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Yuki/Arata short story
Here's Arata's story from the Stellaworth preorder booklet! It's very early in the relationship, and the boys need to work on their communication...
Reply to...
sender: Arata-san
subject: Re: good morning
text: Morning
"...Short email!"
I should have been happy with a reply from Arata-san. It was an honor just that he replied, since he never had his cell phone on him. But that the reply was just one word was a bit... after all, it was sad, I guess.
Today was the fifth morning since I'd started dating Arata-san. At the question 'will you be my lover?' Arata-san had nodded, and that night we first held each other was just like something that had happened in a dream.
'What's the matter, Yuki? Your chopsticks have stopped moving.'
'Oh, nothing...'
Arata-san smiled that never-changing smile at me in the dorm cafeteria, in the courtyard during lunch, with that bouncy excitement, the same as when I first met him. But I already knew that was the 'face' he showed everyone else. The various expressions he showed only to me before, he hadn't made them even once since dating me.
It was a lie that when bodies were connected, hearts were connected too. No, maybe it was that I was still inexperienced. It couldn't be helped, since it was my first time.
'...Okay,' he'd said, with his face half buried in the bed sheets as he turned to look back at me. The moment I heard Arata-san's words, it was like all the blood in my body rushed backwards and my reason was blown away. Actually, I had wanted to hold him softly while kissing him gently... or so I had thought.
Come to think of it, Arata-san and I hadn't kissed even once since the morning after that night.
I wanted to kiss Arata-san.
Not just kiss, but something much, much deeper and stronger. Arata-san's voice that only I knew. Arata-san's expressions that only I knew. I wanted to draw out the Arata-san that only I knew.
...Wait, even I was surprised that I had this wild desire inside me. I mean, it was too unrelenting. I even wanted more when it came to the number of words in an email.
It was kind of like it was just me loving Arata-san.
~~~
Lunch break. It was the one time of day when Arata-san and I could finally see each other. With Arata-san's club and my student council work, our schedules didn't really match up in the morning and evening. We were in different years, so we weren't taking the same classes. It was only during lunch break that we could meet and take our time talking.
Ugh. It was too scary. Even though we were in the same school, we lovers could only meet once a day. Long live lunch break.
Since the weather was nice, we'd arranged to meet in the courtyard.
"Maro, don't get in the way."
I turned excitedly and found Arata-san lying on the grass up ahead.
As Arata-san soothed Maro, who was playing by his hand, he was holding something up above his face. Oh, he was looking at his cell phone. That was unusual.
"....."
I should have called out to him right away, but I ended up standing still. I wondered why. I was captivated by Arata-san's expression as he looked up at the phone. His upturned glance was heated and his slightly open lips glistened wetly. It was just like he was waiting for a kiss.
...Crap. My frustration was really building up.
Of course, a place like this was too out in the open for me to climb on top of him. No, if we hid in those bushes over there, it might unexpectedly work...? I unconsciously looked around for a good spot.
"Yuki, you're here."
"Oh, Arata-san."
Arata-san got up when he noticed me. Never mind me and my rude thoughts, but even Arata-san was flustered, and he tried to stuff his cell phone in his pocket for some reason.
"Oh. Maro."
The phone flew out of Arata-san's hand because Maro was playing with the cell phone strap. He must have thought the flying phone was part of the game, and he quickly bit the strap and ran toward me.
"No! Maro! That's somethin' important..."
Maro came up to my feet and I picked him up, cell phone and all, and sat next to Arata-san, handing it over. "Here. This is your cell phone, isn't it?"
"Oh... Yeah." Arata-san nodded and replied in a small voice, as if embarrassed that he'd suddenly yelled, and gripped the phone he'd accepted from me.
I wondered if I'd come at a bad time...
"Did you get an important email from the swim club?" I tried asking. It wasn't because I was really interested or anything, but I just wanted to make conversation.
"Urk...! No..." Arata-san's expression became uncomfortable and he looked away from me.
Um. Instead, I ended up curious that I'd caused that expression. I had thought he would laugh like usual.
Wait, this wasn't the usual Arata-san. This was the real Arata-san.
"Arata-san?" I tried calling his name. I peeked at Arata-san's face from where I sat beside him. Even with his face lowered, I could clearly see his expression since his bangs were tied back. His face was red and his lips were pursed in a pout.
"...Saying it's the swim club..." Arata-san muttered as if he was squeezing out the words, looking away. "You're the only one who sends me email." He suddenly thrust the cell phone in front of my face.
"Email?" I felt awkward looking at another person's phone, but it jumped into view before I even had time to feel guilty. There, line after line, was the name 'Asahina Yuki.'
"U, wah..." I took the phone without thinking and I scrolled down the screen; it just went on and on with my name. I hadn't realized at all, had I really sent so many emails? This many? Of course, even I cringed.
"...I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"No. Well... it really must be annoying..." I hung my head, crestfallen. I couldn't look at any more and I pressed the phone back to Arata-san.
"No."
I raised my eyes that I had lowered in unbearable shame.
This time, Arata-san was looking at me with a serious expression. "I don't think it's annoying or anything."
"But, like this, you won't want to answer my emails."
That's why I had to be grateful for even a 'morning.'
"It's not that I don't want to reply. I... I'm not good at replying to emails and stuff."
Huh?
"So, since it takes a really long time, I can't make any clever replies, and I think it sucks. ...Sorry."
"Sorry...?"
That's right. That's right. That's the kind of person Arata-san was. Since he was normally really cheerful, I ended up forgetting, but Arata-san's smile wasn't just a smile. I should have known that.
I made a decision and stood up from the grass. "Arata-san, if email is too hard, then please reply to me directly." I grasped Arata-san's hand and pulled him to his feet, drawing him toward me.
"Yuki?"
"Over here, over here." I pulled him under a tree I had spotted earlier and hugged him tight. But I pulled him too hard and couldn't support Arata-san's body, so both of us ended up collapsing on the grass.
"Ow-ow-ow... are you okay?" Arata-san's face was right in front of me as I asked. His face was so close our breath was mingling. I unconsciously gasped and my chest grew tight.
"...I'm not okay."
"Huh!? S, sorry! Did you get hurt?"
Oh no, did he twist his ankle or something? And Arata-san was a swimmer... I was panicking and Arata-san shook his head.
"Ah... when it comes to you, Ah don't really get it." Arata-san muttered in a sulky tone and bit his lower lip hard. Just where he bit, his pale lips colored red. I was captivated by it and then his lips opened slightly.
Would it be okay? His wet lips were really inviting. It would be okay to touch his lips like this, wouldn't it...? I kissed Arata-san, drawn to him. Our lips touched for just an instant but immediately separated.
"After all, we can't. Not here..." Arata-san twisted his body and thrust out his arms a little. But I didn't let him pull away from me.
"It's fine. Here, we're hidden under the tree," I said, and tightened my embrace. "Besides, I've wanted to kiss you the whole time."
And then I kissed him again. I touched his lips and immediately pulled away and glanced at him. He was frowning and his face was flushed, but didn't seem to be refusing.
Amid the sighs as I kissed him over and over, I heard his soft voice.
"Me too."
He may have tried to say something after that. But then, we just wanted each other, and, with a kiss, our voices became one sound.