The Love Letter Lovelies
by Glee-chan
04.
Before Makoto knew it, her legs had carried out her out of the classroom in the blink of an eye. She didn't know where she was going, she just wanted to be away from that crazy fight that was going on in the classroom. Somehow Makoto ended up on the roof. There were a few people there eating lunch in groups, but no one seemed to pay any attention to her -which was what she wanted. She walked over to the railing over the edge and looked out into the landscape below.
What a mess I've landed myself in. She thought in misery. How could I go from nobody to somebody in just one day? I really wish someone would just come up and explain it all to me. I understand how Kaede-chan feels, her letter was so sweet. But I don't get Inoue-san. I mean I understand that she's upset that she didn't get what she wants, but she doesn't think saying embarrassing things in front of everyone would make me like her more does she? It's like she's directly sabotaging herself. Then again… poor Kaede-chan. I wonder how she feels that I just left like that… and I told her to leave me alone too. What if I really hurt her feelings?
"Mako-chan?" A voice pulled her from her thoughts. "The bell's rang."
Two girls from her class apparently were also on the roof. She just hadn't realized it and felt embarrassed. The one who spoke to her was the tallest girl in Class 1-3. Because of her height, she looked a bit lanky and her uniform looked almost too small for her, yet she still looked pretty in her own way. She had short black hair and looked very much the tomboy. The other girl Makoto felt even more flustered that she hadn't noticed her. She definitely had a foreign look about her, but was still japanese looking. Makoto guessed, and correctly so, that one of her parents was a westerner. She had long hair that was a natural dark chocolate color with hazel eyes that seemed to change from a light brown to green depending on the light. She was very pretty and exotic looking, which made Makoto feel completely stupid for not seeing the two stand-outish girls. The pair of them together just screamed to be looked at.
"It's Yui… Yui Hino." The tall girl reminded her, after Makoto failed to acknowledge them when she was busy staring at them.
Snapped back to reality recognized the name. "You wrote-"
"Yeah. I was one of the ones who wrote you." Yui looked self-conscious. "Sorry."
"Sorry?"
"I didn't know I'd play a part in all the trouble you've fallen into." She gave a slight laugh looking to her friend for support. The other girl was too busy looking at Makoto to notice. "Truth is I thought you were cute and figured if I asked you first than I might have a chance. When I put my letter into your shoe locker, I didn't see any other letters… so I assumed… Well I guess I wasn't the only one that had the same idea."
"What is it with me?" Makoto exhaled sharply, not being able to manage it confronting yet another admirer. "How come everyone thinks I'm so great? I don't get it."
Yui looked taken aback. "I don't know. I can only speak for myself."
"Please tell me what it is you like about me. I really want to know."
"Don't make me say embarrassing things." Yui was blushing.
"C'mon," The foreign-girl spoke for the first time. She evidently decided now was the time to save her friend.
"…we'll be late for class." She had no hint of an accent to her voice.
"Just…just tell me. Please." Makoto pouted. "Just now I escaped two girls fighting over me! Why am I so great? I just want to know."
Yui's face was red but it was her friend that answered for her. "It's kind of obvious. You're really pretty and you have this ditzy thing going on. Stuff like that is cute, right? It's like you're the epitome of adorable."
"That's not true. I'm not like that."
"Yes you are." Yui agreed with her friend, looking down at her feet. You asked what people like about you and we told you. You want to know the best thing I like about about you? You're so beautiful yet you don't act like it. You act so undeserving of the attention you get, but-"
The bell rang again. They were going to be late if they didn't run. Taking Makoto's hand, the foreign girl dashed down the stairs with the tall-girl in their wake. She was so fast that it forced Makoto to run at full speed. When they arrived in the classroom, Makoto was completely tanked and out of breath. The foreign girl barely looked like she broke a sweat, though her friend looked as out of breath as Makoto was, if not worse. Thanking them, she gave an awkward goodbye to them and returned to her desk. Makoto, clutching a now nagging stitch in her side, went back to her seat breathing heavily.
"Welcome back." Kaede spoke to her in a cool voice.
Along with her lungs burning for air, Makoto felt a big helping of guilt. She had told Kaede to leave her alone before she left the room. She turned around to apologize, but she was to out of breath to say anything. Kaede, on the other hand seemed to be busying herself with cleaning up her bento-box. Shame iced down her spine as she turned her gaze to the front of the class, falling on Nobuyuki's cowlick sticking out the back of his head.
When the day ended, Makoto once again turned to apologize to Kaede, but the kento-girl was already gone. Feeling disappointed, she wished she had the girl's phone number so she could at least apologize there without having to wait a full day to try again. I can't believe I told her to leave me alone. I'm really awful.
Starting to leave she caught sight of Shiho. She apparently had been looking at her but as soon as Makoto noticed, Shiho turned her gaze. Another pang of guilt. She wanted to apologize to her as well, but something in the back of head told her not too. That would only encourage her. If I have to date either of them, I want to date Kaede-chan.
The revelation of her actually thinking about dating Kaede slammed full force on her brain. She preferred one girl over the other. Feeling quite frightened of herself, she left the classroom filled with regrets. What a difference one day made. Was this how her High School years were going to be? She thought normal girls would be worried about boys, not girls. Yet the only boy she even talked to was Nobuyuki and that was only because he sat in front of her.
When she reached her shoe locker four more letters fell out. Sighing heavily, she picked them up and placed them into her book bag. There was no way anyone from her class would seriously write more love letters after what happened that morning. She figured now it was starting to become a joke. Hayashi-sensei had called her out in front of everyone so now they were going to tease her about it.
Taking a sour pout, she slammed her shoe locker shut and started for home. Her life had become one big drama, hadn't it? She thought the last year of middle school was bad, but at least when she got the love letters the girls weren't bold enough to approach her afterward. And why was it just girls who liked her? If what Yui said was true, wouldn't boys like her as well? It really bothered her.
She walked, absorbed in her own thoughts until she felt a small hand on her shoulder. "You're spacing out."
"Kaede-chan." Makoto recognized the soft voice at once. She looked around and realized she was standing in front of the park where they had met. Had Kaede left early so they could talk alone?
"Asking you out has caused so much trouble. I apologize." Kaede quickly got to the point, something Makoto admired about her. "Please forget about yesterday."
Makoto's mouth dropped as Kaede, not looking as composed as usual, placed her shinai over her shoulder and turned to go. As she watched the kendo-girl's ponytail start to sway with her step, Makoto's chest hurt. Dropping her school bag she ran over to Kaede and reached for her arm.
"Don't go."
Kaede didn't turn around, but she did stop walking. "It's better this way. Please don't make this harder on me than it has to be."
"It's not better." Makoto argued back quickly. "I didn't mean it when I said I wanted you to leave me alone… I'm sorry I said that."
She didn't say anything, but Kaede at least turned around and faced Makoto. Her stillness didn't reach her eyes. She clearly was fighting her emotions. Those eyes pierced into hers, and Makoto felt she could lose herself.
"I say stupid things when I get flustered." Makoto continued on lamely. "I didn't like that Inoue-san came over and pretty much demanded that I should go out with her. I got worked up. I'm not so good at keeping my cool like you are. I just wanted the arguing to stop. So I said something stupid. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Kaede's eyebrows raised just a bit, but otherwise she had that unflappable air about her. "You talk a lot."
Despite herself Makoto laughed. "Yeah, I know."
There was a moment of consideration before Kaede spoke again. "Mako-chan, it's probably best for everyone if we just are friends. I don't want to get in your way of something better."
"You don't want to go out with me?" Makoto wondered. She didn't say anything. Makoto felt her chest hurt again. "You don't like me anymore, do you?"
Kaede turned her face away, obviously not being able to deal with the situation. "Mako-chan, please don't-"
"I don't like Inoue-san." Makoto interrupted her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell her so at lunch!"
"Mako-chan-"
"And I should have treated you better! I should have thought how you'd feel if I let Inoue-san continue like that!"
"Please stop it."
Impulsively Makoto reached for Kaede's turned away face and forced her to look at her. Kaede's relaxed nature was gone, replaced by startled eyes and flushed cheeks. "Kaede-chan, please go out with me!"
They stood there like mannequins for at least 2 minutes. Kaede's shocked expression didn't leave her face and Makoto couldn't believe she had said what she did. There eyes locked on each others fear in both of them. It wasn't until a car drove by did Makoto realized she was still holding Kaede's face. She let go apprehensively, and stepped back. Kaede still hadn't said a word, she still looked transfixed to what had happened.
"Say something." Makoto demanded.
"You don't really want to go out with me." Kaede said in a small voice.
"I said I did, didn't I." Makoto was feeling sheepish.
"Sometimes you say things you don't mean." Kaede reminded Makoto. "Don't use my weakness to make yourself feel better."
"I'm not!" Makoto's flustered state was replaced by aggravation. "Why can't you see that I like you?"
As Makoto finished saying that she let out a gasp. Up until that moment she hadn't discovered her true feelings for Kaede. How could this be? She only known Kaede for two days, yet when she blurted out that statement she knew it was true. I like Kaede-chan. I like a girl. I'm not just saying that, I know I like her. When did this happen? Or have I liked her since I read that love letter? How did I become like this? Then another thought came to her. What if she doesn't like me anymore? What if I ruined everything with my outburst during lunch? I can't take it. Kaede-chan, say something! Anything!
Kaede still hadn't gone back to her stoic nature, her eyes were still in shock. "What did you say?"
Shallowing Makoto looked into Kaede's petrified eyes and spoke clearly. "I like you Kaede-chan."
She exhaled. Her breath came out in a tremble. It was if Kaede had been holding her breath underwater for a long time. She breathed in equally as sharp. "Is that true?"
Nodding, Makoto fought off shaking nerves. "Yes."
"Mako-chan…" Kaede spoke in a small voice. "How do I know that you mean it? I can't take it if you're just saying that."
"What more do I have to say to convince you?" Makoto felt a cold sweat down roll down her back. "I've never liked anyone before. I just realized it myself. But when you said you just wanted to be friends I knew I didn't want that. I want-" But she stopped herself. This is crazy I can't say "I want you." I don't know her well enough to say that. But it's true…. I want her to be my girlfriend.
"You want what?" Kaede was bitting her bottom lip. "Don't space out on me now."
"I want to kiss you." Makoto settled. She couldn't say 'I want you', that was too much.
"If you kiss me, I'll believe you." Kaede spoke with trepidation.
Terror surrounded the both of them. It all came down to a kiss. Could Makoto really go through with it? I changed "I want you" to "I want to kiss you" because I thought that sounded tamer. But I didn't think I'd actually have to do it! I've never kissed anyone before. What if she doesn't like it? I don't want her dump me!
"Mako-chan… please don't keep me waiting."
Right. Just do it Makoto! It's just a kiss. Just do it!
Summing every ounce of courage she had, Makoto stepped up to Kaede, placed her hands on the sides of her face, and pulled the other girl's face into her lips.
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