Author's Note:

Well this took awhile. Haha. Anyways, we get to know a little more about Minako in this chapter and Misaki has some more self-realizations. Woo hoo.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. ^^

Enjoy!


When I return to the flat, I'm relieved to find that it's empty. There's no sign of Usagi-san anywhere.

Hm. Relieved? Why are you always so relieved when he's not here?

I grimace, staring blankly at the floor. I realize that it's true, that most days I actually look forward to coming home to peace and quiet; if Usagi-san are supposed to be….well, lovers…then shouldn't I come home eager for him? Granted, I wouldn't exactly consider myself a housewife. I mean, I am a man after all.

And yet you cook and clean and wear a cute, frilly apron like a housewife.

I can feel my face growing red with shame.

And when Usagi-san comes home from work, he instantly grabs you and has his way with you as if you were his wife.

"Usually without my permission," I murmur to myself. I guess I never realized…how small my voice was in comparison to his. I mean, when he wants something he just takes, and takes, and takes. But when I want something, he ignores me for his own pleasure.

I'm getting irritated now, and the red has probably consumed my face at this point. My fists are clenched.

This really does bother me, has been bothering me for sometime now. In the end there's really nothing wrong with being a housewife. I don't mind cooking for Usagi-san or cleaning for him; I've always done it. I've been keeping my place by his side. He works enough for the both of us. He needs my support, because that's what you're supposed to do in a…um, relationship: you support each other.

"And then we'll be equals," I say smiling, but his face twists into one of discouragement.

I'm temporarily broken free of my thoughts, realizing that I should be starting dinner at this point. Usagi-san will be home in about an hour, after all. I make my way to the kitchen, tie my apron on really quick, and then begin to flip through a cookbook. Unfortunately all my creative impulses have been zapped ever since I began working full-time. Tonight I'll just follow a recipe and call it good, and it isn't like he will know any better anyways.

As I settle on a recipe and begin to chop some vegetables, I catch myself thinking about all of the vulnerable aspects of our relationship. I'd like to move forward, because right now I feel permanently stuck in a role that I do not wish to fill. But at the same time, we can't move forward unless he wants to as well. He had said that it was time I made my own experiences, created a life for myself, so did that mean he was ready to end everything for my sake?

It would certainly make things easier.

But knowing Usagi-san, he wouldn't let go even if he knew it was right. He's always been very…possessive of me. Not that being possessive is a bad thing, it's just –

It's kind of a bad thing. Remember what happened with Sumi-senpai? Or Haruhiko Usami? Or Kyo Ijuuin?

Okay, so maybe his possessiveness makes me feel kind of shitty sometimes. Everyone deserves a chance to grow and learn from their mistakes, though. I've grown a lot in the past year, both professionally and emotionally. But even now, I'm still growing, and it makes me happy when Usagi-san notices how hard I'm trying.

I guess, even after everything, I still want to impress him.

But do you want to be with him? That's the question you need to ask yourself.

Okay, so maybe I haven't been exactly tolerant of ALL the attention he enjoys lavishing upon me. Maybe I've been a little…judgmental of this lifestyle we share together. Everyone deserves time to adjust, though. Like I said, I'm still growing.

You've been trying to 'adjust' to this relationship for nearly five years now.

I swallow hard. My eyes are watering. I didn't think I bought onions yesterday.

You NEED to move forward.

I look down and realize there are no onions, but my eyes are misty regardless. In the end, I know that my internal dialogue is right. I can't excuse Usagi-san's faults forever. And I can't excuse my own. If we're going to grow together, then we need to meet in the middle.

The phone rings suddenly, making me jump, and I run my arm across my eyes real fast before scurrying over to it. As if the person over the phone would actually be able to see me cry.

"Hello? This is Misaki," I answer, and I'm met with an oddly familiar voice.

"Good evening, Misaki! It's Minako Hayashi."

I'm frozen there, the phone stuck to my ear, and I feel stupid because I haven't even replied before she continues speaking. Was that pause uncomfortable? Does she feel like I don't want to talk to her? I mean, technically I don't because I'm not in the right mindset to be talking to a lady…not when I'm so tossed-up about other matters.

Usagi-san is going to be home in less than forty-five minutes, and you haven't even STARTED cooking.

I realize then that she's stopped talking. I didn't even manage to catch what she said. Did she ask me something?

"Um, I'm sorry, Miss Hayashi. I'm a little distracted and didn't catch any of that."

"Oh," she says. She sounds disoriented, but thankfully not irritated. "Well, I had asked if you wanted to come to my flat for dinner tonight."

My mind is shutting down. I'm clutching the phone so hard that it feels like it's going to shatter under my grip. It's taking everything I have not to reply insensibly, because A GIRL has just asked me out TO DINNER.

"Oh," she interjects quickly before I have a chance to say anything, "and don't worry about bringing anything, because I'm cooking!"

AND SHE'S COOKING.

I expect to be filled with horror at this invitation, knowing well that I would regretfully decline the invitation and then finish cooking Usagi-san's dinner until bedtime, at which point he would grab me and carry me off to his room to satisfy my perpetual loneliness. I hate turning down invitations.

However, I then surprise myself by answering, "Y-Yeah. Yeah! Sure, I'd love to."

Did I really just…accept her invitation? Am I really going to have dinner with a girl? At her flat? Without Usagi-san's permission? Without even making him dinner?

"I'm glad," she says, and I can hear her rustling around in the background. It's been so long since anyone's cooked for me. This might actually be pleasant. "I'll have everything prepared in about thirty minutes, but you can stop by early if you'd like. I live in the Kakinokizaka Apartments, if you know where those are at. Apartment 310."

I reach for a pen and paper and scribble down the details quickly, cradling the phone with my shoulder.

"Sounds great! I'll be there in about twenty minutes," I respond happily.

"Wonderful!" she chirps, and it's so shrill that I wince, but I'm also grinning stupidly. But then I remember something before I hang up, and so as she begins to say goodbye, I quickly interrupt her.

"Wait, Minako?"

"Yes?"

"How did you get this number?" A pause.

"…This is the number you gave me, silly."

Well, shit. I honestly should have known better. After what I said to Usagi-san about possibly getting a girlfriend, giving out our shared phone number to random women is probably not a wise move. I don't even want to consider what could have happened if he had answered Minako's call instead.

"Ah, well, you see…I-I shouldn't have given you this number. My roommate and I share the phone and sometimes he can be…"

"Nosy?"

Well, that's one way to put it.

"Yeah, exactly."

"That's okay," she says, and I'm relieved because she sounds amused, not suspicious. "Just give me your cell when you get here."

"Y-Yeah, okay," I laugh, nervous for some reason.

"Okay," she laughs, and then she hangs up. I remove the phone from my ear and stare at it for a few moments, surprised. And then I begin to worry that she truly was suspicious. The last thing I need is her reporting any suspicions to niichan. I figure, however, that I'm being silly and somewhat rude – after all she did invite me to dinner, and now instead of being grateful I'm fumbling with my anxiety and doubting her intentions. Baka.

The door opens then, and Usagi-san steps in looking slightly less exhausted, but as soon as he shuts the door he is leaning backwards against it, sighing lowly and dragging a hand across his face. He doesn't acknowledge me for a few moments. Instead, he's rubbing at his temple and I'm watching him. When he finally does look at me, he doesn't look happy. Yet, he doesn't look discouraged or sad either, which is a blessing; I can't work with a sad Usagi-san.

But he does look mildly irritated, and while I can work with that, I don't necessarily want to.

"How was your day?" he asks, staring me down. I clear my throat a couple times, looking everywhere but at him. His gaze remains glued on me, however.

"Fine," I finally shrug, moving to step out of his way. I walk slowly towards the kitchen and look despairingly down at the unprepared meal. My mind is racing for an alternative, because I need to start heading to Minako's soon. I feel him come up behind me, but he doesn't touch me. He's so close, though. I realize that he's staring over my shoulder at the half-chopped vegetables and clean cooking-pot.

"Late dinner?"

"Mm," I nod at first, then bite my lip and turn to face him. "Actually, I-I sort of got invited to dinner. I may go there tonight, instead…I mean, I wouldn't want to be rude," I explain. I'm still not looking him in the eyes. I'm kind of staring at his chest, actually. That's awkward.

He blinks at me, twice, obviously unimpressed. I prepare myself for him whining about how he's so hungry and how he cannot possibly wait until I come home, but those words never leave his lips. In fact, he isn't whining at all. His face starts to shift once he processes that I was invited to dinner without him. His eyes widen with the beginnings of panic, though at the moment he just looks curious.

"Dinner? Who invited you to dinner?"

"A friend," I answer, kicking my foot out rhythmically.

"Which friend?" Still curious.

"A girl I met," I start to say, and I can see him mouthing the words, as if assessing the possibility that I actually went out and got myself a girlfriend. "Her name is Minako Hayashi. She's very sweet and nice, and she invited me over tonight."

Realization washes over his face.

"Minako Hayashi?" he echoes. "That's the girl Takahiro was wanting to set you up with." It isn't a question.

"Yeah, I know. Strange coincidence, huh?" I try and force a laugh, but it sounds weak. I know he won't take this well. The situation between us was weird enough, and now he's going to be even more possessive than ever. I close my eyes and clench my fists, preparing for his objections…but they don't come. Instead, when I open my eyes again, he smiling at me…albeit, sadly.

"I'm glad you met her," he says, "and I'm glad that you're making friends. I was worried that leaving school would isolate you. Now I see that I was wrong."

I'm stunned. I didn't expect praise, not from Usagi-san. If this had been a boy he would have forbidden me from seeing him. I would have been swept off to his bedroom and locked away for months. But now…he's happy for me?

However, looking into his eyes, I know that happiness is the last emotion he's feeling. His eyes are too sad. I fight the urge to hug him.

"O-Oh. Well, I'm glad you finally see that I'm perfectly capable of networking," I boast, but it comes out flat. "Anyways, I apologize that dinner wasn't ready tonight," I say, rushing past him so that I can grab my coat. As I'm pulling my arms through the sleeves, I glance back at him. He's not looking at me, though. He's staring out the window.

"Don't concern yourself with it," he says, "I'll just order out."

"Great," I say, grabbing my cell and stuffing it in my pocket. I turn to look at him one last time before I leave, but he's still facing the other way – staring blankly out the window. "Well, goodbye," I say, stepping into the hall.

Before I shut the door, I faintly hear Usagi-san choke or cough. Sob, maybe? I shrug and lock the door behind me, telling myself that I imagined it.


Minako's apartment is nice enough. It's spacious enough for two people, even though Minako lives there by herself, but just small enough to be rather cozy. It has a nice kitchen, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. Minako also has a cat named Yasu, a fat white cat that never leaves the sofa. Altogether, I'm feeling very comfortable and at home, and the smells wafting in from the kitchen certainly help. As I sit on Minako's sofa, glancing around and stroking Yasu repeatedly, I think to myself how much easier this place must be to clean than a place like Usagi-san's penthouse.

"I see you two are getting along," Minako says, suddenly beside me. She hands me a cup of tea, and I take it gratefully.

"I never really liked cats," I admit, smiling down at Yasu, "but he's growing on me."

"Yasu is a she," Minako giggles, and I swear I can hear Yasu growl next to me. It figures I would accidentally offend Minako's cat.

"Anyways, dinner is served," Minako smiles, and I try (and fail) to hide my enthusiasm as I follow her into the kitchen.

The meal Minako has prepared is not gourmet in the least; actually, it reminds me of my college days, but the soup she has made (which contains a ton of cabbage, judging by the taste) is warm and thick and makes me feel at home. The tea helps warm me, too, and I find that all the warmth in this apartment contrasts greatly with the cold outside and the cold within my heart.

I blush, because that line must have come straight out of one of Usagi-san's romance novels.

To avoid embarrassing myself further with my own thoughts, I turn my attention to Minako, who at the moment is stuffing her face with rice. It's sticking to her and falling off her cheeks and onto the table in little clumps. I feel as though I should be disgusted, but I'm only amused. In fact, I begin to giggle, and that in turn forces Minako to look up at me.

"What?" she asks, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Nothing, it's just…I love your enthusiasm when you eat," I chuckle, rubbing my neck nervously.

"Oh," she croaks, pausing for a second to stare down at her bowl. Then, at lightning speed, she grabs a napkin and makes quick work of cleaning her face. She lowers the napkin into her lap and fiddles with it, her face extremely red, and I feel bad knowing that I've embarrassed her.

"It's okay," I say quickly, waving my hands in front of my face, "I'm a sloppy eater too!"

To prove my point, I scoop an entire spoon-full of soup into my mouth – but then my mouth is filled to the brim, and some of the soup leaks out and trails down my chin. I must look like an idiot, but I swallow and grin at her anyways.

I guess my antics must have done the trick, because then the blush is gone from her face and she's laughing out loud at me. I like the way it sounds, almost like wind chimes except…livelier? More human? This simile is going nowhere.

"You don't have to be a goof for me," she says gently, "I'm already enough of a goof."

"There's nothing wrong with that," I shrug. She looks pleased, and blinks at me in what appears to be quiet admiration.

"You're so nice," she says, and then, catching me off guard, adds, "just like Takahiro. You know, it's no wonder your roommate is so fond of you."

I choke on my rice.

"What? My roommate?"

"Yes," she says, sipping her tea obliviously, "Takahiro told me, when he was telling me about you, that you and your roommate get along amazingly well. He said he'd have to pry you out of Usami's hands just to get you to leave. I think it's sweet."

I'm not really sure how to respond, so I don't. I offer her what I know is an insincere smile, and turn my attention back to my food. Hopefully she isn't good at reading people.

"Luckily for me, I'm good at reading people."

Fuck.

"I can tell that you want to leave," she says then, looking concerned, "it's all over your face."

"I-It is?" I say, playing along.

"Yeah, it's pretty clear from where I'm sitting. Obviously Mr. Usami adores you, and that's great; it just means you're really personable. But I can tell that you're looking for a way to move on. Maybe it's because Takahiro and Mr. Usami were such good friends, so now you feel as though you're still trapped under your brother's watchful gaze," she whispers, eyes moving around suspiciously as if the walls had grown ears.

"After all," she continues, "I moved out here because I wanted to get away from my parents. I was tired of them meddling in my business all the time. If I want to get into blogging, that should be my decision, don't you think?"

At this point she's pretty much lost me. I'm overwhelmed and confused by my own thoughts, but I nod at her regardless, pretending that I had heard what she was talking about. Something about being a blogger? Wait.

"You blog?"

"Sure do," she grins excitedly. "I want to be travel blogger, maybe go to the United States and see the sights, and then move on to Canada or even Mexico. I have an obsession with the Americas," she explains, fiddling with her hands again.

"Ah, that's really cool!"

"Really?" she chirps loudly, and I can't stop myself from smiling affectionately. The way she looks right now, eager for someone's approval, reminds me of myself in a way.

"Yeah, I'd love to travel! And I don't blame you for needing to get away from your parents. I mean, you were right. Sometimes I do feel smothered by my brother. But then," I trail off as a new fear consumes me, "why are you still here? Why aren't you traveling?"

I'm afraid of the answer. So far I've been really enjoying my time with Minako, and knowing that she may be on the verge of leaving would probably devastate me. But thankfully, she closes her eyes and a wistful look appears on her features.

"I can't go anywhere. Not yet. Not until I'm financially stable, which is why I'm working at that café where we first met."
"You work there?" This is news to me. I can't remember ever seeing her before the moment we met. She nods, opening her eyes again and sipping at her tea.

"When I finally get the money, then I'll go. Until then, I guess you're stuck with me."

We share a smile, equally quiet, equally searching for something in the others' eyes. She especially is studying my expression hard, and I can tell that she wants to ask me something.

"What is it?" I ask, and she stares blankly at me for a second.

"What's what?" she replies, feigning obliviousness.

"The question you want to ask me."

She blinks at me again, and the blank look melts into a secretive sort of smile.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one who can read people," she laughs under her breath. "Fine then, I'll just come right out and say it: I like you, Misaki. My rent is pretty high, but if I find a roommate things will be much easier for me in the long-run. I'll be able to save a lot more money to fly to the States, and life will be good," she says, reclining back in her chair and tossing her arms over her head in excitement.

"So…" I begin, backtracking to make sure I'm not misunderstanding her, "…you want me to move in?"

"Only if you want to!" she interjects quickly, straightening up again. "Please don't feel pressured. I know you're going to need time to think about this, and I'm willing to give you all the time you need." She glances down and her face is lightly flushed, but I don't fault her because mine is probably beet red.

I pause to think about what this means for Usagi-san and I. If I leave, that may be the end of us. We may never speak to each other again, and what with Usagi-san's weird mood as of late, he might even be relieved that I'm gone. The thought makes me want to shrivel up inside. Still, Minako was right about at least one thing: I am looking for a way to move on. I need to find something stable in my life, something that I know is going to last. Now that I have a full-time job, and now that I'm done with college, it's about time for me to settle down. Niichan is waiting for it, and I can't let him down because that would just kill me.

And what if separation ends up benefitting us? I could always use more time to grow and Usagi-san, well…Usagi-san needs some time to get over himself, I think. He could grow up some, too. There are days where I think he's still just a big man-child. And if it doesn't and we do end up...forgetting each other…

You don't want him to forget…

...but if it does happen…

I lift my head, finally looking back at Minako. She looks at me for a moment, not exactly smiling but still hopeful. I hum to myself, giving it one last thought, and then I answer, "I'll talk to my roommate about it."

Her eyes remain fixed on mine for a few seconds after, and then they brighten considerably. We share a smile, and I don't feel quite so nervous.

...then at least Minako will still be here.