KurayamiTenshi: Whee, chapter 2!! Sooo sorry for the long wait, but with exams and such, life has been so busy! But the excitement is fun also…
MV: Shush. No one wants to hear your life story.
KurayamiTenshi: Aww, how mean!! Just because you don't want to hear it…
MV: On with the fic!
Chapter 2 – Reunion
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Waving a cheerful goodbye to Amachi after apologising profusely for wasting his time, Toujo walked up to an old-fashioned building with "Kitaooji Restaurant" printed on signboard hanging off the wooden roof. She raised a hand to tap on the sliding door, when it slid open with a soft rustle of rice-paper.
"Welcome."
A woman was seated on the floor, her legs folded neatly under her. Her head was bowed, revealing dark hair gathered up into a neat bun, before she looked up.
"Please, they are waiting for you."
The woman motioned for Toujo to follow, gracefully rising to her feet with a sweep of her kimono. Carefully placing her shoes on the rack, Toujo followed, admiring the quaint restaurant before her. It was decorated more like an old boarding house than a restaurant; there was an air of homeliness about the old building that made Toujo feel right at home. Casually placed ornaments, the occasional vase and comfy-looking chairs added to the relaxed atmosphere.
Suddenly stopping and kneeling down in front of a door, the woman gestured for Toujo to approach it, before carefully sliding the door open.
"The Matsuno room for our honored guest's arrival," she announced in her cool, polite voice. She motioned for Toujo to enter, before sliding the door closed.
Toujo stared at the scene in front of her. Aside from the obvious difference of the restaurant, it was like a flashback of one of their movie-filming trips during their high school years. A girl with long back hair was sprawled rather awkwardly on the tatami with a wincing Chinami half on top of her, looking up at Toujo. Kitaooji had turned from the two girls on the tatami to stare at her.
"I'm very sorry for being late…" began Toujo, before being interrupted by two enthusiastic voices.
"It's Toujo! You're as lovely as ever!"
"Congratulations on winning the Naobayashi award! To our favourite and beautiful author!"
Toujo smiled, Sotomura and Komiya certainly have not changed at all in the past four years.
Scrambling quickly to her feet, the girl turned to Toujo, and with a start, she realised it was Misuzu. Long hair took place of the short raven locks that had framed her stern but undoubtedly pretty features and a soft, happy look in her eyes lit up her previously disproving face.
"Well then. Sempai please sit at the most honorable seat," said Misuzu gesturing to the head of the low table.
"Thank you! Especially for opening this celebration…"
"Congratulations Toujo!" piped up Chinami. She was still small, and the familiar air of haughtiness still set her face in a pout, but she looked genuinely happy for Toujo's achievements.
"If you want full blown television coverage, then by all means, please use Sotomura production!" added Sotomura, offering his business card with a rather disturbing gleam in his eyes. "We're at your service for any occasion. Smiling weakly, Toujo took the proffered card and slipped it into her wallet, promising to use it when she ever came across the need to.
"Well then, now that the honoree has arrived, we should be getting food soon…" suggested Komiya, eying the door to the kitchens rather hungrily.
"Wait just a minute!" began Kitaooji, before she was interrupted by a low growl that seemed to emit from Komiya's stomach, which was swiftly silenced by a well-placed kick from Chinami.
"How can you say that!" she cried, continuing the pummel the unfortunate man. "You're so selfish! Always thinking of your stomach!"
"B-But Chinami…"
"W-wouldn't you agree that there's still someone else who hasn't arrived yet?" suggested Toujo gently, trying to rescue Komiya from what looked like a slow and painful death at the hands, or feet, of Chinami.
"Ah? Yeah, you're right," agreed Komiya from his curled position on the ground.
"Nii-san doesn't Manaka hang out with you anymore?" asked Misuzu. "I remembered you wrote once saying that you worked at the same site."
"Yeah, but I stopped working there when I got enough to start Sotomura Productions. We hardly see each other anymore. Well, he said he would take a day off work today anyway," said Sotomura thoughtfully.
Kitaooji suddenly turned suspiciously the Toujo, who had been watching the exchange intently. Sensing her attention, Toujo turned to her.
"Have you seen him recently, Toujo?" asked Kitaooji with a look on her face that suggested that she may not want to know the answer.
Seeing that, like herself, Kitaooji may still have some of the passionate feelings for Manaka from high school, Toujo hurriedly reassured her.
"No! Since graduation, I've also completely…"
The door suddenly slammed open, cutting off Toujo in mid-sentence. Everyone's attention snapped to the door, which revealed a well-built man with a huge familiar grin plastered onto his face.
"Yo! It's been a long time, everyone!"
…lost contact with him too…
"Sorry I'm late," continued the man, apparently unperturbed by the attention he was receiving. "Huh? Did you wait for me before you guys started eating?"
Everyone continued to stare dumbly. The man before them radiated a comfortable self-confidence, and his cheerful demeanor effectively cancelled any inhibitions one might have when approaching him.
"Whoa! Manaka's become quite burly!" exclaimed Sotomura, breaking the awkward silence that had descended in the room.
"Really?" laughed Manaka, brushing the back of his head self-consciously. "I thought I looked the same as last time."
"Your body looks tough, and your face is fearless…" continued Komiya with an awed expression, picking up from where Sotomura left off. "What have you been doing these past four years?"
"I work as a laborer during the day, so I can earn enough money to travel around the world. I went to Europe last year; I'm hoping to go to Africa this year. I suddenly decided that I wanted to see the variety that the world has to offer. It's the ideal life for me, traveling with just a camera in my hand, seeing so many places and meeting so many different kinds of people…"
Manaka's face lit up as he explained his dream, the dream that had driven him his whole life that now looked like it would become reality.
Toujo could not take her eyes off him. The sweet but insecure Manaka of her high school years was gone, replaced with this stunning man. While still not strikingly handsome, Manaka radiated a charisma that would undoubtedly gain him the respect he would need from his actors once he started filming and directing.
"That film won an award," said Kodowa with a smirk. "Now he's been invited to Kadokura's office."
"Wow! Manaka, that's huge!" exclaimed Misuzu, learning forward. Even Chinami looked suitably awed, covering her mouth with both hands while her eyes widened.
"Well, it was actually only a small award," said Manaka, waving his arms in front of him awkwardly. He turned to see Kitaooji staring at him with a disbelieving look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
With a huff, Kitaooji looked away. "I miscalculated a lot! I thought I definitely wouldn't be surprised the next time I saw you. On the contrary, you've become…cool…" her voice trailed off as she focused on the cloth gripped in her hands.
A soft smile came across Manaka's face.
"I'm really surprised that you've become beautiful, Satsuki," he said sincerely.
The damp cloth was suddenly thrown at his face by a blushing annoyed Kitaooji.
"That confident manner of speaking doesn't suit you!" she snapped, partially to cover up her happiness at the compliment.
"Manaka's still not too good with words though," whispered Sotomura to Komiya, who nodded in blind agreement. "The way he phrased it, it looked like he thought Kitaooji would be really ugly!"
"What was that?" growled Kitaooji, turning her glare to the two hapless men, who hurriedly glued huge smiles to their faces. "Well then, we shall start cooking"!
"Yeah…" agreed Sotomura, thankful that he was not also assaulted with a cloth.
Meanwhile, having extracted himself from a conversation with Misuzu and Chinami, he settled down next to Toujo, who looked at him blankly, not quite sure what to think.
"Congratulations!" said Manaka, still wearing that achingly familiar grin on his face. "As expected, you won another prestigious award. The truth is, we should be honored you came."
"Ah, congratulations on also winning an award, Manaka," replied Toujo, thankful her voice came out steadily, despite the inner turmoil she was feeling.
"No way! Compared to yours, mine's unheard of!" chuckled Manaka light-heartedly. Not taking his eyes off the glass cradled in his hand, he suddenly changed tone.
"I've been considering where to film the notebook novel," he said quietly. "As I thought Japan is not enough for the scale of the story!"
Toujo stared. He still remembered the novel, that childish novel that she had begun writing in junior high.
"It will probably be ten years before it's finished," continued Manaka, finally looking up. "Please wait for me until I've finished filming that movie!"
Toujo was speechless for a moment, his words still ringing in her head.
Please wait for me until I've finished filming that movie!
A few years ago, she would have probably waited those ten years, even a hundred years if it was for Manaka. However, she knew that a future with Manaka and herself together would not, could not ever exist. Not with…Nishino…
Suddenly, aware of Manaka's almost pleading gaze, she smiled.
"Yeah!"
In a completely uncharacteristic move, she clinked her glass against his, almost knocking it out of his hands. She was beaming joyfully, forcefully.
Sotomura eyed the two thoughtfully. He could tell Toujo was not completely over Manaka, that someone like her would probably never forget him even if he ended up married to someone else. But there was something different about Toujo as well. Although not as obviously confident as Manaka, that, he had to admit was a shock even to himself, that she also emitted an air of quiet confidence.
"Please let my company in on this too!" he suddenly said, unable to deny his business instinct.
Rather drunk, Komiya also nodded decisively, picking up another cup of sake.
"It's great to be young," murmured Kodawa calmly, sipping from her cup as she watched her ex-students excitedly question Manaka and Toujo about their 'private' conversation.
"I'll help too," offered Misuzu, leaning forward gracefully on one elbow.
"Chinami also wants to learn about plays and drama!"
Manaka smiled at their enthusiasm after announcing his plans to film one of Toujo's novels, although he did not mention which one. Glancing over, his smile widened when he saw the happy expression on Toujo's face.
Noticing his sudden attention, Toujo carefully avoided his gaze, engaging in a conversation with Misuzu, who was too enthusiastic to notice the unusually empty conversation she was having with Toujo.
"So you got into the university of your choice?" asked Toujo.
"Yes! The exam was surprisingly easy, but probably due to the notes that you lent me," added Misuzu, inclining her head. "There's lots I want to do, but I think I also want to do something with movies, I found the film club there, but they were absolutely useless and didn't actually make anything…"
Smiling rather mischievously, Kitaooji leaned in close as she placed a steaming plate in front of the two.
"Oh, but Misuzu found something else as well. Something not quite as useless as the film club…"
Blushing furiously, Misuzu glared at Kitaooji. "Sempai! You promised!"
"I did no such thing," said Kitaooji airily. "Little Misuzu is all grown up now! You should have seen her in that yukata," she added, addressing Toujo. "So grown up!"
Laughing, she stood up and headed back for the kitchen. Misuzu finally looked up at Toujo, who was smiling with amusement. Ah, so Misuzu had a boyfriend. No wonder she seemed…softer and gentler.
"Congratulations," said Toujo, smiling. "I hope you will be happy together!"
"Thank you, Sempai. Ah, Sempai, what about you and…" her voice trailed off as she noted the slight change in Toujo's expression. "Oh…I'm sorry."
"No, no," reassured Toujo, patting Misuzu's arm. "We're all over it now."
Kitaooji returned and settled down next to Toujo, a small Polaroid photo in her hands. Misuzu was smiling with uncharacteristic shyness at the camera, looking beautiful in the yukata, just as Kitaooji had described. What caught Toujo's attention, however, was the large, rather clumsy looking man next to Misuzu, who was also smiling at the camera, an arm slung casually around Misuzu's waist.
"Ah, is this him, Misuzu?" asked Toujo, smilingly.
"Yes…" replied Misuzu, blushing furiously and snatching at the photo.
"What's that? Chinami wants to see too!"
Leaping over and grabbing the photo out of Misuzu's hands, Chinama gaped at the photo.
"Oooh, it's Misuzu's man!" she said loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"What?!" Sotomura rushed forward with inhuman speed, his big brother's protectiveness suddenly taking form as he stared at the photo. "Who is this? Why don't I know about this? How come you haven't introduced your big brother to him?"
"Because I knew you'd act like this," groaned Misuzu. "Here, have more sake."
--
After a rather drunkenly tearful farewell, with a promise to meet again at the same time next year, the old film club went their separate ways again.
Stepping back into her shoes, Toujo sighed heavily. It actually was not that late, but after the excitement of the photo and with Komiya in a practically drunken daze with a furious Kitaooji yelling at him for breaking one of the flowered vases around the room and Sotomura openly hitting on Kodowa, combined with Chinami constantly reminding them of the time and her photo shoots, the reunion had come to a premature end.
It had been fun. Seeing everyone again, Misuzu, Kadowa, Sotomura, Komiya, Chinami and Manaka. Her heart had sped up about a thousand times faster when she heard his voice again. It had been four years since they had last spoken, and it had gotten deeper, manlier.
No, she told herself sternly. It's been four years, and he even said that he had to leave early to meet Nishino. She sighed as she recalled the scene.
"Well, sorry, but I have to go now," said Manaka glancing at his watch, the regret in his voice not quite masking his growing excitement.
"Eh, why so early?" asked Kitaooji, pausing in the act of breaking the remains of the vase on Komiya. "It's not even evening yet!"
"Ah, I have to meet Nishino," replied Manaka, a smile on his face. "She's coming back to Japan now that she's graduated this year."
"Tsukki back?" mumbled Komiya rather hazily.
"You'd better go then, Manaka. You don't want Nishino to be angry the first day she's back," advised Sotomura, sipping at his drink.
"Bye everyone! Remember, same time, same place next year!" he beamed as he left, careful to avoid Toujo's eyes as he left.
"I hope that they're happy," said Toujo out loud as she wandered around Kyoto, not in any particular rush. She spent a while at a quaint-looking coffee shop, content to simply take in the sights. Finally, after spending a day of aimless meandering and seeing as the sun was beginning to set, she made her way to a hotel, glancing at the map that Kitaooji had sketched out for her. Turning a corner, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.
With a scream, she swung her bag at the offender before running away as fast as she could. A man's voice exclaimed loudly, registering as vaguely familiar to her, but before her mind could process the thought, she turned into an alley and ducked down behind a stack of old boxes.
Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she heard footsteps coming closer to her hiding spot, pausing at the entrance of the alley, the silhouette clearly visible in the dim lights provided by the street.
"…Aya?" called the voice.
Why does he know my name? Is he a stalker? Wondered Toujo frantically, as she huddled lower behind the boxes.
"Aya, there's no need to be afraid. It's me."
Me? Who's me? Oh wait, it sounds an awful lot like…
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KurayamiTenshi: Well, that's that! Hee, my first cliffhanger! Isn't that exciting!
MV: No.
KurayamiTenshi: Anyway, hope you all enjoyed that! Here's some notes that I thought might be helpful;
Tatami; a woven mat used for flooring in traditional Japanese houses. People are required to take off their shoes and either put on special shoes, or just have their socks on when walking on them.
Sempai; senior, commonly used in schools when a junior (kouhai) is addressing a senior as a sign of respect. Usually used as a suffix "-sempai".
MV: Ahem…isn't there something you wanted to say?
KurayamiTenshi: Yep, thanks for reviewing!! It makes me really really happy, even though I know that I shouldn't write for the sake of reviews…but it sure does make me happy to know that people are actually reading my fanfic! )
Reviews Replies
Encourage939 Hee, thanks! I'm glad you like what's been done so far, and thanks for letting me know. I didn't know it didn't work…ahaha…well, hope you liked this chapter too!
Laura Aww, really? Yeah, I was wondering at that…I thought I was a pretty well known manga…maybe it's because the ending was so, uh…final? Anyway, hope you enjoyed this! I'll definitely be continuing.
KurayamiTenshi: Thanks a bunch! Until next time!!