Falling
Author: Anita
Fandom: Takarazuka RPF
Characters: Tsukishiro Kanato / Akatsuki Chisei, Kazama Yuno, Umino Mitsuki
Genre: yuri, romance
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Chisei thinks she's finally found the one for her in
Kazama Yuno. Yuno, despite their year-long relationship, started
displaying worried over Chisei's tightness with Tsukishiro Kanato. But
it's normal to message one of your best friends nonstop, right? To make
it worse, the two are to spend month apart when Chisei and Yuno find a
confession Kanato wrote in the past, and Yuno is convinced Chisei was
the intended recipient. How can Chisei prove to Yuno she's imagining
things and maintain both her girlfriend and her friend who's also a girl
when it's no secret she considers Kanato the most beautiful woman ever?
Previous Chapter | Chapter 3 | Next Chapter
Falling
Chapter 3
“Is this why? That you didn’t want me to get this? Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?” Yuno asked after reading the card she’d found inside the knit cap Reiko had gifted her years before.
Ari flinched. The second question had sounded so angry, her ears were burning. What was written on that card to earn the reaction? “I’ve never seen it; I just put it away after I got home.” She had taken it out from time to time after that day, but had never even tried it on, afraid it would lose the smell from Reiko’s things. It did eventually run out as it was inevitable to, but by then, she had gotten a couple more stuff to make it company and her crush had also subdued. Not that she could tell Yuno these things with how flared up she stared back at the moment.
“Read it yourself, then.”
Ari’s hand was unstable as she got the card from Yuno’s tight grip. The content couldn’t be good if it had escalated their fight to that level; and yet, she couldn’t fathom what would have that kind of power. After all, it was a piece of paper forgotten inside a hat.
It took her some seconds to focus on the letters. “Be with me?” she read. The handwriting was Reiko’s, she had no doubt. And although Ari did feel confused about the sentence, the question mark was part of the message. A declaration of sorts. “But who is this for?” she asked.
“Oh, who could it be?” Yuno rolled her eyes and continued with an affected tone, “I put my love confession in a hat I gave this pretty girl but to whom did I write it? Oh, the mystery.”
“No, she wasn’t going to give this to me, Haru.” She frowned. “And she didn’t go out with anyone after that. Maybe this was something old she didn’t even know to be in it anymore?”
“She planned to give this to you.”
“I already told you she didn’t, she wanted to…” Her throat felt dry at the realization. “Ha…” she gave a weak chuckle. “I got in the way of her cute confession when I, what was it you called? When I dived for it.”
Yuno strained her eyes unconvinced. “What are you going to do now? Will you ask her about it?”
“I feel bad, but I don’t want her to know I only found it like… three years later.”
“She probably doesn’t suspect you have a shrine for her, but you never wore this.” Yuno shook the cap so disdainfully Ari wanted to reprimand her. “It won’t be a surprise.”
“It’s not a shrine!” Although she recognized it had become something close to one. The other presents were kept there but Reiko’s had a separate pile not to mix the smells. And she tended to use the rest, or most of it.
Then it clicked.
“She wanted to give it to Umi-san!” Ari said with her index finger raised. “She’d even said so, that this was Umi-san’s when I… did what I did.” Remembering so made her realize her hurt. Not only had Reiko been into someone then, but it had been the same person she probably still had feelings for now, years later.
Oblivious to Ari’s troubles, Yuno had her eyes on her cell phone. Hadn’t they just been arguing? And then found out something super big about their top star? How could she just get her phone?
“We’ll lose our reservation if we don’t hurry.” Yuno looked her way. “And you’re not even ready.”
“I… aren’t you even curious about this?” She raised her hand with the card.
“I’m not even hungry to be honest, maybe I should just go home. You’re waking up early tomorrow.” Yuno moved on to the mess she’d made on the bed and put away each item with care.
“Haru.”
Ari felt bad for being so insensitive to her girlfriend’s worries. Even she recognized it was terrible to be worried about some other woman’s belongings when your lover showed insecurity about that same person. And Yuno knew Ari had felt something for Reiko at a point, though it was exasperating that she’d been acting like it was still going on. Before the two lost control, it was best to put away how much the jealousy streak bothered her and focus on how tired Yuno looked.
“Haru,” she repeated more pointedly and held Yuno from her back before she put another hat inside the closet. “Let’s forget about Reiko-san and go out as planned.” She also wanted to point out it was Yuno letting Reiko get in between them, but it wasn’t time for assigning blame. Much less for making her girlfriend feel even worse. “C’mon.” She turned Yuno her way by a gentle touch on her shoulder and joined their foreheads. “We’ll lose our reservation, right?” she teased, kissing her on the tip of the nose. “And I’m looking forward to still having time to enjoy this last night with you, so don’t say you’ll go home.” And kissed her lips as she reinforced, “Please?”
Yuno finally smiled. “Okay, but you have three minutes to get ready.”
Biting her lip, Ari added, “You can wear the knit cap; it’ll go very well with your clothes.”
“I don’t want to be tempted to throw it in a river.”
“Oh, Haru… that joke would have been cute on any other day.” She smiled back and kissed Yuno again. Her mind was wondering, though, not about how to solve all that jealousy, but what that note meant.
Most importantly, why weren’t she and Yuno super excited about finding first-hand gossip?
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Ari had just seen the most ridiculous video on Instagram and had to stop herself before sharing the URL with Reiko.
It was their third day in Fukuoka, and she still wasn’t sure how to talk to her supposedly best friend after finding the note inside the knit cap. A love declaration to someone, most probably Umino Mitsuki. Her mind had been in such an overdrive afterwards, that it had messed up her dinner with Yuno. At least they got to spend that last night together, but for a moment it was touch and go. Yuno had probably been out of it too. Her jealousy reached a point she was convinced the declaration was meant for Ari. How many times did she have to repeat the cap shouldn’t even have been hers!
With that thought, Ari shared the joke with Yuno instead of Reiko.
One thing had been positive, she’d surely been talking more with her girlfriend, because now Yuno had to hear (and read, and watch videos) for two. If only they could be together and not just texting… She added a stamp of a ferret doubling down in laughter.
Maybe she could find a way to put things back in their places, just like, somehow, she’d recovered the balance of how much she should be texting her girlfriend. She could try to prove to Yuno that Reiko had written the note for Umino. While visualizing the two together made Ari feel a little lonely, everyone already suspected of them. Yuno was maybe the only person who wouldn’t see it.
Just when she had found a cute video online to share of a baby eating lipstick, the doorbell from her room rang. It wasn’t that she was consciously thinking of Reiko, but it still felt as if she had materialized from thoughts.
“Oh hey!” Ari smiled before remembering the last days hadn’t been that comfortable for a warm greeting. “Come in,” she said before her face betrayed her.
Was that person visiting her a sign she should put the plan in motion?
“I brought you tea from the vending machine down the street.” Reiko lifted the two items she had, one of them a cup of hot coffee from a series that had just been released for the fall. She probably hadn’t put on any perfume after the rehearsal, and her air conditioner scented the air.
There wasn’t much room on the floor amidst her luggage and the clothes that could have been in a tidier manner, but Reiko didn’t seem to notice and just sat down, offering the pet bottle with tea.
“You feel distant these last few days,” she started, going straight to the point without even looking up from opening the coffee drink.
Ari took her time sitting down with more distance than she would have typically. However, she couldn’t find another way to do this, but allowing the main part of the problem out. “You never told me about you and Umi-san.”
Frowning, Reiko studied her face. “You sound jealous, but I’ve been talking more with Eri-chan because we’ve been having less time for each other, you and me.”
“Even Odachin says we talk too much. Though we don’t get to hang out as much, I’m sure still—”
Reiko interrupted her, “I didn’t mean to blame you, it’s great that you’re happy with Odachin. Of course, I’d love more time with my friend and…” She paused and seemed to consider something. “Our texts bother Odachin?”
Ari shook her head. It was true Yuno complained a lot about it lately, but it hadn’t been an issue in their relationship until recently. She was sure the problem wasn’t the texting itself, even if she had no idea what it was exactly.
“But you’re bothered about my talking more with Eri-chan?” Reiko asked still contemplating something Ari couldn’t grasp.
Regardless of how nonchalant the question had sounded, it still made Ari’s cheeks burn because of how on point it had been. She was jealous, that she’d admit even to her girlfriend (if it was a situation Yuno’s mood hadn’t been triggered yet, because now it could go very bad).
Back when she had a crush on Reiko, it was Umino Reiko had been into. Now she and Reiko were best friends, but Ari just didn’t have enough time to share equally between her friend and her girlfriend. Even so, she made sure to be present via text, so why would Reiko feel the need for another person? But this wasn’t the point of this conversation, and it wasn’t fair to Reiko, either. She wasn’t a thing to be monopolized.
“Can you just say the truth about you two?” Ari insisted, focusing on regaining control.
“I’d tell you if there was anything.”
“Would you?” Ari’s mind was racing. Reiko didn’t seem to be lying, so she and Umino weren’t a couple officially yet? “Would you tell me if you wanted more to exist between you two?”
It wasn’t the time to feel relief. Yes, excellent that Reiko hadn’t taken a step like that without telling her supposedly great friend, Ari felt genuinely reassured. On the other hand, it gave an opening for Yuno to throw in her face that her jealousy had a reason. Only it hadn’t, it made no sense to think anything beyond friendship could happen with Reiko. And there was also the issue that once Reiko had wanted to confess to Umino, the same time Ari had decided she wanted a totem from the beautiful girl she had a crush on, getting in the way of the lovely declaration and only finding it out years later. She hated to admit she owned it to her friend to correct this.
Thus, the plan she’d still been dwelling on when her doorbell rang had taken shape now Reiko had created that breach. However, it still depended on convincing her.
It was true, Ari was jealous of sharing her friend. She didn’t like having proof of how Reiko didn’t even consider her anything back at that time, even though Ari already knew that and for that same reason had oved on then. However, there was still a big problem to solve in the present, and if Reiko had looked for Umino because Ari had been too busy, then something could be done to fix it all. Ari could keep her friend and her relationship with Yuno.
“More with Eri-chan?” Reiko surprised her by considering it. But Ari had to control her selfishness because it wasn’t the time to feel jealous. The words that followed were nothing of what she’d been preparing for, “Are you trying to make us a couple to appease Odachin?”
Huh? Ari’s mind went blank. If it were a machine, her screen would have the blue of death blinking “An unexpected error occurred” before resetting. That plan had been drawn on the go, so she hadn’t prepared for many possible answers. Nonetheless, she’d never thought Reiko could figure it out this soon.
“So, it’s really that.” Reiko smiled with self-satisfaction.
It was good news she didn’t feel manipulated, but Ari’s stomach still stung with shame for the attempt. The silence stretched as Ari stared at the undrunk and now lukewarm tea.
“Maybe…” Reiko said but still seemed unresolved. Until her lips curved in a smirk. “Maybe it’s a good idea.”
“Umi-san and you?” Ari asked incredulous.
“I can’t imagine how we could make it come to be, but I’d like what you and Odachin have. You’re the couple that complete each other’s sentences.”
Ari looked away not to comment on that. It wasn’t a lie they knew what was on each other’s minds, but hadn’t that intimacy sounded more like a problem when Senri pointed out they acted more like good old friends than lovers?
However, Reiko didn’t pay attention or didn’t note her deflection. “And we could go out the four together. Or is that a thing from American movies?” She averted her eyes to the floor. “I haven’t dated enough. But we should still do something the four of us!”
That excitement over the idea of setting them up should have been disappointment or even anger. Moreover, if Reiko had feelings for Umino, wouldn’t it be a good opening to confess them? Or was she pretending all that just so Ari didn’t know she loved Umino and was grateful for help? It didn’t sound like Reiko, but neither did this overexcited virgin about to get laid.
“I’m scaring you.” Reiko laughed. “But I think I hadn’t had any excuse before to just do something fun… Also, I never knew this, how did it happen between you and Odachin?”
Now she thought of it, she’d only told people she was dating. She’d done it so suddenly Reiko had replied, “They were really asking me about it, but I had no idea.” But why didn’t they ever talk about her story with Yuno? She was sure she’d told some of her friends, but not Reiko? It maybe was also the first time Reiko sounded happy for them. She was usually more the blasé type. Ari had considered more than once that Reiko was being judgmental about the time the two spent together instead of focusing on work. So, she’d been wrong about that.
“Just the usual,” Ari answered, “we kissed and then continued to kiss?”
Reiko guffawed. “And I wondered which of you had declared first.”
Their thing hadn’t started because they loved each other or anything intense like that. They just wanted to be together, so they got together. Reiko was visibly disappointed with the lack of a cute gesture, so Ari didn’t have the courage to offer more details and burst even more the bubble.
“But you could do it for Umi-san!
“Oh, I could never! Besides…” Her voice died down as though she hadn’t meant to say anything more.
Had she meant to confess she’d tried it before with that note, and it hadn’t worked out? Had she chickened out when the knit cap went to the wrong person? Had she done other attempts or simply decided to speak it out loud? Ari still didn’t have it in her to ask.
“It would be awkward if she rejected me,” Reiko finally continued.
“No one would reject you!” Ari blurted out without thinking.
She noticed Reiko’s mouth open but close again without a sound. This brought her again to the note incident. Perhaps, Reiko had been rejected before, she’d tried another means and it didn’t work out. It was the more logical conclusion; she’d known the note hadn’t gotten to Umino, so she’d have to try again.
“Has Umi-san rejected you before?” she asked Reiko.
“What are you talking about?” A nervous laughter followed. “I’m really too much of a chicken for love confessions, let’s think of something else.”
And yet, she’d written that note and almost made it reach the person intended for. If only Ari didn’t feel so weird about pushing it for details… But all that talk only made her more aware of how Reiko and she rarely talked about dating. Reiko had gone out a few times on blind dates arranged by friends, and Ari had made her flirt back with people talking to her in bars after they were too drunk themselves just to see how cute and awkward she was at doing it. Nonetheless, they’d never talked seriously about it.
Ari breathed in. “Well…” And sighed. “You have a great excuse to just ask her out for dinner now we’re visiting another city.”
To be continued...
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