kyomi's pov
It's around midnight and Kyomi is finishing up her homework when she hears a knock on her door.
Slowly, she gets up and opens the door a crack. Waiting outside is the most disheveled Yori she's seen. Opening it more, Kyomi fully takes her in.
Yori is slumped against the doorframe slightly. Her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, the random pieces falling out in the front. Her eye bags have a reached a new high, and her eyes are red rimmed and glassy.
"I didn't want to ask anyone about this, but," Yori starts.
Her voice is gravelly, raw. Like she hasn't spoken in days.
"I looked it all up. I read articles, fuck, I even took quizzes. But I still don't know. So I thought talking to someone would help. But, you can't tell a single soul," she says.
Kyomi nods.
"How did you realize you were gay?"
Kyomi's breath caught in her throat. All she could do is open the door fully and step aside so Yori can walk in.
Adding to Kyomi's initial shock, Yori crashes into her, wrapping her arms around Kyomi. Yori puts her head on the shoulder of the other girl.
After a second, or maybe an hour, she jerks away with a "sorry", going to sit on Kyomi's bed.
"It's alright," Kyomi whispers, sitting down next to Yori.
"You still want to know?" She asks once she's comfortable.
Yori nods.
"Okay, well, it wasn't a sudden thing. I mean, I always said female characters or celebrities were pretty and disregarded guys. For most of my life I just assumed I was a late bloomer. That's what my mom said, at least."
She takes a pause.
"Then, there was this one girl in middle school. She was the year above me. I wanted to be just like her, but I also wanted to impress her. I wanted to make her laugh, to have her notice me, or to have her remember me and tell stories about me. I wanted her to think I was amazing. I always thought it was just admiration."
Another pause. Yori is looking at her with gentle eyes.
In this moment, she realizes all rivalry or disagreements they have do not matter. In this room, on this bed, they are just Yori and Kyomi. Two girls, helping each other out. Grades and placement don't matter. Skills don't apply here. It's just them two, comforting the other. She continues.
"Clearly, it wasn't. I didn't realize that until I read a book where the main character was going through the same thing, and realizing she was in love with the girl. I saw so much of myself in that book, in the main character, that it finally clicked that I was like her. But, everyone is different. It may be harder, or easier, to realize."
They're silent for a moment after that.
Yori turns to her with a pensive look and says a quiet "thank you".
"Of course," Kyomi says, flopping onto her back.
Yori comes down to join her.
"This might be a lot to ask, considering I've asked so much already, but can I stay the night here? I don't want to be alone," she says.
Kyomi turns on her side to face her.
"Yeah...that's no problem. If you're good with sharing the bed we can just do that. Or I can sleep on the floor."
"No no! We can share."
Kyomi nods, and the girls get up to get in the bed the right way. Kyomi faces the wall, her back to Yori. Not touching her, but being able to feel the other girl's breathing slow as she fell asleep.
