A/N: I was rewatching the episode where Sumika went on a date with Akemiya with his little sister, Manaka spying on them, and this popped into my head. Honestly, I'm a little disoriented from watching too many other random animes so you can expect the characters to be a little... weird. Other than that! I hope you'll enjoy this one :D Really... I was about to delete this story but thought, "why not?" at the last minute so here it is :)
IMPORTANT: This is set after Ushio finds out about Sumika's feeling towards her, but before Lotte's birthday party. I haven't included Lotte in this story though, too many characters for me to handle for a crazy one-shot that, honestly, doesn't make sense as I reread it again.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sasameki Koto or any of its characters.
Don't find love, let love find you. That's why it's
called falling in love, because you don't force
yourself to fall, you just fall.
"You're sure this'll work?" Tomoe scrutinized the vial of purple liquid, sloshing the slightly viscous fluid around.
"Of course~" Manako grinned impishly, "It's top quality stuff from the inter- I mean, this mystical, magic store."
"Huh." Tomoe eyed the phial sceptically, "I don't know... I want something that'll get them together... but I don't want them to get hurt in the process..."
"Ooh! You don't have to worry, that suspic- I mean, magic love potion will definitely do the trick, no one'll get injured!" the elementary schooler then added under her breath, "I think."
"Okay! I'll take it." Tomoe said decidedly, placing a wad of cash on the round table before turning to leave the dim room, pocketing the little bottle.
"I wish you all the luck in the world!" Manako smirked, "With that violent woman out of the way, my brother will no longer have to live with the restricting chains of that horrible unrequited love!"
Tomoe entered her classroom the next day with her lover, Miyako hugging her arm. She wore an emotionless expression, but on the inside, she was bubbling with excitement to try out her new tactic to get Sumika and Ushio together. She had thought that after she accidentally blurted out the truth to Ushio, the girl would do something. Anything. But after so many uneventful days, Tomoe finally took it upon herself to do something.
"Good morn-"
"Murasame-kun, drink this." Tomoe said right off the bat, shoving the purple vial into Sumika's face.
"What is this?" Sumika backed up and took the odd bottle from her friend.
"I saw it yesterday on my way back home. I want you to try it." Tomoe said with a slight frown.
"Why should I?" Sumika's eyebrow twitched.
"Well, you're the giant here, who else would be able to stomach it and receive the least harm?" Miyako grinned mischievously.
"What am I to you? A guinea pig?" Sumika hissed.
"More like a trusting friend!" Tomoe smirked.
"Like that'll get me to drink this purple stuff!" Sumika handed the vial back "Get someone else to be your test subject."
"Murasame-kun." Tomoe placed a firm hand on Sumika's shoulder and as the taller woman turned to look at her, she shoved the glass tube between Sumika's lips and watched with a small smile as the contents emptied into Sumika's mouth.
Sumika, even with her quick reflexes, couldn't do anything to stop Tomoe and she choked on the liquid while trying to retort, forcing her to swallow the foul tasting potion, "What the hell was that for?" Sumika shivered, both hands clasped around her throat.
I'm terribly sorry, Murasame-kun. But this is for the best. If you had more guts to confess to Kazama-kun, then maybe things wouldn't have come to this. Tomoe thought as she observed her taller friend who was being comforted by Ushio and Kiyori at the moment.
"That tasted awful." Sumika stuck her tongue out with tears stinging her eyes.
"Here, Sumi-chan." Ushio offered her best friend her juice and Sumika downed it in an instant, making a face and complaining even more.
"Is that so?" Tomoe tapped her chin, as if in deep thought, "How unfortunat-"
"Sumi-chan?" Ushio cried, trying and failing to keep Sumika from falling to the floor, "Sumi-chan!?"
"Murasame-kun?" Tomoe asked, worried as she moved to help the dazed looking teenager off the floor.
"S-sorry.. Just felt kind of dizzy for a second there..." Sumika slurred nervously. She swayed slightly, her eyes slowly slid close and before she could do anything about it, she lost consciousness and fell to the ground once more. The last thing she heard was Ushio's surprised and concerned voice calling her name.
"Sumi-chan? Sumi-chan?" Ushio had both hands on Sumika's cheeks and shook the girl ever so gently, "What did you give her earlier, Tomoe-chan?" the light-haired girl looked at her stoic friend with teary eyes.
"Honestly, I have no idea." Tomoe frowned, "Let's get her to the nurse's office for now."
"What do you mean you have no idea?" Ushio persisted as Tomoe slung Sumika's arm over her shoulder and stood with the taller girl.
"I don't know what the liquid contained." Tomoe said simply.
"Why would you let Sumi-chan drink something like that?" Ushio felt like crying and she didn't know how to stop herself.
"I'm sor-"
"My goodness, what happened to Sumika?" a matured voice asked over the chatter and all students turned to look at the unconscious student hanging from Tomoe.
"She fainted." Tomoe said and the class inhaled sharply together.
"Quickly take her to the infirmary Tomoe." the teacher instructed, "The rest of you, quiet down and take your seats!"
Tomoe carried Sumika all the way to the nurse's office then explained to the nurse what happened, conveniently leaving out the part where the 'juice' Sumika drank was actually a love potion she bought from a shady magic store.
"I don't know what happened to her." the nurse said with a worried crease in her eyebrows, "I think it's best to let her rest. I'll call her family."
"Okay." Tomoe laid the heavy woman on the white bed and raised an eyebrow when she spotted a pink blush adorning the Karate black belt's cheeks as she stirred in her sleep. Maybe it wasn't such a horrible idea after all.
"H-hachi?" Sumika croaked, slowly rising to consciousness. Sitting up on the bed, she held her head which was spinning haphazardly, "That you?"
"Oh, you're up." Tomoe turned to the nurse, "Murasame-kun just got up, I don't think you need to contact her family."
"Is that so? Oh, I'll tell them right away." the nurse replied.
In the mean time, Tomoe brought her attention to Sumika and grinned, "So, how're you feeling?"
"My head hurts and," Sumika glanced at Tomoe and she almost snarled, "What the hell did you make me drink?"
"It seems you're alright. What a pity."
"What do you mean 'what a pity'? Were you trying to poison me or something? I could've choked on that liquid!" Sumika scolded.
"Yeah, yeah. Good thing you're alive then." Tomoe winked and got up to speak to the nurse, "We're going back to class."
Sumika followed after Tomoe with a deep frown directed at the nonchalant short-haired girl, "Sorry for the trouble." she bowed to the nurse who smiled and waved off her apology, telling them to hurry to class.
Throughout the next few lessons, Tomoe watched Sumika closely, searching for any signs that the love potion worked. So far, she deemed it to be a failure and complete waste of her money.
The lunch bell then rang and echoed through the hallways. Students dashed out of class, eager to make the most of their 45 minute break time.
"Murasame-kun, you're feeling okay?" Tomoe immediately asked when she reached Sumika who glared at her in return.
"Yes, no thanks to you!" Sumika growled as her other friends started to join the pair.
"Sumi-chan, I'm so glad you're okay!" Ushio placed a hand above where her heart thumped and sighed in relief.
"Yeah, you gave us a fright there, Murasame-" Tomoe stopped talking when she noticed the look in Sumika's eyes. It reminded her of a lovesick puppy.
Sumika's grey eyes rested on Ushio's face and she couldn't help but stare. Stare, stare and stare into those lidded chestnut orbs. An arrow stabbed through her heart and she could hear it pounding in her ears. Her body became light and she floated up to face Ushio fully. With two hands, she took both of Ushio's smaller ones and held it to her chest, her silver eyes practically glowing with drifting pink hearts.
"An angel... No, you're a princess! Please, tell me your name, fair maiden!" Sumika exclaimed, holding Ushio's hands tightly as she gazed excitedly into Ushio's widened eyes.
"...kun?" Tomoe finished her earlier sentence as she thought, Maybe it wasn't a failure... after all.
"Sumi-chan?" Ushio whispered, looking at her best friend with fearful eyes. She was used to Sumika's abrupt change in behaviour at times, but this made her entertain the hypothesis that maybe, her best friend whom she has known for years now, maybe Sumika really did have multiple-personality disorder. Or something.
"Please, princess, won't you let me learn your name?" Sumika insisted, inching her face closer and closer to Ushio's, causing the girl to squirm and blush as she took a wary step backwards.
"U-Ushio-"
"Ushio? What a beautiful name for a beautiful princess! Ushio-ojou-san, would you care to join me for lunch?" Sumika released Ushio's hand and drapped an arm around the terrified girl's shoulders, leading her out of the classroom as all their classmates watched them with confused expressions.
"What just happened?" Miyako raised an eyebrow as Sumika continued to go on and on about how exquisite Ushio's hands are.
"It has begun!" Tomoe bellowed, causing the confused heads to turn in her direction, "Could it be? Have I really done it?" to others, Tomoe looked downright insane as she erupted into fits of victorious laughter, "This is a huge success Miyako! Do you understand what this means?"
"Erm... no, not really."
"Murasame-kun's boldness will no doubt lead to an unforgettable confession from her and when the potion wears off, there will be nothing left but to reconfirm that confession and the two will finally understand each other and their flower of love will bloom like never before!" tears swelled in the corners of Tomoe's sparkling eyes, "I'm so overwhelmed... I'm moved to tears."
"..." was what went through everyone's heads.
Meanwhile, in the canteen, Ushio's face was becoming increasingly red with every passing second. Sumika, somewhere along the corridor, had hoisted her up in her arms and carried her like a princess the rest of the way.
"Isn't this wonderful, Ushio-ojou-san?" Sumika asked, "You in my arms as we stroll through these stunning gardens of our magical school."
"E-erm... Could you please put me down now?" Ushio asked, her cheeks burning with renewed vigour when she spotted several of her classmates in the distance, snickering and pointing in their direction.
"As you wish, Ushio-ojou-san." Sumika gently placed Ushio on the floor and the shorter girl had to fight the urge to run away, knowing very well that she wouldn't last a second in a race against her athletic best friend.
"You're upset." Sumika suddenly said.
"Wha- no, no!" Ushio waved her arms around frantically, she didn't want to risk another drastic change in her friend's behavior. But it was too late as Sumika bowed before her, "Very well. Perhaps my approach was too direct. I beg for your forgiveness, Ushio-ojou-san."
"C-could you stop calling me ojou-san?"
"Then... Ushio-sama?" Sumika asked earnestly and Ushio nearly shivered when honest grey eyes looked at her with such innocence.
"H-how about just no honorific? Y-you can just call me like you always do... by my family name, Kazama!" Ushio tried to salvage some sort of normalcy, but one glance from Sumika told her there was no such hope.
"Outrageous. There is no way I would ever dare address you so distantly. If you don't want any honorifics then Ushio should be fine." Sumika lowered her dark eyebrows and regarded Ushio with an intense look.
"O-okay." Ushio managed a small smile, recalling how Sumika had always refused to call her anything other than 'Kazama' and yet here she was insisting that she used her first name.
Sumika looked like she was having a heart attack as she collapsed to the grass below, a hand covering her eyes.
"S-Sumi-chan? Are you okay?" Ushio panicked, unable to understand what was wrong with her best friend this time.
"You're awful, Ushio." Sumika sighed and Ushio felt her heart clench painfully at those words, "How can you smile at me like that so suddenly?"
"H-huh?"
"That dazzling smile of yours," Sumika's gaze met Ushio's and she grinned with a blush on her cheeks, "It made my heart race dangerously fast and I felt light headed all of a sudden."
Ushio blushed harder despite herself and she stood up abruptly, turning rapidly to walk away. She wasn't suprised when a familiar hand grabbed hers. But she was shocked when she was pulled back and made to face Sumika who wrapped an arm around her petite waist while the other tipped her chin upwards.
"I've said something I shouldn't have." Sumika said regretfully, "I'm sorry. I thought being honest would appeal to you. Perhaps I should try another approach. I thought the popular types of the overly excited lover or silently brooding classmate might work, but it seems I'll need something more fitting to your persona-"
"S-stop it!" Ushio finally managed to say and she pushed Sumika away, "I-I just want you to be yourself!"
"Myself?" Sumika raised a hand to flick her hair over her shoulder, "Being myself is just plain boring, not to mention that it isn't effective at all. If being myself was what you wanted, then you'd be in my arms by now."
"Wh-what're you talking about?"
"What I'm trying to say, Ushio, is that I lo-"
"I forgot something in class!" Ushio slapped both hands over Sumika's mouth before she turned tail and ran towards the main building, ignoring the crowd of gossiping students. Behind her, she could hear Sumika calling her name and asking her to slow down, but she kept going. Only stopping when she found the person she was searching for: Tomoe.
"Ah, Kazama-kun. What's up?" Tomoe grinned.
"What did you give Sumi-chan to drink this morning?"
"Erm... did something happen?"
"Sumi-chan's acting all weird! You saw her just now! Don't you think something's wrong?" Ushio rushed to say breathlessly when the one person she didn't want to see at the moment came bounding down the hallway, not even breaking a sweat.
"Ushio! Why'd you run away like that?" Sumika came to a stop next to the pair.
"Murasame-kun! Lively as ever! How're you feeling?" Tomoe asked with a broad grin which faded as Sumika didn't seem to register her presence at all, her attention focused solely on Ushio.
"I'm very sorry if I scared you. I should've got to know you a bit more and eased you into it. It's just that... when I saw you, it felt like I was struck by lightning and when you smiled at me, I swore my heart leaped out of my chest and flitted across the world with joy."
"Wow." Tomoe commented with a smirk, but just like before, her words fell on deaf ears.
"Please tell me why I've upset you, Ushio." Sumika pleaded, her silver eyes solemn and Ushio felt her face heat up once again, "I promise I'll change!"
"I don't want you to change, Sumi-chan." Ushio mumbled, causing Sumika to lean forward in order to catch her words.
"But, just like I said before, being myself didn't catch your attention at all. In fact, the usual me is so mundane."
"Ohoh! You got that right." Tomoe smirked but was ignored once again.
"That's not true! Sumi-chan's Sumi-chan... so you're not boring."
"But don't you wish I were slightly different? Please tell me how you want me to behave and I'll do it."
Ushio opened her mouth to say something when Tomoe leaned over to whisper into her ear, "Why not give it a try? Who knows when we'll get another chance to do this?"
Ushio gulped but nodded anyway, "I wished you were more feminine."
"Roger that." Sumika saluted but then she immediately placed both hands behind her back and put on a small smile, "How about this, Ush-i-o?" she said sweetly.
"Gross." goosebumps rose along Tomoe's arms and she immediately regretted letting Ushio speak.
"How mean~" Sumika pouted and Tomoe nearly burst out laughing, but managed to cover it up with a cough, "Hey, Ushiiiiio, let's go get something to eat, okay?" she wrapped both her arms around Ushio's arm and led the shorter woman towards the canteen.
Ushio was stunned and when she finally found her vocie she quickly pulled away from Sumika and said loudly, "You're overdoing it!"
Sumika was conflicted, "So being girly won't work either, huh?"
"I don't see why you can't be yourself!"
"Alright, I'll give it a try if that's what you desire." Sumika winked and intertwined their fingers together, embarrasing the light-haired woman as Sumika guided the way through the crowded corridors, bringing attention to the two of them who were blatantly holding hands.
"Sumi-chan... people are staring." Ushio muttered.
"Let them stare. If they dare say anything to hurt or annoy you, I'll beat them up." Sumika flashed a grin and Ushio's heart did a flip before she was reminded that this wasn't her Sumi-chan.
"Just 'cause you said that, doesn't mean you're the real Sumi-chan."
"I know." Sumika smiled, "Well, what would you like to eat?"
"Erm.. I actually brought a lunchbox from home..." Ushio said nervously.
"Doesn't matter, since we're already here and we haven't got much time left, why not just eat here. That is... if you're okay with it."
Ushio nodded with a small smile. I can't drop my guard, one moment she's normal and the next, she'll become a completely different person! I must keep an eye on her!
"Seems like nothing eventful happened in the end, huh." Tomoe sighed as she watched Ushio and Sumika walk ahead, talking idly and laughing occasionally. Just like any other day. Tomoe sighed again, "Here I thought things would finally take an interesting turn... Is that too much to ask for?"
When they finally parted ways at the train station, Sumika and Ushio started walking towards their own homes when Sumika swivelled to face Ushio and said, "Let's go to the park."
"O-okay." Ushio mumbled, startled by her friend's sudden outburst.
The two best friends strolled through the park. Sumika made no move to say anything else, she seemed contented with just holding Ushio's hand. Ushio, on the other hand, was itching and twitching to ask why Sumika wanted to come to the park. She squirmed internally, trying to muster the courage to ask and find the proper words that wouldn't cause her friend to react badly, like earlier today.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sumika broke the silence, coming to a stop in front of a fountain located in the centre of the park where surrounding, tall hedges protected it from the noise of the cars on nearby roads and unwanted eyes.
Ushio gasped quietly and nearly panicked when she realised the sun had set and it was already night. She looked around frantically and chewed her lip when she noticed that there was no one else around.
"You're really beautiful as well, Ushio. More beautiful than anything I've ever laid eyes on." Sumika said with her head hung and eyes hidden in the shadows of her bangs, but her blush was in clear sight.
Ushio exploded mentally. Stuttering incoherently, she couldn't help but shriek when suddenly, Sumika stood in front of her with both hands on her shoulders, their faces inches apart. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sincere silver gaze that stared right into her very soul.
"Ushio. I've been wanting to tell you this for a very, very long time. I don't know what happened, but I've finally found the courage to do so." Sumika took a deep breath as one hand slowly inched upwards to caress a heated cheek lightly.
Ushio's heart pounded erratically in her chest. She had somewhat of an idea what Sumika was about to say, but she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear those 3 words slip from this Sumika's mouth. But there was nothing she could do when Sumika looked at her with such intense grey eyes. She was paralysed under that dark gaze so she stood where she was and waited for it to be over.
"I love you." Sumika whispered, "I love you, Ushio."
Seeing no shock or any kind of reaction from Ushio, Sumika took this as a sign of acceptance so she brought her face closer to seal the deal with a kiss.
"No!" Ushio abruptly cried out, pushing against Sumika's chest with everything she had, sending the taller woman stumbling backwards before toppling into the fountain with a loud splash. Ushio's eyes widened with alarm, "Sumi-chan! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean t-"
"Kazama?" Sumika took off her glasses and wiped her face with a wet hand. She was sitting in the pool of water as more water fell onto her from above, dampening her already drenched hair and soaking her sodding wet uniform even more.
"Sumi-chan?" Ushio muttered, not believing what she just heard.
"Why am I in a fountain?" Sumika grumbled, lifting her bag and watching, with an irritated expression, as a ton of water filtered through the fabrics and reentered the fountain, "Great." she said bitterly when memories suddenly flooded her mind, "HACHI!"
Ushio jumped at the severity of her best friend's tone and inside, she was downright terrified of what was to come.
"This is all Hachi's fault! She poured that purple coloured stuff down my throat and next thing I know, I wake up in the infirmary! But that wasn't it! No, she acts all disappointed and then I saw-" Sumika choked on her words and her eyes widened in fear, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. She raised her eyes, almost timidly, to meet Ushio's cautious chestnut eyes.
"Are you alright?" Ushio asked carefully, watching her best friend with wary eyes.
But Sumika wasn't paying attention as her thoughts laid elsewhere, It wasn't a dream was it? I just confessed to Kazama. And she didn't react at all. What am I supposed to do now? Shit, this is all Hachisuka Tomoe's fault! Her and that stupid purple crap that tastes like rotten milk fermented with month old socks. Gah, just thinking about it is leaving a horrible taste on my tongue.
"Sumi-chan?"
"I-I'm okay!" Sumika smirked, thinking, I best just act normal, as if it never happened!
Ushio watched as Sumika threw her bag over the edge of the fountain before attempting to get up, only to slip, fall and splash water all over.
"That was stupid." Sumika said to herself, rubbing her sore bottom gingerly.
"Sumi-chan, say my name." Ushio said firmly, leaning over the fountain to frown cutely at Sumika who just stared back, dumbfounded.
"S-say your name? Why would I..." Sumika noted how Ushio's brows furrowed even more and she quickly gave in, "Fine, fine, Kazama Ushio. I don't get why y-"
"No, just call me like you normally would when, say... you spotted me across the road."
"... Kazama?" Sumika raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of Ushio's odd questions, but it seemed Ushio finally relaxed as she sighed.
"You're finally back to normal. I'm glad."
"Yeah... me too."
"Erm... d-do you remember anything?"
"...kind of."
"And you were just saying things that you didn't mean... right?"
Sumika froze. You mean to ask whether I meant it when I said I love you, isn't that right, Kazama? What do I do now? I dug my own grave the moment I swallowed that foul tasting fluid! What do I do? I'd be lying if I said I didn't mean it, I'd also be lying if I said I meant it as a best friend kind of love... but to confess right now? I think I'm going to be sick.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't put you in such a tight spot like that." Ushio stood and turned her back to Sumika who was shocked, to say the least, "I'll leave."
"I meant it." Sumika said, wanting to scream it to the world, but it came out as a meek whisper instead.
Though maybe it was just loud enough for Ushio to hear as she stopped mid-step and remained rooted to the ground. The emotions that ran through Sumika at that very moment are indescribable. She felt absolutely terrified, as if she were staring into hell itself and watching as demons slowly ambled towards her in a deliberately slow gait. She was also burning with hope, but forced herself to extinguish those flames before she got hurt. Again. Many other feelings soared through her, like anxiety, impatience and regret.
Ushio turned around and faced Sumika squarely. The pair stared each other down, trying to read each others eyes until Ushio's lips finally parted and Sumika snapped. She sat upright in the fountain, causing water to spill over the side and she pulled herself to her knees, "Just forget I sai-"
Next thing she knew, she was back in the fountain once more, just that this time, there was an unfamiliar weight on her body.
"Say it again." Ushio begged, hugging Sumika close, not caring that she too was getting wet. She couldn't face Sumika and, in midst of this turmoil, she figured hugging the woman would allow her to hear best and not have to look into Sumika's eyes. Two birds with one stone. Or so she thought.
"I-I meant it. I meant everything I said while I was... incapacitated." despite it all, Sumika found the long word fun to say and felt herself smile, her unease slowly fading away as she relaxed into Ushio's embrace. Maybe it was the remains of the purple liquid from this morning, maybe it was the icy coldness that seeped into her bones, maybe it was the fact that Ushio was still holding her at this point, but Sumika felt a surge of hope rise up to fill her entire being, overpowering her sense of fear of disappointment.
The taller woman wrapped her wet arms around Ushio and held her crush closer. When their cheeks were touching, Sumika could feel the heat from Ushio's cheek and smiled as she whispered the words that would surely end their friendship right there and then.
"I love you, Kazama."
"Ouch!" Tomoe winced as a rolled up notebook landed firmly on the crown of her head. It wouldn't have stung so badly if the wielder of that weapon was anyone except Murasame Sumika. Cradling her sore head, she looked up at Sumika who was practically burning with fury, "I've already apologized right?"
"Doesn't mean it's okay that you nearly killed me with that weird stuff!"
"Key word, nearly." Tomoe added before catching the notebook in mid air, "Don't underestimate me, Murasame Sumika."
"You took the words right out of my mouth." Sumika added more strength and the book slowly began to descend upon Tomoe's head.
"Suuumiiii-chaaaan!" Ushio's happy-go-lucky voice carried through the corridors.
Sumika stiffened and quickly hid her book behind her back just as Ushio came bounding in with a silly grin on her face, "Sumi-chan! I heard there's a new teashop that sells delicious cakes nearby, can we go after school?"
"Of course!" Tomoe butted in.
"No one invited you!" Sumika hissed, itching to bring her book down on Tomoe's head once again.
"Why not?" Tomoe deadpanned.
"Because you don't deserve to get any cake after you attempted to kill me."
"Horrible choice of words, Murasame-kun!" Tomoe feigned hurt, irritating Sumika even more.
"I'll show you horrible." Sumika dropped her book and rapped her knuckles on the same spot she hit Tomoe earlier.
"Ow, ow, ow, okay, I give, I give." Tomoe begged.
"Tch." Sumika grunted and released the grumbling girl, "We'll go on ahead then, I don't think I can wait for that squirt any longer. You guys know where the place is?"
"So you're inviting us after all. How nice of you Murasame-kun." Tomoe smirked, nursing her sore head.
"Don't push it Hachi." Sumika said and walked out of their classroom with Ushio right by her side.
The moment the couple took a turn down an empty corridor, Ushio all but pounced on Sumika, her arms looping around Sumika's neck and forcing the taller girl to hunch over.
"K-kazama!" Sumika complained, stumbling back so that her back was pressed against a wall and her hands automatically landed on Ushio's hips.
"You shouldn't get mad at Tomoe-chan. If it hadn't been for her..." Ushio shyly traced Sumika's lips with a finger.
"I know. I'll apologize and thank her properly later, can't let her ego get any bigger than it already is." Sumika beamed before she swooped down to capture the lips she had, till yesterday, only ever dreamed of kissing.
Unbeknownst to the lip-locking couple, laying on the roof of the building next to the Umegae main block, was a small little girl with brown hair tied messily into twin braids. Blood trickled from her nose, but she didn't bother to wipe it away as both hands were preoccupied with holding her binoculars in place as she spied on the new couple.
"Success! That suspicious elixir I got off the internet actually works! I can't wait to use it on my spineless brother! Kyaa~" Akemiya Manaka screeched as her nose continued to bleed profusely onto the concrete floor below.
~^Love Potion^~
Sometimes you're so busy searching for something, you forget to look at those closest to you. My advice to you is to stop what you're doing and take a breath every once in a while to appreciate what you have right by your side instead of always trying to grasp at something in the distance or working until your head explodes from stress :)
A/N: Pheww... yes, I felt like giving sage advice this morning when I woke up from bed, so I shall :)
I hope it doesn't sound too rushed? Hehe, I also excluded all the emotional and sappy romance, didn't feel like writing a fic like that. Anyway, if it does sound weird or if there were any other problems, you can let me know by reviewing :D Thanks for reading!