Shoujoai ni Bouken: Adventures of Yuriko

The Story so Far: On her first date in many weeks, Yuriko has completely forgotten about the weirdness that is her new school. A new crisis rears its ugly head.

Volume 1, Issue 21

"On the Seventh Day"


Yuriko was awakened by soft breath blowing into her ear, followed by the brush of lips across her earlobe. As a tongue began to explore the area just below her ear, she moaned. A soft laugh seemed loud from proximity and she rolled over to smile into the face of Hikari. That lovely smile filled the woman's face. Yuriko completely forgot her sleepiness and embraced the luscious waitress for a lingering good-morning kiss.

Hikari broke away, lowering her head to Yuriko's chest and the blonde found herself lost in conflicting sensations. Her back arched as Hikari began to suck on her, while one hand found its way between her legs. Yuriko pulled herself towards the brunette as pleasure brushed away any last cobwebs of sleep. When at last she relaxed back onto the bed, and Hikari's soft hair covered her body like a blanket, the waitress whispered. "Good morning."

Yuriko put one arm behind her head and returned the greeting. "A very good morning to you." They lay there for some time, while Yuriko drifted in and out of sleep. When she woke up for the last time, Hikari was laying on her chest, one hand curled under her chin like a child, asleep. Yuriko tugged on the curled hand, drawing it up to her mouth. Fair was fair, she thought, as she began to kiss each finger, sliding her tongue between them.


Yuriko kissed the waitress before leaving the apartment, and they promised to get together again. No date was set, no unkeepable commitments were made, but there was no doubt in either of their minds that they would see each other again. Yuriko caught a cab back to her apartment, grinning the whole way home.

***

The phone was ringing as she opened the door. Yuriko picked up it before closing the door behind her.

"'Yello!" Yuriko's voice was chipper. Laughter was her only response and she said acerbically, "Good morning, Mari."

"Good afternoon, Yuri." Her friend responded without missing a beat. "That answers my first question."

"And your second?" Yuriko poured herself a glass of orange juice and drank as Mariko spoke.

"Wondering if you're booked for the studio today or I can borrow your impeccable fashion sense for nefarious purposes."

"I'm all yours. Uh, provided I get a meal out of this. I haven't eaten breakfast yet." Glancing at the clock, she continued, "Or lunch."

"Meet me at 24/7 in half an hour." Mari didn't bother hiding the snicker in her voice. "You can eat whatever you like, my treat. Food, that is."

Yuriko rung off. "My goodness that girl is so arch, she's practically Roman." she commented to the room at large.

***

Yuriko was waiting for Mariko, when the other woman showed up twenty minutes late. One look at her friend and Yuriko knew something was up. She let several minutes pass in silence as they took their seats and ordered. When their food arrived and still Mari hadn't said anything, Yuriko pushed.

"Okay, what's up?" Yuriko said over her coffee. "And don't tell me nothing. I'm not blind and you're a bad liar."

Mari looked away. "Just some problems with Hachi. He's been working late all week and...." she looked unhappily at her omelet.

"And?" Yuriko set the coffee down.

"And we had a fight about it." Mari pushed the food around on her plate, mixing eggs and hot sauce into a impressionistic mass. "He had to cancel our dinner last night." Yuriko's eyebrows rose at this - their Saturday night date had become a fixed point in their schedule. "And he just called to say that he wouldn't be able to make dinner with my family this week." Mari met Yuriko's gaze and the blonde was surprised to see her friend's eyes fill with tears.

"It's only for a little while, though, right?" Yuriko asked soothingly.

Mari shrugged. "That's what he says, but...but what if it isn't? What if this is just a glimpse of what the future will be?" Mari reached across the table and gripped Yuriko's wrist. "Yuri - I don't want to be married to a salaryman who lives for his job. You know I don't!" Her voice sounded desperate.

Yuriko placed her free hand on Mariko's. "Don't you think you're being a little hasty?" She spoke softly. "I mean, this is his first big break - give the guy a chance...."

Mari shook her head anxiously. "No, there's something else. I can't tell you what, but I know there's something else. He's lying to me about something. And I don't know what it is." Mariko lost her grip and began to sob. "I love him so much! I don't want to lose him!"

Yuriko took both her friend's hands in hers and squeezed them. "I've known Hachi almost as long as I've known you. If he's lying to you, I'll find out what it's all about, okay?"

Mari looked at the blonde, her tear-streaked face miserable and childlike. Slowly she nodded.

"I'm sure it's something silly - like what he's getting you as a wedding present." Yuriko smiled reassuringly, as Mari wiped the tears from her face.

"You're probably right." Mari said bravely, sniffling a little. "I don't know why I'm worried." She took a deep shuddering breath. "But I have the most awful feeling about it..."

Yuriko frowned. Mari's premonitions were more often than not correct. If she felt something bad, they'd both best be prepared for the worst. And they both knew it. She gave Mariko's hand a final squeeze.

"Whatever happens, we'll always be there for each other, right?" Mariko asked.

Yuriko gave her friend a look. "Of course we will. What a silly thing to say!"

Mari made a face. "It's not like we've been close the past few weeks."

Yuriko was struck by the simple comment. It robbed her of breath. "Oh, my gods, Mari," she whispered at last. "Here I was buried in homework, while you needed me." All of a sudden, Yuriko was angry at this ridiculous role she had to play. "That's it! I'm calling Kishi-san and telling her that I quit!" She disengaged a hand and reached into her pocket for her cell phone, but Mari reached out and stopped her.

"No! No - that's not what I meant...." Mariko gave her lips a tiny quirk. "You are so impossibly impulsive." She shook her head at her friend.

"But you're right." Yuriko insisted. "This stupid show has sucked my life away."

"Has it?" Mariko asked quietly. Yuriko glanced at her quizzically. "Well, think about it. You're making new friends - real ones, not just fans - you're more active physically than you've been in years, someone is feeding you better than usual," Mari's irrepressible grin reasserted itself at that, "and you've been writing poetry again." Mari's eyebrow lifted. "Ah - you thought I didn't notice, did you?" Mari tapped her nose. "I see everything - I know everything."

"You bribe my housecleaner." Yuriko drew herself back, pretending an offense she didn't feel. Sipping at her now lukewarm coffee, Yuriko made a face and motioned the waitress for a refill.

Mari giggled and Yuriko relaxed. "Has the cleaner actually come yet?"

"No. This afternoon, supposedly. Would you believe," the blonde said with heavy irony, "they are actually sending a kid from Mitsukawa? What are the chances of that?"

Mari considered. "You said that Kishi-san arranged for this?"

Yuriko looked surprised. "Yeah, why?"

Mari gave her a knowing look. "I bet she did it on purpose."

Yuriko blinked. Then blinked again. "That conniving old...you're right, she probably did."

The two women laughed, then drank from their refilled cups. Silence fell between them as they ate their now tepid meals.

As they left, Mariko said quickly, almost shyly, "You meant what you said - you'll ask Hachi?"

Yuriko nodded emphatically. "But, really, I bet it's just stress at work. You'll see - everything will be fine." She smiled at her friend, who gave her an unsure smile in return.

As they left the restaurant, Yuriko filled her friend in on the end to her extremely surreal week. She could at least guarantee that - she'd make sure she told Mariko everything that happened in her life, so she didn't feel out of the loop. Yuriko vowed to make sure she didn't neglect Mari, whatever went on in her life.

Continued