On the Outskirts of Minazuki

Part 3 - END

Me and Shii-chan were separated by the train station, located in the center of this city. She lived in the northern area while I reside further south. When we visit each others' homes, we need to get past the railway tracks; mostly on the bicycle since it'd take too long on foot.

The brightly shining sun was no longer; its once sweat-producing rays dimmed few notches as evening came.

I waited for Shii-chan. She seems to be in a rush 'I'd be here quickly on a bike' she said. She bewildered me when she invited me to place we hadn't visited since childhood; I kind of forgot 'bout it by the time we're in middle school. The hectic school schedules; club activities—well, that's a lie since both of us were only ghost members, Shii-chan had part time job though.

Oh yeah, there's also the homework and other household chores—dunno bout Shii-chan though. It wasn't a pleasant topic to bring about when we're usually stressed out. We mainly talk about fun things like anime, games, tv shows, movies and such right now. I didn't realize we had drifted apart from the things we use to do during our free time.

In grade school, it's pretty lax; probably 'cuz it's out in the boonies--as compared to the bustling Hirameki city. We had a lot of time to play around; as a result, by the time middle school came cruising, reality hit me like a brick. A lot of stuff happened and during my free time, I had to study hard so I wouldn't be left behind. Shii-chan didn't seem to have any problem following the lessons; I really envy her. I wish my brain was smarter so I could play games and fool around more.

"Hey." in midst of my pondering while I waited on the front porch, I seem to hear the sound of a bicycle braking along with the voice I've become too accustomed to. My eyes were closed due to sleepiness I felt while gazing at this peaceful scenery.

My eyes finally jolted up as she gave my shoulder a pat. As light entered it, I saw her so close to me; the next moment I felt a peck from her blossoming pink lips on my cheeks.

"Wha...what's that for!" the amount of heat rising to my face was so intense, not to mention my heart was pounding like crazy. To outright kiss me just like that--it's so strange. What's up with her? She might tease me often but never this bold.

"I'm just dying to see what face you'd make." again, she let out a playful smile which nearly made me lost control. It seems her advances earlier roused my desire for her, especially when it reminds me of the dream last night; add that with her teasing me the whole day.

It's just so strange; we're both girls--I just couldn't put my head on it.

I sat there silently, slumping my head over her carefree demeanor; seem like no pressure ever weighed on her. Maybe it's due to my gloomy expression, she stepped back a bit. Walking back and forth up front and stealing glances, her face seems to darken.

Come to think of it, even if we both could go in further than just friends—something which made my heart race—what should I say to the people around us? I didn't want them to think we're a bunch of weirdos—more exactly—I didn't want Shii-chan to be left alone because of me.

"Hey, you still have it? Geez, you spaced out too much."

"Ah." I immediately got up and brought back a guitar case. I still kept it in my room as always.

There's the acoustic guitar I use to play every time I'd feel like venting out.

Xxx

The bicycle rode below the evening sky; its sunrays didn't sting, instead of giving a mild warmth to cheer me up. The chilly breeze blew against my face, it gave me a good boost over this gloominess. I bask in this comfortable wind and the evening sunlight while Shii-chan kicked the pedal. Hugging her firm waist, a sense of security and a bit of arousal enveloped me. It was so firm without any excess fat, her muscles were also packed—she's so cute.

It seems when I was a bit touchy-touchy on her waist she kinda screw-up her pedaling a bit—or was it when I giggled? That might just be my imagination.

We rode fast toward the northern part of Minazuki, passing the train station and we brought taiyaki along the way. Our destination's not so far it reached the forests—just a bit further back. The rows of trees blanketing the area; the fields of lush grasses within sight and the glistening body of water at the center; connected by rivers from its sides. A good place to isolate yourself from nature.

Upon arriving, memories from the past rushed forth as we sat near the lake and chatted away, I unlocked my guitar case, quickly tuning it by ear—years of practice made me able to do so, although the notes weren't exactly perfect pitch it still sounds pretty nice in my ears.

I played soothing tones while we spoke together instead of the Rock songs like usual; the scenery of her currently hurling pebbles toward the lake, causing an array of ripples to form, in such shape one couldn't help but be mesmerized. At that point, I stopped playing the guitar and focused at Shii-chan, adoring the waves of her creation.

"Ko-chan, do you remember?"

"Yup, the memories of this place came by like it was yesterday. Thanks for inviting me here again just before we went back from the station. The taiyaki was delicious as usual, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

At some days I felt like picking the same flavor as her, but today I picked a different one.

She gave me a simple smile while saying 'it's alright' which filled me with guilt.

The pebbles tossed onto the lake, huh...

...

Few days after my first meeting with Shii-chan, I felt a presence stabbing onto me; emanating from her. At times I thought, was there something which made her dislike me so much? No, actually this wasn't focused solely on me, but it somehow felt a lot colder towards me rather than the others. Maybe since I was the one who intently stared at her during her first day.

Why's she so angry? I didn't know for sure. During that day, I went home with mixed feelings of sadness and anxiety. Every time I felt gloomy, especially after I got bad grades and got bullied by my classmates, even so, when I became the laughingstock from doing silly things in the class, I pedaled my bike towards this place in the outskirts.

This time I was upset since she was so mean.

It's a place suited to be alone and ponder about many things. When the sun already set, that's when I went back home for dinner. My parents understood my intents—well they're actually the one who taught me about this 'hideout'. They often came here to gather some inspiration.

Sometimes I brought the acoustic guitar Dad gifted me, which at first seem too big for the grade-schooler me. Even so, it sounds really nice and the wooden handle fit firmly when I held it against my body. It's like I became someone lot bigger and tough compared to the frail-looking little girl I was.

On this exact day where Shii-chan glared with intense coldness during school, I passed through a spacious residence. Previously, the place was unoccupied, but now I could hear loud shouting from within. The screams of a little girl and the angry lashing from a grown man. The noise of a glass-like object breaking resounds loudly from the same direction. I was really anxious at that time but then I just decided—none of it was my concern.

The girl's voice did seem familiar, but seeing as I passed it quickly, I couldn't place the pieces together.

I continued pedaling away onto the lake, hoping what I heard just now were just a trifling matter which would be resolved quickly between them and I have no right to butt in.

As usual, upon arriving, I didn't play the guitar right away. I sat there watching the calm lake and occasionally toss a pebble and watch the ripples form, although it's not as beautiful when she did it.

I picked up my guitar and began playing energetic songs my father taught me. I still couldn't play some chords right, but at least I could do it while singing along.

Maybe around half to one hour later, I heard footsteps coming from further away and there she was.

With her boyish look of casual shirt and pants, plus bruised, beaten up face, she didn't look like a girl at all. Yet, looking at her at that time, she was so downcast like a glass about to shatter.

She quickly brushed what happened but I could see traces of tears in her eyes. Shii-chan quickly turned towards me with a subtly muffled voice with a tone that seems to say 'if you told me I was crying, I'd beat you up'.

"Hey, what kind of song you play? It's weird as hell."

"Uh...it's rock music. My Dad taught it to me so I could play it whenever I want to vent out all my frustrations."

With a simple 'oh' Shii-chan sat beside me.

"I wish I could be free..."

I stopped my playing a bit when I heard her muttering under her breath, seemingly on the verge of tears.

Even if she was really boyish, the way she cried just now, a visage of a young maiden, even more, frail-looking than me was projected into my eyes.

"I had enough of this treatment from that old fart. I'm very sorry—I had to hold in my anger at home. If I lashed out when he's around he'd beat me up again."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Why? What did you do wrong? I don't think it's right for your parents to hit you, especially if you're a girl! My parents never beat me. Sure they scold and punish me sometimes, but they didn't do so to vent their emotions at their child!"

"Like hell I'd know, he said that's how he was brought up. Back then, both boys and girls were grounded in some ways indeed."

...

This was probably the first time I felt so angry in my life, on something that shouldn't be my business in the first place. I knew I said so myself, but seeing her getting abused, I just, couldn't leave it be. At first, I left it be since I thought it wouldn't be that bad--to think it was even worse than I imagined.

I pedaled my bicycle with her on tow, who firmly held onto my guitar case. My rage escalate further when I notice the 'bruise' that was subtly apparent all over her body when we got down the bike.

I didn't know what I did, or more like—I couldn't believe I end up doing such a thing. Maybe playing too much Rock music and getting influenced by its rebellious lyrics had gotten itself to me. I slammed Shii-chan's front door open, with her unexpectedly feeling down and freezing in place. It's so unlike her domineering attitude at school.

Right behind the door, appeared a middle-aged man with a tall and muscular posture, he looked so scary as he glared daggers at me and it was especially cold towards Shii-chan.

Even so, I shouted many things I could—I really didn't remember much. I just remember, Shii-chan's dad actually stood there dumbfounded when I raised my middle finger and shouted on top of my voice:

"Fuck you!"

Damn it, such an embarrassing memory, though it's not as embarrassing as this one:

"Uncle, if you don't stop hitting your own daughter for things she didn't understand, I will marry her instead! I'd take her away from you, forever so you won't be able to hit her!"

Before her Dad could register what happened, I brought Shii-chan away towards my home. We stayed together for a few days before things settled down in her family.

That was the starting point before the townspeople start calling us a 'married couple' although we're only just two girls who spent a whole day together, every day.

It's after Shii-chan were acquainted with my family, especially my Mom, she learned to act more girlish and changed her image as we spent days together. It probably also contribute greatly to how I always treat her like a girl from that moment on.

She became so beautiful in such a short time, the boys didn't even want to pick a fight with her anymore, they even confessed to her left and right. Of course, she rejected them all, else I wouldn't be with her all day in the past.

Although it took a while for her to warm up, both the boys and girls all began to like her. She was very smart and extremely talented in a lot of things.

Even in grade school, there were girls who confessed to her, mostly due to how cool she was in her boyish look.

Shii-chan's relationship with her Dad also got better as she'd become feminine. It all went well when her mother quitted her job at the capital city's hospital and went to open up her practice in this small town.

It was really awkward when I later found out, her dad didn't actually 'beat' her up but it was Shii-chan's way to say her parents yelled at her. Those bruises were from when she got into a big fight on that same day and sent many kids to the hospital. Her father was very upset, he had to pull out many strings so she wouldn't drop out of school.

He lashed out in frustration to her daughter's out of control attitude but the said person also had enough of his lectures. Too preoccupied with daughter's tantrum, his hands knocked on the glass on the table, which results in the shattering noise and Shii-chan took it the wrong way--she ran away from home.

It became the joke of the town when her Dad, impressed with my guts earlier by standing up to someone scary af like him—he actually proposed for me to be her husband. My words earlier, especially the part of 'punishing her for things she didn't understand' had given him a wake-up call.

Deep down, I truly was grateful. If Shii-chan's Dad were offended by my words, it'd be awkward to visit her house or even pass it by. I really didn't think that far ahead.

That aside, her mom also approved of me, but she sometimes doted on me too much, saying 'to think the husband would be a cute loli or something.' Is she a lolicon or something? At a distance, I thought I saw Shii-chan and her Dad nodding.

Well, even though it's practically a lesbian marriage, since we're just little kids nobody seems to take it seriously.

Even with all those positive changes happening all around her, she always came clinging to me. It's like she couldn't live without spending the whole day together.

Maybe it's true, that we're just like a married couple.

Xxx

"Shii-chan."

"Ko-chan?"

Lying down beside the lake, within this tranquil scenery, there's something welling up in my heart, which I must express.

"I had something to say."

"About your dream last night?"

"How did you.."

"Last night, I also had a dream."

A wide-open sea.

The prince and princess riding a white horse, yet they're still in their adolescence.

The horse rode through the water, floating atop its surface. It stopped on an island with a lake. When the prince and princess got back on foot, they were enveloped by lights; turned into a pair of little girls. One looks like Shii-chan while the other was me. Who was the prince or princess, she didn't know since before turning to girls, they were faceless in her dream.

As for my dream, it was Shii-chan telling me that she desired me. Her prince-like gestures suggest to me, she'd be the prince of her own dream. After that, as if there's an unknown force separating us, she went further and further...until I couldn't see her anymore.

That's how I woke up, drenched with tears.

"I had a similar dream, but it's apparent you're the prince."

I didn't exactly lie, I just didn't tell the whole truth.

Shii-chan replied with a smile.

"Likewise. I also think you're my prince, Ko-chan. The way you handled my old man from that time were so manly."

"Uuuu..."

Now I couldn't help but imagine myself as the prince since she totally had the look of a princess right now!

...

"Hey, Shii-chan."

"What?"

"We'd always be together, right..."

"I don't know."

We rested our flesh atop the soft meadows, lying side-by-side. Holding hands together, we gazed upon the darkened sky. I turned my face at her and by the time our eyes met, I couldn't help but blink a bit as orange rays enveloped her whole figure. It's like she turned all seductive; I want to hold her.

"Ko-chan." for a bit, she stood up and went on all fours toward me; her stare seem to delve deep—did she noticed my perverted thoughts?

"W-what is it..." while she stared at me with such longing, I couldn't help but turn my face sideways. In anticipation, I tried my best to met her eyes.

"So cute."

Sometimes she did call me cute, but her eyes never sparkle so much.

The next moment, sensations of burning warmth enveloped my lips. She went on top of me, with both her hands on support, else our bodies would press together. Still, a part of her weight, especially her large chest were against mine, it made my body temperature rise, causing me to pant and sweat all over.

Yet, the part intensely burning was my face; her hot breath inside my mouth, alongside her staring so close--it's like my entire world were the shape of her beautiful irises. Not to mention, the softness of her lips against me; it let out incredible sensation--I might become addicted.

Shii-chan, you're so cruel—not only you stole my first kiss, you...

Well, at the very least...I felt happy—somehow. Why? Um...I don't know. I couldn't explain it with words. After she pulled her face away and seeing her angelic blushing face. It seemed mine was just as red—it's all her fault.

"Ko-chan, d-don't misunderstand...it's just a kiss of friendship. Wouldn't it be fine if we..do...do these more often?"

"No, you perv." that's what I said, but seeing her aroused face, my body seems to move on its own.

Before I knew it, I sealed her lips; continuing for a good moment. Under my kiss, her hands seem to lose strength and her weight rested atop me; sharing the heat of our bodies and feeling up our flesh.

In the end, we stayed in this position until we realize how frivolously we just acted. As our lewd thoughts sobered up, it was already time for dinner—and after having the last small talk in this place, we pedaled back to my home before we bade ourselves farewell.

Judging by how Shii-chan subtly bring up that topic whenever she's not focused on pedaling, it seems our 'friendship' did proceed even further.

Maybe to the point of being lovers? Or even a married couple? It's just beginning and I wasn't really smart to think about the future.

I just wish to spend a wonderful time with Shii-chan, always.

..

In the Outskirts of Minazuki - FIN