1 Senpai

The train back home is unusually empty today, besides the housewives carrying groceries and office workers leaving early, only another girl sits in from of me. Her light brown hair, long eyelashes and contrasting split lip caught my attention and I could not keep my eyes of off her.

"Kaito: Practice is over, I'll head home and change real quick.

Take your time, I just hopped on the train a moment ago: Mayuri"

Today was the last day of the sports festival and, since I am part of the head-home club, I could skip the celebration party and plan a date with my boyfriend, Kaito. I am going to join him at a burger joint in a couple of hours. I met Kaito back in middle school, we were good friends until he transferred to North High and I decided to stay and finish high school in the affiliated academy.

"Approaching Setagaya Station, please stay sited until the doors are opened. Approaching Setagaya Station, please stay sited until the doors are opened."

The train stopped and our wagon became empty, except for the girl in front of me wearing tracks pants and a ragged sweatshirt. She is my Senpai in school and the star player of our basketball team, we always board the train in same stop during the mornings but I think this is our first time returning home together. She looked like a complete mess sleeping right in front of me, to the point that it made me wonder if she is actually unconscious.

"Approaching Kamimachi Station, please stay sited until the doors are opened. Approaching Kamimachi Station, please stay sited until the doors are opened."

She is not moving. Normally, we board the train in this station and I would be dropping off here if I were heading home. Is she sleeping so profoundly that she is going to miss her stop?

"Kaito: Jun is doing karaoke tonight with some friends, want to join them?"

I looked at my phone as the train began stopping and impulsively rushed towards the sit in front of me.

"Senpai… Senpai… are you okay? We arrived at Kamimachi."

I shook her lightly by the shoulder and she started grunting as if she was in pain.

"Sorry… I'll move…"

"Senpai, aren't you going home? You are going to miss your stop."

"Ah, where am I."

She opened her round almond eyes and shouted.

"Kamimachi."

"What? Hurry, help me up."

Holding my hand and the handrail, she clumsily got up and almost pushed herself outside of the train, falling knees first on the platform.

"Your bag!"

"The doors are about to close, please do not stand near them. The doors are about to close, please do not stand near them."

"Shut."

I grabbed both our bags and dashed outside at the last minute.

"I'm sorry. I assume you weren't supposed to stop here."

"It's okay. Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, I am mess today."

I noticed Senpai placed all of his weight on her left side to stand up, barely putting her right foot on the ground.

"Do you want me to ask for help? You look like you are in a lot of pain."

"It's nothing. Just help me get to the bench."

"Sorry, I think I am going to be a bit late: Mayuri

I am okay with karaoke BTW: Mayuri"

I sat right next to Senpai and watched her massage her right foot carefully. I do not think she was injured during the fall a few minutes ago, so maybe this had to do her split lip.

"You should see the other girl."

"What?"

"You did not know? I got into a big fight during the final match today. A girl from the other team stomped my foot on purpose and I could not control myself after that. I think I might get expelled from the club forever."

"Sorry, I didn't follow any of the matches. You should have gone to the infirmary before leaving."

"I did not want to stay inside that school another second. Say Honda, are you in a hurry?"

"Why do you know my name?"

"Mayuri Honda, from class 2-C. I noticed you were quite tall the first time I saw you inside the train, so I was asking around to see if I could recruit you, but everyone said you were not the sporty type."

"Yeah, I cannot run more than twenty seconds without losing my breath."

I often see myself as a typical high school girl, unremarkable and easy to forget. Hearing that I caught her attention so much that she even asked around for my name, made me feel strangely happy.

"I need to ask you a favor. Could you help me carry my things home, I don't think I can do that and walk at the same time."

"I have a date in a few hours."

"No problem, my house is just five minutes from here. I can even call you a taxi once we get there. I promise you won't be late."

The next train arrives in fifteen minutes, so I guess it would not make a difference if I escort her and then return.

"Sure, if it is just five minutes."

"Yeah, even with just one leg I can walk faster than you."

"I am bad at sports, not a snail."

"Sorry."

Her reddened teeth and crushed lips did not make her smile any less cute.

"I had to return home for a bit, I'll make it up to your later: Mayuri

Kaito: OK, I'll waste time on the arcade for a bit.

Kaito: And I look forward to that apology ; )"

Her home was a normal, two-story house with a small garden on the front and a garage only big enough for one car.

"Come inside. My mother should still be at work."

Senpai opened the front door and rushed towards the living room, letting her body drop on a grey coach in front of the television.

"Finally, my foot is killing me. You can leave the things on the kitchen table, let me catch my breath and I'll see you out. God, it looks worse than I believed."

Unable to ignore her painful grunts I got closer to make sure she was fine before leaving. A blood stained sock laying in front of me made me gasp before I could notice the state of her right foot. Her swollen toes were purple and the nail on her thumb was destroyed and bleeding a little.

"Senpai, I should take you to the hospital."

"No, it's okay. My mother is a doctor, she will patch me up as soon as she arrives."

"It is not okay. Do you have a first aid kit?"

"I told you, my mother is doctor. We probably have a whole pharmacy inside that cabinet."

"Go take a quick shower and clean your toe before it catches an infection. I will at least a bandage on it before leaving."

"Are you sure? I feel like I am bothering you too much."

I feel the same thing, but something inside me is telling me I cannot leave her alone.

"I already came all the way here, a few more minutes are not going to make a difference."

"Thank you. My room is right next to the bathroom, I'll be there in second."

Senpai got back up and hopped towards a room further inside the house while I walked towards the kitchen to prepare some ice. Kaito must already be at the arcade.

As she said, I found all kinds of disinfectants, bandages and gauzes inside the cabinet, which are now sitting on top of her bed. Her room was unexpectedly girly, with a couple of shark plushies laying here and there, a small coffee table with her laptop on top and several balls displayed in a shelf.

"Did you find everything? I hurried as much as I could."

"Yes, thank you."

As soon as Senpai entered, a coconut smell filled the room. She was wearing a small short that made her long, trained legs look even more impressing and a tank top that showed her bare shoulders. She sat on the bed a few inches away from me and I motioned for her to put the injured foot on my lap.

"This is going to hurt at first, bear with it."

"You are surprisingly used to this."

"My younger brother always gets home with bruises everywhere. I do this for him all the time."

"Ugh…"

"Don't move or the bandage is going to be too loose."

"It hurts! If she broke my toes I will have to give her another lesson!"

"Please stay out of trouble, remember you're in your last year. Tape the ice right on top of it."

"Yes mom."

"Kaito: Are you close, I got you a present at the arcade.

Sorry, I am almost done with my brother: Mayuri."

If I take a taxi, I should still arrive there on time.

"Alright, just let me see your lip and we are done."

"I get injuries like this one all the time, it will be fine by tomorrow."

"Just come closer."

She finally gave up and turned her face until her eyes were right in front of me. I put my hand in her check and hesitated a little as she opened her mouth to let me look inside.

"How does it look?"

"It seems…"

Before I could answer, Senpai's hand grabbed my waist, pulled me even closer and her face was suddenly in front of mine, our noses touching and my lips trembling.

"Wha… What are you doing?"

"I think it's pretty obvious. Don't you want to…?"

"What are you saying? We are both girls… wha… "

She used all her strength to push me down into her bed and put herself on top of me.

"If you want I can stop and call your taxi, but I am dying to eat you. I really need to feel like I am in control right now."

She let her body fall on top of me and continued whispering something in my ear. I was too nervous to even listen or think about an answer. For what felt like an eternity, she continued holding my hands in place and kissing my neck, my body temperature raised uncontrollably and my mind started going blank. I need to do something before these feelings consume me.

"S-sorry…"

Senpai stopped and laughed a little.

"Sorry? Why are you the one apologizing?"

"I don't know, but we should not be doing this."

She hesitated a bit before rolling to my side, setting me free from her grasp.

"I don't know what happened to me, asking for permission when I already have you pinned down. I have never done that, please don't think I bring a different girl here every week."

"If you wanted to pull a prank on me, it was not funny. You should only do these things with a person you love."

While laughing obnoxiously, Senpai turned to look at me once more.

"What, I am being serious."

"Do you really think I will go asking around about you just because you are tall? Anyways, let me start over. My name is Sato Hayami, former ace of the basketball team and a complete mess, thank you for everything Honda Mayuri."

After what happened, I could not look directly at her without getting dizzy, so I turned my back before answering.

"Nice to meet you."

"What happened today during the match was not a coincidence. I have been in a lot of trouble with the other girls from the team and my classmates. I know it's no excuse, but when you appeared and took care of me today I lost control of my emotions."

"As long as you understand and don't do that to other people."

"Oh, so it is okay if I do it to you."

"S-shut up!"

"Sorry, I will stop teasing you. Let me go get my phone and send you home."

"Wait…"

Maybe the effects from before were still lingering in my head, making me unable to think straight.

"I definitely cannot do that with you, but if you want to talk I can stay for a little while."

"But I don't want to talk."

"Rude! Fine, I am leaving!"

"Wait, you did not let me finish. I don't want to talk, but could you lay here with me until I fall sleep?"

"Huh…?"

"I'm exhausted and want to take a nap, but I think I will start crying any minute if just stay here alone."

Senpai's tone suddenly turned sad and she stayed silent waiting for my answer.

"Sure, that's a weird thing to ask but I don't mind keeping you company."

Without hesitation Senpai got closer to my back, I could feel her soft breasts through my blazer and her breath gently caressed the back of my neck.

"W-wait…"

"I can't hear you, I'm asleep."

Her left hand slowly wandered through my arm and her rough fingers, proof of how much she likes basketball, interweaved with mine hugging me without uttering a single word.

"I don't think I will make it today, have fun at the karaoke without me: Mayuri.

Sorry, I'll call you later: Mayuri."

I closed my phone and wished she would embrace me just for a little bit longer.