13The teacup slipped from her hands and shattered hard against the table. The sound pierced through the silence of the room, but it was quickly drowned out by the loud cry that fell from her lips, "Yumi!" The chair flew out from under her and crashed against the floor as she scrambled to her feet. This is a dream. The lovely sight before her couldn't be anything more than a dream.
The bright smile on the young girl's face was quickly replaced with panic at the older girl's reaction. "O-Onee-sama I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. Here let me clean that up for you." Yumi rushed over to the table, but before she could pick up the first piece of shattered porcelain, Sachiko had grabbed hold of her arm and instead pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Wahh Onee-sa..," the young girl began to say, but her words caught in her throat and her face flamed when she felt herself being pulled even closer into the embrace.
"Yumi Yumi Yumi," Sachiko chanted the girl's name over and over again, as if doing so would keep this image alive. Sachiko buried her face into the younger girl's hair and began to cry. "Am I dreaming?" A sob escaped her when she felt a pair of loving arms return the embrace, and she was overcome by a feeling of warmth she hadn't felt in years.
"This isn't a dream Onee-sama," was the quick response, "I'm here for you, and I always will be." Sachiko pulled away just enough so that she could stare into the beautiful mocha eyes that she had longed to see for over 10 years, wishing fervently that this image would last forever. Love and adoration were reflected in those eyes, and they shone with the same intensity as they did all those years ago.
Before she could stop herself, words she had longed to say spilled past her lips, "I'm sorry Yumi. I'm so sorry! I wish I could have been there for you. I wish- I wish I could go back and stop it from ever happening. I miss you Yumi. My life has been miserable without you!" Tears continued to spill heavily from her eyes as she cupped the younger girl's face tenderly in her hands.
This was it.
This was her moment of closure. She just needed this manifestation of Yumi to comfort her, tell her that it was okay to let her go, and then, only then, could she find the strength to move on. She held her breath waiting for the freeing response as she gazed intently into the eyes of the girl she loved so, so much.
Yumi's expression changed upon hearing those words, and a deep sadness settled into her gaze, "I-I didn't realize." The air around them shifted and turned heavy as the younger girl looked away in remorse. Sachiko watched closely as Yumi leaned into her touch, and closed her eyes. The girl breathed in deeply and upon exhaling her shoulders slumped forward as if a heavy burden had been placed there, and she seemed to struggle under the weight of it. Her fists clenched around the fabric of Sachiko's coat and she looked back up with regret in her eyes, "I'm the one who should apologize, Onee-sama! I'm sorry for being so distant these past few weeks. You just seemed so busy with university preparations that I didn't want to bother you."
Sachiko froze at the unexpected words. The dream-like haze she was in lifted, and she pulled away slightly confused. Why would her dream bring that up now?
As she pondered this thought, a shiver ran through her when she felt Yumi's hands brush gently against her sides as the girl made to pull away from the embrace. No! Before Yumi's touch could leave her completely, Sachiko grasped out desperately to hold onto the girl's hands, securing the connection between them. The hand in hers felt soft, and warm, and most importantly, it felt so real. Her heart drummed loudly in her ears as her mind briefly entertained the impossible.
"Y-yumi, what do you mean. I haven't graduated yet?" Sachiko asked, to clarify what Yumi's words were referring to.
Confused brown eyes stared back at her, and Sachiko suddenly realized how poorly worded the question was. Sachiko herself felt unsure why she even asked it in the first place, for it was completely irrelevant to the matter at hand. But despite her confusion, Yumi entertained the question and seemed to ponder over the words carefully. She dwelled on them a moment, before she straightened up and looked Sachiko in the eye. Understanding replaced the look of confusion as she addressed Sachiko's question, "Y-you're right, you haven't graduated yet. I let my insecurities get the better of me again, and I assumed you'd be too busy for me. I didn't even stop to consider your feelings on the matter." The younger girl gently interlaced their fingers together and held them softly against her chest. Warmth spread across Sachiko's cheeks, and she nodded mutely in response, finding herself distracted by the tender touch, "We should make the most of the time we have left together. Instead of supporting you, I've only added to your burdens. I'm sorry."
As if a switch had been turned on in Sachiko's mind, adrenaline started to course through her.
Is this really happening?
A thrill ran through her body when she realized the implications of what was unfolding right at this moment. The events that had taken place in her own life had not yet laid it's claim on the girl who stood before her, and as unbelievable as this was, and whether this was a dream or reality, she wouldn't let anything stop her from what she was about to do.
"Yumi forget about all that for now," Sachiko said excitedly, ignoring the startled look on the other girl's face. Untangling their fingers, Sachiko instead grasped tightly onto the girl's shoulders, "I don't know how this is possible, but I need to tell you something before whatever this is, ends, and you must listen carefully." She emphasized her words with a shake of the girl's shoulders, her fingers digging into the tender flesh in excitement.
Recognizing the urgency in the older woman's voice, Yumi bit back the concerns sitting on her tongue, and instead nodded to show that she was listening. She hadn't noticed this before, but at this distance she saw a slight difference in her Onee-sama's appearance. She looked… exhausted. The taller girl's eyes carried a look of sorrow that told of long suffering days, and there was a difference in the way that the older woman carried herself that Yumi couldn't quite place. Before she could dwell on it further however, her attention was drawn to a grave voice as the older woman spoke up again.
"I failed you, Yumi." Immediately the younger girl's mouth opened in protest, but the forceful grip on her shoulders tightened, urging her to listen. Sachiko missed the way the girl flinched under her grasp, and continued on, fearing their time together was limited, "It all happened so fast. I tried. Maria-sama I tried! But I couldn't get to you in time. I-I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. But now…," a desperate hope flared in Sachiko's eyes, "maybe I won't have to!"
A future with Yumi by her side.
That was all she ever wanted. And now it was here within her grasp.
Sachiko sucked in a deep breath to prepare for what she was going to say next. If she were to give Yumi even the slightest chance, then every detail needed to be perfect. "The 5pm bus to Hida-Takayama. Y-You," A harsh banging at the door startled them both and halted the words that were about to spill from her lips. Their attentions were pulled away from each other for a brief moment as they turned and watched the door shake violently from the force being exerted onto it. Sachiko recovered first and quickly turned her attention back to Yumi, only to feel her hands fall through thin air, and find the space in front of her empty.
"No no no no!" Sachiko cried out in desperation as she stumbled forward. She caught herself and turned in place, frantically searching the room for her missing petite soeur. It wasn't long before she realized that she was once again alone. Her legs buckled and gave out beneath her as she collapsed into a heap onto the floor, crying out desperately for the girl who had once again disappeared from her life.
The loud banging continued on behind Yumi, but the noise fell on deaf ears as she stared wide-eyed at the empty space before her. "Onee-sama?" The name fell from her lips in a whisper as her gaze traveled slowly across the empty room. She was numb. It felt like her senses were dulled, muted almost, all except for the loud persistent ringing that filled her ears. Yumi swiped absentmindedly at her face and found that her hand came away wet with tears. They were streaming down her face so intensely, yet she did not feel the sadness that usually accompanied them. What happened just now, was it a dream? Her head turned lazily to the side and regarded the broken teacup and overturned chair, No it couldn't be.
The door finally burst open as Rei staggered harshly into the room followed by an anxious Touko and Yoshino. They immediately took note of the destruction, before their gazes fell upon the lone occupant of the room. The girl's back was turned towards them, but she made no moves to face them. She didn't even seem to realize that they were there. Worried glances were exchanged as they held their collective breaths, waiting for Yumi to turn around and say something.
They waited a few moments, but it was the obvious tremble in her best friend's shoulders that caught Yoshino's eye, and that was enough for her to want to break the silence and speak up. "Yumi-chan," she called out gently, taking a step towards the other girl. "The door was locked. We heard your voice and knocked, but you didn't answer." She paused as her eyes glanced over to the shattered teacup, "Then we heard yelling..." Her eyes quickly returned to the girl in front of her, "a-and then we heard nothing." Worry reigned heavy on her face as her mind drew an unpleasant scene. "D-did something happen?"
Yumi swayed slightly on her feet as she stared out the open window in a daze. She watched blankly as the curtains rose and fluttered softly in the air, giving way to a cool spring breeze that flowed gently into the room. Her right hand twitched slightly when she felt the gentle caress of it on her cheek, and her eyes fell shut at the feeling. Within the next moment the numbness that encased her began to slowly ebb away, and in its stead was a strange sense of calm.
It wasn't till a long moment after Yoshino had spoken, that the girl with ribbons in her hair faintly realized that she was no longer alone. When she finally turned around, it was to the sight of worried looks and tense postures. An odd sight, Yumi noted to herself, for it didn't seem to fit the calm atmosphere that wrapped gently around her. "G-gokigenyou everyone," she greeted. An uneven smile settled onto her face as she stood there unaware and unmindful to the tears still flowing down her face.
Author's Notes:
I've had this story in the back of my mind for nearly 10 years, and it always ended with this last scene. I do have an outline of where I wanted this story to end, but I'm actually happy leaving this story where it is and leaving the rest up to you imaginations. Thank you for reading!
Hida-Takayama. Google it! It's beautiful!
