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It was the middle of the summer, so the sun was sweltering. Not to mention they were in a heat wave, which made it even worse.
Airi was sat on the bus stop bench, helplessly fanning herself with her hands. She felt like she was about to melt. For once, her cardigan was taken off and her uniform sleeves rolled up. She could hear the cicadas in the distance and why did the bus have to take so long to get there?
She had to go to her grandparents over the weekend. Something along the lines of “helping them out with house chores”? She couldn’t really remember. Either way, she ran to the bus stop, expecting to be late or nearly miss it. But, of course, she had read her moms text wrong. She thought the ticket said 5:30, when in actuality it said 6:30.
The only things saving her from dying was the shade under the bus stop roof and the bench she could sit on. There was a vending machine behind her, but she didn’t have any spare coins. She would occasionally stare back to glare at the taunting thing.
“Airi-chan?”
Airi whipped her head around at the familiar voice. Of course she had to be here when Airi looked at her worst.
“Shizuku,” she nervously greeted. “What are you doing here?”
The other smiled and walked closer to stand nearby. Her hair was messy but still beautiful like the sea. She always wore that silent, polite smile no matter who she was talking to. She wore her white cardigan like always and..wait. She was wearing her white cardigan like always?!
“Oh, I went to go shopping after school, but then I got lost on my way home.”
She gave a sad look recalling the events before smiling again at remembering Airi was there. She quickly set her school bag down beside the bench and sat down. She didn’t have any other bags with her. Airi sighed and mentally face palmed. If Shizuku’s story was true, then it means she didn’t buy anything and got lost for no reason.
Shizuku was looking at her expectantly for a reply still.
“I’m visiting my grandparents this weekend but might have gotten the bus time wrong.”
She fished out her bus ticket as proof and gave it to the taller. She gently took it and looked it over.
“So now,” Airi continued. “I’m stuck melting on this bench from the heat.”
Shizuku nodded along before giving the ticket back.
“It’s not too hot,” she remarked.
Airi looked at her incredulously. It explained why she still wore her cardigan, but there’s no way she wasn’t burning up. Yet, as the shorter looked at Shizuku, she didn’t see any sweat on her face. It’s like she was immune to anything that didn’t make her look perfect.
“Well it is to me,” she dramatically sighed, looking up at the sky.
Not having anything else to say, there was a moment of silence. She could hear Shizuku shuffling around, but didn’t pay any mind to it.
Airi swears that anytime she sees Shizuku when not planned she looks her worst. The last time was when she went to the mall. She didn’t bother with what she was wearing and simply put on the most comfortable clothes she had since she had to pick something up for Ena. Of course, she somehow managed to meet Shizuku. She escaped the conversation as quickly as she could, but she still saw her. And then there’s now. Airi is practically drenched in sweat, her sleeves rolled up and cardigan off.
She sighed again. Oh well, it’s not likely Shizuku liked her back anyway.
“Airi-chan? Would you like something to drink?”
She tilted her head to look at the other. She had a coin purse in her hand, already opened and looking for a coin. She was looking before she even answered! Did Shizuku really think Airi would waste her money so easily?
“No, no, that’s alright! I only have a few minutes left, it’s be a waste.”
The other frowned and looked at her silver wristwatch.
“But you still have 40 minutes left to wait,” she mumbled. Her eyes were downcast and she held the, now retrieved, coin by her lap.
Airi frowned at the sad expression. She would feel guilty either way but one choice was obviously worse than the other.
“I guess a drink would be nice,” she replied, trying her best to sound nonchalant.
Shizuku sat up and had that beautiful, soft smile on her face again. She happily walked over to the drink machine behind Airi, not noticing the others inner turmoil.
Airi quickly put her hands in her face and sat in internal despair while she could. There’s no way she let Shizuku see her like this, much less buy her a drink.
“Are you alright?” The other asked from behind her. She quickly sat up and fixed herself as well as she could. Behind her, Shizuku stood, cradling a cold apple juice in both her hands. Airi swore Shizuku could hear all of her thoughts with how intently she was looking down at her.
That’s when the realization dawned on her. She must have noticed how stressed Airi just looked! What if she made this pretty girl think she hated her?
“I’m alright! Again, it’s really hot, y’know,” she awkwardly laughed off, waving her hand as if it was nothing.
“Oh, actually, I have an idea,” Shizuku wondered aloud, walking behind Airi. Soon, she felt hands gathering her hair. The slender fingers carded through her pink hair, gathering what they could before collecting it all and holding it up. Airi could feel each time a finger grazed her head, or a stray piece of hair was caught. Her mind was being fried by the simple action. She hardly noticed the cool drink against the back of her neck.
Shizuku was saying something about how the neck is a key temperature point, but Airi wasn’t listening. It didn’t matter if there was cold drink against the back of her neck, she felt even hotter than before. A blush was coming across her face and she might be sweating more.
“Airi-chan? Has the drink helped?”
She dumbly nodded her head, not trusting that her voice would sound right if she spoke. Her hands were balled up into fists on her knees and she sat as proper as she could.
After a few excruciating minutes, Shizuku took the bottle out from underneath the pink hair, causing Airi to let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
Just then, Airi miraculously saw the bus coming down the street. She checked her watch to see that it was still about 30 minutes, but she honestly couldn’t care. If she didn’t get out of this situation fast, she might become a puddle on the floor.
“Oh, it seems the bus came early,” she nervously said, quickly getting up and grabbing her bag.
She almost misses what Shizuku says as the bus pulls up, blowing her hair into her face. She turns around as it stops to say goodbye just to be met with the apple juice held out to her.
“Don’t you want this,” Shizuku quietly asks, standing a few steps away. Her face is hidden by her hair and she seems almost…shy.
This timid face makes Airi smile back at the other, melting away all of her previous nerves.
“Of course,” she says equally as quiet. “See you!”
She doesn’t miss the returned smile and wave Shizuku gives her as she turns to board the bus.
***
“Shizuku!”
The other girl gives her a gentle, puzzled look.
“What is it, Airi-chan?”
They were on their way back home from an after school shopping trip. Things were going relatively well actually. Not only did Airi successfully pay for her own stuff, but Shizuku never got lost once! Of course, though, Airi’s luck couldn’t last forever.
“What is it,” she repeated in awe, backing away from the other.
“I’m allergic to cats, that’s what it is!”
Hanging in Shizuku’s arms was a gray tabby cat, purring and looking expectantly at Airi. The pair was too cute to be real, and it was making her heart melt.
Shizuku formed an ‘o’ shape with her mouth, suddenly remembering the other’s allergy. But then it morphed into a soft, thoughtful smile.
“I’m sorry Airi-chan; you just look as cute as she does, it made me forget.”
Shizuku continued to coddle the cat, completely oblivious to what she’d just done to Airi’s heart. She tried to calm down and act natural. Shizuku probably meant it in a totally platonic way. She was a bit socially awkward so sometimes something just comes out weird.
Airi attempted to focus on not having an allergic reaction instead her overwhelming feelings. It was hard to tell what her shortness of breath was from though.
***
Every morning it felt like it took forever for Shizuku to get out the house. Airi would knock, hear some incoherent shout inside, and then wait about 5 minutes. She started to get scared they would be late one day, so she started arriving earlier.
She sighed waiting by the door.
“Sorry, sorry Airi-chan!”
The front door slammed open, almost scaring Airi to death.
“Ah! Jeez Shizuku, what took so long-“
“I made you a lunch!”
Airi looked down to see a light pink box being shoved at her, staring at it blankly. Shizuku looked like a complete mess. Not all the buttons on her jacket were buttoned, her scarf hung loosely, and her hair was scattered. When Airi looked back up, Shizuku was wearing a huge grin on her face.
“I even put a little design on the inside!”
Feeling the blush creep up on her face, she quickly took the box and opened it. Inside, the rice design was a simple heart. Now her face was definitely red, and it wasn’t hard to act mildly annoyed.
“Stupid Shizuku,” she said, putting the box in her bag. “I already have a lunch.”
“Oh, I’m sorry-“
Airi started pulling on Shizuku’s jacket, helping to button it.
“I mean of course I’ll eat it, but I might not feel well. And, seriously, worry about yourself first.”
Shizuku just shone back an appreciative smile as Airi kept working.
***
She’d lost her again. And Shizuku was doing so well recently, Airi sighed.
Luckily, the small, day festival they decided to go to wasn’t that packed. Airi went down the row of stalls, searching the faces of the people walking by. Obviously she’d know which one was Shizuku, and none of them were. Did she wonder outside of the festival?
The pink-haired girl shook her head. What could’ve possibly intrigued the other enough to leave? Nevertheless, she walked past the stalls and looked at the practically empty area around it.
This was a flower festival, so it made sense that it was in a more remote location around flower fields.
Airi was confused when Shizuku initially invited her too. It was a random weekend, and she only asked a day before. Not to mention it was a little further than either of them usually traveled. But, since she didn’t have anything to do, she figured it was no big deal and agreed. It was kinda annoying that Shizuku would invite her here and then suddenly run off though.
Finally, she spotted Shizuku standing just near the edge of a flower field. Airi sighed in relief, running up to meet her.
“Hey! You can’t just run off like that,” the shorter girl complained once she was close enough for Shizuku to hear.
“Oh! I’m sorry,” the other apologized, glancing over and only seeming slightly sorry. She quickly looked back over at the flower field.
“But, look Airi-Chan! It’s camellias, all in different colors,” she said, bending down slightly and pointing. Looking over at the flower field for the first time, Shizuku did seem to be correct. Camellias of all different colors were scattered around the field, the color scheme looking similar to Valentine’s Day. Did Shizuku know what camellias meant? Airi’s face was heating up just thinking about it. She tried to shake away her blush.
When she looked back over at Shizuku, the blue haired girl was already looking up at Airi, searching for her reaction. The slight smile on the other’s face made it almost impossible not to blush.
Then, Shizuku stood back up properly before slightly reaching out her hand. “Would you like to walk with me through the field, Airi-Chan?” She lightly smiled at Airi, looking completely composed. How could she ask such a thing with a straight face? Airi felt like she was about to die.
“Are we even allowed to do that,” Airi asked. She didn’t really care, she was trying to buy time beforehand.
“Of course! It’ll be okay, come on.” She beckoned the other over, her hand still reached out.
Airi hesitantly took the other’s hand and started walking with her. The flowers crunch beneath their feet as they walk towards the middle of the field, holding hands. Why were they still holding hands? Airi was throughly confused right now.
“So, uhm,” Airi starts, nervously. “Why did you run off. You know I got worried about you!”
Shizuku giggled and Airi forced herself to keep looking forward.
“I’m sorry, Airi-Chan,” she said unapologetically. “I just needed to get you over here somehow.”
“Hm? Why?”
They had started to slow down, with both of them eventually coming to a complete stop. Shizuku turned towards the other girl, holding both her hands.
She smiled sweetly, a look in her eyes that Airi had seen before but could never quite identify.
With how long it took Airi to find Shizuku and their short walk into the field, by now the sun was setting. The sun was behind her though, so she could only see the few pinks and oranges behind Shizuku’s head.
The blue haired just continued to look at her, not answering Airi’s previous question.
“I’m sorry,” she said after some time, supposedly noticing Airi’s confusion. “It’s just, I hadn’t expected this to be so difficult.”
Airi was still confused. She was still blushing, considering the very romantic nature of this, but still confused.
“The truth is,” Shizuku started after some time, looking away. “I love you, Airi-Chan.”
Only silence followed. Airi was too shocked to even reply, standing there idiotically with her mouth slightly hung open. Shizuku simply continued to look to the side, smiling so beautifully just like always and oh, Airi had been wanting this for a while.
She pried apart their hands, instead putting them on the taller’s shoulders. Finally, Shizuku looked at her, surprised. Hesitantly, the blue haired put her hands on Airi’s hips. Airi leaned up to the other.
It wasn’t a kiss with excitement or too much passion. Nothing too romantic or too chaste. It was pure relief. It was relaxing, like letting out a sigh after waiting for so long. It had been seasons of pent up feelings, months of waiting for some type of sign. But now, Airi thought it was completely worth it.
This season, it clicked.