Acceptance [WMatsui fanfic]

Chapter 11

This Saturday afternoon, when Mayu turned the key in the lock and stepped inside her apartment, she didn't have to look for her roommate very long, finding Jurina studying and surrounded with architecture books in the living room. Mayu had barely left her keys in the hallway that Jurina glanced up in her direction, Mayu immediately caught off guard by the angry look the other girl was sending her.

"You seem in a bad mood," Mayu frowned, removing her vest and noticing the dark circles under her best friend's eyes. "And it looks like you didn't sleep much last night. Did something happen?"

Jurina lowered on the table the document she was reading and, leaning back in the chair, crossed her arms over her chest. "You talked to Rena," Jurina said, glaring at her. "Why did you do that?"

"How do you..." Mayu widened her eyes in astonishment, until they lit up in barely contained excitement. "She came here? To talk to you?!"

"Mayu! Answer my question!" Jurina exclaimed, incredulity surging within her. "Why on earth did you go to the club without telling me?!"

"How many times did I tell you to go and talk to her? It's already been a month, and you're still feeling miserable. You left me with no choice," Mayu scoffed, slipping into a pair of slippers and entering the living room. "So why are you so upset? What happened? Didn't you two make up?"

"What happened is that she came by the apartment yesterday evening and I wasn't alone!" Jurina interjected, frustration washing over her.

"You weren't alone? Wait. Don't tell me you had invited Nana over?!" Mayu's expression changed to consternation when she saw the embarrassment on Jurina's face. "I thought you said you weren't going to see Nana again? You really couldn't keep it in your pants, could you!"

"I thought Rena had rejected me, remember?" Jurina retorted, a mixture of anger and hurt flashing through her eyes. "I was trying to get over her but it wasn't working!"

Mayu remained silent for a little while, her stupor progressively giving way to understanding at the vision of her best friend's disarray. "I know," she murmured, acknowledging the difficult time her best friend had been going through lately. "So, I figure she saw you two together and it didn't go so well?" Mayu winced, receiving a small nod in return as she approached the table. "Okay, I'm sorry to hear that. What are you going to do now?"

"There's nothing else to do..." Jurina said, glancing back at her in despair. "You should have seen her. She was so mad at me. She will never want to see me again after that."

"You can't blame her for being upset," Mayu admitted, pulling a chair and taking a seat by Jurina's side. "But she made the effort to come and see you," she added, trying to sound encouraging. "That tells a lot about her. I'm sure she will understand if you explain her the whole situation."

"What is there to explain? She knows I've been sleeping with Nana," Jurina stammered, feeling utterly helpless as the harsh reality hit her anew. "She will never... She will never forgive me for this."

"I don't agree," Mayu answered, shaking her head in protest. "I haven't spoken much with her at the club, but when I saw the instant relief spreading across her face when I gave her your address... I could tell you really meant something to her."

Jurina smiled bitterly. "Well, obviously not anymore."

"Do you have feelings for her?" Mayu asked, even though she already knew the answer. "Yes, you do. You really like that girl. And not only she likes you too, she also accepts you for who you are. That's why you can't give up yet. You need to give her a chance to hear you out. To fully understand who's really Jurina Matsui."