Sakura Miko turned in her bed for what felt like the thousandth time that night. The scenes from hours before still lived rent-free in her head. She remembered the walk back from the festival and how the two had remained hand-in-hand all the way to the shrine. Her hands still felt the gentle squeezes they had shared on occasion as they laughed and lightly jabbed each other with pointed comments. It was a friendship that she was startled by, both in the speed of its creation and the depth that they'd already reached. They just... fit together. Perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. In her mind, the faster a flower bloomed, the faster the flower would die. She hoped to the bottom of her heart that this flowering friendship wouldn’t die anytime soon. Thus, she was brought to a few questions.
‘How can I make sure this doesn’t go away? How can I help her? Why are we clicking together so well?’
Her cheeks flushed madly as she thought about an addendum to her question. She shook her head rapidly, squealing like a high school girl with a massive crush. In a way, this wasn’t any different.
‘How do I make you mine, Sui-chan?'
If she wasn't certain before, she was now. The strange thing was that this feeling felt… different from the other crushes she'd had in her past. Back then, she'd felt the light fluttering in her chest and the heat rising to her face on occasion. This, in comparison, was stronger. It felt like her body was smoldering whenever she thought of the comet. Her heart would pound in her chest so powerfully that she'd be afraid she'd break ribs. All other thoughts ground to a halt when the name "Suisei" went through her mind.
She had it bad. She knew it, and despite being embarrassed, she didn't really mind it all that much.
A cold shower. That's what she needed. Something to jolt her out of her half-delirious state and into a stable mind space. It's not like she's getting to sleep with her mind going crazy, anyway
As the cold droplets fell over her body, making her pink hair stick to her, she thought deeply. 'Damn, the cold water in this place is no joke,' was her first thought as she clutched her arms to her slightly shivering form. Her next thought was: 'Ok, if I think about this seriously, I just need to plan my next few steps carefully. She'll probably be back in a few days, right? I should probably figure out a way to contact her. Phone number would be nice, Line would be the best case scenario. After that, we could… maybe just hang out again and see where it goes...'
Sometimes the logical things don't sit very well with you. You want to do something that's simply above your power in order to preserve a desire or feeling. In Miko's case, her desire to love Suisei. It didn't sit well in her stomach, that she had to simply leave it up to fate.
She turned off the shower and sighed heavily. 'Guess there's only one thing I can do… just keep praying.'
Across the city, in a small apartment, a thin, blue-haired woman looked out her window at the expanse of stars in the sky. A sigh escaped her lips. It was one that was a mix of the sadness of depression and the giddiness of someone struck by an arrow through the heart. Her arms rested on the window sill, goosebumps covering her arms as the cool breeze of the night blew against her skin.
"So, you've got it out for her, huh?" The voice jolted Suisei, sending her heart rate skyrocketing. It was just Anemachi. She sighed with relief. "Yeah, that's pretty telling. Daydreaming about her?" Suisei remained silent. She simply turned and looked out the window again. The older comet became panicked, her voice carrying a hint of concern. "Hey, I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sorry, what can I do to-"
"Is this what it's like… being so deeply in love?" Unbeknownst to Suisei, Anemachi gained a smile across her face. She moved closer to the younger sister, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.
“I wouldn’t know anything about it. I’ve never been lucky enough to fall in love. What I see you going through, though, is something not a lot of people ever feel. The fact that you’re so confused by your emotions means that you’re taking this seriously. That’s really important.” One of Suisei’s hands came up to rest on the hand touching her shoulder.
“I don’t even know what I’m feeling. I don't know what love is. I'm so confused... I… I want to be able to tell her, but I don’t really know yet. But!... But I don’t want to think about it for so long that she gets tired of waiting and finds someone else…” The older sister slowly pulled Suisei away from the window, turning her toward her sister’s face. She tenderly enveloped Suisei in an embrace, waiting for Suisei to rest her head on her shoulder.
“We’ll figure it out, Suisei. Everything will work out in the end.” Suisei nodded, trusting herself to her sister.
A few minutes later, Suisei had separated from her sister, staring out the window once again. This time she had better control of her emotions. She simply looked out at the night sky, wondering if she could achieve her dreams and her desires at the same time. Her eyes drifted shut, the gentle breeze brushing against her face like kisses from the wind. Idly, she wondered if kisses from the shrine maiden commanding her thoughts would feel just as lovely.
As they both went about their business, Miko staying awake and Suisei falling asleep, they could only think of each other and the futures they could share together.
YOU ARE READING
In Those Deep, Starry Eyes, I See Cherry Petals Depressed but breathing
FanfictionShrine maiden Sakura Miko can read the eyes of those she helps. They come to her seeking advice, and she happily assists. When a blue-haired woman appears with eyes she can't read, how will she be able to help? What lies in store for both of them in...
