Well, I’ll be…

I don’t think I’ve written a chapter or a one shot this long!

Wow!

And to think I did not think I would be writing anything until Summer and yet here I am, already having a few teaser chapters and fics out.

I am surprising even my self.

Any way, you do remember that poll, right?!

Well, the audience spoke with these results…

Okay, I once again chickened out because this did not go all R-17 like I was planning to as it kept it’s SFW rating.

I swear to you one of these days, I will write a mature fic, to hell with the ages!

Any way, I am boring you guys so here is the fic.

Do please tell me what you think afterwards?

Oh how I wish I had a beta…-_-

~

Unexpected Guest

Black Gekikara

An AKB48/HKT48 Kashiwagi Yuki and Miyawaki Sakura Fan Fic

On Miyawaki’s 15th, she gets an unexpected guest

~

Two girls stood as if alone, for they were not alone, not at all, with fifteen other girls that made up the rest of Team H, and a couple of older men and women of the management were present as well but to the two girls that were the centre of attention, they might as well have been – alone that is for the distance between them and their surroundings was almost proportional to the age gap between them.

This was only true for one girl though, the youngest, the one that was the target for this surprise, a surprise that was concocted by the older girl and management alone. No other member knew about this judging from their faces. No one was that good an actress, not even their Senpai Sashiko and Love-tan. The older girl only had on a smile that blinded all that dared look into her face, which was almost all of them because, well, she was the surprise. The silence that stretched on longer than she hoped though was starting to affect her radiance and she was very glad for one of her longest acquaintances and once a teammate for breaking it.

    “Wow…Well, this is really…”

    “I…I am sorry. Perhaps I should have told everyone I was coming..?”

The older girl figured she might have overdone it? But she had hoped the young girl would be happy. Her sullying mood was interrupted by her other old friend.

    “What? Are you kidding? And miss all these faces?! God no, these pics are going to fetch me some great notes…”

She then went back to swiftly typing onto her smart phone. When had she had gotten that into her hands?

    “Love-tan, you didn’t! When did you…? Give it here!”

    “Not on your life Sasshi, besides, it’s too late. Your faces are already on Gugutasu. HAHAHA Thank you Yukirin, best birthday present ever!”

The older girl only smiled at her friends’ antics.

That’s right, Kashiwagi Yuki, Team B member, fellow third generation with Oota Aika and was all three with Sasshi having been part of Team B once, had just given a none-announced visit to HaKaTa as a surprise birthday gift to the girl of the day that had yet to show any sign of speech since Yukirin had made her dramatic entrance.

    “Perhaps we should give these two time alone…”

    “What?! But what about the cake?”

Sashiko’s servitude was trampled upon by Murashige’s outraged outburst. A girl Yukirin remembered by face but not name who had been standing next to Murashige hit the girl on the side of her head in a friendly but admonishing gesture. Yukirin smiled as a couple of girls laughed at that.

    “It’s alright. We will have plenty of time to talk later. Sorry to pause your fun girls, Sakura…”

Yuki turned her eyes back to the young girl before her. She still stood in that half-shocked stance while her hand still had the cake-knife in a death grip. Not that she herself was one to talk, what with her fingers getting clunky on the wrapped gift box in her hands. Her offered gift had yet to be accepted.

“Are you okay Miyawaki?”

Yukirin figured that calling the girl by her last name would get her attention. It looked like she was right on that one as Sakura fidgeted with the knife before she reached her hands out to take the offered gift.

“Y-Yes! Thank you K-Kashiwagi-san.”

Yukirin looked on with an amused smile on her face as the girl grew bashful once again. She brought the box wrapped in ribbons to her chest then proceeded to crush it in her hug with her face downcast and cheeks tinging.

“Sakura-tan…the cake!”

“Really Murashige, is that all you think about?”

Sashiko chastised the half-Russian member of the group before turning back to the pair. Yukirin offered to help Sakura cut the cake and it was the cutest thing Sasshi had seen in a while. Sakura had offered the knife to Yukirin without even a thought but the poor girl’s heart seemed to have stopped for a moment when Yukirin instead of taking the knife from the girl, she instead closed her longer fingers around Sakura’s own, then she brought the knife down and continued to cut the large cake into roughly equally sized slices. Sasshi thought Sakura might combust but really, she couldn’t blame her. And Yukirin seemed to know what she was doing because even as ‘kyaa’s and ‘uwa’s floated around them, Sasshi’s included, she did not seem to mind them.

“Do you do it here we do it in Akihabara?”

Sasshi only nodded at the question directed at her because she was a little busy fan-girling too. It was no secret how much she admired Yukirin. She watched on as Yukirin put a slice on one of the many paper plates then handed it to Sakura. It might have been her eyes deceiving her but Sashiko thought it might have been slightly bigger than the rest and were those four…four strawberries on top! Yukirin then proceeded to put pieces on another plate and offered it towards…

“Oh! I’m sorry! Look at me, acting as if I am from around here…”

“It’s alright. I don’t think anyone would mind being served by one of the legendary Senpai. I most certainly aren’t. Here, give me…”

Yukirin handed her the plate. Then Love-tan was next. Yukirin was surprised the mouthy girl had managed to wait until her Senpai had their share but she did not wait for anyone else before she skidded to the table to receive a piece of some delicious cake. One by one the other members of Team H also got their share and all relaxed around as they enjoyed their share.

“This is really good!”

“It’s a cake, Sashiko. What do you expect?”

“She probably wanted to add in some cheesy line about how your presence is making it tastier.”

“I so was not! Who do you think I am?”

“Um, Sashihara Rino, AKA Sashiko, AKA the girl who…”

“Alright, alright! How about we go back to the present. Speaking of which, I can’t believe you travelled all the way from Tokyo just to drop off a birthday gift!”

“..And eat cake. Don’t forget the cake.”

Yukirin swallowed so she could talk when she saw Sashiko ignore Love-tan and pointedly give all her attention to her. She was also thinking whether to go out and tell them the truth or just…

“I didn’t come just for this, even though the cake is indeed good. You didn’t see anything weird in today’s audience?”

She figured she could play with them a little.

“What do you mean?”

She watched in personal amusement at the confused looks on her ex-team mates’ faces. Then their eyes widened almost at the same time as if their brains were connected and a switch had been felt by both as it flipped. It was Sashiko who spoke.

“Surely you can’t mean…” Yukirin smirked at them. “Really?! Since when?! Surely we could have noticed at some point…”

“I was there from the beginning. Management tried to talk to a few fans but things didn’t go as smoothly. I am surprised you did not notice though. There was quite a…ruckus near where I was.”

Love-tan tried to understand what that apologetic smile from Yukirin to them was all about. Probably all the attention she stole while she was there in the audience.

“Well, it’s always difficult to see in the audience. I can barely see three lines away due to lighting. No wonder the fans seemed super enthusiastic today. They aren’t usually this fired up not even on Sasshi’s b-day – No offense Sasshi!”

“None taken…Actually this is good. I was starting to think Sakura was getting ahead of me…”

Love-tan gave her teammate a look.

“Hey, a girl has issues, okay?”

Yukirin only smiled at the antics between the two. When she saw that they were done for now, she continued…

“I had planned to go back to Kagoshima together but then I Sakura’s mother.”

“You already met their parents?”

Sashiko was really good at blowing things out of proportion.

“No, not until today. I actually did not recognise her and at first I thought she was a fan until she introduced herself.” Yukirin coloured a little in embarrassment as she remembered how the woman was almost handled by her manager.

“She offered me to spend the night with them. Since I have three days off, I talked to my mother and she agreed. We practically live in the same town so it should be a problem.”

Sasshi had her mouth hanging open. Yukirin didn’t know what she was thinking but probably something not good.

“Sakura doesn’t know, does she?”

Yukirin smiled secretly which gave off a mischievous feeling. She probably didn’t know it came off as that.

“Nope. It was her mother who actually said to keep it a secret for a surprise. Well, a second one counting this one.”

“The poor girl”

Sashiko looked to Love-tan like she had simply self-combusted in front of her eyes.

“Poor girl! Poor girl?! You kidding me? That lucky little…She’s probably in for a night of her life! Feh!”

Then she turned to Yukirin, pointing a finger into her chest and mock-glaring.

“And you, what’s with you? You weren’t one for socialising before.”

Yukirin raised an eyebrow at her.

“What’s thins Sashiko-chan, you jelous?”

“I am so not! And don’t change the subject…”

She crossed her arms across her chest, which looked measly as she still held a plate and fork in her hand and didn’t want to dirty her uniform.

“Don’t worry Sashiko-chan, next time I will give you something nice too. If I’m not too busy like this year that is. Besides, I had already promised Sakura to see one of her LIVEs once and also…”

She paused…

“I also thought of changing after the shuffles. I figured about thirty percent change should do it.”

“I have noticed…”

Sasshi turned an accusatory look in Love-tan’s direction.

“I watch a few DMM streams when I have time. You look more energetic and friendlier than you were before. I would say almost…childish. But in a good way!”

She raised her arms to dodge that bullet.

“Um…”

None of the three had spoken. That voice belonged to only one person they all knew any way. All six eyes fixed on the new arrival into their conversation and found Sakura standing there, twiddling her index fingers shyly trying to meet no one’s eyes. Sashiko didn’t remember ever seeing the girl like that. She was always one for no reactions when she felt even a bit awkward.

“So sorry Sakura. It’s your day and here we are, taking away your best present.”

“What…I…No that’s…”

Sasshi ignored her as she took a hold of Love-tan’s wrist and pulled her away.

“Come Love-tan, let’s leave these two love bird alone…”

Yukirin watched them go with Love-tan firing complaints to being ma-handled so. She widened her smile as she looked to the new arrival. It was probably instinct at the Kagoshima name but Yukirin couldn’t help but notice a few similarities between the reflection, she had come used to and the girl standing before her. Not that she had had many opportunities to be close to the young girl. She couldn’t see her eyes now but from she remembered of the girl’s eyes from that HKT programme recording…

She didn’t see why she had to rely on knowledge from months, even a year ago when she could do something about it now. And so she did. Yukirin lifted a hand and gently brought them face to face by taking hold of Sakura’s chin. The girl had her eyes snapped closed though for some reason. Yukirin wasn’t having neither of that.

Sakura shuddered from the alien feeling that started from her side fore head where she felt the lightest of touches. She had to look so her eyes snapped wide open to find her Idol with both her arms raised, one hand softly supporting her head under her chin while the other now, the one responsible for that feeling, was right by the side of her face. Some hair has been moved out of her eyes because now nothing was blocking the perfect view before her.

When she realised that she had been touched she looked away in shame because surely her sleekly hair all wet from her sweat wasn’t such a pleasant feeling. At least she tried to because the hand on her cheek held her head back in place.

“Hey, since I never got an answer from you, I will try again. Happy Birthday Sakura.”

Sakura could only stare at that smile that was only for her. It was for her, right? She wasn’t a ghost in someone else’s body, right?

“Th-thank you very much Kashwagi-san!”

Darn it. She did not mean for her voice to sound that squeaky. She almost apologised but the smile sent her way meant the lovely woman before her did not notice…probably?

“You are very welcome Sakura.”

Sakura was really liking the way her name sounded coming from the woman. It was one that was heard often, sometimes said in reference not to a person but the flowers of spring that probably got it before any person and it never affected her the way it did as she heard it now.

“Did-Did you like it?”

Sakura hoped that she what she felt like wasn’t what was actually happening because at this rate, she would be the dumbest girl in the world come tomorrow. The woman had put on this face, it was actually a pout if Sakura put it on another person’s face but here, it was indescribable. What was she supposed to feel with that face directed at her?

Oh wait, she was supposed to say something…

“I’m sorry. I haven’t opened it yet”

Before she finished, she was almost forced to swallow her own existence when that face increased by tenfold in ‘hanyan’ level.

“Y-You are not even going to pen it?”

Sakura wished she could just disappear at will.

“No, that’s not it. I was just saving it for when I got home. It’s…” she looked down again as she hoped that it would lessen the heat in her cheeks. It didn’t feel that way at all “It’s…an important gift to me…”

She said the last part in such a low voice that had Yukirin not been standing almost a breath away, she would not have heard it. Realising that her hands were still on her girl and that she might have been causing her to be a bit uncomfortable, Yukirin let go of her and it was just then that her manager came sauntering to their side. There was someone else besides her. It was probably Sakura’s manager.

“It’s time to go. I will see you to Miyawaki-san’s car.”

Yukirin turned on her business face.

“Where are you going to stay? Surely you can’t go back to Tokyo tonight!”

“Kawakami-san here offered to show me to the best hotel nearby.”

“Oh, okay.” She turned to this Kawakami-san “I’m Kashiwagi Yuki. Nice to meet you.”

The man returned the smile.

“Believe me, I know Kashiwagi-san. A day doesn’t go by without you name being mentioned at least once by Miyawaki-san here.”

Yukirin might have heard the girl say something in response but this time she couldn’t catch it clearly.

“Are you ready to leave Sakura?”

The girl shook her head.

“Not yet. I have to collect my bag and presents and…”

“Not to worry. We have all your presents bagged. You just need to pick up your bags and jacket.”

Yukirin hadn’t noticed the big carry bags in the two managers’ hands. Sakura ran off and the three waited for her to return.

“Leaving already Yukirin?”

Yukirin smiled as she turned to the voice.

“Sorry…I am staying for four days so I will come for another Live or we can meet up and go somewhere.”

“Great. I am performing tomorrow too! Maybe we can go out and eat afterwards?”

“Sure thing.”

Sakura came running back, with a jacket on and seemingly having managed to change out of her uniform too as Yukirin could see body stockings in slight heels and fluffy pants in skirt under the jacket.

“I’m ready to go.”

“See you tomorrow Sakura-tan. Don’t have too much fun tonight, okay?”

She winked at Sakura who was obviously lost at her Senpai’s implications.

“That Sashiko. I’m still not too sure why she was the one to come here. Thank God they sent Love-tan along too. She will keep her in line.”

“She isn’t so bad actually…”

Yukirin raised a sceptical eyebrow at the girl as they made their way through the corridor to the exit. Other girls said their goodbyes to them as they came across them on the way.

“Do you actually believe that…?”

Sakura blushed a little as she looked away.

“Well…”

Yukirin laughed as she took a hold of Sakura’s free hand. The girl was surprised yet again at the rare display of affection. Well, rare outside of a certain Cg but still, rare. And so Sakura appreciated it for the treasure that it was.

It wasn’t until they had gotten to their car, not until after pleasantries were exchanged between the adults and the usual ride having not one but two passengers, did things start to fall into perspective for Sakura.

“Are we dropping off Kashiwagi-san to her place?”

Sakura figured she might sound less rude assuming like that than asking why her Idol was hitching a ride with them when her manager had a car.

“Not quite honey…”

Her mother was playing coy with her.

“Oh, you are going to drop me off home first then take her?”

There seemed to be a private jock her mother was having with the woman beside her in the back seat with the way she smiled at each other obviously keeping something from her.

“That’s not it either. Care to try again?”

Sakura frowned as she tried to think of another reason but of course her Mom would not pass up the opportunity to play her.

“Kashiwagi-chan here is spending the night with us. Isn’t that great Honey?”

Yukirin felt the woman’s eyes on her in the back-view mirror.

“I think I broke her. Not to worry Honey, I’m sure Kashiwagi-chan won’t mind all pictures and other things about her that you have all over your room.”

That snapped the girl back to her senses.

“Mom!”

Yukirin almost jumped at the unexpected volume with which Sakura indignantly retaliated.

“What, it’s true. Isn’t that right Kashiwagi-chan? You must be used to the fact that people now have you all over their belongings, right? Oh, it’s alright if I call you Kashiwagi-chan right?”

Yukirin only smiled at this warm woman before her. It probably had to do with the fact that she was used to mothers but she felt a slight familiarity with Sakura’s mother.

“It’s alright Miyawaki-san…”

She decided to answer both questions at the same time. She didn’t clarify but she knew the woman understood her.

“Miyawaki-san? Oh come on, won’t you feel weird calling me the same thing you would call my lovely daughter?”

It was Yukirin’s turn to go a little red in the face.

“I…I call her Sakura.”

“What?! You are on first name basis with my daughter and not me? That won’t do! Now you listen here new girl, if you want my daughter you are going to woo me over first and you start by calling me…”

Yukirin smiled nervously…

“Want your…”

She was cut off by what the woman hoped was a mean glare which looked anything but.

“I wasn’t finished! As I was saying, you will have to call me – Mother!”

“Mom! Seriously…”

Sakura couldn’t believe what her mother was saying.

“I am being serious. And besides, I don’t want to hear any complaints from you. I think the amount of Kashiwagi-chan in your life so far is plenty for forty other people. I swear to you not a day has passed without you being mentioned at the house ever since she saw you on TV that was time. I think it was some kind of ceremony…”

Sakura buried her face in her hands. She was in for the worst nights of her life. Her mother would see to it. She was already on the road there.

“The Senbatsu Sousenkyou”

“Yes, something like that. There was a lot of focus on you which I did not understand then. But I have to tell you from one that was there that you completely changed my daughter that night.”

Yukirin perked up all ears. She had heard the young girl say that she was the one that had inspired her joining the Idol world but she hadn’t heard the details. Since the woman was willing to spill everything, Yukirin would be all ears. Spill all the juicy details the woman did and Yukirin drank it all up on the way to the Miyawaki residence.

With the intriguing story that left Yukirin feeling stupidly proud that she had had such an impact on someone’s life and resisting with all her might crushing the small girl in a hug and burying her in kisses, the car finally pulled up a drive way and the woman announced that they had arrived.

Yukirin did not bother studying the house on the outside because it was already dark out that she could barely see passed the front porch light. She helped with the gift bags from the boot and over to the door. Before anyone even reached out to open the door, it was flung open and a man, smaller than Yukirin expected, though shouldn’t be shocked, what with Sakura’s stature, quirkily enveloped his wife in an embrace.

“Oh my love, how I have missed you. It’s been forever since you left I was starting to get worried.”

They shared quick kiss on the lips that would have gone un-noticed had this not been Japan and Yukirin not used to grownups displaying their affections so openly. Most certainly her parents weren’t, not that they had the chance, what, with them living separately since she could remember.

“Oh shush, I was only gone for a few hours.”

Yukirin saw through her protests as clear as day, well, night, you know what she means. The woman was practically beaming like a young girl in love. She couldn’t believe they were still that lovey dovey, even though now that she looked, they did seem young still. They were probably still in their Mid-thirties.

“True that may be on any other occasion but today is a special day and the day’s special someone was also missing. There she is! Oh baby, Happy Birthday to you. Look at you all…grownup”

And with that the youngest of the Miyawakis was also buried in a masculine hug. Yukirin only stood there in silence as she watched the happy family.

“Come on Dad, we saw each other this morning before you left for work.”

“This morning?! Are you hearing yourself? That’s more than ten hours ago! There is no suitable punishment for such a crime!”

“We all appreciate your un-paralleled love you have for us but please behave, we have a guest.”

The man of the house pulled away from Sakura and shoot his gaze around searching…

“Guest? What gue…Oh..OH!”

The way his face changed as if in slow motion as his eyes landed on her, was a sight to store away for some much needed inner laughter.

“It can’t be! You are…You…”

It seemed he too knew of Yukirin. She later learned the reason why he was more nervous, well not more since the woman of the house hadn’t shown any nervousness if she felt any. Well, it might have had to do with the fact that he was a man and Yukirin was Yukirin but that all got explained later when she found out that he was actually into Idols too and won’t you guess who one of his favourites was…

“We cannot thank you enough for giving our daughter a dream, Kashiwagi-chan.”

They were at the dining table having just finished the main course and were now having another cake, this one though much more delicious than the one back at the theatre. It had to be home-made and with the evidence that lay at the bottom of her stomach that supported the culinary skills of the elder Miyawaki mistress, that was most probably true.

“I…I don’t know what to say…”

She truthfully did not.

“I have to thank you too for driving Sakura ambitious. You would not believe how shut off she was before.”

The man of the house reached across to ruffle his daughter’s, only daughter Yukirin had learned, hair playful.

“Not to mention lazy!”

“I was not!”

“Yes you were.”

“No I wasn’t!”

“You were too…”

“I wasn’t…”

“You…”

“Alright kids, that’s enough. Kashiwagi-chan has to be tired after all the travelling and you have to get up early tomorrow too Dear.”

The two looked like whipped puppies. Yukirin smiled at how the woman seemed in control.

“There is an extra futon in Sakura’s room and it is big enough so you can sleep there. Do you need any clothes for the night? I don’t think Sakura’s will fit you…”

“It’s alright. I have some in my bag.”

“Oh, that’s okay then. I will clean up here so why don’t you show Kashiwagi-chan to your room Honey?”

Sakura nodded as she stood up. She did nothing else though for she did not know how to ask the young guest to follow her without sounding out of her place. She almost began sweating but let out a sigh of relief when Yukirin made the move for her and also stood up.

“Good night girls, see you tomorrow.”

“Good night Kashiwagi-san, Okaasan…”

Yukirin ducked after Sakura before she melted in embarrassment. She could hear the two adults have a heated conversation about that, probably Sakura’s father wondering about his wife getting to be called Mom by her.

“You should have threatened to not sleep until she called you ‘Papa too you know?”

There came a cry of anguish after those words Yukirin could barely make out.

“Sorry about that Kashiwagi-san. Really one would think they would cut down on their craziness just this one.”

Yukirin turned her attention back to the girl walking ahead of her up the stairs.

“It’s alright. I wouldn’t wish for them to change just for me. Besides, your family’s happiness is kind of infectious.”

“Oh, well if it’s okay with you…”

“It is!”

They walked on some more when they reached the upper level then Sakura stopped in front of one of the four doors in the corridor.

“This is my room and that over there” she pointed at door of the room at the end of the corridor “that’s the bathroom and toilet. Oh! You will probably want to have a shower, right? Let me show you where to place you things and you can go take one.”

She opened the door to her room and Yukirin came face to face with her mirror self! Well, it wasn’t a mirror but a poster, a very big poster of herself that greeted everyone that walked into the room. It was so big it took up half that side of the wall. But that was not the only reflection of herself. She had never seen so many pictures of herself at the same time. She was everywhere! The windows were the only surfaces spared. Even the back of the wardrobes on the walls, there were posters of her disappearing behind.

“I’m sorry. If you feel uncomfortable we have a guest room. Maybe you should stay there…”

Oh snap! She had been a little, okay not so little taken aback but she couldn’t be rude.

“No it’s right. I was just surprised that is all. I haven’t seen a room quite like it before. I figured a room of a girl like yourself would be…well, quite different from this.”

The girl grew soft again as she looked down somewhere on the carpet for something.

“It was. It was all pink and there was nothing at all on the wall. I love pink you see, well I mean I used to love pink! I kept all my things downstairs and only the clothes I kept in here. I just didn’t have any hobbies or anything. All these CDs, All these magazines, all this didn’t exist. Not until…”

The glowy smile that had built up in her excited narration came to a sudden stop as her words did.

“Until…”

Yukirin urged her on.

“You came into my life…”

The girl looked up at her with a look that made Yukirin feel like she was standing on Mt Everest looking down at everything and everyone on the whole planet.

“Sakura…”

Yukirin could not find the words.

“You really don’t have an idea how much you changed my life that day. The following days I could not think of anything else. The following week I started making friends at school after I started talking to them because I wanted to know more about y- about AKB48. I begged and begged for Dad to buy me as many CDs and DVDs of AKB48 because…because…”

The two did not seem aware of if they were no one mentioned it but Sakura had been moving closer to the older girl as she spoke. They were so close now that only a few inches of air was what stopped the two from being in physical contact.

“I owe you my life…”

She said that last part out so slowly and here is the thing. There is this unique way that Sakura’s voice sounds like she is crying and the softer she speaks, the more fell-inducing it becomes. So when she said that last part, in that voice of hers that Yukirin felt demanded things from her on its usual tone, Yukirin could not resist moulding the girl into her own body and never meaning to let go.

What could she say to that, really? No one has ever told her that she had changed them so much. No one was ever that grateful to her. Being one that always dreamt of being an Idol that could have an impact on people’s lives, a positive impact, she would not imagine being happier than how she felt right at that moment.

They stayed like that until what time, Yukirin couldn’t tell. She knew she had held the girl close much longer than was necessary but she couldn’t stop and Sakura wasn’t stopping her too. In fact the younger girl’s arms were around Yukirin’s waist too and the two held each other like that for all as long as the universe allowed them to. That sadly was not an eternity because a noise of one of the parents doing something cut into their comfortable dream bubble and they were forced back to the reality. Yukirin let her arms fall away from the girl’s back.

“Oh I…I should prepare the bathroom for you…”

Sakura said in a voice that reflected Yukirin’s feelings at their ended hug.

“Do you want to go together? I mean you were just at the theatre and I don’t think you took one over there.”

What was she thinking? Bad Yuki.

“I can’t.”

Oh thank God! Wait, what?

“Why?”

“It’s not that I d-don’t want to! It’s just that…our bathroom is a shower not a normal bath.”

Oh, that was disappointing.

“It’s not big enough then I guess…”

Though size didn’t matter as far as she was concerned. And she so should let this subject fall closed.

“N-no, it’s big enough…for two p-people at least. It’s just that there is only one…shower…head…”

The farther the sentence got the harder it was for Yukirin to hear what the girl was saying.

“Oh, that’s okay then. We can help wash each other then we will only need one water source!”

Aaaaand will you just shut your mouth Yuki! She couldn’t believe that her mind wasn’t letting this subject go.

“Oh…Okay…”

OMG, she agreed! Do something then darn it!

“…”

Nothing

The two just stood there shuffling their feet at nothing. Yukirin figured she was the older one here so she had to set an example. Clearing her throat to come off as unbothered, she reached into her travel bag and pulled out a towel. She laid it on Sakura’s westernised bed then proceeded to un-button her blouse. Son she was wrapped in her towel and only then did she notice that she did not receive any embarrassed reaction from the girl, like offering to leave the room or something. She turned around to find that the girl probably hadn’t moved an inch.

“Are you going to get out of those?”

“Huh? Oh, so sorry…”

Sakura’s face got red at being caught spacing out. She moved quirkily to her wardrobe, grabbed a towel and quickly got out of her clothes and put a towel across her mid-section. The fumes practically coming out of her ears when she turned and found Yukirin still standing there, obviously watching her, let her know she had just stood naked, if only for a second , in front of her Idol.

“The…The bathroom is this way…”

Yukirin followed her with a secretive smile. She probably had forgotten that they would be naked again in the shower too. Yukirin was looking forward to that embarrassed Sakura again and this time probably much more.

It was almost forty minutes later when they came back to Sakura’s bedroom. They were both fresh and water fell from hair still despite the towels tying it up. Sakura’s whole body was reddish pink and not just from the water temperature. That was for sure a shower she was to never forget. She could still feel the ghost fingers of…Yuki-san, Sakura had been asked to call her that, any way her fingers still ghosted on her sensitive skin as if they were burn marks there to stay with her for eternity.

God, just thinking about it…she had been touched, she had touched…Ah if only the ground could come alive and swallow her. There was after all, nothing else that she wanted from this world anymore.

“Here, let me help you with your hair”

Oops, perhaps she had spoken too soon? She moved over to the mirror and into the chair she was all too familiar with already that Yuki-san had motioned at. She stared into the mirror fixedly lest her eyes wander and meet the magnets that were the older girl’s. She found that the whole of her body was being super sensitive today for some reason because even the skin under her hair was getting all strange when the older girl started drying it.

“We really do look a little alike, especially basic like this.”

Sakura did look up to meet Yukirin’s eyes through the reflection at that.

“The other members have mentioned it but I don’t agree with them.”

Yukirin ignored the little hurt feeling that crept into her heart at hearing that.

“Oh? Why not?”

They were speaking in hushed voices even though they knew the parents were still awake.

“I think it’s rude that they would think a girl like me would compare to you. You are…very beautiful.”

Yukirin could not see the eyes in the mirror anymore because Sakura had turned her gaze to her lap.

“Don’t go saying that now Sakura, you hear me!?”

“But…”

“No buts! You are very beautiful Sakura, very cute, and you still young. The more you grow the more beautiful you become. Believe me.”

“I…”

“That better be an agreement coming out of that mouth Sakura.”

“…”

“Great!”

Yukirin went back to pressing Sakura’s wet mop through the hand towel in her hands. The two stayed like that with the swish sounds the only thing breaking through the night silence. Soon she was done but did not stop until after she had run the black strands a couple of times through her fingers. Sakura almost fell asleep at the relaxing feeling she got from that.

“Can you help me with mine too?”

Yukirin offered after she saw the sad look passing over the younger girl’s features at the end of the ministrations. She immediately brightened up and Yukirin smile as they swapped positions. And then it was Yukirin’s turn to fight sleep when she felt the small fingers on her scalp. The gentlest of ways with which Sakura was handling her hair made Yukirin feel the most relaxed she had felt in a long time. Was it just because it had been a while since her last time off? Was it because she couldn’t remember the last time she was this loose with anyone?

“I’m done.”

Already?

“Already?”

Very smart Yukirin, that was very intelligent of you to say.

“Y-yeah, it’s been a while…”

Her eyes felt heavy. She probably had drifted off before without even her knowing it. The girl was too mice to tell her that she had fallen asleep though. Aw, Yukirin could just gobble her up.

“Well, thank you for the help then. I guess I am more tired than I thought I was.”

She stood up in the chair and stretched as she yawned audibly. Yep, she needed to crush, like, right now!

“We should probably go to sleep too.”

Yukirin figured she might as well say something because the girl did not seem to be planning on moving any time soon. She of course got embarrassed at having not taken the hint beforehand.

“I…I will get the futon out. Oh, you can have the bed.”

Yukirin would never…

“No Sakura, it’s okay. I don’t mind the futon. In fact I prefer it, being used to it and all.”

Yeah, until she moved to Tokyo for AKB48. She hasn’t slept in a futon for years, unless she was going home for visits.

“No, it would be rude to have a guest lay in the floor!”

The girl was almost as adamant as Yukirin herself, she had noticed at times.

“Well then, you best leave that futon in there because if neither will let the other take the futon then we will both take the bed.”

Was it Yukirin or was she turning into a super pervert this day? That guest room idea was looking mighty inviting.

“I-if you don’t mind…”

Yukirin found she was gathering a lot of unnecessary saliva. She swallowed.

“I don’t…”

Sakura only paused a moment before shutting the wardrobe closed then walked over to the bed.

“You can take the wall. That is if you still like facing the wall…”

Yukirin beamed at her favourite fifteen year old in the whole world! All warning bells were ignored when swept the surprised girl off her feet in a strong embrace. Yukirin twirled around the room and in turn taking the girl with her.

“You know about that? I’m so happy you know so much about me”

“Only what you choose to share in your profile videos.”

Sakura hoped this night would just be over already because she doubted she would survive any more of these strange new feelings she was experiencing. She breathed out in an effort to relax when Yukirin let her go to dig into her bag for a pair of pyjamas. This time Sakura was very aware though so she hastily turned around to pick up her own nighties off the foot of the bed and struggled into them. For some reason it was harder than usual getting them on!

While she was still figuring out how to rightly button up, the bed gave a squeak as the older girl unceremoniously dropped her body onto it then got under the covers. In a scene that would have made all males out their go into a happily self-induced coma, Yukirin beckoned for Sakura to join her. The nighty she had on left Sakura doubting it was meant for anything but private eyes only, as it left very little to the imagination of what lay under the chest area it feebly tried to cover. Then there was that look that even Sakura felt was doing weird things to her that she couldn’t explain…She dove under the covers and just as quickly turned her back towards the source of her doom!

She soon let out a squeal when arms flashed under and over her waste to pull her into soft warmth! She was not to survive this night, was she?!

“Aw, you are just so cute Sakura. I could just eat you all up!”

Gulp!

“…”

Sakura’s favourite hero at the moment was the one and only Sandman for she prayed he would come and take her away from this torture. But no matter how many times she prayed like a dark magician summoning evil forces from the underworld, no help came for her.

It seemed that all wasn’t lost though for after some time, the older girl grew still to the point that Sakura thought she was falling sleep.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to keep my promise.”

Huh, what?

“…”

“I saw the whole stage today.”

Yukirin figured she needed to clarify so she did.

“You…You were in the audience?”

Sakura was finding it plenty difficult breathing.

“I was…I wanted to surprise you while on stage when you held the MC for your birthday wished but I changed my mind.”

True that, she felt like she would be taking something away from the girl for some reason though she couldn’t think of any for the life of her.

“I…I…”

Yukirin felt the body in her arms begin to shake. Then snivels built up into actual sobs. The sobs grew heavy then into actual crying.

“Hey, why are you crying? You did well. Not great because that would imply you were better than b=me but good, very good.”

She tried to get the girl smile at that but it didn’t work. She was probably in need of a good cry for some time now and this was just the trigger. Yukirin grew quiet and decided to let the girl set lose all her pent up emotions. She simply just lay there and kept holding the girl in her arms, closely, protectively and lovingly.

Sakura probably had a lot of things on her mind, no she had to have a lot of questions, fears and un-certainties having entered the hard Idol world at such a young age. She should know. She saw it in the younger fellow gen members and even she herself had her own issues. She wouldn’t press today, not tonight but they had tomorrow. They would talk tomorrow or the day after or the day after that or the year after that and Yukirin would listen. She would listen and do all she could for the girl.

Not now though

Now all she could do was just make sure the girl in her arms knew she had Yukirin. And so she held her close, channelling all the feelings she could conjure up into the heat that floated from her very soul and into that of the girl in her arms. She turned the girl so that they now their bodies faced each other’s front. Sakura buried her wet face into Yukirin chest and she soon felt wet trails tracing the dips and curves into her chest but she did not mind.

Yukirin pressed a wet kiss on the top of dark hair that was closest to her lips because she didn’t feel like moving the girl any unnecessarily.

Tomorrow, or the next day or the day after that or the year after that but not tonight.

.

…

… The END…