Takuya

He fidgeted awkwardly as he watched Izumi pat down the hot cocoa stains that were starting to set into the green carpet. The only sounds in the room were of her shuffling around and trying to wipe out the stains as best as she could.

Only a few moments ago, Little Izumi had called Hikari mother. Although the older Izumi had cried out when she heard this, she hadn't said a word since. Little Izumi was with Hikari in the kitchen, leaving Takuya and Izumi alone in the main room, which was all the more unnerving for both of them.

Feeling rather guilty, he went to Izumi, crouched on his knees, and leaned down to her level. Izumi ignored his presence and continued cleaning. When he grabbed the hand she was using to clean the stain, she looked up at him with stubborn eyes that she was trying to keep steady.

"I'm going to help you," he said.

She jerked her hand away. "I made the mess. I deserve to clean it," she replied in an ice cold voice.

"There's hot cocoa on your legs," Takuya murmured as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, feeling like a teenage boy loaded up with hormones. He scanned the length of her exposed legs with flickering eyes. "Let me get some of you—get something for you."

Izumi felt too numb to care. "I'm fine."

"We have to talk," Takuya replied at length, forcing his voice to come out more calmly than he actually felt. Why did Izumi have to have such control over his emotions?

"There's nothing to talk about." With that said, Izumi stood up and squeezed the rag in her hands. She cast her cold green eyes down at him like she was an ice queen.

"I'm pretty sure you want to hear what I'm thinking," Takuya said as he stood up, and being a whole head taller than her, ruining the intimidating effect Izumi was trying to create. "So yes, there is something to talk about."

"You're so wrong," Izumi growled as she wrung the life out of the poor rag in her hands. Her pale skin was reddening and the tears in her eyes wouldn't go away. She cast her head to the side and looked away. "Why would I ever want to talk with you?"

Takuya's breath caught in his throat. She doesn't mean that, he told himself. "Izumi, please understand. The last time I needed to talk to you, you didn't want to listen and you ended up changing both our lives."

"But the change was for the better, wasn't it?" Izumi's head sharply turned back to him.

He couldn't possibly tell her how much he ached when he saw those tears falling from her eyes, and it caused him even more suffering to know that he had been the one to put them there. If only he hadn't brought her here; she never would have heard Little Izumi call Hikari mother, and she'd be happy right now.

Takuya thought back to when he saw her laughing with Kouichi. He used to laugh with her like that, but that was before, over five years ago. They always attracted each other's company in a crowd, and as soon as they came together, it like they couldn't stop smiling and joking. Takuya had thought that he and Izumi were just platonic friends, although throughout the years of his friendship, he could feel his want for a platonic friendship dying and his need to have her as something else, something more.

But despite the fact that he was starting to grow more feelings for her, he didn't realize that she, too, was trying to advance their friendship. Why was he such as idiot? Why didn't he realize what she was trying to say when she told him, "I love you"?

And now it was too late.

"The change was unexpected," Takuya started to say, "But it was…I mean, I can't even imagine life without my daughter anymore." It was the truth. Izumi crossed her arms.

"I'm so happy for you, Takuya." Izumi used her free hand to trim away teardrops hanging from her eyelashes. "And I'm so happy for Hikari."

Takuya looked on sullenly as Izumi ran into the kitchen.

-

"Mother," Little Izumi pressed as she pulled on Hikari's sleeve. "Why do we care what they're saying?" she asked for the thousandth time.

"Shhh…Mommy just wants to make sure that Daddy is alright," Hikari explained. "Shoot!" she hissed as she jumped away from the door.

A moment later, Izumi burst through the kitchen door. She threw the rag into the trash can with gusto. Silently, she went over to the small sink in the corner and turned the water on, washing her hands and then rubbing her legs to get rid of the hot cocoa there.

Takuya tentatively entered the silent kitchen. He looked at Hikari, and in response, Hikari simply shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip. The two of them were so confused as to what to do about the Italian girl that they didn't notice Little Izumi leave the room.

-

Little Izumi was very smart for her age. Her teacher said that she was reading at a first-grade level, and for a three-year-old, that was one of the best things she could ever be told. Many people claimed that the intelligence was in her genes, but Little Izumi simply attributed it to the fact that she was a naturally curious child.

And at the moment, when Little Izumi saw a big, light purple messenger bag that was very unfamiliar to her, her curiosity kicked in. She, like most little girls, loved to play dress up and carry around purses as if she were much older than she actually was, and this bag was just calling out to be played with.

"Wow! You're so big," she told the bag as she came closer to the table it had been placed beside. She tried to pull the bag by its strap towards her, with no success.

"And heavy!" She then decided to see what exactly was in the bag that made it so heavy.

-

Izumi tried to ignore the way Takuya and Hikari stared at her as she dried her hands, but she felt her patience was wearing thin as the couple continued to stare her down. Like she was an alien object!

"I might break if you stare at me too hard, damn it," Izumi snapped as she stalked over to the side of the kitchen Takuya and Hikari were standing in. After she said those harsh words, Izumi regretted it. Hikari looked like she might cry.

"We're just worried about you. Calm down," Takuya snapped back.

"I'm sorry," she offered meekly as she stared down at her feet, although she really did not care much for apologizing to the two of them.

Did they think she couldn't notice the nervous glances Takuya and Hikari gave to each other as they watched her at the sink? Were they truly worried about what she was going to do next? Did they really think she was so fragile and uptight that she was ready to break at any moment?

Takuya should know her better.

Right now, you are pretty breakable, her mind taunted.

I'm fine.

You're far from fine. You want to cry.

Shut up. I just need to clear my head. This is not worth crying about.

This denial thing is getting old.

I start getting too emotional every time I'm around him. I just need to be alone.

You're always emotional around him. Why do you think that is?

Denial.

Make it stop, please.

Make what stop?

You know.

Apparently not. What do you mean?

You know. Stop playing dumb.

I'm not the one playing dumb here. Now tell me again, make what stop?

This lo-

"Testing! Testing! Wow! This makes my voice go soooooo LOUD! Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!! HIHIHI! My name is Izumi! I'm three years old! My favorite color is pink! My favorite animal is the ponyyyyyyyyyy! I love dragons too but my daddy said that I can't have oneeeeee!!!!!!!!"

The sudden noise broke the tension in the room. Izumi, Takuya, and Hikari jumped and covered their ears from the ringing the loudness caused.

"You bought her a toy microphone?" Takuya asked loudly to Hikari.

Hikari shook her head. "Not one that goes that loud," she replied.

Izumi felt like slapping her head. "I think that's my microphone. I better get it back."

"Your microphone?" Takuya asked. "You carry a microphone on you when you travel?"

"Yeah." She opened the kitchen door and went out with Takuya and Hikari following suit, exchanging curious glances with each other.

In the main room, Little Izumi was holding a very professional looking microphone in her hands, tapping the head of the microphone because she enjoyed the echoing sound it made. Izumi tried not to wince at the sight of a little kid playing with her equipment as if it were some sort of a toy. It was then that she noticed that the microphone was not the only thing Little Izumi had gotten to.

The big Izumi stared at the belongings of her bag, thrown all around the child. From her camera to her press badge and even her cell phone, everything from her bag had been emptied by the little girl.

"Little Izumi," Takuya said as he walked over to the girl. He crossed his hands over his chest and looked down at the child. "Where did you get that?"

"The big bag!" Little Izumi exclaimed excitedly, causing the adults to once again cover their ears.

"Was that your big bag to be playing with?" Hikari asked, her hands never leaving her ears.

"No, but mommy! Look at all the cool stuff in this bag!" the child exclaimed as she pointed to the open bag and then to the items that lay around her.

"What do you do for a living?" Takuya asked Izumi incredulously as he stared at the various objects.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know anyone who would carry around a camera that huge wherever they go," Takuya explained as he pointed to the large, bulky device that seemed too big to even fit in the bag. "Wait, I know this! Are you a reporter?"

"I'm a journalist, and I have to do many on-the-set reports," Izumi explained proudly, tilting her chin upwards a little. "The camera is an essential thing to have when you're in my line of work."

Takuya noticed a card laying at Little Izumi's feet. He picked it up and read the words on the card aloud.

"The Red Seashell. Is that where you're staying?"

Izumi muttered a 'yes' as she crouched down and picked her cell phone off the floor. She looked at the screen of her phone and noticed that she had several missed calls.

"10 Missed calls? I'm late!" she cried as her eyes lit up with remembrance. She grabbed her large bag and started to stuff all her equipment into it.

"I'm going to need this back. Let go," she told Little Izumi as she tried to pry the microphone out of the toddler's hands.

"But I love it so much! Can I have it? Please?" the young girl asked, pulling the microphone towards her and making her eyes as large and watery as possible because that's always what made Takuya obey her wishes.

However, Izumi was not Takuya. Izumi jerked the microphone from the girl's hands and crammed it into her bag. She stood up and dusted herself off.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Hikari," Izumi said as she adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "And it was truly lovely to meet the girl who shares my name."

Hikari's cherry eyes started to shake with worry. "Izu-chan…"

"Where are you going?" Takuya asked; the way Izumi was talking was starting to make Takuya feel very suspicious and nervous…Just like that day five years ago.

"I'd love to stay and talk more, but I'm late so I have to go." Without another word, she turned on her heel and ran out the door.

A couple of moments passed while Takuya and Hikari just stared at the door, unable to comprehend what just happened so quickly.

"Mother? Father?" Little Izumi asked, noticing that both her parents had suddenly become unusually quiet. Then a thought dawned on her. "I want to be like Big Izumi and have a microphone just like hers!"

"Do you think she's going back to Italy?" Takuya asked worriedly. Hikari bit her lip, as if she was trying to make a difficult decision.

"Takuya," Takuya and Little Izumi looked up at the woman, for her voice did not have the stable, soft and soothing sound it usually did. It was upset and stressed.

"Hikari?"

"Mother?"

"Don't make the same mistake, twice, Takuya. Please." Why did she look so upset all of a sudden? "Go after her. She needs you. Help her like you helped me."

You're not alright, Hikari. Takuya pulled out one of the seats from the clubhouse's table. "Sit down."

"Please, Takuya, help her. Stop her from leaving."

Although Takuya knew that Hikari was not at her best at the moment, he knew she was also right. If he didn't stop Izumi from leaving now, who knew when they'd ever meet again?

He thought about it. A life without ever seeing Izumi Orimoto again. That oh-too familiar tight feeling reappeared in his chest.

Putting his arms firmly on Hikari's shoulders, he sat his wife down on the chair he pulled out. "Feel better, Hikari." He smiled at the two girls in the room and left.

-

-

He knew she couldn't have gotten too far in the two-minute head start she had. Still, Takuya found himself walking quickly (nervously, really), throughout the park's path.

But then, amidst the clouds bleak grayness of the clouds that had started to form that day, he saw Kouichi, much to Takuya's disdain (he remembered that kiss), conversing with Izumi.

The worst part of the scenario was the black car that was parked in front of the gates. It looked almost identical to the car that had left in all those years ago, and this fact filled Takuya up with indignation.

"Izumi!" he cried as he ran up to the two adults.

Kouichi seemed a bit upset at the sight of Takuya, but he quickly changed his face to a look of apathy. Izumi, on the other hand, felt her face getting red again. She could feel the words 'flustered' and 'nervous' being written on her face using the much-hated red ink of blush. Shit. She wasn't expecting him to follow her, though she did find herself feeling a bit better that he did. Why did he have such control over her feelings?

"Izu-chan," Takuya panted for a few seconds as he caught his breath. "Why's that car here?"

"It's hers. The airport dropped it off a couple of hours ago," Kouichi responded, sharply. Her car. This must have been what she was late for. Still, Takuya tried to look for the good in this situation.

"You had your car brought over? That means you're staying, right?" Takuya asked. He put his hands over her shoulders and leaned down so that their eyes were locked on each other.

So brown…

Green was always my favorite color

"I…n-no! Uh, I just had it brought over i-in case I decided to stay for a little w-while," Izumi explained, keeping her eyes focused on Takuya's.

"But she's decided that staying isn't right for her," Kouichi cut in, noticing that these two were lost in their own little world.

"You don't have to go," Takuya reminded. "No one wants you to."

"I want to," Izumi answered. "Takuya, returning here was a mistake."

"Don't say that."

Izumi turned her head away from Takuya. "It's just that…too much has changed in five years. I can't—"

"Izu-chan! Nothing has changed!" Kouichi, Takuya and Izumi turned to the source of the new voice.

Hikari was standing at the gates of the park, her daughter right behind her. Hikari's hands were at her sides, hands clenched into little fists.

"Nothing has changed," Hikari repeated. Little Izumi nodded in agreement with her mother, not knowing that she was one of the biggest causes for Izumi's melancholy disposition.

"Yes it has. God, I really don't want to argue about this anymore." Izumi opened the back door of her car and threw in her large bag.

Little Izumi noticed this. The bag was so closeand she really wanted to play with the microphone again. If only she could get into the car for just a second!

"Maybe…" As Izumi started to speak, Takuya, Hikari and Kouichi looked up in hope. "It was a very good thing that I left." She looked up at Takuya.

"Are you insane, woman?" Takuya snapped.

"You don't mean that," Kouichi tried to convince himself.

"Forget it. You didn't understand it then so you probably wouldn't get it now." Smiling wryly, Izumi crossed over to the front of her car and pulled open the door.

"Izumi, why do you have to make this so complicated?" Hikari demanded as she walked over to Izumi's door. Izumi hadn't gotten into the car yet, so Hikari knew she still had time to change the girl's mind.

"I'm not making anything complicated. Why don't any of you understand? Your lives have been fine for the past five years. You don't need me to come back and mess everything up! I mean, duh, it's so obvious" Izumi sighed as she looked at Takuya, Hikari, and Kouichi's confused faces. "Please try to think of what I'm saying."

"But you going anywhere won't solve anything," Kouichi said.

"Wait…you can't go anywhere, really, you can't," Takuya said. "You don't have a Japanese driver's license!"

"I am an international journalist so I have an international license."

Takuya and Kouichi's faces could not help but show the disappointment that they felt.

"Please don't go, Izumi. You don't know what happened the last time you did this," Hikari explained.

Izumi looked at Hikari and then at Takuya. As she got into her car, she quietly said, "I don't think I want to know."

Takuya came in front of her car, placing his hands angrily on the hood, and stared straight through the glass at Izumi.

"You can't run away every time something doesn't go your way," he declared.

"Takuya, why can't you realize that your life is better off without me?!" Izumi replied as her eyes became sharp and focused.

Why were all of them making this so hard for her? She just wanted to go home, to Italy, on the other side of the world…She hated the feeling of being here and hated…

…the fact that her best friend married him.

"My life was miserable without you, Izumi!"

Izumi and Hikari gasped.

"Liar," Izumi accused. "You better go out of my way." She inserted her key and pressed her foot on the pedal: the car turned on. Takuya knew that there was no stopping her now.

Takuya stepped aside, watching miserably as she and her car drove away. He knew that this could very possibly be the last time he ever saw her…heard her voice…stared into those emerald green eyes…Shit…what had he done?

"How could you let her do that?" Kouichi asked angrily. "Why didn't you tell her what really happened all those years ago? She needed to know!"

"Why didn't you stop her?" Takuya asked indignantly as he glared at Kouichi behind him.

"Because, she wanted to hear it from you. She needed to hear it from you."

"You are ridi—"

"Guys," Hikari said, a little panicky, "Where's Little Izumi?"


Izumi

Izumi drove furiously through the streets of Japan, occasionally staring at the houses and buildings that she used to visit. However, due to the rain that had started, sightseeing wasn't exactly the best thing to do, so she continued to drive.

It was raining that day five years ago, too, do you remember?

"Déjà vu," Izumi said quietly as she continued to drive. She was on the main route now.

"What's they go boo mean?" a small voice asked as she popped her head up from the back seat. Izumi, who just felt the life scared out of her, looked back to see if her ears had deceived her.

"Little Izumi? What the f-" Izumi nearly steered off the road as soon as she heard the little girl giggle in excitement. Luckily, she was able to pull the car over to the side of the route.

"Who went boo?" the little girl asked eagerly.

"What are you doing here?" Izumi snapped. "And you scared me half to death! Are you crazy? Why are you here?"

Little Izumi was rarely ever yelled at, so hearing Big Izumi's anger was very unnerving for the three-year-old. Therefore, despite all her efforts to act like a big girl and not care, her little lips started to tremble and she started to snivel. Eventually, though, she started to cry.

"Zut! I mean, sorry…I'm so sorry! Umm…you want to play with my microphone?" Izumi asked nervously, trying to make amends with the girl.

Little Izumi's crying magically came to a halt. "Yeah!"


"Orimoto, Izumi," Izumi told the receptionist as she checked in. "I believe I made reservations."

"Ahh…yes, of course. There you are. Oh—I see you received a phone call."

"Was it from Takuya Kanbara or perhaps Hikari Kanbara?"

"Why yes, actually. From Hikari Kanbara. She said she's coming over."

-
-

Izumi looked out her room's window and looked back over, for the millionth time, at the phone. She was expecting the call that said Takuya and Hikari had come to pick up their daughter any minute.

There was a thunderstorm outside, and that probably made the traffic horrible, so Izumi figured she had a few minutes to relax. She walked over to her bed and sat down, opposite the little girl who was also sitting on it.

"You really like that microphone, don't you?" she asked the girl who kept switching the microphone from on to off to on again, etc.

"I've never had a toy like this. It goes so loud! I love it!" Little Izumi exclaimed.

"You have the excitement of your mother and father," Izumi thought aloud as she ran a hand through Little Izumi's golden blonde hair. "Hikari was an exciting dancer who could never sit still, and then of course there's Takuya…I can't think why he'd ever name you after me."

Izumi sighed and looked away. She didn't notice the stare that Little Izumi was giving her.

"I already told you, Big Izumi. He named me after the only woman he ever loved."

"Really? And your mother, Hikari, what is she?"

"My mother."

"Exactly." Izumi moved back to press her back against the headboard. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her hands over them. She leaned her head onto her hands and mirrored the little girl's stare.

"What does it mean?" Little Izumi asked.

"What does what mean?"

"Izumi."

"Oh…umm, it means 'fountain'. It's not special."

"I like it," Little Izumi said quietly.

"Thank you."

Little Izumi put the microphone in her hands down on the bed. She crawled to where Izumi was sitting and looked up at her. "I wish you could stay. I think that would make my father happy."

Izumi felt her face getting wet again. "No it wouldn't."

"You cry a lot."

"…Sorry."

"My mother told me that real men cry. Does that mean real women cry, too?"

"Don't ever be afraid to show your feelings, Little Izumi," Izumi said quietly. "Never keep things to yourself."

Just then, a knock was heard on Izumi's door. Izumi quickly got up and looked through the door's peephole.

"It's your parents."

To say that Takuya and Izumi were worried was an understatement. As soon as the door was opened, Hikari ran inside and rushed over to the bed. She picked up her daughter and cried with happiness.

"Oh, Izumi! Please don't ever scare me like that again!"

Takuya leaned on the doorway and let out a huge sigh of relief. Izumi heard him repeat "she's okay" at least five times as he watched Hikari embrace their daughter. He finally walked to his wife and daughter and kissed his daughter's hair several times.

Izumi watched this scene unfold and couldn't help but feel a wave of uselessness wash over her. Takuya was happy. Hikari was happy. Their daughter was happy. Izumi was, as they say, Takuya's 'unlucky childhood friend'. She was not necessary in this equation. Her eyes were fighting back tears for she knew that she could not look weak, not now.

"Izumi," Hikari said. Big Izumi looked up, only to see that Hikari was talking with Little Izumi. "Go with your father. I need to talk with Big Izumi."

Little Izumi jumped into her father's arms and Takuya started to walk away. However, Big Izumi stopped him and picked the microphone off of the bed.

"I think Little Izumi would like this," she said as she handed the little girl the microphone. Little Izumi looked ecstatic and Takuya simply nodded in thanks and continued to walk away.

When he was in the doorway, he turned around and said, "I'll be in the lobby."

When they left, Hikari walked to the door and closed it. "Izu-chan….thank you for taking care of her…"

Izumi simply sat down on her bed. She wasn't sure why Hikari wanted to talk to her, but she knew it probably would end up depressing her more.

"You're welcome, Hikari."

"I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to talk to you," Hikari assumed tentatively as she sat down beside Izumi on the bed.

"Hikari, you're not going to change my mind. I'm leaving, and that's that," Izumi explained. "So if you're trying to persuade me otherwise, it's just going to be a waste of time."

"Alright then," Hikari said as she nodded her head. "But my intentions were actually to tell you something, not try and make you stay, although I'd really like it if you could." Hikari took a deep, steadying breath.

"This is a story you really need to hear," Hikari continued. If Izumi was interested, she did not show it. She just sat on her bed and listened quietly.

"Okay, what is it exactly that I need to hear?" Izumi finally asked.

Hikari got up and brought the chair from the hotel room's desk to in front of Izumi. She sat on it, her legs crossed and her arms resting on the armrests patiently, although she kept shifting the position of her legs and tapped her fingers on the chair's handle rather quickly.

Izumi looked at Hikari as she did this and wondered why Hikari suddenly seemed to be so nervous. Hikari pressed her back against the chair and looked at Izumi, her eyes focused on the Italian girl.

"You need to know what happened while you were gone. So I am going to tell you."