Infested by triangles – by preety-lady-serenity
This is dedicated to my friend Chatiel that picked the challenge. Thank you!
"Where is your mind travelling to? Kino-san, when you're here I expect you to focus!"
Nakano Kino looked at the older woman and cowered in fear. Mrs Otani seemed very displeased with her, and she had every right to do so. She had seriously messed up with her work today. She had mixed the models' outfits, lost the make-up kits and delayed the photo-shooting. Mrs Otani was, usually, so tolerant but today, Nakano Kino knew, she had lost her temper.
"I'm sorry Otani-sama! I am so sorry!" the young assistant mumbled, close to tears.
"Kino-san, your work performance has been dropping in the last few days," Risa Otani sighed in frustration and rubbed her forehead.
In her early forties Mrs Otani Risa, previously knows as Koizumi Risa, worked as a head-stylist at a magazine company and balanced life between caring for her midget husband and children, and work. Therefore, she hated to listen trainees complain that they had no time to do something, especially when those trainees had no children and husbands to take care of.
"I am sorry for my incompetence Otani-sama," the young girl said again, her voice breaking up.
"Kino-san, you have a boyfriend, don't you?" Risa Otani asked in realisation, "Did anything happened between you?" she asked in soft concern.
To Risa's bewilderment, Nanako Kino started to cry. Risa remained silent until Nanako stopped crying and said between her sniffles.
"My boyfriend – sniffle – there is this girl at his university – sniffle – and she is very close to him"
Risa let out a snort. She did not mean to insult the girl, but it just escaped her without realising it. Nanako stopped and looked at her boss in hurt anger. Fine! She as stupid but what could Otani-sama know.
"Excuse me Kino-san. I did not mean to insult you," Risa apologised seriously, "I am too aware of the feeling you go through. My relationship with my husband has always been infested by love triangles."
Nanako blinked and wiped her tears.
"First it was Seiko-chan and Haruka. That was before we even got to be a couple. Haruka was an old friend of mine when we were in kindergarten and elementary school. He had left and went overseas when we were little and returned back when we were in high school. He liked me but I felt no eroticism. Then, there was Seiko-chan, the cutest girl that has ever stepped foot in our high school … Then it was Kanzaki, my husband's ex-girlfriend… Oh and Mimi-chan –"
"THE MODEL AGEND?" screamed Nanako Kino
"Please Kino-san, close your mouth," Risa Otani commented, "What I really want to say is that you should trust your boyfriend. Don't treat yourself low, because there is not excuse for him looking at other women if he loves you. And if he looks at other women, well you're better off without him. Now, pack your stylist kit and come over here to help me."
Nakano Kino nodded and hurried after her boss. Otani-sama was so courageous, but sometimes it seemed she had a heart of steel.
-)-)-)
"So, how was your day, dear," Atsushi Otani asked his wife as she curled next to him that evening.
"Pah, there was nothing difficult. Kino-san, my new assistant, and I had a small conversation about love triangles."
"Love triangles?" Atshushi asked in puzzlement, "What about them?"
"It's the same old story – Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy. They go out and another girl eyes the boy. Girl becomes paranoid over girl B, and Boy is oblivious about it as usual."
"I'm so glad men don't act like that," Otani said pompously, putting his hands behind his head.
"Oh yeah? And who went spastic when Maity-sama came to school for teaching training?"
"I didn't go spastic!"
"Don't speak to him! He irritates me. I'll kill him!" Risa shouted in a mock voice, pretending to be the teenager Otani.
"WHAT IS THAT? IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE ME?" the man shouted in anger.
"Yes!" she replied, "You annoying midget!"
"You idiotic Amazon!"
"You grain of sand!"
"You totem poll!"
"You spec of dust!"
"You – you – why are we arguing again?" Atsushi Otani asked in puzzlement.
"I – I have no idea," Risa Otani said in equal puzzlement.
They looked at each other, chuckling. At least they knew it. Their marriage would never get boring.
I wanted to write about a mature Risa at the age of forty in this story, where she would feel secure and feel a bit cynical about love triangles. I didn't want her to lose her humour though. So what did you think?