Disclaimer: I disclaim. You may own everything.
I know the story of Shuichi and Yuki. I know it very well.
The mis-happen Shuichi innocently fumbling around Yuki's cold life. Yuki kicking, screaming out of their relationship; abusing him because he's too afraid to get close and Shuichi taking every bullet because of his idea called 'love'.
This is not the Yuki-Shuichi tale.
Maki Murakami knew us both, and she took what she wanted from our personalities and created a love story. It was only the oddest coincidence that we would meet in real life. On a snowy day, our feet blindly led us to each other. It was in New York, December 25.
But this is not the same story, because we are not the same people…
Yuki is still cold and aloof but his heart had been already split slightly open by another relationship. He was dating my sister. Coincidentally. He is a writer— a romance writer. God, is he the epitome of hypocrisy, but I guess his innate state of misery is what makes him such a valued artist. His doomed and forever tragedies are what draw us to him. Also the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous doesn't exactly hinder people either.
I..I am a little more complicated, I mean, Shuichi is a little more complicated. When Maki first met me I was still in High school. The day she came to my house I had just arrived back from the bus. I was in my uniform, playing with her dog. She was having tea with my parents while I laughed and threw dog bones innocently around. Six months later I saw my face and name on the front of a Shonenai manga. Imagine my surprise. The next time we met, I was a stripper with dyed blond hair. She walked into the club and there I was swirling around a pole, my legs half in the air. Imagine her surprise. After my act, I recognized her immediately. Before I could run away, she came up to me and started talking. She didn't judge me at all, just wondered if she could have the permission to draw me in a doujinshi. Then she said she'd pay me 50 bucks. Sure, why not? I said. A few weeks later, I saw the 'Gravitation Remixes' circling around the internet. I didn't care too much. So, I was like a porn star. It wasn't like being naked was anything new to me.
Maki and I became fast friends. We promised to meet sometime, but we were both always busy; her with her books and me with my band. So we wrote letters, sent emails, and called. The third time we met face-to-face was on TV. It was on one of those late night talk shows and we were both guests. I had just become famous and she had released another manga.
My CD sale-chart looked like a rocket launch. And just when it looked like they were calming down, Maki hinted on the show that I was the main character in her big series 'Gravitation'. Then they went crazy again.
After a year, 'Bad Luck' took a break because Sakano needed time to prepare for the graduation of his music school. We both moved to New York and then it was as if we were together all the time
One day we were eating Chinese food on her living room floor. Her daughter was at pre-school. Her new Gravitation blue-prints were all over the floor, so I had to be extra careful not to spill anything on them.
"Hey Maki?" A drawn picture of me half-naked was on the wall. It was very detailed. I have nipples.
"Yeah," she mumbled. She was stuffing herself with cold noodles.
"Where did you get 'Yuki' from?" I asked. It had just come in my head right then. If I was Shuichi, then I wondered if she took Yuki from a real person too.
Her eyes went wide. She put down her food. "I knew you didn't read, but I didn't think you were stupid."
I threw an oily vegetable at her "Bitch."
It landed on one of her blue-prints. "Aw, fuck you." She pulled the paper up and tried to shake off the disturbing food.
"Don't you know who the best-selling book on the New York Bestseller is?" She questioned.
I shrugged. Hey, I don't read.
"It's been the same book for 6 weeks already." She cried.
"Oh god, if you say 'Yuki' is you in male form…I'm going to have to confess, that's a little awkward for me." I said.
She stared at me, telepathically sending the message 'don't be stupid'. "No." She cocked her head to the left. "Thanks for the idea though."
She sighed. "The guy on the bestseller list for 6 weeks, isYuki Eiri-"
"You used his real name?" I interjected.
"I used your real name." She countered.
Oh. Right.
"Yeah, well I'm weird. You mean he didn't mind?" I asked.
"Nah." She paused. "Well, I kind of did it without his permission."
I snorted. "I'm not surprised."
She stuck her tongue out at me. Honestly, and this women is 13 years older than me, so I pointed my nose up and oinked at her.
She laughed. Perfect opportunity to make a grab at her spring rolls
"Hey!"
An hour later, the subject came up again.
"So is my imaginary lover hot?" I questioned.
She took a picture out of my bag and gave it to me. "Dammnn hot."
I turned over on my back and gazed at his photo. He had blonde hair, cat eyes, great jaw, and was wearing a suit. I could definitely see the resemblance between him and his cartoon self.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'd tap that."
Maki snerked. "Too bad you won't ever have the chance." She dangled.
"Well, I'm sure you could arrange a meeting." I coyly said while giving her a flirty look.
"Yes, but he's in a committed relationship," She playfully snubbed.
"No one's in a committed relationship." I deadpanned. One of the greatest differences between me and my cartoon alter ego was our views on monogamy. Actually my entire view on love compared to him is warped. I rested my chin on my hands. "Give me an hour and I'll have my hands down his pants."
She rolled her eyes. "You're not that good. Anyways, even though I know you have no shame," Sheglared. "She is still your sister."
"What? What does my sister have to do with anything?" I scrunched up my face in question.
Maki became shocked. "You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?" I put some popcorn into my mouth.
"You're sister's dating Yuki, you idiot!" She cried.
I was taken back. Maiko was going out with the guy I was imaginarily fucking in cartoon world? I stared at her. "That is so weird."
"I can't believe you don't know."
I shrugged. "I'm not exactly connected with my family."
"Yeah, I've noticed." She brashly responded. She looked away. "But I can't believe you don't know."
"No one told me." I rolled on my back again.
"Yeah, but they're like practically ready to be engaged!" She enraged.
"Ugh. Their sex life is going to go to hell." I commented.
Maki smacked me with a pillow. I laughed.
A week later Maki had to go back to Japan. Then two days after that I was called back also.
"I don't wanna go." I whined.
"I don't fucking care what you want. Get your ass on the next plane." A voice snapped.
"Some friend you are Hiro." I said to the phone.
"I know, aren't I great?" he sarcastically praised.
"It's only been three weeks. I just bought a kick ass apartment and I don't have any more time to break it in? It's my new baby. Don't you understand I need to christen it? Don't you?" I yelled.
"You mean you haven't fucked in it yet?"
"No, I've fucked in it but not enough to…you know, put my scent into it." I said. Only afterwards, I realized how weird that sounded.
"Well, I'm sure you can make it smell like ugly people and semen some other time." He 'patiently' said.
"How dare you, I don't fuck ugly people." I defended. "You're just jealous because at that time in Kyoto I was the one that got the hottest guy there's number before you did."
Hiro exasperated. "I. Don't. Care. Just come back."
"Three weeks is barely considered a break." I tried to argue.
"Look, Sakano has put all his shit together with his school's…shit-thingy and he's ready to work again. We took this break because of Sakano. Now he's done, we're going back." Hiro explained.
"I hate that twerp."
'No you don't." he countered.
"No, I don't."
Pause.
"Do I have to go?"
I stared at the receiver. Shit, I really pissed him off. I waited for five minutes before calling him back, telling him I would try, try, try my hardest to get on the next flight to Japan, but no promises if there were going to be coincidental delays.