Chapter 18 - A Fallen Leaf

"You're doing a brilliant job, Okogi-san." Sayuri-sensei leaned in closer. "The chest area needs a little more refinement. The way to capture that area beautifully is to observe the model and appreciate the finer details of her breasts."

If it weren't for the dimmed lighting, everybody would have noticed the flaming red blush on Yuzu's face as she took a quick glance at Mei.

"You're holding the pencil too tightly." Sayuri-sensei guided Yuzu's hand as the blonde loosened her tight grip. "Let it breathe, Okogi-san."

Bowing at the teacher, Yuzu expressed her gratitude in a low whisper. Sayuri-sensei walked around and checked the other students' progress, leaving Yuzu in her own battle. Her heart rate had never returned to normal. "This is impossible," Yuzu said in between breaths.

No matter how hard she tried to focus all her energy into creating a masterpiece, her mind wouldn't comply. Intimate moments she shared with Mei kept distracting her from her task.

Unlike Yuzu's extreme nervousness, Mei had shown no trace of anxiety. She was as still and serene as a dove flying in the sky, at one with her surroundings, ever aware of her body. Once more, she slowly turned her face to the side and noticed how uneasy Yuzu was in her seat.

Was volunteering to be their model a wrong idea?

"Yuzu," Mei said, soundless.

Yuzu almost jumped out of her seat as she read Mei's lips. She stretched the length of her arms to ease the tension in her body but it wasn't helping so she stood up and moved from side to side.

At this rate, I think I'm gonna fail.

"Sensei," Mei said in a lower but softer tone. "May I have a short break?"

"Of course, Aihara-san. Do take your time," Sayuri-sensei responded along with a nod while trying to focus on giving her daughter's work some feedback.

The rest of the students stopped drawing as Mei slowly got up the sofa and donned her robe. Her eyes darted toward Yuzu and silently uttered the words, "Come with me."

With a long exhale, Yuzu followed Mei in the changing room while some students went outside.

I wonder what she wants?

Upon entering the room, Mei locked the door to Yuzu's surprise.

"Mei," Yuzu nervously uttered, avoiding an eye contact with her girlfriend.

"I wanted to talk to you in private," Mei said as she straightened the side of her robe. "You have to concentrate."

With a gulp, Yuzu turned her face forward to look at Mei. But with one glance, she immediately turned beet red.

"Yuzu, listen to me. I'm not exactly certain on how or what you are going through right now but I need you to focus on what you're supposed to accomplish."

Looking away, Yuzu stepped back as she crossed one arm over her shoulder.

"Tell me, what exactly is bothering you?"

Yuzu looked up at the raven-haired and with one blink, tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, Mei. I tried…" she said, choking on the last words, "very hard."

"Why are you crying?"

"I feel really guilty whenever I look at you."

"Guilty?"

"I just remember everything. I couldn't focus because of that."

"I see."

"I.." Yuzu looked to her side and stared at the doorknob. "I'm sorry."

With a long sigh, Mei took off her robe. "Yuzu, I want you to try to look at me, objectively."

"Huh?" When Yuzu turned forward, she froze in her place.

"If you keep reacting that way, I doubt that you would be able to pass your art class."

"But?" Yuzu stammered as she shut her eyes."

"Keep your eyes closed." Mei grabbed Yuzu's hand and softly placed it on her chest."

Her heart isn't beating fast like mine.

Mei moved Yuzu's hand down to her stomach. "Your hand is shaking."

What is she doing?

On the right side of her waist, Mei slowly moved Yuzu's hand. "Try to think of something else while you're touching me."

With wide eyes, Yuzu stared at Mei. "What do you mean?"

"You won't be able to succeed unless you have that desire."

"Desire?" Yuzu drew her hand back.

"Sexual desire in your mind. It's normal. We're lovers and I'm helping you get rid off that, for your art class' sake."

When Yuzu heard those words, she instantly felt her heart rate normalize. The blush on her face began to subside. She bent down to pick the black silk robe and handed it to Mei.

"You owe me a big favor," Mei said as she put on her robe.

Just when I thought she was selflessly trying to help me.

On the spur of the moment, Yuzu wrapped her arms around her slender girlfriend. To her surprise, her body didn't have any weird reaction. She had a lighter feeling about everything.

"Will you please let me go?"

"I feel really safe and warm hugging you like this," Yuzu said to which Mei responded with a long sigh. "I love you. I really, really love you."

Lunchtime, the following day...

The news about their cafeteria adding a traditional autumn food, Matsutake Mushroom Soup, in their menu circulated in the campus and Yuzu and Harumin wanted to have the first taste of that dish. They ran toward the cafeteria after tidying up their desks.

"Yuzucchi, we better hurry up," Harumin said, gasping.

The rain started to fall, capturing Yuzu's attention as she admiringly gazed at the sky.

"For goodness sake, Yuzucchi." Harumin walked back and grabbed Yuzu's wrist. "Are you even listening to me?"

Leaving her with no other choice, Yuzu just went along with Harumin. "What are you in a hurry for?"

"It's the time of the year for my favorite mushroom soup and our cafeteria makes the best version of it ever!"

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, Harumin."

"Come on. Let's hurry up!"

Upon reaching the cafeteria entrance, the rain poured heavily and the clouds covered the sky, leaving the duo only inches from getting completely soaked.

"Thank God!" Harumin blurted as she fixed the front and sides of her uniform.

"I guess mushroom soup is perfect for today's weather," Yuzu said, brushing the length of her hair with her palm.

Within minutes, the rainfall became massive, soaking every open corner in the campus. Harumin grabbed her phone and started to take a video as the rain increased in intensity. Lightning spiked through the cloudy sky followed by a clap of thunder that prompted Yuzu to jump in her place.

"Oh my, looks like someone's afraid of thunder." Harumin focused her phone on Yuzu while chuckling.

In slight annoyance, Yuzu covered her face with one hand as she walked toward the door. "Whatevs!"

"C'mon. You can't be that serious. I was kidding and it's just thunder. Don't you love the rain?"

"As long as it doesn't surprise me with thunder," Yuzu jibed while wiping some drops of rain on her cheek.

"Girls, the first afternoon class is cancelled! I have an important meeting to attend to so enjoy your lunch!" One of their teachers shouted as he hurriedly passed by with a huge umbrella, carrying a couple of books and a folder.

A long sigh passed through Harumin's lips as she continued to film the billions of raindrops falling from the sky, admiring the symphony they created. "Isn't today a good day, Yuzucchi?"

"Not sure about that," Yuzu said with a slight frown before taking a deep breath. When she opened the door, her eyes instantly darted toward someone who was sitting near the glass window. "Yes, it's a good day," she uttered.

"Hey, Prez! The mushroom soup is delicious, isn't it?" Harumin unabashedly waved her arm at Mei.

"Don't you have any shame?" Yuzu slowly whispered, bending and shaking her head as she tried to hide behind her best friend.

"It is!" Mei responded, almost raising her voice but keeping a neutral expression.

"See, Yuzucchi." Harumin turned around to face her flustered friend. "What's wrong?" She placed the back of her hand on Yuzu's forehead.

"I'm not sick, Harumin." Yuzu turned her face to the side and quickly cast a glance at Mei before looking away. She smiled at herself.

God.

Harumin grabbed Yuzu by the wrist and led her to the line that formed at the counter. "Why are you smiling?"

"Not smiling." Yuzu forcefully creased her brows and crossed her arms as she fell in line, casting quick glances at Mei whenever Harumin looked away.

Nearing the cafeteria counter, the heavenly scent of mushroom soup filled the area and Harumin took a long inhale. "This is what I love about autumn and rainy days," she said, slowly and almost whispering to herself.

"What would you like to have?" A guy behind the counter said. He was tall with short brown hair.

"The cafeteria's special for today," Harumin said, flicking her chin with her thumb as she looked at the other dishes on display. "And that!" She pointed at a side dish before quickly withdrawing her last choice.

"And how about you, Miss?" The guy looked at Yuzu after he was done serving Harumin. His words fell on deaf ears as Yuzu kept stealing glances at Mei. "Would you like to try our Matsutake Mushroom Soup?" He said, raising his voice a little, prompting Yuzu to snap out of her distraction.

"Uh, yes please!" Yuzu responded with a slight bow, hiding the pinkish tinge on her cheeks.

"Why do you look so flustered?" The guy casually asked as he prepared Yuzu's meal.

"No, I'm not." Yuzu squinted her eyes at the guy before widening them a few seconds after. "Hey, aren't you in the soccer team?"

"I am. I'm also in the cooking club," he said, giving Yuzu a half smile. "Been seeing you around with Aihara-san. You've also seen us play and we were there during your slam poetry."

Yuzu smiled at the guy as she moved from side to side. "Yeah, that's why you look really familiar. I'm Yu…" Yuzu managed to say before getting interrupted.

"Yuzu. Okogi Yuzuko. You're quite popular for someone who just transferred here." He placed three small tetra packs of orange juice in the tray. "You're beautiful. I'm quite surprised that you're still single."

"Well…" Yuzu quickly glanced at Mei from the corner of her eye and shifted her gaze at the guy. "I'm…" she said before getting cut off again.

"You have other priorities. I see," the guy said, arranging the napkins in the tray. "So if you're single, why don't we date?" He continued in an ever so casual way.

"Don't you let anyone finish their sentence?"

"I'm sorry, Okogi. By the way, my name is Tomoya Hero. It's with an 'E' not with an 'I'. A pleasure to meet…" It was his time to be cut off.

"Hero, I'm not single, okay?" Yuzu grabbed her tray and slowly walked away. Her chest tightened and she felt a rush of heat on her neck. The kind of sensation she'd get when she was forced not to tell a secret.

But I'm not single.

Looking out the glass wall, Yuzu focused on the patterns the rain had left. The traces of drops were like constellations that can be molded according to your memories or your liking. Nothing was ever set in stone.

"What're you looking at, Yuzucchi!" Harumin's voice brought her back from her thoughts. "Hurry up! Your food will get cold." She was just a table away from Mei.

As Yuzu walked over to Harumin, she locked eyes with Mei and quickly looked away. With a deep breath, she eased the tension in her chest. "Mei, can we sit with you?"

"Yes." Mei answered without any trace of hesitation.

In a split second, Yuzu dashed toward Mei's direction and pulled out the wooden chair beside her girlfriend. When she placed her tray on the table, Harumin pulled out a chair from the other side.

"Thanks, Prez!"

"Perfect timing, Harumin," Yuzu mumbled before letting out a sigh of disappointment.

"Saying something, Yuzucchi?" Harumin fixed her cup for the soup as she took a whiff of the hearty meal.

The cafeteria had some peaceful ambience and it wasn't crowded, contrary to Harumin's expectations. The wooden tables were draped with soft floral patterns in blue cloth, creating a nice contrast.

Yuzu shook her head in response to Harumin's question before darting her gaze toward Mei who was sitting beside her.

You're having the mushroom soup, too, Mei! It's delicious, isn't it? Yuzu's face was brimming with unexplainable joy as she placed her cup on the table. "Look how cute that is." She pointed at the mini clay teapot where the soup was served.

"Stop that, Yuzucchi. Let the Prez peacefully enjoy her meal."Harumin turned her face around to see if the rain started to fall again. Then she poured out the broth of the mushroom soup from the teapot into Yuzu's cup. "Eat up, Yuzucchi."

Mei let out a soft exhale while observing how Harumin was acting in front of Yuzu. With subtle glances, she picked out the vegetables and slivers of chicken and shrimp from the teacup and put them into Yuzu's cup to the blonde's surprise. "You should listen to Taniguchi-san," Mei said as she proceeded to focus on her own cup.

What's all of this?

"Thanks for the meal," Harumin prayed, breaking off the slight tension that had silently formed between the couple. "See, even the Prez agrees with me. Autumn's the time to enjoy a good dish with friends," she said with a smile on her face before taking a sip of the hot soup.

Taking a quick glance at Mei, Yuzu nervously smiled to herself. In her silence, she picked a piece of chicken with her chopsticks from her cup and ate to her heart's delight. "This is delicious," she hissed.

"Told you so!" Harumin quipped, watching Yuzu pick a piece of vegetable this time.

Yuzu took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious scent of the soup. In that brief moment, her world stopped and her worries vanished.

"How long will you stay that way?" Mei said in her usual tone, cutting Yuzu off from her bliss, while she picked a vegetable from her cup.

From the corner of her right eye, Yuzu noted that Mei picked the same variety. She let out a sigh of quiet joy. "You also like that, Mei?" she asked, tilting her head, with a wide grin on her face.

With a sigh, Mei turned her face and had locked eyes with Yuzu which made the blonde clear her throat in surprise.

Those eyes...

"It's delicious," Mei casually said after eating the vegetable and turning her face forward, away from Yuzu, to pick a piece of shrimp from her cup.

"What other dish do you like in fall season, Prez?" Harumi said after taking a sip of the hot mushroom soup.

Mei sighed softly, placing her left hand on her lap as she carefully remembered the autumn memories she had, so far. All eyes were on her. Yuzu patiently waited for her answer while staring at her.

Two minutes in, Mei still hadn't said a word but her expression changed, prompting Yuzu to place her right hand over Mei's left hand.

Why does she suddenly look sad?

"I love Nabe. My grandmother makes the best Nabe in autumn and winter." Harumin said with an enthusiastic gesture.

"Haven't had Nabe in a while, Harumin." Yuzu said, pressing Mei's left hand, ever so observant of her girlfriend as she glanced constantly from the corner of her eye. "Can I go visit your home?"

Mei drew her hand back. She gripped her cup and said, "When I was little, we used to travel to Hokkaido in autumn and winter. I remember eating Ishikari Nabe from a local restaurant and I would always crave for it in cold days ever since."

"Nabe is perfect in cold days," Harumin responded while making a sign for Yuzu to eat her food after noticing the gloomy expression on her best friend.

With a long inhale, Yuzu tried to calm the tension that had built up in her chest while searching for some answers as to why Mei coldly drew her hand back. Upon exhaling, she instantly grabbed Mei's hand the moment she noticed her resting it on her lap, prompting the raven-haired to glare.

I don't get it.

She tightened her grip before letting out a subtle smile of victory which made Mei turn her face over to Yuzu's direction.

"How about you, Yuzu. What kind of Nabe do you prefer?" Mei asked, staring coldly at Yuzu.

"Is that a trick question?" Yuzu answered back with nervous giggles as she mustered up the courage to maintain an eye contact with Mei.

Just what is she trying to do?

Yuzu gently squeezed Mei's hand before looking up at her with her head slightly tilted down. "I like the one you just said," she answered without giving much thought.

Oh God!

"I see," Mei said, allowing Yuzu to interlock her fingers with hers.

"I'll try making Ishikari Nabe then," Harumin casually said. "Why don't you and the Prez visit our place this weekend?" She said, tilting her head to the side while locking eyes with Yuzu.

With a light sigh, Yuzu turned her face to the right and noticed how Mei was staring fiercely at Harumin. "Um, I have something important to do this weekend," she said.

"That's too bad." Harumin rested her head on her palm before taking another piece of meat from her cup. "I bet grandma would be happy to teach me how to make Ishikari Nabe."

"Why don't you go, Yuzu?" Mei cast a quick piercing glare from the corner of her eye.

With a gulp, Yuzu closed her eyes. The sound of her heartbeat could wake a sleeping beast. "I need to help my mom out with something," she said, looking all focused at Harumin.

"That's alright, Yuzu." Harumin adjusted herself in her seat. "Why don't I help you with that?"

"With what?" Yuzu replied while squeezing Mei's fingers.

"That thing with your mom." Harumin set aside her chopsticks.

Harumin, give it up already!

"It's too personal, Harumin. Don't want you to get too involved with it, okay?"

"What a drag!" Harumin let out a sigh before fumbling in her bag. "I can help you with anything you know," she said while looking at her reflection on her phone and fixing her bangs.

"Thanks but…" Yuzu said before getting interrupted.

"Taniguchi-san is offering to help you. Why don't you allow her to?" Mei said in her usual tone, focusing on her meal.

Yuzu tightened her grip on Mei's fingers, hoping to put a stop to her girlfriend's antics. "It's…" she said, pausing and slightly turning her face to her right, "too personal."

Harumin's phone rang, breaking the subtle tension between Yuzu and Mei. After excusing herself, she made a dash to the exit.

"Will you, please, let go of my hand?"

"Not gonna happen."

"What made you decline Taniguchi-san's offer?" The tinge of displeasure on Mei's voice was becoming obvious.

"Because…" Yuzu took a deep breath. "I was lying."

"Why would you lie about it?"

Clearing her throat, Yuzu turned to face Mei. "Because you're.." she softly scratched her nape before turning her face away.

I'm gonna mess up with my words again.

"Did you think I was jealous?" Mei turned, at last, to face Yuzu. The small traces of warmth evaporated from her eyes.

In that moment, Yuzu's sense of reasoning left her faster than a bullet train, rendering her unable to respond.

"I wasn't and I think it's a waste of energy to dwell on such an emotion." Mei's stern way of speaking prompted Yuzu to nod hesitantly.

You're such a bad liar.

Yuzu burst into a fit of laughter which only lasted for a few seconds after Mei gave her a glare. "I'm sorry, I was just so nervous."

"And you're using laughter to cope with it. I see."

"Course not!" Yuzu said before gulping nervously. Then her eyes darted toward the soccer field as the rain poured heavily. She didn't know why she was fascinated by it. Before she could make sense of things, a painful sensation crept from her hand as the sight of lightning disappeared from her vision.

The sound of thunder enveloped the entire school and Yuzu felt her hand tremble. Another lighting episode followed and she swore she could feel the fast beating of Mei's pulse just from holding her hand.

"I am not afraid of lightning," Mei said in her firm voice.

Yuzu rested her other hand on top of Mei's. With gentle stroke, she finally calmed her trembling hand down. "I believe you," she said under her breath.

With every second, the rain grew heavier, fogging up the windows, its sound reverberating in the cafeteria. But Yuzu remained calm, her whole aura was exuding serenity. As her eyes captured Mei's, a smile escaped from her lips.

The sudden drop in temperature below fifteen degrees Celsius and students in their winter uniform were enough signs of the beginning of a new season, a season that Yuzu would rather skip through. But she was ready for the day. Her orange scarf that was stylishly wrapped around her neck reminded her of the sun in summer days, except with a finite warmth.

She took a deep breath upon reaching the faculty office. Fixing the front of her scarf, a thought of hesitation flashed before her, prompting her to turn around and take small steps away from the office. An image of Mei replaced her doubts and she stopped in her tracks.

I did my best.

"Okogi-san, what are you doing there?"

Yuzu bowed before the teacher. "Good afternoon, Uchida-sensei."

"What brings you here?"

"Sayuri-sensei asked me to see her today."

"Then why were you walking away?" Uchida-sensei shook his head as he fixed the books he was carrying.

"I'm sorry."

"Students from this generation are easily discouraged. Such a shame." The teacher mindlessly spoke as he led Yuzu to the faculty. "She sits in that row, her desk is from the left," he said pointing his hand at the empty desk before proceeding to walk to his desk in the opposite direction.

Yuzu bowed as the teacher walked away. Her knees started to go weak and when she turned around and saw Sayuri-sensei, she almost dropped to the floor.

"Okogi-san."

Hearing her name out loud made her heart leap out of her chest. She took a respite in a deep breath.

"Okogi-san, come here." Sayuri-sensei made an enthusiastic gesture.

Yuzu started to feel her feet getting heavier as she slowly walked toward the teacher. When she passed one empty desk, her legs stopped. Her hands started to shake uncontrollably so she forcefully jumped from her place to ease the tension.

"You better hurry up! We only have thirty minutes left for the next class."

"Yes, Sensei!" Yuzu walked fast enough leaving her anxiety behind. With a few feet left, she tripped over the wooden chair.

Dammit. I didn't see you there.

Her pain tolerance was so low that she almost blanked out for a few seconds. Slowly, she straightened her back before inhaling deep enough to bring herself back to her senses.

"Be careful, next time."

With a sigh, Yuzu opened her eyes. She managed to nod and smile despite the overwhelming pain. Another deep breath finally settled the pain and she began to walk like an elderly, hyper-aware of her surroundings.

"Thanks for taking the time to meet with me, Sayuri-sensei," Yuzu said before giving her teacher a bow.

"Have a seat." Sayuri-sense pointed to the seat across her desk.

As Yuzu walked to the chair, the tension increased a hundredfold. She looked around and felt everyone's eyes were on her, piercing through her nervous soul.

"You look as if a gallon of blood had been drained out of your system." Sayuri-sensei opened her drawer and mindlessly searched for something. "Relax, Okogi-san," she said, taking out a small notebook and placing it front of her.

"Sensei," Yuzu said almost in a whisper, darting her gaze toward the yellow notebook. With the low temperature in the office, Yuzu felt her stomach ache a bit as she struggled to remain composed in her seat.

"So, Okogi-san."

Hearing her teacher spoke those words in a serious tone made Yuzu's heart pound. Her eyes were as wide as a baseball field covered in snow.

"I had a meeting with the principal earlier today and he shared about the agreement between the both of you."

"Y-yes." Yuzu gulped and slightly swiveled her chair to the side.

A sigh slipped out of Sayuri-sensei's lips which instantly escalated Yuzu's anxiety.

"Sensei, please tell me if I made it or not."

"Okogi-san, I have to be honest with you." Sayuri-sensei breathed in as she folded the edge of a notebook page. "Art isn't for the weak-hearted. Even though you tried your hardest to produce a decent artwork but it still isn't enough."

You don't say, Sensei?

"I'll make another deal with you. When you're in Paris, I would like you to visit Lake Montgeron. Take some photos or write a poem while you're there. I heard you and Aihara-san did a marvelous job on your spoken poetry performance."

Yuzu sprung from her seat and leaned forward. "Does that mean that I passed your art class?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Okogi-san. All I'm doing is letting you off the hook for now. You still failed our final activity but I'm giving you another chance."

"What does that mean, Sensei?" Yuzu tilted her head, which prompted Sayuri-sensei to sigh and wonder if Yuzu was just playing dumb.

"What I want you to do is to take this opportunity to travel while you're young even if it is for a competition, still, you deserve this chance." Sayuri-sensei leaned toward Yuzu. "I wouldn't want to rob you of this opportunity." She sighed and walked toward the coffee machine.

Yuzu looked as if she transcended her current consciousness with no words appearing in her mind. Though her eyes were wide open, the expression was blank.

"I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate, Okogi-san," Sayuri-sensei said after a short exhale before walking away from Yuzu.

Even before Yuzu could have the chance to process what she just heard, a buzz from her phone made her lose her train of thought.

How was your meeting with Sayuri-sensei?

Yuzu's lips curved upwards as she read Mei's message.

A/N

Hi, everyone. How are you doing? Thank you for reading this chapter.
Also, I appreciate the comments that you left and the private messages that you sent. Thank you for taking the time to do so.
I always feel humbled to receive words of encouragement from you.
Hope you'll enjoy your week.

Thanks so much for sticking around. I love you all!

Xoxo