Citrus: Mei's Story+Matsuri volume 3 - Impulsive Heart

IV. Matsuri - Taking Responsibility

As easy as it was for me to agree to Mei's push to open up to Harumi, it was another thing entirely to approach her. I didn't know what to expect. I had kissed her. Twice! And the way she reacted to both initially still told me she had liked both. But then I had to ruin it. I got scared and reacted before I could find out what she thought. How she felt. I had played it off and ran. There was no way she was going to be happy to see me. She hadn't even messaged me last night to let me know she got home. Not that I had messaged her either. For the second time this year, I wanted to avoid the school. I hadn't though, and I was trying not to regret that decision. Mei had been supportive, if a little annoying with the fact that I had apparently acted just like her. As much as I loved my big sisters, I didn't want to have their love story be mine.
I wanted mine to be unique to me.
I wanted it to not be chaste and full of miscommunication and angst.
I wanted Harumi.
That was the only reason I stayed even as I avoided seeing her for the first half of the day. And now, I felt... well not ready, but hopeful. Mei seemed to think I had a shot. And while Harumi hadn't messaged me anything after she left, she had tried for a third kiss and hadn't told me to leave her alone. It was a chance. A slim one, but still.
I moved through the massive cafeteria, glancing for just a hint of familiar burgundy hair. I silently wished that Nene would be sick and Yuzu would choose to eat with Mei instead of her friends. I wanted to be as alone with her as much as possible. I wanted to actually talk to her without having to hide my words. It was going to be the only way I could get through this.
And then there she was. Sitting at one of the tables in the furthest corner of the cafeteria. Sitting alone. I had to fight back the surge of excitement as I made my way to her.
"Miss me?"
At my voice, Harumi looked up to me and for the briefest moment I saw the most beautiful smile brighten her face.
"Hey, you came back."
I tried to say something, but suddenly my voice stopped working. The silence grew awkward as the seconds passed, and I felt the need to do something before I lost my nerve. I didn't really think, I just did the first thing that seemed good besides kissing her then and there. I quickly slid myself onto her lap. As soon as I settled down and thought about what I was doing, I was sure that she would push me off or tell me to stop messing around. Something—anything—to let me know that she didn't want me that close. It didn't happen. Not even as I dared to lean back slightly to tempt a reaction. But then I started to think about what I might feel if I leaned back further. That was enough to stop me from going further and I instead leaned forward and rested on my elbows. And still she didn't push me off. If anything, it felt like she relaxed. It felt like she was enjoying having me there. That made me feel better, but only a little bit. Still, I had promised Inori. He wanted to make sure she knew we were grateful for her coming by and that she was always invited to visit. I tried not to think about how I had ended that night with her.
"Harumi, about the other day. Th-than..."
All she did was shift a little, but it was enough. Heat flooded my body and all I could think about was the way it had tasted when I kissed her that first time. How soft her lips were. How she had tried to chase my lips and even tried to initiate a kiss of her own. I wanted it to happen again and again and again. I wanted it to happen now. I wanted her now.
"Please take responsibility."
The words escaped my lips in a breathy whisper before I even had a thought in my head.
"Huh? What does that mean?"
At her question—at the way I heard her smirk in her voice—I realised what I had said. How it would have sounded to Harumi. How I had definitely meant it. I then felt the press of her hands on my waist. Immediately I knew I had somehow screwed up and upset her. I had to fix it. Fast.
"Well, you made a good impression on Inori. He wants to see you again. To thank you for the snacks. M-me too. I mean—"
Harumi moved, and I quickly shut my eyes and waited for her to throw me off. But then she pulled me back into her and wrapped one arm around my waist.
"Are you sure that's what you mean? Or is that just an excuse to invite me over again."
I'm eyes shot open. Her voice was teasing. Suggestive. Seductive. And the way her other hand had started drawing little circles on my thigh made me want to melt into her. I was already halfway there. I was pressed into her exactly like I had avoided before, and she was holding me there. Holding me close to her. Like she wanted me. Like she still wanted me even though I had been a brat last night. I turned my head to look at her, intent on getting my question answered. But then she was right there. Centimetres away. Close enough to feel her breath on my face. Close enough to kiss.
"Haru—"
And then I saw them, just before I was going to kiss Harumi again. It was like a strange little bit of deja vu. Only this time it wasn't Mom. I sighed.
"Not again."
"What?"
Instead of answering in words, I made sure that she noticed my pointed look behind her and then slid off her lap and into the chair next to her as quickly as I could. Harumi looked back to see the same thing I had. Yuzu and Nene walking through the cafeteria toward us. I felt her catch my ankle with hers.
"Matsuri, I—"
"Hey, Harumin! Sorry I'm late! I was dropping off Mei's lunch at her office and got..."
Yuzu's voice drifted to nothing as she suddenly realised I was there. I smiled up at Yuzu and gave her a little wave.
"Hey, Yuzu. Did you miss me?"
"Matsuri! You're back!"
Suddenly I was being suffocated in a hug from my exuberant childhood friend, and—regrettably—I felt Harumi's ankle quickly unwrap from mine. I caught her eyes and saw her give me a bittersweet look and a glance towards Yuzu. Almost as though she was annoyed to see her best friend. Almost like she was jealous that it was Yuzu who had her arms around me. I shouldn't have been happy to see it, but I was. Harumi still wanted me.
Lunch was wonderful and infuriating all at once. The entire time, Harumi and I snuck glances at each other and as soon as Yuzu and Nene had sat down I felt Harumi's ankle wrap around mine. She even used her foot to caress my calf when Yuzu brought up the fight. But with Nene spouting nonsense about Haru/Yuzu and Yuzu's ignorant joyfulness at my return, Harumi and I weren't able to be together like we clearly both wanted. And then I had to be in class on a different floor of the building than the third years. Than Harumi. It was just like last night all over again. We had almost been about to share a mutual kiss and got interrupted at the last second. Now I'd have to wait until I got a chance to be alone with her again. I dragged my feet as I headed back to class. I was just about to turn into the final hall that held my classroom when I felt a familiar hand wrap around my wrist and I was pulled into a closet.
The world was spinning for a moment thanks to the rough treatment, but when it evened out I found myself being pushed hard against a wall with my hands held up above my head. I blinked at the confusion, trying to make sense of it all. The first thing I focused on—the only thing that mattered—was Harumi. She smirked at me.
"Finally caught you."
"What are you doing?!"
As soon as I asked, she took a step closer. My heart started to pound in my chest.
"Haru—?"
I never finished her name. She stopped my words with a kiss. A deep long passionate kiss that stole all the air from my lungs and made me very glad she had me pinned to the wall of the storage closet. My legs felt like jelly. When she pulled away, it was my turn to be the one in a happy daze and chasing her lips. Unlike me, she let me catch hers to extend the kiss just a little bit longer. When we finally came up for air, the world felt wonderfully fuzzy and I was sure my pupils were blown out just like hers. She didn't let me go. Didn't step away. She rested her forehead against my own and sighed happily.
"You wanted me to take responsibility for last night, right? That's what I'm doing."
Then she kissed me a second time. This was quicker and a little more affectionate. When I chased her lips this time, she leaned away with a chuckle. It sparked something in me. I whined. Actually whined.
"You're not fair."
"You weren't very fair last night either. You didn't even let me reciprocate."
She gave me a challenging look and let my arms go. I threw myself at her, wrapped my arms around her neck as I kissed her. She pulled me closer by wrapping her arms around my waist. I didn't wait for one of us to pull away before I spoke.
"You really want to talk about being fair when you were dressed like that last night?"
"I knew you would like it."
She kissed me again. This time I teased her lower lip with a little bite and a brush of my tongue. She nearly let out a moan and seemed to draw me even closer into her. But then I pulled away and avoided her attempt to chase my lips as I backed against the wall.
"We still have class."
She let out a frustrated groan that morphed into a wry laugh, and gave me an incredulous look.
"Now you care about classes?"
I met her gaze and hoped that I looked serious. I was pretty sure I was still flush from all our kissing. I probably looked like a mess. She still looked perfect.
"Are you saying you want to run the risk of the student council finding us like this? Or Yuzu? Me skipping is one thing. But you? They'd start looking."
She let out a sigh and after a moment she nodded.
"Alright, fair. But this isn't over."
I met her arched eyebrow with a coy smirk.
"Promise?"
That made her laugh, roll her eyes, and then pull me into another quick kiss. Then she gave me a wink and led me back into the now fairly empty hallway. We both straightened our uniforms and turn to head in opposite directions. I got two steps before I heard her voice.
"Oh, and Matsuri?"
I turned to see her watching me with a coy smile. I tried my hardest not to blush again and to act like I usually did when in public around her.
"What?"
"No one ever calls me Haru."
I rolled my eyes.
"Well if you hadn't cut me off, I'd—"
"I like when you do it."
That stole my words. All I could do was stare at her in surprise. She smiled and turned to walk away. Maybe it was my lustful imagination, but she seemed to over-accentuate the sway of her hips as she left. Like she was trying to remind me of just how curvy she actually was. I was definitely late for class.