User blog:Ship Captain You/Through Sun, Rain and Snow - UmiEri

Walks along the beach at daybreak. Dancing in the rain. Sunset partings. Phone-calls in the snow. Those were the things that had left her deeper and deeper in this quagmire they called love.

“Eri, why do you work so hard for μ’s?” The sand was still cold beneath the blue-haired archer’s bare feet, slippers abandoned miles behind as she followed in her senior’s footprints.

“Hmm? At first it was because I loved the school. Despite all the pressure and expectations getting to me and confusing me with all sorts of obligations, deep down what I felt was that I really wanted to protect this place. But then, it came to be just because I loved all of you…" Her voice trailing off, Eri paused in her steps without turning, staring off into the distance.

Behind her, Umi couldn't quite understand just what sort of future her senior was looking at.

“And lately, maybe that reason has narrowed down just a little more,” Eri concluded with her head looking back over her shoulder, one eye closed in a mischievous wink.

The sun’s dawning rays falling upon that head of golden-blonde hair was possibly the most glorious thing Umi had ever seen.

It was in the middle of summer’s rainy season, when Umi found Eri alone at the shoeboxes.

“Oh, Eri. Are you heading home?”

Her eyes scanning over the rows of umbrellas neatly lined up in the rack, Eri let out a helpless sigh. “Yes but… I think someone took my umbrella by mistake.”

“Are you certain? Maybe we should look for it together?” Umi wasn't sure why, but she felt her heart start to beat just slightly faster.

"No, it's alright. I know where I left it and it's definitely gone. Maybe I could- no... I'll just have to run home."

"In this rain?" Her tone incredulous, Umi shook her head while she reached for her own umbrella. "We have a live this upcoming weekend, Eri, and I'm not taking the chances of you falling sick. I'll walk you home."

"That's..." Lips pursed in consternation, the third-year seemed caught in a dilemma. "Well, it's not very senior-like of me, but I'll have to accept. Thank you, Umi."

...

Drip. Drip. Drip. The rain wasn't particularly heavy, but its ubiquitousness during the rainy season along with an outbreak of influenza meant that it was far too easy to fall sick. Or at least, that was what Umi was trying desperately to convince herself with.

''I'm just being a good friend. I'm not doing this for any other particular reason, the very thought of such is outrageous-- But then again, wasn't there that image about being together with your lover under an umbrella having a special feeling--''

Trying to avoid a puddle, Eri pushed closer to Umi, sending the archer's well-disciplined mind into a fuzzy blank.

"E-Eri?!"

"Hmm?"

"A-ah, nothing..." Ashamed of herself for overreacting, Umi found her face flushing red against her control.

"Are you sure you're okay, Umi? You look really red. Are you coming down with something? Jeez, and you were the one who insisted on taking care not to fall sick." Seizing the umbrella handle from Umi's grasp, Eri took a closer examination of her junior. "How are you feeling?"

"Feeling? Not a special feeling-- ah, no, what am I saying--"

Frowning, Eri stopped Umi from walking with her free hand, and brought their foreheads together. "You really do feel a bit warmer than usual. Maybe we should go to a doctor instead?"

Umi's mind overloaded.

"Ahhhhhh!" Jumping out from under the umbrella, Umi's face twitched uncontrollably as she flailed about wildly. "I'm totally fine! No need to worry! Look I'm all okay and really not sick and I'm so healthy I could dance--"

"Umi."

"I'm really okay I swear-"

"Umi."

"... Yes?"

"Get back under the umbrella."

At that point, Umi no longer knew whether her face was redder from the touch earlier, or Eri's almost-imperceptible smirk hidden beneath her droll facade.

The sun was barely hovering over the horizon, just faintly visible in the distance amidst Tokyo's cityscape.

"Do you really have to go?" Against the background hubbub of Tokyo's central train station, Umi's voice was barely raised above a whisper. This can't really be happening.

"Umi, we've been through this a thousand times. Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto has the technological resources I need. I can't stay here in Tokyo."

"But with your grades you could go anywhere! And Tokyo University has a far better ranking!" Unable to confront her emotions, Umi found herself desperately clutching at straws. "I- I won't be able to see you once you leave."

"I know this isn't going to be easy, Umi, but we can always meet up every once in a while. This is important to me."

"But!"

The train pulled into the station in what seemed like slow motion to Umi, every single passing moment precious to her.

"Umi, please. Don't make this any harder on either of us than it already is. I'll miss you too."

"I- I..."

The doors of the train slid open smoothly, businessmen in suits exiting in an orderly fashion even as Umi found her eyes trapped within the other girl's sky-blue orbs.

The moment came. The moment passed.

"I have to go." Drawing the shorter girl into an embrace, Eri's voice was lower than usual when she uttered her final words there. "Goodbye, Umi."

Left speechless, Umi only watched as Eri took hold of her luggage and brought it into the train, with the doors sliding shut shortly after. Running on a tight schedule, the bullet-train began gliding out of the station smoothly. Window after window hurtled past the blue-haired archer, who could do nothing but stare blankly off into the distance where the other girl was disappearing rapidly. Already she knew, that there was nothing but years of loneliness stretching ahead of her.

''In the end, I never got to tell her what I felt about her.

Is this really the future you were looking at back then?''

Snow had come earlier that year, a freak blizzard taking Tokyo by surprise and shutting down most traffic options. Huddled in her university's library, Umi could only thank the gods for central heating and continue poring over her books. It was the finals period in her freshman year at Tokyo University, and she had already spent enough time at her favourite table here to call it her second home. Blizzard or clear weather made no real difference to her.

Still, she had spent enough time for today, and it was getting rather late on a Friday night- Glancing at her phone for the time, Umi was startled to find out it was almost 8pm. Given how early the skies got dark in winter, she hadn't really paid it any heed earlier as the scenery outside turned darker. Now that she was aware of the time though, her body felt the waves of fatigue and hunger crashing down upon her, her stomach letting out a tiny growl that she hoped no one noticed.

Time to get home. Packing up her stuff as quickly as she could, she hefted her bag and left before her stomach could emit more weird noises.

...

Outside, the blizzard had mostly passed over, leaving only a thin layer of snow on every surface that was proving difficult to navigate. Though there were people on the streets with shovels trying to clear the snow, for the most part the roads had been walked over into slush, making travelling from point to point a hazardous affair.

Umi sighed, hefting her umbrella to ward off the remaining light snowfall. There might have been a time when she was able to appreciate the beauty of a snowy city, but quite unfortunately her girlish heart had already been trampled over by the rigours of modern society.

Though a part of her still remembered, a time not so long ago when she had found the snow beautiful enough to write a song about it.

It's strange, this feeling in my chest now...

The memory brought back a faint smile to her lips, even though it was accompanied by a twinge of hurt just as strong. Thinking back to her time as part of μ’s only brought back memories of her beautiful, dazzling senior, who had captivated her heart and never really let go.

Then again, that was fitting, wasn't it? "Shall I name this heartrending pain 'Snow halation'?"

Unable to control herself, she began singing under her breath, recalling the tune and words as though their last performance had just been yesterday.

"I can’t wait for our feelings to resonate"

Umi had never really been able to let go, even as the days gone by. Even as the messages had gotten shorter and more infrequent. Even as holidays came and went without seeing each other, buried in work as they each were.

Did Eri feel the same way? Did she, too, feel the growing desperation and need even as their lives were overtaken by other commitments? Umi had no answer to that question as her feet automatically continued walking down the familiar paths she had always taken.

"It’s frustrating, but it’s a pure-hearted devotion called love"

Did Eri even feel the same way about her? Or had it all been a construct of her own mind?

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone going off, causing her to fumble in her coat pocket to retrieve it. "Hello?"

"Umi?"

No.

"Umi? Can you hear me?"

"I- Eri? What is it?"

"Listen, I... I couldn't take it anymore. I'm on a train over to Tokyo now."

"You what?"

"I'm going to spend the weekend in Tokyo, my train will be there in another thirty minutes. Umi, will you come meet me? We need to talk."

Her heart leaping out of her chest, Umi's grip tightened on her phone. "I'll be there."

Even in this mild fever, I can’t hesitate

Turning around, she began running.

I'll accept the courage to dive in; it's about to start!

The future they had both been looking forward to, was finally about to start.