Yukinoshita is definitely in love with me.
And I… I really like her too. This must be what people mean when they talk about mutual affection two hearts beating in harmony.
Once Yumiko accepted this truth, she went through a whirlwind of emotional turmoil.
From disbelief to denial, then shy acceptance she spent a considerable amount of time grappling with it.
(By "considerable time," we mean one whole day.)
But after accepting it, Yumiko wasted no time. She immediately began laying the groundwork for her romantic troubles… or rather, for resolving them.
If Yukinoshita liked her this much if the speculation from Junko and Keika was right then it wasn't just recent. Yukinoshita must've started noticing her from the moment she entered the school, maybe even liking her from the very beginning!
But if she liked her so much, why hadn't she confessed?
Even the way she pretended not to care felt way too convincing. If it weren't for the occasional cracks in that icy façade, not even someone as insightful and brilliant as Yumiko could have guessed the truth buried deep inside that frosty heart.
Yumiko quickly came up with the reasons for Yukinoshita's silence.
First, she must think her feelings are too different from what's considered "normal," that they're something shameful, something she can't express not even to the person she likes.
Second, she's probably afraid that, once her feelings are revealed, they'll bring trouble to the person she loves (Yumiko, of course). Her friends, her parents, people around them everyone might start looking at them strangely.
Aww… Yukinoshita, you're so kind.
Yukinoshita was the type to hide her emotions, to restrain them. If no one solved these problems for her, then all those doubts and fears would just keep building up inside her, keeping her from ever acting on her feelings.
So Yumiko decided to start with her friends.
She had confidence in them. After all, the only reason her friendship with Yukinoshita had grown so naturally was thanks to their careful advice and encouragement.
They even used to tease her, joking that Yukinoshita was secretly in love with her.
So now that the truth was plain to see, surely Junko and Keika had developed some resistance or maybe even a bit of acceptance toward the idea of Yukinoshita and her being more than friends, right?
After school that day, Yumiko walked to the station as usual with Junko and Keika their train routes overlapped for a few stops.
As they walked, Yumiko cleared her throat lightly. "So… have you two noticed that Yukinoshita's crush on me is getting more and more obvious lately?"
Junko and Keika exchanged a glance, looking a little confused.
"…Really?"
Of course it is!
Yukinoshita had looked so jealous the other day wasn't that obvious enough?
Yumiko could rattle off a hundred tiny examples, a thousand little signs, all pointing to one conclusion: Yukinoshita had definitely been getting more possessive lately.
But for some reason, neither Junko nor Keika seemed to agree. To them, Yukinoshita's behavior toward Yumiko hadn't really changed much at all.
In fact, Junko hadn't even felt comfortable joking about Yukinoshita's supposed crush lately.
Back when they didn't know Yukinoshita well, sure the theory made sense. She was icy, aloof, the kind of girl who looked like she lived at the top of a mountain. And yes, her attitude toward Yumiko had been noticeably different from how she treated anyone else.
But now it just seemed like Yukinoshita had a cold exterior and wasn't great at socializing. Deep down, she wasn't stingy with kindness at all.
Maybe she was only extra nice to Yumiko back then because Yumiko was the first person to reach out to her.
And if someone else had been the first to show her kindness if someone else had taken Yumiko's place would Yukinoshita have treated them just as specially?
The more Keika thought about it, the more she started to feel a little uneasy. Had she, unintentionally, misled her friend this whole time?
Especially now, watching Yumiko's bright eyes, so full of excitement and daydreams, Keika felt her voice falter.
She hesitated, carefully choosing her words. "Um… Yumiko, I think maybe—"
Yumiko's eyes sparkled as she looked at her. "Keika, you feel it too, don't you? Yukinoshita's been so clingy lately, right? I mean, what can I even do about it?"
Her words said "troublesome," but her tone was overflowing with joy and barely contained pride.
What she really meant was: She likes me so much. And I'm not heartless, you know. Shouldn't I give her a little hope in return?
Or: Maybe I should find a way to tell Yukinoshita that she's not entirely without a chance.
There were too many things she wanted to say.
All that bright, fluttering, innocent affection her feelings shone so strongly, they lit up her eyes like spring sunlight filling an entire room.
Keika felt like she'd swallowed something sharp and couldn't breathe.
Junko tugged her behind. "Leave it. I'll talk."
She didn't look at Yumiko. Instead, she lowered her gaze, staring at the sidewalk beneath her feet.
"Yumiko, I think… this isn't something ordinary. Maybe you should think about it a little more. Whether it's for your sake or hers."
Think about whether Yukinoshita really likes you.
That was what she didn't say out loud.
Yumiko froze.
Just then, the train pulled into the station. The wind stirred, lifting strands of her long hair.
Keika watched as her friend who just moments ago had been practically glowing with happiness seemed to crumble all at once.
Yumiko hadn't even fully processed what Junko had said yet.
"…Eh?"
—
Yumiko's house wasn't far just ten minutes from the station.
"I'm home…"
For once, her mother had gotten off work early and was already in the kitchen preparing dinner, an apron tied around her waist.
"Welcome back, Yumiko," her mom called over her shoulder. "What's with the long face today?"
Yumiko lightly slapped her cheeks, refusing to admit anything. "I'm fine!"
She tried to help out at the counter maybe wash vegetables or something but was swiftly kicked out.
"Shoo, shoo, you'll just get in the way."
Yumiko flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV. A tabloid show was covering a female celebrity caught in a rumored same-sex relationship.
Her mom, still washing vegetables, muttered absentmindedly, "Young people these days… such a mess…"
Silence fell.
Mrs. Miura turned around, puzzled, only to realize that her daughter had already disappeared upstairs at some point.
All that remained in the living room was a cold, quiet emptiness.
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