The tress whistled, leaves swaying, turning, flipping against the pavement, rolling down the street, crushed under the soles of shoes as they tumbled. Akemi sighed, blew strands away from her eyes as she waited, back hunched, elbows hard on her thighs, sitting on a lone bench, skewed at the far back, shoved in between bushes, hidden behind large oak trees, almost invisible to the naked eye- to the people surrounding her, passing her by with eye firmly planted in a far away direction. Straight ahead with no side glances. No raised eyebrows. No disapproving eyes were thrown in her direction.
Thank goodness, Akemi thought, tugging the ends of her skirt down, shifting a little, adjusting herself on the cold park bench, feeling the little dents on its surface marring her rear. With a sigh she pulled her sleeve up, gazing at the watch bound on her wrist.
Late. So late.
Sighing, she placed her head in her hands, resuming in her game of blowing strands pointlessly into the air. Clearly coming early was a mistake. She always pegged Ueda to be the type of men to arrive thirty minutes early for a date, just like he was for class.
"A mistake," she muttered to herself and sighed once more, silently thinking to herself why he couldn't be more like the man she met last week for coffee. The one she sent flying across the asphalt.
"I'm sorry, so sorry," she drove a hand over her eyes, still seeing flashes of an upturned body, hitting against windscreen, hitting mutely down the road, motionlessly, so dead, so dead.
"Argh!" she shook her head, hair flaring around loosely, ready hands smacking her lightly on the cheeks as though to call her awake. "Quit thinking about it! It's history! Long since over! He has forgiven you already so let it go!"
Easier said than done. Her cheeks burned when her mind took her back to that evening- to that little meeting in that café, remembering with fresh senses the bell chiming over her head, warm aroma of crushed beans flaring through her nostrils, lingering in the air, pulling like a hook on a line strings of long stashed memories forth and she remembered heavy snow in the dark, stacks of papers unattended, a small candle light on the table, two lumps cuddled on the long couch, covered in thick blankets, her sister sleeping soundlessly whilst she stared at the bright glow of scorching firewood, listening to the soft murmur of grown up voices in the kitchen...
But Moroboshi Dai was already there. Already seated with a cup of coffee steaming holes into the folded newspaper, hand propping up his head, silently chewing at then ends of an unlit cigarette placed between his lips, half lidded eyes running across the many words, appearing completely bored stiff, dropping around him an aura that spoke of the tale of a man with too much time on his hands, releasing over all a mood she wasn't completely sure she could lift. With haltering breath and trembles in her legs she walked over, ready smile in place, apologies planted on her tongue and ready to take off when he glanced up.
Chartreuse eyes peered at her and all language was lost.
Akemi moaned, digging her face deeper into her hands, cheeks flushed bright red to the tips of her ears, hotness seeping into her palms when she remembered what kind of stumbling mess she had been- apologising over and over for something he easily dismissed with the shake of his head and an exasperate look at her; "Really?"
"Ahh," she moaned, flushing even brighter, finger driving through her hair, grasping tightly, willing the memory to disappear- to just die.
"What a bully my mind is." she muttered, not expecting to laughter ringing in her ear. With a start she shot up, head whirling around to see blue eyes and brown hair ruffled by the afternoon wind. She breathed out relived, hand placed on her chest, "Oh, it's just you, Yuji-kun."
"Expected somebody else?" he grinned and Akemi's heart suddenly thumped loudly in her chest, guilt? Probably. But she shoved it right out, smiled instead, knowing he didn't expect any answer from her. It was a loose phrase that presumably came straight from his head without a second thought, something easily brushed off with a slight shrug and a teasing smirk.
"Maybe," she gave him side glance before she turned to him, hands on her hips and bending low, glaring as frightfully as she could which seemingly wasn't much since he started laughing to himself, hands held up in an apology, grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry, sorry. I got carried away a little. You see…."
Akemi rose a brow but faintly listened to his irrational explanation for coming late; an old granny in need in crossing the road, too heavy bags for that grandpa to carry, helping retrieve a ball stuck at a tree for a bunch of kids playing on the street- nothing but the usual. She waved him off before he could go on about his tale of protecting a girl from being bullied by three mean boys. "Enough. I get. You're forgiven." yet again, she thought with a roll of her eyes that she tried to suppress.
Keep the act up.
"So," she smiled, reaching for his hand, "Where did you plan on taking me this time?"
"Secret," he winked and pulled her along, dragging her out of the park into the buzzy street. She kept close to him, occasionally pressing up against his arm when the streets ended up too crowded, people more than inclined to push through, shoving one or the other out of their way now and then. Akemi suppressed a laugh, sealed her lips shut tightly with great effort. If his cheeks reddened any further she might burst out laughing any second.
Boys, she thought, finding herself not able to stop the smile from spreading, what youthful innocence.
But he had none.
Akemi halted in her steps, lightning struck as fast as those images flashed in her mind; struck as hard as voltage in a current with the realisation that Moroboshi had absolutely none. His sharp green eyes, wry grin, his entire posture- it wasn't light. No momentary carefree attitude was in sight. She didn't think she'd ever see him relax despite only just having met him. He never let his guard down. Even though he was with her.
A girl.
A women few years short of being twenty-three.
Akemi has met a lot of men so far, mostly because of her part time work down the road but she knew that trait. Has seen it on many. The guise of donning one self a 'serious' cover- a superficial appearance of a man with too much responsibility. Add a suite and a tie to that and a flock of women will soon rush on, dying to be on that man's side in the false pretence of receiving waves of money crushing on to the shore next to that nice looking fish she caught on. Well, that until they realise it's a just man with empty pockets looking for a fun ride they are then not too willing to give. But he-
He seemed to completely embody it. With no dress shirt. No tie. No polished shoes. With no fun streaks. At all. He was a completely vacuum of hollowness.
For a moment she wondered whether she could fill it in…
"Akemi? You alright?" a hand touched her face then, worried eyes peeked at her, slightly questioning, "You froze all of a sudden."
"I'm fine. Don't worry!" she laughed it off, walking steps forward and pulled him along, evading the suspicious glances he threw her with before bumping his shoulder with hers, beaming at him. "I'm fine so lead the way!"
After a persistent lingering glance, he took the lead from her, tugging her down the road again and Akemi banned those thoughts from her head. Those stupid, stupid thoughts. She was thinking too much. Moroboshi Dai was just an introverted guy. She has only seen him a couple of times in different occasions. It's not like she knew him. She might find out soon enough that beneath that hard exterior might be freshly baked pudding- all soft and mushy, perhaps even goofy- though now that she is thinking of it that idea didn't sit well with her. Rather have him not shed his guard. Maybe he was born to be of ice. Regardless, he-
"W-what?" Akemi's head whirled, a mishmash of bright sunlight, fluffy clouds, flashes of buildings here and there, a blur of people; of roads; of street lamps until her vision righten again and Ueda suddenly stood before her, a pair of hands holding her shoulders firmly, gazing at her straight in the eye and she could see a mix of confusion brewing in there, welling suspicion and a tinge of worry.
"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
Akemi blinked, coming to realise that Ueda must have shaken her. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You had this terrible look on your face," he copied it, crumbling his features into narrowed eyes, scrunched nose, pulled in together cheeks that somehow reminded her of a rat and a sheer image of absolute dislike.
"I did not!" Akemi protested despite laughs, swatting his chest with her open, feeling a blush creping up her cheeks. "I would never!"
"Yeah, sure. I never just saw you doing that-" and with that he made that face again, seemingly enjoying to get on her nerves, she huffed, glared at him as best as she could and stalked off.
"Now, now don't get mad. I was joking," he pulled her back, wrapping his arms around from behind, she huffed again, louder, sending glares through her fringe, uncomfortably canting her head back to look at him. But he ignored her motions and let her go instead, pointing up a building she only now noticed.
A cinema, she thought glancing back at Ueda and his rigid posture, stiff shoulders and hands stuffed deeply in his pockets. Akemi swallowed and braced herself, bolting away now would be rude and only hurt his feelings more. She had done that enough already as her mind took her back to that day after her lesson, in that hallway where he last confessed. She knew he was still waiting for a reply- for an 'I love you too' that she wasn't comfortable saying out loud to anyone other than her own sister. Much less to someone she didn't harbour any feelings for- at least not any he'd want her to have at this stage.
She shouldn't have accepted his first confession, agreed to go out with him when she knew wholeheartedly it would come down to this. It started as a game and will up in a conflict. Akemi bit her lips, nails digging deep into her palm and took a deep breath. She has walked through this process many times, and she could do it now again.
It was their fault anyway. Giving her the power to crush them after they sum up their courage to confess their feelings right in front of her, isn't it obvious that its a natural mechanism for Akemi to accept and keep their hearts from breaking?
And even if Akemi rejects, they'd argue her reasons are built on fragile grounds based on nothing other than her own insight and perception that they wouldn't work out, which they counter with persistent telling of her inability to foretell the future, that they should give it a go- a chance- topped off by their own conviction of being able to make her fall in love with them. Akemi smiled. To think they thought that she could love in that capacity and depth they can.
Sadist.
It breathed upon her ear lightly. Silently creeping up like on that single night. Akemi sighed, bringing her hands up to her temple, rubbing an upcoming headache away. She didn't want to deal with that. Not with any of that. Not yet. Instead she smiled and grabbed his hands. Knowing wholeheartedly she is only digging her way deeper into this mess, ripping her wounds deeper and hurting him along with her.
Sadist.
"Leave me alone," she mumbled under her breath, keeping her thoughts at bay and walked into the large hall, sitting down, only half listening to Ueda's mumbles about the romance-comedy movie he had picked out for her that Akemi didn't exactly care for. Whatever was fine, since it wasn't her biggest concern. She sneaked a glance at him.
Akemi was sure he was up to something. Akemi was seventy-one percent sure he'd test her. Kazuko and Natsumi spoke enough about it. About how they plan to test their boyfriends. Whether they'll notice it if she cut an inch of her hair, whether they'd make a move if Natsumi texts up Kazuko's boyfriend in a flirty manner or vice versa- things that make Akemi sigh deeply into her hand, if not roll her eyes at the sheer childishness. She had always thought that their interest in finding out were larger than the actual results.
Slowly Akemi leaned her head to the side, shifting her body away from him, keeping her eyes on the screen and for the first thirty minutes nothing happened. So far so good. It took another set of twenty minutes when she realised she was watching a loves story. In fact, the plot was mainly based on a love triangle; dear, sweet love; bitter betrayal; heart wrenching realisations. Akemi tore her eyes of the screen, turning to look at Ueda with a raised brow and finding him stare at her with unreadable expression but Akemi thought it looked rather cold and restrained. Her brows rose higher before her face contorted and with a slight shook of her head, she mentally asked him- what are you implying?
But he only gazed back to the screen and as though he had practiced that moment, Akemi bore witness to the cheating occurring between the girl- the main character had eyes for- and the other man she has met...at a café? Her mouth fell open, eyes widening as she stared at the flashback from the main character, remembering that he saw them from the window once laughing to themselves, fingers staying at each other for too long, gaze lingering too long when he was passing by— or was waiting for his girlfriend's shift to end— Akemi couldn't quite remember but she knew what Ueda was getting at. She glanced at him again. But his eyes wouldn't move from the screen.
Just what are you accusing me of?
No, no, she shook her head. She was quite sure Ueda couldn't have known about the coffee trip to the coffee shop she had last week. He shouldn't be aware of it. He had practice on that day along with his friends. None of his immediate circle of friends could have tattled. At least those who knew her. But then why was he making it a point to show her this movie- this scene.
"Expected somebody else?"
Realisation hit her stomach and she felt sick. But didn't to show it. If he was testing her reaction then she needed to look as normal as possible, watching from a third point of view rather than someone who could identify with the scene. After awhile she could feel his gaze on her again but this time she did not turn, eyes eagerly fixed on the screen, evading out all accusation that had been made and- after a couple of minutes more- she could feel his arm sneaking up her shoulder, pulling her close to his side and she heard him whisper words that shattered her heart, made the guilt sit deeper in her bones.
"I'm glad."
Akemi fought the urge to bite her lip and the urge to tear her hair out. Noticing a bit too late that it was the perfect opportunity to end this. With a slight shook of her head and determination she scraped together like dust on a polished floor she moved out from his embraced, hiding her eyes beneath the lose strands hanging off her forehead. "Don't. You shouldn't be."
Before he could utter a response nor grab her arm, Akemi moved away, walking down the aisle towards the bathroom as quick as she could, ignoring the swift footsteps following her and the calls of her name, locking herself into the cubicle and muffled a moan into her hand that she planned to be a scream.
And soon enough-
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"...Akemi?"
She held her breath. Halting still. Listening, listening, listening- but not further sound was made. That was until her phone vibrated and Akemi felt like crying, whined under her breath, walked left and right in the small space the cubicle provided and risked a glance at her phone. It was only a message. She breathed out relived, back hitting the door and slid down, sort of laughing at herself for thinking it was Ueda calling her from the other side. She still could hear shuffles and the anxious ruffles of clothes from behind the door. With furrowed brows she pulled her sleeve up again, reading off the time and sunk her head into her knees. One hour to go. What was she going to do?
"Nothing, I guess," she muttered to herself, gazing back to her phone, opening up the message and smiled despite herself, rereading each word out loud in a whisper:
Haven't heard from you in a week. Still holding up?
"As good as anyone could in this situation, I guess." She typed, speaking each word out loud and after a moment she hesitated a little, thinking before she added. I made a mistake and am about to fix it, but I lack the courage.
. . . .?
Hand covering her mouth, Akemi laughed, momentarily forgetting that she's in a toilet and smiled wide, already imagining him raising a single brow at her, green eyes glinting questioningly…
Closing her eyes for a moment, Akemi typed. Adviceswould be good. You know, things that gets me up and running.
If it's anything important to you than encouraging words would have a minimal impact.
How helpful, she sighed, knowing he it the mark. She drew her legs in closer, hitting the right buttons to form a sentence. What will help me then? isn't there anything I could do to raise my spirit?
Well, that depends on determination, doesn't it? Can't help you much with that. But I can help sort out the aftermath.
You mean to say to help cheer me up?
. . . .?
Her face bloomed into a wide smile. Just so you know, I will hold you to that.
Stashing her phone away and summing up leftovers of courage she fished out like remnants on an emptied bin, she got up, quietly pulling the door open and peeked outside, surprised she opened the door wider, stepping outside fully, whirling her head left and right but Ueda was gone. Relieved and a bit disappointed Akemi walked off, exiting the cinema with quick wide steps and head home, hoping he wouldn't pop up from nowhere like he did in the park, with another uncertain glance behind, Akemi held her hand up and hailed for a taxi. Not expecting a hand to shot out of nowhere and yank here back. It took a moment for here to regain here footing, but when she did her heart leaped into her chest. "Yuji-kun!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean the way it came out," Ueda Yuji started off in a rush, cheeks flushed red as he fumbled over his words and Akemi's heart sank down. Deep, deep, down.
"I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that Daichi said-" his blushed deepened into a dark shade of purple and he shook his head widely before resting his eyes on her again and she could feel the welling desperation in him when he clutched her arm tighter. Pulled her in closer. "I'm sorry, okay? It was just about something stupid he told me. Some rubbish he came up with," he stressed and tugged her towards him again but Akemi pressed against it. Took a step back, leaned back and felt her heart beat faster. Quicker. So much quicker and yet she felt breathless.
"I know I shouldn't have believed him. That, I shouldn't have listen to him. But I couldn't help it!" he continued, driving his fingers through his hairs as looked at her so pleadingly, so helpless. Felt the rising sweat in his palms, the panic in his eyes, and Akemi could feel the tears rising in her own. But she held them back, closed her eyes for seconds and steeled her voice as best as she could.
I made a mistake and am about to fix it.
"Look, Yuji-kun-" Something flashed into Ueda's eyes and she thought she could discern the fear clouding them and his breaths coming out quicker.
"Akemi, I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you were-" he shook his head as though to throw the thought away from his head and stared hard into her eyes with such pained and conflicted expression Akemi couldn't bear to speak up- to raise her voice and break it to him, so she looked to the ground instead and in shame closed her eyes.
. . .but I lack the courage.
She felt his gaze on her but she refused to look up, to look at him. But it seemed he misread her actions of submission to that of defiance, for he suddenly cried out that he has been a fool. Akemi looked up at his sudden change in tone and she regretted the action almost immediately as she saw the flick of pain flash on his face. "They told me it would turn out like this. They all told me. But I ignored them and didn't believe in them."
No. Akemi shut her eyes tight, already knowing where this was heading. First they plead her, belittle her, pick on her and then accuse her.
"Even though I said I loved you—to you this was nothing more than a game, was it? Just something for you to play with."
Akemi didn't raise her head, kept her face hidden behind her bangs. Knowing that Ueda was rumbling off whatever was laying in his mind, whatever little doubt he had and wished for her to refute them at the end. To blow them off and reassure him that it was not like that. That, she loved him too. And that she was sorry not to have pronounced it clearer. But. . .
She shut her eyes and her knuckles turned white under the pressure of her fits.
I don't want to do that.
"If you never wanted any of this you could have said so. You could have told me you didn't feel the same- I would understand that." Ueda mumbled quietly at last and casted his eyes down, at least until he raised his face right up, suddenly he realising the weight each word he chucked on her, carried.
"I mean you do, don't you?" he started again, licking his lips nervously, "You wanted this. . .right?" he halted and let the question hang in the air between them, drifting towards her and demanding answers she wasn't ready to give. Akemi knew her face looked stricken, knew the hammering in her chest and the increasing sweat on her palms were urging her to pick the save route. To just agree. To just reassure him.
But where will this lead me?
". . .Akemi?" She flinched but still did not raise her head but she could hear the fear welling in his voice and the rising dread. ". . .You do, don't you?"
"Yuji-kun," Akemi started off, heard her voice wane with each letter and he noticed. Must have thought it was positive sign for him and he stretched a hand out to her cheek in rising hope. And she only needed to lean into his touch. To smile. That would have been enough for him. A proof that needn't be said with words. Just to lean. . .
Lean on it! Lean on it! Put the act up and just lean on his hand!
She shut her eyes tight and flinched under his touch. Ueda drew back quickly as though burned, and Akemi was already shaking her head, sparking hopeful glints in his eyes again. And she knew she still had a chance. . .
"Yuji-kun you were right. It's not like that." Akemi began, venturing for the safe route. Uprising and rebellion were never her forte to begin with. Just let him love her until he'd get sick of her like they all do at the end. She never went against the rules she set for herself anyway. Pointless, pointless, she thought and swallowed the rising tears down. "You were right, I. . ."
If it's anything important to you then then encouraging words would have a minimal impact.
It hit her hard. Akemi gasped and stumbled back, clutched onto a pole and steadied herself, feeling incredibly sick and dizzy from her stupidity. Akemi shut her eyes tight and held a hand around her mouth, breathing in deeply as she wondered what she had gotten herself into. Why she started now to questions the acts she decided to commit. Wasn't it too late for it already? Wasn't this what she decided on doing? Decided to play with them just like they played with her? Use them just like they had fun using her?
Akemi glanced at Ueda rushing to her side and started to smile, now quiet sure that secretly they were all the same. It was too late to question the morality of her acts. This was the path she sat out for herself and she will walk through it, so she grabbed his hand and interlinked their fingers, smiling ever so sweetly at him.
"You were right," she repeated, letting the words roll softly over her tongue and looked at his hopeful expression. "I have wanted this."
The smile beaming on his face rivalled the sun and scorched her heart completely, and Akemi could taste the rising ash in her mouth when Ueda leaned closer and bumped his nose on hers, whispering, "Akemi? Do you mean that?"
Her heart ached.
Akemi glanced at his twinkling blue eyes, full of hope and relief, and swallowed.
This is the path I set for myself.
With another easily placed wide smile, Akemi nodded.
It couldn't have been . . .
Ueda leaned down once more and she closed her eyes.
. . .avoided.
Well, that depends on determination, doesn't it?
With a jerk, Akemi leaned back and hit her head against the pole, moaning at the jolting pain as she clutched her head before her fingers wandered to cover her mouth again, nausea overwhelming her all of a sudden, and she sighed, rubbed her hands over her eyes, pushed the bangs away from her face when she stood up with wobbly feet.
I'm digging my grave, she thought when she came to a conclusion and without further thinking she pushed Ueda's hands away that were helping her up.
"No, let me finish." Akemi looked down, bracing herself before she gazed up, "All you said before. It was true. You were right."
"What?" His face turned confused and Akemi took a deep breath.
"I have wanted this. But not any more." Akemi's voice shook and she cursed the courage that sizzled in her heart and weakened her knees. "I'm sorry, Yuji-kun, but I can't return your feelings anymore."
"What?"
"I said-"
"What?!" Ueda's eyes flashed and Akemi flinched, recognising the burning anger, the confusion and the shock. That's so much for understanding, but Akemi knew she shouldn't have expected him to accept it and smile it off. Not when she led him on like this.
"What do you mean you don't? After all this time! Is it because of that man you've been meeting last week? Were his words sugary enough to sweeten your heart just like that? Even when you acted as though you liked me?"
"That man was an acquaintance of mine and not a potential lover. I don't get feelings for every man I meet." Akemi replied sharply and more firmer than she should have, and she realised her mistake the same time Ueda picked up on it.
"Funny how defensive you get just by that remark." Ueda muttered darkly, "You never used to get upset about anything I said or was said about me."
"Of course I did."
"Oh, really now?"
Akemi frowned at his sarcasm. "Yeah, I should know best."
"Yeah, of course with your reputation." he spat and looked pointedly away from her.
"I'm sorry?" Akemi's eyes widened. Did she hear right?
"I've been told all about it. I didn't want to believe it. How could I? A girl like you- a girl like Akemi," he laughed quietly to himself, at the absurdity of it all that couldn't be comprehended in his head right now.
"But what they said was true. They were absolutely right." He repeated and Akemi could see the tears brimming in his eyes and the rising burn in her own and he laughed in bitterness when Akemi slowly backed away as his eyes fastened on her, cold and cruel.
"You are freaking sadist."
"Now, now, Akemi would you tell me, already?" Emi asked as she wiped the counter. Akemi avoided her gaze, looked instead at the wash cloth that was moving across her eyes sight.
"Don't get too close with that thing." Akemi twitched her nose and moved her head a little back, but kept her head on the table still, sighs falling from her lips.
"Then raise your head." Emi grunted and push the cloth further down the table until Akemi pushed herself off and glared at her with offending eyes that even didn't look half as threatening as they should have been. And after a few seconds of silent glaring, Akemi gave in and propped her chin on her hand, sighing timelessly into the air and watched Emi clean the other tables. Stared at the other waitresses picking up the last plates and hurrying them into the kitchen. It was around closing time when Akemi dropped in the tiny restaurant and ordered an orange juice that she knew the bar didn't officially have, but Emi always carried around an extra pack of that sour thing inside the fridge. Akemi's nose twitched in distaste at the lingering taste at the back of her throat. The chair next to her creaked suddenly and Emi flopped down on the seat next to her. "Go on tell me. What happened?"
Akemi turned her face to her in surprise until she raised a brow, a teasing tone rolling through her words as she gave Emi a little shove, "You think I only come here just to wind out my problems?"
"You wanted orange juice. You never drink that stuff." Emi's eyes narrowed at her when Akemi's nose twitched, and she leaned in further. "And you came all the way up to the bar to order that, even though you hate this place."
Akemi rose an amused brow. "And why would I hate my own work place?"
Emi glanced outside the windows where a couple of groups hung around, chatting too loud and too obnoxious for the evening glow. Akemi's eyes darkened before she could control it.
"Told you so." Emi smirked and leaned even closer if that's possible. "Spill. What happened?"
Akemi was about to reply when the voice of Emi's father hollered from the kitchen and came onto the floor seconds later, setting his eyes on them and a smile replaced his previous frown, and before Akemi could throw a smile back he moved towards her. "Akemi, why my dear, I haven't heard you order anything. A big girl like you needs much to eat. I hope my daughter's ideas about dieting aren't affecting you?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Akemi laughed it off. "I just wanted a quick drink."
"Dad, she had orange juice today." Emi threw in slyly, glancing at Akemi smugly when her father's eyes comically widened.
"Orange juice!" he bellowed, reaching a comforting hand out to touch her shoulder. "Akemi, dear, you aren't ill, are you?"
Akemi was amidst shaking her head and to deny when a waitress suddenly turned around with a mop in her hand and said, "Of course, she is not ill," she gave a Akemi a wink. "It's probably because spring is calling her."
"Oooh~"
Akemi's cheeks blushed bright as she ducked her head and she immediately remembered why she hated this place in particular. Intimacy and familiarity are lost within seconds. Being friends with Emi meant being friends with her family which in turn meant friendship across staff, and then one's problem becomes everyone else's problem.
Akemi glanced up and saw the entire staff suddenly looking at her, even the head-chef poked his head out from the kitchen and smirked. Akemi could almost feel the next moments coming when she felt another heat wave rushing to her face.
"Boy trouble~"
Akemi hid her face in her hands and laughter rose around her, and she deflated all embarrassment and smiled instead as brave as she could and muttered as quiet as she could, "Yes. Yes, you can say that."
The father roared with laughter. Akemi tired to ignore the smug look on Emi's face as her father patted heartily her back, "Now, now, Akemi, why don't you take your troubles and spill them upstairs over a hot cup of tea. I bet, Emi is happy to hear you out. We close up in ten anyway."
"Is that okay?" Akemi raised her blushing head as she chuted the chair back, "I'm not intruding or anything?"
"Of course not! we're happy to have you!"
Akemi bowed her head gratefully before she followed after Emi, despite knowing the way to her bedroom all too well as she has been there a couple of times already. She stole a glance at Emi who was practically glowing with delight.
"You know how to stir 'em up, don't you?" she laughed and opened the door wide and dropped herself on the bed, rolling over and sitting up with a pillow in her lap. "Come on. You made me all excited. So what happened? You never have boy troubles."
"Oh that," Akemi waved her hand in dismissal as she lay down on the other side of the bed. "It's nothing really."
"What a lie!" Emi hit her with the pillow and smothered her with it under Akemi's raising laughter. "Tell me!"
"I'm not lying, I'm not!" Akemi giggled and managed to get the pillow away from her face. "I'm just here to tell you something."
"Well?" Emi raised a brow when Akemi grew silent and gazed away slyly, staring holes into the ceiling. Emi raised the pillow again. "Gonna tell me?"
Akemi turned to face her, grinning, saying without a beat, "I broke up with him."
Whack!
"I told you not to lie to me!" Emi cried, frowning at Akemi's confused expression and dishevelled appearance.
"It's the truth."
Emi raised the pillow again and Akemi shut her eye tight. But nothing came. Hesitatingly, Akemi opened her eyes and found Emi to stare at her blankly, pillow still raised. Akemi waited until Emi begun to blink, lowering the pillow onto her lap and gazing at her confused as she asked why.
Akemi stilled, thought and smiled sheepishly, playing with her hair as she rose a brow, suggestively. "I just did. . .?"
Whack!
"What do you mean, you just did?!" Emi growled as she hit Akemi repeatedly with the pillow, "What kind of answer is that? What kind of person does that?"
"What else do you want me to say?" Akemi coughed out under the pillow, long since given up the struggle to resist.
"Do you know what you just did?" Emi bounced to her feet and towered over Akemi, before she threw her hands up, "You raised his entire fan club against you!"
Akemi knew Ueda was a popular choice amount the girls but only the type that cared more about their image and looks rather than any things else. Their weapon consisted more about talks and rumours than actual fists. They didn't pose an actual threat to her so she waved off Emi's concerns with a flick of her hand. "You're exaggerating."
Emi crossed her arms and gave her a challenging stare that Akemi wasn't too willing to return and so she gave up, flopped back down on the bed and stared holes at the ceiling. "So?"
"So?" Akemi echoed innocently.
"Well, details?"
"That's really what you're caring about, hmm?" Akemi gave a her sly look before she pointedly looked away. "Sorry, but I have none to tell."
"Oh, is that so?" Emi rolled her eyes but her fingers were already twitching for the pillow again. "So you'd break someone's heart for fun?"
Emi waited for a reply but Akemi was busy drawing flowers into her bed covers, humming under her breath until she glanced up and grinned, "Maybe. . . .maybe I am that type of person."
"C'mon, there's no way I'd believe that." Emi persisted, "Did something happen? Did he do something?"
Akemi gazed up in thought, "Maybe."
"Fine! Suit yourself. I won't bother you anymore." Emi sighed and rolled over, stretched a hand to grab the magazine laying on her night-stand and made herself comfortable, leaving Akemi to doodle imaginary characters into the covers for awhile until Akemi glanced up with a small smile.
"Hey," she said after awhile and nudged Emi, "Want me to tell you a silly story?"
"No." Emi mumbled and flipped next page, "But go on anyway."
"I know this lady once who used to date men for fun. Never meant anything by it. Just went through men like dress shirts; one after the other." Akemi laughed under her breath, voice hovering almost above a whisper. "She used to walk into bars and catch their attention. Just like that. And when she didn't play by their rules they went crazy."
Emi looked up from the pages. "What did they do?"
Akemi hummed and closed her eyes. "They raised hell. Hit the woman and tired to force her into stuff she didn't want, but she got away." Akemi shrugged and glanced at Emi with glistering eyes. "Didn't last though. They got her in the end. Found her walking in the streets and stalked her."
Emi raised a brow. "Is this really a silly story?"
"They broke into her house and tortured her, molested and assaulted her. And they said she died that night." Akemi continued and drew her legs up and propped her chin on it. "The silly thing is; sightings of that lady are reported still. People are seeing her in bars or bedrooms when they're making love-"
"Is that the reason you've broken up?" Emi blurted, sitting up quickly, "Because you're scared some weird ghost lady will pop up?"
"What? No." Akemi snorted and frowned, wondering just how far they thought she actually progressed in their relationship with Ueda, but continues anyway. "The lady wants revenge by killing other lovers. But at the end she falls in love with one of them. And you know how those stories usually end. . ."
"Yeah, the ghost lady will be rejected by the man, who's then going to banish her for the rest of eternity. He and his lover and the rest of society will then they live happily ever after- hurray!" Emi rolled her eyes. "So what about this?"
Akemi grabbed her bag and pulled a script out and hand it to her. "That's the play Kazuko came up with for the cultural festival. She wants you to play the lady part."
"No way." Emi snorted and flicked through the pages until she glanced up, confused. "Hey, isn't the play supposed to be, like, half a year from now?"
"Yup, but she's buzzing with ideas already." Akemi pulled her legs closer and eyed the script. "I'm glad, I'm not part of the drama club. Wouldn't want to learn all that."
"How funny you are." Emi laughed dryly. "So I guess, that's it. You're not going to tell me anything else."
Akemi gave her a knowing look. "You're really adamant to know what happened."
"Why wouldn't I?" Emi said, placing the script on the night-stand. "You seemed so happy with Ueda-san, what could possibly have changed your mind all of a sudden-" her eyes widened comically and she blurted. "Is it because you met someone else?"
"Why would it be?" Akemi frowned, wondering why people were inclined to believe that she'd drop a guy as soon as she'd meet another one. "It's because he liked me way more than I liked him."
Emi gave her a blank stare. "You rejected him because he loved you? Respected and treasured you?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Akemi mumbled, gazing away, forefinger drawing imaginary petals into the cover and from the corner of her eyes she saw Emi's hand twitch. Akemi turned to send her a questioning look but-
Whack!
"I told you to stop lying!" Emi gritted her teeth. "How can I believe that? Why won't you tell me the truth?"
"The truth? I have been telling you the truth all this time." Akemi sent her an annoyed glance and pushed the wild strands away from her face. "I never really liked Yuki-kun. Just played with him to have a little fun. But it got too serious. He bloody fell in love with me. What else was there to do?"
Whack!
"Didn't I tell you to stop lying? there's noway you'd do something like that." Emi gave her an amused but exasperated glance. "It's because you say stuff like this, people think you're a sadist. You should stop giving them ideas."
Akemi smiled slowly, almost mysteriously and doodled on the cover again. "If you say so."
.
.
.
.
Whack!
I know it's been almost a long while since the last update. Since then I've written the next couple of chapters for this story as well as DBU, so rest assured. I'm not going to give up yet on the story. I'm thankful to those that continued to pop in and check for an update. There hasn't been on day—or actually let's say—there hasn't been a month where I haven't got less than a hundred views. It's fair enough to say that it makes me happy. It also motivates me into writing more. These days I feel like I'm not just throwing together pages of words that nobody cares to read. You, people, are actually invested in this story and for that I'm grateful—even though I disappeared like that for months and I apologise for that, but life hit me hard (I finally understand meaning of these word and they could be any truer, lol).
To express my gratitude, I left an Omake. I hope you're going to enjoy it.
Omake. Café Scene.
Oh no.
It was bad. Akemi knew it was bad. Very bad.
And yet-
This habit. This temptation. This lulling aroma of baked goods; of sweet chocolate parfait; of sprinkled icing on powered cake; of—
She shook her head, kept her eyes mainly on the types of coffee. On Espresso. On Cappuccino. On Mocha. On Caffeé Latte-
On anything else but the beckoning sweetness in the menu, seemingly calling her, tempting her, she could already hear them singing; come buy me I know you want me~
No. She shouldn't.
No, she wouldn't.
It was bad.
Bad.
Resits it, her mind screamed at her, ringing alarm bells loudly, clouding her vision in red, stop signals turning on and flashing.
It's forbidden.
"I shouldn't. I definitely shouldn't." she muttered, biting her lips, eyes firmly set at another page, "I cannot."
"You alright there?" Moroboshi looked amused again, lips tweaked into a half smile-half smirk, newspaper long forgotten.
"Of course," she muttered and shut the menu, sliding it to the far of corner next to him and far away from her, closing her eyes briefly, orbs glinting determinedly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
After all Shiho had told her- had warned her; "One thousand two-hundred calories a day. Take few more and consider it a pound more."
Suppressing another whine, Akemi sent a final glance on the menu, speaking her final goodbye before righting her gaze on him. "How are your wounds healing?"
"Alright so far." he flexed his fingers in front of her, still bandaged but at least no blood was seeping through anymore. "Don't tell me you're still worrying about that?"
"Why would I be?" she puffed out, crossing her arms over her chest, giving him an annoyed glance that didn't stay for long. Her eyes softened at the sight of his wrapped hand and she bit her lip, letting out a quiet, "Maybe a little."
He rolled his eyes, lips twitching into a smile. "You're hopeless. Completely, utterly, hopeless."
"Well, sorry," she shrugged, trying to hide her blush under her scarf, "And about coming late, too. I didn't mean to make you wait like that."
He rose a brow, green eyes glinting at her challenging. "As far as I remember you came on time."
"Well, yes, but you were here already and-"
"You worry too much on unnecessary things," he interrupted her, olive eyes giving her a pointed look. "And it's not like you didn't show." Her brows, furrowed in concern, were still not lifted and she heard Moroboshi sigh before he raised his voice again, speaking slowly and stressing each word as he leaned forward. "There's nothing to feel guilty over. I just like to come early."
Akemi pressed her lips together firmly, still not satisfied.
"Besides it's not like you stood me up."
Her cheeks coloured again. "No, I would never. I just...had somewhere important to go." she nodded, thinking it's alright to add, "A sort of check up if you like."
Something glinted in his eyes, deep beneath the murkiness, appearing only for a split second, vanishing somewhere in the breeching shades between light green and yellow in the outer side of his orbs before she could lay a finger on what it was.
He glanced at her uncertainly. "…..not for your health, right?"
She laughed, waving her hand no, "An old friend often steps by my home in need of a chit-chat. Apparently talking to me makes him happy."
Smiling widely, Akemi secretly hoped he didn't notice the lies flowing out of her mouth like running water, practiced and measured as she had many times before. She watch him nod and turn back to his coffee, and was internally glad that he didn't catch on, that he didn't call her up on it.
She leaned back and relax, continuing their idle talk that she found to be more about nothing than anything. It carried a degree of pointless, an exchange of sudden thoughts; of ideas; of things heard- from news; from people, of things unrelated to themselves directly. Akemi noticed he was keeping to himself as much as she was. He held more than he gave. She could see it in the glints of his eyes, the twitches of his lips and the uncaring air he surrounded himself with. A man with too much time in his hands, she thought then, sipping from her coffee, gazing at him steadily as he flipped his phone opened and typed a quick message.
And she was sure then.
Like a lion in a den, he was waiting for his prey. A prey that was carelessly wandering off to his direction, directly into his line of sight, unknowingly wandering steps closer towards death, wandering closer, closer, right into his palm. Lion's claws sinking deep into their skin, ripping them apart from inside out until nothing else remained.
Akemi felt a shudder ripple up her back and she shook her head, ridding herself from that thought, placing her empty cup down. Coming at last with the conclusion that he was a man full of secrets.
A man that pegged her interest.