Please review. I have chapter 11 and 12 written out already and editted. I, however, refuse to post them if I dont get reviews. It makes me feel kinda... oh whats the point? No one's reading it, or "no one likes it, sigh, whatever". So Review. I don't own Shugo Chara, nor Pokemon. and btw, Tajiri Satoshi really is the creator of pokemon. He's a real life figure, however, I have stylized him and my version of him will be BASED off him. k? Not everything is pure facts. So. Bear that in mind.
Song used: I'm Not Your Toy by La Roux
Chapter Ten: False Love and Affection
Don't get me wrong. It's not like I hated dancing or anything, but after having it forced on me for so long, I couldn't help but sometimes feel a little resentful towards it, and at that moment I felt resentful. The searing pain shooting up the undersides of my calves were nagging reminders of my ridiculously unreasonable dance rehearsal schedule, on top of basketball pre-season with the oh-so-merciful Mitoki-kun.
I was currently clad in a breathtakingly beautiful pewter kimono with yellow accents in the shape of small dahlias. The obi around my waist was a striking, bright saffron, and as lovely as it was, severely restricting my oxygen supply. Traditional Japanese folk music seemed to be blaring in my ears rather than wafting through the dance studio as it seemed to have before. Instead of gliding rhythmically and gracefully as I always do, I became aware of my strained movements today. I'm just too exhausted. I paused for a second to glance at my mother and my grandmother, silently criticizing every turn, step, and move I made. Finding no comfort under their scrutiny I resumed my perfectly choreographed movements.
A big recital was coming up. I was to perform for Tajiri Satoshi, and the rest of the Pokemon Company in Tokyo to celebrate the release of their newest game. Many political figures will show up, meaning it is the perfect chance for the world to "recognize the elegant brilliance of a true Fujisaki woman once and for all" as my grandmother had put it. Considering that both my grandmother and mother are much to old to be regarded as "curiously young and innocent", as a traditional Japanese dancer should be, I, Fujisaki Nadeshiko, the non-existent daughter of the Fujisaki household was required to perform in their places.
I wasn't nervous. No, far from it. I simply didn't care for the success of this performance. It was a complete waste of my time. Dancing just wasn't fun anymore. Not like this, when I had to perform for stuffy old men in gray suits. Although there was nothing at all suggestive or sexual about any of my dances, I couldn't help but feel like some cheap prostitute or better yet, "exotic dancer", especially when they would subtly slip large bills in the folds of my obi after a performance and request a private "encore", and every time I would politely refuse and scurry back to my mother.
As the song ended I carefully balanced on the ball of my left foot, stretching my right leg pointing outward, and my arms curled up against my non-existent chest as though I was cradling a baby to my bosom. My whole body shook as my legs yearned to give out from fatigue.
I turned back to my mother and grandmother seeking, no, begging for their approval, but when they walked away with disappointment in their eyes, that's when the dam burst. My tired legs finally collapsed under me, and I silently sobbed by my lonesome in our dance studio as the next track of the CD began to play. I curled my fingers into fists and my knuckles turned white.
Why can't you do anything right, Nagi?... Why...
"Love, love is like stubborn youth that you'd rather just deny" - La Roux
It wasn't often that I actually had time to sit down and actually do my homework considering all the running around Easter had me doing. The eraser of my yellow pencil sat comfortably between my teeth, becoming smaller and smaller due to my frivolous mistakes. I shook the music score to rid it of excess shavings and began humming the melody I had written. I couldn't quite imagine the sound as clearly as I wished so I pulled out my violin to play the obscure notes.
Soon my endeavors to complete my homework were abandoned and I was captivated by the strings humming by my ear. Perfectly trained fingers quickly assumed their positions to familiar pieces as I played, played pieces that I hadn't played in years, yet it seemed like my body couldn't forget them no matter how much time passed.
Soon the sounds of the strings became much more subdued and mournful as I began to play an old favorite of mine, Ave Maria. The simpler tune allowed me to slip into a state of semi-conscious lethargy that was not unwelcome. As I came to finish the piece I felt a presence looming behind me, assuming it was Yoru or Utau I simply ignored it until I finished my piece. When I finally finished a slow clapping rang in the depressing room where the girls, Yoru, and I reside. A low rumbling chuckle informed me that neither Yoru nor Utau was the one to have been graced by my performance.
"Well, well. It looks like you're going to be just as good as your old man someday, ne?", a sickeningly sarcastic voice mocked.
"What do you want?", I growled while avoiding his comment.
"Why, do I need a reason to check up on my favorite underling?", Gozen sneered. I glared at my bow as if it held the answer to that asshole's rhetorical question. I refused to turn around at even look at his face. I felt a hand clasp my shoulder and I instantly flinched at the touch.
"My, my. Do you really think I'd hurt you? You're like my son! I would never be able to live it down, my boy!", he howled with laughter. I shrugged the hand off and hastily put my violin back in its proper case.
"And where do you think you're going?", he growled as I walked out of the room.
"Out."
"Any progress with that little whore yet?", he rudely called out. 'She's my sister! I can't let you talk about her like that... she's like a part of me', suddenly, the Fujisaki boy's words lingered in my head and I felt like punching Gozen for his crude phrasing. I'm such a hypocrite.
"Yes. I'm trying to gain her trust so she comes to us willingly", I casually explained. I repeated that again and again to myself in hopes of actually believing that. It's definitely not because of the boy. Gozen 'hmmed' and I took that as my cue to leave. A pensive Gozen was never a good Gozen... if a good Gozen even existed I mean.
"I'm walking on a broken roof while I'm looking at the sky".
"Sorry Souma-kun, but I will be busy this Saturday. Perhaps we can reschedule our appointment, ne?", I apologized. I was going out to Tokyo this Saturday for my performance in Tokyo.
"Awh, man! Are you serious! Why?", Souma-kun whined. It was quite adorable how he was so insistent on meeting with me that weekend and it took every once of my will power to fight the coming blush.
"J-just, something came up, okay?", I replied hastily. Shit. Don't look so defensive. Smile. Smile! So, I sheepishly grinned and sure enough Souma-kun quit pestering me, or so I thought.
"What kind of something?", he persisted. Alright. I take it back. He's not cute, he's somewhat annoying...
"It's none of your business, okay?"
"Why can't you tell me? I promise it'll just be between us!", he nagged.
"Just drop it, please", I begged becoming increasingly pissed off.
"What could be so bad that you can't just tell me?", and after that I lost all tact, surprising Souma-kun and even myself.
"Just leave me the fuck alone, Souma-kun!", I growled before storming off, just before the bell for the following class rang. Way to not be suspicious.
Finding my next class, I settled into my seat looked out the window. Below I saw other first year students having P.E. outside. It is getting quite warm outside isn't it? Instantly, I thought back to the other afternoon where Tsukiyomi-kun came to see me. It was rather warm that day, wasn't it? I felt my face flush. I like the sound of that. 'Tukiyomi-kun came to see me'.
"Fujisaki-kun? Fujisaki-kun?"
"H-huh?", I was quickly snapped out of my thoughts by a frustrated Nikaidou-sensei.
"Fujisaki-kun, please stay here after class. I wish to have a word with you", he sighed before turning back to the board. I looked across the classroom at the others and several students hastily turned back to sensei when I caught their stares.
"I'm not your toy. This isn't just another girl meets boy"...
"Yes, Nikaidou-sensei?", I asked awaiting my impending doom as I stood before the young teacher's desk.
"Fujisaki-kun, is something wrong?", Nikaidou-sensei asked with genuine worry.
"W-what do you mean? I'm a good student!", I defended.
"Yes, but you seem so tired and not as amicable as when you first started here", he said almost wistfully. Am I that obvious?
"What are you talking about?", I asked.
"Ah. Young love. So pure. So naive."
"Y-young love? W-what are you talking about?", I exclaimed. I'm not in love! I'm just stressed out from this stupid double life.
"Is that not it? Is it something else bothering you?", he wondered, concern laced in his words. Lie. Get him off your back.
"Ah! You caught me sensei. I guess I am in love", I shyly looked down putting on my best show channeling the shy Nadeshiko-chan inside me.
"I knew it. You can't pull a fast one on me, you know! What's your crush like?", sensei grinned. Instantly an image of Tsukiyomi-kun came to mind, and my face felt alight with color. Why did I think that? He's-
"Oh, come on! No need to blush like that! We already have everything out here in the open! Just tell me!", he smacked my back good-naturedly.
"W-well. M-my crush", god it's so awkward to say that, and I don't like Tsukiyomi-kun like that, "is tall, has really dark blue eyes, soft dark hair, and... uh... has a kind of deep voice", I squeaked. I felt so mortified. I couldn't believe I used him as my reference.
"My, my! She sounds lovely! Is she beautiful?", sensei smiled.
"S-she?", I shrieked before noting the confused look on sensei's face. "O-of course! She's the most beautiful girl I've met", I stated as if it were the most obvious thing.
"Ah. That's wonderful! Does she go to school here? I'm afraid I haven't noticed anyone like that", sensei said apologetically.
"She's in college!", I blurted out. Sensei looked mortified, as he should be. Tsukiyomi-kun was significantly older than I was, so having any feelings for someone so much older, much more a guy was ridiculous. "I-I mean, college prep school", he looked relieved. "I have to go sensei!", and with that I quickly darted out. I don't like Tsukiyomi-kun. He's just stupidly ruining my life. Makes sense to think of him all the time, right?
"It's all false love and affection. You don't want me baby you just like the attention."
I decided to ditch basketball practice today in favor of getting a bit more dance rehearsal in. I definitely preferred staying out of the house though, so I opted to practice at the local dance studio which my dear cousin Temari looked after. Getting there was fairly easy as it was only a ten minute walk from school. After gathering my belongings from my locker, I pulled out my cell phone to warn Temari about my arrival. First she scolded me for being so careless dismissing my basketball practice so easily, and then she seemed very excited at the prospect of having me over. I'll admit, I was a bit excited to dance with Temari as well, seeing that we hadn't danced together in a long time.
"Oi! Fujisaki", a voice called out behind me. I contemplated whether or not I should ignore him. I told him to leave me alone, already. Jeez.
"Don't ignore me! I know you can hear me!", the aforementioned voice became closer. After a few quick footsteps, and some slightly labored panting, a muscled body flung itself on my back and a moist arm slung itself around my neck. I noticed the sweat soaking this body and cringed in disgust.
"Ew! You're sopping wet! You pig! Get off!", I tried shrugging the larger body off myself but with my slighter more delicate build, it was proving quite arduous. A lighthearted chuckle and the boy removed himself forcefully grabbing my shoulders so I'd face him.
"Aren't you going to basketball practice?"
"I'm busy, Souma-kun. Besides, what's it to you? You're not on the basketball team", I pointed out the obvious.
"Well, truthfully, I asked my man Mitoki if I could drop by some practices so I could watch you and all", he said sheepishly and a little breathlessly. That explains the sweat...
"Wait." I registered his words, "watch me? Why?"
"I-I don't know", for the first time since I've met him, he seemed nervous, "I just wanted to see you, alright?", he said face flushed, although I wasn't sure if that was because he was practicing... or was it because of me? Ha. Don't flatter yourself Nagi. Sure I'm hot, but a little flirting with Souma-kun wouldn't have led to a full fledged crush... Well, I can surely find out though.
I tilted my head back to look at Souma-kun in the eyes. I inwardly cursed at our height difference. Surely he has to be about a decimeter taller. I tried to not be disgusted by the sweat dripping on his neck and I gracefully settled my arms around his shoulders, and settled my dainty hands cradling the back of his neck, while tippy-toeing to somewhat decrease our height difference. Oddly enough, I felt like I was getting into place for a dance performance. As my hands came in contact with his slick neck I almost retracted my body away. Almost. Don't think about the sweat. Ew. Ew. There is nothing sexy about sweat. I peeked over his shoulder to make sure we were alone, and I tilted my head to give Souma-kun what I hoped was a coy look.
"So you enjoy watching me, ne? So-u-ma-kun?", I purposely dragged out his name in a playful manner, mustering up one of my most coquettish smirks. Nagi. Retreat. Abort mission. No more flirting with men.
"I-I-I, uh, yeah. It seems I do...", he finished weakly. I pulled on his neck bringing him down, closer to me, as I pushed off my tippy-toes even more, almost as if I were en pointe. My lips ghosted over his and I could feel the slight trembling as well as the erratic breathing coming from them. RETREAT. LEAVE. ESCAPE. OH FUCK. NAGI, DON'T DO SOMETHING YOU'LL REGRET. As I so often did, I ignored my rational inner voice for the moment.
"Why is that, So-u-ma-kun?", I whispered against his quaking lips. Nagi. Don't kiss him. You're not gay. You're going to regret it.
"B-because I t-think-"
A cheerful tune sang "Pyon, pyon. Fumu, fumu. Yeah. Yeah. Howa, howa. Kira, kira. Yeah. Yeah." I let go of Souma-kun who finally looked like he was breathing again and angrily answered my cell phone. I know I should have felt relieved to have an excuse for leaving that awkward situation, but I was oddly miffed.
"What?", I hissed to Temari for her awful timing.
An argument, an awkward goodbye, a short walk, and an excited greeting later, there I was standing in the spacious room along with several other girls my age who were finishing up a ballet rehearsal. A girl with short brown hair and piercing violet eyes gracefully, if not a bit conceitedly, glided across the hardwood floors to a piece I vaguely recognized as Tchaikovsky's. Judging from her detached supercilious movements and her overused pointe shoes, it was obvious she was the prima donna.
"Himekawa Maika", Temari whispered over my shoulder, "she's one arrogant bitch, but she has reason to be", and I couldn't agree more. She was simply spectacular, looking passionate, yet remotely apathetic to her own movements, as if she had practiced this dance hundreds, no, thousands of times.
The other girls tried to stay out of her way and pathetically practiced their rather mundane choreography. One girl in particular was rather pitiful. She tried and tried to pirouette, but kept falling flat on her bottom. She wasn't even wearing pointe shoes, the poor girl. After removing my shoes, I stepped next to her, still sporting my uniform sans the hideous periwinkle blazer, and the tie. My once crisp white shirt was untucked, slightly ruffled, with the first few buttons undone, and the sleeves were rolled up to my elbows.
I bent forward delicately offering a hand to the fallen maiden. She looked up and I flashed her a polite smile. She graciously took the offered hand and I helped refine her clumsy pirouette into something that was somewhat presentable. After giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek, and her scrambling to scrawl her cell phone number on a piece of notebook paper, I swaggered back to Temari and gave her an arrogant smile.
She rolled her eyes and cleared the studio out, as I changed into a traditional kimono in the back room. I quickly reappeared and Temari's eyes twinkled with mirth and mischief.
"Shall we begin, ojou-sama?", was meant to be a playful blow to my pride as a man. "No offense", was lined beneath that innocent suggestion.
"Yes, let us", I pleasantly replied with an apparently amiable smile that was everything but. "None taken", implied.
Ojou-sama is a respectful way of saying "young lady" which would be quite offensive to a boy, but hey! That's just the way Temari and Nagi interact. She is very polite even though she becomes a crazy bitch in a chara change.
Concludes chapter 10. I know it's very Nagi-centric... well. That's because I like Nagi more, and I've been in the Nagi-zone lately. I'll do more Iku-chan later. I promise~ I'm off to write chapter 11 now.