Chapter 9: From Blank To Fake
AN: This will be my present to everyone for Lebaran day. And no, it's not too fast. I just wanted you to read it on Fasting day. The day you're supposed to not eat or drink anything while you're fasting. XD. Marhaban Ya Ramadhan!! Altough It's too late…
Okay! Give me the really last disclaimer! Rose-Chan, please??
Rose-chan aka Urooj: Blah. Yeah. Granite Aizawa doesn't own TMM. Or this 'whatever' fic.
Granite: Yeah! Read and Review for the last time!
Ps: Thanks for Urooj, Kin756894, iFluff, Kamyra, Tomoyo Kinomoto, and... Aeropostale-Girl 16. Altough you never reviews, but thanks to put this story in your alert list.
"Would you like me to call Aizawa-san then?" Zakuro offered. "You seem to be more interested in her." She had to think of something quick so used Minto as a scapegoat to bide time. She would apologize to her for it later.
Her Manager huffed and placed his hands on his hips. "I don't really care who goes first. I just want to know." It was an absurd thought, but he vaguely reminded Zakuro of a father scolding a child.
She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but Zakuro muttered a, "Yes, Sir…" Then shuffled out the door and went down the steps. Zakuro figured if she didn't care, Minto might as well go first. Maybe she could figure out someway to escape this mess. It wasn't too late… Either way, she needed some time to think this out rationally. Nothing good ever came from hasty choices. It only worked for people with lucky streaks, and Zakuro didn't feel very lucky today.
She could feel her manager's gaze pressing up against her back. It was like being trapped behind a door with your back against the wall. Add in the pressure of the chance that she might lose something precious, and it felt like there was a serial killer in the room with you.
She wondered how Minto would react to this. Hesitantly, she picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the Aizawa's. It rang until the answering machine picked up. Zakuro hung up the phone then tried the number for the earring phone. A sudden change in sound signaled the start of the conversation.
Zakuro just looked so nervous. If one didn't know any better, she looked like she was calling Minto to ask her out or something. Wait… that's an even scarier thought. She took a relaxing breath then ventured out a, "Hello?"
For a few tense seconds, all Azugawa-san, Zakuro's manager, could hear was silence from Zakuro.
Did you want to know why Zakuro was so silent?
It's because Minto's response had her on the edge of panic.
Zakuro became so pale; you'd have thought she tripped into powdered chalk. Her fingers trembled so badly, she had to fight to keep the phone from slipping out of her grasp. Scared, terrified, frightened, afraid, fearful, petrified, panicked, she felt all these things magnified by three. It was fear, shock, and panic clouding her mind all over again.
The emotions flashed once but then they left her.
"Hmm" Zakuro sighed.
"I'll be there." She hung up the phone and turned to her Manager. "I'm sorry, but there's something I have to do right now. I…have to go." Zakuro didn't think twice about running out the door but stopped in her tracks when she heard her manager's running.
"Zakuro-san!" She heard her manager cry out from behind her. "Don't you dare think you can run away!"
Zakuro didn't bother answering while she slipped on her shoes hurriedly.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go." Zakuro repeated. In other words, get the BLEEP out of my way! "This is an urgent matter, and I would appreciate it if you didn't pry." Did Zakuro's thoughts sound cranky and rude or what?
Her manager was surprised by her professional tone. You know…the one your boss would use when they weren't satisfied with your efforts, all the while conveying their thoughts in the most subtle and polite manner. Yeah, that one.
"Are you going home, Zakuro-san? You'll get there faster by car." Zakuro considered this for a few seconds then nodded at the manager's unspoken request. Her manager quickly put his shoes on then went off to fetch his keys.
A minute later, the two were piled into a car, speeding towards Zakuro's house.
Or…what remained of it at least…
It wasn't even a house anymore…it looked more like black charred…things sticking out of the ground. Smoke was still puffing out in small amounts. Zakuro watched firemen go in and out of the once-was-house.
She wanted to sink into denial. She wanted to so badly shout out in a dramatic, "NO!" of despair. She wanted to fall to her knees and sob bitterly, cursing the world for her misfortune. How had the house burnt down…? What happened here? Was it an accident or-
The simple threat in the form of a letter entered her mind.
Then she felt numb.
Like nothing could touch her.
Devoid of feelings.
But it wasn't on purpose this time.
Zakuro wanted so badly to feel the grief, to feel her own sorrow, to feel her hope crumble away into dust, only to be swept away by the winds, never to be collected again. She so sorely wished for her resolve to crumble. Why was she so involved with her antidote that it almost completely erased the world around her?
It was like trying to stay afloat in an ocean with half her rowboat intact.
Now it was more like trying to swim across the Pacific with only a paddle.
The first home she ever had was gone. The place where she would sleep in at every night, indulging in the comfort it offered if only for a minute. It was her very first sanctuary, like it kept the troubling world away from her. It was a place she could always retreat to, a place where she was accepted for who she was.
Her bedroom, the magazines, all the different styles she had created, her home, everything was gone. Now what did she have to work on? What she have to work from?
Zakuro wasn't even aware of her manager that's trying to comfort her. Her mind never registered he muttering, "I'm right, aren't I?" Her eyes never got the visual up to her brain of Minto stepping out from the charred mess and running toward her.
All her life Zakuro was told that she was cool…cold…detached from the world.
That was exactly how she felt.
Zakuro felt cool…like when you played on the swings and the wind would rush against you. Then as you fell back, your heart was being sucked out from underneath you.
Zakuro felt cold…like those times at night when no matter how hard you curled up under your covers, you shivered like mad from the air.
Zakuro felt detached from the world…like how you would listen to your teacher babble on and on about something you could care less about, only to realize that your eyes were unfocused and your mind separated from your body.
Except Zakuro was doing none of these things. She was simply staring at the black mess while being encircled in the arms of Minto.
Wait.
How'd that happen?
"Zakuro, are you okay?" Minto asked desperately for the third time.
Zakuro napped out of her reverie when she remembered herself. She found she had trouble standing on her trembling legs. "I'm fine, Minto…" She whispered. "I thought I'll have a modeling trip to Germany, I'll leave tomorrow morning." Minto's expression of relief matched hers.
Minto wasn't even aware of how tightly she was holding her. "I was so scared…" Zakuro heard her admit softly. "I thought you were trapped in the fire. My mind went blank…I didn't know what to do." Minto pulled away showing Zakuro her ash covered face. That's when she noticed her clothes where also smeared with black. "The explosion, it was just massive…I could only stand aside watching others douse the flames." Minto shook her head slowly, distraught. "I thought for sure you were gone."
"Minto," That blue-mew had such foolish self-righteousness. Minto probably would've blamed herself for not doing anything if Zakuro did indeed die. "How did the fire start?" She took the opportunity to collect her scattered and raging thoughts to sedate them with preferably more than just a pound of mental tranquilizers. She broke away from his grip and stepped back.
"F-from with I gathered, the kitchen, or where it used to be, was where most of the damage occurred. Of course, I could be wrong since the second floor collapsed." The two residents of the house were safe, so her mind resumed its normal proficient manner. "The air around smells faintly of gasoline…one of the conclusions I reached was that something was rigged in the house to cause a timed explosion, giving the culprit with sufficient time to run to safety." Minto looked at the house. "A bomb seems too unlikely. But who would do such a thing? It seems like this happened out of the blue. There's also the chance it could've been an accident. But I'm sure you'd never leave an open fire unattended."
"Someone did it on purpose." A new voice entered the conversation. Minto and Zakuro were equally shocked (well, Zakuro shocked too, but she hide it) when they found Zakuro's manager, Azugawa-san standing next to them. "Nothing happens by accident around you two. Nothing."
"Ah. Azugawa-san! Wha-umm…hi." Minto stuttered. "Eh, what do you mean by that?"
Zakuro rolled her eyes.
"Forget it. Anyways, Minto, I need to talk to you alone." Zakuro dragged Minto away from all the commotion. When she saw that the place was relatively isolated, she mumbled, "My manager, Azugawa-san is getting suspicious of our true identities. That's why he muttered something like that. Actually, it's more like he's practically figured out everything but our names."
Minto merely nodded with a knowing expression.
"You knew?"
"It was a hunch." Minto explained. "Seiji is deducing the same thing but…I've always managed to prove him wrong one way or another. He's going to find out one day though. Once every lie has been stripped away, no matter how unbelievable the conclusion is, it's going to be the truth. They're not stupid. But it is surprising that Azugawa-san found out too. We've made the mistake of underestimating them. I'd much rather have them find out the truth from us rather then having them find out themselves. Tell him. Maybe the truth would distance him from trouble when he realizes how serious this is."
Zakuro leveled her with a flat skeptical look.
Minto shook his head. "Tell him to stop by my mansion tomorrow. It's where you'll be staying anyway. We'll both tell them everything there."
Zakuro had almost forgotten about where she was going to stay. Looking back at the charred remains of the house, Zakuro could only hope that everything would turn out for the best. Everything was moving so fast.
Minto started speaking again, but this time with a wistful tone. "You know, Onee-sama…up till now, I've never been able to relate to your pain. I'd like to think I can understand at least a portion of it now. Your house holds a lot of memories for me too."
"No, Aizawa. You'd never understand. Never. Go on with your happy little life. You don't know what it feels like to be a curse. Just go away."
Perhaps that's what Zakuro should've said. It certainly would add a bit more drama to this, wouldn't it? But…it'd also hurt Minto's feelings. Zakuro was done with pain. People never did react nicely to pain. Treating them cruelly obviously had not succeeded in driving any of them away, it had only succeeded in gaining distance from them at the very most. She wouldn't drag anyone down in her own punishment. They always seemed worried whenever she'd say something death-related. It was time to ease their worries.
But what could do it…?
Oh, of course.
"Thank you, Minto. Shall we go salvage what we can?"
Zakuro warned her against it.
Zakuro said it was useless.
But what did Zakuro do?
She smiled.
A/n: hell, Zakuro smiled?? Is that a really good ending??
Okay, I'll delete the whole story... 7 days left.
PS: Last chapter, Yay! Let's see… the sequel of this is Zakuro VS My fiancé… I completely forget to tell you all… Let's see how the plans work…
(SPOILERS) For you who read Zakuro Vs My fiancé, more than 790 words are already finished. That's mean… we need 1500 more words…
Please read and review!
