A Sakura Among the Ginkgos
I might be changing the anime story a little in some detail here and
there to better fit what I'm writing, or just plain because I can't
quite remember exactly how it goes – haven't watched Marimite in a while
now, and I've never read the novels or the manga – please bear with me.
^_^
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Shimako ran her hand across the rough bark of the old cherry tree with a
smile of contemplative affection tugging at the corner of her lips. This
beautiful tree, this lone sakura tree among the ginkgos, was so easily
overlooked, especially now that no pink flower petals decorated its
limbs as spring was already over. No, all that the casual passer-by
would see of this tree now was dark green leaves and tiny buds that
promised to become desirable fruit in due time.
It was perhaps now, between seasons, that Shimako most identified with
this tree she cherished so; singular and solitary it stood in the mass
of its neighbours, yet so easily overlooked in a place where all trees
were supposed to be the same. Perhaps she was being morose about it, but
this tree always did feel like a good symbol for Shimako herself.
That alone would have drawn Shimako to this tree, certainly, but it was
not the reason this one cherry tree among many in the vast property that
belonged to Lillian was so dear to her heart, oh no. It was underneath
these sheltering branches that she had at long last been made the petite
soeur of her beloved oneesama, the fickle Rosa Gigantea.
Shimako had known and loved the rebellious member of the school's
much-respected student council for a long time before Sei had ceased to
keep her at arm's length to instead take her hand. Despite what others
might think of her, Shimako had no illusions that Sei would ever have
taken that step on her own, had not her well-meaning but meddlesome
friends of the Rosa Chinensis family decided to act. No, as natural as
her hand had felt in Sei's that day, Shimako knew well that Satou Sei
would not have offered her rosary to Shimako, perhaps most of all
because it felt natural to them both.
Satou Sei was a complex woman, for all her brash flirtatiousness and
devil-may-care attitude. How ironic that the woman that was considered
the playboy of the school – if such a term was appropriate for an
all-girls' school like Lillian – and conquered hearts by the dozen it
seemed, was the one whose own heart was the most guarded. Shimako had
never asked her oneesama about the events that had taken place before
Shimako's arrival to the school, with Sei's passionate and, ultimately,
profoundly disastrous relationship with Kubo Shiori. Now that Shimako
knew the gist of what had transpired through other sources – Yumi and
Yoshino – she had gained a deeper insight into the woman she had loved
so dearly.
How doubly ironic, really, the strange way Shimako herself, Yumi and
their two oneesamas Sei and Sachiko were interlaced after a fashion.
Shimako knew that while Sei had not intended to make Shimako her petite
soeur originally, Sachiko had indeed wanted her. Certainly, the proposal
was undoubtedly performed strictly on Sachiko's own oneesama's
directions, the respectable but ever-meddling Rosa Chinensis Mizuno
Youko, but Sachiko had her own designs for Shimako. Sachiko had decided
that Shimako had enough poise, discipline and grace to hold true the
values of the Chinensis family... and Shimako had secretly been shocked
at how little her friend knew her. Shimako was no Chinensis and never
could have been, regardless of whom had held her heart back then.
Then along came Yumi, sweet, clumsy and most of all kind-hearted
Fukuzawa Yumi. Sachiko had harboured no intention of making the girl her
petite soeur beforehand, in fact Shimako felt certain that the current
Rosa Chinensis had at the time not even known of Yumi's existence, even
though Yumi herself had carried quite a crush for the famous Yamayurikai
member for quite some time. Pure chance and, in Shimako's eyes at least,
a touch of selfishness on Sachiko's part had made Yumi Sachiko's petite
soeur, but Sachiko would have propositioned any unattached girl that had
stepped through that door that day. Sadly, Yumi had been level-headed
enough to realise this... Shimako felt a stab of sympathy for her good
friend.
While Sachiko might have needed time to truly warm up to her unlikely
petite soeur, Shimako's oneesama had adored the girl from day one. What
it was, exactly, that drew the two together was anybody's guess –
although Shimako suspected that the way Yumi was absolutely open about
her emotions for most part and seemed to lack any kind of basic
duplicity might have appealed to her oneesama – but not only did Sei get
attached to the newest member of Yamayurikai, but she also quickly
became irreplaceable in Yumi's own heart. Not that anyone could accuse
Yumi of loving anyone other than her treasured oneesama Sachiko, but
they all knew who Yumi wanted to run to whenever hurt or confused by
Sachiko's words or actions.
Shimako smiled to herself and traced a pattern in the bark of the tree.
She had never been jealous of Yumi, in fact, Yumi was just too endearing
a person to inspire any negative feelings for long. Instead Shimako had
gained a surprisingly strong, and lasting, friendship in both her
age-mates Yumi and Yoshino, the kind she would treasure for the rest of
her life. Sometimes it amused Shimako to think of next school year, when
she would be Rosa Gigantea for the second year in a row and Yumi and
Yoshino would be Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida, respectively. They
were such close-knit unit, the three of them, and they would complement
each other well... Yoshino was stubborn, fierce and hot-headed, while
Yumi was tender-hearted and compassionate, perhaps also slightly
traditionalist compared to Shimako and Yoshino. Shimako herself, well...
she supposed she was something of a silent rebel, quiet, level-headed
and observing of duty when it served her, but would go her own path
regardless of opposition and let duty hang if it came to that.
Then Shimako would feel guilty for thinking of such things. When the
next school-year came around Yumi and Yoshino would know the pain of
being parted from their beloved oneesamas, like Shimako herself had
already been. It was not a pain to wish upon her dear friends,
especially since she knew both girls loved their oneesamas deeply and
sincerely.
Involuntarily one hand reached under the sleeve of her uniform, fingers
searching for the silver rosary of the Gigantea family that no longer
rested there.
Shimako had not been the only one to love Satou Sei, she knew that. If
nothing else the whole Rosa Kanina fiasco had served to drive that point
firmly home, made Shimako see the others that were suffering silently
with unanswered love for her incorrigible oneesama. Briefly Shimako's
thoughts touched on the dark eyes of Mizuno Youko and the old pain
hidden in them. No, Shimako had been far from the only one to love Satou
Sei.
Not that it mattered, Sei had gleefully moved on, and although Shimako
knew her oneesama attended school not far from Lillian itself, neither
of them had sought the other out since the graduation. Yumi had, of
course, and brought news to Shimako of her oneesama's new life, new
haircut, and new friends. Shimako had accepted that the cut had been
swift and clean, and tried in her own way to get on with life. What else
was there for her to do?
The pain had dulled with the knowledge, in time, that what was lost was
something that had never been hers in the first place.
The sombre mood lifted from Shimako's spirit somewhat, and she smiled
again.
Then something had happened that changed everything, right here, beside
this very tree. Shimako had been standing there underneath the blossoms,
deep in thought, when she had entered her life, oh so unexpectedly.
Nijou Noriko. A newly transferred first-year, beautifully proper and
demure at first glance- if one did not look into her dark eyes – but
giving her teachers and classmates a hard time with her unwillingness to
comply with the many rules of Lillian she objected against. Not perhaps
an open rebellion on her part, but a girl that stubbornly walked her own
path regardless of what others might say or do.
Not that Shimako knew all that then, at their first encounter. No, she
had just looked away from the pink rain of petals to find herself
suddenly no longer alone, and as she looked into those dark, astonished
eyes there had been a small but earth-tilting... shift... within
herself.
They had met there often after that, beside this tree, during what
Shimako secretly thought of as their courting phase. For anyone else it
would have been innocuous enough, but Shimako knew there was
something... something... going on with the way she would anticipate
each meeting, and the joy seeing the slightly younger girl would bring.
Her friends noticed as well, and history repeated itself somewhat:
Shimako's hand was forced, and while not executed with as much grace or
decorum as Shimako might have liked for Noriko, the silver rosary of the
Gigantea now rested looped around Noriko's wrist.
Noriko. The one that took one look at Shimako's offered heart, climbed
inside and made herself at home there. The one whom Shimako could trust
with all her secrets.
She and Sei had been too much alike, Shimako realised as she felt sure
Sei had before her. They respected each other so much it was impossible
to ask, and neither of them whole enough inside to volunteer information
on their own. Theirs was a silent understanding, but silence can only go
so far. They both needed someone who would ask, who would see, who would
reach out and touch when they did not know how.
Noriko asked the questions, and accepted the answers. She did not speak
to hear the sound of her own voice, but she was not one to keep silent
either... and most of all she drew Shimako out, made her want to speak,
to ask, to know... Shimako blushed slightly. Made her want to touch.
A tiny gust of wind found its way between the trees to lift Shimako's
long blonde curls and make the leaves of the cherry tree rustle above
her. Shimako closed her eyes and enjoyed the sound with a smile. It was
time now.
Inside Shimako said her final goodbyes to Satou Sei and the lingering
hold Sei had held on a tiny piece of her heart. Shimako had no regrets,
and it was time... time to release herself to be free to love Noriko
completely, with all of her heart... and Shimako would. The smile
widened and the wind twirled around her briefly, and then it was gone.
Something not quite a sound made Shimako turn around.
There she was, more beautiful to Shimako's eyes than ever, dark eyes
wide and open, plainly revealing admiration, respect, love and even a
touch of desire, causing a delightful thrill to run down Shimako's
spine. Shimako's own smoke-coloured ones darkened with a sudden and
somewhat naughty image, and by the tilt of one surprised eyebrow, Noriko
noticed.
Shimako suppressed a sudden urge to giggle and beckoned Noriko to her.
No more holding back, Shimako promised Noriko in her mind. She would
give her everything, if only the dark-haired girl would have her.
Then Noriko's warm, strong hand grasped her own, and they were standing
close together. Shimako closed even that small distance to put her arms
around Noriko's neck, causing the other girl to blush slightly before
she tentatively put her own arms around Shimako's waist. Shimako stood a
long moment merely looking deeply into Noriko's eyes, enjoying the swirl
of strong emotions shown there, and the bubbling sense of happiness in
her own heart.
The words she had never spoken sprang to her lips oh so easily.
"I love you Noriko."
The dark-haired girl gasped and her eyes brimmed with tears at the
declaration, Noriko unable for a moment to reply. Shimako waited
patiently, the smile still on her lips and her fingers idly playing
through Noriko's almost shoulder-length hair. Finally she had her
answer.
"I love you too, Shimako."
Throwing caution to the wind, not caring in the slightest if anyone
should catch them kissing on school grounds, Shimako pressed her lips to
Noriko's in a tentative first kiss that, amidst gasps and tiny sounds,
escalated quickly until Shimako was pressed up against the bark of the
cherry tree with Noriko's lips and tongue hot and hungry against her
own.
Shimako really, really loved that tree.
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