Seijin: A Coming of Age Love Story [girl x girl]

Chapter 5

    "It's my turn to ask you some questions," Kurumi said a couple of days later. School had yet to start up but I continued my routine of stopping by campus to do some reading and then go to the 7-Eleven. This time, however, I didn't have to hide behind the newest issue of CanCam. At two o'clock Kurumi's shift ended and we would eat a late lunch together. Sometimes she would bring discounted bentos, other days we'd bring our own lunches from home; usually she ate leftovers while I had a lunchbox made just that morning.
     We sat on the grass at the park. The spring showers had just begun but it was a dry, warm afternoon so we spread our coats out on the green and used our knees as tables.
     "Me?" I asked as I screwed the cap back onto my milk tea. She wore a pair of black skinny jeans paired with a pair of matching black ankle boots. Her top was baggy and white with a French phrase printed across the front in loopy gold print. In comparison, I wore a light pink dress with a lacey white cardigan. My boater hat was pulled down over my hair. We were completely mismatched in terms of style.
     "Yup, it's only fair! Okay, first of all -- how old are you?" she smirked.
     "Twenty," I tried to sound as nonchalant as I could to disguise my embarrassment.
     "No!" she gasped like she had heard something scandalous. "I thought you were seventeen!"
     "How would I be in university if I were seventeen?"
     "You could be a genius? You DID get into Waseda."
     I grinned.
     "Okay, second. Umm... what's your major, then?"
     "English language."
     She sat up straight. "Really? Are you, like, fluent?"
     "Nuh-uh, not at all," I shook my head. "I can barely speak it."
     She looked at me for a moment and then burst out laughing.
     "I'm serious!" I couldn't help but join in.
     "How can you get into Waseda's English program and not know English?"
     "You have no idea! I have this senpai, right? He's been a senior for like three years but can't graduate because he speaks no English at all. Like, none. Kindergarteners probably know more than him."
     Kurumi was laughing so hard she had fallen onto her back and I watched the rise and fall of her chest.
     "I'm not even exaggerating. You can ask him, 'Shige-senpai, what's your name?' and he'll just laugh and say 'sorrii'."
     "Fuck," she sobbed with laughter. "I should've taken the entrance exam, then."
     We fell into a pleasant silence. Kurumi closed her eyes and took deep breaths while I looked up at the blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. "Spring is almost here," I sighed.
     "Hmm," she hummed.
     "Do you have plans to hanami, Kurumi-san?" I asked. "Usually I go with my friends, but they're out traveling until school starts in April."
     "That sucks."
     "It's okay," I shrugged. "I might go with my grandparents."
     "Your grandparents? That's not the same."
     "Haha, maybe."
     There was another moment of silence and then Kurumi sat up suddenly. "Juri-chan," she said and looked at me sternly.
     "Yes," I looked back at her, startled.
     "Do you want to go see the cherry blossoms on Thursday?"
     "Thursday? Why Thursday?"
     Her shirt had begun to slip off her shoulder and she gave it a tug. "I took the day off from work. Some coworkers from my other job and I were going to go. If you want, you can come too. Don't worry, they're good people."
     "Won't they mind?" I remembered going on a couple of goukon, group blind dates, with girls I barely knew and feeling like the odd one out. That was how Satsuki and I had met, both feeling out of place amongst strangers who knew each other already.
     "Nah, they're chill," she smiled softly. "They'd be happy to have you. I think a couple of them are bringing their boyfriends or wives, it's super casual."
     I thought about it. "Okay."
     "Great! I'll text you my address later today. We can meet up there and then go to the park, it's not far."

     "Jun-chan, please don't use your phone at the dinner table," my mother said wearily.
    "OK," I replied, but I still stared at the little glowing screen on the front of my closed cell phone. 7:06, the display read, but maybe if I kept staring at it it would suddenly flash to alert me of a new message.
     "Jun-chan," my mother tried again sharply.
     "Sorry, Okaa-chan," I bowed my head apologetically and swept the phone onto my lap. We were eating stew for dinner, a typical meal for nights when my mother worked late. My grandparents had joined us to help us finish as much of the pot as we could, and now they sat in silence, scooping spoonfuls of white cream sauce with trembling hands.
     "What's wrong with you, Juri?" my mother frowned at me from across the table. "You're so distracted today."
     "She must be nervous, school is starting again soon," my grandmother answered for me. "Young girls enjoy their free time, and Juri-chan has been enjoying hers, hasn't she, dear?"
     My grandfather winked at me and I could feel my face grow hot.
     While my grandparents teased, my mother raised her eyebrows. "What?"
     "Oh, Chieko-san, you don't need to make that face," my grandmother replied. "Just a little youthful fun, that's all."
     "I've been meeting with a friend," I interjected before the conversation got carried away from me. My grandparents were kind people but they sometimes exaggerated the truth in order to amuse themselves. Father was good at playing along, but my mother took life more seriously.
     "'A friend'? Not Ohno-san or Fujioka-san then?"
     My stomach dropped. "S-she's a new friend. I met her at school. She's really busy, uh, studying, so we didn't get to talk much outside of class. S-sometimes we study together, to keep up our English."
     We locked eyes for a moment and for a second I thought that my mother sensed I was lying. But instead, she nodded and ate a spoonful of stew. "Well, if you're studying."
     As if on cue, my phone buzzed on my lap. "W-well then," I changed the subject, setting down my chopsticks. "I'm done eating, so is it okay if I take a bath first?" I murmured a quick "gochisousamadeshita" before standing up from the table, the chair squeaking against the wooden floors, and hurried upstairs to get a change of clothes.
     I was in the bath when I was finally able to check my text messages. The first one was from Satsuki letting me know he was back in the country but would be busy until the start of term; the next, which had come while I was showering off, was from Kurumi: