in which minami kotori, a fashion student at otonokizaka university, develops a strange fondness for sonoda umi, the girl who sits in the row in front of hers.
[this book is based on a comic strip of kotoumi that inspired me to transform it into an...
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the aster: the flower of patience, elegance, and daintiness.
— in which umi realises that the girl who sat in the row behind hers was the very embodiment of beauty.
~
umi never expected that she'd make a friend in the three years she spent in otonokizaka university. it was a turning point for her — the day that kotori had held her hand out to her, golden eyes shimmering with unexplainable tenderness and warmth. she never expected the girl who sat in the row behind hers to be the very embodiment of beauty.
"umi-chan!"
at the sound of her voice, umi turns, smiling softly at the sight of kotori in a pair of square-rimmed glasses that framed her face perfectly, her golden irises as beautiful as ever. her hands tug on the sleeves of her black cardigan, her body in a plain grey tee, and slender legs in black skinny jeans. umi couldn't help but stare as kotori walks up to her — how couldn't she? the sight of her was just too pleasing to her eyes.
umi looks down at her casual school shirt and shorts, and she regrets not putting more effort into her attire. she hadn't really thought about it — she had just thrown on the first she spotted in her wardrobe, amongst the limited selection of clothes she had.
"does this count as a dinner date?" kotori asks cutely, and umi blushes a shade of rose red, and she attempts to hide it from her shorter companion, who scans the entire restaurant, which was fairly crowded (it was the holidays).
"n–no." umi protests, just as a waitress approaches them and directs them to a table for two. kotori just smiles and follows the waitress into the restaurant, leaving umi to tag along behind her pathetically.
the past week had served as a period for umi to get to know kotori better, and she had found out that she was quite the tease — whether it was intentional or not was a complete mystery to her, though. kotori looked like she had her head in the clouds half the time. guess she really couldn't judge from looks alone.
"the ramen here is fantastic." kotori explains, taking a seat on the intricately-designed chair and sweeping her long grey locks behind her shoulder. "and the soba isn't half-bad, either."
umi nods, deciding to go with the soba, and the pair notify the waitress of their orders, before steering back into their conversation about eli (they had been talking about the blonde on their way to the restaurant).
"so, how do you even know eli-chan?" kotori asks, leaning forward, resting her chin on her palms, golden eyes attentive.
"she's my childhood friend. eli used to attend the ballet school next to my family dojō, and she saw me practicing kyūdō, thought it was cool, and didn't leave me alone the entire time i was there. we sort of became friends and it continued a long way."
kotori nods, and she wonders why umi had no friends throughout the entire time in university — the owner of those bewitching copper eyes had an air and a charm about her that was very hard to ignore. at least, for kotori, that is. and she wondered why nobody else thought the same. it couldn't just be the fact that umi seemed scary, could it?
she wants to ask, but as she watches umi delve into the topic of kyūdō, which she was evidently passionate about, she forgets about it, choosing instead to focus on the passionate sparkle burning in her companion's copper irises.
cute. she thinks momentarily, not that she understood anything about the rules and the history of kyūdō, but it was new for her to see how umi was so passionate about it; she saw the same thing in herself — in the way she held the sewing needle, and in the way honoka loved bread. it was very nice to see a person like umi being capable of loving something too.
"miss, your food is here."
the waitress serves them their respective dishes, and they start eating, conversations interrupting every bite, and when their bowls were eaten clean, they found their stomachs as full and warm as their hearts. kotori couldn't believe that it was even past nine when they left the restaurant and walked down to the bus stop. all the while, umi had been watching her quietly as she paid for the meal (they had argued a little over it, and eventually decided to split the bill), copper eyes never once steering away.
kotori really didn't understand. how had no one made friends with her yet, given her silent, shy, yet kind disposition?
she opens her mouth again, but nothing comes out. umi just walks on to the bus stop, where they stood, waiting. kotori falls in beside her, glancing occasionally up at umi, whose head, as always, was slightly dipped, copper eyes alert and aware of their surroundings, signature deep blue earrings glinting silently in the dim light. she couldn't bear to ask it, so perhaps she shouldn't. maybe another day.
"where did you get your earrings from?" kotori probs casually, tilting her bead to meet umi's thoughtful eyes gazing back at her. "i've never seen a pair quite like it."
umi smiles, bringing a hand up to touch the deep-blue accessory donning her ear. "they were a gift from my father to my mother when he confessed to her."
she lets her hand fall, continuing smoothly, "my mother then gave them to me — she told me to give one of them to the person i'd love one day, like my dad did with her."
kotori nods, "that's really nice!"
umi watches the shorter girl smile gently, and she can't help but grin a little to herself. butterflies well up in her stomach at the sight, and she's confused — she's never felt this way before. it was different from a friendly affection; she wanted to capture that smile and admire it forever, wanted to do whatever it took to protect it.
was this what a crush felt like?
how troublesome. umi shakes her head and is only able to keep her eyes trained on the image of kotori boarding the bus. a slender hand reaches to tug umi into the vehicle, and kotori's beautiful face is all she can see, resulting in a light blush spreading over her cheeks.
what a bother.
"come on! let's go back to your room and play some poker later."
it was hard to not pay attention to the beauty shimmering in her golden eyes.
~
y e e t. thanks for reading! sorry, i have been a little busy with all my projects and shit but i am still alive! for the time being, at least. also, happy birthday, yohane. - joy 13.7.2019
