Story: The Love Letter Lovelies (chapter 27)

Authors: Glee-chan

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Chapter 27

The Love Letter Lovelies

by Glee-chan

27.

"Just a little bit more, then we can rest, okay?" Maria held Yui's hand as they walked slowly down the hospital hallway.

"Okay." Yui breathed in. Maria was pleased that breath didn't sound like before; that there was no wheezing sound.

It had been a week since her surgery and Yui was off pain killers. But since she had been in bed all that time, the doctors asked everyone to help Yui get strength back into her legs by aiding her in walk around. Maria was surprised at what lack of movement could do to a person in such a short time. When they first started walking, Yui barely could stand. But she was slowly getting better and able to make down the hallway and back.

Still, she looked winded. The sad thing was that while she did look tired, she was breathing in far better than she did on her best days when she was sick. Maria felt so stupid on not seeing it before. Yui's mouth wasn't hanging open when she did something now. Since the rods and the bandages were removed from her nose, she was breathing better.

Another surprise for Maria was how much Yui's face changed from the nose surgery. Yui hadn't a crooked nose or anything ghastly before, but it wasn't very attractive. But since it was corrected, and some minor cosmetic surgery was required to rebuild it, Yui's new nose made her face actually became beautiful. Along with regaining her bodyweight back and her hair haven grown since the start of the semester, Yui was looking more girly than she ever had before in her life. Maybe it was just Maria's imagination or the excitement that Yui was getting better, but she thought Yui had really become lovely.

It wasn't just Yui's physical appearance that had changed. The fact was that she seemed to become a bit sharper than before. She was taking her tutor studies extremely well, and in conversations she was keeping up with everyone. It seemed the lack of oxygen from before must have affected her brain. She wasn't as slow as everyone thought she was, she was just exhausted. Now that she was breathing correctly, and was given proper asthma medications, she almost seemed like a different person.

When they rounded the corner, the two had arrived at a waiting room. She led Yui to a chair and helped her sit down. Yui gave a sigh of relief as she did, looking at her legs with disappointment.

"I don't understand why walking is so hard." Yui pouted.

"You don't have to push yourself." Maria was surprised at her determination.

"I want to leave the hospital and be with everyone." Yui voiced for what seemed to be the five hundredth time. "For the first time since I can remember I feel like I have energy. I don't want to sit still."

Maria hugged her arm to calm her down. "You're already recovering faster than everyone thought. You don't have to work so hard."

Yui smiled down at Maria. "Aren't you the one who's working hard? You've been coming here every day and staying till late."

Maria waved that away. "It's not work to spend time with my best friend."

Yui looked pleased at this, but then took a worried expression. "Are you still talking to Emiko-chan?"

That question came out of no where. Maria had noticed that Yui seemed interested in Emiko and her relationship with Maria. It was obvious she was jealous that Maria had a new friend, but of course Yui was too kind-hearted to voice it. Maria didn't think it was wrong to have a new friend, so did her best to try and to to talk Emiko up. It seemed when she did this Yui just got more and more jealous.

"She's a good ear when I stress out over you." Maria poked her arm. "Don't worry, you're irreplaceable."

Yui smiled slightly. "She's pretty."

"I told you she's straight." Maria laughed. "Why are you so worried about her anyway?"

"I don't know." Yui looked away. Her profile looked so different now.

"I know. You're lonely at night, aren't you? I can try and spend the night. Maybe the doctors won't care since they know me now?" Maria suggested.

"I'd like that, but I'm afraid I'd be lousy company. When everyone goes I just kinda zone out." Yui looked down again.

"We don't have to talk. I can just lay in bed with you and we can watch TV or something."

Yui shook her head. "Go home. I'll be okay. I'm just being a brat."

That was the end of the discussion. When Maria offered again later when they returned to Yui's room, she turned her down again. Along with her new strength she seemed to pick up a stubborn streak. Maria could tell she wanted to be stronger and not worry anyone anymore. The sad part was she wanted to be that way with Maria too. Maria wasn't sure if she liked it. She had gotten used to pampering Yui, it didn't seem right that she had to let that go.

When she left the girl's side, Maria felt lonely immediately. As she started on her walk home, as if on cue her phone rang. When visiting hours were over without fail Emiko would call. This day was no different. Maria answered feeling her body heat up ever so slightly.

"How is she?" Emiko asked without a greeting. She had been doing this for a while now.

"Stubborn." Maria laughed. "She wants to get out of there so bad. You get the sense that she has all this energy but has no way to use it yet. She's going a bit stir crazy."

"That's too bad." Emiko said. "My cousin got like that when she was getting better. The only thing you can do is put up with it. My cousin got kind of rude too and didn't want anyone to coddle her."

"Sounds like Yui-chan." Maria paused, not sure if she should admit her feelings on that topic. But Emiko had been so supportive with everything she said that she found herself saying it anyway. "I miss spoiling her. Is that wrong of me?"

"That's what your relationship was like before, huh?" Emiko asked. "She's not going to want that anymore. Well maybe a little, but not to the extent that she used to get babied. If she's anything like my cousin, she'll want to repay your kindness by doing everything herself."

"Part of me wishes she was still sick." Maria sighed. "I'm such a horrible person. She's not my Yui-chan anymore."

"She's just growing up. She's still your friend. It's just happening more quickly than it would normally. She's playing catch up. If she was healthy all this time, she would be more like this than she was before, right?"

"I guess you're right." Maria sighed. "It's not healthy for me to be taking care of her all the time either, is it?"

"You're just used to it. Don't worry, you'll figure out your new role for her." Emiko said.

Maria could tell Emiko was on her bed again. She remembered how Yui acted whenever Emiko was brought up and laughed a bit. "She's jealous of you. She thinks you'll take me away."

"See, isn't that a good sign that she still wants you around?" Emiko also laughed.

"I guess… but I'd like you two to get along. I can tell you'd like each other."

"I'd like that too… anyone you love must be a great person."

Maria snorted a bit. "You make me seem like a saint. I'm not, you know."

"Oh, so you have a bad side then?" Emiko had a joking voice to her.

"You might not know it, but I'm secretly a big pervert." Maria said after a moment, half joking, half serious.

"You keep saying that, but I've yet to see it."

"It's because I don't want to scare my one straight friend away." Maria laughed. "I've been known to take advantage of girls…"

"Yeah right." Emiko must of rolled over on her back in bed. Somehow Maria could tell from just the sound of her voice changing.

"It's true."

"If you pull that crap with me, what do you think will happen?"

"I'd lose someone really important to me." Maria said in all seriousness. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't around for me to talk to."

There was silence for a moment then Emiko sounded like she sat up. "Hey, it's the weekend… do you want to come over my place?"

"What brought this on?" Maria asked, stopping her journey home.

"We always talk on the phone. It'd be nice to see each other once in a while."

"You say that after I told you I'm a pervert." Maria giggled. "Are you testing my resolve?"

"Maybe." Emiko admitted. "But I also would like to actually hang out with you. If you can't, or don't think it's wise, I understand."

Maria gave a shrug. "What the hell. Why not? Where do you live?"

After getting directions, and informing Anne that she was going to a friend's house, Maria did her best to find Emiko's house. It seemed that just like Shiho and Kaede, she lived in the tourist district, and like the two, she also lived in a family owned business. Emiko's home was above a convenience store that oddly enough was close to where Shiho's family restaurant was. She hoped that Shiho's father didn't see her. When she help move Shiho out, he called her a haafu, along with a bunch of other bad names. He scared her.

On entering she wasn't sure where she should go. It looked like a normal store to her, and it wasn't at all obvious where the store room was, or where some stairs would be to get to the living area up above. But Emiko had came out of a backroom, ran up to her and grabbed her hand, then took her back. There were stairs just behind a door and Emiko led her up.

The apartment was actually bigger than Maria had expected. Emiko's mother was in the kitchen. She waved politely at Maria who bowed to her. Emiko's brother was sitting on the floor in the living room playing his playstation. After polite introductions, Emiko led Maria to her room. The room seemed ultra girly which fit Emiko's personality. There were a number of posters on the walls of various j-pop idols, oddly enough all girl groups.

"It's not much…" Emiko seemed slightly embarrassed at Maria inspecting her room.

"You should see my room, it's the size of a closet, and it's a mess." Maria admitted. "Plus the walls are thin and I can hear my sister-" She stopped talking. She didn't think it was right to talk about her sister like that to a stranger.

"My walls are pretty isolated. I guess because there is a store underneath." Emiko shrugged then hopped on her bed, laying on her stomach. Maria imaged that how the girl talked to her on the phone.

Maria took a sheepish seat on Emiko's bed, feeling really nervous. For some reason it was different being with her in person than it was on the phone. Emiko seemed to be feeling the same way as her eyes looked slightly panicked, as if they were searching for something to say.

"A-Are you hungry?" Emiko finally asked something. The silence was killing them.

"Not really." Maria looked down at her legs. She was still in her school uniform.

There was another long bout of complete silence. Maria straighten her skirt, just trying to do anything. Why wasn't Emiko saying anything? Of course Maria wasn't talking either. She tried to think of things to talk about, but she couldn't think of a single thing.

"You're not very much of a pervert." Emiko said after a moment.

"What?" Maria exclaimed.

"I mean… you haven't hit on me or anything… so…" Emiko said, then mumbled weakly. "I guess that wasn't very funny. Great job, Emi…"

"D-Did you want me to hit on you?" Maria felt even more awkward now.

"No."

"Then why…"

"I don't know, I'm nervous. I'm sorry. I guess I'm not a very good host." Emiko buried her face in her bed.

Maria reached out to give her a comforting pat of the head but stopped herself. Now she really didn't want Emiko to think she was a pervert. But Emiko looked up just as Maria was withdrawing her hand, and this time Maria felt a flush cross her face.

"S-Sorry."

"No. It's okay." Emiko sat up. "Why am I so nervous?"

"Are you afraid of me?" Maria asked.

"No." Emiko glanced away. "Not really."

"Then what?"

"You're so…" Emiko looked down at her hands. "you're so pretty."

Maria mind wanted to explode. "You're sending me mixed signals, you know."

"I'm not gay." Emiko quickly said. "But… I can't stop looking at you. I guess it's easier to talk to you when I can't see you."

Maria felt really weird now. "How about this: if I kiss you, you'll get grossed out and things will go back to normal. We'll get this perverted thing out of the way and we can just… just be friends."

"I don't know." Emiko looked bashful.

"I guess it was a dumb idea." Maria played with her own hair now, having fully straightened out every crease in her skirt.

Emiko got off the bed then walked over so she was in front of Maria. She bend down on her knees so they were more or less eye level. Then all at once she leaned forward and kissed her. Maria's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Was Emiko really kissing her? She was just joking before, but the straight girl was taking her seriously. What did this mean?

[End notes: Like Yui, I was surprised that when I was getting better that I couldn't walk all that well and had to relearn how too. It's kind of amazing what happens when you don't move for a while.]

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