Speed x Time
“Hey you! You’re looking grumpier than usual.”
“Just leave me alone.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you glaring at your paper and strangling your pencil?”
“Because you’re annoying me!”
“Has Yuuichiro been holding out on you? Not performing up to snuff?”
“What?!”
“Well, either something’s wrong, or you’re sexually frustrated.”
“Arg! I told you, I’m not going out with him! I don’t need men.”
“Really? I think that’s very wise of you.”
“Yeah, you would.”
“. . . And what do you mean by that?”
“Look . . . are- are you . . . do you-”
“Like girls? Yeah . . .”
“But you said you had a boyfriend.”
“I did.”
“So . . .”
“I like . . . people, Rei. Everything else is just details.”
“. . . You seem very casual about it.”
“Well you already knew, didn’t you?”
“Or you wouldn’t have told me?”
“Something like that. So now that you know my deep, dark secret, want to share whatever’s eating you?”
“Not really, no . . . I don’t, okay? Stop it . . . why do you have to pout like that? Fine. I went to dinner with my dad. It wasn’t . . . ideal.”
“What did he do?”
“He’s just an ass. Spent his time schmoozing with old, snotty moneybags and sent me home in a cab at nine because it was a school night. He makes the effort only a couple times a year, and I only see him for two hours, during which we hardly speak and he treats me like a child. That’s why I’m grumpy.”
“Fair enough. At least it’s because of this and not Yuuichiro.”
“How is this any better?”
“Well, you with Yuuichiro might seriously affect our team’s batting order.”
“. . . What?”
The blonde crouched into her ready-position just in time for the other team’s overhand serve to come streaking across the net. A team-mate was there, calling out and receiving the volleyball with a bump pass. Minako then took over, setting up the ball just right so that when the outside hitter came in, it was an easy kill. The serve was won and a point awarded. The team touched hands, gave a single, simultaneous cheer and Minako caught the ball from the linesman.
She glanced over at Rei. There was a small, encouraging smile on the miko’s face.
Minako grinned to herself and visualised her serve – cross-court jump serve – deadly. She tossed the ball, leapt up after it, swung her arm in a perfect arc, and smashed the volleyball into the net.
Her team-mates turned to look at her like she’d grown a second head. Minako had never even botched that serve in practice.
With a small, embarrassed chuckle, Minako shrugged. “Sorry, guys. Let’s win it back!”
While the ball was being rolled to the other team’s server, Minako snuck another peek at Rei and pouted at the amused grin on her face. At least she’s enjoying it now.
The first of three games in a match was over quickly. Despite her distraction, they won 12-15. The blonde captain dolled out encouragement as the team went to the bench for a quick talk.
Minako couldn’t stop looking over at her dark eyed audience of one. It was probably a bad habit that she’d developed in math class. Looking over again as she reclaimed her place on the court, she saw Rei mouth, Focus. There were even soothing hand gestures to match.
Minako laughed and nodded. Kagura walked by and gave her grin as well as a roll of her eyes. “Do as she says,” she advised.
“Okay, okay.” Minako shooed her friend away and told herself to concentrate, tugged a bit at her spandex shorts and relaxed into a comfortable stance.
The ball was served.
Everything after that passed in a rush of calculation and reflex for the team setter. Minako finally settled into the zone where she took off and nearly every play she set up succeeded in scoring them the point. It wasn’t until the whistle blew on the final point 15-1 and her team swarmed together, cheering and yelling congratulations, that Minako shook herself.
“Now that’s how to play! Go see your girl!” Kagura gave Minako a hug, a wink and moved on to cheer the other players.
Minako looked over and had to search a bit before she found the miko in the moving crowd on its way out the door. Grinning, she bounded over, not stopping until she saw a flicker of horror in the miko’s violet eyes and then she leapt at the other girl, forcing Rei to catch her or collapse in a heap. Rei made a little oomph and Minako crowed gleefully, “We won!!”
The reserved, dark haired girl quickly set her exuberant friend down and backed off with a tense smile but a heartfelt, “Congratulations.”
“Did you like it?” Minako wanted to know.
Rei couldn’t resist the eager hopefulness in her expression. “Yeah, you were really good, a bit jumpy for a while, but good.” Her answer seemed to please the volleyball star.
“Do you wanna come meet the team? You’re pretty, they’ll like you,” Minako grinned, only half kidding about the shallowness of most of her team mates. “And there’s gonna be an after party. You could come!”
“Or I could . . . not.”
Minako pouted.
Rei shook her head.
“Please? As a gift for winning?”
“Nope.”
“As a favour?”
“Ha! No.”
Minako finally sighed and let her smile return. “Alright, you hermit. See you tomorrow, then.”
Rei nodded and made her way quickly out of the gym and out of the crowd, away to some place where she could think clearly.
“Oh great.”
“Doesn’t that make you want to stop napping and study?”
“It makes me want to jump off a very tall building into a vat of acid.”
“At least once it’s over you’ll be half done the course.”
“I guess, yeah . . . and there’s bound to be party afterward! You should come!”
“I’d rather stay home and clean sludge out of the eaves-troughs.”
“Just this once! It’ll be fun!”
“. . . Right. Fun. I find meeting new people tedious, I don’t like drinking, and getting hit on by drunks is about as exciting as a dose of syphilis.”
“You don’t have to drink . . .”
“I don’t have to go.”
“Arrghh . . . you’re so stubborn.”
“. . .”
“I know, I know. Pot, kettle and all that. How about this – if I beat you on the midterm, you have to go.”
“Okay.”
“. . . Hey! You could at least pretend like there’s a chance it’ll happen!”
“I’m not that good an actor.”
“Bah! Why you smug little . . . quit smirking!”
“What do I get if I beat you on the exam?”
“Smirking rights.”
“How about something I don’t already have.”
“A free visit to AinoLand?”
“. . .”
“All expenses paid . . .”
“Or not.”
“Well you think of something then!”
“Help me manage the shrine at New Year’s.”
“That all?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm . . . It’ll probably be pretty late by the time we’re done, right?”
“Most likely, yes.”
“So I’d have to sleep over, right?”
“. . . Ah, I suppose so.”
“Lovely.”
“. . . Keep grinning like that and I’ll send you home instead.”
Upstairs in her room, Minako was fully aware of her busybody mother’s plans and was dreading them in an absentminded sort of way. She lounged on her bed in a semi-comfortable listlessness that wasn’t quite sleepy or motivated enough to get her anywhere. She’d gone straight to her room upon her return from the Hikawa Jinja to attempt to dodge her mother. No such luck – the infernal woman caught her at the stairs and prattled for a good, solid five minutes before Minako could stem the flood of unwanted gossip. It made her yearn to be back at the shrine, where silence had only to compete with the rustling of leaves, the cadence of her own breathing and, if she was lucky, the soothing tones of Rei’s voice.
The shrine called to her these days, a vague, tugging sensation that stirred in her chest whenever she thought about it. Of course, the shrine wasn’t the true source of the pull, but rather the shrine’s dark eyed miko. Regardless, the Jinja had become firmly associated with all things good and worthwhile and Rei. Rei, who occasionally looked over at her in class now, who often smirked but sometimes smiled, who seemed so distant but felt so much.
Minako was at the shrine everyday she didn’t have volleyball practice and some days that she did. She wondered if it was healthy to want to be around someone so much and if it irked the easily annoyed miko. Rei didn’t wait for her after school of course, but never protested or asked questions when Minako caught up to her on the way home and fell in step beside her. It wasn’t even about studying anymore; Minako had given up that ruse. She did continue her chores though, for the sheer pleasure of those quiet, peaceful moments where she understood herself and sometimes believed she understood Rei. Rei, who strived to keep everyone out, who often pulled away but sometimes stayed close, who pitted hope against fear.
Minako didn’t pretend to know the taciturn miko all that well, despite being closer to her than all but a small handful of individuals. The discovery of Rei was slow and infinitely complex and always ran the risk of undoing everything. Things were touch and go, which turned Minako’s actions into a round of stop and go, but rarely go because go naturally meant Rei retreated and stop was something like standing still so a deer could cautiously venture closer.
She rolled to her feet, brimming with restless energy and paced around her room. It wasn’t like her to get so worked up and nervous. Easy confidence was her natural state of being, wasn’t it? So why had she sequestered herself in her room to brood? It was a very Rei-like thing to do. Rei . . . who had been particularly distant since the volleyball game, who was often approached but rarely interested, who would have to be made of wood to not have figured out that Minako liked her.
God, I need to see her . . .
Minako stopped pacing, put a hand to her forehead and considered the idea for only a split second. She grabbed her coat on the way out.
After showing her the proper form and technique for drawing the large bow – all eight stages – Rei had handed it carefully to her friend. Minako had then eagerly attempted to mimic the movements, had pushed the bow out and pulled the string back and then released the string smoothly. But as many novices discover, there is a certain angle and distance at which the bow should not be released if the user wishes to avoid a rather painful experience.
Luckily there had been no arrow notched, or it would have shot off god knows where and speared some unsuspecting fool. The only victim in this case had been the tip of Minako’s ear, which had quickly turned bright red and was certainly hurting like a bitch from the whipping it had received from the bowstring.
Minako had dropped the bow with a yelp and before Rei could even protest the treatment of her property, she was checking Minako to see if she was alright. Of course she was fine, but Rei hissed sympathetically at the sight of an angry welt rising up on her ear.
She wiped gently under those bright blue eyes, gathering tears on her thumbs with diligence. This was the closest she’d been to Minako in a few weeks, some happy little voice in the back of her mind remarked. It felt like months.
“I’m fine,” Minako sniffed and smiled at the miko. “Just surprised me is all.”
“I know.” Rei offered an encouraging grin in return. Minako’s perfume was light and sweetly tempting.
“What was I thinking when I asked you to show me this?” Minako wondered jokingly.
All sarcastic replies seemed to bypass her. Rei just shrugged and asked softly, “Try again?” She dipped to pick up the fallen bow.
Minako reached to take it from her outstretched hand, said softly, “Try, try again,” and smiled when their fingers brushed.
A pair of blue eyes crystallised out of the soft chaos and turned to her, their focus fixated and intense. Rei felt a twinge outside of her body. Her eyes opened, glazed violet pools that reflected the fire dancing before them.
Minako was at the steps. A hand darted out of its pocket to tuck a blonde strand of hair behind an ear. Rei patted at her warm, damp face with a sleeve.
Minako was at the door. The entrance to the shrine slid open and closed quietly, no louder than the feet which slipped from their shoes and padded along the wooden floors. Rei shifted and winced a little at the discomfort in her knees from sitting in seiza.
Minako was at the shrine room. The same set of eyes that watched in her mind now stared holes into her back. Rei let go of the vision and murmured her name just loud enough to be heard over the fire’s crackle. “Minako . . .”
There was a soft noise of surprise and a hesitant, “Uh, hi . . . Rei . . .”
Rei unfolded from her proper seated position, withholding a relieved sigh, and beckoned with a hand. “Come here.” Minako shuffled over and sat. Rei looked at her and saw a distracted expression on her smooth face, “Why are you here?”
“I . . . don’t know.” She sounded a little dazed.
Rei looked at her more sharply. “Do your parents know?”
“Mum saw me leave,” Minako recalled. “And she’ll probably –”
The phone rang, its shrill tone cutting her off and proving her right. Rei rose to her feet and padded out of the room to answer it in the hall. Minako followed, leaned against the wall and listened to the available half of the conversation.
“Hello, Hikawa Jinja.”
Is this Rei?
“Yes, this is Hino Rei –”
Oh, it’s great to finally speak with you! Minako talks about you all the time.
“ . . . Ah, does she?”
And you’ve done such wonderful things for her math mark!
“ . . . Um, I’m glad it pleases you so . . .”
I don’t suppose you’re taking chemistry this semester, are you? Oh, but never mind. Is Minako there?
“Yes, she’s right here. Would you like to speak with her?”
Yes please. It was wonderful speaking with you, Rei. We’ll have to meet sometime!
“ . . . Uh, yes alright, goodbye, Mrs Aino.”
Rei handed the phone wordlessly to Minako, a slight smile on her lips. Minako rolled her eyes as if she knew what her mother had said and took the receiver.
“Hi, Mum . . . yeah, I left something here. I came to pick it up . . . what? Um, a math textbook . . .”
Rei raised an eyebrow at this. Minako grinned a little guiltily and continued her distracted conversation with her mother.
“. . . yeah . . . unhunh, I need it for tomorrow . . . yeah, I know but I didn’t want to make her carry it . . . hunh? Home for dinner? Uh . . .” She covered the end of the receiver and looked at Rei, smiling hopefully.
“Fine,” Rei consented.
Minako’s grin grew instantly. “No, I’m eating here . . . I dunno, refrigerate it or something . . . yeah, I’ll eat it later . . . okay . . . yep . . . of course . . . aren’t I always? . . . Bye, Mum . . . love you too . . . yep . . . okay, bye!” She hung the phone and made a quick thank-god-that’s-over face.
Rei smirked, thinking to make a comment on the similarities between mother and daughter when Grandpa called from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready, Rei!”
Minako spun eagerly, ready to charge toward the smell of food. Rei snagged her by the elbow before she could get far and turned the blonde around to face her. Dark eyes searching Minako’s for answers, she asked again, “Why are you here?”
Sliding her elbow out of the miko’s grip and placing her hand in its stead, Minako answered honestly. “I just . . . needed to see you.”
What Minako wasn’t used to was him calling her, and especially after volleyball practice when the school was usually empty. She still didn’t know what to make of this one – rival or unimportant? Friendly or annoying? Yuuichiro came trotting over and Minako tried to distinguish her own thoughts from Rei’s opinions on the shaggy, jovial young man.
“Hi,” she offered along with a polite smile. She, unlike Rei, could at least pretend to like Yuuichiro, even if she was in a bit of a hurry to get home and ready for a party later.
“Hey. Volleyball?” he asked.
“Yeah, what are you doing here?”
Yuuichiro scratched the back of his head and admitted, “Helping in the library.”
“Nerd,” Minako teased.
He laughed and confessed, “I mostly catalogue things all day, but there’s this girl that volunteers every other day . . .”
Minako had to grin at that. “Crafty, very crafty. Is that why I haven’t seen you around the shrine as often?”
Yuuichiro hesitated at that, clearing his throat and shuffling his feet a bit. “Kinda,” he muttered. “You should talk to Rei.”
She gave him an odd look. “I . . . do talk to her.”
“No, I mean talk to her, really talk. I’ll have given up for nothing if you don’t at least try.”
He left, his cryptic little message hovering in his wake and bothering Minako more than it ought to have. She knew what he meant. She had been thinking the same thing nearly all week, hah! Nearly all month and the one before, but . . .
Minako hated to admit such things but, if she were to be brutally honest with herself, the thought of getting shot down by Rei scared her shitless. And in all equal honesty, she didn’t really have a choice but to give it a try.
Minako giggled and rolled onto her back. “You’re so grumpy, my little Rei. But I know you,” she sang happily and whispered, “You’re all soft on thin side.”
“I’m . . . what?”
Minako frowned at her slur and enunciated exaggeratedly, “On - the - inside. Soft on the inside.”
Rei rolled her eyes and lay down on her side, facing the slightly inebriated girl. “I might take what you say a little more seriously if you weren’t smashed just now.”
Minako shuffled over nearer to her. “Ah, you’re not worried about my health now, are you, my darling Rei?”
“I’m worried about you puking on my bed sheets,” Rei shot back.
“I’m not that drunk,” Minako assured her, “Just enough to tolerate you for a while.”
“Maybe I should take up drinking,” Rei muttered.
Minako just smiled, though she wasn’t really listening. She wriggled even closer to Rei and slid her arms around her to snuggle their bodies together. Her lips slowly dropped little, light kisses on the miko’s cheek and along her neck. Rei sighed at the touch and Minako giggled quietly as the hot breath tickled her skin. The lack of resistance and the alcohol she had consumed made Minako bold. A hand drifted to softly touch the warm skin of Rei’s waist and her little, light kisses lingered longer against her skin.
Rei’s pulse accelerated and a second sigh caught in her throat. There was so much she couldn’t understand about this – about the way she felt and what it meant and why Minako was doing this in the first place. Hell, why was Rei letting her do it?
But that was less difficult to answer than Rei liked to tell herself. It felt good; it felt like something warm was blooming in her chest. The blonde’s soft lips were impossible to ignore and her touch made Rei’s skin tingle. It was increasingly difficult to hold still under Minako’s ministrations. Her body was telling her to move but her poor, torn mind was wavering between pushing her away and rolling on top of her.
“Rei?” Minako breathed, sensing, even in her less-than-astute state of mind, that her friend was somewhere else. Her hand slipped between them and inched upward to tenderly caress the soft, sensitive skin along the miko's ribs. Stuck somewhere in the middle of I want to save it for when she wants it and I can’t hold out any longer, Minako realised, I couldn’t stop myself even if I tried.
She leaned toward Rei hesitantly, saw only dark eyes staring back, and leaned in further. Their lips barely brushed, skimming without the slightest pressure. Minako felt her insides contract and her breathing stop. Rei pulled her closer.
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