Summary: The last time Juri fell in love, it ruined her friendship with Shiori.  Now she's got feelings for Miki and doesn't want to make that mistake again and starts avoiding him.  Juri X Miki.

Miki looked around at the dorm before him, checked the paper in his hand.  “Miki!”  He looked up and saw a pair of older girls running up to him.  “What are you doing here?”  They had excited beaming looks in their eyes.

“Oh, I'm looking for Miss Juri's dorm room.”  She'd been to his dorm room many times before, but this was the first time he'd returned the favor.  “You wouldn't happen to know where exactly it is?”  He had the room number and directions, but every little bit helped.

“Oh.”  The girls sounded distinctly put out.  “We should have known.”  They looked at one another a moment, turned back to him.  “You go inside and head down the right wing, you can't miss it.”

“Thank you very much.”  He bowed to them, that seemed to lift their moods a little.

“No problem Miki.”  The girls said, standing rather close to him.  “If you ever need help from us on anything else...anything at all, here's where you can find us.”  They took out a paper, wrote their dorm room number on it, handed it to him, giggled and left.  Miki scratched his head a moment but spared the matter no further thought.  He went in and turned right and found himself at Juri's door.

“Miss Juri?”  He knocked on the door.  “Miss Juri, are you in here?”  He'd looked everywhere else he could think to look, the fencing club, the library, the Student Council's room...

“Yes.”  Miki stopped knocking.  “Do you need something?”

“Could I come in, Miss Juri?  I want to talk to you.”

“...That should be fine.”  Miki opened the door, it hadn't been locked; no one would go into Juri's room without her permission, no one.  He saw her seated at her desk, hunched over and looking down at it.  She didn't turn her head to look at him, didn't get up to greet him.

“Miss Juri, is something bothering you?”

“Why do you ask?”  Her voice sounded strained, she'd sounded that way at times before, but not with him, not that he could recall.  It made his hands tense up.

“Well, lately, you've been acting differently; you've been leaving the fencing club early, and the Student Council meetings as well, and, and when we walk past each other in the hallways, you don't even say hi or stop to ask me how I've been.”  Miki looked down.

“Do you really think so?  I hadn't noticed anything of the sort.”  She still hadn't looked up, she was still seated at her desk.

“I really do think so, Miss Juri, and...”  Miki bit his lip.  “I'm sorry.”

“What?”  Her head turned a bit towards him, she turned it back towards her desk.

“I don't know what I did Miss Juri, but I must have done something to upset you; please tell me what it was and I won't do it again.”

There was a pause.  “I can assure you Miki, you've done nothing wrong.”  Another pause.  “You may go now.”

“But...Miss Juri.”  Her shoulders looked so tense, what wasn't she telling him?  Could he really have done something so awful without realizing it?  “If you could just tell me...”  He reached out to that shoulder, the way she'd done to him so many times before.

“I said go!”

It took time for them to realize what had just happened, what Juri had just done; she'd turned and gotten out of her chair and struck his hand away before it could reach her.  Miki looked down at his hand, saw the red on his skin, felt the sting as it persisted.  “I'm sorry Miss Juir, I'm sorry!”  He ran out from her room, cursed himself, why hadn't he listened to her?  Now she was really mad at him, she hated him, he just knew it!  Oh, how had he ruined things so badly, how?

~

“Miki...”  Juri was leaning over her desk again, hands on her head.  “You don't understand...”  They'd been friends for so long, how could he think that he'd upset her?  How could he think that she'd been avoiding him out of anger or displeasure?  She looked down at the photo that she had on her desk, the photo that Miki would have seen if he'd gotten any closer; it was of her and him in their fencing uniforms.  She traced her thumb over Miki's face.  Her stomach churned and she turned the photo over.  “Why is this happening again?”

Juri looked up and saw Shiori, the old Shiori, the Shiori from when she first realized that she was in love with her best friend.  “I did it Juri!”  She'd told her that day.  “Look, I got an 88 on my test, just like you said I could!”  That smile, that happy smile, that smile that came because of her, that she was able to help someone smile like that...

“Miss Juri, I did it!”  Miki had said to her on that day.  “I managed to win the fencing tournament, thank you so much for all our sparring I couldn't have done it without you!”  Juri slumped over her desk.  She'd seen Miki's genius from the start, his purity that allowed him to smile just like Shiori; was she doomed to ruin all that again, to repeat history and be bound to those same chains again?

“No.”  Juri sat up again, turned the photo back up.  “Just a little time Miki, I'll have these feelings crushed, and then everything will be back to normal.

~

“Miki, Miki!”  Miki was still looking down at his piano, he did not look up as Nanami came into the music room.  “Ah, good; for a moment I thought you might not be in here but I knew you had to be and here you are!”  He heard the click-clack of her heels on the floor.  “In between songs I take it?”

“I suppose.”  A lie.  “Is there something you need from me Nanami?”

“Oh, just the usual, I've got yet another party coming up and my parties are never complete without your miraculous piano playing; so?  Do you think you'll be able to play?”

“Yes.”  He'd always said yes, she'd asked him so many times it was instinct for him to do so.

“Wonderful Miki; I'm, that is we, we're very lucky to have a genius like you in our lives.”  She did her high laugh.

“...Genius...”  He was a genius, everyone had told him he was a genius right from the start, he had awards and grades and placement in college level courses to prove it, so why couldn't he figure it out?

“Miki, would you mind terribly giving me a little preview of your performance, just for me?”  He looked over, Nanami was looking at him with that gleam in her eyes, he never understood what that was about; some genius he was.

“Sure thing.”  Miki did what he'd always done ever since he could remember, he did the things that would get him praise and affirm that he truly was the pure and innocent genius they all said he was.

He played and of course it didn't come out right at all, the notes were all wrong and he was off tempo, it made his ears wince.  “Miki, is something the matter?”  If Nanami noticed his playing was off... “Are you feeling ill?”  He felt Nanami's hand on his forehead.  “No fever...”

“Forgive me Nanami.”  Miki got up.  “I'm a little tired, I think I'll go back to my room now.”

“Oh, okay.”  He was at the door now.  “Be sure to get lots of rest for the party Miki!”  Miki nodded at Nanami, he departed.  He reached his room without further interruption.

“Hello Miki.”  He looked up and saw Kozue at her desk, applying nail polish; his stomach turned at this but he stamped down on that feeling; Juri wore nail polish, that didn't bother him, it wasn't fair to Kozue for him to treat her differently for it...no matter how he felt about it.  “Do you want some milkshake...”  Her voice drifted off when she looked up at him.  She got up and walked right up to him.  “What happened Miki?”

“I, um...”

“Don't give me that Miki, someone hurt you, I can see it in your eyes; who was it, what did they do to you?”  Kozue's face, how could his sister's face be so twisted in anger?

“She didn't do anything Kozue, I did something to upset Juri and...”

“Juri??”  Kozue's face relaxed, she cupped her chin in her hand.  “Juri?”  Miki nodded.  “Here Miki, sit down.”  He did as instructed.  “Tell me everything.”  She rubbed her head, like what he'd told her was painfully nonsensical.

So he explained, he went back to when Juri had first started avoiding him, how he went to her dorm room and he tried to talk to her, and he got too close when she'd told him to leave.  “I know I have to have done something to make her this mad at me, but no matter how hard I try I just can't figure it out.”

“Damn, I can't believe this...”  Kozue said.  “So now her too, huh?”

“Her too?”  Was, was Kozue talking about Juri?  But, what did she mean by that?  Did, did lots of girls hate him too?

“Hmm, I suppose if it comes down to it, I can trust you with her; she's covered for me plenty of times already.”

“I don't understand Kozue, what are you talking about?”  He didn't think Kozue and Juri had any particular contact with one another, he certainly hadn't seen them exchange more than brief greetings in passing.

“Look, let me just put it like this; Juri isn't mad at you, she doesn't hate you, and you haven't done anything to upset her.”

“But, then why has she been avoiding me?”

“I've gotten to know Juri; she keeps up a tight guard but one thing I know for sure is that she thinks very highly of you.”  Kozue sighed.  “Look, you just go back to her room and you just tell her that she's got nothing to be worried about or scared about with you, you got that?”

“Um, okay?”  Juri, worried or scared?  What exactly did Kozue know that he didn't?  But, she spoke so confidently and certainly, and he did want to believe in her again, so he would.  “It's getting late, but I suppose I can do it right now if I hurry.”  Miki got up and left his room, started a brisk jog.

“You better, before I change my mind.”  Kozue sat back down.  “Honestly...Juri's going to owe me so much for this.”

~

“Juri, I'm back.”  Shiori said as she knocked on her door; she'd borrowed a textbook from Juri earlier and now she was going to return it, and if she felt like lingering, there would be nothing wrong with that.  “Juri?”  Shiori realized there hadn't been a response.  “Juri, are you in there?”  There was still no response, so Shiori grabbed the doorknob; Juri didn't lock her door, most people wouldn't dare go in without her permission, but Shiori wasn't most people.  “Juri?”  Shiori saw Juri seated at her desk looking so frail and small, it put her in mind of all the things she'd done to her in the past to try and drag her down to her own level.  “What's the matter with you?”  They'd put that behind them, she was going to show that now.

“Nothing.”  Juri said in that same way she did after Shiori had stolen that fencing boy from him, back when she'd thought he was the one Juri had been in love with.  “Nothing's the matter Shiori, I'm taking care of everything.”

“Really?  From where I'm standing it looks like you're just sulking.”  She took a step forward and saw Juri's arms pull into her chest, she was hiding something!  “What have you got there?”

“None of your concern.”

“Like hell it's none of my concern.”  Shiori stepped in and reached in; if this were a fencing match with Juri at her peek, Shiori wouldn't have stood a chance, but it wasn't and Juri wasn't, so she was able to pull it out and take a look at it.  “What the...”  It was a picture, a picture of her and Miki, what the hell was she hiding that from her and...her face, she, she'd been crying!  Not much, but the idea of Juri shedding any amount of tears was unheard of!  “You...you don't mean...”  Pictures, like the one in Juri's locket...

“I told you, I'm dealing with it and it won't be an issue for much longer.  You can leave the book and go now.”

Shiori stared blankly at Juri, then she laughed.  “God, I can't believe this!  Are you serious Juri?  Now, this time, now you have feelings for a boy?”  Shiori laughed some more.  She stopped when she saw the wince in Juri's face.

“I hurt him.”  What?  Miki?  “He got to close, I struck his hand so he wouldn't see how pathetic I was.”

“And now you think he hates you now, is that it?”  Shiori said with downcast eyes.  “That's what you did to me you know?  You kept everything so bottled up and cut off, I couldn't ever tell what you were thinking Juri, and all these thoughts kept creeping into my head, I kept thinking that you were toying with me.”

“I know.”  Juri was downcast as well.  “My feelings ruined everything back then.  I won't repeat that mistake, I won't ruin everything for a miracle.”

“Like hell you're not repeating your mistakes, that's exactly what you're doing!”  Shiori grabbed Juri's shoulders.  “Are you even listening to yourself?  You kept your feelings bottled up and you think that the feelings were the problem?  You listen to me, Juri Arisugawa; you hurt me and I hurt you and that's never going away, but you and Miki still have the chance to avoid that whole mess, you can stop it now if you can just open up for a change and be honest for once!”

Juri looked away from Shiori.  “...If he doesn't return them...”

“Why wouldn't he?”  Shiori pulled the words out from her throat.  “Even now, even as wretched as you're making yourself, you're still so much higher than I ever was.”

“Shiori...”  Now Juri looked up at her, and for once Shiori knew what Juri was thinking; if even she was saying that, feeling the way she did... “You're right.”  Juri took a deep breath.  “I just need to say it.”  Juri stood up.  “Thank you, Shiori.”

Shiori smiled.  “Just hurry up before I change my mind Juri.”  Shiori watched Juri leave, knowing that if this worked out she was going to ask Miki for one hell of a favor in return for the sacrifice she'd just made for him.

~

“Miss Juri.”  Juri stopped in her tracks, Miki was standing right in front of her, even though she was only halfway to his dorm room.

“Miki.”  She'd thought she'd have more time, she'd thought she'd be more prepared for this.  They stood there for a while, each held in place.

“Miss Juri,” Miki spoke first, “I really am sorry about before, I should have done a better job listening, and I want you to know...”  Why did he have to start biting his lip like that?  Such cruel innocence.  “...that you don't have to be worried or scared about me.”  Did he know?  “That's, that's what Kozue said for me to say, but I still don't quite get it Miss Juri; what could you be worried or scared about me for?”

No, he didn't.  No miracle was going to swoop in and spare her from what she had to do.  “Miki, I'm the one who owes you an apology.”  Her, apologizing?  She could feel their eyes on her already!  No, no, no one was actually around, no one was lingering to look at them, she had to stop imagining so many eyes on her.  “I have been avoiding you, and you deserve to know why.”  She took a deep breath.  “I was afraid that I would do something foolish, something shameful that could ruin our friendship, the way mine and Shiori's had been for so long.”

“Yours and Shiori's?”  Miki looked up at her.  “Wait, what do you mean by that Juri?  What happened between you and Shiori?”

She'd already committed herself to this, Juri had already thrown herself off the cliff there was no point in trying to stop herself now.  “I couldn't express my feelings for her, and so we ended up hurting one another for a long time.”  She paused as the words weighed on Miki, saw the light of understanding in those eyes of his, the red dusting his cheeks.  “I didn't want the same thing to happen to us.”

“The same thing...”  Miki's face turned the reddest that Juri had ever seen it turn, redder than it had ever gotten from her teasing.  “Miss Juri, d-d-d-do you mean...that is, a-a-are you saying...”

Juri's throat was so dry, her hands had never been so sweaty even in the most tense of her fencing matches.  “I...”  She'd modeled and bowled, she'd stood before adoring crowds and basked in their recognition of her and now with just one person before her, her best friend, now she was afraid?  No.  “Miki, I like you, and not only as a friend.”

She said it, and in her mind she heard chains snapping all around her, she felt herself loose and limber as never before in her whole life.  “You...you like me, Miss Juri?”  His face turned so red that there weren't even words for it.  “I...um...”

“It's all right Miki, you don't have to say anything.”  Juri smiled.  “So long as we can still be friends Miki, nothing has to change.”

“But...what if I'd like things to change?”  The red was fading from Miki's face.  “Would it be okay...if we were to try, Miss Juri?”  He looked down at his hand.

This was happening, it was happening, Juri Arisugawa saw a window open and a bird fly through it.  “Yes it would Miki.”  She took his hand and walked with him; not to her dorm and not to his, Juri walked with Miki and that was all.