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CHAPTER VIII: Shou's return
It was a Friday. The last Friday of the school year, actually, for it was finally their graduation and... Takako's birthday. She apparently she doesn't remember, though, considering how nonchalant she was acting at the moment...
The three families – The Takeuchis, Natsukis, and Fujiwaras decided to celebrate together as they used to. They grouped themselves first at the venue before proceeding to the Natsuki Residence for the small after-party.
"Weeeew! We're finally adults!" Itsuki squealed in glee. His father, though, didn't quite agree. The old man patted him in the back.
"Stop squealing like that and maybe I'll reconsider." He mumbled seriously, but everyone just laughed.
Mogi watched the families happy together again. How could she have lived through ruining this? She shook her head of the depressing thoughts and, instead, took a camera out of her bag. She cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.
"Let's take a picture!" she announced enthusiastically. She wanted to take as many as she could…
And make all of this last forever.
…
NATSUKI RESIDENCE
It was a miracle Itsuki didn't squeal in excitement after that– all the way to the big revelation. So, they really did manage to surprise Takako – a surprise party just for Takako. It took quite some effort, though, especially to the two children who volunteered on organizing it... but it was all so worth it-
That rare surprised yet delighted expression on Takako's face was definitely a sight, after all. And they found themselves celebrating for their success in that, too.
They grinned simultaneously. "HAPPY BIRTDAY TAKAKO!"
…
The party only consisted of the three families – but they sure were noisy. It was a joyful occasion, and everyone had a blast. The older folks gave gifts to the children, with a few extras to Takako, while the two gave even more special gifts to their best friend.
Itsuki made her a handmade bracelet, while Mogi gave her a handmade picture frame with the three families' pictures in it.
"Darn it. That was quick Mogi." Itsuki grumbled at the better gift, but nevertheless he proudly presented it to Takako who was just smiling fondly at the two of them. She let out a short chuckle before opening her arms and hugging them.
"I love you guys."
…
The party ended a little past 9pm, which meant everyone was extremely tired since it started at Lunch time. Her father was suddenly called by his old colleagues and asked him to go to them. He refused at first, but Takako insisted it's alright. So it was the Itsukis who drove Takako to her house.
She smiled as she walked out the door. "Thank you."
"No problem. Oh- And Happy birthday again, dear!" The couple responded.
Itsuki turned his head and greeted her for the last time, too."Happy birthday Takako!"
FUJIWARA RESIDENCE
Takako yawned as soon as she entered the house.
She was about to put down her things somewhere, but the first thing she saw was the phone. A sudden thought came, and she blushed immediately- only two days left before their rendezvous, and she wondered if it was still going to happen. Ryosuke-san may have very well forgotten about her, and she wouldn't be surprised.
She wouldn't be surprised, yes, but she can't quite explain why she was so anxious in the first place.
She immediately shooed the troublesome thoughts away, and looked at the phone again. Mogi said she was going to call her later that night to check up on her and greet her one last time. She wanted to be the first and last to greet her, after all, she was special.
So, Takako decided to stay awake to wait for her call. She gestured to go to the kitchen and maybe make some tea when-
Ding Dong
The door bell rang getting Takako to scratch her head. Seems like her father's meeting with his old friends was cancelled… again…
She lazily opened the door, but it revealed quite a different person from what she expected-
It was Shou… holding a box as big as a microwave oven.
…
They just stared at each other for a while, not quite knowing what to say. Takako blinked at him, especially since he wasn't speaking… nor have any plans to for the time being.
"Shou?" she called, trying to comprehend what he was doing there. Last time she had remembered, it had been quite a few years since he actually came to the city.
He turned red again and bowed his head. "Konbanwa." He greeted somewhat coherently, making Takako smile at him lightly.
"Good evening, too. Please come in."
He flinched at the statement. "N-No need. I just came here to greet you congratulations on graduating and happy b-birthday!" he stuttered and then handed her the huge box.
"Thank you." Takako said, and slightly took the box. It wasn't heavy, obviously, otherwise Shou wouldn't have handed it to her. She wondered what's inside…
"What's inside?" She voiced out. Shou shook his head and told her to open it.
"Come inside, Shou-kun, it's cold outside and I want to open it with you." She stated nonchalantly getting him to turn even redder. Takako, though, finally noticed what she was doing to him.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled now quite aware of what those blushes mean. Shou's eyes widened in embarrassment and then mentally punched himself. He wished he couldn't blush- like his cousin- maybe then Takako could act the same with him again.
He let out a deep breath and gave her a reassuring grin. "I-It's fine, Takako-san."
Seeing that she was just looking at him, he let out a sigh. "I'll excuse myself now-"
"Shou – really, stay here and open your gift with me… We do need to talk, as well." she stated firmly, and he gulped. Now that he's here again, she was no intention of maintaining the awkward atmosphere. Shou was her friend, too.
"A-Aa…"
…
They squatted next to the Kotatsu and Takako placed the box right beside it. She saw small holes on its side, but too small to presume anything. She wondered what it is.
She stared at it for a moment before opening.
Stare...
Her eyes widened immediately. It was a puppy... a silky terrier, to be precise - and a very adorable one at that! It's silky dark brown fur for its body with a shade of auburn was similar to Takako's hair color. Shou started nervously mumbling about the dog's needs in his car including a few months worth of food, but Takako seemed a little to engrossed with the new critter.
It was asleep when she opened it, which explained why she couldn't sense anything moving. But not a moment after Takako started to stare at it, though, it felt her gaze and opened its eyes. It sniffed around but its eyes ended on hers and it made the most adorable little greeting bark.
She squealed in delight. She almost lost herself, but managed to get herself to thank Shou for his wonderful gift first. But when she was about to, Shou was no longer in front of her... And seemed to have crawled quite a few meters away. His back was facing her, and she couldn't tell what was happening to him.
"Shou-san?" She called anxiously before walking towards him. She bowed down her head by a bit so that she could see him. He had his head tilted down and he was visibly red. She immediately sat to his level.
He held his face with his palm in the hopes that maybe it would absorb all the heat, but it didn't, so instead he looked at Takako without masking his despair.
"Gomen ne, Takako..." he muttered, before smiling apologetically.
"It seems that I really am still in love with you."
They stared at each other for a while again... rummaging for things to say. Shou was hitting himself internally in the process, while Takako was desperately trying to understand Shou. She could not comprehend why he feels that way for her. She does not think she was worthy.
"Shou... please stop doing things like this." She muttered seriously, as if he could help himself. He tilted his head back up to look at her. He was surprised that he could look straight into those wonderful eyes of hers.
"I wish I could. I really do..." he answered. Takako frowned in worry. They're hard to deal with – those feelings, and she knew she didn't want Shou to look so... confused and distraught just because of it. Those feelings were even the cause of the turbulence of her and Mogi's friendship.
"We're... friends, aren't we?"
"O-Of course..."
"So those feelings... can they be of friendship?"
Shou looked at her for a while, thinking for a reply. He thought about lying, but he didn't want to.
"No." He finally said.
Takako sighed. "I see..."
"I'm so sorry for troubling you..." he whispered. "I even ruined your friendship with Mogi."
"Did you choose these feelings, Shou-san?"
"...No."
"Then I forgive you. it's not your fault, we know you've made some bad choices but you regretted them in the end... Besides, Mogi and I have already made up." She stated serenely. "And..."
"I hope that the same will happen to you two."
"..."
"Shou-kun."
"I-I'll try my best." He smiled and then started to stutter again. "Ano..."
"Yes...?"
"Can we still be friends? Despite these... feelings I have for you." He asked hopefully. Takako smiled at him.
"Of course." She said casually and Shou breathed deeply as a happy reflex. He then shifted his gaze towards the dog and tried to eliminate the tension altogether.
"It's a girl, by the way." He stated, pointing at the animal. Takako chuckled and then lifted it to her eye level. She looked straight into the dog's eyes and pondered what she was going to name it.
"What do you think her name would be...?"
"... I think you should decide on that."
"I'm bad at giving names. I'll probably name her Nietzsche. The associated person's not even a girl." She answered, utterly serious. Shou could not stifle his laughter.
"It's not a bad name. I think you should go for it." He grinned before adding, "Just choose a nickname."
"I chose her full name. You choose her nickname."
"...Really, I don't-"
Takako cut him off. "Why not? You were the one who bought her..."
He stuttered. "Ano..." he looked at the dog and blushed furiously out of nowhere. Takako flinched as Shou looked at her and the dog alternatively and pondered whether or not he should voice what he thought out.
"Tell me." Takako just said as if reading his mind. He lost all reason and he accidentally spilled the beans.
"Ai. I want to name her 'Ai'..." he said getting Takako to gape at him.
Her eyebrows arched in anxiety as she did so. "Shou-"
"It's selfish- I'm sorry. You don't need to use it. It's just a suggestion..." he responded almost immediately, strangling himself for the slip-up. "It's just that... it's what I really feel..."
He gulped. "Please don't think of it as me forcing my feelings to you... it's really just a slip-of-the-tongue..."
Takako shook her head. Shou thought it was of disapproval, but then Takako cleared that it was of reassurance. "It's fine. If you say it's true, than I don't think it's right for me to deny it... But..."
"You don't feel the same way." He continued her sentence. He knew this from the start, but it would never hurt any less.
She nodded. This literally made his heart clench to the point that he was suffocating, but fortunately he managed to hide it. He really just appeared disappointed.
"Thank you for accepting them anyway."
Takako smiled sadly at him. She was thinking why she can't reciprocate those strong emotions but she also knew that there was no point in forcing them. They'll remain friends- very good friends.
She handed him Ai and stood up.
"I'll go get some tea."
She stared at the boiling pot blankly as she waited for it to scream. She wondered what it would feel like- having those feelings. It was odd, really. It caused them so much suffering yet she can't feel appalled by the whole concept of loving someone not as a friend or as a family, but something else.
It was still love, yet it felt so much more different. A part of her wanted to experience it; a part of her is scared. What if something that happened a year ago would happen again...?
She immediately emptied her mind of all the confusing thoughts and returned to her passive spectatorship. Her mind was about to wonder again, though, when-
Ring! Ring! Ring!
It was the phone.
'That must be Mogi.' She mused and was about to forcibly turn off the stove when she had an idea.
"Shou-san...?" She called, he answered a second later.
"Could you please get the phone?"
"... A-Are y-"
Ring! Ring! Ring! RIiiing!
"Shou-san!"
"H-Hai!"
...
Shou was daydreaming with the puppy. He looked at his 'Ai' and smiled. He had to thank his cousin for the idea. He really did like the stuff toy idea, but the he thought why settle for 'stuffed' when she could have a live one?
He had trouble finding this particular breed, and even lost some sleep trying to find this particular color, but it was all worth it. To see her beam like that because of what he did made it feel like he was doing something right again.
Then the phone rang.
"Moshi, Moshi?" he answered still a bit breathless from the rush.
"Good evening. Is this the Fujiwara residence?" the person asked with his very familiar baritone voice. He couldn't speak for a while. He was convincing himself that his cousin is not the only one with that incredibly unique voice.
"Hai..." he mumbled.
"Is Takako there?" He asked in a business-like manner that was all too familiar to Shou. He gulped.
"Hello...?" The voice asked, perplexed at his silence.
"Is Takako there?" He repeated, but with more urgency than before.
Finally, Shou caught himself- He finally got his voice back. He had let out a deep, deep breath before he could actually speak...
He pulled himself together-
"Ryosuke-nii...?"
.
.
END OF CHAPTER VIII
Coming Soon:
CHAPTER IX: Her First Battles
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REPLIES TO ANGELS:
xKarix - lolz. There are so many people who think the same way, ya' know. XD Thanks for the comment~
RedRosey18 - Oh my... hahaha. I'll try not to disappoint. ^^ Thanks for the comment!
emerald sapphire-chan - (Ch4) I'm glad you did so! - referring to many things you did. XD And i like long reviews y' know. Haha.
(Ch5) I'm following the Canon until the end of season 1. Events will go way different afterwards. ^^
(Ch8) Hahaha. Fyi, I will finish this story. It'll take a while, but I already have the main events plotted out. XD
Thanks for the Reviews~!
dhh - Uhm... I guess you do have a point. But making Takako do that would be too out-of-character... Besides, I need them to date so several events in the future would not feel... weird... but other than that, I guess I don't really have much reason in letting them end up together... Hmm... It would all depend on how the events will turn out,really, and I would be very sad if you stop reading... T_T Thanks for the comments, btw. ^^
I really want to know what you think! Please tell me...
