Chapter Text
Mei glanced at the notebook Yuzu kept on the nightstand. The pages were now crammed with their combined plans. Messy doodles alongside neat lists, hearts drawn next to completed steps. She picked it up and ran her fingers over the cover, smiling. There was a warmth in seeing their handwriting together. Yuzu’s looping, energetic style spilling over margins, her own precise, measured notes tucked where they fit best. What had started as her lover's “Romance Improvement Plan™ ” had somehow become… theirs.
The thought made her pause. Lately, she’d found herself looking forward to these “operations” far more than she expected. Part of her had been desperately craving something. A softness, a kind of togetherness that wasn’t about responsibility or schedules. She set the notebook back down and went to find Yuzu. She walked in to the sound of of the busy blonde humming somewhere in the kitchen. It was barely past eight.
“You’re up early,” she said, stepping into the kitchen. Yuzu was balancing a cutting board and several small bowls, hair up in a gigantic, messy bun, a string of apron ties dangling awkwardly.
“Trial run for the ‘Picnic Sakura Deluxe’ mission!” she declared. “We need snacks that don’t get soggy! Also, there's the surprise mochi filling experiment!”
Mei arched an eyebrow. “Surprise mochi filling?”
“You’ll see.” came back with a grin as the green-eyed chef resumed mixing something suspiciously pink in a bowl.
The other watched for a moment, then reached for the kettle. “You could just buy filled mochi at a store... Purple yam, red bean, matcha... Mm!”
“Where’s the romance in that?” Yuzu replied, without looking up. “ Besides, I'm doing a special one of my own, Handmade means effort, and effort equals love energy.”
“…Love energy?” Mei repeated, setting water to boil.
“Exactly! You can quote me on that later.”
Despite herself, Mei felt a smile coming on. There was something… comfortable about mornings like this.
Later that day, they set out for the park. Yuzu had insisted they needed to “scout optimal petal drift zones” ahead of peak bloom. Mei was skeptical but let herself be pulled along, the breeze carrying hints of sweetness from early blossoms.
Every few steps, Yuzu would stop, tilt her head, and squint up at branches like a field commander mapping enemy positions. “Too sparse,” she’d say, or “this one’s promising — petals at 40% flutter.”
Mei followed, hands in her coat pockets, until Yuzu spun back toward her with a mischievous smile. “Ohhh, stand right here—” She positioned her beneath a branch and shook it gently so a scatter of pale pink fell into the long, shiny black locks.
She blinked as petals slid down her shoulders. “You’re making a mess.”
“It’s called ambiance!” Yuzu laughed. “Hang on, I need a photo.”
Mei sighed but stayed still while Yuzu crouched, fussing with angles. “Smile… okay, maybe a mysterious expression?”
“This is ridiculous,” she complained — but when she caught the beautiful grin behind the phone, her gaze softened.
* * *
The following weekend, they attempted the full rehearsal.
"Really, Yuzu? A picnic rehearsal?" she had been asked.
"So it shouldn't be too surprising for you"" she countered. And they were even.
The hungry blonde had packed enough for an army for their trial run: sandwiches shaped like hearts, savory smelling onigiri, thermoses of tea, and three separate dessert options. Mei had added a small box of matcha sweets, for a quiet counterbalance to such “maximum sugar” enthusiasm. They spread a blanket beneath the trees, not far from a still pool, with lazily swimming Koi she couldn't resit feeding. Petals drifted occasionally, catching the sunlight in slow arcs.
“This is it,” Yuzu said, opening the sweets container with a flourish. “Behold: Strawberry surprise.”
Mei took one. The filling was bright and fruity, the texture properly soft and silky against her teeth. “It’s good,” she admitted. "Not too sweet, and it works well with the mochi!"
Yuzu's eyes lit up. “You really think so?”
“Yes. Though I fail to see how this requires… scouting missions.”
“It’s about the build-up!” Yuzu exclaimed, leaning back on her hands. “Romance is a series of moments. You can’t just skip to the end.”
Mei looked at her for a long beat, the words lingering in her mind. She’d once thought romance was about sudden, grand gestures. A bouquet, a planned evening, and such things as that. And these had happened, and she'd loved them. But Yuzu was building something smaller, gentler, more constant, leading up to an event that only seemed a part of a larger plan, the act of getting there. And she was realizing these unassuming afternoons were filling a quiet space she hadn’t acknowledged before. Even though, she wondered for the one thousandth time: "How does that woman stay so slim?"
* * *
Two days before peak bloom, the forecast shifted. A spring storm swept in, scattering petals prematurely.
Yuzu stood at the window, frowning. “This is a setback. A petal crisis.”
“It’s weather,” Mei replied, setting down her tea.
“It’s sabotage by nature! We’ll need a contingency plan.” Yuzu said so dramatically, she nearly made Mei laugh.
She closed her eyes briefly. “Fine. What’s your idea?”
“Petal protocol training inside! We can practice so when the real day comes, you know how to remove petals gracefully.”
“You’re serious?”
“Deadly serious,” she confirmed.
Which was how Mei found herself sitting on the couch while being pelted with pink paper cut-outs shaped vaguely like petals into her hair while listening to absurd narrated techniques. "Next step: gentle pinch-and-twirl motion. Then: optional cute comment. Followed by: resist urge to ruffle her hair unless she’s smiling.”
She, as a point of fact, was not smiling. Or at least, she was trying not to. But all this comically exaggerated seriousness was steadily chipping at her composure. She was being drawn further than ever into her beloved's whimsical worldview, and enjoying it. And realizing now, that Yuzu was simply playing along with her efforts to remain stoic, aware as Mei was herself of the obvious charade they had been revealed to be.
* * *
The perfect Spring day arrived in a rush of pink clouds. The sakura trees lining the park’s paths were in full bloom, petals drifting lazily in the soft breeze like confetti thrown by the season itself. Yuzu spread out a checkered blanket under one particularly grand cherry tree, humming to herself as she unpacked the picnic basket. “I told you we had to get here early. This spot is prime real estate!”
Mei knelt beside her, setting down the thermos of tea she’d been carrying. “It’s still a public park. I don’t think we have deed ownership to the shade of this tree.”
That earned her a squint. “You’re impossible sometimes.” Then she broke into a grin. “But you did bring the good tea, so you’re forgiven.”
A couple of families passed by, kids darting between the flower-laden trunks, laughter rising with the petals. One little girl pointed at them and whispered something to her mother, who gave them an approving smile before continuing on. Mei felt Yuzu’s hand casually find hers over the blanket, warm and sure.
A sudden gust sent petals tumbling over them. Yuzu reached to brush a few from Mei’s hair, slow, deliberate, remembering her own protocol from the mock practice. The intense violet eyes met hers, steady. “Better,” she said quietly.
“Better?”
“You didn’t blow them away like dust.” Mei’s mouth curved faintly.
Yuzu beamed. “See? Training works!”
Mei giggled, and immediately threw her hands over her mouth, shaking her head. "Dammit, you made me giggle!"
“ Now try to be stuffy, Solemnity-Chan! Alright,” Yuzu announced, rummaging through the basket. “We have onigiri, fruit salad, mini sandwiches... and I may have gone overboard with the matcha cookies.” She held up an overstuffed bag like it was treasure.
“I wonder who will finish all those,” Mei said dryly.
That brought on a gasp of mock offense. “I’ll have you know these are for sharing!” She held one up to Mei’s lips. “Now say ‘ah’.”
She gave a wary look. “We’re in public, Angel.”
“Tough titty! That didn’t stop you from holding my hand just now,” Yuzu countered with a mischievous wink. 'And making out with my palm with your thumb!"
Mei blushed, caught in the truth, and hesitated for all of two seconds before leaning forward with an exaggerated, "Ah!" and taking a small bite. The cookie was sweet and earthy, the texture melting on her tongue. “Mm...It’s good! I mean... the first batch was, but these are amazing!” She really had that recipe down pat; you couldn't get better at the bakery.
Yuzu beamed like she’d just been crowned queen of snacks. “See? Romance and cookies. That’s the perfect combination.” They ate slowly, watching petals spiral down and land in their tea. Every now and then Yuzu would point out a particularly photogenic branch, snapping pictures and making Mei pose with increasingly ridiculous instructions.
“Now, tilt your head juuust a bit to the left. Pretend you’ve just been propositioned to by, I don’t know, a very persuasive, horny squirrel.”
Mei’s deadpan expression didn’t change, though it took effort. Yuzu was at her most lovably outrageous. “You’re not allowed to direct my facial expressions with lecherous squirrel scenarios.”
Yuzu laughed so hard she almost spilled the tea. “Okay, okay! Just smile like you did that day in the kitchen when we made pancakes.”
“That smile was because you burned the first three.”
“Yes, but it was adorable,” Yuzu said with absolute seriousness.
Without quite realizing it, Mei smiled again, this time soft and unguarded, just for Yuzu, who was so taken with the beauty of it, she nearly forgot to snap the picture.
The breeze picked up, carrying with it a shower of petals that landed in their hair and across the blanket like nature’s own wedding confetti. Yuzu leaned into Mei’s shoulder, sighing happily. “You know… I think ‘Step Forever’ is working out for us.”
Mei glanced down at her. “It’s only been a few weeks since we started our program. Forever’s quite a bit longer. Be patient!”
“Yeah,” Yuzu replied, eyes dreamy as they followed a drifting petal. “But I think we’re on schedule.”
Mei’s fingers idly brushed a petal from the tumble of blonde hair. “We’ll stay on schedule,” she said quietly, “even if it requires… additional planning meetings.”
Yuzu chuckled. “Romantic planning meetings. With snacks.”
Mei gave the faintest smirk. “Naturally.”
They stayed until the sun grew lazy. The afternoon slipped into languid warmth. Mei found herself relaxing, letting these moments stretch. Yuzu’s hand brushed hers, then stayed, fingers fitting together naturally. The petals kept falling, a tiny reminder of fleeting beauty. And of why they had to keep making time for moments like this. It wasn’t dramatic, but it was… anchored. As they packed up, Yuzu snapped one last photo: their hands clasped together on the checkered blanket, a scattering of pink blossoms framing the image.
When she showed it off later, she said simply, “We should print this out and put it in the notebook.”
Mei looked at the picture for a long moment before nodding. She leaned gently in and gave Yuzu the most beautiful, soft kiss.
“Step Forever… documented.” she sighed contentedly.
EPILOGUE: RANDOM PAGES FROM YUZU AND MEI'S NEW NOTEBOOK
Notebook Entry – Step Forever, Extra Chapter
(Yuzu’s handwriting: bubbly, slightly chaotic, doodles everywhere)
Step 15½: Emergency Sakura Petal Protocol
(Important for maintaining romance AND preventing sneeze disasters.)
Petal Check: If petals land in Mei’s hair, remove them gently. Do NOT blow them away like dust — Mei will give you The Look™.
Photo Ops: Optimal petal density for romantic pictures = “delicate shower,” not “full blizzard.” Note: last time, Mei’s expression was 70% serene, 30% stop laughing, Yuzu.
Snack Pairing: Sakura season demands snacks that match the vibe. Mochi = yes. Random convenience store flavored chips = Mei says “not elegant,” but honestly… chips are forever.
Hand-Holding Quota: Maintain contact at least 70% of the time during petal-related outings. Exceptions allowed only for emergency ice cream purchase.
Extra Planning Meetings: Required. They will happen. Mei will sigh, but secretly she likes them. Evidence: she brought a pen last time without me asking.
Verdict: Spring romance operations SUCCESSFUL.
Next season’s theme: Summer Forever! (Pending Mei’s approval… and possibly a budget discussion. But we can negotiate with watermelon.)
<3 Yuzu
(bonus doodle: two chibi versions of Yuzu and Mei under a sakura tree — Mei with a faint blush, Yuzu grinning and holding an overstuffed picnic basket.)
(Mei’s note beside doodle, in elegant handwriting: “My blush was not that visible. Also, the basket was heavy because you insisted on bringing three desserts.”)
Notebook Entry – Mega Ultra Secret Step ∞
(Yuzu’s handwriting: large, loopy, and dangerously close to falling off the page)
Step ∞: Romance Maintenance Mode: All Seasons, All Snacks
Universal Hand-Holding Clause:
If we are outside together, hands are to be held unless BOTH parties are actively carrying something heavier than one picnic basket.
[Mei’s edit in neat pen: “Clarification: Basket must weigh more than 3 kg.”]
Compliment Quota:
At least three compliments per day. Creative ones earn double points. Example: “Your serious face is so cool I almost tripped over myself.”
[Mei’s edit: “You did trip. Twice.”]
Smile Preservation Tactics:
If Mei is frowning, initiate Operation Cheer-Up:
(Mei: "Oh, dear...")
Offer tea
Offer mochi
Offer shamelessly bad puns
(Mei: “Strike last option. Permanently.”)
Date Idea Randomizer:
Write each idea on colorful paper strips. Draw one at random every Sunday night.
Warning: Probability of pulling “Dress up like each other” = too high.
[Mei’s edit: “Probability = zero. That strip no longer exists.”]
Surprise “I Love You” Deployments:
At least once daily, at the most surprising moments.
Special note: Bonus for saying it front of others.
("Mei: You didn't expect it in the shower, did you? Hah!")
<3Yuzu
<3Mei
Mei’s Entries – Addendum
Spring, late evening
"Yuzu’s enthusiasm is… persistent. I find it difficult to match her pace, but I’ve noticed her energy draws me in before I can object. The petals in my hair were warm from the sun. When she removed them, she was careful — more than usual — and I realized that perhaps I have been missing moments like that. Not because they weren’t there, but because I wasn’t turning toward them."
Spring, one week later
"She laughs easily at her own jokes, even if they’re not particularly clever. Today she insisted that the ice cream “needed” our hand-holding break to taste optimal. It was ridiculous. I agreed anyway."
Sakura Season Closing Note
"Her “petal protocols” are excessive, but they are evidence of something — an intent I had overlooked. Yuzu plans for romance. I tend to plan for results. Maybe we need both."
Next season: Summer.
"Potential negotiations: one trip to the coast, limited sunburn risk. Watermelon budget to be approved."
<3Mei