. They should just get together or something..” Yuuko trails off a bit.
“Right? That’s what I always say, but Kumiko always says ‘Well I don’t know’ and then makes that dumb face…” Natuski turns to Yuuko, “What’s up?”
“Well I was just thinking… that girl from earlier today… she was definitely flirting with you.” Yuuko blurts out finally.
“Who, Nanami? No way, she was being friendly.”
Yuuko rolls her eyes and faces away from Natsuki to do the dishes, “She definitely was, I saw the way she looked at you. It’s easy to tell who notices your pride pin and who doesn’t you know.” The blonde’s voice grows more annoyed as she continues, “I know you’re friendly with everyone, but she was definitely being more than just buddy-buddy.”
Natsuko awkwardly picks up a glass and sets it back down, “I mean even if she was…”
Yuuko cuts her off and turns to face her close, “She was. I know you’re just being friendly but… think of me and try to notice when stuff like that happens.”
“.... got it..”
Silence sits in between them for a bit as they stand in the small kitchen.
Natsuki breaks the silence and averts her eyes, “I mean I guess.. If you could do the same too... That guy the other day from your class was definitely eying you.. Same with that guy with the dog at the park….” embarrassed, she rubs the back of her neck.
Yuuko laughs and rests her hands on Natsuki’s shoulders, “Haha jeez, you’ve wanted to say that for the longest time haven’t you?”
She replies bashfully, “No….”
Yuuko leans into her a bit more, “Hey. It’s alright I think it’s cute… and kinda funny…”
Natsuki replies, “Funny how?”
“Hm…. maybe weird is a better word, or both. What kind of best friends make rules like this for each other,” Yuuko chuckles.
Natsuki rests her arm around Yuuko’s back now, “I don’t know, I think we’re pretty normal as far as friends go?”
The blonde scoffs and motions to their current position, “Are you kidding me? You call this normal?”
“I mean we’re girls so it’s not-”
“Here we go again..”
“What?”
“‘Yeah Yuuko I’m telling you every pair of girl best friends makes out all the time and cuddles and has sex, it’s just how high schoolers are’” Yuuko pokes Natsuki in the chest, “Is it like that again?”
Natsuki blushes and looks away, “I-I never said that.”
Yuuko laughs into Natsuki’s neck, “Uhuh.. I’m pretty sure I could pull up 5 texts that say the exact thing right now.”
Natsuki regains her composure and turns back to Yuuko, “I only said that cause you were too afraid to use the G word.”
“Oh is that right, now it’s my fault that you wanted to play it off as normal in high school?”
“Yep.”
“Asshole. Even if that’s kinda true, what’s your excuse now?”
Natsuki looks surprised, “Eh?”
Yuuko pushes her face closer into the brunette’s, “You heard me. Is that why you haven’t kissed me since we moved to college? So you can just pretend like it was a high school thing now? Even though we have, you know, one bed for two people in this apartment?”
Natsuki sheepishly looks away as Yuuko continues, now becoming more serious, "Honestly, you’ve been so unfair lately… I know we’re going through adjustments but don’t act like this isn’t what it is just because we’re out of our parents houses now..”
Natsuki sighs and brings Yuuko closer, “You’ve always got me figured out huh,” she looks right into the blonde’s eyes, “How can I make it up to you?”
“Jeez… you’re supposed to be all ‘Oh shut up’ and all flippant about this kind of stuff, not…. all serious…” Yuuko blushes and turns her face away from Natsuki.
She just laughs and turns Yuuko’s face back to hers with her hand, “Maybe… but I guess I should finally be clear about this right?” Her gaze holds strong onto Yuuko’s face, “I wanted to give you time to be an adult or whatever the hell before I went back to doing all that with you, but I guess that was stupid.”
Yuuko meekly replies, “...yeah.”
Natsuki’s serious gaze turns to her usual self as she smiles, “Well I’m ready to go back to the usual, if you’re ready for the scary G word.”
Yuuko scoffs and spits out “Okay okay I’m ready to be your girlfriend so you can stop teasing me now okay?”
Nastuki just laughs and says, “Good,” as she pulls Yuuko in for a long awaited kiss.