Suffering a Surprise
Akko's mum pushed open the door to her apartment. It had been a day filled with travelling and not much else, endless miles covered within the hot greenhouses of trains and taxis. As a sales representative she had to travel all over Japan to various outlets and offices negotiating contracts, which meant she spent very little time at home; it paid the rent though, and she did like the aspect of being able to see so much of the world. On the other hand it sometimes bothered her that by spending so much time away from home she had been a bad mother to Akko. The trouble was that whilst she wanted to see Akko do well there had never been a very close connection between them, it was more the father that tended to bond with the daughter traditionally. And thoughts and talk of her husband were still a sore she'd rather not have brought up. Not that Akko had asked much about him for many years now.
She had been due to have talks this afternoon in a company office in a town fifty miles away but received a text on the way saying negotiations had been cancelled, which left her free until Monday. It wasn't uncommon for negotiations to be cancelled, any more than it was that she would be sent somewhere else Sunday.
She noticed the pair of smart, girlish trainers neatly placed on the mat alongside the slightly wonky pair of Akko's shiny black heels.
So Kumakura-san is staying over tonight. She's probably finished her course now. She seems to have steered Akko along nicely in my absence these last few years; I'm glad Akko was able to make such a good friend.
She bent down, put down her bags, and slipped out of her own, smartly polished, black heels; not wanting to be outdone by her guest's neatness she placed them neatly together facing the door before picking up an A4 sized black, leather computer bag containing her pocket laptop by its soft handles with her left hand and a plastic bag containing a couple of ready meals and some milk with her right. Usually she would eat out at restaurants with various directors so to lapse into ready meals at home didn't seem too great a crime, besides which she simply didn't have the energy to cook after several days on the go. She headed down towards the kitchen.
The kitchen lights were already on. She dumped the bag on the counter, five steps opposite the door she'd entered by, and pulled out the milk and one of the ready meals, a noodle based stir-fry, before opening the fridge. There was a fair bit more there than she remembered from Friday evening, and not just ready meals or Akko's usual jumble of less than healthy dietary requirements. In fact it looked like the ingredients for cooking an udon. She gave the empty kitchen a quick glance and then looked to her right at the plain white clock in its circular black frame on the wall above the door to the dining room. She was able to make out that it was just past 7.30. It was that late and they hadn't started cooking, unless the food was for tomorrow?
Akko's mum withdrew the second ready meal, a pasta and tuna bake, and hesitated. Then she slipped it into the fridge, scrunched up the flimsy, white plastic bag and pushed it into the flap of the grey plastic bin against the wall to her left; the bin was quite empty and the flap smacked shut with a dull thud.
I'll go see if they're going to be cooking udon tonight first. If so there may be enough for me to have some as well, which would be better really. I've only met Kumakura-san a couple of times in passing, and only once here when I was on the laptop in the dining room when Akko dragged her through. A very polite girl, if a little too timid and homely. But she's doing home economics or something so I imagine she's a good cook. I need to put this bag away as well.
She walked into the dining room, lit by the light from the kitchen and the corridor opposite; there was too much cloud cover for much light from the heavens to enter through the large glass windows to the left. She flicked a switch to the left of the doorframe and turned the mock-chandelier light on, the room looked as usual and she quickly weaved around the table and chairs to the wooden corridor leading to the rear of the house.
It was now she heard the sound of water strumming down from a shower, but the sound seemed odd although she couldn't explain why. Still if one of them was using the shower the other must be in Akko's room. She took a few steps down the white walled corridor and knocked on Akko's door.
"Akko?"
No response. And was that some sort of cry from further down the corridor? She tensed. What was happening? To be sure she wrapped her slender hand about the cold handle and pushed down. The metal gave way and she pushed the door smoothly open with no resistance, to see an empty room. Two piles of clothes lay on the floor. Both girls uniform. That was a relief. For some reason she'd started wondering if Akko had brought a guy round without telling her. Presumably they were simply washing each others backs. But that cry still bothered her. She shut the door and paused, listening carefully.
Something suspiciously like a low moan pervaded the constant beating of water on tile and she found her face glowing. Not a chance. But...
She made her way up the corridor, trying to move as smoothly as possible. She heard a few more groans in increasing volume and then a distinct cry,
"Ah, Akko!"
There wasn't really mistaking that sort of cry, filled with longing. It was followed by a series of gasps and another loud "Ah!"
She wasn't quite sure how long she stood frozen, a couple of feet from the bathroom door with eyes shut and heart pounding, unsure what to think or feel. She barely noticed the continuing noises from within the bathroom. Eventually an overriding urge to leave the scene and the rather unsettling sounds broke through and she walked briskly back to her own room, dumped her bag by her bed and lay down facing the ceiling.
Just under half an hour later the bathroom door swung open, a puff of steam escaping like a puff of pent up breath. Mari stepped out first, with towel wrapped snugly about her and a dreamy smile on her face as though in a trance. It had been too long since she had felt Akko like that. She could tell Akko had felt the same, the brunette humming happily behind her as she tied up her own towel.
"I'll go ahead as I need to start getting lunch ready," Mari said and started off down the hallway, her bare feet padding on the polished wood, smooth but with the grip provided by the slightly greasy resin that gave it its protective coating. She was almost at Akko's door when a couple of alarm bells started ringing and shattered her inner peace rather abruptly.
For a start the dining room light was on. She was pretty sure it had been off before, unless Akko had switched it on at some point? Then she heard a faint clink of metal against china and a tapping as if fingers were punching buttons quite fast.
For a second she thought it was a burglar who was helping himself to a meal. Then a far more worrying possibility crossed her mind. But she had to be sure. She crept forwards and peered round into the dining room, and as she did her eyes widened with a mixture of shock and embarrassment.
It was Akko's mum. She was sitting at the far end of the dining table with her neat, straightened blonde hair spilling down about her shoulders and about her white shirt, top button undone. Before her on the table was a white plate of half eaten pasta and slightly to her right a small Apple notebook that she was tapping an entry into with her right hand. She glanced up and her green eyes met Mari's questioningly. She gave a half smile.
"Kumakura-san." It was a simple statement of confirmation but Mari almost withdrew and ran back to the Akko's bedroom.
At this rate she'll realise. If she hasn't already. When did she come in? Did she hear us?
"Yes," she queried. "We didn't expect you home so soon Oohashi-san. Did something happen?"
Akko's mum blinked and glanced away at the screen.
"Yes, the meeting fell through so I was able to head straight home."
An awkward pause followed with Akko's mum still looking at the screen but not typing. Then she looked back up at Mari.
"Can you and Akko join me when you're decent. I think we need to talk."
Mari's head spun and she felt weak at the knees. The recent hot water and steam, that had warmed her blood vessels, wasn't helping.
She managed to gasp out a "Yes, Oohashi-san" whilst aware her face was turning bright red.
She turned away from the dining room and felt the world spinning. She landed on something soft and warm and briefly the world went black.
Akko had been listening from a few feet behind Mari, having been ten seconds or so behind her on leaving the shower. Seeing the light in the dining room and Mari going to peer round had alerted her that something was wrong, the confirmation came from hearing her mother's voice.
Oh God! Of all the days for her to come back early. Did she hear? She must have heard...
She knew her mum had heard the moment she asked for Mari and her to come and talk once they were decent. The word 'decent' was a pretty big clue but equally so was the need for a face to face talk. It had to be serious for her mother to request that. The last time her mother had requested a talk had happened was when she'd returned home two nights running from primary school with bruises and had eventually admitted to being bullied. But that was over 6 years ago. The time before that was her father's death.
Akko's heart raced as she tried to work out a strategy, but those thoughts were replaced with mild panic as she saw Mari's legs tremble as she turned and noticed how flushed and panic stricken Mari's face looked. Then Mari's face went blank and she began toppling forwards. In a fluid motion Akko stepped forward and caught her, her arms running under Mari's armpits as Mari's head slumped against the right side of hers. If the situation wasn't so precarious she'd have been delighted at catching her loved one in the nick of time. But there were more pressing concerns for now.
"Mari?" She whispered but got no response. For a moment she tensed, worrying Mari had suffered a heart attack, but felt Mari's breath against the back of her neck and relaxed. Then she realised Mari's towel had slipped down her back as she had fallen and was behind her on the floor. And her mother was round the corner. Akko grabbed the towel with her right hand and held it against Mari's back, and slipped her left arm under Mari's knees.
Thank goodness I'm used to helping move Sugi and Tamamin about after late nights and mixers, Akko thought as she gave Mari a fire-mans lift to the door. She was able to press down on the door handle with the back of her left hand, pushing the door open with her left foot. Still nervous her mother would suddenly loom behind her like a haunting spectre, she dashed across the room, deposited Mari on her bed and scuttled back to close the door; gently pressing it shut to avoid the further embarrassment of having her mother think she was slamming it. Then she slid down against it with her back to it, gasping for breath.
Ouch! Akko glanced about the room trying to collect her thoughts. Did she hear us? She must have heard us. She grimaced and felt her stomach both growl and shift uncomfortably from a combination of nerves and a lack of food. Oh yeah, we still haven't had tea.
She giggled nervously and took a deep breath to calm herself. Then glanced up at the bed as Mari stirred and sat up. The next few seconds provided Akko with some entertainment at least. Mari seemed to be on autopilot as she glanced about the room, until all that had happened clicked with her. She glanced sharply at the door, at Akko and then down at her naked body, turned volcanic red and dived for her clothes on the floor.
Akko chortled as Mari grabbed her pants and whispered urgently,
"What happened to me?"
"You passed out," Akko whispered back, "so I caught you and brought you in here quickly."
Mari nodded as she began pulling on her knickers, then looked up at Akko and added,
"Akko, clothes."
"Hai. Kay, kay." Mari's sensitivity to being seen underdressed was definitely moe. But Akko conceded that it would probably help her think a bit clearer to be dressed, so she stood up and gathered together her uniform from the floor, and sat next to the kotatsu whilst sliding on her pants, knickers, skirt, bra and shirt. She toyed with the idea of putting on new clothes but as they were going to bed after tea there seemed little point. After slipping on the white buttoned shirt over her head, having left the buttons done up, Akko glanced at Mari who sat with her back to the bed in her casuals, with a more thoughtful look on her face.
Akko slumped by the kotatsu, facing the bed, with knees slightly bent out in front of her. It was a weird feeling knowing that a few metres away the person who had brought you up all your life had just heard you making love to your girlfriend.
I should have e-mailed her about it at least by now, if only to say we were dating. Baka! If I only I had had a bit more courage like Mari to have told her. I really don't know how she'll react either. Indifferent? Possibly. I don't think we'll be making out in bed tonight somehow. Shame. Just as well we did make out in the shower then.
Mari caught the small smile playing on Akko's face and gave her a questioning look.
Akko shrugged. "I was just thinking it was a good thing we made out in the shower, otherwise we wouldn't have got to do so at all."
Mari's eyebrows narrowed to incredulous; inside though she was rather pleased.
"Akko!...What are we going to do about your mum?"
Akko's expression became more serious, matching Mari's anxious gaze. But it was those questioning, trusting eyes that reminded her of Mari's own courage and it let a measure of serenity settle on her thoughts.
After all I know what I must say and do. Only now it needs to be said. Whatever the consequences.
Akko let out a huff to remove some of the tension she felt and smiled at Mari, her hands relaxing and fingers spreading out across the wooden floor.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it. I know what needs to be said."
"Ah," Mari managed and her eyes sparkled. She moved forwards onto her knees and moved over to Akko with her legs either side of Akko's. Then her arms wrapped round Akko's back and her head pressed against the right of Akko's. "I love you so much Akko." The hug tightened. "We'll face her together of course."
Somehow the embarrassment and panic of earlier seemed rather unnecessary now. With every breath spent in Mari's arms Akko felt stronger and safer. Even if my mother disowns me I'm not alone. I am with her. I really do think I'm understanding what Mari meant when she said she never knew how much happiness there is in just being held by the person one loves. Come to think of it when did my mother ever hold me like this?
"Thanks Mari. Because of you I'll be fine." She gave Mari a light kiss to her left cheek, and removed her arms from Mari's back, planting them on the floor and raising herself up slightly. Mari got the drift and released her, shuffling back on her knees as Akko stood up and loosened her shoulder muscles with a quick jiggle. Then, before Mari could stand, she offered Mari her right hand,
"Shall we?" Akko's hair wasn't really dry and quite tousled as it fell about in curvy straggles. But then in Mari's eyes it made her look like a Prince who'd been caught in a rainstorm; a beautiful prince. Mari was pretty sure though that Akko wouldn't see it quite the same way, and that if she noticed she'd have spent the next thirty minutes with a mirror straightening her hair.
Mari nodded as she took Akko's right hand with her left and stood. Akko gave her a determined smile with eyebrows slanted down and lips a pressed a little tighter together, then walked over to the door with Mari following. She opened it and slipped out into the corridor. There was still the tapping of laptop keys but no longer the clinking of chopsticks on china, although the faint trace of warm food and spice still lingered in the corridor and prompted a gurgle from Akko's stomach.
Mari closed the bedroom door behind her and turned to follow Akko, who was already walking ahead into the dining area.
*Sweatdrops* It's now 7 Chapters in and I think the story has just passed the 1 day mark XD As correctly guessed it t'was Akko's mum returning home and so the truth will out to the second of the three parents next Chapter - which should conclude the Saturday as well :)