[Persona 3] Hanging Bitter in the Air (Yukari, Junpei)

[lassarina]

Characters: Yukari, Junpei
Rating: G
Contains: Endgame spoilers
Wordcount: 621
Notes: N/A
Betas: N/A
Summary: Yukari slips out to remember, on Graduation Day

Yukari slips out the side door by the persimmon tree and takes a deep breath as she steps beneath the cherry trees planted beside the school. The trees aren't in full bloom yet, but the smell of spring is fresh in the air despite the chill breeze--much better than the mixed scents of perfume and sweat and too many people thick inside the gym. She should be in the gym listening to Chihiro-san give her graduation speech--who would've thought that the shy, stuttering Chihiro who hid in corners would be as poised as Mitsuru-senpai this year?--but she can't. She can't bring herself to go up to the roof, either. The memories are a little too close there.

There's a portion of the cherry orchard that's positioned just right so you can't be seen from inside the school if you stand there, and Yukari makes her way to it. The bitter reek of cigarette smoke still hangs in the air, testament to the relative safety of this spot. She leans back against the trunk of the cherry tree and closes her eyes. If she concentrates really hard, she can call up the feeling of Minako's hand in hers, and the smell of cherry lip gloss. Tears sting her eyes, and she clenches her fists. It's not fair, but she can't help being angry that Aigis was the last one to talk to Minako. She's jealous, a little, but she's also furious with herself--how could she forget? Aigis didn't forget, but Yukari spent that last month she could've had with Minako carelessly ignoring the girl she thought she barely knew, the weird one who was too quiet and wrapped up in techno music and getting perfect marks and excelling in every club it was possible to join at Gekkoukan. She'd jeered with Junpei about how Minako was perfecting the method of How to Become Mitsuru Kirijo in One Year or Less. The memory of her own scorn is bitter in her throat, like the acrid remnants of smoke.

It's another perfect day, just like a year ago. The sky is blue as a postcard and the only clouds are decoration, not threat. According to the app on her phone, it's a new moon, but she looks for it anyway, wondering if Minako is there somehow.

"Heyyyyyy, Yuka-tan!" Junpei shouts from behind her, and she jerks away from the tree, startled. He's grinning as he jogs towards her, waving.

"Shut up, Stupei!" she hisses. "We'll get in trouble!"

"What are they gonna do, give us detention?" Junpei laughs like he's just said the funniest thing in the world, which he probably thinks he has. He stops when he gets closer. "Hey, Yuka-tan, are you crying?"

She scrubs her hands over her face and is glad she didn't wear makeup today. "No," she says, even though it's an obvious lie.

He nods and leans on the tree like she had a minute ago. "Yeah, I know," he says, suddenly much less ebullient.

He doesn't say anything else, just stands there with her in the last minutes of their time at Gekkoukan High, until a change in the cold spring wind brings the scent of cherry blossoms to overpower the lingering smell of smoke, and Yukari shivers.

"C'mon, Chidorita and I were gonna go to Hagakure," Junpei offers. "I think Fuuka's coming, too."

Part of Yukari wants to yell at him, almost more out of habit than anger, but she thinks maybe under the brim of his cap his eyes look a little red, too, and she nods instead. "Yeah, let's go."

Funny, how they still walk far enough apart for Minako to be between them, even now.

Comments

[thenicochan]

Fair enough!