Arc 3: A Morning After Sasami woke up the next day feeling bed-cramped. Her limbs felt stiff. She sat up and smelled a delicate aroma in the air. Her stomach gurgled with impatience. Summoning her strength, she walked down stairs and parted the the kitchen curtains. "Good morning!" "Good morning, Sasami-chan!" Misao turned and beamed her a smile that melted into surprise. She and Sasami stared at each other like deer caught in headlights. Misao turned away quickly and continued mixing the contents of a wok. "Um, help yourself to breakfast." Sasami's face warmed up as she hastily exited the kitchen. She had not expected Misao to be here, and did not bother to put on the lower half of her pajamas. She silently blamed her mother who didn't bother to make her wear them last night. She closed the door to her room and faced the mirror. Her flushed at the sight of her pink, frilly underwear just visible below her shirt. (It's okay, we're both girls.) Still, it upset her that Misao saw her in such a state. (What's done is done.) She picked out some regular clothes and went downstairs. She peeped into the kitchen. Misao wasn't there, but the table was set for two, and tea cups steamed a pleasant aroma. Sasami sat down and stared at the meal for a moment, then got up to find Misao. Misao found the CDs in the stockroom and was headed out the door when Sasami passed by. The two stopped in their tracks as time stood still. Sasami cleared her throat. "Have you eaten yet, Misao-san?" (Misao-san again.) "Um, no." "Well, there's all this food, and I can't possibly finish it all... so..." the unspoken question hung in the air, as Sasami rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I'd be delighted to join you, if that's okay." "Of course!" Sasami eyed the CDs. "Thanks for lending a hand. Come over when you're ready." Sasami and Misao ate their food silently. Misao tried not to meet Sasami's eyes. Somehow, she couldn't get the image of Sasami standing in her pajamas out of her head. (She looks so vulnerable, and silly too.) Misao smiled inwardly. (It reminds me of... of...) Misao had an image of Sasami wearing an outfit with a rather short skirt, but it hovered at the edge of her mind, and she couldn't quite catch it. "More pancakes, Misao-san?" Sasami offered the plate. "Yes, I would like more pantie... erhm, pancakes please." Misao swallowed the word quickly. (Mustn't think about it... mustn't...) Sasami thought she heard, no, she couldn't possibly have. She started a new thread of conversation. "I wonder what the weather will be like today." "I heard it's supposed to be nice. It'll be silk... erhm, sunny with a high of 21 C." Sasami narrowed her eyes. "Are you alright, Misao-san? It sounds like you have a cold." "I'm ok." Sasami's eyes seemed to prod her. "Er, well, may be I'm a little bit underwear... erhm, under the weather." "Misao-san, just get it out of your system." Sasami had a feeling that once Misao got stuck on something, she needed a bit of prodding to get unstuck. "It's alright, Misao-san, it's my fault for being lazy. So don't go into knots about it, okay?" "But I saw, I mean, I didn't mean to... and..." "Like I said, it's fine with me. So don't let it bother you." "Thanks, Sasami-chan." They finished their meal after that, and cleaned up. Sasami took a quick shower and went into the store to help her mother and Misao. When they weren't swamped by customers, Sasami and Misao talked about what had happened since Misao left for America. They talked like that for most of the day. "So, I decided to go to Juliard, and when I graduated, I decided that I'll try to find a job here." "You've done so much, Misao. I envy you." "Why is that?" "After high school, I worked here part time and went to a local business school in the evenings. I still have a few more classes to go." "Oh." "I guess I could have gone to a real university, but you see, my mom needs help in the store and... so, here I am." "That's alright. You'll be taking over the family business." Misao tried to sound encouraging. "Yeah, I guess so." Sasami laughed nervously. (But I know the truth, Sasami. But somehow, I don't think you want me to know.) Misao had chatted with Sasami's mother earlier in the morning. Her mother had commented that although Sasami's help was welcome, she had hoped that Sasami could go to college like Misao had done, but she was worried about Sasami's health. Her maternal instincts told her that Sasami worried about her own health as well, and because of this, she decided to go to a local business school. Misao tried to change the subject. "It's getting late, and I'll have to go soon. Would you like to visit me at my new apartment? I would be glad to have you over." "Sure. How about next Saturday?" "That's fine. She wrote down directions on some note paper. Call me if you get lost." Misao picked up her bag. "I'll see you then. Bye!" Misao waved and left. Sasami waved back and watched her go. She had fun talking to Misao, and didn't feel bored while she minded the store. (I can't wait until Saturday.)
Back to A Magical Recall Index - Back to Magical Girl Pretty Sammy Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction