"And cut." A middle-aged man yelled from his chair, "Thanks for all the hard work, people. It's a wrap." Everyone in the vicinity politely bowed to each other while congratulating each other on finishing yet another big budget project. A young lady with blue long hair walked off the brightly lit area of the room and snaked past all the heavy equipment and long thick cables that littered the floor.
"How was it?" She asked eagerly as she approached the sitting man.
"Great." He said while looking up from the monitor in front of him, "It's this sort of performance that will get you far in this industry, Nanako-chan."
"Not bad for a first timer, I guess." She said sheepishly, "I've asked before, but you haven't given me an answer yet. So I'm asking again. Can I keep this?" The girl pointed to the outfit that she was wearing.
"Well..." came the reply.
"Come on, pretty please, it means a lot to me. This is the first time I wore something like that. And this is my debut..." She pleaded, almost to the point of begging.
The man thought for a good few seconds before succumbing to her request, "Alright, you win, but only if the big boss says 'yes'."
"Thank you, thank you." The girl kissed the man in the cheek, "You're the best, Takuno-san." The overjoyed blue hair girl jumped back to her trailer, leaving the middle-aged man shaking his head slightly while smiling. "It's so good to be young again." He thought.
Inside the trailer, the young Nanako quickly changed into her own clothes, tossing her outfit onto the black sofa situated under the window. The trailer was provided by the company she worked for. It was not big by any standards, but it was well equipped. There was a toilet at the rear, a coffee table and sofa, a fully equipped kitchen, a queen side bed at the front of the cabin, and a TV, not that she had the time to cook or watch anything these days. But more importantly, there was a full dressing table and a full length mirror. It felt very much like a private first class suite on the plane, if a plane has a kitchen.
Nanako quickly grabbed some make-up remover wipes and sat down in front of the mirror, "I can't wait for the make-up artist." She thought. For the next fifteen minutes, she removed the make-up she had on with speed and applied her own make-up with even greater speed. "Feels much better," Nanako said to no one in particular, "it's always best to be myself."
She picked up the letter from the coffee table one more time. It was stamped several weeks ago, addressed to her by her real name. Inside was a card. On the front page was a colour chibi drawing of a dragon and a tiger on a white background with the words "We've found it." printed boldly at the bottom.
Inside the card was these words:
There is something in this world which no one has ever seen.
It is soft and sweet.
If it is spotted, I'm sure everyone will want to have it,
Which is why no one has ever seen it.
For this world has hidden it quite well, so that it is difficult to obtain.
But, there will come a day when it is discovered by somebody,
And only those who should obtain it will be able to find it.
Please come on this date to this place to find out what we have found.
At the bottom was an address. The address was hardly needed, because Nanako had been there so many times. The first time she went there was with a childhood friend of hers at Golden Week so many years ago. On that occasion, she met two people who would later become some of the selected few who was fully aware of her real side. One was a tall guy with big gangster eyes (though she admitted later that he was not that scary at all). The other was a short, ill-tempered girl who pissed her off right from the get-go.
"So they are finally together." Nanako thought at the time. Since then, she had asked the powers-to-be the same question every day. Today was the last day, and she finally got the answer she was looking for.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. A head of a young lady popped in, "The car is ready, Saito-san."
Nanako thanked her assistant and quickly grabbed a couple other things before heading out the door.
"Saito-san." An older gentleman greeted her as she approached a maroon sedan parked near the front entrance of the complex. Nanako nodded slightly, acknowledging his presence. The gentleman opened the rear door and waved her in, "Please."
When the driver and his passenger was safely secured inside the vehicle, the driver explained, "Your shinkansen green class ticket is in the folder next to you. The ride will be 2 hours and 20 minutes. From the station, it's just a short walk. I'll be on call 24/7, as always. Just give me a call when you come back tonight and I'll come pick you up. As always."
"Did you bring what I asked?" Nanako asked hastily.
"It's in the paper bag next to you." The driver answered.
"Thanks, Kimura-san. You're the best." Nanako said as she searched through the paper bag, "This is perfect."
"Glad you like it, Nanako-chan."
"Please..."
"Just playing with you, Ami-chan." Kimura was one of the few people outside her circle of friends who could address Nanako by her real name. Sitting inside his car was one of the few moments in the day when Saito Nanako could become Kawashima Ami. Saito Nanako came into existence only a year ago, when Ami made the decision to go one step further beyond modelling. She was still in front of a camera, but being a model did not require much other than looks. Being an actress, on the other hand, required something totally different. It required a different persona, almost. After all, if she became famous in the future, the public will scrutinise everything she did, both in front and behind the camera. She, of all people, knew that her real self will not stand up to scrutiny. Luckily for her, she had plenty of practice during her modelling days.
Initially she was wary of Kimura-san. Just like when dealing with anyone else, she put on her 'mask'. But over time, she slowly took off that mask, maybe it was because he shared her grandmother's birthday, or maybe it was because he was so kind and so frank with her. Either way, Nanako slowly transformed into Ami whenever she was alone with him. He was like her grandfather, whom she loved. Even her own assistant did not see the side of her like Kimura did.
She loved being Kawashima Ami. It was during a summer break so many years ago that a certain somebody saw through her acts. It was during this time that she started developing conflicting feelings towards that certain somebody. In the end, she could not bring herself to say the things she wanted to say, as she knew he had someone else in his heart. In the years since graduating from high school, she often wondered "what could have been". Nonetheless, she was content that he, along with everyone else who she was going to meet tonight, allowed her to be herself. That was the best moment of her time.
Kawashima got off the train and into the cold winter night. It was snowing. Kawashima looked around and noticed that the street was empty, save for a few people who were carrying umbrella, trying to shield themselves from the falling snow. Kawashima, on the other hand, welcomed the crystallised water from the sky.
Kitamura had said that he would pick her up at the train station, but she received a message from him apologising that he could not make it after all. An urgent matter had come up at the student council that required his attention. He would meet her at the restaurant instead. In a few short years, Kitamura had become the student event co-ordinator of the student council at the prestige university that he was attending. With the experience that he gathered from his time in high school, Kawashima had no doubt her childhood friend would become the next president that many had tipped him to be.
"How could he leave his cute childhood friend out in the cold!?" Kawashima cursed, "It can't be helped. Guess I'll just go alone." She put on her earmuffs and walked along the snow covered side walk. The last time she saw snow was in high school. The nice tropical Okinawa trip that could show off her beautiful body in bikini somehow turned into a fight in the snow with Kushieda, and the subsequent search for Taiga who was lost in the snow storm. Even though she was worry about Taiga, Kawashima just could not bring herself to put aside her pride, so she stayed in the hotel while others went out to search for her. Kushieda and her eventually got back on good terms, thanks no small part to Taiga and Ryuuji.
In a distance, Kawashima saw a sign on top of a building. It was a spinning sign with the word "Jonny's" in big red letters. "Did it always spin?" She wondered as she took another step in the snow, "So much has changed. When was the last time I was here?"
Upon arrival, Kawashima was led into a small private room. Ryuuji and Taiga was already in the room. "Baka-Chi!" Taiga exclaimed as she stood up to greet her.
"I see that you still run your mouth," Kawashima retorted, "and you haven't grown one bit." She continued as she walked besides Taiga and realised that she was just as tall as she remembered it.
"Tch." Taiga was about to whip out her wooden sword when Ryuuji stopped her.
"You two are still good friends, I see." He said, holding back Taiga. He turned towards Kawashima, "So, uh. How have you been? I guess you are very busy with the whole movie thing."
"Ah, I see the news travel fast."
"Well, I have my sources." Ryuuji said cheekily. He actually heard it from Kitamura who bumped into Kawashima few months ago on a field trip when she was shooting on location. "What movie are you working on?"
"Only a movie where the cute-Ami could show off her cute side." Kawashima answered.
"That sounds boring." Taiga interrupted.
"Whatever." Kawashima waved it off, "I'm in good mood today, so I won't argue with you. Anyway, where is everybody?" she asked, changing the subject.
Ryuuji thought for a second, "Well, Koto is on holiday with his family somewhere in Fiji; Haruta can't come because he is working overtime at this game studio that he is working at. Kushieda and Kitamura should be here soon."
Just at that moment, the door to the private room opened and in came both Kushieda and Kitamura.
"Speaking of the devil." Takasu pointed to the pair.
"Minorin!" Taiga said happily as she jumped into Kushieda like a child hugging her older sister.
"Taiga!" Kushieda said in a way only Kushieda could. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Thanks. Minorin. You're the best!" Aisaka thanked her best friend.
Takasu and Kitamura exchanged pleasantries before settling down on their seats.
"Oi, Oi," Kawashima protested, "Cute Ami-chan is here. Is anyone here?" She was not that used to not being the centre of attention.
"A-min," Kushieda said, "Sorry, silly Minori didn't see you there. Long-time no see."
"Sorry I couldn't picked you up." Kitamura apologised to Kawashima.
The group finally settled down as the food begun to flow into the room. Just when everyone was ready to eat, somebody burst into the room with a loud bang that startled the girls. He bent over his knees and was puffing from the running he seemed to have been doing rushing over here. He was still trying to catch his breath when Kitamura, who was closest to him, recognised the person. "Haruta!"
Still puffing from his apparent shortness of breath, the person looked up, "Hi, everyone. Finally made it." It took a good five minutes and couple of glasses of water before Haruta claimed down. He then went on to explain that he had rushed over here as soon as his boss let him off.
The party went on without any more interruption. As everyone thought, it was an engagement party between the tiger that is Taiga and the dragon that is Ryuuji. Everyone was happy to see them finally getting engaged. Everyone wanted to know the details on the proposal, but Takasu was evasive, only explaining that it was not planned and was slight embarrassed when pushed for details. Haruta even went as far as accusing Ryuuji impregnating Taiga, which Ryuuji fiercely denied.
But one thing that everyone knew was that the newly engaged couple had walked a long road from the first day they met to this day in their lives. It took all the energy of Kitamura, Kusheida and Kawashima to made Aisaka aware of her true affection.
Halfway through the party, Haruta stood up and lightly tapped his raised glass with a spoon. "I'd like to make a toast." He cleared his throat before continuing, "I'm not very good at this, but I'd just like to say I've known Ryuuji since junior high and knowing him, he is the only one who can control the palmtop tiger where no other men would dare go near her except for the foolish." Everyone laughed while Ryuuji laughed nervously eyeing his future wife sitting next to him. She had her arms crossed and her eyes closed.
"Jokes aside," Haruta announced, "I think it is only appropriate to say this. May happiness feel your home every day, and that Taiga will try to stay calm and not draw her sword every time the two of you have an argument. And just remember, Ryuuji, the wife is always right." Another round of laughter and applause. This time, Taiga was laughing too and gave Ryuuji the look that told him that Haruta was right. Takasu pretended to look elsewhere.
All the guests then took turn to give the couple their gifts. Haruta gave a set of naughty underwear (to which Ryuuji looked on in horror). Kushieda gave an automatic sushi making machine. Kitamura opt for something more traditional, dried cuttlefish. Takasu was already thinking about how to make several different kind of dishes out of it.
It was finally Kawashima's turn. She pulled a box out of the paper bag. The box was slightly bigger than an A4 sized paper, wrapped in Washi. Kawashima handed it to the couple. "Hope you will find this useful." Takasu accepted the gift and proceeded to open it. Inside the box was a pair of long white gloves with the most beautiful lace pattern Ryuuji had ever laid his eyes on.
"That look so pretty," Kushieda said as Taiga tried them on, "and it just fits too." Everyone was now checking out Taiga's covered hand. But inside the box, there was something else. Ryuuji pulled it out and put it on Taiga's head. She was a little surprised at first, but soon released what it was that Takasu had just put on.
"It's a nice veil." Kitamura exclaimed. "You surely have outdone all of us, Ami."
"Thank you, Baka-Chi." Taiga said, almost a whisper. In her heart, she was grateful for this wonderful gifts, but outside, she just could not show her weakness to her "enemy".
"Thank you, Kawashima." Ryuuji said gratefully, "Thank you."
Ami was uncharacteristically quiet, she just nodded and smiled at all the thanks that she received. Deep down inside her heart, something was tinkling.
After dinner at their favourite family restaurant, the group proceeded to their next destination, the karaoke. Although they were now firmly in their 20's, karaoke was still one of their favourite past time activity. More drinks were ordered and more food were consumed. Kushieda belted out her favourite song like she always had, while Kitamura and Haruta performed a duet that almost had them stripping to their underwears. Ryuuji and Taiga performed a slow ballad, a first for Taiga, as she was used to doing things quickly, singing included. At some point, Kawashima stepped outside to catch some fresh air.
Ryuuji came out of the bathroom just as he caught a glimpse of Kawashima walking outside. He followed her out.
"Hey." Takasu gave her a tap on the shoulder.
"Hey, future groom." came the reply.
"Thanks for the wedding gifts." He said casually, "We really appreciate your thoughts."
"No problem, as much as I hate to admit it, it looks good on Taiga." Kawashima gave a little hint that she was happy for him.
"Yeah, the veil is a bit long, but the gloves are perfect fit. Mind if I ask where did you get them? They don't look cheap."
"Yeah, I do mind, actually." Kawashima said jokingly, "I'll have to kill you if I tell you." She make a gun-shaped hand and "shot" Takasu with it. Takasu pretended to die from the wound and fell backwards, but he hit his head on the light pole instead. A loud bang followed by a louder "Ouch!" echoed the empty snowy street. Kawashima laughed out loud.
"Say, Ryuuji." Kawashima lowered her voice a little after her bout of laughter.
"Huh?" Takasu responded, still trying to heal his wound.
"Would you like to run away with me? Last chance to run away with the cute Ami-chan." That came out of the blue and caught Takasu off guard. There were times when Kawashima would said something serious only to recant it immediately afterwards by dismissing it as a joke, all the while acting like an airhead that she pretended to be. Even after seeing through her act years ago, Takasu sometimes could not really tell if Kawashima was serious or not.
"Just kidding." Cue the airhead moment, "As if cute Ami-chan would want to live with a poor boring house husband." Takasu stared at Kawashima with his menacing eyes. But those eyes could not fool her. As much as he saw through her acts, she saw through his eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul, as they say. Through Takasu's eyes, Kawashima saw a young man with a mismatched personality and outside appearance.
Anyone who saw Takasu for the first time would be intimidated by his ominous look, especially when he shot his invisible laser beam from his eyes. But when Kawashima saw him for the first time, she harboured no such feelings. Maybe she let her guard down with the knowledge that he was Kitamura's friend, or maybe she was more occupied by Taiga and her arrogant attitude at their first meeting, so much so that she revealed herself to Taiga mere minutes after they were alone, not knowing that Kitamura and Takasu were observing the encounter from afar.
Before Takasu could reply back to her airhead moment, Kawashima put on her earmuffs and started walking down the street. Her back turned, she raised her hand and waved, signalling the end of her participation for the night. It took a few seconds for Takasu to register the goodbye wave. Not wanting to end the night like this, Takasu hastily followed Kawashima.
They walked in awkward silence. Kawashima was in deep thoughts, and Takasu wondered if she was serious with that last question.
"You don't have to follow me, you know." It was Ami who finally broke the silence.
"Well, umm..." Takasu said looking up to the night sky. "I wasn't following you, I was just, ummm, coming out for a bit." Few more moments of silence, save for the cracking sound of the tree branches under the weight of the snow that had fallen.
"The snow is certainly piling up." Takasu mentioned the weather, unconvincingly. When everything else failed, talk about the weather.
Kawashima suddenly stopped in the middle of the road without looking up at the guy walking alongside her. She finally spoke. "Hey, Ryuuji, do you think I will find love?"
"Of course, I am sure many men will die to have a girlfriend like you." Takasu gave her a very vague response.
"No. I don't mean it like that." Kawashima looked up at Takasu and protested, "I mean, will I find someone who will love me for who I am? Not who I have become? Not the Nanako that everyone sees, but the Ami that you see."
Tricky question indeed.
"Well, I would think that most people would like to see the real side of a person if they were to be together. There is no point faking it, because that mask will have to come off sooner or later," Takasu gave out his advice, "and when the other person finds out that it was a mask all along, only bad things will happen from it."
"I guess you're right." Kawashima put her head down.
"I guess I am in a fortunate position to have known you without your mask on. Kawashima, I don't know when it started, but even though you always fight with Taiga, arrogant to a point, mean and all-round unpleasant. That is the real you." Takasu paused, "And that is the 'you' that I like better."
"Thanks... I guess." Kawashima said.
"You also have some good points." Takasu quickly pointed out, "It's just that they are not as obvious."
They continued their walk towards the train station. The snow was falling once again, and Takasu realised that he left his jacket at the karaoke. Without much protection, he felt the cold winter night at its full force. Just as he was thinking about what to do, a pink earmuffs appeared in front of him. They were Kawashima's.
"Take it," Ami said, "before I change my mind."
"Ah, thanks." Takasu gladly took the earmuffs and put them on. "That's one of the good points I was talking about." He noted.
That was a slight hint of blushing on Kawashima's face, but Takasu could not see it because her scarf was obscuring her face.
When they arrived at the train station, Kawashima joked, "You should head back to karaoke. Otherwise, they will think that you eloped with me."
"Yeah, I think I should head back. Here..." Takasu took off the earmuffs.
"You can keep it." Kawashima said before Takasu could protest, "Once I'm famous, it will worth a lot more."
"Nobody will believe they were yours." They both chuckled at the idea.
"See you, Ryuuji." Kawashima said sincerely, "Live a great life with that shorty."
"Bye, Kawashima." Takasu reply, "Be famous, be bold, be brave. But most importantly, be your real self." He gave her a big hug. A hug that Kawashima wished would last forever. But she knew that it was not possible. With that, they parted ways. Kawashima stared at Takasu's back as his figure grew smaller each step he took walking back the way they came. Kawashima hated Takasu for being so frank, especially when he pointed out her bad side so bluntly, but she was relieved to hear Takasu said it. He took notice of her.
"Taiga better treat him well," Kawashima thought, "because if she doesn't, I'll definitely steal him away if she's not careful." With that, she headed home.
"Say 'cheese'." The photographer instructed as he pointed his camera towards the couple. The taller of the couple gave a stiff unnatural smile while the shorter young lady was grinning from side to side. They were at western style mansion somewhere in the country side. They had wanted a western style wedding and somehow found this mansion. The ceremony would be held in the afternoon outside on the lawn just behind the main building. A string quartet was playing some classical music while the guests enjoyed themselves with small nibble and the wine bar nearby.
The couples were in one of the many rooms with the photographer. They had been taking pictures since the morning, and it was now almost noon. Guests continued to arrive at the estate. Most of them were the bride's parents' friends and acquaintances. Many were their friends from their high school days.
"A more natural smile, groom. Today's your big day, you're happy, right?" The photographer asked rhetorically, "Just be yourself and give us a big smile." The bride looked at her groom and pinched his face from side to side to form the smile.
The groom did not have time to react before the shot was taken. A perfect candid shot. One for the grandkids to laugh at.
The double door to the room opened and a head of pink hair popped in. "Minorin!" the young bride yelled at the newcomer, "Come over here. We're taking pictures."
"Taiga! You look so beautiful!" Kushieda commented as she walked in. Behind her came a young lady in blue long hair.
"And Baka-Chi..." Aisaka said with a slight disapproval tone. That was how they got on together.
"Taiga, I told you to be nice." The groom finally spoke and exchanged pleasantries with the ladies.
"I don't want to come, but Kushieda insisted that there will be lots of single guys here." Kawashima said.
"Well, I don't know any of them other than those from our school. Not likely I will see them ever again. But please feel free to crush their hope of dating an actress." Ryuuji joked.
The three young ladies made their way into their own little world of photo shooting. Aisaka was no doubt the centre of attention, but that did not stop Kawashima from attempting to steal the spotlight with her voluptuous body covered in the latest spring collection from world class designer. Her years of modelling brought out her graceful pose naturally. If it had been a photo shoot session back in her modelling days, she would have to fake her smile to convince the readers that she was happy to be wherever she happened to be.
But today was different. Kawashima had dreamt of the day that she would be wearing what Taiga was wearing, or maybe even be in her place today. But she knew that Aisaka was the right person for Takasu, and Takasu would marry no-one else by Aisaka. Kawashima genuinely felt happy for both of them, but she would not show it lest letting Aisaka gain the upper hand their love/hate relationship. In some ways, Kawashima was marrying Takasu. Aisaka was wearing her wedding gifts.
"So you are wearing my gifts, I see." Kawashima commented casually as the girls took a break from the photo session.
"You were so kind as to give them to us. We couldn't let it go to waste."
"It looked so good on you, especially matching the dress." Kushieda gave her the thumbs up. Indeed, it matched her dress perfectly. The couple had a hard time picking out a dress, mainly because of Taiga's size. They almost had to visit the kids section. Luckily they found one that could be altered to fit her. But even after alteration, the tail of the dress dragged on and on and on. Normally these kind of long tail dress commanded a high price, usually reserved for the rich and famous. But in Taiga's case, it worked out perfectly for her.
"So Minorin, did you bring anyone?" Aisaka asked while fixing her hair. Kushieda was taken aback by the sudden attention on her.
"Well, I'm not attached to anyone right now." She managed to answer back. Ryuuji was the only serious contender in high school. And in the years passed, her mother had made her go to several match making events, but nothing eventuated.
"Come on, Kushieda. Let's find a shining prince out there." Kawashima jumped on Kushieda and dragged her away from Taiga. "You guys hurry up. It's almost time for the ceremony. Everyone is waiting for you guys to kiss!" Kawashima skilfully parried the attention back onto the Palmtop Tiger.
"Really?" Aisaka panicked, "Ryuuji! Ryuuji!" She quickly went out in search of her soon-to-be-husband. Ami gave Minori a wink as she received a thumbs up in return.
Outside, the crowd gathered around, each to their seats. Ryuuji was at the front of the altar when the music started playing. Taiga was led by her father, the person she used to loathe wholeheartedly. In the last few years, especially since she moved back with her mother at the end of high school, she had tried to reconcile with him. Aisaka still hated her father for the many years of neglect, but she hated him less than before, at least she hated him less to the point where she let him lead her down the aisle on the most important day of her life.
The crowd got up from their seats with their camera phone working on overtime, taking shots after shots of the bride. Sometimes, one had to wonder if weddings were really designed for ladies to showcase their wedding fashion.
Taiga's father handed his daughter's hand to Ryuuji, in a symbolic move that signified passing the baton, as it were - it was your turn to look after my daughter now. Takasu gladly accepted the challenge. He had been ready for that ever since that night when they were "married" under the moon, with bed sheets stood in as Aisaka's wedding dress, and the kiss that followed... Ryuuji shook the thought out of his head as his very-soon-to-be-father-in-law took his seat.
In Japan, western style wedding did not hold as much religious meaning as it did in the west, and especially one that was held outdoors. It was really more of a style / fashion choice. The MC / celebrant made his introduction and proceeded to ceremoniously wed the lovely couple.
As a formality, the celebrant asked if there were any objections. None was forthcoming. None were expected. There was no last minute burst by some ex-lover who suddenly realised that he loved the bride all along; no outburst by any of the guests; no black cats walked across the red carpet. The ceremony went without hiccup, other than that one time when Takasu called Aisaka his "husband" when he was taking his vow, which drew some laughs from the audience.
At precisely 2:16pm, Ryuuji Takasu planted a kiss on the soft red lips of Taiga Aisaka, formally sealing the vow they have taken. The vow that would cement their relationship till eternity.
What followed was a formal Japanese wedding reception inside the castle / manor. Taiga and Ryuuji changed into something more traditional. There were lots of singing, dancing and speeches (where Takasu's mother got drunk and started promoting her bar).
As much as Kawashima wanted to stay close to the couple, circumstances prevented her from doing that. She had to be content with sitting at the back in order to avoid the unwanted attention. But this proved to be futile. Once one person noticed her, she was swamped with requests for autographs. She was initially warmed to the idea, but was soon annoyed by the constant attention, so much so that she had to remind people, in less than polite terms, that she was there to attend a friend's wedding, not some movie star autographs events. No doubt she could have alienated some potential fans, but she'll be damned if she ruined her high school friends' wedding.
Kawashima needed to take a breather. So she wondered out to the balcony. Kitamura was already there, hands on the railing, looking out, as if he was deep in thoughts.
"Hey." Kawashima tapped Kitamura on the opposite shoulder from where she was standing. Kitamura took the bait and turned his head to the wrong side.
"Oh, hey, Ami," He said when he eventually found Kawashima leaning back on the railing, "Still like to play pranks on people, eh?" They both giggled. "What are you doing out here?"
"I need to take a break. Way too many people asking for autographs."
"Well, you are a star, no?" Kitamura asked rhetorically, "How is the movie business going?"
Kawashima paused for a second before declaring, "Great, my debut movie is coming out soon. I just hope people will approve my acting."
"Good luck with that." Kitamura said encouragingly. "Better get used to more strangers asking for your autographs."
"And my fake smile." Kawashima said under her breath. "So why are you here?"
"Oh, me? I was just getting some fresh air. Being the best man is not an easy task." Inside, the sound of music continued to entertain the guests. Aisaka could be seen dancing with Kushieda while Takasu was chatting with Haruta and Koto.
"But the job does come with some perks." Kawashima teased Kitamura as she noticed him dancing with one of the bridesmaids earlier.
Kitamura's face turned a little red, as if he was caught red-handed, "You noticed, eh?"
"Ask her out. She's pretty. I mean, not as pretty as I am, but better looking than the shorty over there." Kawashima never missed a chance to praise herself and take a stab at others, especially Tiger.
"My heart is still somewhere else." Kitamura said.
Kawashima panicked, "I know we are childhood friends and I am pretty and all, but you're not my..."
Kitamura cut her off before she could finish, "I don't mean you."
"Oh...?" Ami realised her mistake, "Then who.." She gave a loud gasp as she suddenly realised she had just answered her own question, "You mean, the ex-president?"
"Yeah, her. Sumire Kano senpai."
"Isn't she in America or something?" Kawashima never paid attention to what her old classmates did nowadays. She overheard the news from someone just now.
"She is. But she told me she's coming back next year."
"So you still keep in touch with her?"
"As much as I keep in contact with you." Kitamura explained.
"That's not saying much, you know." Kawashima said, "Looks like you still haven't given up yet."
"As long as she's available, I'm still in with a chance, however slim."
"Well, my chance is gone. Hope yours will turn out better." Kawashima said with a slight hint of sadness.
"Don't you have anyone in your industry? They all look so manly and all."
"Yeah, right. Don't count on that. I've been in the showbiz business long enough to know that you don't date anyone from within this industry. You date someone outside. The less they know about the inner circle, the better."
"Is showbiz really that dark and evil?"
"No, you just need a lot of fake smile. Anyway, would you like to have a dance with the most beautiful girl of the evening?"
"Sure, but she's with... oh." Kitamura caught himself in the middle of the sentence when he realised that Kawashima was, once again, talking about herself.
"Fine," Ami finally admitted defeat, "the second most beautiful girl of the evening then." With that, the childhood friends moved back inside the reception hall to join in the fun.
"Come on, are you ready yet?" came the voice of an eager individual.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming," came the reply, "it's not like it's going to go away."
With one hand on the popcorn and the other holding drinks, Ryuuji and Taiga walked carefully to their designated seats. "Here we are." The newly wedded finally settled in their seats. "It's not like you like her."
"I know, right?" His wife of a few months said, "It would be fun to watch Baka-Chi fails at acting."
"Highly doubt that, she's been practically acting as an airhead her entire life. Well, for as long as we've known her, at least."
They looked around and saw that the venue was packed. "Never knew her movie would be so popular."
"Well, the review gave it 9 out of 10, and praised her performance as being 'great with a hint of stardom'." Takasu read from a certain review website on his phone.
"We'll see about that." The lights dimmed, and the blank screen was replaced by none other than ten minutes of big screen commercials, during which time the Palmtop Tiger kept popping popcorn into her mouth like a hungry baby and made loud chewing noises, obviously annoyed by the amount of products placement flashing before her eyes.
The movie finally started and the couple sat quietly and enjoyed the motion picture. To other audience sitting in the cinema, this movie might just be another flick that they watch, but to Takasu and Aisaka, this movie had a slightly more significance, not the least because this was their friend's first starring role. It was a story of a charity worker who traveled to another country in order to help the poor, only to be kidnapped and tortured by a group of kidnappers. During her ordeal, she met a male captive who encouraged her and gave her hope when there was none. Together they overcame hardship and despair and was finally rescued. The movie ended with her wedding to the man she met.
"Wow. That was intense." Ryuuji said as they walked back home.
"I never knew Baka-Chi could be so..." Taiga was searching for the right word.
"Talented?" Ryuuji tried to finish the sentence for her.
"No, that's not it..." Aisaka replied, "Odd. That's the word, 'odd'. There is something about her that I have seen before."
"Well, of course. I mean, we know her, right? So you must have tried to compare her acting with her real self."
Aisaka shook her head, "No, that's not it. Something about the wedding scene strike me as odd."
Takasu commented, "All 120 minutes of it, and all that is bugging you is the last 10 minutes? And possibly the least significant moment? You do realise that the credits were rolling when they show that scene, right?"
"Shh. I'm thinking." Aisaka retorted. Takasu rolled his eyes as the couple walked along the river side in silence. Suddenly, Aisaka lit up, ran a few steps forward, turned back towards Takasu and pointed a finger at him, "I know where I have seen it! The gloves and the veil, the ones Kawashima was wearing in the movie! She gave them to me as our wedding gifts!"
Takasu pondered for a second, trying to recall the wedding. Then realised that his wife was right. "Hey, you're right! They are! We now officially have movie props. Wow, that's one great story to tell to the kids."
"Kids? Who said I'm going to have kids with you?" Somehow, somewhere, Aisaka produced a bokken and chased Takasu. Laughter filled the air as the couple forgot about the movie and rekindled their wedding memories.
~ Epilogue ~
"Saito-san, you're up."
"Coming." Nanako put down the card that she was reading. The corners of her lips rosed as she rushed on stage to present at an award ceremony.
The card fell next to a trophy, a trophy that was bestowed to her. Inside the cards were these words:
There is something in this world which no one has realised.
It is soft and white.
If it is known, I'm sure everyone will want to have it,
Which is why no one will ever know about it.
For in this world, they are the only ones, so that is difficult to obtain.
But, there will come a day when it is needed by somebody,
And only then shall it be returned to its rightful owner.
~ From PT Tiger
- FIN -
My first fanfic in quite some time. It's great to be back. Toradora is one of the better anime that I've seen in recent times that did not involve mecha, magic or shooting at other people.
Hope you guys enjoyed it. As always, reviews and comments are welcomed! Later.