Tokyo, I'm in Love
~ by fake_star ~
Summary:
"Look at you, you're loving it, aren't you? Tsukasa was right after all. Dr. Love, what would you do if they found out the 'real' you?
Disclaimer:
Sensei's work is fully hers. I own none of that. Though I wished Soujiro is mine. Another disclaimer: the title, Tokyo, I'm in Love, is completely inspired and taken from the novel called Eiffel, I'm in Love, the substance, though, is originally owned by fake-star. The song is titled Kissing a Fool
Warning:
X-tra mild cussing and plotless attempt.
Chapter one: Love is…? (temporary a fool)
You are far
When I could have been your star
You listened to people
Who scared you to death,
and from my heart
"Hai, this is Maestro 107FM, Tokyo most requested, most wanted radio station, still with me, Makky. Hope you are enjoying my company so far. For those who just broke up, cheer up guys! I am back with the last letter from today's Love to Tell. Within the next two hours, you will be joining me in Couple Quest and Sweet Tale. Requests are welcomed right after the next break, so keep them flowing in. Now, moving on with the letter from Zeta-san, straight from the busy district Harajuku…"
~~**~~
"Tsukushi-can"
"Kazuya-kun, I am leaving a little bit early tonight. Oh no, don't tell me those are…"
"Yeah…" stacking bundles of unread letters on her desk, Kazuya heaved a sigh. His cigarette slid down, now resting barely on the tip of his dark lips. "Sorry… can't do. These for tomorrow morning and you've got today to sort them out."
"I thought you already gave me bunch of letters just two hours ago." With respect to the number of letters now piling again on her desk, it would be midnight when she finished reading half of them. And what excuse am I supposed to tell my date? This is the second time she let Tanaka blue and rotten from waiting.
"Well, that's true. And these are what we had been receiving since then." Kazuya gave her an I'm-so-sorry-Tsukushi look.
"What the hell is wrong with this city? Why do people have to fall in love and brake up every too damn often and send me these freaking letters?" Ok, now she is officially yelling over her throat. This is what happens if that Baka decided to go against everybody and created this overly ambitious "Share It with Makky" section in their daily program. Didn't he know that 9.99 out of 10 people walking and breathing in Tokyo suffer from a severe love life dysfunction? She rubbed her temple, guess he did; it is obvious that he craves for her doom.
"I'll help you." Kazuya's skeleton body, or rather lack thereof, is shivering slightly. She sent him a deadly look, and rolled her eyes in annoyance. The sight of slightly pale Kazuya quickly replaced her fury with regrets.
"Thanks, Kazuya, and sorry for yelling at you, obviously it's not your fault. It's ok, just leave them here." Alas, Tanaka will have to wait until tomorrow.
"But…?"
"No buts. Go!" She flashed him her sweetest smile, and pushed him out the room. The merrier, the worse. Believe it or not, it happens sometimes, especially when Kazuya is around.
~~**~~
Dear Makky,
I have this boyfriend whom I have been dating for over a month.
He is a great lover; understanding and caring, save for his playboy habit.
I tried to forget him but I can't, let alone loose him.
Sounds stupid? I didn't mind it as long as he stays.
Last night, out of the blue, he asked me to break up with him.
What should I do? Anything but leaving him.
I am totally hopeless. Help me.
K-can, Tokyo.
Alright, typical. Boyfriend a straight playboy, an overly nice girlfriend, who apparently is too much in love to leave him for good, plus she is stupid. Well…, another amor mouse's trapped. And ouch, hopefully that playboy wasn't their Soujiro, since she is sure, it ain't that suave Akira. He detests Misses for what she remembers. Perhaps Akira knows how hard they could fall and that, definitely, wouldn't be his idea of fun.
"Makky…"
I can't stand living like this.
She doesn't wish to come back.
How could she betray me for my best friend?
Hope. Where's hope?
I rather die than losing her.
Sayonara
Gosh, she hates this. Hopeless people taking hopeless measures. Why can't they just take love easily? She gulped her saliva and wiped her cold sweat ready to drop from her forehead. Stupid anonymous suicidal guy! Play with fire, you get burn. Everybody knows that, save for this guy maybe. He should know that love asks a lot. It's got to be more to that heavenly sweetness of love, true? Betrayal, for start. Though she never expected that dying comes next.
Makky, my savior
Thank you for saving me the other time.
I saw you leaving Maestro alone last night
God, you are much more beautiful in person.
I feel I can fall to the abyss of your dark brown eyes
Pretty, we could make a great couple
Everybody hates loneliness. I guess you do too.
Please pretty, say yes.
Love, Zee- A secret admire.
This is creepy alright. Great couple…secret admire… dream on buddy. All she ever did is answering this psycho's pleas for help, and now, she got a stalker. A stalker. Be sure to make Doumyoji walks me tonight, she made a mental note before opening her next letter. Besides, that Baka is the one who should be held responsible if anything threatens her life. If it wasn't for his oh-so-clever idea to set this program for the first place… well… enough scolding him.
~~**~~
People
You can never change the way they feel
Better let them do just what they will
For they will
If you let them
Steal your heart from you
Time flows, but this time, it is a lot faster than before, it's flying. The clock on her wall is ticking and she still has hundreds more letters, piling on her table, some scattered on the floor. Tsukushi buries her head amid all the chaos, scribbling suggestions, responses, spreading her words of wisdoms. Wisdoms? Soujiro and Akira will laugh breathlessly if they listen to what she just said, no.., they will crawl with their stomachs turning upside down, guffawing hysterically. Who are you fooling, Tsukushi? You wisdom is the same wisdom you wrote three months ago, the one you mastered to rewrite, rephrase over and over again.
She flipped another teen magazine, one would be amazed by the richness of knowledge hidden beneath today cheesiest magazines. They have all these love and hate sharing thing and they save her day. She copied down some of the answers. Trust her, people do this, listeners…readers… they might appear to have thousand problems, but the root is always this, listen to your heart. Only, it's not as simple as said, but hey, it helps. It helps her, if that doesn't make sense to other, since it is the only answer she knows for all the stupid uncured lovesickness Tokyo and Doumyoji have made her deals with.
"Share It with Makky", until now she still fails to see why Doumyoji is so persistence to keep her hosting the show; it was clear from the beginning she doesn't have a right cut to be a good host. The F4, for the last three years, has been her loyal witness to the rollercoaster ride of her short live relationships. They have seen her bumping herself to countless guys, spending too many hours in meaningless dates. All just for fun, all just for killing her time, a quest, a fling. Someone with a very little insight of love brags about love. Pathetic is it? She thought so too, unjustified, really. Those who can't do, teach. Somehow, that doesn't ring right to her ears
But Doumyoji is Doumyoji. The most willful out of those four, indeed. He is immune to complains and detests second opinion. "You'll learn" he sang those two syllables every too often, he made her bought earplugs. Doumyoji is a person who made her who she is today. When nobody thinks she can, Doumyoji will think otherwise. It has become a habit to him, to go against everything people say and think about her. Though she had to admit it rather sweet of him, sadly he tends to overdone it by going against those who praised her beautiful or smart as well. Urgh, that pisses her off sometimes.
The size of his brain marvels her, though she, as much as others, doubted he has any. Two years ago she dreamily told him her wish. It was simple; she wanted to hear her voice on air over Tokyo, over Japan, someday. It seemed so wistful, so out of reach like starts across the sky. But life is full of surprises, and those who you befriend with, especially if it is someone like Doumyoji, could make a dream, even the strangest, come true. Doumyoji bought the great Maestro Entertainment, with that offered her to work for the radio station. Since then she changed, since then she knew the sweetness of wonders. He flips and flops almost everything, merely showing her what determination could do, or rather, the righteousness of his words. For her, it wasn't what a determination could do but mostly what money, power, and a Doumyoji could do. That Baka is really something.
"Look, Kazuya just flew out the window!"
"Nishikado Soujiro! Do you ever knock?"
"No, only my butler does." A bit tipsy, Soujiro leaned down and brushed his lips over her forehand. His sugary, mischievous grin stamps eternally on his lips as if he was cursed with the sweet bless.
"Tsukushi, where's the yesterday's vase? The purple with a greenish tint. I like the color, it is so fresh." Soujiro cheerfully spin across her room, digging inside the magazines, letters, anything that mounted. Tsukushi eyed him with slight interest. A yellow rose tangles his fingers. It is still fresh and she knows why. His date bored him to death.
"Your mother's girl, ouch. No wonder you're here early. Was it that bad?" Yellow for the chick picked by my mom, Soujiro once told her, Pink for my date, and Red for the chick I take to bed. She caught him nodding carelessly. Women, they come and go as he pleases, a true to the bone Casanova. If only there are more Soujiroes walking in this city, maybe less people will die young.
"A porcelain doll, you can't break it, you can't taste it. Just for a pleasure of my eyes, I found it less desirable." Giving up with the vase, he knocked himself on the couch across her. The rose was tossed in the air before landed on her open palms. Not bad, this one got a fruity spray smell. The last one was vanilla, and it stank.
"How are those mice of yours? Trapped in a cage of cheesy love?"
"Worse…, a stalker plus a suicidal."
"Wow."
"Save that. Now, did you just dump any girl starts with K?"
"Why?" Tsukushi waved the first letter. "Again?" Seems to be trying to shovel his short memories out of his brain, Soujiro stares at her in trance. Actually it's not important, Soujiro rarely remembers his poor ex-dates' names. When the night is over, nothing much ensued in his brain, let alone a name. 'Tattoo their names on your body', Doumyoji's suggestion was the weirdest one they ever heard. Alas, not only Soujiro went white, but also that poor Akira. 'I will.' Doumyoji added. Yeah… easy for him to say that, he only dated… what…? one or two girls over these past three years.
"Nothing?" He shook his head then shrugged. Oh well… that ended as expected.
"Tsukasa's in?"
"Should be. He should be briefing the next presenter by now. Anything's wrong?"
"My new manager is killing me. Last night she made me cancel my date for a stupid show at IRO."
"Nishikado-sama…, now you annoyed me. Why are you doing this in the first place? Working under Maestro, performing here and there, and not enjoying any of it? You could have been sitting in a nice big grand office, drinking a coffee served by the sexiest, prettiest secretary, just like Akira, and do nothing, at any rate, calls working. Your family owns one fourth of Japan, for Christ's sake."
"Tsukushi," ignoring her, "why are you still here? It's Friday, you should be sipping red wines, swirling on a dance floor someplace else. Have you seen the starts tonight? You would never think Van Gough's Starry Night is even close to a masterpiece." Tsukushi felt her blood was sucked out of her veins. Red wines, dance, stars, a date, Tanaka! Good Lord, she just remembered Tanaka!
"Soujiro, do you remember Ayako's brother?"
"Ayako, she is gorgeous… her skin is glowin…"
"Soujiro, focus please…, her brother… do you know him?"
"Yeah, Akira is doing some businesses with him. They met couple times, and I met him twice as well…, and…last time he…why?"
"His name is Tanaka, my date, tonight. I forgot to cancel the date. Do you have his number?" Tsukushi peeked at her watch beneath the layers of fabrics she is wearing, almost ten. The restaurant is closed; she forgot to call him there. He could be somewhere amid the crowded Tokyo.
"Why would I keep his number? Are you sure you don't have it saved in your cell-phone?"
"I don't have any."
"And what's that beside your cup? A brick? It is the latest from Ericson, Tsukushi. And people call it a cell phone, in case you have forgotten."
"Oh that, Doumyoji gave me that. I am not using it for my dates, it's strictly for Maestro and if that baka calls me. He pays for everything, I feel bad using it for my personal affairs.
"Tsukasa is filthy reach, he wouldn't even blink for that small sum."
"Anyway, this is the second time I forgot all about Tanaka."
"Is he that bad? Come on, spill it out. You didn't look that upset."
"He is too neat, very clean and slick. A Financer, rather stiff and he talks too much about Wall Street. I mean, who cares if the Dow Jones downed certain points or K-Mart's sold its stock and filed bankruptcy. I wish they steal the Stock Bell someday."
"Sounds nothing like your type. Why the second date? Still trying to look nice and understanding? You are only getting yourself misunderstood, fool."
"Told you… I'm all against one night thingy. One week, one month, yes, but one night, rarely."
Brows furrowed, Soujiro seemed quite lost as to what she is trying to prove by delaying the break ups. "Why do you have to go to the trouble when you know you will break up with them nonetheless?"
"I don't know. Let's just say… I take my turn to fall, but not dying to fall. Besides, I ain't going to beat you and Akira's glory. At least, I don't forget names, not instantly I supposed."
"Same difference."
"Love asks a lot. You know what I mean. Anyway, that baka friend of yours makes me work over time again, that's exactly why I am still stuck in here. Look at all these letters, they are crying for my little piece of wisdom."
"Look at you, you're loving it, aren't you? Tsukasa was right after all. Dr. Love, what would you do if they found out the 'real' you? All the nonsense you have been talking over the radio, they listened and took it seriously. Akira and I were confident you were not going to last for a week, guess nobody wins against Tsukasa."
"Tell Akira not to worry if he was looking for an alternative endeavor in the future. If a Makino Tsukushi can do the talk, so can a Mimasaka Akira."
"Still, I don't understand why Tsukasa wants you to host this kind of show. F4 is like brothers to you, although Tsukasa is persistence that he isn't your brother, but hell, his brain refuses metaphors, mind you. And a Tsukushi we know is a complete opposite of Makky."
"She'll learn." Tsukushi could swear she just choked with fright. Tsukasa edged closer toward the two, ignoring Soujiro who is, like her, still deep in shock. Who are these people, wizards? One of these days, he really should learn not to pop up like that, otherwise they won't be able to live through the day and die from a heart attack.
Tsukasa is wearing a very same suit from last night. His tie circles the collar loosely and his hair is messily arranged, tied in a funny ponytail, which looks more like a bun, some long loose fringes drop from the group, and slightly cover his left eyes. His curly hair is getting longer than usual, Tsukushi examined, and he looks overly tired. He had spent a night at his office again, and the purple ring around his eyes told her that he only winked not slept. Maestro is a big enterprise, and he works solo, as the rest of his family refused to acknowledge his effort and the other F2 have something else to do. Soujiro is a hopeless case, he prefer to work under Doumyoji. She told Doumyoji to ask Rui for help, filling in Doumyoji's spot in the morning show with her, therefore slimming down his crazy workload, but somehow, that idea troubled Doumyoji, and fused his temper. Tsukushi shrugged, this particular species has a very peculiar brain indeed.
"Soujiro," Tsukasa's voice suddenly sounds lower and more serious. Apparently, Soujiro had done something terrible that annoyed him. Tsukushi wait for Tsukasa's next words with a sense of foreboding. "You promised me." She caught the brewing anger in his dark orbs, which at that present time, are darting straight at the poor yellow rose on her grip.
"This is the last one, alright. I promise." Soujiro grinned sheepishly, and Tsukasa just nodded back in return, half-approvingly, before decided to drop the subject, but not without sending Soujiro a deathly glare and a 'friendly' whack on his back.
"What is it? What is the last one?" Feeling left out by the two, Tsukushi is all eager to know. Soujiro eyed Tsukasa, but he is too busy checking something on her desk.
"The flower…"
"WATCH it, Soujiro…" trailing off, Soujiro's smile had gone wider. Doing whatever he is doing to Tsukasa is, undoubtedly, a great pleasure to him. Tsukasa's vein is tracing along the forehead. One more word from Soujiro and he is ready to bestow the worst destruction beyond wonders upon him.
"Flower?" Bewildered, Tsukushi followed Soujiro's gaze, down to her grip. "This?" Soujiro nodded while Tsukasa is still busying himself with God knows what, avoiding her questioning tone. "Doumyoji, don't tell me you are not happy with this thing?" Tsukushi waved the flower inch away from Doumyoji's face. It's just a stem of flower. A-flower-from-Soujiro to say it bluntly. Flower and Soujiro, Soujiro and flower, it equals nothing. And since when this thing needs his permission too?
"It just…" Tsukasa stuttered, suddenly went slightly red. Soujiro seems to be preoccupied with something other than the saga in front of him; the edge of his sleeve appears to amaze him slightly more now than minutes ago. But Tsukushi caught him peeked at Tsukasa with such anticipation. Crankily, Tsukasa blurted his 'brilliant' excuse. "Soujiro gives flower to stupid girls…"
"What?"
"Hey, that's an insult."
"Did you just say, I, Makino Tsukushi, am stupid?"
"No, wait...I mean, I can give you flower... " then added, making sure that Tsukushi didn't get him wrong, "since you like it that much..."
"And what? Will that make me LESS stupid?" Sometimes it amazed Soujiro how dense Tsukushi could be. Consider the number of guys she had been with, it should be rather obvious to her as why this whole fiasco starts.
Calming down his temper, Tsukasa waved his hand, signaling Tsukushi to drop the subject. He is getting better with this, Tsukushi can argue forever if possible. Three years of knowing her, he had wasted enough time arguing over some nonsense while the others were wise enough to date her. "We talk about it next time. And Soujiro, why are you here? I heard you made a big fuss over that IRO thing last night."
"I need a new manager."
"Because last night? I thought you said you like her and she is pretty as hell."
"I said heaven, not hell. She knows how to kill me softly, that's all."
"Fine. What else?"
"Doumyoji, you can't just fire people like that. It's harassing people's right."
"Tsukushi, it's complicated. And Good Lord, would you please stop shouting?" Soujiro rubbed his ears. Tsukushi really knows how to flourish an argument. No wonder Tsukasa always goes berserk just by feeling her aura. "I am leaving. Akira called, Rui and he are going to the Muse tonight."
"Rui is back? with… Shizuka?" Tsukushi said the later a little too fast and felt her tone sounds a bit strange herself. As much as she wanted to be oblivion, she had to admit the awkwardness still lingers whenever the three of them are together. Though most of the time, she was the only one who felt the hindrance. Accepting the fact that Rui loves Szihuka is not as hard as she thought it would be, but seeing them together is another thing. She thought she had fallen in love with him once upon a time; she was mistaken, she supposed. But that doesn't mean she doesn't feel attracted to Rui. She caught Tsukasa gazed intently at her, as if acknowledging the dilemma inside her mind. She eyed her toes immediately, avoiding his gaze. He doesn't look too please with her just then. Did she not think inwardly? Did she just offend him somehow?
"Shizuka is in France. She should be back to Tokyo next week though. So, are you two coming or not?"
"Do you still have these many letters to read?" Tsukasa sat beside her, sorting the letters randomly.
"Hu-uh. You guys go ahead. Give Rui my welcome- back hug, also tell him I miss him and am dying to see him, only not tonight. Duty calls."
"Tell Rui the same for me, Soujiro."
"But Doumyoji…"
"Would you rather stay here until midnight? Just let me help you, Rui can wait. And you have to eat something. You drink too much coffee."
Soujiro shrugged, leapt to his feet, ready to leave eagerly. It's better to see pretty ladies at Muse than stuck in Maestro with this two. "If you guys say so. Till tomorrow. Ja!"
~~**~~
People
Will always make a lover feel a fool
But you knew I loved you
We could have shown them all
We should have seen love through
Drowsily, Tsukushi open her eyes. What time is it? Is it morning already? She doesn't remember coming home from Maestro last night. It must be the salted Tuna she ate last night. It was so big and Doumyoji made her ate the whole thing plus the udon. Tsukushi snuggled a little. It feels warm, though, a bit bony, and it's wavering slightly. Feeling a lot refreshed, Tsukushi looked down and found she is still in her suit. Strange, she isn't actually lying down, and now that she is fully conscious, her sight made a vivid image of her office. She jerked and sat herself. Overslept!
Something's burning on her cheek, like a pinching "ittai.."
"You looked silly, Baka." Removing his two fingers from her cheek, Tsukasa tiredly smiled at her, then stretched his body.
"Dou.. Doumyoji... ?" Did she just sleep on Doumyoji's back? Obviously, she did. He looked awfully aching. How long she had been sleeping? It is past midnight, no, it's already 2 in the morning. The letters! "Doumyoji, the letters..."
"This is the last one..." Doumyoji is busy scribbling something on the back page. "Next time, let Kazuya helps you. Or do you want me to get another assistant?"
"It's okay. Not everyday I received this many. Thanks, Doumyoji."
"Makino..." pausing, Tsukasa looked like he was about to say something, but hesitated. "Do you like him?"
"Huh? Like who?" Oh dear God, don't tell me he already suspected my little crush on Rui.
"Your date, who else. Baka. That Takana guy."
So it isn't Rui. How long had he been standing outside her room, eavesdropping her conversation with Soujiro earlier? Only to Soujiro, and Akira of course, would she willing to share about Tanaka or the rest of her dates, her 'love life'. They understand her, simple as that, although not thoroughly, at least they nod, not quizzing her like Doumyoji just did. Doumyoji isn't like them, he thinks highly of love, and that gives her uneasy feeling, like guilty...yeah... something like that.
"Tanaka. I guess."
"So... you guess...You know you shouldn't..."
"I know... I know...."
"Let's go home... it's getting late."
"Why do you care so much? Akira and Soujiro do the same thing, if not worse. They change girls every night, they sleep with them as often as they blink. I...I just... I am not..." It was wired, but Tsukushi couldn't help the urge to somehow 'clean' herself. She doesn't like him probing into her relationship like an expert. Tsukasa seems to pity her, look down on her. She is getting all mixed up in her brain, Tsukasa confused her.
"They aren't YOU."
"Good Lord, Doumyoji! Why I am listening to you anyway."
"It's late, Makino. I'll take you home."
"I…" Tsukasa was already walked out her room. She didn't have much choice than to tag along. Doumyoji is really something, that the only thing she was sure of, the rest is blur, as blurry as her sleepy eyes she tried not to wink too long, or else, she would fall asleep walking.