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For Yuzuha, summers meant endless days helping out at the family business, and a great deal of activity on the Spook Shack forum. Though far from monotone, every summer had largely been the same routine. Up until a few weeks ago, Yuzuha had been prepared for three months of the same old, until New Eridu brought in a mysterious bunny to her doorstep.
Well, not that mysterious, seeing as the girl was the next heir to the great wealth granted by Thymefields’ extensive research. Named Alice, Yuzuha learned a lot about the girl, proving that she was more than her family name. It ashamed Yuzuha a little to see her own judgments almost get in the way of making a new friend.
Alice Thymefield was cute. In a friend way. There just wasn’t a doubt about it. From her unique obsession with symmetry and insistence on remaining ‘ladylike’ even in the face of literal Ethereals, Yuzuha started to somewhat admire her. She clearly had a strong moral code, even if it needed a bit of a push to fully come to realisation outwardly. Yuzuha also knew Alice attended a prestigious boarding school and- initially- thought striking a conversation with her was going to lead to reminders of her own inadequacy. Even with the standoffish manner Yuzuha answered Alice with, the bunny still persisted with talking, piquing the red-haired girl’s interest.
“Don’t you think you’re going a bit overboard?” Manato had asked as the two were finishing a part-time summer event job down in Lumina Square. Yuzuha huffed at the question, setting down the box of banners and redoing her messy hair to get the annoying flyaways out of her face. “Overboard with what, exactly? You don’t have to be cryptic.” Manato gave her a look before turning to grab the other bags of collateral as they packed up the event. “You know… With Alice. You’re being a bit mean, don’t you think?”
Yuzuha grit her teeth and her cheeks flushed with heat. “Oh, am I?” she asked sarcastically. “Well, some tough love should do that girl some good.”
Looking back at it, maybe Manato was right. Yuzuha would admit she had been a bit harsh to the Thiren by instinct, her subconscious viewing her as just another one of those rich snobs who turn their nose up at anyone they perceive as being lower than them. But then she learned of Alice’s more negative obsession with her family name; beyond what doors it could open, and what benefits she could gain just by uttering it in the streets.
“Sometimes I feel like I have the weight of the whole ancestry on my shoulders…” Alice had confessed once. They were staying over at Suibian Temple after Alice had a fright in her accommodations a few hours prior. Both of them were joined by the video store manager Yuzuha had met at her part-time gig at Sixth Street, whose name was Belle. Dawn was to break in about three hours, but the crew hadn’t much to do anyway.
Belle prodded with a tilt of her head, “What d’you mean?” Alice sighed, ears drooping slightly. She recalled the same story Yuzuha had heard before. How she was the last surviving Thymefield, having to take over the family’s projects, wealth, and burdens once she graduated and finished her education. “Which means I have to deal with so many people when the time comes… I’m honestly not ready!” The little monitor on her belt displayed a frustrated emoticon, making Yuzuha smile a little despite the topic of conversation.
Belle’s eyebrows knitted together, “I’m so sorry, Alice. I may not be anybody, but I can be someone for you to lean on if you need it.” she nodded resolutely. Yuzuha watched Alice’s eyes turn watery, “You’d do that?” she squeaked, to which Belle smiled, “Of course! Yuzuha as well, right?”
Yuzuha snapped out of her trance, having been drawn to the unique way Alice’s emotions get additionally conveyed. It was too cute of her to have such a thing, as if her animated nature wasn’t enough. Yuzuha’s dreamy smile dropped instantly as the bunny’s heterochromic eyes landed on her. “H-Huh?! Oh- I… Yeah!... I’m here for you too.”
Alice Thymefield was cute. Perhaps… no longer in a friend way.
Yuzuha had spent a few days without Alice by her side due to some family matters she had to return home to. She was now moping around Belle’s accommodation in the temple, the room much bigger and more airy compared to her house at the moment. Manato knocked and walked in when she called for him. “You gonna lay there all day?” He joked, taking a chair to sit on. Yuzuha groaned loud and heavy from the floor.
“I miss Alice.” Manato chuckled, “It’s only been two days, Yuzuha.”
She scoffed, “Yeah, two days too long.”
“Why do you want to see her so badly? You’ve never been like this about anyone I’ve known. I think this is the first time I’ve seen you this way.”
Yuzuha sat up to glare at him. Then, a thought crawled into her mind. “Manato-”
“God- I hate when you say my name like that. It makes me feel like I’m in trouble.” Yuzuha rolled her eyes, “You’re not, dumbass. But let me ask you something. What do you think about Alice?” The silence stretched as Manato kept his eye on the red-haired girl, thinking that she was out to catch him in a trick of hers.
He proceeded with caution, “I… think she’s really friendly, even a bit shy… S-She’s definitely a great friend?” He winced. Yuzuha groaned again, flopping back to the floor, “I’m not gonna rip your head off if you say anything bad about her, jeez.” He watched her carefully, “That’s not what you’re trying to ask, are you?” Yuzuha lay still for a moment, her thoughts running through her head in a messy stream of noise before her eyes met her friend’s.
“Is it obvious?”
“I’d like to think I know you well enough after all this time,” Manato shrugged, leaning back in the chair. Yuzuha watched him for a beat before speaking to the ceiling. “I think I like her.”
“Really?”
“Is it that hard to believe?!” Yuzuha sprung up from the ground, pink tinting her cheeks. Manato held his hands out in defense, “I-I didn’t say it was bad!” Yuzuha crossed her arms, “I dunno, okay? I just… I think she’s so…” A sharp sigh left her lips as she thought hard about Alice. It really had been a while since she’d enjoyed a summer like this. With that bunny next to her everyday, there always seemed to be a kind of warmth that emanated from the memories when she looked back on them. It was a refreshing change from the colourless monotony from school, for sure.
“She’s really adorable, Manato…” Yuzuha’s voice dropped to a wistful low tone as her vision fixed itself to the cooling straw mat she sat on. “I can’t help but love to be around her and witness her witness the world around her. I feel stupid for feeling like this. She feels like a ball of energy I desperately want but can’t contain for myself.”
Manato let the silence talk for a little longer before responding, “It’s not a bad thing, Yuzuha. You don’t have to feel stupid. You can’t help who you like.” He got up and helped Yuzuha off the floor. “Only time will tell if you just let it happen,” He smiled, to which Yuzuha barely reciprocated with a tinge of sadness. “Anyway, you should head back. Don’t you have dinner to eat?”
When Alice finally returned, it seemed like life came back to Yuzuha in full colour. Belle had been allowed to take Alice back from her family home, and the two were talking animatedly as they came off the cable car at Failume Heights. Yuzuha was waiting at the station with a paper bag of things she bought for Alice. A small part of her regretted not buying something for Belle, too, just to be less obvious. Alas, she had gotten too excited that day.
“Yuzuha!” The bunny Thiren’s sweet voice called her name as they rushed to meet her. “Our dear lady Alice and Belle have returned~” Yuzuha could see the light flush across Alice’s cheeks. The video store manager laughed, “Glad to be back, Yuzuha. Oh my gosh- You should’ve seen Alice in the car, she went pale from the speed and I wasn’t even going that fast!”
Alice’s eyes grew wide, “Still! It wasn’t very nice of you to be speeding like that- Regardless of whether there’s laws or not!” The screen on her belt flashed red with an angry emoticon. Yuzuha giggled, “Would’ve paid good money to see that look on your face, m’lady.”
“This is for you,” she added, suddenly remembering the weight in her hand. “M-Me?!” Alice’s hands flew to her face in surprise. Taking it gingerly from Yuzuha, she peeked into the pale yellow bag to see a bunch of trinkets and other goodies paired in twos. “Manato and I went to Sailume Bay for a pick-up and they were having a weekend market. Decided to pick some stuff for you,” she explained.
Alice looked at her, “Yuzuha… I don’t know what to say. Thank you…” The pink on her face definitely got more noticeable.
Yuzuha was so glad to have Alice back. Instead of dragging her feet around everyday, there seemed to be something new for her to tag onto Alice with, or some new store was popping up in Lumina Square for the two of them to visit. After learning that Tin Master had a bigger branch called Coff Café with a double storey dine-in area, Alice seemed excited to go check it out the next time she and Yuzuha made it to Lumina Square.
That day came soon enough, as Belle insisted the three of them go watch the latest release at Gravity Cinema one day. “But I’m gonna have to go after that. My brother has something he needs to do in the Outer Ring and I gotta give him the car early.” Yuzuha was quick to pipe up, “No worries! Alice and I wanted to go check out the big Coff Café. I heard there’s more options for drinks there.” Belle’s eyes went wide with the realisation that they’d never been, and their lively conversation continued.
The movie was quite good, Yuzuha admitted. It wasn’t her usual genre but it was interesting enough to keep her attention, meaning it was good enough for her. But it meant she couldn’t take part in the hurried discussions Alice and Belle were having as they made their way to the lot where the Random Play car was. “Drive safe, Belle!” she waved. “I hope you don’t speed again, please!” Alice pleaded, genuine worry in her eyes. Belle laughed with a wink, “No promises.”
That left Yuzuha alone with Alice. “To Coff Café?” Yuzuha smiled, “This way, my lady.”
The sun was just beginning to set, and warm hues began to fill the sky. The two sat on the rooftop after collecting their drinks, overlooking a good bit of Lumina Square. It was, of course, bigger than Failume, and Yuzuha couldn’t help but take in all the open space.
Compared to before, the conversation between Yuzuha and Alice was quieter, exchanging soft words coated in sweet teas and cakes. “Bet your people at home can do it better?” Yuzuha lightly joked, digging into a slice of early grey cake. Alice didn’t speak for a moment, frowning instead. “That hardly matters…” she averted her eyes, staring out at the slowly filling streets, looking a bit tired and sad.
Yuzuha held her tongue. “Sorry,” she said after a long while of neither of them talking. Alice finally looked back at her, then gave a saddened smile. “It’s fine, Yuzuha. I was just reminded that you still see me as a certain kind of high-class nobility,” Her voice was soft and weak, like a raindrop hanging at the tip of a leaf. Yuzuha held her breath in case she made that drop fall. “I hope I can be a normal someone to you, instead of someone who needs special treatment…”
If Alice didn't want Yuzuha to tread carefully around her, then that’s what she’ll give her.
That day, Yuzuha paid for the drinks. They went back to Failume Heights to have dinner, which Yuzuha also paid for. “Just for today,” she said to placate a highly embarrassed Alice as they left the diner. The bunny’s ears twitched cutely, her foot incessantly tapping in an attempt to contain her frustration. “You- really don't have to, Yuzuha…”
“But I want to.”
Yuzuha let her feelings control her.
If she caught wind of Alice wanting something, she’d go out of her way to get it or get it done for her. If Alice felt tired, she came over (often unannounced) just to be with her. When Alice felt like getting away from people, Yuzuha brought her to Sailume Bay.
“I love it here…” Alice muttered on a quiet morning, shoes in hand as her toes wriggled in the soft sand. “You ever go to the beach?” Yuzuha asked, sitting on a rock with an elbow balancing her cheek on a knee. She watched Alice with a quiet fondness, longing brewing deep in her eyes that went unnoticed. Alice shook her head, “Not since I can remember with- uhm- with my father… He taught me surfing, then.”
When she found a post on the Spook Shack forum about a low-earning resort that supposedly had ghostly activity in it, she just had to tell Alice. “We could use the Spook Shack funds I’ve been saving up for ages to rent out a few rooms for us and our friends! How about we invite both Belle and Wise? Maybe they’ve got some interesting friends we can meet and invite to the Shack~” Yuzuha grinned. Alice’s hesitance worried her. “My lady?”
“Oh- Yes… Yes we can do that. Do you have enough?” Alice asked. “Oh, I’m sure! We can do some negotiating… Maybe we’ll get just enough rooms…” she trailed off, scrolling the resort page to properly plan her negotiations. “I didn’t pack my swimsuit, though…” Yuzuha heard Alice say from behind her. She waved her hand dismissively, focused on her task at hand, “Eh, it’s okay. I already found one for you in Lumina Square.” She turned around to find Alice’s blushed face and wide eyes looking back at her. “W-What?!” Yuzuha put a finger to her lips with a mischievous grin, “It’s a secret, dear princess~”
Going home that day, she ran into Manato. “Yuzuha! Has Alice been keeping you busy?” He laughed. Yuzuha seemed to shrink into herself, “I have no idea what’s going on anymore. I’m about to rent a whole fucking resort for her.” At this, Manato’s eyes widened in shock and he hurriedly found a quieter area to talk. “You’re gonna what?”
Yuzuha explained her growing feelings for Alice, how she said she wanted to be treated like anyone else. “So I just let my feelings lead me, then. I think that’s what I would’ve done if she wasn’t so special like that.” she sighed. “And I can’t stop calling her nicknames! I thought it was funny at first because she made a cute little face when I’d call her ‘my lady’ or something, and it just stuck, and now I can’t go back!” Manato was just in shock that someone could affect Yuzuha like that.
“You really do like her.”
“I think we’ve been over that part of the problem, Manato.” Yuzuha deadpanned, then dropped her face to her hands. Reality was starting to hit her now. “I can’t believe I said I’d use the Spook Shack funds to rent the place. And I’m going to get her a swimsuit- And I know I’m gonna want to spend more on he-”
“Hold on- You’re buying a swimsuit. For Alice.” Yuzuha’s head shot up, her eyes telling of her frustrations, “Yes. I already said so to her face! I don’t wanna let her down!” Manato stayed quiet, “I hope you’ve got a plan to do something about all this. Are you gonna tell her?” Now it was Yuzuha’s turn to stew in silence.
“One day.”
“It better be soon.”
With help from some of the two Managers’ (frankly, insane) connections, the reputation of the resort took a sharp positive turn, leaving Yuzuha satisfied enough to leave the running back to the hands of Therese and Ege. “You’ve done a lot for us and the resort. Please- Go enjoy the rest of your time here!”
Honestly, Yuzuha was trying to keep busy with the running of the resort just to fill up her schedule and mind. She knew that the empty space would let her thoughts wander into dangerous territory, even if Manato said she couldn't avoid thinking about it forever. A knock came to her room door.
“Yuzuha-”
“Oh- My lady!-”
The two stood in Yuzuha’s room, staring at each other for a beat, as if they were strangers in a wrong-room situation. “I… I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” Alice sadly confessed. A pang of guilt hit Yuzuha like a freight truck. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “Are you… perhaps avoiding me?” Alice’s soft voice full of worry flicked a switch in the other, all alerts in her screaming that she’d just upset Alice and needed to fix it by any means possible.
“N-No! I would never… I just- had a lot to do.”
Yuzuha guiltily went to sit back at the small table in the room, where her laptop was still open. Alice sighed and sat on the bed facing her. “What about you?” Yuzuha asked, peeking a glance over to the bunny’s dejected face. “Just… going around and exploring. Sometimes with Belle or Wise, sometimes- well, most of the time- alone.”
Yuzuha had invited Alice along for this insane project and had left her all alone the whole time. She grimaced, “I see.” She decisively closed her laptop. “Let me take you to dinner.”
“E-Eh?!” Alice made a noise from shock, that unmistakable pink dusting her cheeks already. “Come on! I’m gonna treat you to some food by the beach. Where’s your swim suit?”
Alice’s hands flew to her mouth, “Oh! I… I haven’t taken it out yet…” Yuzuha paused. “Really?” she asked. “What were you waiting for? The whole thing’s beaches and sand, I thought you’d be more excited to wear it!” she laughed. Alice didn’t.
“I was waiting for you.”
Oh. Shit.
Yuzuha gave her an apologetic smile, “Well… I’m here now. So go change. I’ll meet you at the boat bar.”
There wasn’t much to walk, but there was lots to think about. Maybe Yuzuha had been going about it all wrong. It seemed like she was upsetting Alice more than impressing her. She really didn’t know what to do. Maybe confessing would be the worst idea-- Alice probably wasn’t into people who couldn't get anything of hers right.
“Yuzuha,”
“Milady. You’re here.” Yuzuha mentally facepalmed. As if it wasn't obvious. But Alice giggled, “I am.” Then Yuzuha noticed it. “You're wearing the-”
“This is the one you bought, no?”
Yuzuha was stunned into silence taking in the cute pinks of the outfit and the matching ones on Alice’s face. “You look so cute, princess.” She could see the bunny jump slightly at the newfound nickname. “Th-Thanks… Yuzuha… S-So do you!” Yuzuha grinned and did a twirl, “Oh, me?” She felt the epitome of confidence as she showed off her own (somewhat matching) pink swim suit. Alice politely clapped and smiled cheerily. “Why, thank you, milady. Let’s grab something to eat. My treat!”
The two talked until the sky darkened and themed lamps came on at the bar. Taking their unfinished drinks with them, they found a less crowded area of the beach to sit and chat with a bit more privacy. Without the sun to be a bother, the umbrellas above the lounge chairs were removed, revealing a clear view of the stars if they ever decided to look. The nighttime air was crisp and cool by the crashing waves, calmly serenading as background noise. Off in the distance, they could hear the lively chatter of a party and the live band down at the restaurant.
“You can see the hollow so clearly from here,” Alice mumbled, eyes locked onto the pulsing mass just beyond the dock, behind some idly floating boats. It was hard to believe that a resort could be this close to a hollow, even with the current technology at their disposal. “Do you ever worry?” she asked Yuzuha. The red-haired girl sipped her drink, similarly watching the pulsing energy over yonder. “About being swallowed up in a hollow?” She saw Alice nod in the corner of her eye. “Not really. I’d do everything and anything I can before give up. I’d give myself the benefit of the doubt.” Yuzuha turned to look at the blonde bunny. “Wouldn’t you?”
Alice seemed to really think about it. Knowing her family history with the hollows and how their destinies seemed to be intertwined without their knowledge, Yuzuha can sense that Alice was considering the death of her father before saying anything. “The hollows are so scary. We know enough to barely control it and as it stands now, we might not even have as much control as we thought. Then there are all these people trying to make dishonest livings using the hollows to get ahead in life… This just shouldn't be…”
Yuzuha looked downward as she felt Alice’s hand wrap around her wrist, as if to silently apologise for her history. The Thiren’s eyes remained focused on the hollow in the distance. “So close, but so far…” she said. Yuzuha could barely focus on what the other was saying, all of her senses focused on the point of contact where she was feeling Alice’s fingers mindlessly tapping along her arm.
The noises of the waves and other resort-goers loitering around the bars surrounded them amidst their own silence. Yuzuha felt a lot in that moment, overwhelming her enough to shut a part of her down. “Do you not like your drink, Zuha?”
A new nickname. “What?-”
“Oh, you just haven’t been drinking so I thought you didn’t like what you ordered. Forgive me if I was assuming-”
“No… No, Alice-” Yuzuha found her face in her hands again, trying to fight down a laugh of disbelief and frustration. “Alice… Alice… My lady Alice…” Yuzuha could only shake her head with a sad smile on her face. “I really tried to be someone you like, but I feel like I’ve just fucked it all up.”
Alice’s eyes betrayed her surprise at the sudden expletive from the red-haired girl. She had never cursed to or in front of Alice for as far as she can remember. “I… I do like you, Yuzuha. What’re you talking about?” Yuzuha grit her teeth. She could feel the alcohol from her cocktail swirling in her system, making her cheeks burn, alongside the embarrassment. But now was as good a time as any. “Not the way I want you to,” Yuzuha said.
“My lady… Ever wondered why I rarely call you your given name?” Alice paused, “You do around other people though.” Yuzuha nodded, “Exactly. I feel embarrassed. These- These pet names… You’re ‘my lady’, ‘milady’, ‘princess’, but you’re never just ‘Alice’. I honestly thought it was funny to call you these things because you got cutely irked by it. But then I couldn’t stop. So there you became forever ‘my lady’...”
Alice spoke quietly as she shyly looked away, “I wouldn’t say I’m particularly opposed to it…”
Yuzuha stared at her long forgotten drink for a second before turning her full body toward the other girl. Alice’s eyes were ready for whatever was going to come from Yuzuha’s mouth next, mental preparation already taking place. But Yuzuha didn’t know what exactly to say. Something along the lines of how enamoured she is with Alice? How she couldn’t stop thinking about her the moment they met?
The signs felt clear, though. Alice couldn’t possibly like someone like Yuzuha; careless and with a wild drive, a little too crazy and unpredictable for nobility, someone who refused to be tamed by strict etiquette. Yuzuha didn’t feel herself worthy. “I’m not good for you.” Alice scoffed in disbelief, “You keep being cryptic. How should I understand you if you don’t speak about what’s on your mind?”
“I’ve been trying to be someone that you’re impressed by, someone you can feel safe liking, someone who will draw your eye romantically. But all I’ve ever done is fuck up, Alice. Buying you things doesn’t make you like me any more, giving you everything you want isn’t it either. I just- I don’t know what you want from me! I feel so lost when all I want is your approval- Your…” Yuzuha refused to look at Alice. “Your love.”
She was met with the sound of a crashing wave and a loud cheer behind them. Alice had yet to say anything for a minute. Before Yuzuha could drown in her delusions, the other girl’s sweet voice cut through the darkness forming in her mind. “Yuzuha. I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think you’ve had my… love… for a while now.” The red-haired girl’s head snapped up with widened eyes, urging Alice to go on. “I wouldn’t say that you… messed up, ever. I think you just went about it the wrong way. I love you buying gifts and the like, but that really isn't the kind of love I’m looking for.” She took both of Yuzuha’s hands in hers, holding them gingerly. Yuzuha bet she could feel them trembling as she smoothed the backs of them with her thumbs.
“The only thing I ask of you is that you spend time with me, Zuha.” Time. Just as finite as wealth. And the only thing Yuzuha can freely give to Alice. “I love that you want to spend on me- I love that you do so much for me, even with so little at your disposal. But you being able to make big purchases for me is the least of my concerns when it comes to love. You already make me happy without any of the material things of life.”
Yuzuha felt like she could cry, voice wobbling. “So you like me? Even with everything we’ve been through? Y-Your dad… A-And I can barely offer you anything but company, time, and my heart. Is that even worth something to you?” Alice nodded, tears forming in her eyes, “Yes. Yes, Yuzuha; A hundred times more than any material thing in this world.”
Still having doubts, Yuzuha asked, “What- What about your future? Don’t you need to maintain your- your noble line or whatever?” She sniffled. Alice frowned, “If you think I haven’t ever considered this particular portion of my future when I have been going through training to confidently take over the assets of my family, then you’re sorely mistaken, Miss Ukinami.” Her face then softened into a fond smile, “Trust me, Zuha. I’ve thought about this over, and over again.”
She pulled Yuzuha up to her feet, shocking the red-haired girl as she was dragged toward the sea by a laughing bunny. “What’s the point of a swim suit if we don’t use it, Yuzuha?!” Alice shouted, a giddy smile on her face as she sent two handfuls of sea water toward her. The girl flinched away just in time to barely feel the lighter spray of water, laughing. The two felt more alive in the time they played around like little kids in the water, for a moment forgetting responsibilities and adult life awaiting them when the summertime ended. They were just Yuzuha and Alice; no name, no uncertain future ahead of them, no regretful past behind them.
And Yuzuha learned that love was about being in the present.
With a final tackle, Yuzuha managed to get control and hover over Alice’s sitting body, the waves gently lapping at her bunny’s hips. Yuzuha’s knees bracketed Alice, the water splashing to her mid-thigh as she leaned slightly forward to make up for the distance that Alice was leaning back on one of her hands. Yuzuha’s own hands were dripping seawater down her bunny’s shoulders.
A sudden confidence came out of nowhere as Alice decisively placed her hands on Yuzuha’s hips, adding a little pressure to sit her down on her lap. Skin wet with seawater, and warm from the drinks and the night, Yuzuha was burning up from the inside as the reality of the situation hit her. Alice looked so determined and she didn’t want to let her down. Not especially when she looked like this: a beautiful rose colour to her cheeks, barely visible by moonlight and ambient outdoor lighting, wet and slightly undone hair, her bunny ears floppy against her head as she looked at Yuzuha with a barely restrained want in her two-coloured eyes.
“Zuha…” Oh, and that damn nickname she’d been calling her the entire time.
Yuzuha couldn’t deny her bunny what she wanted. This weakness of hers had always been obvious. A soft “My princess…” was the only warning Yuzuha gave before she leaned in to slot their lips together. Alice’s fingers twitched in the hold she had on the other’s waist, hands sliding lower just to elicit a shiver up Yuzuha’s spine as their kiss deepened.
Alice tasted of salt and sweet berries from her cocktail, and Yuzuha craved the sweet taste of her bunny’s little sounds. Her body betrayed how she really felt, almost writhing and twitching at the slightest bit of rough contact. If it was even possible, Yuzuha fell for her even more. She pulled away to give her bunny the praise she deserved, “You’re really so sweet, my lady.” She set some stray hairs out of Alice’s deeply blushing face. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
“I’m just as lucky, if not more, Zuha.” Alice shyly smiled, hands coming up to cup Yuzuha’s face. The red-haired girl chuckled giddily, a release of emotion that’d spent too long locked up in her heart. Right at this moment, she felt ultimate peace and tranquility, like the world outside of the two didn’t even exist. She leaned forward to embrace Alice in a tight hug that should’ve lasted eternity.
They walked back to their rooms in peaceful silence with their hands quietly intertwined. Yuzuha’s mind hadn't been this empty in what felt like forever since she met the Thymefield girl. The smile on her face didn’t disappear until she had to leave Alice by her room door. “Tell me why we didn’t book a room to share again, Miss Ukinami?” Alice asked sarcastically. Yuzuha sighed, “I was going through a gay panic, remember?” The Thymefield giggled cutely as Yuzuha brought her close just to twirl her around and deposit her back in front of her door, holding the back of her hand to her lips. She bowed down and held eye contact with her bunny as she lightly pressed a kiss to her hand. On a trained instinct, Alice curtseyed and they both giggled as she unlocked her door.
Yuzuha waved her in, “Have a good night, my princess.”
“On the contrary, I’ll be seeing you later, Miss Ukinami.”