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Yuuko packed up her belongings after the end of the tutorial. Just as she stepped out of the classroom, a tall male figure appeared behind her. Tch, it’s him again. Yuuko took a deep breath and steeled herself for what was to come. “Yoshikawa-san! How did you find the midterms last week?” Watanabe, a university classmate of hers, tried to match her quickening pace as she briskly walked down the hallway. “Ahh, I think I bombed it!” “You should’ve studied harder then,” Yuuko muttered, refusing to turn and look back at him. “You’re so cold for someone so cute, Yoshikawa-san,” Watanabe chuckled in a rich baritone, running his fingers through his dirty blonde curls. “I was thinking of forming a study group and learning from the smarter folks.” Eww, just shut up and piss off, Yuuko thought. “I’m an average student at best.” “Definitely better than me, I suppose,” Watanabe bent down, matching Yuuko’s eye level. “Anyway, do you have any plans this Friday night?” Just stop it already! “Nothing much, just going for practice at the club.” “Oh yeah, you’re in the university’s concert band! You play the trombo-” “Trumpet.” “Right! I always mix those two up.” Damn, I can’t shake this dude off. Yuuko stifled a huge sigh. At this point, if she tried to walk any faster, she would have to break out into a full sprint. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar face sitting at one of the common benches by herself, using her laptop. Her saviour had arrived. “Natsuki!” Yuuko hollered. “Yuuko?” I’m heading off with her! See you next week, Watanabe-san!” Yuuko scooted towards the bench, waving him goodbye. “Oh, see you then…” With a hint of reluctance, Watanabe parted ways with Yuuko and walked the remaining distance to the bus stop by himself. “What are you doing all the way here?” Yuuko sat herself down on the seat directly opposite Natsuki. Though they both attended the same university in Kyoto as freshmen, they were enrolled in different degree programmes and seldom met each other on campus. “I had to pick something up from the bookstore nearby, and decided to study here for a while,” Natsuki replied. “Anyway, was that your secret new boyfriend just now? He’s pretty good-looking, huh?” Yuuko furrowed her brow in exasperation. “He’s not! Just an annoying classmate who keeps trying to flirt with me just because I was nice to him at the start of the semester! He thinks he’s slick with his silly ass perm and pretty face, but there’s nothing in that thick skull of his!” Natsuki snickered at how comically red her friend’s face had become. “Have you tried telling him that you aren’t interested?” “I have,” Yuuko pouted. “But as long as he knows that I’m single, he still thinks he has a chance." At that moment, Yuuko’s eyes widened in a moment of epiphany. “Unless…” “Unless?” Natsuki tilted her head. “Natsuki, how about pretending to be my girlfriend for the time being?” “Huuuuh?!” Natsuki’s jaw dropped at the absurdity of Yuuko’s idea. “Why me? And why a girlfriend?” “I can’t possibly ask anyone from my course since it would be too obvious, so someone from a different faculty like you would be the safest choice. Also, if he thinks that I like girls, perhaps he will back off even more…” Natsuki propped her elbows on the table and rested her face in the palm of her hands. “So, how far do you want to take this ‘fake girlfriend’ thing?” “You’re agreeing already?!” “Anything for my dear friend.” A teasing grin appeared on Natsuki’s face. “Just let me know what you need me to do and I’ll play along.” Yuuko twiddled her thumbs together, still in shock that Natsuki didn’t push back immediately - a stark departure from their constant bickering. “Umm, we’ll be having a lecture together at Lecture Hall 3 next Tuesday, ending at 12.30pm. If you could be there by then, it’ll help to deflect any opportunities for him to ask me out for lunch.” Natsuki pondered for a moment. “I also have a lecture at Hall 7 ending at that time, but the professor usually finishes ahead of time so I could sprint down by then.” “Perfect! Then our plan is on!” It was 12.30pm the next Tuesday. Yuuko bade her classmates goodbye and made her way down the steps of the lecture hall. “Not having lunch with the girls?” As expected, Watanabe never passed on an opportunity to catch Yuuko alone. “They’re having a project discussion for another class.” Yuuko replied coldly. “Oh, then don’t mind if I join you for lunch?” Watanabe flashed a toothy smile as they both walked out of the lecture hall. Yuuko shuffled uneasily. “Actually…” “Sorry, but she made plans with me first.” Just as Yuuko was about to give her a call, Natsuki appeared next to her, wrapping an arm around her back and resting her hand on her waist. “I’ve seen you before,” Watanabe was visibly surprised at the same auburn-haired girl with a messy ponytail appearing right in front of them. “You are…?” “S-she’s my girlfriend!” Yuuko blurted, clumsily returning the side hug to Natsuki. “G-girlfriend?” Watanabe’s cheeks turned pink. “We’ve known each other since middle school.” Natsuki grabbed Yuuko’s hand and looked into her eyes. “Right, Yuuko-chan~?” Yuuko felt her face turn hot at how Natsuki acted the part so naturally. “T-that’s right! And we’re dating now!” “I see…” Watanabe’s face fell - he was painfully easy to read. “Then I shouldn’t disrupt your date any further.” The two girls watched till Watanabe turned round the corner in the hallway, then promptly let go of each other. “How in the world are you so natural at this!” Yuuko immediately retorted, crossing both arms across her chest. “I don’t know, maybe three years of observing the tuba couple being lovey dovey with each other has taught me a thing or two.” “Nonsense! They’re not even half as gross as you when they’re around us!” “Are you embarrassed? Having second thoughts about this?” Natsuki teased, bringing her face closer towards Yuuko. “O-of course not!” Yuko responded. “This worked excellently, I’ve never gotten rid of him so fast before.” “If you say so,” Natsuki hummed. “So, we’re actually having lunch together for real? The canteen near my school has some good katsudon I’d like you to try.” This bizarre arrangement carried on for the next few weeks. Whenever Natsuki was in between classes and Yuuko happened to be in a lecture or tutorial with Watanabe, Natsuki would hang around when their class ended and visit Yuuko at the opportune time. In the beginning, Watanabe would occasionally speak to Yuuko before or after classes, but as the days passed, he approached her less and less. They still continued their charade nonetheless, being conscious of him hanging around after class had ended. And then that thing happened. Yuuko and Natsuki were having lunch together one afternoon, after walking from the lecture hall to the canteen with their arms interlocked. Somehow, the more they played this game, the easier it became for the both of them to show physical affection with each other, to the point where they’d catch themselves casually laying a hand on the other, or locking eyes for a second too long, even with Watanabe long gone. “Ah.” Natsuki muttered while looking at her phone. “Is this his Instagram account?” She turned her phone towards Yuuko, who instantly reeled back from the shock. “Why is he following you?! How did he find your profile?!” “I guess he found it through one of your old posts, when you tagged me in our high school pictures.” “Dammit,” Yuuko cursed. “Maybe he suspects we’re faking it in front of him. Why don't you just block him?” “Oh, I followed him back,” Natsuki replied nonchalantly. “If he wants to play this game, so will I.” “What the hell, Natsuki!” Just as Yuuko was about to get up from her seat, Natsuki took a candid selfie of the both of them. “With @yuuk0_yoshikawa ❤️❤️❤️” Natsuki typed out the caption and promptly posted it on her Instagram story. “Are you freakin’ serious!” Yuuko was livid when she opened up her own Instagram to find herself being tagged. Without a word, Natsuki proceeded to snatch Yuuko's phone from under her nose. Interlocking her free hand with Yuuko’s, she snapped a photo of both of their hands with the canteen table as a backdrop. “Luv u @natsuki0623” Natsuki added a caption as a cherry on top and posted it straight to Yuuko's story. “Thank me later.” Natsuki passed her phone back to her. “You're having too much fun with this!” Yuuko was shaking as she replayed the story. “You can't go soft on delusional and stubborn guys like him.” Yuuko let out a sigh. “Anyway, I was actually thinking of asking you… could I come over to your room to study on some nights?” “Oh, why though? Aren't you also staying in a single room like myself? So you're alone most of the time?” “That's precisely the point… It's extremely easy to get distracted by my phone or taking long naps when I’m by myself, and finals are coming. I’ll be in hot soup if my first semester’s GPA comes in at an all-time low…” “All right, you can come over on Wednesdays and Thursdays, when we both don't have club activities. Promise not to leave a mess when you leave, though.” “Thanks Natsuki! Of course I won't, nobody else is as messy as you.” That evening, just before concert band practice, Nozomi walked over to Yuuko's seat in the practice room. “Yo. How are things going?” She tapped Yuuko on the shoulder. Like Yuuko, Nozomi, who also attended the same university, joined the amateur concert band together with her. Natsuki on the other hand wanted to try something new, so she joined the light music club instead. “Agh, I’m neck-deep in assessments and projects,” Yuuko complained. “Same here, it's insane,” Nozomi concurred. “So, how's things going with that ikemen classmate? Still trying to flirt with you?” Oh right, Nozomi doesn't know about my ploy with Natsuki. “Umm, he hasn't been bothering me lately.” “Hahaha, that's great!” Nozomi chuckled. “By the way, Natsuki just texted me, she said starting next week you're going to go over to her room to study with her.” “Why? Are you jealous that I didn't ask you first?” “Nah, of course not! It makes sense, she's staying in a single room whereas I have a roommate, and I wouldn't want to impose on her too much. I just thought you two have been really close recently.” Damn, she must have seen those stories Natsuki posted this afternoon! “R-really? But we’ve always been close friends! We just don't communicate telepathically like you and Mizore.” “Haha, I wish Mizore would banter with me more often the same way the both of you do, but that wouldn't be her. Anyway, I'll catch you again later! Sectionals are starting soon.” On Wednesday evening, Yuuko showed up in Natsuki's room as agreed, study materials in hand and dressed in lounge wear. “Sorry my desk is a little messy, I’ll make some space for you.” Natsuki swept off the empty snack wrappers from her table, then proceeded to pull out her foldable stool. “Eww.” Yuuko tutted, laying down her laptop and a textbook in the small space Natsuki had carved out for her. “Feels just like our high school days, when we were cramming for the entrance exams together in the library after school, huh?” After Natsuki popped a potato chip in her mouth, she wiped her greasy fingers on a piece of tissue and continued typing out her assignment on her laptop. “The only difference is that we can no longer help each other out with schoolwork anymore, since we’re studying in different programmes.” “Are you sure that's the only difference?” Yuuko threw her head back in despair. “The readings in university are something else! And having to master the entire module by the end of each semester is insane, you can't slack off even for a week or two!” “Relax, it's just our first semester. You still have another three and a half years to pull your GPA up even if you bomb this one.” Natsuki spoke with a calm tone. Even though they were no longer president and vice-president of Kitauji concert band, their personalities still played out the same way, with Yuuko being the overambitious one who piled high expectations on herself, whereas Natsuki's laid-back nature helped to ground her. “If only I had the same level of chill as you.” Yuuko slumped forward, laying her head on the desk. “I think I’ll take a short nap, I can't keep my eyes open anymore.” “It's true, we're still freshmen after all, so we should explore and try new things outside of academics while we can.” “...” “Yuuko?” True to her word, Yuuko had fallen asleep, resting her head on her arms while laying on Natsuki's desk. Natsuki smirked. “Even her sleeping face is cute.” Quietly and slowly so as to not arouse her, Natsuki pulled out her phone and leaned towards her sleeping friend, till her own face was barely an inch away from hers. Carefully angling her phone, she snapped a few pictures with her slightly puckered lips almost touching Yuuko’s cheek. After some time, Yuuko stirred from her nap with a sudden jolt. When she awoke, she found that Natsuki was no longer sitting next to her, but was instead laying in her bed with her pillow propped up behind her. “H-how long was I asleep…?” Yuuko groggily asked, brushing away the matted hair from her face. Natsuki removed her earphones. “I don't know, maybe 20 minutes? Or 15? Anyway, I made you some tea.” Yuuko then noticed a steaming mug placed at her corner of the table. “Thank you…” Yuuko took a sip of tea, which warmed her instantly. Once in a while, Natsuki was genuinely nice to her, and she appreciated that straightforward expression of their love from time to time. Yuuko reached for her phone and instinctively looked at the time. “Geez, it's already past 12 midnight!” She remarked apologetically. “I'm so sorry for keeping you up this late!” Natsuki waved her hand. “It's no big deal, I’m usually still awake at this hour.” The next thing Yuuko noticed from her phone was a new unread notification. “Nakagawa Natsuki tagged you in a story.” Yuuko opened up her Instagram to find the incriminating photo popping up on her feed. “Natsuki!!!!!!” The remaining weeks of the semester flew by, and before they knew it, final exams were over and the 2 month summer break began. Like most students at the university, the girls went back to their hometown Uji for the holidays, and the four friends - Natsuki, Yuuko, Nozomi and Mizore - seized the opportunity to hang out together whenever they could. One evening, the group were having dinner at the mall, catching up on one another’s busy lives. “Actually, I have been wanting to ask the both of you about this for a long time.” Nozomi pulled out her phone, looking at Yuuko and Natsuki who were sitting across from her. “What is the meaning of all of this?” Pointing her phone screen towards both of them, Nozomi swiped through her album as their jaws hung in shock. What they saw was a carefully curated collection of screenshots from both their Instagram stories - not just the picture of Natsuki pretending to kiss Yuuko while she was asleep, but a variety of other pictures, ranging from selfies while holding hands around the campus, to wearing matching accessories, and even a few candid shots of themselves lounging in Natsuki’s bed together whenever Yuuko came over to study. “Are you guys dating?” Mizore asked in her typical monotone voice. Natsuki burst out in laughter while Yuuko’s face turned beet red. “Absolutely not!” Yuuko exclaimed. “It’s all an elaborate plot!” “Elaborate plot…?” Nozomi repeated with doubt in her voice. “Yuuko’s got a classmate that can’t stop hitting on her, so I’m pretending to be her girlfriend to chase him off.” Natsuki explained smoothly. “And since he follows the both of us on Instagram, we’ve taken the act online as well.” “Oh, that blondie…” Nozomi nodded pensively. “So that’s what it’s all about. Damn, I was excited for the both of you for a moment, I even saved all these screenshots for posterity.” “Seriously, Nozomi?” Yuuko was clearly more agitated than her partner in crime, who was casually sipping on her iced tea. “Send them to me,” Mizore interjected. “Especially the kissing one.” “You too, Mizore?!” The quartet continued their lively chatter until dinner was over, and it was time to leave the restaurant. “It was fun hanging out with y’all,” Nozomi waved the group goodbye. “Unfortunately I have to leave now, I’m going to my grandma’s place early tomorrow.” “I’ll leave with Nozomi too.” Mizore followed. With that, the group of four went their separate ways, with Natsuki and Yuuko remaining in the mall. “Should we go too?” Natsuki asked. “Though it’s still kinda early, I don’t feel like going home just yet.” “Same,” Yuuko agreed. “Any ideas on where to go next?” “Oh, I can redeem a pair of one-for-one tickets at the cinema. Wanna go watch a movie now?” “Sure, let’s go.” Natsuki and Yuuko arrived at the box office and looked at the available show timings. The only movie that was airing within the next 10 minutes was a romantic comedy, ‘ Your Kiss in August’ . “Wanna watch that?” Natsuki gestured at the movie poster. She had heard some mixed reviews about this movie, which was about to end its run in cinemas very soon. “I’m okay with anything.” Yuuko had vaguely heard of that title before, but she was no movie buff so she let Natsuki call the shots. “Great, I’ll go buy the tickets. Do you want any popcorn or soda?” “Just a soda will do.” Yuuko hung around the lobby, waiting for Natsuki to purchase the tickets and drinks. “Oh, fancy meeting you here, Yoshikawa-san.” Yuuko’s blood instantly ran cold when she heard that familiar baritone voice. “W-Watanabe-san!” Yuuko whipped her head around, shuddering at the sight of his tall figure and dirty blonde curls which seemed to have a fresh perm. “Y-you’re here for a movie too?” “ Your Kiss in August ,” Watanabe smirked. “How about you? Are you watching the same movie with your girlfriend?” “Yes we are.” Natsuki popped behind Yuuko, firmly placing her arm upon her shoulders, causing the already flustered Yuuko to jump a little. “How about you? Going to the movies alone?” Watanabe looked behind him. “My date is here.” At that moment, a girl stepped out of the washroom and sashayed towards him. She appeared to be the same age as all of them, but with false eyelashes so thick they seemed like curtains, and with heels so tall she was practically on her tiptoes. “Let’s go, Sho-kun.” The girl drawled, wrapping a slender arm around his, and they made their way towards the theatre. “Dammit, why is he here too? What a terrible coincidence!” Yuuko swore under her breath as she and Natsuki followed the flashy pair some distance away. “Don’t pay too much attention to him, at least we know he’s got another girl in his sights now.” Natsuki checked the ticket stubs. “We’re seated at 11C and D.” They stepped into the theatre. For a weekday night it was surprisingly empty, with few moviegoers other than the four of them. Watanabe, who was already seated with his date, casually waved to them as they walked past. “They’re seated just 2 rows behind us!” Yuuko whispered as they settled down in their seats. “Wanna change seats then? There are plenty of empty seats right now.” “No way! If I do that, he’ll know that I feel threatened by his presence!” “Sometimes, I feel that you’re imagining things about him in your head,” Natsuki muttered, but Yuuko didn’t hear her amidst the loud blaring from the sound system as the advertisement rolls started. To Natsuki and Yuuko’s chagrin, the movie turned out to be absolute trash. The plot was unoriginal, the jokes were unfunny, and the acting was mediocre at best as the cast were clearly chosen for their good looks rather than acting capability. This is awful, Yuuko groaned as the moviegoers laughed at the low-brow humour. Looking to her right, she knew Natsuki felt the same way as her from her disinterested expression. “I’m going to the washroom.” Yuuko got up, walked past Watanabe’s row of seats and headed to the washrooms at the back of the cinema. Yuuko took her time in the washroom - it didn’t matter to her anyway, since the movie was so terrible. When she was finished, she walked back into the cinema at a leisurely pace, down the stairs towards her seat. As she was approaching her row, her eyes caught a glimpse of Watanabe and his date amidst the dim lighting of the cinema, who all of a sudden had their hands all over each other while in their seats. “Gross, they’re groping each other right now.” Yuuko leaned over to Natsuki and muttered. Natsuki snuck a brief glance, and caught sight of them in between sloppy kisses. “I think they’re making out,” Natsuki whispered, the sounds of their giggles and mumblings vaguely audible from where they were sitting. “Disgusting, he’s definitely getting back at me,” Yuuko tried her best to keep her agitated voice down. “They weren’t doing this before I went to the washroom, so he must’ve known that I’ll definitely see them when I return.” “They can spot us from where they’re sitting, right?” Natsuki responded. “Well, we’re not losing to them either.” “What do you mean?” Natsuki grabbed Yuuko by the chin. “An eye for an eye.” The very next moment, Yuuko found Natsuki’s lips pressed against hers. It caught her completely by surprise, and all she felt was the sensation of Natsuki’s lips, the warmth of her breath tickling her face, and the rise and fall of her soft breathing. As Natsuki held on to the kiss, Yuuko felt a surge of warmth flood her face, and her heart thrummed loudly in her chest. Natsuki is kissing me right now Natsuki is kissing me right now Natsuki is kissing me- “That should do, they've definitely seen it by now.” “Are you for real-” Yuuko exclaimed, but stopped short. She was supposed to play along with Natsuki, and expressing audible shock at the sudden kiss would blow their cover. Throughout the rest of the movie, Yuuko could not focus on the plot as the events of the kiss played out in her head on repeat. She desperately wanted to see Natsuki's expression just before and after the kiss, which was unfortunately obscured by the dim lighting. Was she smug? Or indifferent? Or possibly embarrassed? Yuuko, for one, was definitely embarrassed, and she knew from the burning sensation that her face and ears were completely crimson. For that, she was grateful for the cover of darkness. At long last, the end credits for ‘ Your Kiss in August’ rolled and the moviegoers streamed out of the cinema. Thankfully, the both of them didn't cross paths with Watanabe and the girl on the way out. “Time to head home?” Natsuki asked. Yuuko nodded. She had been uncharacteristically silent since they stepped out of the cinema. “Let's catch the train together? I think they're still in service.” “Mm.” Throughout the train journey till the station where Yuuko got off, the both of them exchanged only a few words, saying nothing about the events that had occurred in the cinema. Quietly, Yuuko slipped into her house and ran herself a bath. When she finally closed the door and slid into the bathtub, she let out a huge sigh and yelled as she buried her hands in her face. “Natsuki you idiot!!!! That was my first kiss!!!!” After yelling for the next five minutes, fully convinced that her parents were aware of the din she was making in the bath, she finally calmed down. Sinking deeper, she fully submerged her head into the bath water. With her eyes closed and her breath held, the moment of the kiss came flooding back to her. Every sensation, every smell, every sound, every taste she could remember so vividly, from the way Natsuki felt against her to the way she reacted to it. In the beginning, Yuuko never drew the line on how far they should go with their silly act as girlfriends, she knew that Natsuki would never cross the line with her. Sure, Natsuki loved teasing her to get a reaction out of her, but it was part and parcel of their friendship all these years. However, she didn't expect her to go this far with a bona fide kiss, and the most perplexing thing was this - Yuuko actually liked it. When her breath was spent, Yuuko emerged from the bath, letting air into her lungs as she bubbled to the surface. How she wished those feelings could dissolve into the bath water that instant. Since the night of the incident, Natsuki had sent Yuuko a few text messages several days apart, but she ignored them all. She wasn't ready to contact her with those confusing feelings in her heart, and wanted to avoid her as much as she could for the remaining summer break. However, the silence between the both of them wouldn't last for long. On the last few days before the new semester commenced, Yuuko was packing her clothes and other belongings for the trip back to her university accommodation, when she found Natsuki’s hoodie among the pile of clothes that she had brought back home to wash. She had borrowed it the last time she hung out at Natsuki’s room, when the weather suddenly turned chilly just as she was about to head back. She had meant to return it to her promptly after washing, but kept forgetting about it till now. “Hey. I still have your hoodie with me. When’s a good time to return it to you?” Yuuko sent her message. “How about next Wednesday evening? You can come over at the usual time.” Natsuki promptly replied, seemingly unbothered by the fact that her previous five messages were completely ignored. “Ok. See you.” It was Wednesday night. Natsuki was chilling in her bed when she heard a knock on the door - Yuuko had arrived. “Yo.” Yuuko greeted her coldly, handing over the neatly folded hoodie with one hand, tucking the other hand in her sweatpants pocket. “Here you go.” “Wait!” Natsuki called just as Yuuko was about to turn and leave. “Why not stay for a while? Since you’ve come all the way here.” “Ok then…” Yuuko turned back and entered Natsuki’s room, seating herself on her bed. Natsuki soon joined her, and they began to talk about casual topics like the new school term and their class schedules. Unlike the previous semester, their schedules weren’t aligned and they didn’t have many opportunities to meet on campus in between classes. “Oh! Before I forget, I’ve bought you some souvenirs during summer vacation with my family.” Natsuki got up and pulled out a box of traditional Japanese sweets from her drawer, handing them to Yuuko. “I’ve been wanting to pass these to you before school started, but you were ignoring my messages.” “Thank you…” Yuuko took the box from Natsuki’s hands and laid it next to her. “Um, sorry for ignoring you.” “Were you angry at me?” Natsuki went straight to the point. “For, you know, kissing you at the cinema.” “Angry? You bet I was!” Yuuko raised her voice. “You stole my first kiss!” Natsuki burst out in laughter, relieved that her friend was back to her old self. “Who were you saving it for, then? Kaori-senpai?” “Of course not! I know I absolutely adore her, but not in that sort of way!” Yuuko balled up her fists in indignation. “It’s just that I didn’t expect it to happen in a fake-dating sort of situation.” “Fine, I’ll admit that I may have taken it a bit too far, and I’m sorry for that.” Natsuki responded apologetically. “So, how should I make up for it?” Yuuko puffed her cheeks up in indignation, and sandwiched Natsuki’s face with the palm of her hands, looking squarely at her. She started to notice every detail about her. Her auburn hair tied up in a messy ponytail. Her mesmerising deep violet eyes. Her somewhat thin yet soft, kissable lips. And without a second thought, Yuuko pulled Natsuki’s face close and kissed those soft lips of hers. Although Yuuko screwed her eyes shut when she kissed her, she could sense Natsuki’s surprise from the way her breath hitched the moment their lips touched. It wasn’t long before Yuuko pulled away from the kiss. This time round, she was fully able to see Natsuki’s face up close under the bright light of the room. The moment they parted, Natsuki’s cheeks were a shade of pink and she wore a blank expression on her face. Her entire body was frozen in place for a few moments. Ah, so she's flustered . “T-that was my payback!” Yuuko abruptly got up from the bed, as the realisation that she had kissed Natsuki yet again hit her and her face was starting to heat up. “Anyway, I-I’d better get going now! Thanks again for the gift!” Yuuko picked up her box of sweets from the bed and hurriedly shuffled to the door. Just as she was about to reach for the doorknob, she was interrupted. “Yuuko!” She turned around, and saw that Natsuki had stood up from her place as well. “I love you.” Yuuko's head started to spin the moment she heard those words. A love confession…? From Natsuki? “Geez Natsuki, it's just the both of us here, you can drop the fake girlfriend act-” “I’m serious. I’m in love with you, Yuuko.” Natsuki's expression hadn't changed the moment Yuuko gave her that kiss - though her face was now completely crimson, while she shyly averted Yuuko's gaze just a bit. This wasn't a joke, she was completely earnest. Yuuko was at a loss on how to respond to the sudden confession. Nakagawa Natsuki , my number one frenemy since middle school, is in love with me? “Starting from today, let's stop pretending to date altogether.” After Yuuko had said that, she promptly exited Natsuki's room and closed the door on her. When Yuuko finally reached her own room, she dove into her own bed, burying her face into her pillow. How long did Natsuki have these feelings for her? Did it begin way before they pretended to be girlfriends? Or did she come to realise it during their entire act? But there was one thing she knew for sure - she was caught completely off guard by Natsuki's confession. Yuuko wondered why her first instinct was to run away upon hearing those words. The more she thought about it, the more awful she felt about the way she reacted. She and Natsuki were always candid and comfortable with each other in their own unique way, and she enjoyed her company as a good friend. But the thought of suddenly becoming her girlfriend, going on cute dates together, cuddling her and calling her sweet nothings, stealing kisses from her when nobody was looking - instead of instant aversion towards the idea, it made her heart flutter. I was such an idiot for asking her to be fake lovers with me. After ending band practice one night, Yuuko headed to the music storeroom to keep her trumpet. Just as she exited the storeroom, she found Nozomi waiting by the door for her, with her own flute case in hand. “Hey.” “Were you waiting for me?” Nozomi followed Yuuko as they started on their journey from the music room to their respective accommodation blocks. “Yeah, I wanted to speak with you for a bit.” “Really, why?” “Are you unwell? You seemed really out of your element during ensemble practice today, making a lot more mistakes than usual.” Yuuko tightened her grip on her tote bag strap. “Thanks for your concern, Nozomi, but I’m okay. It’s just… there were some things that happened recently that have been bothering me quite a bit.” “Oh?” Nozomi tilted her head. “Do you want to talk about it?” Yuuko pondered for a moment, then let out a small sigh. “It’s about Natsuki.” She proceeded to fill in Nozomi about the events that happened since that night at the cinema, from the kisses they exchanged to Natsuki’s confession to how Yuuko abruptly left in confusion. “I see,” Nozomi slowly nodded, taking in all that Yuuko had told her. “So basically, you’re conflicted about your own feelings towards Natsuki?” “Yeah…” Yuuko clasped her palms together, twiddling her thumbs uneasily. “So I’ve been avoiding her again since last week, but I feel really bad about it.” “But you still wanna remain friends with her though? I mean, at the very least, you want her to come to our concert in a month’s time?” “Natsuki’s also gonna want to watch the both of us perform, right? Not just me…” “Well, someone’s gotta invite her.” Nozomi winked. Yuuko slumped her shoulders forward. “Fine, I’ll do it.” The following Monday night, Natsuki was in her room when she heard an unexpected knock on her door. “Oh, it’s you.” Natsuki opened the door to find Yuuko standing outside. “What brings you here at this hour?” “I wanted to pass you this.” Yuuko stuffed something into Natsuki’s palm. She took a closer look - it was a ticket to the university concert band’s annual recital. “I want you…to come watch me.” Yuuko tucked her hands behind her back, gently swaying her shoulders from side to side. “A-and Nozomi of course! She wants you to come too!” “Thank you,” Natsuki smiled, rubbing her thumbs on the glossy surface of the ticket. “I’ll see you and Nozomi there.” “All right, that’s all.” Yuuko was ready to take her leave. “Um-” She looked back. “About my confession… I’m not expecting you to accept it. I just wanted to be honest with myself and you.” “I understand.” Yuuko knew Natsuki and her straightforward personality all too well. She was somewhat similar, being a brutally honest individual herself, which was one of the reasons why the both of them clashed so often. “By the way,” Yuuko continued, “sorry for leaving so suddenly that night. Please give me some time to sort out my feelings.” “Don’t worry about it. Have a good night’s rest.” After their lesson had ended, Yuuko decided to join two of her usual friends in class for lunch at the nearby canteen. “You’ve been joining us for lunch more often this semester, Yuuko-chan,” one of the girls remarked. “Yeah,” the other girl agreed. “Previously you used to hang out with this one girl most of the time.” “Oh, that’s my high school friend. Our schedules don’t match this semester, so we haven’t been hanging out a lot on campus.” “Must be nice though, keeping in close contact with your high school friends while in university. The both of you must be really close.” Yuuko gave a wry smile. “Well, we get along sometimes…” When they had finished their lunch, Yuuko and her classmates left the canteen, when the sound of live music coming from the plaza caught their attention. “Hey, isn’t that the light music club? Looks like they’re having a lunchtime performance!” “Let’s check it out!” Yuuko followed her classmates as they walked towards the plaza. The small band on the stage had just finished performing a song, and was preparing for the next one. The male vocalist spoke. “For our next song, we’ll be performing Betelgeuse by Yuuri. Please enjoy.” As the vocalist started singing, the lead guitarist likewise began to play the accompanying opening riff. Wait, is that…? Yuuko moved towards the stage for a closer look. Indeed, it was Natsuki on the lead guitar. Their eyes met, and Natsuki nodded and smiled at Yuuko in acknowledgement. Yuuko knew Natsuki had been learning the electric guitar in the light music club, but it was the first time she had seen her perform on stage. Seeing her focus so intently as she moved her fingers along the frets and strummed on the strings, Yuuko came to the realisation that Natsuki had a cool side to her as well. “The drummer is so handsome! Do you know which faculty he’s from?” Yuuko’s classmate standing to the right of her quipped. “I wish I knew!” Her other classmate replied. “By the way, isn’t that your high school friend on the guitar, Yuuko-chan?” “Yeah, she is…” Yuuko mumbled, her eyes transfixed on Natsuki. The band reached the bridge of the song, and to Yuuko’s surprise, Natsuki started to sing. “How far, how long will we live?
I try to be strong whenever you’re anxious
It’s okay, I’m right beside you
Let’s connect the invisible dots”
As Natsuki belted out those lyrics, amidst the small crowd that formed around the stage, her eyes locked with Yuuko’s, as if she was communicating those words directly to her. Yuuko’s heart began to pound loudly within her chest.
How did I not realise this all along?
The vocalist took over with the chorus for the final time, accompanied by only the keyboard. Enjoying myself while we were still pretending to date, liking it when she kissed me, feeling my heart tug when she confessed… The entire band started to play in the second half of the chorus, and Natsuki joined in as backing vocals. " We stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand and
Move forward
Even in times of pain, we’ll be together
So we vowed
Far and away, a never-ending Betelgeuse
You see the prayer too, don’t you?”
After the vocalist ended with the outro, the audience erupted with applause. “They’re good right, Yuuko-chan?” Yuuko was jolted out of her daze by her classmate’s comment, and joined in with the clapping as well.
I’m in love with Natsuki.
“Our concert’s next week, at long last!” Nozomi exclaimed as she and Yuuko made their way home from the music room after practice. “Are you excited? We haven’t performed in a concert hall like this since the competition last year!” “Mm hmm,” Yuuko nodded. “Nobody’s more excited than you though, since the hall we’ve rented is in Mizore’s music college.” Nozomi chuckled. “Haha, I guess that’s one of the main reasons I’m especially fired up as well.” The two girls finally reached the housing blocks. Just as they were about to part ways, Yuuko spoke. “Nozomi.” “Yeah?” “I have decided. On the night of our concert, I’ll confess to Natsuki.” Nozomi’s eyes widened and she broke out into a wide grin. “So you’ve finally figured it out?” “It took a while, but I finally did.” “Well, all the best! I’ve always been rooting for the both of you.” The concert came and went. After the concert band ended their performance, the performers dispersed, and Yuuko and Nozomi met up with Natsuki and Mizore at the foyer outside the concert hall, where most of the audience and performers also milled around. “Thanks for coming to watch us!” Nozomi received the flowers gifted to her by both Natsuki and Mizore. “It was a great performance, I really enjoyed it.” Mizore conmented. “It’ll be our turn to watch you perform next time!” Yuuko replied as she took her flowers from Mizore’s hands. The four of them continued to chat for a while as they headed outdoors, where there were noticeably fewer people hanging around due to the chilly weather. “I’m gonna stay over with Mizore tonight, so I won’t be following the bus back to campus with the band.” Nozomi announced. “Remember to report back in time, Yuuko!” Then, Nozomi leaned in and whispered into Yuuko’s ear. “Now’s your chance! Good luck!” Following that, Nozomi and Mizore headed down the flight of stairs together and disappeared round the corner, leaving Yuuko and Natsuki by themselves. “Um, you performed pretty well, I guess.” Natsuki quipped, breaking the silence between them. “What do you mean by ‘I guess’?” Yuuko retorted. “You’re speaking to Kitauji’s former drum major and trumpet section leader here!” Natsuki crossed her arms. “Well, I saw you at the light music club’s lunchtime performance just the other week, and you didn’t even stay till the end of our set.” “That’s because I had to leave for a lecture on the other side of the campus! Besides, you didn’t even tell me you were performing that day.” “It was my first time playing the guitar and singing on stage…” Natsuki awkwardly shifted her feet. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out.” “It… it was a good performance.” Yuuko mumbled shyly. “You were really cool on stage.” “I’m relieved, especially hearing that from you.” Natsuki smiled. “Anyway, I’ll be leaving now. You’d better head back before someone from the band comes looking for you.” “Wa-” Yuuko was about to speak but her words got caught in her throat. She watched in silence as Natsuki made her way down the flight of stairs. No, she shouldn’t let her get away like this. She made a promise to herself. “Nakagawa Natsuki!” Natsuki looked up from the bottom of the stairs, surprised at Yuuko calling her by her full name. “I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully!” Yuuko yelled from the top of the stairs, but her words were loud and clear. “What is it?” “I love you! And I want to go out with you!” Natsuki stood rooted to the ground, looking back up at Yuuko, her shoulders rising and falling as she breathed heavily. “I-I have to go now! I’m going to be late for the bus!” Yuuko turned around and hurriedly walked back towards the concert hall, feeling her chest tighten up as she did so. However, she soon heard the sound of hasty footsteps closing in on her, and felt her wrist being grabbed. “Yuuko!” Natsuki gasped, catching her breath when she finally caught up with her. “Dumbass, you didn't even wait for me to respond.” “That’s because-” Before Yuuko could finish, Natsuki caught her in a tight embrace. “Sure, let’s date - for real this time.” Yuuko continued. “That's because I knew you'd agree, you idiot.”