An Angel's Love Story
Chapter 3: Glimpse of an Angel
After having explained it to Yuna that he would have to run home for a little bit but would return later on to pick her up for the carnival, things were starting to look up. All he would have to do is devote about three hours to dinner and then return to pick up Yuna and go to the carnival. It was perfect! "Yuna!! I'm going to return in a couple of hours ok? Then we'll go to the fair…ok?" "Ok…!" She said with a confused look on her face. "But where are you going for that long? I thought we were supposed to have a day to ourselves. You promised me." She said wearing a slight frown. "I know and I'm really sorry but something unexpected came up and I have no choice but to go." "I'll go with you!!!" Yuna said spastically. Shinji didn't expect that kind of response from her, but had to quickly think of a way to say no in a way that didn't sound suspicious. "I would love for you to go but, it's kinda personal, please understand." "Ok Shinji honey, I understand" She said while putting on the biggest smile he had ever seen. "Honey?! What the hell…" he thought. "I'll be waiting for you… DON'T BE LATE!" She shouted.
The time was now a quarter till five and Shinji was about twenty minutes away from the house. What's more is that Shinji was driving with not even a permit yet, so if he were to be pulled over, he would be in a heap of trouble. Just then his phone rang. It was his mom, "What could she want?" He wondered. "Hello? Mom? What's the matter?" "Oh it's nothing; I just called to check on you and wanted to know if I could expect you at dinner tonight." "Yeh, I'll be a little late though." "Oh that's ok. Is your friend driving you over here?" "Umm… Yeh sort of…" Shinji said with an unsure voice. "Ok well, get here when you can." "Ok mom, I'll see you in a little bit." Shinji said as he hung up the phone.
Just then the doorbell had rang. "That surely can't be them? They're too early." Yuuki slurred. She rushed to answer the door as quickly as she could. As she opened it she felt the anxiety of a young child come over her once again. "YUUKI!!" shouted a familiar voice. "MINEKO" She shouted back as she lifted her arms to embrace her long overdue welcome. "How long has it been? Ten years? Eleven years?" Mineko shouted. "No! It's only been nine! But it certainly feels that long doesn't it!" Yuuki replied with a smile. "Mama, should I carry the luggage inside as well or just leave it out here?" A familiar voice sounded. "Just leave it there sweetie, we'll be departing in the morning anyway." "You're staying the night?" Yuuki asked with a surprised face. "Well if it's ok with you. I haven't seen you in so long… Can't wait to catch up with some of the stories you have!" Mineko said excitedly. "Yeh, it's a wonderful idea. Well please, come inside and make yourselves at home," Yuuki said anxiously.
About fifteen minutes later when Shinji had finally arrived, he took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. He knew this was it, meeting an old childhood girlfriend shouldn't be that hard. But somehow he felt a jolt of speed shoot through his heart. "This isn't good…" He thought to himself. He traced his footsteps to the door, and reached his hand out to open the door. "It's locked?" he silently whispered. This time he had reached out his finger to ring the doorbell while keeping the other two crossed behind his back, like a silent prayer that everything would be ok. When the doorbell rang, Yuuki had gone to open it while Mineko was making prep to help out with dinner in the kitchen.
"Why on earth was the door locked? You knew I was coming…!" Shinji said impatiently. "Yes but I didn't lock it." She responded. Shinji was puzzled at who could have locked the door, most of all why? The neighborhood they lived in was in the suburbs of Tokyo, but nonetheless a good neighborhood. They never locked the door before they left in morning, why would they do it now? "Oh well" he said to himself as he walked into what seemed to be a big party at first. They had even baked cake he noticed, Shinji's favorite dessert. While it was only a one layer cake, the design was very unique; with three different kinds of frosting. When he looked a little closer at it however, there was a message drawn in with blue frosting that read, "To my best friend, for all the years I've missed." He knew right away where that was from, "Mineko, I didn't know you could cook." He said.
"Hon, it's not from me." She replied. "It's from me." A very nostalgic voice sounded. Shinji was almost immediately compelled to turn around, but nervous too. He had put his hands in his pockets and this time crossed his fingers using both hands as he turned around. "Oh my God!!!...!!!..." Shinji was speechless. This wasn't at all the Tenshimi he had known from a child. She no longer had the ugly teeth, or the pigtails. She wore her hair just flat down and stood about 5' 0 with what he thought to be the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. "Nice of you to say thanks…" She teased in a playful voice. "Oh…Thanks…" He replied. "What happened to you? You got… prettier, A lot prettier. " "Shinchan, are you saying I wasn't pretty before?! " She said abruptly as she stomped her foot on the ground playfully. "You know I hate you calling me that name." Shinji replied with a frown. "You mean…Shincha-" "Don't even start" He said as he interrupted her before she could finish.
"Well, why don't you guys go to Shinji's room or something and get caught up while Mineko and I get dinner prepared." Yuuki said. Shinji took Tenshimi's hand and had led her to his room while Yuuki had noticed a teardrop fall from Mineko's right eye. "Mineko what's wrong?" she asked. "I had a dream last night. Yuuki had paused her speech for second; she knew what the dream had meant. "Are you sure?" She said. "Yes, I'm sure. I was alone, and they had taken my only child from me." She said. "Surely not so soon? She is only seventeen years of age…" "I know, if she leaves my side, I don't know what I'll do anymore. Raising her has been my entire life. But I don't have a choice." She said. Yuuki had taken her friend to sit on the couch to discuss this matter further.
Shinji was always so proud of his room, he had redone it completely in a Gundam Wing theme when he was smaller. Regardless that it was old however, it still looked just as new from day one. "See! That one over there is the one from the movie Endless Waltz. His name is Trowa. He rides in this Gundam with like a hundred guns on it." He said as he made the "BOOM" noise while opening his arms to represent something being blown up by a giant gun. "So this is what you've been up to since I've been gone? Collecting toys?" She said sarcastically. Shinji had gotten pretty offended with her calling of Gundam Wing action figures toys and stood up from the bed yelling; "They're not toys!! They're action figures!!" "Awww… Shinchan has a soft spot…" She said as she purred her voice. Shinji immediately folded his arms to preserve what dignity he had left. "What's this?" She said while digging through his drawer. "AHHHH!!" He screamed as he told her not to dig through his stuff. "Shinchan, I didn't know you kept a photo of me in the drawer." "AHHHH!! How did that get there?!" He said while giving the back of his head a nervous scratching. "Oh my God and Shinchan look! It's our old tea set I gave you when you moved away!!!... Remember that? I used to force you to play tea party with me?" She said as she giggled. "I REMEMBER NO SUCH THING!!!" He replied in a rather high pitched girly like voice, as if he had any dignity left to save at this point. "Awww… Does Shinchan have a soft spot for me?" She said while leaning her head to side. "WHAT!!! That's absurd…I just, keep a lot of stuff… That's all!" "I don't believe you Shinchan!" "I told you never to call me that!!!" "I'm not the one with the kanji symbol "Heart" in my name Shinchan." She said in a teasing voice. "You're too cocky for your own good!!!" He said.
Yuna was back at the house deciding what she should wear. After all, this was a date, even if Shinji didn't want to admit it. She had to look her best, and that meant makeup, dress, and the whole nine yards. She quickly scrambled through her closet looking for that outfit she had bought at the mall the other day. It was a skirt about knee length, with a cute little button up shirt and a tie. She figured if wearing this and heels didn't win his heart, nothing will. She had gotten ready and started up the shower when she heard her parents calling her. She rushed downstairs to the kitchen to see what the problem was when she noticed a rather tall figure standing at the door. "Sakurai?!" She asked in shock. "What are you doing here?" "I'm here to take you to the carnival!" At this point she was very confused. Was he going to take her to see Shinji and then head off maybe? What was going on here she thought. "I don't understand… Where's Shinji?" She asked. "He said he wasn't feeling well and asked me if I could take you instead." She had been stood up! "Just wait till I get my hands on his throat!!!" She said angrily. "I'll choke him till his air supply runs out! That IDIOT!!!" "It's ok; we don't have to go if you don't want to." He kindly responded. "FINE! I'll go." She said. "But I'm not wearing my sexy clothes!!!" "WAIT! You can wear them with me, I won't be upset!" Sakurai said as his eyes started to light up. Yuna just shook her head in disbelief and continued walking upstairs to her room to get changed.