#bcheddar13

Her arm is gently slapped away, and her favourite person in thisworld returns the hug with a stern look and a gaping distance between them. “Wouldyou please behave yourself on this important day?”

“Umi-chan is so uptight today. What’s the matter?”

“N-Nothing is up,” Umi fumbles, almost tripping on her way out. “Justthought I should check up on you before everything.”

“And you’re done checking me out?” Nozomi giggles, “Do I look goodtoday?”

“Checking up on you. Andyes you d-do look good,” Umi coughs at the doorway, urging her disobedient legsto move in the direction she wished, “Now would you excuse me, I need to bepresent at the ceremony.”

“Are you never honest?” She directs the question at Umi’s fadingback, tracing her outline with her eyes. The door shuts with firmness, leavingher in the silence once more.

“I’m always honest!”

She hears a distant reply from behind the doors, and smilesquietly to herself.

~

In the amidst of celebratory crowds and flashing cameras, congratulatoryspeeches and button exchanges, the person Umi seeks remains missing. A dearsenior who has had Umi’s blazer button before graduation even came, with handsthat never keep to herself; a person she treasured too much.

She couldn’thave left the school.

She wouldn’t.

Her feet bring her back to the club room, more accurately theempty classroom near it, a place the Lilly White used to practice in. Sheslides the door open with mild expectation, and she isn’t disappointed.

Nozomi sits on the ledge, looking out the window with a face ofmelancholy and her tarot cards in hand. The senior is fidgeting, almost likethe first time Umi caught her unaware.

“Nozomi?”

“Oh, if it isn’t Umi,” Nozomi smiles, albeit a forced one. “Hereto offer me the rest of your buttons?”

“That smile looks weird on you,” Umi comments, “You know that.”

“What smile?”

“The kind that looks like you’re about to cry.” And her hands areheld like the first time after she cried, in Umi’s warm warm hands. “It’s okayNozomi.”

The kiss is chaste, a soft one on her cheeks and gone as fast asit came.