Romancing the Artist
By: Shin Sankai
A/N: Yes, I still live...surprisingly enough. After a long abandoned wait, I bring you this short chapter. I have the ending of the series pretty much all worked out, I just have to get there...so please be patient with me and thank you for reading.
"G-Go with you?" Misao shakily voiced.
"Yes."
"Wouldn't that be strange, me coming with you to sign your divorce papers?"
"Why?"
"Well, we hardly know each other for one." Misao mumbled as a reason, hands twisting nervously in front of her.
"I do understand where you are coming from however; I'd very much like it if you were there to support me." Misao eyes grew wide at the sincerity held within Aoshi's voice. His beautiful green eyes would not break from her own wide gaze, allowing her to fully understand that what he spoke was the truth. "I've met many people over the years, and you Misao, are one of the few that have ever given me a chance to say what I truly feel without judging me because of it. You have looked upon my real self and have not turned away."
"I...see..."
"If you will come then I thank you truly, but if you don't, I will understand why and not hold it against you. I shouldn't be more than a day or two so if you do not come with me, I'll be back at my Uncle's lodgement in no time."
"Alright…"
"I apologise in springing this on you so suddenly."
"Will you…let me think it over?"
"I don't leave till tomorrow, so take the time to think it over carefully." When Aoshi watched Misao nod quietly at his response, he rose from the bench and stretched.
"I am going to walk around the gardens."
"You don't want breakfast?"
"No, I will pass on the offer. I've much to think about as to how I'm going to handle tomorrow." Misao watched as Aoshi moved down the porch steps and onto the pebbled pathway. She lost sight of him when he moved around a row of trees.
The kimono clad Misao leaned forward, placing her head in her hands as she gazed at nothing in particular in front of her. She hadn't realised how long she was in the trance for until she heard her name being called. Snapping from her thoughts, Misao turned her head to see Okina looking down at her.
"What's the matter Jiya?"
"I should be asking you that question. I've been calling you to join me for breakfast. Is everything alright Misao-chan?" Misao rose to her feet and walked beside her grandfather towards the eating room.
"Would you feel weird if someone you just met asked you to go to Tokyo with them?"
"Aoshi-kun is returning to Tokyo?"
"Mm, just for a day or so. He has...business there." Misao knew her grandfather was not a silly man, but she didn't feel it was her place to fully blurt out that Aoshi was going to be a divorced man very shortly.
"And he'd like you to go with him?"
"I think he would feel calmer if someone that he is comfortable with, even if we haven't known each other for long, is beside him at such a difficult time in his life."
"Do you not want to go?"
"I am not sure if it's right of me to go. What if by some chance I run into his wife? How will she react...and more importantly how will I?"
"Are you and Aoshi-kun in a relationship?"
"Ah...no, but I feel like something is there, which makes our current friendship a little bit complicated."
"First of all Misao-chan, this woman Aoshi was married to should not come into your reasoning's for going or not going. If you want to be with him, then be with him. If you want to go with him, then go. Don't let her whoever she is or was to Aoshi-kun in the past stop you and him from moving forward. And even if you do run into her, your business has nothing to do with her so you needn't feel like you have to answer any of her questions."
"I suppose..."
"I guess you could gloat that what was once hers now solely belongs to you and you wouldn't be stupid enough to turn away such a handsome and talented young man.'
"Jiya!" Misao went slightly red in the face and smacked her grandfather on the arm as he entered the eating room.
"We shall eat breakfast and you can think over it some more." Misao nodded her head, picking up her miso soup. "By the way, where is Aoshi-kun?"
"He needed to clear his head and plan for tomorrow. I am certain he is nervous about the entire ordeal."
"Well I can only imagine what is going on in that head of his, considering he is married to one of the most beautiful actresses in Japan."
"Huh?"
"Misao-chan, do you not read any magazines?" Okina questioned the perplexed Misao in exasperation.
"Am I meant to?" Misao watched as Okina rose from his seat and left the room for several moments. When he returned he came back with one of Okon's gossip magazines in hand. The elderly man flipped it to a section of the magazine and placed it in front of his granddaughter.
"This used to be Mrs Shinomori, though she didn't take Aoshi-kun's name of course." Misao wasn't as dense as her grandfather thought she was, as the times she had been to Tokyo she did see this woman's face on many advertisement boards and posters and of course on TV. She was tall, slender, had a great set of legs, beautiful to look at and to top it all off, a great set of breasts. Not only was she famous, but having that much beauty and snagging a handsome man like Aoshi, Misao began to fume in her seat. She had no idea what Aoshi himself could see in such a shallow woman. Of course Misao had never met her personally but rich or not, famous or not, cheating on your partner was definitely a big no-no in her books. The magazine Misao was currently glancing at happened to be the one that spilt the beans about Tomoe having a steamy hot affair with her co-worker.
"I apologise for being late." At the sound of Aoshi's deep voice and the shoji sliding across, the gossip magazine literally flew out of Misao's hands, slapping heavily onto the floorboards away from her and Okina sitting at the table. Her large blue eyes gazed up at him, but it appeared Aoshi hadn't taken any notice of the thrown magazine and sat down. "I couldn't pass up breakfast after all." Misao gave off a small laugh and began to thank every God that was looking over her when Okina broke into general chat mode with the oblivious author and artist.
The entire morning breakfast was going smoothly as Misao began to stack the dishes onto a large serving tray when Okon had made herself known in the most unfortunate way possible.
"Okina, what have I told you about taking my magazines?" Okon picked it up off the floor, waving it around.
"I wasn't the one who threw it." The elder man mumbled, while childishly pointing a finger across the table at Misao.
"Why would you have one of my magazine's Misao-chan?"
"Eh? Um...ano...the thing is..." Misao's palms became sweaty as she glanced between the three other occupants in the room.
"Do you mind?" Three pairs of eyes turned to look at Aoshi, his hand out asking to look upon the magazine. When Okon innocently handed it over to Aoshi, though a little confused a man as quiet as him would even think about glancing at such a magazine, Misao began to cringe once it was within his strong hands. Her observant eyes watched Aoshi look down at the cover, which had Tomoe on the front in a very small white towel leaving little to the imagination.
"That woman is a disgrace!"
"O-Okon..." Misao gasped at the older woman's unexpected words. She turned to look over at her grandfather, her eyes begging him to intervene in one of Okon's rants. Before the elder man could even get a word in, the oblivious Okon continued with her rant.
"I have been following her career for several years now and I was certain she was married, but to see this...and with a co-worker no less, it's just disgusting. It might have given her much publicity and even the hot springs as well, but I for one would never allow such a stunt to happen here. Her behaviour is very unprofessional."
"I think we get your point Okon, so can you just drop it?"
"No need to get all defensive Misao-chan, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion after all. It's like you are defending her actions."
"I am not!" Misao snapped loudly. "No matter what has occurred, it is not our place to comment, so please Okon, just drop the topic."
"Alright, alright." The three watched quietly as Aoshi placed the magazine on the table, rose and quietly left the room.
"Mou, Okon, why'd you have to go on one of your rants?" Misao complained once she knew Aoshi was a safe distance away from hearing her voice.
"What do you mean?" The clueless Okon questioned the other knowing occupants, looking between Okina and Misao.
"She is his wife." Okina plainly voiced before sipping down the rest of his tea.
"She is whose wife? And who are we talking about?"
"Her!" Misao snapped, pointing directly at the cover of the magazine. "She is Aoshi's wife!" Just as Misao left the room she listened to Okon's scream of 'Okina tell me everything!' before the shoji snapped closed.
On hesitant feet, Misao made her way to the room Aoshi was staying in and tapped lightly on the shoji.
"Come in." Misao entered and found Aoshi placing his clothes back into the bag he brought with him from the lake house.
"A-Ano..." She hesitantly began but felt her voice lodge in her throat when Aoshi's eyes locked with hers.
"How long have you known whom I was speaking of?'
"About a minute before you walked in to have breakfast."
"Is that true?"
"Of course! I am not a liar!" Misao shouted and then quickly quietened down, not wanting any guests to hear their conversation considering the gardens were public access and Aoshi had the shoji completely open. "It's like Okon said, I don't read gossip magazines, I barely watch TV! I'm not as clueless as Jiya makes me out to be, as I did recognise her once I saw her face, but I never knew the two of you had a connection, let alone she is your wife!"
"I see..."
"I know you are upset, I can clearly read it within your movements, so I will leave you after I say one thing."
"And that is what exactly?"
"I'm going with you tomorrow."
"Even though you now know who she is?"
"She is no friend of mine."
"That is not what I meant."
"I know, but I will be there. I will stand at your side and watch over you as you receive your divorce papers."
"Why? How can you answer so quickly?"
"You asked me to go with you to support you in such a tough time in your life, so I will be there to make sure you get your wish...and that is to break free from her. And how can I answer so quickly? It's simple really, you need me." Aoshi's green eyes widened at Misao's words. "I shall see you tomorrow." The tall man watched quietly as his petite companion left him in his room. He had no idea his heart could thump that fast within his chest at hearing such straightforward yet honest words.
Down the hallway, Aoshi too had no idea that Misao's own heart was beating just as fast as his as the young woman rushed into her own room, locking herself inside and turning bright red as her own words sunk in.
Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting day for the both of them.
--- To be Continued ---
