Perceiving Love
The day was waning when Kagura returned home after her run. She had
almost finished her stretch out when she looked up and saw Sakaki, who
was on her way home. "Aaaah - hi, Sakaki" she called, grinning. Sakaki
looked surprised: "Kagura-san?" "Wanna come in for a cup of tea?"
Kagura kindly offered. "Anooo..." Sakaki was hesitant. "Oh, come on -
you're not in a hurry, are you?" Kagura tried to persuade her. Sakaki
gave her a small smile, and nodded.
"I didn't know you lived that close to my house" Sakaki said, as Kagura
showed her inside. Kagura smiled. "Been at the mall?" she asked. Sakaki
nodded, blushing slightly: "Yeah, I needed to buy some stuff at the
bookstore" she answered evasively, squeezing the small bag in her hand.
Kagura went to get the tea, and returned shortly afterwards. "Hey, have
you tried that cool new video game, Final Fantasy X?" she asked.
Without waiting for Sakaki to answer, she turned on the TV and PS2
console. Enthusiasticly Kagura started to present the fantastic new
game, and invited Sakaki to try it. Grabbing the control pad, Sakaki
played the game for a few minutes, though she didn't appear too
thrilled about it. "This game's really great..." Kagura said, now with
less enthusiasm; "but, if you don't like it, it's okay..." Sakaki
stared shyly at the floor, and handed her the control pad: "Sumi
masen..."
Putting the console away, Kagura changed the subject: "What was our
homework in English for tomorrow?" "Yukari-sensei wanted a translation
of text 12 in the book" Sakaki answered. "Haven't done that yet" Kagura
sighed; "I hope I can manage it tonight..." Sakaki nodded: "I'd better
be on my way. Thanks for the tea." "Oh... so soon?" Kagura said,
slightly disappointed; "but, you're welcome..."
Kagura saw Sakaki out. "It's was nice having you visit me" she said,
broadly smiling. "Mmmmh..." Sakaki mumbled, smiling slightly. Then she
turned around and headed home. "See you in school tomorrow!" Kagura
called. Sakaki turned for a moment and waved, then continued on her
way.
--------
A few days later Kagura and Sakaki went home from school together. As
usual Sakaki didn't say very much, leaving Kagura to do most of the
talking. As their ways were about to part, Sakaki asked timidly:
"Anooo... would you like to come to my house, for a cup of tea?" Kagura
looked at her, a bit surprised. "It's... it's just... after that other
night..." Sakaki stammered. Kagura grinned: "Yeah, sure! I could go for
some tea..."
Sakaki led Kagura to her room. Kagura froze in the door: The room was
filled with plush toys, in all sizes and colors, though mostly of cats.
On the walls were posters with kittens, and of flowers. "Wow!" Kagura
finally exclaimed; "I've never seen so many plushies in my life!"
Sakaki blushed a little, and asked her in. So, Kagura ventured inside
and sat on the bed, still looking amazed around the room. Sakaki went
to the kitchen, to make some tea.
When Sakaki returned, Kagura sprawled on the bed with a wry smile: "I
would never have guessed..." "Nani?" Sakaki asked. "You having this
many plushies" Kagura said; "really, having any at all." Sakaki served
the tea, and Kagura continued: "I mean, I had imagined your room
completely different. It doesn't fit in with my notion about you..."
Sakaki blushed, and looked away. "Oh... gomen" Kagura said, her smile
gone; "I didn't mean it that way... It's just that we have a completely
different notion about you." "A different notion..." Sakaki whispered,
staring at the floor. "Yeah, you're like the cool type - athletic,
withdrawn" said Kagura; "not the kind of girl to have scores of
plushies in her room..."
Sakaki kept staring at the floor. "I guess it's my height..." she
sighed; "would that I was small and kawai like Chiyo-chan!" Kagura
looked astonished, and almost laughed, but checked herself: "Hmmm...
kawai?" she said, smiling wryly; "you loving these cute things... in
itself, it's actually quite kawai..." Sakaki looked at her
uncomprehending. "Since among the rest of us, you have this image of
being the cool girl - and in reality your room is filled with little
plushies" Kagura explained; "that's pretty kawai in itself..." Sakakis
cheeks turned red, but she also smiled.
--------
One morning, Kagura, Sakaki, Chiyo-chan and Osaka went to school
together. The girls walked chattering through the narrow streets. In
the warm morning sun a multitude of flowers could be seen in the
gardens they passed. "Aaaaw, they're so beautiful!" Chiyo-chan
exclaimed happily, pointing to a bunch of orange flowers. "Mmmh" Sakaki
said, a small smile on her face. "Ya know, if the Sun was, like, a
fluorescent lamp, they'd be green!" Osaka stated. The other girls
sweatdropped, and stared at her.
"Tulips?" Kagura asked, looking at the flowers. "Lillies!" Sakaki
answered. "You really know a lot about flowers, don't you Sakaki-san?"
Chiyo-chan asked, smiling admiringly at the tall girl. Sakaki blushed
slightly. "I... I suppose so..." she said shyly.
"Sakaki, how come you know so much about flowers?" Kagura asked. Sakaki
hesitated for a moment: "I like the... beauty... in flowers" she
finally said. "Oh yeah, you also have all those flower pictures in your
room" Kagura said knowing. "Flowers help me... relax..." Sakaki said
quietly. Her friends looked at her, slightly surprised.
--------
Yet another day at school having ended, Kagura and Sakaki went home
together. Kagura chuckled, and Sakaki glanced wondering at her, but
remained silent. "I just thought about" Kagura explained; "wonder what
Kaorin would say, if she knew how you really are?" "Kaorin?" Sakaki
asked surprised. "Yeah, Kaorin" Kagura answered and smiled. Sakaki
looked at her uncomprehending. "Don't you know Kaorin's got the hugest
crush on you?" Kagura asked amazed. "Kaorin... have a crush... on
me?!?" Sakaki said astonished, and blushed. "Oh... weren't you aware of
it?" Kagura asked. Sakaki faltered. "I thought she admired me, and
she's always so... timid... around me..." she said, still blushing;
"but I never dreamt she held those kind of emotions for me..." Kagura
laughed: "Everybody in school know about Kaorins crush on you!" "Oh..."
Sakaki said.
--------
The next morning the two of them met on the way to school. First period
was P.E., and Kagura was obviously looking forward to it: "Aaaah... I'm
all pumped up today! As you know, the swimming contests of summer
approaches - and I've been training hard these last few weeks..."
Sakaki glanced at her, but said nothing. "Just you wait! You're really
gonna eat my dust on the running track today!" Kagura boasted with a
big grin, and raised her fist triumphantly. Sakaki looked blankly at
her.
Kaguras smile faded, and she looked seriously at Sakaki: "You could
care less about which of us being the fastest, couldn't you?" Sakaki
nodded, almost imperceptibly. They walked in silence for a while.
"Aren't you interested in sports at all, or in competing?" Kagura
suddenly asked. "Not really..." Sakaki answered quietly. Kagura again
fell silent for a while. "Hmmmm... I suppose it was stupid of me to
expect everybody else to be competitive like me..." she finally said;
"you know, Sakaki, you're great at sports, really... but that doesn't
mean you have to love it like I do..." Kagura suddenly assumed a formal
attitude, and bowed to Sakaki: "I'm sorry that I projected my own
affections on you like that... Gomen nasai!" "It's... it's okay..."
Sakaki answered, a bit embarrassed. For a moment the girls gazed at
each other. Then Kagura grinned: "Come on, we'd better hurry, or we're
gonna be late..."
--------
One week later, Kagura met Sakaki during her running. "Hi Sakaki"
Kagura cheerfully called. Sakaki smiled back at her: "Hi." She paused
for a moment: "Would... would you like a cup of tea, at my house?" she
asked. Kagura grinned: "That'd be cool - I'm almost done running for
today... but I really need a bath..." "You... can you my bath..."
Sakaki offered. "All right, then" Kagura cheerfully said; "just let me
do my stretch out..."
"I'm getting in pretty good form..." Kagura panted satisfied, while
strething out; "but, my swim coach says I've gotta train even more...
it's getting hard also managing homework and stuff... like that
assignment for monday that Kimura-sensei gave today... oh well..."
Sakaki nodded, but remained silent. "So, where've you been?" asked
Kagura. "At the movies..." Sakaki mumbled. "Mmm hmm... good movie?"
Kagura went on. "Mmmmh..." Sakaki nodded, smiling slightly.
Having shown Kagura the bathroom, Sakaki handed her a towel. "Thanks -
I'll hurry" Kagura said, smiling at her. "Iie" Sakaki answered. Kagura
began undressing, and Sakaki gazed spellbound at her. Suddenly, her
face went rouge. Kagura glanced at her, and caught her staring. Sakakis
cheeks turned deep red, and she quickly looked the other way.
Cups of steaming tea were on the table when Kagura returned from her
bath. The girls sat down on the bed. "I... thought about..." Sakaki
began, her voice faltering; "what you said the other day... about your
notion of me..." Kagura's smile disappeared: "Yeah... I'm really
sorry... I was wrong about you..." "No, really, it's okay" Sakaki
answered hastily. "But, you're not the only one..." Sakaki said
seriously, staring at the floor; "for instance, you mentioned Kaorin...
she too has a different notion of me... a lot of people do..." Kagura
nodded thoughtfully. "All those expectations..." Sakaki went on;
"sometimes it's just so... tiring..." "Hmmmm..." Kagura answered
quietly; "I think I get what you're saying... there's a difference from
your image in school - to how you want to be..." "Yeah..." said Sakaki,
nodding unhappily.
Kagura flashed her usual broad grin: "Hey, cheer up Sakaki! Don't let
that get you down..." Sakaki looked doubting at her. "You gotta believe
in yourself!" Kagura went on, giving her thumbs up; "just be yourself.
Never mind what others think of you..." Sakaki nodded with hesitation:
"Believe in yourself... motto of the sportsman?" Kagura laughed: "Yeah,
I suppose it is... I'm serious, though: You can do everything you want
- and I'm not talking school or sports here!" Kagura smiled at her
encouragingly: "I believe in you!" Sakaki blushed, but smiled back
gratefully.
--------
Hereafter Kagura and Sakaki went to school together every single
morning, on and off accompanied by the other girls. The week after,
when first period again was P.E., the two of them met Tomo-chan and
Yomi in the locker room. Laughing superciliously, Tomo pointed
challenging at Kagura: "Ah ha ha ha... I'm as genki today as ever! So
today it's my turn to triumph at the running track!" Yomi shook her
head resignedly. "You really believe that yourself?" asked Kagura,
grinning.
When Tomo finally shambling crossed the finishing line, the just as
exhausted Osaka and Chiyo-chan in hot pursuit, Yomi asked
sarcastically: "What was that about being genki today?" Tomo was too
breathless to answer. Yomi turned to Kagura: "Aren't you competing with
Sakaki today?" Kagura smiled wryly: "No... no more..." Yomi looked at
her, somewhat surprised.
In the bath afterwards it was Kagura's turn to admire Sakaki's body,
and the long black hair. Sakaki looked up and caught her eye. For a
long moment they gazed at each other, and Kagura smiled at her. Then
suddenly Sakaki blushed, and looked away.
--------
The following weekend all the girls visited an amusement park. Led by
Tomo-chan and a surprisingly enthusiastic Yomi they had rushed around
the park to catch as many amusements as possible, one more wild than
the other. Finally Osaka got nauseous, and Chiyo-chan was dog-tired.
Leaving the other girls to rest on a bench, Kagura and Tomo competed in
a shooting booth. Osaka was getting better as Kagura and Tomo returned.
Kagura carried a large, light-blue plush cat.
"Aaaah, Kagura-san, you won that?" Chiyo-chan asked admiringly. Kagura
grinned: "Sure... it wasn't that hard..." She glanced at Tomo: "As
opposed to another, who only hit the booth holder..." "Bah..." Tomo
yelled; "it was side wind! If it wasn't for side wind, I would've won
that plush toy..." Yomi shook her head resignedly and smiled: "It's
pretty big, that prize of yours..." "Kawai..." Chiyo-chan sighed,
gazing at the cat. "Yeah..." Kagura said, smiling thoughtfully; "but,
I'm not too fond of plushies... So, Sakaki, you want it?"
All the girls, including Sakaki, looked at Kagura in surprise. "Can I?"
Sakaki said, blushing slightly. She smiled that rare smile of hers, and
cautiously accepted the plush cat: "Arigato!" Entranced she stared at
it, gently petting the soft plush. "Eeeeh - you're giving it to
Sakaki?" Tomo asked astonished. "I would have guessed Chiyo-chan" Yomi
said, smiling amazedly. "I'm pretty certain" Kagura said, "that
Sakaki's the one who'd be the most fond of it..." Yomi, Tomo and Osaka
looked at Sakaki in surprise, then at Kagura, then back at Sakaki: She
sat with a small smile of bliss, cheeks blushing, as she showed the cat
to the admiring Chiyo-chan. Yomi smiled at Kagura, and nodded in
acknowledge.
"Ha ha ha ha ha" Tomo guffawed, pointing at Sakaki; "that's so funny!
Sakaki infatuated with that plush toy..." "So what?!" Kagura fiercely
exclaimed; "any problem with that?" "No, no" Tomo laughed; "it's just
that she's so tall, and she's sitting with this plush cat, like a
mother with her baby..." "Don't make fun of her" Kagura spluttered;
"that's just sweet..." "If I recall correctly" Yomi said sarcastically,
looking at Tomo, "you were pretty anxious to win that plush toy
yourself?!" Tomo kept laughing, and Kagura got more and more angry with
her, while Sakaki and Chiyo-chan admired the cat, not noticing Tomo's
hysterical laughter.
--------
The next monday Kagura and Sakaki as usual walked home from school
together. Sakaki, however, was even more taciturn than usual, and to
Kagura's wonderment she even ignored a couple of cats on the way. As
their ways were about to part, Sakaki stammered: "Anooo... I... I would
like to... talk to you..." "Eh? About what?" Kagura asked in surprise.
"Would... would you go home with me?" Sakaki nervously asked. "Sure!"
Kagura said, smiling at her.
Kagura sat on Sakakis bed, and Sakaki next to her, not too close, and
still silent. Kagura looked curiously at her, but said nothing. Sakaki
stared at the floor, and blushed. "Anooo..." she began falteringly;
"I... I have something... I've wanted to tell you... for some time..."
Kagura smiled at her, and nodded encouragingly. "But... I'm really
scared that you will... hate me..." - Sakaki's voice almost broke -
"if... if I tell you..." Her dark eyes became moist, and she fell
silent for a moment. Kagura looked earnestly at her. "Kagura, I...
I..." Sakaki's face assumed a pained expression, and she turned away.
"Sakaki... I think I know what you're trying to say..." Kagura slowly
said. Sakakis cheeks blushed furiously, but she couldn't face Kagura.
"Sakaki... then let me tell you something" Kagura said, her voice soft
and low: "I love you!" Sakaki gasped, and turned her blushing,
surprised face to Kagura. "I love you, Sakaki" Kagura slowly went on;
"it's something I've realized slowly... but I can't deny it." Kagura
looked at the floor, blushed, and looked unusually vulnerable: "I hope
my perception is correct... that it's mutual... if I'm wrong, please
forgive me... and if I'm right - then please forgive me for not having
told you sooner... gomen nasai..."
Shyly, Kagura looked at Sakaki: She smiled, and tears flowed down her
cheeks. Kagura smiled back. Nobody said anything. For a long moment
they just gazed into each others eyes. Then, very slowly, they leaned
towards each other - their eyes closed, and their lips met in a gently
kiss. Kagura slid closer to Sakaki, and they joined in embrace, before
their lips found each other again, this time longer and deeper. They
sat for a while, holding each other close, silent. "I love you, Sakaki-
chan" Kagura affectionately whispered. "Sakaki... chan?" Sakaki said
shyly, and blushed. "Yes - Sakaki-chan!" Kagura said, smiling; "you are
the most kawai person I know... and I love you!" "I love you too,
Kagura-chan..." Sakaki relievedly whispered.
Next morning Sakaki and Kagura walked to school, hand in hand, and a
smile on their faces, though none of them said very much.
--------
They met Chiyo-chan, Osaka, Yomi and Tomo at the entrance, while
changing their shoes, and went to the classroom together. "You look so
happy today, Sakaki-san" Chiyo-chan said, smiling at the tall girl;
"what happened?" "Something wonderful..." Sakaki sighed happily.
"Sakaki-chan and I confessed our feelings for each other..." Kagura
said, smiling shyly, and both she and Sakaki blushed. Their friends
gasped, and stared at the two girls. "Feelings? You mean..." Yomi said
incredulously. Kagura smiled and nodded, and took Sakakis hand:
"Yeah... we love each other..." The friends looked at Sakaki, who also
nodded, a shy smile on her face.
"Congratulations!" Chiyo-chan said enthusiastically. "So, you're like,
girlfriends now?" Osaka asked puzzled. Kagura smiled shyly: "Yeah... I
guess we are..." Osaka smiled dreamily: "That's so kawai..." "Aaaaargh"
Tomo yelled, loud enough for the whole school to hear: "Kagura and
Sakaki are lovers!" She jumped ecstatically up and down, and started
guffawing. "Hey, being girlfriends doesn't equal being lovers" Yomi
said reproachfully. "Oh, come on, Yomi" Tomo yelled teasingly; "they're
just the same!" Kagura and Sakaki blushed, and smiled affectionately at
each other. Yomi smiled at the couple: "I'm impressed - really! And I'm
happy, for both of you!" "Arigato!" Kagura said happily.
In the back of the classroom, Kaorin cried bitter tears in Chihiro's
arms. "S-Sakaki-san..." she sobbed. "Haaaa... don't despair, Kaorin-
chan" Kimura-sensei shouted, suddenly appearing next to her; "now it's
just you and me!" Kaorin's desperate cries drowned out even Tomo's
yelling.
--------
Author's notes:
English is not my native language, so please bear with me.
Comments are most welcome.
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