Sumire lifts her eyes to the ceiling and counts breaths.
She's not as good at deep breathing as the others are. It's something she's been working on, something she's learning to emulate when she watches her upperclassmen. Just Taichi at first, and then the others, Chihaya first and then Nishida, then Oe.
It's Oe her eyes linger on. The way her small mouth purses as she blows a slow, long breath out; the way her eyes with their sparse lashes slip shut as her lungs expand.
Both Sumire and Oe are girlish, but Oe handles it in a way that Sumire with all her late-night aggressive youtube makeup tutorial rewatches can't quite reach. Sumire never grew up learning how to sit seiza, how to tie an obi, how to take small steps, how to lift her wrist when she pours a cup of tea. She learned loudness, not softness. She thinks she could do something about Oe's lashes, easy. Fake lashes, and maybe even contacts if Oe could tolerate them. Oe's mouth is already perfect and pink, and Sumire wonders what it would be like to press a lip gloss brush to her mouth and feel the gentle give of her lips as she makes them shine.
She has to take a second to even her breathing out again. Focus, she thinks. Inhale.
Oe's hand darts upward to tuck a curl of hair behind her ear. Oe can think of a dozen hair clips that would look beautiful there. Oe thinks in kimonos and rich fabrics but Sumire wants to dress those she loves up in glitter and glamour: contouring and concealer, polish lovingly applied to short hardworking nails.
"Oe-senpai," she says. Oe's eyes drift upward from the cards; Sumire has broken her focus. "Will you go to the bon festival with me?"
Her eyebrows lift, but she doesn't respond immediately.
"I'll do our makeup and hair, and you can do the yukata," she adds.
Oe's eyes brighten, and then she gives her a slight smile.
"If you can take ten cards from me, I'll consider it," Oe says.
"You're on," she replies at once, rolling up her sleeves. Sumire can't beat Oe, maybe can't even take those ten cards, but if there's one thing she's good at, it's trying.
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She's not as good at deep breathing as the others are. It's something she's been working on, something she's learning to emulate when she watches her upperclassmen. Just Taichi at first, and then the others, Chihaya first and then Nishida, then Oe.
It's Oe her eyes linger on. The way her small mouth purses as she blows a slow, long breath out; the way her eyes with their sparse lashes slip shut as her lungs expand.
Both Sumire and Oe are girlish, but Oe handles it in a way that Sumire with all her late-night aggressive youtube makeup tutorial rewatches can't quite reach. Sumire never grew up learning how to sit seiza, how to tie an obi, how to take small steps, how to lift her wrist when she pours a cup of tea. She learned loudness, not softness. She thinks she could do something about Oe's lashes, easy. Fake lashes, and maybe even contacts if Oe could tolerate them. Oe's mouth is already perfect and pink, and Sumire wonders what it would be like to press a lip gloss brush to her mouth and feel the gentle give of her lips as she makes them shine.
She has to take a second to even her breathing out again. Focus, she thinks. Inhale.
Oe's hand darts upward to tuck a curl of hair behind her ear. Oe can think of a dozen hair clips that would look beautiful there. Oe thinks in kimonos and rich fabrics but Sumire wants to dress those she loves up in glitter and glamour: contouring and concealer, polish lovingly applied to short hardworking nails.
"Oe-senpai," she says. Oe's eyes drift upward from the cards; Sumire has broken her focus. "Will you go to the bon festival with me?"
Her eyebrows lift, but she doesn't respond immediately.
"I'll do our makeup and hair, and you can do the yukata," she adds.
Oe's eyes brighten, and then she gives her a slight smile.
"If you can take ten cards from me, I'll consider it," Oe says.
"You're on," she replies at once, rolling up her sleeves. Sumire can't beat Oe, maybe can't even take those ten cards, but if there's one thing she's good at, it's trying.