It looked like the sun was trying to hide itself behind the mountains, and the cold air was finally creating a chill across my skin as a result. A white and cool fog had quickly descended on the city. Itâs not strange for something like this to appear in the early morning before dawn, but it is rare for it to settle down at a time like this.Â
âApparently the train is late because some gnomes are puffing on their pipes, but what are gnomes?â
âThe spirits of the earth, it seems the long-standing seal on the gnomes has finally been brokenâŠâŠ If thatâs why the fog is so thick hereâŠâŠwe must quickly sign the contract to appease their wrathâŠâŠ.â
âThatâs awful! Is there going to be an earthquake!?â
âWith a contract with the gnomes, I will shake the heavens and the earthâŠâŠâ
Yuzuriha began swaying her body side to side as if to demonstrate the âshakingâ.Â
âIndeedâ Yuzurinâs boobs are definitely shaking all rightââ
âââ!? N-No thank youâŠ..!â
âUhehe!â
Yuzuriha playfully slapped Honoka. They look like theyâre having fun. Although it goes to show that Honokaâs a pervert even if sheâs not gropingâŠâŠ
The delay wasnât for very long, and in a few minutes the train pulled into the station. The three of us leaned on one side of the train, watching the abnormal sight of the setting sun diffused through a foggy sky.Â
It wasnât until the wheels finally started to turn and the train got on its way that I was able to sit back and relax. Meanwhile a wide smile spread on Honokaâs face as she looked at each of our faces.Â
âYahahaâ. I had a ton of fun todayââ
âI think it was a little too busy donât you?â
âWassatâ? Are you saying it wasnât any fun being with me!?â
âYeah yeah, it was funâ
I patted my hand on Honokaâs head to calm her down, and she started giggling. She might always be causing a ruckus, but today wouldnât have been so memorable without her. I tried expressing those feeling through the gentle pats on her head.Â
âOnly Honoka is unfairâŠ..pat me tooâŠâŠpleaseâ
Huh? Staring at me for a second, Yuzuriha soon put her head out for me. Are both of you natural little sisters who like having your heads patted? Thatâs cute.Â
In contrast to the healthy, energetic Honoka, Yuzuriha is more reserved and has that âneed to protectâ air to her. Her blundering and numbskulledness just amplifies the cuteness. But the relationship between us almost feels like a master and her servant? Or maybe itâs closer to an owner and her pet. I donât mind doing what she says, but even if she and Honoka are both airheads, there are parts of her I canât read unlike Honoka.Â
The three of us talked about this and that as the train rolled and shook, but whenever the train came to a complete stop at a station, we would pause whatever we were talking about until it started going again. I would pick up the bags of books off the floor to get them out of the way and set them down again when everyone got settled. The bags were so jam-packed it was impossible to completely close them. Because of that, anyone walking past could easily see the covers depicting different girls kissing each other if they looked, so I had to work to cover them up with my body. Geez, itâs like Iâm hiding contraband here.Â
Over the speakers we heard it announced we had reached the next station as the train started to slow down. The inertia pulled us all back, but since I weighed as much as two people with the added luggage, I kept the other two from falling overâŠâŠto be clear, itâs because of how petit these two are that this is possible. I donât weigh that much on my own either.Â
âOooh, thanks Yuu. But, weâll be saying our goodbyes soon.â
âFarewellâŠâŠ.serenade of sadnessâŠâŠ.â
âI suppose soâ
I thought back over our busy, bustling day. As I did, an important question popped into my mind.
âAre the two of you going to be able to carry all these books on your own when Iâm gone?â
âAhâŠâŠ.â
Their mouths fell open when I asked the question as if they never considered that problem before. CuteâŠâŠ
âThatâs gonna be a bit difficultââ
âIf each of us takes halfâŠâŠ.â
Saying that much, Yuzuriha tried lifting one of the bags by herself,Â
âMy arms would fall offâŠâŠ.â
âThe bag might tear tooâŠâŠ.itâd be a huge mess!â
Honoka narrowed her eyes, wagged her finger, and smiled.Â
âBut itâs fineâ! This is why taxis exist!â
âIsnât that a waste of money?â
âHeh, donât take us lightly. We have the money to burn!â
âHereâ
Making a big show of it, the two of them slowly set down their bags and grandly showed off the hundred dollar bills they had lining their wallets. âŠâŠ..The power of money is something to be feared.Â
âW-Well, I guess extenuating circumstances warrant special solutions.â
âThatâs rightâ Convenient things are meant to be used!â
âItâd be a wasteâŠâŠif we didnât use itâ
âWeâd be in the wrong not to use it at this point!â
âS-SureâŠâŠI guess that makes sense.â
Iâm incapable of fully understanding the thought processes of up-to-do young ladies. But, perhaps this is the correct solution for two girls as small as them.Â
âWe shouldâve used a taxi when we were walking around town tooââ
âWouldnât we have to call it every time we stopped at another store? Thatâd be a hassle.â
âHow-ev-er! Thatâd be boring! Thatâs why walking is the best!â
She pretended not to hear what I was saying. What a free girl.
âAnd we wouldâve had to walk to the taxi stands anywayâŠâŠâ
âAhâŠ..thatâs trueââ
She really is an airheaded girl.Â
âShould I help you carry these to the ticket gate?â
âNon, non! Thatâd be bad, so please refrain!â
âNo thank youâ
Once again Honoka made a big show of wagging her finger in front of her face, but this time Yuzuriha joined in on the motion. The two of them are too cute.Â
âWith our powers combined, I can guarantee that nothing will happenââ
With that, Honoka bent down and grabbed the bags from below. She then made eye contact with Yuzuriha.Â
âCome, Yuzurin!â
âHonokaâ
A combination maneuver where Honoka holds up the bottom of the bags while Yuzuriha holds on to the handles, thus dispersing the weight between them. But when setting the bags up like thisâŠ..
âI suppose the bags probably wonât tear if you carry them like that.â
âItâll be hard to walk like this thoughâ Fuehehe, but itâs the two of us! Our very first collaborative work! We got this!â
it becomes clear to anyone walking by that these bags are filled with yuri books.Â
âI see. Well, be carefulâ
âThe next time we see each otherâŠâŠwhenâs that going to be?â
âSometime in eternity, when fate decrees we shall see each other under these stars once againâŠâŠâ
âOoh! Are you talking about a midnight rendezvousâ?â
âIt is our destiny to meetâŠ..beyond the river of anarchic starsâŠâŠâ
âDonât be so dramatic. Weâll see each other tomorrow.â
These kids are one for strange goodbyesâŠ..but the train door slid open before I could really say anything more. The other passengers lined up to file out with Honoka and Yuzuriha quickly joining them.Â
âSee yaâ!!â
âFarewellâ
âMm, bye byeâ
With a final good bye, they stepped out onto the platform. The doors closed again soon after, and the train began to run. Out of nowhere, a small twinge of loneliness stabbed me in the chest. But then I looked outside the window, and there the two of them were running along the platform while waving to me. The two bags of books they set on the ground behind them looked like they were about ready to spill out.Â
âFufu, how cuteâ
I smiled alone and mumbled my thoughts aloud. Iâm incredibly lucky to have met such nice girls as them.Â
I enjoy my time with Saki and Ranko as well, but itâs a different kind of fun when Iâm with them. Honoka and Yuzuriha are the playful types. You could file them in the exact opposite category of the mature Saki and Ranko.Â
Obviously Iâm still aiming for all of them to join my yuri harem. Judging by what happened today, arenât I in a good position, at least on the friendship front? This might be me feeling an unjustified confidence because of their shared interest in yuri material, but I will continue to slowly work my way into their hearts while making sure everyone remains good friends.Â