CITRUS ~ A Long Way From Home / Trust

Chapter 28

Day 4

<<Speaking English>>

Mei walked through the office building into the lobby, hoping to find Yuzu. The place was still so largely unfamiliar, it felt like it'll be next to impossible to find her right away.

But she was determined to find her lover quickly. Her desire to keep looking was overwhelming.

She didn't know who to ask if anyone saw her sister, but since there wasn't many people moving through the building at this time, she was hoping to Yuzu would be easy to find.

Ordinarily, when Yuzu would be upset, and if she wasn't at home in her room or with Harumi, she wouldn't really hide anywhere. All she would look for is a place to sit and dwell in her feelings.

Which meant that Yuzu would be out in the open for all to see.

Mei stepped out of the lobby to the front of the building, looking out towards the large water fountain and garden nearby. She could see the benches, trees, umbrellas for shade, and several staff members scattered throughout the area relaxing during their lunches.

And not far from there, around the big trees, she saw Yuzu sitting on the large swing covered in some shade. She wasn't moving around on the swing, just sitting on it with her head down.

Mei felt a sense of relief when she saw her sister. She could tell from where she was that Yuzu was feeling down, but it wasn't her intention to upset her loved one like this.

Still, she had a warm, safe feeling knowing that she has a chance to speak with Yuzu. It continued to grow within her as she moved closer to the swing.

- - - - - - - - - -

Yuzu stared at the ground, letting her tears ruin her makeup, quietly dwelling in her thoughts while sitting on the large swing, trying not to move around. She held the chain with her right hand as she leaned her head against it, not caring if her hair might get caught in between the links.

She felt lost in her sadness, thinking that she really messed up if she lost the file in Mei's laptop. Even if it was a mistake, the last thing she wanted was to be the reason her sister might fail her mission here.

She thought about Gramps possibly feeling disappointed in Mei for not fulfilling her responsibilities while she was here. But knowing that it's all because of her own carelessness that Mei might fail... that made her feel broken up inside.

She continued staring at the ground, not turning her head while hearing soft footsteps moving slowly towards her.

"Yuzu?..." asked Mei cautiously with a soft tone, approaching slowly one step at a time.

To see her loved one torn down like this was heartbreaking, especially knowing that it was she who made her feel this way.

"May I sit beside you?" she asked.

Yuzu didn't respond, continuing to stare downward. She felt so ashamed of herself that she thought she didn't have the right to look at her sister. The idea of Mei standing so close made her want to cry some more, wishing that she could run away.

Mei stepped closer and gently sat beside her sister, holding onto the other chain as she calmly stared at her. The swing was large enough to hold two people, plenty of room even if Yuzu wasn't going to move aside.

Mei was almost at a loss for words while staring at Yuzu, yet she felt happy that her loved one didn't object to letting her sit beside her. She could see the tears rolling down Yuzu's face, even though she wasn't making a crying sound.