MEGUMI'S DEPRESSION
Pairing/s: Yamamoto Megumi/ Saiga Yahiro (Main); Hanazono Hikari/ Takishima Kei; Toudou Akira/ Karino Tadashi; Ushikubo Sakura/ Yamamoto Jun; Finn Koupe Schuzette/ Tsuji Ryuu; Alisa Appleton/Aoi Ogata
Genre: Romance/General; Best viewed in ¾ format
Plot Summary: February 14 is an important holiday for most couples but for the Yamamoto twins, it is not just a holiday but also their birthday. Yet, why does Megumi look so down?
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Chapter One: Double Celebration
-08-08-08-
About a week before Valentine's Day, Yamamoto Megumi was spotted strolling the sidewalk leisurely, with her magic slate hugged securely towards her chest, sparing fleeting glances on the intricate and unmistakable holiday decorations on the stores she passed by. As she continued her walk, she chanced upon seeing couples of different generations display varying ways of showing their affection towards their significant others. It was sweet, really. But the unfolding scenes did nothing to dull the ache felt by the songbird as she recalled events that occurred a few months back – his rejection of her feelings that she bravely wore on her sleeves. She sighed, not liking where her thoughts were leading to, and decided to continue walking towards no destination in particular.
-08-08-08-
At home, Ushikubo Sakura was busy planning for her beloved Jun and his twin sister Megumi's surprise birthday party when she decided that although she already enlisted the S.A. – minus Jun and Megumi, of course – with Finn, Alisa and Aoi to assist her in implementing her plans, she still needed to persuade her close friend, Saiga Yahiro, to be present in the party. After all, she firmly believed that his mere presence would be the best gift for her Jun's twin sister. She grinned evilly as she dialed his number and waited for him to pickup.
"Sakura." Yahiro greeted casually as he twirled the pen between his fingers. Squealing was heard on the other side of the line, prompting him to distance the receiver from his sensitive ears.
"Yahiro! Are you free on the 14th?" Sakura questioned loudly as she flopped on her bed. He cringed but then decided to scan his mental organizer for plans on the said date. Without waiting for his answer, she continued.
"You see, it's February 14th, you know? Valentine's Day! A day for soon-to-be-lovers, presently lovers, ex-lovers-who-want-to-rekindle-romance-lost, a day for me to measure Jun's boxers–" Sakura blabbered.
"I get it! Tsk." Yahiro cut her off, exasperated. He decided to release his frustration towards the pen he is currently twirling – by twirling it even more vigorously. He heard laughter on the line, which gave him the urge to hang up the phone.
"I didn't know that Valentine's Day was such a touchy subject for you, Yahiro." Sakura said in a teasing tone. She heard him mutter incomprehensible words on the other line.
"Oh well. You know, I could set you up with someone if you want. Do you want someone who has a model body type? A curvy, sexy type? An innocent-looking, curly-haired –" Sakura continued her playful banter as she could almost picture the annoyed look he was giving her right now.
"Sakura. What's the point of you calling me?" Yahiro asked, with gritted teeth. Again, he was greeted with an abnormally high – pitched squeal. He cringed again as he continued to twirl the pen more vigorously than normal. He was irritated, especially when the pen slipped out of his grasp and rolled beneath his cherry wood table.
"You see it's my Jun-kun's –" Sakura's voice droned on the line while he crouched to reach for his pen, which conveniently rolled out of his reach. He could almost feel the tip of the pen… And after struggling for almost a minute, he finally got it. He let out a deep breath.
"Eh? Are you okay, Yahiro?" Sakura's concerned voice drifted through the receiver. She heard a grunt on the other side of the line.
"Yes, I'm… fine. I just went to retrieve something." Yahiro replied as he sat back on his plush chair, making himself comfortable.
"Oh, okay! So what do you say? Can you make it? We could really use your help…" Sakura asked, her tone laced with enthusiasm and hope.
"I… I can't. I have to attend a party set by a friend of Mother's on that day, I'm afraid." Yahiro responded as he studied the pen he was previously twirling.
"Oh. Can't you just… I don't know… Ditch it?" Sakura asked again, hoping to change his mind with regards to his current plans.
"I can't. Mother insisted that I be there. Sorry." Yahiro replied, the proceeded to hang up the phone. Sakura sat up on her bed immediately, staring at the receiver incredulously as she processed the answer he gave her.
-08-08-08-
Valentine's Day came by so quickly. All of the S.A. students, minus Megumi, Ryuu and Jun, together with Sakura, Aoi, Alisa and Finn were at the Greenhouse earlier than usual to prepare for the party. Ryuu was tasked to stall the twins while the others setup the scheduled party. The surprise celebration was to be done during lunch since most of them had scheduled plans for dinner. After everything was setup, they turned off the ceiling fans on top of the greenhouse and hid on their respective places as they waited for the arrival of the celebrants.
-08-08-08-
Meanwhile, the twins, together with Ryuu, arrived in Hakusen Academy just in time for their surprise. As they walked through the corridors, they are greeted by the sight of girls giving boys chocolates – some do it with force, some do it shyly, etc. Megumi could not help smiling at the sight of their blushing faces regardless of the manner in which the exchange was made. She always thought it sweet. Then she spared lingering glances towards the couples holding hands, and whispering sweet nothings to each other. Then again, the dull ache comes back to remind her of certain events that occurred months before. Her smile almost faltered but when she noticed her two companions observing her from their peripheral vision, she forcibly widened her smile as she continued walking ahead. Somehow, they felt bad for her. This is the first Valentine's Day and birthday, where they couldn't celebrate the day with each other since they both have plans with their significant others. As the trio passed, they could hear some girls squealing and boys giving cat-calls in the background, to which they gave acknowledgment through slight nods, shy waves and small smiles.
-08-08-08-
Upon arriving at the Greenhouse, they were met with unusual silence. A typical day in the Greenhouse would normally show a battered Tadashi, a furious Akira, a busy Kei, and a pumped up Hikari. But as of the moment, the Greenhouse was oddly empty. The twins gave Ryuu a questioning glance, to which he shrugged as he reached for the switch.
And then, BOOM! Confetti and balloons were strewn everywhere… blowing of party horns and singing of "Happy Birthday" was heard… and then, two huge birthday cakes, with 16 small candles surrounding the surface and one big candle placed in the middle, were strolled in by Takishima and Aoi. Megumi, although thoroughly surprised, tried to scan the crowd discretely as she searched for the pink-haired despicable guy. When there was no sign of his presence, her face fell, which did not go unnoticed by most of them. As soon as they were about to console her, she immediately flashed them a forced smile and motioned for them to continue singing, which they did so as not to depress the mood. As soon as the singing ended, they prompted the twins to make a wish before they blow on the candles. Almost everyone had a hunch of what the singing brunette wished for, and they secretly hoped it would come true. She deserved to have her own happiness.
After which, cheering and giving of gifts ensued, and when the cutting of cake was announced, Tadashi's palpable excitement for the cake was obviously overflowing.
-08-08-08-
While conversing over cakes, pastries and English tea, the topic regarding the absence of a certain pink-haired guy was suddenly brought up. Hikari isn't exactly best known for her sensitivity after all.
"Sakura? Where's Yahiro? Wasn't he invited?" Hikari asked, all of a sudden. Curious eyes turned towards the Ushikubo heiress. She gave off an apologetic smile, particularly directed towards Megumi, who gave her an expectant look.
"Of course, I invited him! You see… He has… plans… so he couldn't make it! I… I actually tried to talk him out of it… but…" Sakura trailed off. She fidgeted under the scrutiny of the surrounding people.
"Plans? You mean… like a date?" Hikari probed further. Sakura was getting uncomfortable, especially with the focused gaze she was receiving from the female twin. Her gaze was unreadable.
"Something like that… I guess…" Sakura answered, uncertainly as she continued to fidget. The room remained quiet except for Tadashi who continued to gobble his food like there is no tomorrow.
"From what I've heard, he is attending a party set by one of Saiga's stakeholders today... probably to introduce his daughter." Being the factual person that he is, Takishima supplied what Sakura was unable to do. She gave him a thankful smile as she straightened her school uniform in an attempt to get more comfortable. Megumi's eyes widened at what Kei said then bowed her head.
"You mean like a marriage interview?" Tadashi questioned in between his gobbling. To this, Akira hit him with a kettle. Sakura simply shrugged, hoping to close the topic once and for all. She spared a glance towards Megumi, who by this time, had her view obscured by her bangs. She suddenly felt sorry for her… as well as the other sets of eyes looking at her. The mood had finally turned out to be more depressing, signaling the end of the celebration.
-08-08-08-
Just as the mood is becoming completely somber, the doorbell started ringing, causing the occupants of the greenhouse to direct their attention towards the entrance. Megumi's heart started to pound, as she wished that it is Yahiro on the other side of the door. Everyone wished.
As the door opened, it was not who they expected to be. Besides, since when did Yahiro use the doorbell when entering the Greenhouse? He would readily enter, with or without invitation anyway.
"Excuse me. S.A.?" The young man in uniform questioned, as he struggled carrying several crystal-encased yellow roses in a basket. Kei and Aoi nodded as they approached the guy while eyeing the flowers cautiously.
"This is from…" The man struggled to look for the delivery receipt in search for the name of the man who had the flowers delivered.
"Saiga… Saiga Yahiro." The man finally stated. He started to pick up one of the roses from the basket and read the card to whom the flower is to be given.
"Toudou Akira…" He handed her one rose, which she eyed skeptically. She glanced at Sakura as if asking her what tricks Yahiro is playing this time. She shrugged in response.
"For Hanazono Hika… Hikari." The man read as he handed her the flowers carefully. She gave him bright smile which he readily returned, earning a deadly aura from the Takishima heir.
"Ushikubo Sakura." The man was mesmerized by her girly features as he handed her the rose. She squealed in delight as she stared at the rose. It was truly beautiful.
"Finn Koupe Schu… Schuzette?" The man read again, this time in a hesitant tone. Finn appeared surprised. She was never particularly close with Yahiro but then again, she was also grateful. After taking the flower, she gave the man a bow as a sign of gratitude, making him blush.
"Alisa Appleton." The man threw her a slightly flirty smile as she made her way towards the man. She ignored him as she took the flower while Aoi never let his gaze wander away from her form.
"I wonder how he even knew I was here." Alisa pondered as she studied the flower carefully. Aoi looked at her as she did so. She immediately flashed him a smirk as she made her way back.
"I told you Yahiro has ears from hell!" Tadashi shouted stupidly, prompting another beating from his girlfriend. Megumi sweat-dropped as she watched the pair. However, before she could continue staring at them, the delivery man's voice broke through.
"I can't really read the last name. After all, among the names… this is the only name written by hand." The man said as he scratched the back of his head. All sets of eyes focused on him.
"Written by hand?" Jun asked the man. He nodded as he bent to pick up the last flower on the basket. It was again a yellow rose inside a crystal case.
"Must have been forgotten… Or a last minute something…" The guy murmured as he squinted his eyes to get a better view of the name written on the paper.
"Yama… Yamam… Yamamoto? Yes! Yamamoto! This was last minute so it wasn't written so well." The man read happily since he was able to get the name right. However, when no verbal response was received, he looked at them questioningly. Megumi, however, looked absolutely crestfallen even for just about a split-second.
"Well, is there a Yamamoto here?" The man inquired again. All of them nodded.
"You see, there are two Yamamoto's here! They're twins!" Tadashi responded eagerly, earning him a thrown kettle from Akira. The man shrugged.
"The only thing written here is Yamamoto." The man said as he double-checked the scrap of paper where the name was written.
"You idiot! Obviously, Yamamoto would mean Megumi, right? Why else would Yahiro send Jun flowers? Stupid!" Akira shouted at Tadashi as she continued her daily dose of battery. He whimpered.
The delivery man then proceeded towards Megumi's direction to hand her the flower. While doing so, he gave her a flirty wink, earning him another deadly aura – this time from Ryuu, Jun and Akira.
"How. Dare. You. Try. To. Flirt. With. My. Angel. Megumi!" Akira threatened as she took another kettle from nowhere, ready to hit the delivery man with all her might. Ryuu and Jun cracked their knuckles, as though preparing for a fight. Despite the tight feeling inside her chest, she was still amused by their overprotective instances.
Scared out of his wits, he hurriedly took the basket and scrammed out of the Greenhouse without even bothering to get their signatures.
-08-08-08-
'Thank you, everyone. Take care!' Megumi wrote on her magic slate. She then collected her gifts, which she neatly stuffed inside a huge bag. She bid them farewell as she proceeded towards the exit, earning sympathetic looks from her friends as she walked away.
"Megumi…" Jun said, worriedly. Ryuu put his hand on the smaller twin's shoulder, feeling regretful for leaving Megumi on her own during their birthday.
-08-08-08-
"She… she doesn't seem too happy…" Finn commented as she watched the smaller woman's back disappear from her view. She glanced at the two, who looked so down. She felt guilt starting to build up – guilt because of her 'selfishness' to spend the holiday with Ryuu alone. Just when she was about to go guilt-tripping, she felt a slight tug on her hand. She looked up to see Ryuu still glancing at Megumi's retreating form and trailed her eyes towards their now intertwined hands. As if reading her thoughts, he whispered.
"It's not your fault." Ryuu said softly as he planted a small kiss on her temple. She blushed at the gesture, at the same time, she smiled. She really, really likes this guy.
-08-08-08-
"Jun?" Sakura asked, as she hesitantly approached him. He gave her a weak smile, worry clearly etching his face. She looked away.
"I… I really… I really tried to convince him… But he–" Sakura was almost in tears when she thought of not being able to do anything for the people close to her beloved. However, she was surprised when he cut her off by hugging her out of the blue. She heard a small click so she pulled back a little.
"You mustn't shed tears, my beloved… especially when you're not the one at fault." Inner Jun stated flirtatiously as he brought his hand to caress her cheeks. She stood there, mystified as she could finally see traces of her shy beloved. It was good that balance between Jun and Inner Jun is almost being achieved. She smiled as she hugged him again, this time resting her head on his chest, just above his beating heart.
-08-08-08-
Kei and Hikari just bade farewell to Aoi and Alisa as they headed towards her home. She was scheduled to meet up with her father anyway. On their way to the car, they were arguing about what cake Alisa will make for her father. Typical.
-08-08-08-
As the couple headed towards the Takishima chopper, Hikari suddenly stopped her tracks, prompting Kei to do the same.
"Takishima, I'm worried about Megumi. I – she's spending her birthday and this holiday alone! How horrible can that be?" Hikari said indignantly. Kei sighed at her display of emotions.
"It can't be helped. Yahiro might have been persuaded by his Mother to meet a potential bride… for a merger." Kei hypothesized, making Hikari's eyes wide as saucers.
"You mean, she… she likes Yahiro?" Hikari asked. She was somehow a little too slow for his liking. He shrugged.
"I suppose…" Kei looked at his girlfriend, who was looking distressed by the minute. He took a deep breath.
"What do you think should we do?" Kei asked her as she concentrated on what they could do to see her smile. Hopefully, for her to smile for real.
"How about we ask her… to come with us?" Hikari suggested weakly. She cast him a questioning glance. She was seriously considering this, Takishima thought. Unfortunately, he would have to disagree. He shook his head.
"But – " Hikari started but Kei stood firm with his decision. Obviously he needed to explain his side why he thinks that wouldn't be the best idea.
"Imagine how she would feel if we ask her to come with us. She doesn't need our pity." Kei started as he waited for his girlfriend to get the picture. Thankfully for him, she was able to get it with no need for more prompting.
"I… I see… She'd feel more depressed… The feeling of being the third wheel…" Hikari trailed as she looked at Kei, who simply nodded. She appeared to be in deep thought again.
"How about… we abduct Yahiro from his party?" Hikari suggested, earning an amused look from her boyfriend.
"As appealing as that may sound, I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of either corporation. Besides, this matter is not something we could simply pry our noses into. Whatever they decided, will entirely be up to them. Do you understand, Miss Rank Number Two?" Kei teased his girlfriend.
"Stop calling me that! B-But maybe we could give them help to push them to the right direction? You –" Hikari indignantly inched her face closer to his as she huffed. Kei simply shrugged and suddenly carried her towards the awaiting chopper. She screamed for him to let her go. He ignored her as the chopper took off.
-08-08-08-
"Tadashi…I'm quite worried about Megumi." Akira said as she started washing the dishes on the sink, with Tadashi assisting her.
"Wow. Bear woman. You are worried!" Tadashi teased as he put down the other dishes. She gripped the sponge with much force. She was tempted to throw the glass plate towards his face.
"Obviously! Megumi's my friend, idiot! Why wouldn't I be worried?" Akira glared at Tadashi. He raised his hands in mock defense.
"I… I was kidding, Akira!" Tadashi said then immediately left to retrieve the other porcelain cups. She sighed as she continued washing the dishes.
A few minutes later, Tadashi entered the kitchen with the cups. He then took a towel to dry off the plates washed by Akira. They stood there in companionable silence.
"I know you are…" Tadashi suddenly blurted, earning a questioning brow from Akira. He turned his back towards her to place the plates in their proper shelves.
"I… I know you worry about your friends… That's… that's what I've always liked about you." Tadashi trailed as he continued placing the dried cups upside down. Akira stiffened, blushing like an idiot as she paused midway through her scrubbing.
Upon hearing no response from Akira, he looked at her. The water was already overflowing from the sink, yet she seemed oblivious to it. He immediately made a run for it to turn off the sink. Unfortunately for him, as he was reaching for the sink, he slipped. Out of reflex, he took the closest thing he could hold on to – which happens to be Akira's immobile left hand. She was immediately pulled out of her reverie upon the touch. When she became aware of what was happening, she shrieked. However, her landing was cushioned by Tadashi's body. They stayed, there gazing at each other, as more puddle of water started gathering on the floor. Then Tadashi sat up as he held Akira's cheek on his right hand. He looked at her softly. It felt like déjà vu. She gave him a soft smile.
"I'm… I'm so happy." Akira said, as she hugged Tadashi. Although initially confused, he hugged her back tightly.
"Me too, Akira. Me too." Tadashi whispered to her ear. They both smiled, truly contented.
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END of edited FIRST CHAPTER