Minju's Days
DaydreamsMinju’s Days
Day -352
“That’s a really good book, Kim-san.”
Minju looked up as a voice broke her concentration from the book in question. “Huh?”
“That book. It’s good,” a girl with short hair and glasses said as she stood over Minju’s desk.
“Yeah, it is. Have you read it?” Minju asked as she put the book down. Of course, she’s read it. Why would she ask if she hadn’t? Minju wanted to smack herself on the forehead. She frequently tripped over herself when she became flustered. Which, if she were being honest with herself, happened very frequently. It really only took as little as someone she didn’t know talking to her to make her panic.
“Ah, yeah, I’m reading it now and am almost done. I’ve been looking for more books like it. What do you think is similar to it?” the girl asked with a small smile.
“Oh, if you liked this one, I think you’ll really like these… uh, hold on a sec,” Minju tried not to sound or look frantic as she grabbed her school bag. She was sure that she brought other books with her today. Did she forget them at home? She looked up to see the girl patiently waiting. “It looks like I forgot to bring any of my other books.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll come ask you again tomorrow, okay?” the girl asked hesitantly.
“That sound’s great, um, sorry, I’m still not great with everyone’s name, yet,” Minju apologized.
“Miyawaki Sakura. I sit over there by the window,” Sakura said, pointing to the other side of the room.
“Miyawaki-san, I’ll definitely remember to bring them tomorrow,” Minju said, finding herself smiling in immediate response to the other girl’s smile.
After the girl left to go back to her seat, Minju found herself still grinnig. She’d always been the shy type and relied on other people to come and make friends with her. She hadn’t expected this year to be any different, especially since she didn’t know anyone at this school. It took her some time to open up to others. Some people found it awkward when she remained quiet while everyone else talked.
A few others had tried to talk to her since the start of the year, but she’d failed to make any kind of connection with them. She had watched as various cliques started form in the last couple of weeks. There were the popular and fashionable girls, which Minju knew she could probably belong to in terms of her appearance but had very little interest in joining. There was the sport group, which was also a hard pass for her. The otaku group talked in a language she didn’t understand. The academic types looked down on the literary types which she considered herself to be.
Most people who didn’t really fall into these distinct categories usually compromised on something in order to belong. If they didn’t, they were at least more socially adept than Minju was and could find a place within multiple cliques. The rest of the stragglers became loners like she was. Miyawaki Sakura looked to be one of those loners as well. She honestly couldn’t even have said that she knew the girl existed until this very moment.
However, now that she knew the girl existed, she couldn’t think of anything else. The girl seemed to be genuinely interested in being friends and shared similar tastes in books. Miyawaki Sakura. She’ll have to remember that.
Day -330
Minju felt betrayed. She knew it was wrong to think that way, but it was what she felt. She watched with a dejected look as Sakura left the classroom immediately after the bell rung.
Art club? What’s so good about that? Minju had been working up the courage to suggest that the two of them join the literature club together, but somehow couldn’t find the words. Each day she made up another excuse.
Ever since the literature teacher had picked both her and Sakura’s works to be recited as examples for the class, she’d harbored a small dream of the two of them becoming the best of friends. At the moment, she couldn’t even call them friends really. They were still probably just acquaintances, but Minju always felt there was the chance for there to be more.
Minju knew it was silly to get attached to the first person that was nice to her and shared common interests with her. However, whenever she saw the girl, she immediately felt the same happiness the first time she felt when the girl approached her. She had been hoping that she had found someone that could support her and give her the strength she needed to do some of the things that she was scared to do. Like join the literature club.
Although it pained her to think that she needed someone to be her support and to give her courage, she still yearned for that person. Do I really need someone to hold my hand and push me? Minju didn’t answer the question she asked of herself. The answer wasn’t one that liked.
Day -293
“Hello, Kim-san,” Sakura said as she plopped down a whole bunch of books at the library desk where Minju sat.
“Oh, hello, Miyawaki-san. I see you’re borrowing a lot of books again,” Minju said as she started to open each book so that she could process them. She felt a familiar sense of happiness as she recognized each book as ones that she had recommended to the other girl.
“How are you finding being a library committee member?” Sakura asked conversationally while Minju worked.
“Oh, it’s fun. I’ve met a lot of new people. Everyone here likes to read, so we get along very well together,” Minju said as she finished with one book and placed it in front of the girl. She wondered if Sakura got such a giant stack of books just so that she could talk with her longer. But that was just silly thinking. Who would do such a thing just to get a few more moments of talking time?
“I thought for sure that you would have joined the literature club though, since you’re so good at writing,” Sakura said much to Minju’s chagrin. The girl seemed to notice this however and immediately apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest that this is a worse choice or anything.”
“Oh, nothing to be sorry about. I guess I just like reading literature more than writing or critiquing it,” Minju lied. She could feel a wave of negativity start to wash over her as the girl brought up the topic that she had been trying not to think about.
“But you’re so good!” Sakura blurted out.
Minju blinked at Sakura’s sudden outburst and felt the wave of dark feelings scatter in one fell swoop at the girl’s sincerity. “Thanks for saying that. But I just think the library is more suited for me right now.”
“Ah, it’s good that you’re doing what you like,” Sakura agreed.
“Well, that’s all of them,” Minju said, trying to hide her disappointment as she placed the last of the books with the others.
“Right, thanks,” Sakura said and took the books off of the desk. “I guess I’ll see you in class later.”
Minju smiled and waved at the girl goodbye. She let go of a sigh that she’d been holding in. She wondered again as she watched the girl leave what she had to do in order for the two of them to become better friends.
It wasn’t as if the other girl wasn’t doing her part. Sakura listened intently to everything Minju said. She took all of her book suggestions seriously. And, she was one of the few people that seemed to really like her writing. Why then were the two of them stuck in this awkward ‘more than an acquaintance but less than a friend’ relationship?
The problem therefore had to be on her own end. Normally it wasn’t this hard. Someone approached her in friendly like manner. They shared something in common and hit it off. And finally, a new friendship would be born.
With Sakura, Minju felt that if she gave any inkling to the girl that they could be friends, the other girl would jump on it. They would then be friends. Sakura would then find out how wrong she’d been to listen to anything Minju had to say or how she overestimated her writing ability. They would stop being friends.
Stop it! Minju told herself. Not like it ever did any good. No, she couldn’t reach out just yet and accept the other girl’s obvious willingness to be friends with her. Not when she was filled with self doubt.
Day -19
“Kim-san, um, thank you for looking after me this year,” Sakura said, tilting her head forward slightly in a small bow.
“Thank you as well,” Minju said, kicking herself mentally, as she exchanged final formal pleasantries with the other girl.
Minju felt rage at herself as she watched the other girl leave. A whole year. She’d wasted a whole year. Somehow, she’d managed to lie to herself and say that the next day or the day after that, she would reach out and try and become better friends with the other girl. But that day never came. Even now, she could hear her insecurities console her and tell her that she still had next year. And like the weakling that she felt she was, she listened to them again. Next year, for sure.
Day 1
Minju watched Sakura’s retreating back as feelings of contentment washed over her. She’d been feeling a little down ever since orientation yesterday. She’d been a little disappointed when she found her new class was made up of only a few people from the previous year. In particular, there was one name that she was hoping to see on the new class list and her hopes had been dashed when she didn’t see it.
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck her. Not being in the same class as Sakura made her realize just how much of a fool she’d been. Of course, it wasn’t guaranteed that they would be in the same class again. Just like it wasn’t guaranteed that they would still talk to each other after high school. Suddenly the thought of the girl being disappointed in her paled in comparison to the thought that they would remain only as people that went to the same school together.
Just when she had been feeling the most down that she’d ever felt before, Sakura appeared before her at lunch. Even though the school break had only been for a few weeks, just the sight of her was enough to get Minju’s heart fluttering. That’s right. Even if we’re not in the same class, we can still spend time together.
Day 11
Minju wanted to scream with happiness as she lay in bed unable to sleep. She was shocked at how forward she’d been in the morning when she bumped into Sakura. She blushed as she thought about it even now.
How could she have been so brazen as to take the other girl’s photo? Then did she really suggest that she help Sakura learn about applying cosmetics? And finally, what made her suggest that they exchange numbers?
All in all, it was a completely uncharacteristic day for her. Really, it had all started when she had found Sakura walking in the school garden. Seeing the girl amongst nature with her bare face, had struck Minju with awe. She immediately went to her phone to capture the moment. It was from that point on that she felt fate push her metaphorically forward. In the end, she was rewarded for all her efforts with Sakura asking if they could call each other by their first names.
Day 17
Minju watched Sakura greedily as the girl poured over the magazines that she brought to be their reference. She didn’t really believe that the girl needed to change anything. Sakura’s mostly bare face was beautiful in Minju’s opinion.
Minju rarely sat this close to Sakura. She knew she should be looking at the girl critically for the purpose of their practice session tomorrow, but she selfishly used the time to admire the girl instead. Sakura’s eyes were big and expressive. Her jawline was sharp and distinct. Her complexion was flawless. The picture that she had taken the week before was saved as her wallpaper. The girl was extremely cool in Minju’s eyes.
“Um, all of the girls in these magazines look so pretty. It doesn’t feel like I could pull any of these looks off,” Sakura said as she closed the magazine she was looking at.
“You don’t know that. I think you could pull off any of these looks. Why don’t we go with this one?” Minju asked as she took the topmost magazine from Sakura’s hands. It was the one that the girl had been looking at the longest.
“Okay,” Sakura said reluctantly.
Minju wondered if she really were that persuasive or if Sakura was just being nice. Despite how much her suggestions might make the other girl uncomfortable, it seemed like only a few words from Minju were enough to change Sakura’s mind. She found it ironic that while she’d been looking for someone to support her in challenging herself, she had become Sakura’s support.
Day 49
“Oh, hi, Minju-san. Funny bumping into you here,” Sakura said innocently.
Seeing the girl standing there near the literature room while pretending to be just in the area was incredibly funny to Minju. She couldn’t even hold in her laughter as she walked up to Sakura. “It is a coincidence, isn’t it? Your class and art club are on the other side of the school.”
“Ah, you got me. I may have been a little worried when you said you were going to apply at the literature club today. I was thinking I might have overstepped myself when I suggested you try and apply.”
Minju shook her head and smiled warmly at Sakura. “No, you didn’t. I was kidding myself when I said I was happy just reading books and participating as a library committee member. I think you saw that. I’m really happy that you convinced me otherwise. Thanks.”
The cat seemed to have caught Sakura’s tongue as the girl looked down shyly at Minju’s appreciative words.
“Sakura, would you mind visiting me in the library at lunch again? I’d really like it if you looked over some of the stuff I’ve written.”
The girl looked up with surprise. “I’d like that, Minju-s… Minju.”
Minju grinned from ear to ear at the sound of her name without an honorific.
Day 301 (Day 1)
Minju felt nervous as Sakura’s hands moved across her face. Usually, the other girl’s face was the one that was their ‘canvas’ to practice applying makeup on. All of a sudden, Sakura asked if she could try some things on Minju. “How much longer?”
“I’m almost done. Hold on,” Sakura said as she worked patiently and ever so slowly on Minju.
Minju closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. Seeing Sakura’s intense gaze on herself was doing a number on her heart. Closing her eyes did not help much as she felt the girl’s delicate hands continue to touch her face so intimately. She reopened her eyes to see Sakura smiling proudly. “Is it done?”
“Yeah, what do you think?” Sakura asked as she picked up the compact and turned it around so that Minju could see herself in the mirror.
Minju caught her breath as she looked at herself. Sakura’s administrations went beyond just applying makeup and became art. Her eyes shone with glittering sparkles. Her lips looked striking with its deep red color. Her skin was nearly white with just a hint of color in her cheeks. The contrasting colors made ever thing explode with vibrancy. “Uh, I don’t think I can go to class like this.”
“I know. I just wanted you to see what I see when I look at you,” Sakura said shyly, but strangely confident sounding.
Minju felt her already pounding heart speed up even faster. She could sense what was coming. In the past, there would have been an accompanying sense of dread. But as she looked at Sakura, she no longer felt fear at being exposed to the other girl. Rather, she welcomed it. She wanted the girl to know the ugly side of her along with the impossibly beautiful her that Sakura saw.
Day 2128 (Day 1828)
Minju looked at herself in the mirror and smiled wickedly. Did Sakura really think she could get away with talking about other girls in front of her and that she would just take it? Minju picked up the deep red lipstick that Sakura liked and touched up her lips a bit more. Looking at herself again, satisfied with what she saw, she casually left the bathroom.
Minju grinned as she heard a clang and could see Sakura’s face as her jaw dropped quite literally along with the empty metal bowl she was holding. “Oh, Sakura dear, you should be careful with that.”
“Uh, right, sorry,” Sakura apologized and hurriedly bent down to pick up the bowl. When she stood up again, she looked like a girl trying so hard to compose herself. “Are you going to school now?”
“Yeah,” Minju said gleefully as she walked up to the stunned girl. She bent forward and kissed Sakura wetly on the side of her cheek, leaving a stain that she probably won’t notice in her current state of mind. Sakura was hers and she marked her as such. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay,” Sakura replied meekly. Her eyes told Minju that the girl was looking forward to it as she was.
Minju: Was that okay?
Sakura: I’m sorry! I won’t ever switch lanes again!
Nako: I don’t think that’s what she was asking about.
Author’s notes:
Minkkura :P
They had me at day one. I love how Sakura is never afraid to mention how Minju is her one pick. Minju’s response to Sakura’s declaration that they should date was perfect as well. Probably the most even and mutual of all her ships.
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