"He Said What?"
«Takari»
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Chapter 2
"Please Hang Up and Dial Again"
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There's something about sleep that just calls out to some; especially on nights where it's not freezing, just a chill, lingering in the air that makes snuggling under a thick, downy blanket and pillow so inviting. The still, calmness of the night bids the body to slumber land and sugar plum fairies dance on head tops. Not even a digi mouse was stirring. Oh, what peace in the air tonight!
Two brown eyes shot wide open listening to the shrilling cellphone ring piercing through her body. Whimpering, Hikari glanced at the clock only to find its reply to say two in the morning. Maybe if she ignored the phone it'd shut up. What made things worse was finding she couldn't help herself not to count the rings.
…3…4…5…6…7…
Who in the world would be sane to call at this inhumane hour of the night? She dug deep underneath the blankets pressing her index fingers into both ears. Even so, she still found herself counting the rings again mentally.
…12…13…14…15…
What if it was an emergency? Her body tensed. What if there was trouble with the plane Takeru boarded? As quick as lighting Yagami Hikari took off to find the phone stumbling over furniture in the process in her dark apartment. It was found under a couch pillow. In a mix of a groggy and concern tone, she answered it.
"Konnichiwa, Hikari! I knew you had to be there. Listen, these people are so weird. They take one look at me and pull out any electronics they're carrying to show me. What are they thinking? Because I'm Japanese I can fix their gadgets? Then this–"
Hikari slapped her forehead. If this man was in front of her she might have strangled him. "Ohayo, Daisuke. Sayonara, Daisuke." She hung up.
Now, where was she in slumber land before being rudely awoken? Ah, yes, sugar plum fairies and peace. The kindergarten teacher felt her way back to her awaiting bed; her eyelids begging to surrender. She couldn't let her classroom full of rugrats discover their sensei wasn't invincible. Show one weak spot and the Titanic will sink.
The horrific sounds of the telephone sung again. She forgot the cell phone on the couch again.
…2…3…4…5…
Whining again, she followed the same process of digging under the covers. She needed to make it habit to put her phone on vibrate when going to bed. Some earplugs and a sleeping mask on the side would be nice.
…8…9…10…
This was enough! He has a sweet heart, but can't this guy take a hint? She fell prey to more bruises in the pitch dark apartment and dropped the phone twice in the process of answering.
"Do you understand what time it is? I don't care how many electronics you fixed. I don't care if there's a new cure. I don't even care if the Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning on the other side. Unless little men have taken your goggles hostage prancing about Santa's workshop – stop calling!"
"Hikari? I…Gomen. I'll call later."
"…Takeru?"
Oh, boy. Wrong person. A dial tone was her answer. Well, better make some coffee – some strong coffee and get comfortable for the rest of the night. Time to make amends with everyone. Where was that throw blanket? All the excitement had woke her up. Later, with the steaming cup in hand and lying on the living room couch with the throw blanket, she first returned Takeru's call.
"I'm sorry, Takeru. Daisuke called right before you did and I was groggy and…Aren't you the least bit exhausted with the major time change?"
"No, I'm sorry," he insisted. "I didn't realize until my brother slapped me upside my head. Yeah, we're both fifteen time zones apart and I'm a day behind, or is it the other way around?"
She chuckled. "Would you like me to build a time machine?"
"I'll stick it out. Write me a rain check."
She took a sip of her coffee. "How was your flight? Remember, I want a souvenir."
"Sure thing. How about I cut out an article from the local newspaper?"
"Takeru!" she gasped laughing.
He snickered. "I wouldn't forget you."
Hikari sat up on the couch wagging a finger in the air as if he was really sitting next to her. "Don't complain to me if you wake up again with your hair covered in honey and chocolate, okay?"
"That was you?" he asked surprised. "I never told anyone! How did you–"
Hikari burst into a laughing fit. When they were about fourteen Miyako dared her to play a trick on him. To make a long story short they somehow slipped in his room undetected before sunrise and planned their surprise. It was hard to not say anything later that school day when they kept watching him subconsciously feel his hair.
"Do you know how long it took me to get that all out? Hikari...Stop laughing…Hey, come on."
"Okay, okay," said she when the laughing died down. "Just thank Miyako for the idea to make your hair soft and shiny for all your basketball fans."
"Her too?" Takeru couldn't help but to finally laugh it off. "You both got me good. I always thought I smelt the hand of your dear friend in it." His voice then became soft. "I'm going to miss you this week, Hikari."
She did the same. "Me too. Well, gotta go and apologize to Daisuke while I'm on the roll."
He groaned. "Oh, come on. It's not like he's across the world and you hung up on him as well."
She laughed nervously. If he only knew…
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"What's that noise?" Ken wiped his eyes tiredly as he yawned in bed.
"The phone," Miyako muttered grumpily. "Make it stop."
Both laid there in bed staring blankly at the ceiling as if thinking if they'd ignore it, the person on the other line would give up. Yeah, right. Fate could be plain mean when it wants to with its twisted sense of humor. With the attempt of getting out of bed, still half asleep, Miyako instead somehow rolled off. Despite the blunt words that followed along with trying to reach for the cordless phone off her nightstand Ken fell back to sleep. Being married for three years taught him some things were better left to his wife.
"Hello?" Miyako answered while squinting her eyes to see her nightstand clock. Where did she place her eyeglasses? "Hikari? What's wrong?" She nearly panicked. "What happened?"
"Nothing happened," Hikari answered quickly. "Sorry for calling at this time, but Takeru called me and, um, I need to talk to someone."
"Can't it wait until the morning?" Miyako asked rather sharp after finding her glasses. My goodness! Three-ten?
"…I suppose."
Miyako sighed. It wasn't like her friend to call at this time in the night. She caved. "Know what? Spill. We haven't had much girl time lately. Did Takeru make it to Houston?"
A sigh of relief was heard over the receiver end. "Thanks, girlfriend. He's great. Maybe too great. Wait 'til I tell you."
"What's up? Why so down?"
Hikari replied with mixed emotions of shock and disbelief. "We're about to hang up and he tells me out of the blue that he has–"
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"A girlfriend?" The young kindergarten teacher nearly choked on her coffee. "Wha-what?"
"Yeah!" Takeru answered happily. "Tea. Remember her?"
"Who?" She rapidly searched for a napkin to wipe the drop of coffee off her chin. Her night shirt seemed inviting.
"Aw, not you too. Tea," he tried again. "We all hung out in our college years. It's funny how no one remembers. I'll email a picture…Hello? Are you still there?"
"Yeah," she shook off this sudden overwhelming of…Even she couldn't figure what it was. It was like someone slapped her a million times and locked her in a trunk. "Yeah, how is Tea?"
"Off to visit her grandparents in China. It's been a week."
The taste of coffee no longer appealed to her. Placing the cup gently on her glass coffee table to her left, its contact making several soft clinky sounds she dared to ask a question. "A week at China or of the relationship?"
"Relationship. It's great," Takeru's happy attitude continued. "She's so caring and funny. She can say the same joke repeatedly in different voices and it's funny just like the first time."
"Tha-That's great. I'm happy for you," she did her best to mask this odd feeling she was experiencing. "While we're on the subject of relationships, I broke up with Tokishio-kun…Hello? Still there?"
"Yeah," he's voice sounded forced. "Wha-How-Why? I thought you and he – I mean – Four years is a long time."
She shrugged her shoulders playing with the tassels on the throw blanket. "For a long time it's turned into a friendship solely. The feeling was mutual."
"Hikari, he didn't hurt you, did he?" a sound of concern was voiced.
"No. Why would that be asked?"
"You'd tell me, right?"
A sad smile rose. "Yep." It was then she fought hard to keep tears back. She sniffed wiping her face and her voice squeaked a little. "I love you, Takeru. No matter what."
There was a brief silence. In that, her heart was beating wildly. What was he thinking? How did he take that? His voice was soft again and she couldn't tell for the first time in a long time what type of emotion he spoke from. It was almost in the same manner like that time in the park. That was a moving memory…
"I love you too, Hikari. Always."
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"He said what!" Miyako freaked. "What's he doing with that Tea then!" she demanded to know.
"Oh, Miyako, we both meant it in a friendship way. Don't make it more than what it was."
"Then why call me at this time?" she stated bluntly. Hikari's side stayed quiet. "Admit it," Miyako took charge. "This woman bothers you. Him being with her utterly bothers you. If it didn't, we'd be eating breakfast discussing this, not now."
"I-I don't know. I can't put my finger on it."
"You can't, or you won't?" she asked with a knowing grin.
"Just what are you implying?"
"You know what I'm saying."
"I sure do. That's why I'm changing this subject. So then, I had to call Daisuke back and apologize."
"Wait, wait, wait," Miyako interjected. Still sitting on the floor, she folded her legs one under the other. "I'm lost. What's he have to do with any of this?"
"I'll explain later. But he's in New York with Mimi. Since we know she's a famous chef there she's helping to spread the word about his noodles. He says that business is booming and that even Time Magazine wants to do a piece over him. Can you believe it? Time Magazine!"
Miyako slowly nodded her head in approval. "Perfecto! I want to see Mimi. I've been wanting to tell Ken about getting passports."
"He invited me over, girl. I'd be staying with Mimi. He's really nervous about this big break and Mimi won't be able to help much because she'll be working at that time."
"You're really thinking about taking time off from the job you love to go there? And with Daisuke?"
"Yeah," she answered carefree. "I was there only that one other time when me and Takeru first met Willis. Taking a real vacation would be nice."
Miyako chuckled and teased. "Don't send me a postcard confessing that Daisuke won you over."
"Argh! Miyako, are guys always on your mind? You haven't changed. I wouldn't be with him even if they tied me to a stake and ripped my toe nails off one by one."
The purple hair computer whiz replied happily with her left index finger pointing in the air. It was a nice to tease her for a change. "Nope! Only Ken is on my mind. Let's see if I've computed this correctly."
"Huh? What's there to compute?"
She yawned wiping the sleep off her eyes. The Sandman must have came to visit again. "Well, let's see. You're bothered and confused on why Takeru would choose this girl. It seems like from what I was told that you were expecting him to say something more about your breakup after you told him. Now this spontaneous decision to fly off to New York the minute Daisuke invites, the same guy that's been infatuated with you since grade school, might I remind, is made. Analysis is complete: You're retaliating."
"What? Against whom? My best friend? How? That's just plain ridiculous! Daisuke and I are just friends."
"Whatever. I'm going to bed. Think about it." A sudden grin spread across her face. "You know, I wouldn't mind calling Takeru tomorrow and scaring him for you, like, uh," she tapped a finger against her cheek in thought, "uh, to get him to think, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, Kami, I'm not hearing this."
"Yeah! I'll just say you and noodle guy went on a business social date to Central Park–"
"Miyako," she rose her voice in a warning tone.
Her friend continued on not the least bit phased. "Possible adding some cutesy drama that you need time to think after Tokishio–"
"Miyako," her tone rose higher when gritting her teeth.
"Hush! I'm not done. And you were swept off your feet when he invited you to a few days of paradise under his care. Sounds convincing to me. I think it might work…Don't leave me hanging, girl."
Hikari forced out her answer. "Goodbye!"
Miyako giggled hanging up. She wouldn't dare go against Hikari's wishes. Climbing back into bed, placing her hands behind her head the conversation of her wacky plan rolled back around. Perhaps her plan wasn't so crazy after all. She turned to her side towards her husband who was soundly asleep. She'll sleep on the idea for a couple of days. If Hikari did go to New York maybe, just maybe, it might be a good idea. It would all depend on how the information's deliverance would play.
Why look at her. She always admitted to others that she liked Ken and look where they were now. Why those two were scared to admit she'll never figure out. She turned back to the phone to unplug it just in case fate wanted to show its humor once again that night and paused. Then again, Mimi should hear about this.
Just in case, she thought to herself.
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