Bridging the Gap
by beaple leone michaelmas
Chapter Nine: Hellos, Goodbyes
A/N:
BTG is back! Things have gotten a little crazy in the real world, so I haven't been able to update, but here it is! Chapter Nine! ::D The usual apology: I'm sorry if it's a bit crazier than usual – then again, if you've made it this far, you've probably gotten used to the eccentricities of this story, eh? Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading BTG! ::D
Also, regarding the chronological order of the chapters of this fic, I realize I've confused you very much by not putting in dates. So to clarify: This fic starts in the month of August and will end in April. The Prologue and Chapter 1 take place in August, Chaps 2 and 3 in September, Chaps 4 and 5 in October, Chap 6 in November, Chap 7 in December, and Chap 8 on New Year's Eve. I haven't changed any of the past posts for this fic, so I'm afraid they're going to remain in their highly confusing state. Still I hope you'll enjoy the last few chapters of Bridging the Gap – thanks for all the support, guys!
Disclaimer:
I do not own La Corda d'Oro; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.
This fanfic is based on Primo Passo.
Previously:
Chapter Eight: Acting on Impulse
At this, Tsukimori stood rooted to the spot, eyes deadening; the comment had hit home. Expression carefully wiped blank, he turned his back again and resumed his walk to the villa. There was no one who stopped him this time, as everyone was too shocked by the implication of Takishima's words.
That means… he and Erisu… broke up?
Chapter Nine: Hellos, Goodbyes
January
"Are you sure this isn't another one of your crazy ideas?"
The lobby of the Tokyo Grand was imposing enough to force Kahoko into a pseudo-crouch as she tiptoed past the ten-foot high front doors. Slim phone pressed to her ear, she tried to stay as dignified as she could, a task which proved to be difficult considering her inner child desperately wanted to turn around and run the way she had come from. Of all the places she had ever been to for a job interview, this one topped the list in terms of lavishness; not even the stint with FBC, her biggest one so far, provided a conference area this luxurious.
The prospect of fame and fortune did not appeal to Kahoko at all. In fact, it terrified her to bits.
"Relax," Hakuba Kenjirou cooed into her ear from the other end of the line. Was it just Kahoko or did he seem like he was only humoring her? "This is just a tiny gig. No frills, nothing to worry about-"
"You call the Tokyo Grand a place for a tiny gig?"
"It's just a job interview," Hakuba retorted defensively. "No one said anything about putting up an event at the Tokyo Grand…"
Kahoko resisted the intense urge to roll her eyes at the ceiling – lest she'd see the ornate chandelier and collapse into a hyperventilating heap. "Which reminds me, Hakuba-san," she crooned, trying for sweetness. "Since when have I ever been a party planner? We're marketing me as a composer, remember?"
"Diversifying your range is important in this business," came the unfeeling reply. "And don't argue with your manager-"
"Ken, it's your turn."
The familiar voice echoing through the receiver made Kahoko stop in her tracks.
"Kaji-sensei?" she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the fact that she was standing smack in the middle of one of the most expensive hotels in Tokyo. "Hakuba-san is Kaji-sensei with you?"
"Uhhhh, yeah. You wanna talk to him? Here-"
Sounds of confusion, a phone being passed from one hand to another, the distant trill of wind chimes – Kahoko could almost see her two friends sitting in Kaji's homey living room in his pad. There would be a chess set between the two of them, with two steaming mugs of coffee by their sides, abandoned due to the utmost concentration they were devoting to their game. An array of pillows would be scattered around Hakuba's feet, the plumpest one held tight in his arms – for punching whenever one of his pieces were eaten. Kaji would be seated with his hands gripping his knees, emerald eyes fixed on the board as though willing it to change - isolated from the rest of the world, and existing in a sphere only he knew of…
Suddenly - throat clearing, a deep intake of breath.
"Hello?" Kaji Aoi spoke in his clear, crisp tones. "Kahoko?"
"Kaji-sensei, hello!" Kahoko chirped into the speaker breathlessly, a smile instantly appearing on her face. "It's been a long time – how are you?"
"I should be the one asking you that," Kaji joked, laughing good naturedly. In her mind's eye, Kahoko could see his eyes crinkling, laugh lines appearing on his forehead, his cheeks betraying distinct dimples on both sides. How she wished she could return to Mizuide…
"How have you been?" Kaji inquired nonchalantly, not knowing the full impact of his simple question on Kahoko. "You haven't been calling me lately – is something wrong?"
Work. Shimizu and Shouko. Erisu. Len. Kahoko bit her lip and tried to find a suitable answer.
"I collapsed on New Year's Eve again," she complained, exaggerating off mark and sounding, even to herself, like a spoiled tween-age drama queen. Collecting her senses, she hastily added, "I mean, I kind of got too excited for the Countdown that I forgot to eat lunch that afternoon-"
"Silly girl," Kaji chided gently, although Kahoko could tell he was worried. "Have you-?"
"Gone to see my specialist? Yes," she supplied proudly. "See? I'm taking good care of myself, just like I told you I would."
Kahoko heard him ease into a smile. In the background, Hakuba was muttering something unintelligible.
"Well, I'm glad you're finally following your doctor's advice," Kaji told her playfully, speaking the way a patronizing adult would to a precocious child. "Don't forget to drink your vitamins, and get enough sleep-"
"Yes, yes-"
"-and exercise twice or thrice a week, even if it's just a walk around the block."
"Do I have to?"
Kaji laughed again – prompting Hakuba to scream out loud, "It's your turn, A-kun! Stop making me wait! Kahoko, stop distracting him!"
"Say, Kahoko," Kaji plowed on, ignoring his friend's outburst. "Hakuba tells me Tsukimori Len's girlfriend is also part of your cast." A pregnant pause. "Is that… all right with you?"
"Um."
Where to begin? Apparently, Hakuba still hadn't gotten wind of the fact that Erisu and Tsukimori had broken up. Which was surprising, given he worked for a man who made a living out of romantic tragedy.
"Yeah, it's all right," Kahoko lied, words slurring ever so slightly. "Eri-chan's cool, really professional. In fact, I've never heard anyone play the way she does. I guess students trained abroad really have an edge over their local competitors, huh?"
Silence. Kaji seemed to be engaging in his favorite hobby of analyzing everything Kahoko said.
"I see…" He finally spoke after a while. "And does this Eri-chan… know about you and Tsukimori-?"
"," Kahoko said in a rush, as a heat wave washed over her entire body. "."
Without waiting for Kaji to reply, Kahoko flipped her phone shut, and, face horribly flustered, turned to look at a lady who was beckoning her to come close.
"Hino Kahoko-sama," the woman - really no more than a girl - bowed, a graceful fluid motion to which Kahoko replied with her signature sloppy semi-bend. "Kasuga Yui desu. I am the assistant of the person you are about to meet. She has been eagerly anticipating your arrival."
"I'm sorry I'm a bit late," Kahoko replied, suddenly apologetic even though her companion was obviously much younger than herself. "I got a bit lost, and I… ran into a few mishaps…"
"It's perfectly all right," Kasuga assured her with a smile. "Although I suggest we start making our way to the venue, if that's all right with you..."
"Oh!" Kahoko exclaimed, jumping slightly. "Y-yes, of course! Please. Lead the way."
After another brief exchange of bows, the two women walked towards the elevator corridor, where Kasuga, with an efficiency Kahoko did not expect given her tiny frame, summoned an elevator almost instantly. As the two stepped into the steel box, their backs to the wall, the elevator lurched upward in a smooth motion, giving Kahoko ample time to think.
"Kasuga-san," she spoke suddenly, realizing this was the perfect opportunity to get information on her prospective employer. "If I may ask… why all this secrecy? I mean," Kahoko gesticulated wildly to correct her gaffe, "why couldn't your boss just come out in the open?"
Kasuga stared at Kahoko with round, innocent eyes. She appeared to be considering the question seriously.
"If I answered your question," Kasuga began, speaking slowly, "I would lose my job."
She smiled, her eyes twinkling as though she found the universe immensely hilarious. "Have faith, Hino-san. You are about to find out all you have to know."
The elevator opened into an elegant marble hallway illuminated by shell-patterned lamps and lined with ornate vases filled with exotic flowers of varying scents and shades. Distracted both by the sudden attack on her senses and the palpable mystery of Kasuga's words, Kahoko could only stand frozen as Kasuga daintily stepped out into the corridor. At the sound of her companion's heels clicking purposefully, Kahoko snapped out of her reverie; this was not the time to be daydreaming. Mentally shaking herself awake, she turned to follow her guide, who wordlessly stood a few feet away, an expression of extreme amusement playing in her eyes.
She decided not to ask any further questions; she doubted Kasuga would feel obliged to answer them anyway. Even without a formal concept of the truth, however, Kahoko felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, a slowing down in her heart rate as they approached twin wooden doors that towered above her and her companion, seeming capable of swallowing them whole. Sucking in a deep breath, she watched Kasuga put a hand on one of the golden door handles, forcing the door to swing open, welcoming them to the room beyond with a blast of bright light.
Stepping forward, eyes closed at the intensity of the glow, Kahoko became distinctly aware of Tchaikovsky's Walzer Aus Dornroschen playing from high definition stereos strategically placed around what sounded like a ballroom. [1] As she slowly opened her eyes, blurs flying into her line of sight from infinite directions, she dimly registered a crowd of people gathered around tables laden with food and wine. This shocked her immensely; she didn't think she would be attending an actual party.
Even more disturbing was the fact that Kahoko knew these people – not personally, but by reputation. There were members of prominent local and foreign orchestras, pop singers and teenage idols, household names from several generations back – it seemed a marketplace where fame and musical talent were the main mediums of exchange.
And at the corner of her eye, Kahoko spotted a familiar blue head standing next to the international conductor Chiaki Shinichi by the chocolate fountain – Hamai Misa. She should have known.
As though she had sensed Kahoko's arrival - if she had not been expecting it - Hamai suddenly broke away from her conversation with Chiaki and directed her attention to the woman standing nervously by the doors. Instantly, her face lit up with a smile. With a small wave, she motioned for Kahoko to wait exactly where she stood, something Kahoko did not intend to do.
For she had realized, finally, who was behind all these machinations. Worse, she put two and two together and figured out that if his mother was the mastermind of this whole scheme, then Tsukimori must be somewhere in this room as well. Ignoring all norms of etiquette and propriety, Kahoko spun on her heel and began to make her way to the exit.
She would have made it out of the hall safely had she not collided headlong into the man she had been running away from in the first place.
"Kahoko," Tsukimori Len said by way of greeting, silently watching as Kahoko jumped back several steps, blushing furiously. "You're… here."
"Y-yes, I am," Kahoko repeated dumbly, mind racing full speed to process the fact that he had just addressed her by her first name. Not Hino. "Uh…. You're… here, too?"
"Yes," Tsukimori replied, raising a thin, pale finger to scratch his cheek. Had Kahoko been sane enough to notice, she might have observed that he appeared a tad overwhelmed himself. "My mother is hosting this event, so…"
At almost the same instant, both looked away in opposing directions; him paying decidedly close attention to the lights on the low ceiling, and her finding the tips of her French manicured feet oddly fascinating. Before Kahoko could open her mouth in an attempt to assuage the awkwardness of the situation, and possibly make a fool of herself – not that Tsukimori was in a state where he was bound to notice minute details – Hamai Misa glided in between the two of them, a benevolent smile on her face as she regarded both with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Kaho-san, I'm so glad you could come!" Hamai exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy to see Kahoko. "I'm sorry for all the secrecy, but, well… Let's talk properly, shall we?"
Turning to her son in a commanding yet gentle way only she could express, she lightly placed a hand on his arm and told him, "Len, kindly get Kaho-san something to drink. And," taking into consideration the apparent threat of Kahoko developing a heat stroke, the way she seemed to be emitting steam, "be liberal with the ice, won't you?"
Flashing her rather dazed son a bright smile, Hamai Misa led Kahoko to an empty table overlooking the Tokyo skyline – placidly ignoring the latter's manic mouthing of incoherent words, and vague gesturing towards the exit. As soon as she had secured her guest's staying put in her seat – not that Kahoko had much of a choice given the way Kasuga was standing conspicuously beside the doors – Hamai began to speak, and enthusiastically at that.
"Kaho-san, I'm so happy to see you! It's been ages! You never did pay me a visit, and I was very much hoping you would watch my New Year's concert with Len!" Hamai paused, seemingly to inhale, before she plowed on again. "But not to worry – we're hosting a Valentine's concert, too; have you heard? Of course, I'm assuming you have, given you've met Len a couple of times over these past months-"
He keeps cropping up wherever I go, more like.
"Misa-san, I hate to be rude, but-" Kahoko paused, biting her lip. Did she dare ask aloud the question playing in her head? "Um… Why didn't you tell me about all this?"
"Why I kept my hiring you a secret, you mean?" Hamai asked, eyes bright albeit oddly glassy. "Well, to tell you the truth, Kaho-san, I was under the impression that if you knew Iwas the one offering you this job, you wouldn't even show up for the interview."
"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Kahoko before she could stop herself. "I mean – er – you can't seriously believe I'm running away from you, Misa-san?"
"Are you not?" Hamai intoned in a politely disinterested voice, her head tilting ever so slightly. "Nevertheless, you are here, right now, and I'm afraid you've no choice but to listen to me…"
Kahoko felt her blood run cold as Hamai gently signaled for Kasuga to approach the table. She had the slightest hunch that Hamai Misa was not very happy with her tonight; there was a sharp edge in the woman's behavior toward her that made Kahoko a bit guilty - though she knew she had done no apparent wrong…
Although, yes. Maybe she was purposely avoiding bumping into Hamai. Except for today, she had been largely successful thus far. This chance encounter really was something Kahoko should have read into; who would keep a business transaction top secret spare the mafia and Hamai Misa?
"Believe me, Kaho-san," said the woman, in a voice that was slightly more like her usual tone, albeit still with an obviously tinge of some abstract, negative emotion, "I didn't want to see you again like this. In fact, I feel almost guilty for having conspired with Hakuba-san to get you to meet me, but-"
"Hakuba-san knows you were behind this?"
"Of course he knew," Hamai answered lightly, surprised. "I couldn't lie to him, could I?"
Well, at least she's not a compulsive liar.
"Thank you, Kasuga-san," Hamai said in a cheery voice, smiling at her assistant – the latter had arrived and was handing over a plain white folder. "Is everything in here then? Even the sample program? Yes? Well done..."
Smoothly snapping back to business, Hamai turned to smile at Kahoko before flipping the folder open.
"Well, Kaho-san, the basic proposal is this," Hamai began, lowering her gaze as she thumbed through some documents. "I wish to hire you as an assistant party planner for an event which will be happening in April-"
"But Misa-san, I have no experience in events organizing-"
"Not to worry, dear," Hamai continued, as if she had not been interrupted. "I will be handling most of the organizing; all you have to do for me is research."
"But surely you don't do research for a party-"
"Oh, but it's not just any other party, Kaho-san," Hamai interrupted, finally looking up to meet Kahoko's bewildered gaze. "Len's grandparents will be celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary in April; has he mentioned the occasion to you?"
Kahoko was forcibly reminded of a drunken conversation she and Len once had in a konbini. It was not a memory she particularly relished.
"Uh, yes, I remember him telling me about it in passing," Kahoko admitted. "But still, I don't see what this has got to do with me-"
"Do you remember my husband's parents, Kaho-san?"
Kahoko started. It was a strange question, one with quite an obvious answer.
"Yes, of course, I saw them often when I came to visit you," Kahoko replied slowly, feeling as though she had just been asked a trick question and was expected to answer poorly. "Soujiro and Fusako Tsukimori. They never miss afternoon tea, and have a vast collection of expensive tea cups. Oh, and their greatest dream is to retire in a hot springs resort."
Hamai smiled. "The details you remember are quite amusing, Kaho-san," she noted, amused. "However, what I mean is whether you remember their relationship? How they were as a married couple?"
"They were…" Kahoko's eyebrows crinkled as she fell into deep thought. "Sweet. Very sweet. They did everything together. Even Len said you never saw one without the other…"
"My in-laws have a very romantic love story," said Hamai Misa, her smile becoming more pronounced. "They first met when Okaasan was a student in Paris, and Otousan was there on vacation. To make the rather long, complicated story short, they fell in love, and decided to get married. Otousan's family, however… let's just say they didn't approve of the woman their only son brought home from his trip abroad."
"You mean his family thought she wasn't good enough for him?"
"Perhaps," was all Hamai said. "The fact is, Otousan's marriage had been arranged for him since he was only a child, and nullifying a marriage with the daughter of a prominent family was not a happy prospect for them. Okaasan had come from an ordinary background, you see, and no matter how talented or vivacious she was the Tsukimoris could gain no apparent advantages if their son married her."
"But they still got married-"
"Yes, they did, but not until after a few years," Hamai Misa said, nodding slightly to herself. "They eloped, and did not have a proper wedding until Shun was a few years old. [2] Initially, Otousan's parents could not forgive him, and they refused to offer help even at times when he asked for it. Eventually though, blood won out, and they accepted him and his new family back into their home. They weren't bad people; in fact, it's a shame you've never met them," Hamai added, her eyes twinkling.
Kahoko frowned, remembering all the long talks she had with Len's grandparents. All those quiet afternoons spent in the Tsukimori's sitting room and this never came up? "They never told me any of this."
"Oh, well…" Hamai smiled. "Where do you think Len learned the art of secrecy?"
Kahoko blushed at this. She remembered Hamai was all for the two of them getting back together. Ignoring the heat cruising up the side of her neck, she hastily asked, "So… the event in April celebrates their wedding?"
"It will, yes," Hamai nodded, happy to see Kahoko was catching up. "They both believe it will be just a family event, with only close friends and relatives celebrating the occasion. But Shun and I thought they deserved better. So we've come up with a sort-of weekend getaway in the villa where our friends will be taking turns providing the entertainment for two days straight, and we've also invited members of the press to cover the event – good publicity, you understand-"
"Wait." Kahoko reached over to touch Hamai's hand. When the other woman had gone silent, proceeding to staring at Kahoko with mild interest, Kahoko clarified, "You're throwing a surprise party for Len's grandparents?"
"Yes, I thought that much was clear, Kaho-san," Hamai replied, smiling gently. "Of course, I don't expect it to be a complete surprise given those two are rather sharp for their age. Still, don't you think it's so much fun trying to hush up an event like this?"
"It's impossible!" Kahoko argued, so shocked by her sudden discovery that she even forgot to be irritated at her companion. "I mean-" she gestured randomly at the people around them. "You've got superstars performing for you; how are you going to keep this secret?"
"Oh, that's really nothing you should be worried about, Kaho-san," Hamai assured her, squeezing her hand. "That's my problem. All you'll have to think about – if you accept this offer, that is – is getting information from Otousan and Okaasan. What they want the food to be like, what they want the color theme to be - things like that."
"But," and Kahoko thought she was going for overkill by asking this, "why does it have to be me?"
"Because, my dear," Hamai spoke slowly, as though willing her to understand, "I will be busy with the preparations, and I do not have time to fool our targets into believing we're preparing a small gathering for them. I will not be able to distract them like you can. You do remember how fond they were of you? To be honest, you didn't break just one heart the day you chose to break up with Len-"
"Misa-san, I…" Kahoko forced her eyes shut as she groped for the right words to say. She couldn't believe she was being put in this position. Still, she knew she couldn't just reject the job; she was fond of the old couple, too. But working so close to Len…
"Why can't Len, do it, Misa-san?" Kahoko asked suddenly. "Won't Obaasan and Ojiisan think it's crazy that their grandson's ex-girlfriend is handling their party for them?"
"They might," Hamai agreed. "But all in all, I think they'll be very glad at the possibility of the two of you getting back together that they won't ask any questions at all." As a sort of afterthought, she added, "Besides, Len's in charge of overseeing the rehearsals for the performances. And, he's hopeless when it comes to organizing parties – or in this case, pretending to. Right, Len?"
"Hmmm," a voice answered noncommittally from behind Kahoko. Jumping in surprise, Kahoko turned just in time to see Tsukimori walking towards her bearing a plate of tiramisu and lemonade. He was looking at her strangely, although Kahoko seriously doubted the suspicion in his gaze was directed at her.
How much had he heard?
"Okaasan, what are you up to?" Len asked outright, distractedly setting the food on the table. "Are you bullying Kahoko into working for you? Because if you are-"
"Oh, but your grandparents are so fond of Kaho-san that it seems such a shame not to make her part of this plan," Hamai answered, almost pouting. "Besides, she's beginning to consider it. Right, Kaho-san?"
"Well…"
It did not help to have Tsukimori Len staring at her intently, waiting for a reply that might never come. On the one hand, the offer was tempting: it entailed responsibilities she could handle, and it involved making two wonderful people happy. On the other hand, there were consequences if she said yes to it: assimilating with the Tsukimoris again, being on guard against Hamai Misa 24/7, working with Len…
Her phone rang suddenly. Jolted out of her reverie, Kahoko flushed as she realized she had forgotten to put her phone on silent mode. What a scene this would have made had she been in a real job interview!
Nevertheless, she felt slightly grateful that the call had come at just the right moment. With one quick, cursory glance at the screen, Kahoko saw it was Nami – why was she calling? Was something wrong? Raising her eyes, a worried expression in them, she thought she saw Hamai Misa's shoulders fall ever so slightly in disappointment, as Tsukimori assuaged his frayed nerves by pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to take this call…"
"No need to apologize, Kaho-san," Hamai told her graciously. "We'll be right here."
Quickly dashing out of her seat, Kahoko practically raced towards a large potted plant, behind which she stood and took out her phone. Holding her breath, wondering what on Earth had gone wrong this time, she held the receiver to her lips, and said, "Hello?"
XXX
"So they'll be seeing you before they leave, okay?" Amou Nami clarified to her friend with a slight knotting of her eyebrows, her phone pressed tightly to her ear. "You guys can meet up at the pasta house across the street from the Tokyo Grand… Right. Okay. Sure. Later."
As their friend ended the call abruptly, frowning at her phone with a bemused expression, Takato Mio, Shimizu Keiichi, and Fuuyumi Shouko stared openly, their own confusion building.
"What's wrong?" Mio asked finally. "What did Kaho-chan say?"
Nami shook her head. "Nothing much," she replied off-handedly, as though the earlier conversation had not confused her. "She seemed to be in a rush. Panicky and on edge. She's in the middle of a job interview, so I guess that partly explains it-"
"With Hakuba-san?"
"She didn't say…" Nami trailed off.
"Well then," Shouko looked at her fiancé, checking for confirmation. "I guess we'll have to get going. Our flight's in less than five hours."
"You sure you don't need help with your bags?" Mio asked one last time, looking hopeful.
Shimizu smiled slightly, but merely shook his head. "Thank you, Mio-san, but we can handle these."
"Nao says she's sorry she couldn't come to send you off," Nami tried to explain, a pleading expression in her eyes. "But Oribe was insisting that she watch his performance at the Ishida Cultural Center-" [2]
"It's all right, Nami-chan," Shouko acknowledged graciously. "We understand…"
Silence, as the four of them considered each other, considered the possibility of never being able to see each other again.
"Oh, I'm so going to miss you!" Shouko exclaimed suddenly flinging her arms out to hug Nami and Mio. Taken by surprise, the other two women could only embrace their friend as well, laughing shakily as they began to recover from the swift, uncharacteristic motion. "Call us. Email us. I don't care – just make sure we hear something from you."
"That coming from a person who moves around all the time," Mio answered, exasperated. "How are we supposed to know where you guys are?"
"But we're in Boston most of the time -!"
"When you don't have concert tours across America," Mio replied with a slight rolling of her eyes. "Seriously, it's no mean feat contacting you!"
As Shouko and Mio began outlining possible means of communication, Nami and Shimizu regarded each other with identical, somber stares. There was no need to ask what was going on in the other's mind; it was obvious they were thinking of solutions to the same predicament.
"You'll try to talk some sense into her, I hope?" Nami asked, frowning slightly.
"The keyword is try," Shimizu noted. "You know how stubborn she is."
"At any rate, she listens to you the most," Nami acknowledged, sounding slightly grudging. Recovering herself, she managed to wring out a small smile, offering her hand. "The best of luck, Shimizu-kun. I'm sorry you had to come home to such a fiasco-"
"What are you talking about?" Shimizu cracked, shaking Nami's hand enthusiastically. "I had tons of fun with you guys; I'm sure Shouko did, too-"
"What are you guys talking about over there?" Mio wondered aloud, calling Shimizu and Nami back to the bigger conversation. "You're not planning a prank of some sort, are you?"
Nami eyed Mio threateningly, before she turned to hug Shouko with a sunny grin. "You take care, okay? Don't let Shimizu's lethargy get you down-"
"Hey!" Shimizu interrupted. "I am not lethargic!"
In the end, after the last moments of bickering and teasing they would share in a while, the four of them managed to hail a cab, stuffing all of the couple's belongings into the trunk. From the other side of a clear glass window, Shimizu and Shouko waved at the friends they were leaving behind, the latter's eyes slightly misty, the former's smile slightly strained. Mio was furiously blinking; Nami resembled a deflated balloon. As the taxi sped away, taking their friends away from them, Nami and Mio stood at the sidewalk still waving, oblivious to everything else.
It was Mio who broke the silence first.
"Saaaay," she said brightly, back to being a ball of cheerfulness. "I'm hungry. What do you say we grab some coffee at that favorite hangout of yours?"
"Chocolat?" [2] Nami intoned. She forced a smile. "Sure! I was going to suggest that myself!"
As they began to walk forward, Mio's arm wrapped around Nami's, their steps in deliberate synch, the latter suddenly mock lamented out loud.
"Ne, Mio," she began. "Don't you think it's absurd how those two are getting married within a year? I mean, in high school they barely spoke to each other, let alone thought about each other that way…"
"Studying in close proximity helped build their relationship, then," Mio reasoned wisely. "It's normal to fall for the people within your circle. They just got lucky they were a perfect match."
"Yeah, 'course," Nami nodded her assent, although she seemed to be thinking of something entirely different from the topic at hand. "But, see, my point is… I mean… can you imagine those two having children? Can you imagine their kids being friendly with ours, playing tag and all that-?"
"You're thinking that far ahead?" Mio asked, distracted, her eyebrows rising. Then, her childlike face split into a mischievous grin. "You must really like him if you're already thinking of having children with Takishima-"
Instantly, Mio knew she had stepped on the proverbial emotional landmine. Nami had come to a full stop, freezing on a spot in the sidewalk, staring at something no one else could see. Pausing as well, Mio closed the gap to her friend, and, seeing the closed look on Nami's face, instantly began to panic.
"Nami-chan, did I say something wrong?" Mio asked, putting a hand to her friend's arm, a frown on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume… I-uh… Are you mad at me?"
"No," Nami denied sharply, although she did not seem angry. "No, of course not. I'm just…" Again, a fresh layer of emotional distance appeared on Nami's face. Despite the tension, Mio vaguely felt like smiling; for all her infamous acting skills, Nami was strangely inept at hiding negative feelings. Her troubled spirit showed freely on her face, in the knots and creases between her eyes, and the muscles supporting her frown…
"Do you remember Tsukimori saying something about a Ruriko?" Nami asked suddenly, eyes meeting Mio's. "In Aozu, the night he and Makoto fought?"
"Vaguely, yeah," Mio answered slowly, wondering where this was leading. "But Tsukimori-kun never said what relationship she and Takishima-san had-"
"I asked him – Makoto, I mean," Nami revealed, expression and tone of deliberate nonchalance as she continued to walk forward in carefully measured steps. "She was his last girlfriend… or something. Turns out she and Makoto had this… fling one summer. Apparently, Okinawa and bikinis can change a kid's life." She paused, flicking something imaginary on the tip of her nose – a habit she lapsed into when she was nervous. "They have a kid. His name's Reiji. He's turning five this April."
"Unh… huh?" Mio could only blubber as she analyzed the full meaning of Nami's statement, at the same time trying to catch up with her friends' quickening footsteps. "Takishima-san… what?" A succession of blinks followed as she counted in her head, reason slowly kicking in. "But if his son's five years old that would mean…"
"He got Ruriko pregnant when he was fresh out of high school," Nami supplied casually, although her voice cracked slightly when she said the woman's name. Clearing her throat, she explained, "He went to Okinawa straight out of high school for some "soul searching". Wondered which path to choose: the traditional profit-driven one or music. I've told you about this. The entire clan expecting him to help out in the family business and all…"
Nami was blabbering, but Mio hardly noticed. All the later was aware of was that Nami really was a pathetic liar when it came to thinks that mattered, and despite her efforts at downplaying the effect of this discovery on her, it was obvious she was very much shaken by it.
"So yeah," Nami plowed on, barely pausing to breathe now. "Since he's come home to Japan, he and Reiji meet much more often these days. He visits him in Okinawa each chance he gets, or sometimes Reiji comes to Tokyo. He asked me if I wanted to meet him – do you think I should go?" Nami asked abruptly, a desperate gleam in her eyes as she ceased walking again.
"Nami-chan…" Mio was at a loss for words. "I… Um…"
Her friend sighed heavily, putting a hand up to rearrange her perfectly brushed hair. Rubbing her forehead, looking suddenly tired and much older, Nami whispered, "Sorry, Mio-chan, I just feel so… lost…"
With Nami overcome by a rush of turbulent emotions, and Mio rushing forward with the sole goal of comforting her friend, neither of them noticed a pair of emerald green eyes that watched them from a counter by the window, expression hidden behind dark sunglasses and a restaurant menu. As the two women turned to leave, one's arms around the other as she valiantly tried to fake a laugh, Sawasaki Erisu frowned into her cup of frozen yogurt.
What was that about?
"Are you alone, Miss?" a deep, smooth voice suddenly whispered disturbingly close to her left ear. Shocked beyond words, Erisu jumped about a foot in the air, upsetting her dessert, and spilling yogurt on her disguise. Cursing inwardly and biting her lip, she resisted the urge to swat at her damp clothes, focusing all her energy on glaring at a smug Yunoki Azuma.
"Don't do that!" she hissed venomously at the man who sat on the stool beside her without asking for permission. "Can you not sneak up on people? It's rather rude, you know? I'd expected better from you."
"Emotional blackmail already?" was all Yunoki said as he raised a lazy hand to summon a passing waitress, who was in flight stewardess garb. "And we haven't even started negotiating yet…"
There was silence between the two as Yunoki cheerfully placed his order for a cup of regular blueberry froyo, and Erisu glared at a random spot on the downtown intersection in front of her. She was seething with a combination of anger and confusion; he was biding his time, smiling faintly at nothing in particular as though remembering a pleasant thought.
Then the explosion-
"You wanted to talk?" Erisu grumbled as she helped herself to more yogurt. "What's so important that we can't discuss it over the phone? I don't imagine you fancy yourself involved in Tsukimori's private affairs-"
"Back to Tsukimori it is then-?"
"Don't change the subject," Erisu countered, too hell-bent on getting answers to be sidetracked by a mere side-taunt. "We both know this encounter is an absurdity, so to put some meaning into this madness, would you mind explaining what we're doing here?"
Yunoki vaguely entertained the idea of reminding Erisu that it was her idea to meet up in this frozen yogurt shop. He had merely requested that they meet somewhere; he hadn't specified a particular rendezvous point – particularly a restaurant exclusively for cosplayers - and she had saved him the effort of deliberating. Nevertheless, as he sneaked a lot at her petulant face, a frown on her lips as she stabbed her near-empty cup of yogurt, he resisted the temptation of irritating her further.
Getting on her bad side would not be good for the plan.
"So…" he began, throwing the statement so casually he seemed to be commenting on the weather. "You and Tsukimori broke up."
"Hmfph," Erisu acknowledged gracelessly. "Frankly, I'm surprised the papers haven't got wind of it yet. Does this mean the paparazzi in Japan are completely useless, or are we just genuinely disinterested in the lives of other people?"
"Normally, I would say the former, but that wouldn't bode too well on our future collaboration."
Erisu raised a perfect eyebrow in question. She seemed to be mulling over something in her mind, refining her assumptions before voicing them.
"Let me get this straight," she intoned, finally. "You need me to cooperate with you regarding a plan that will involve the Japanese press?"
"To say the least, yes," Yunoki replied distractedly, smiling at the waitress who had come to deliver his order. "They're certainly essential to the scheme, but there's a bigger objective behind using them…"
He mashed his frozen yogurt, deliberately keeping his companion on the cliff of anticipation.
"I need to break up with my fiancée," he stated flatly, spooning a large chunk of yogurt into his mouth. Erisu could only stare, lips poised half-open with fingers frozen in a death grip on her spoon.
"But…" she began, brain functions slowly returning to normal. "But you're getting married. You're happy. I mean… you certainly look happy-"
"I am, yes," Yunoki acknowledged. "But it is a happiness of sorts. I'm not happy because I have what – or shall I say, who – I want; I'm happy because I have to compromise." Turning a sharp eye at Erisu, he added, "I have to be happy. Surely you understand?"
The mask of rage that suddenly appeared on her face took Yunoki by surprise.
"So you're going for Hino Kahoko now, are you?" she half-accused, half-assumed, fully convinced. "Don't look at me like that – I know you had a thing for her back in high school, I see the way you look at her, for crying out loud! And if that is what you're planning then, no; I refuse to participate in your mad scheme. I did not let go of that sorry excuse of a man to have you carting off his target-!"
"Waaait, hold up," Yunoki interrupted her tirade with his spoon in the air, and a bemused expression in his eyes. "What on Earth are you ranting about? I do not have a hidden desire for Hino Kahoko; whatever gave you the idea?"
"You… look at her," Erisu blubbered. "You really look at her with that creepy stare of yours. And… and- you hover around her all the time, watching over her, practically to the point of servitude-"
"The day I serve someone will be the day hell freezes over," Yunoki stated firmly, killing of all arguments. "I watch over Hino Kahoko because she makes an interesting distraction for boredom. You do realize she's prone to leaving a trail of destruction wherever she walks?"
"But you liked her," Erisu rebutted. "I can see it, and my research shows you were all over her in high school-"
"I don't even want to know who your sources are," Yunoki informed her dryly, putting two fingers to his temple to ease the building pain there. "And I don't even know how you formulated your own conclusions. Women have the tendency to believe men are infatuated with their worst rivals. In truth, it is just the curse of a hyperactive imagination kicking in."
"Will you stop talking in circles?" Erisu demanded, slapping a hand on her knee in frustration. "I have no patience for these childish games of yours – what is it you're really going for?"
"I want to break up with my fiancée," Yunoki repeated patiently. "I've told you, still you insist that I want to break up with Rumi to get together with Hino Kahoko, which, I'm telling you right now, is the most absurd idea I've heard in a while. And I'm friends with Hihara-"
"You really don't like her?" Erisu asked, clearly doubting Yunoki's words.
"I don't think of her that way," Yunoki clarified. "When I began dating my first girlfriend, I realized how foolish I was for thinking Hino Kahoko was the center of my world. There are other women, far more beautiful and far more fascinating than her – not that she's not charming, of course. It's simply a case of me realizing she's… not my type."
Erisu was still frowning.
"But you liked her, right?" she repeated one more time. "That's a fact, for sure…"
All self-control lost, Yunoki clamped his eyes shut to prevent himself from glaring at his companion. In the few minutes they had spoken to each other – their first significant exchange after knowing each other in passing for months – she had not only managed to irritate him, but she had also gotten the unruffled Yunoki Azuma talking. It was a fairly disturbing thought, how she had wangled all that information out of him effortlessly. Whether her actions were deliberate or not, Sawasaki Erisu had successfully convinced Yunoki that she was a scary person indeed.
"…can't believe you don't like her. I was so sure-"
Yunoki opened his eyes; he hadn't realized he still had them shut in consternation.
"You finally believe me, then?" he inquired first, trying to find some explanation for the girl's sudden paradigm shift.
"Well, if you're lying, I could always have you assassinated," Erisu joked dryly, chuckling as she emptied her yogurt cup. "Not to mention, your plan intrigues me… Why are we talking to each other again?"
Yunoki sighed. She really was too much.
"I need a scapegoat, an excuse for breaking up with Rumi," he explained, unhappily turning his blueberry froyo to mush. "I assumed that since you need a rebound guy, and I need a believable third party, if we cooperate, we may both get what we want."
"What makes you think you know what I want? In the first place, why would I want a rebound guy like you-?"
"If not a rebound guy, then a distraction, at least," Yunoki said, looking up to meet her tinted gaze. "Surely you don't intend to tell me you're happy the way you are now?"
She did not reply. Breaking the connection, Erisu turned to the window again, although Yunoki thought she looked strangely blank. There was no slump in her shoulders, no tension emanating from her – and that made him wonder if she was actually considering the situation. She seemed to be taking her time, and he, for lack of anything else to do, simply watched her silent deliberation, the cup of yogurt before him completely unfrozen.
"So you're planning to use me to get rid of your girlfriend, huh?" Erisu suddenly said, grinning wryly. "That's pretty sick."
"It's better for her to get hurt now than for her to get hurt after we're married," Yunoki supplied dully, giving the frozen yogurt once last try. "If she finds out I married her only because she was my grandmother's choice…"
"I bet she wouldn't be too surprised," Erisu predicted confidently. Still, she smirked at him and said, "Funny though. I never thought you were the type to marry for love."
"I don't play with nice girls," Yunoki replied in an eerily low voice, eyes oddly glassy. "Contrary to urban myth, I actually don't enjoy breaking girls' hearts-"
"Suppose I agree to be your accomplice," Erisu plowed on, as though she hadn't heard him. "What are we going to do? Just… go on dates? Have the paparrazi see us? And then have Fujioka hear the gossip?"
"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Yunoki replied, smiling faintly as he realized the sheer amount of clichés he was resorting to in order to converse with this woman. "Another thing this agreement would require is for you to trust me-"
"If we're going to do this, I'm going to have to make it clear that you won't be running the ropes – not alone at least," Erisu interrupted for the umpteenth time, ignoring the annoyance that was now raging in Yunoki's normally passive eyes. "I'll be in this just as much as you are. I'll get to call as many shots as you do."
"I certainly didn't think you'd be this cooperative," Yunoki all but hissed in reply.
"Don't think I'm doing this for you," Erisu informed him, putting a hand up to her neck as though conversing with him exhausted her. "This is for Fujioka. For all your presumptuous idiocy, one thing you've said is true. It's better for her to get hurt now rather than for her to figure out someday that the man she's married doesn't love her at all."
Presumptuous idiocy?
"What do you think, then," Yunoki began, closing his eyes once more to prevent himself from seeing her face, "of my plan to visit Banzai tonight?" [2]
Erisu looked pensive as she considered the idea.
"It's a bit dangerous though, don't you think?" she commented suddenly, in that abrupt way of hers. "I've just realized… Parading so blatantly for the paparazzi to see… We're not exactly hard to miss, and she's no publicity lightweight either. People are bound to notice almost instantly, disinterested or not-"
"It's a win-win situation," Yunoki argued. "If I cheat, she gets the right to break up with me first, as it will look like I'm the one at fault. Besides, if we get the news up in time for Shattered Symphony's release, people will be curious about her, and they'll want to watch the movie that conveniently echoes the tragedy of her love life-"
"They'll be watching out of pity-"
"In the end, they're still ticket sales," Yunoki pointed out. When Erisu still looked unconvinced, he sighed and said, "Listen. Rumi is 'nice', but she's no damsel-in-distress. She can look after herself."
But there was something strange in her expression as she looked at him. Although he couldn't see her eyes behind her sunglasses, Yunoki fancied there was respect shining in them, evident as she began to see him in a new light. All imagery, however, disappeared from his mind as she smoothly swooped back to business.
"Fine," she accepted with the slightest hint of derision. "We'll stick with the plan, and have ourselves seen in public tonight. But not Banzai – too many people. The paparazzi will thinking we're pushing this up their noses, and they'll know we're faking it. How about a quiet dinner at Vernum Autumnalis? [2] You could reserve a table in a quiet corner, and we could come in separately."
"We won't be as conspicuous, then-"
Yunoki froze mid-sentence as he realized the logic behind the plan. As Erisu had said, they weren't exactly hard to miss, even in disguise. If they didn't order food, but instead ordered the finest wine in the house, the staff was bound to talk. And given Vernum Autumnalis was one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city…
He had to admit, the plan had the makings of a perfect scandal.
Despite himself, Yunoki felt slightly amazed by Erisu's natural talent for sowing disaster. Rather than having this realization appear on his features, however, he chose to fake apathy instead.
"All right, we follow that plan," Yunoki agreed, voice wavering slightly as he said that. "I'll be there at eight. Be careful to arrive an hour later."
"Mmm-hmmm," Erisu nodded obediently, obviously enjoying yourself. "We separate then?"
"Yes," Yunoki acknowledged, rising to his feet. Before he could adjust himself to full height, however, he paused, and, with a faintly confused expression, frowned at Erisu's outfit. "What are you supposed to be?"
She looked down at her disguise: white wig flowing down the length of her back, black shihakushou obviously two sizes bigger than her, a distinctive white haori with the number 13 on its back. "Ukitake Jyuushirou from Bleach - only cooler," she answered seriously, raising her sunglasses for emphasis. [3] "I wanted to be someone else, but I couldn't pull off his height." She frowned up at him, as though trying to place his disguise. "And you are…?"
"Some character from Meitantei Conan," Yunoki replied offhandedly, straightening his customized white tuxedo, complete with a matching top hat and a monocle. [4] "My sister lent me this costume. Apparently, everything she learned about fashion in France culminated in the creation of this outfit."
"But you didn't have to cut your hair for it," Erisu noted, eyeing the short wisps of hair that looked so perfectly windswept she was willing to bet Yunoki's sister messed with them, too. "You look strange."
"I thank you for that unsolicited assessment," Yunoki replied icily - though for all his devil-may-care bravado, his hand still twitched towards his hair, as though to make sure it was short. "Nevertheless, I'm convinced it suits me well enough. I was tired of having long hair anyway."
With a small bow, he turned to leave, ignoring the amused look Erisu was sending his way. Even with his brisk steps, however, he couldn't ignore one more comment his companion had to offer.
"And here I thought you were just trying to impress me."
She sounded close to laughing.
XXX
"Kaho-senpai!" a cheerful voice called out from a point towards her far left, chasing her thoughts back down to earth and causing her to jump a few inches in the air due to shock. With slightly unfocused eyes, Hino Kahoko scanned the crowded restaurant for a sign of who had spoken, her gaze finally settling on a couple seated on a table near the restaurant window.
She had kept Shimizu and Shouko waiting.
"I'm sooo sorry," Kahoko apologized, putting her palms up in a gesture that sought forgiveness. "The interview lasted forever! I didn't even notice the time – don't you guys have to get going?"
"No, no," Fuuyumi Shouko pacified her friend, dragging Kahoko into the seat between her and Shimizu. "We've still got a couple of hours before the flight. Besides, the airport's not too far from here and the traffic's not that bad… The highways have really improved since the last time we've been here-"
Despite her efforts to remain glued to the conversation, Kahoko felt her mind drifting away, to a scene in a lavish hotel room that took place just a few minutes prior to the present. She was still reeling over the decision she had made, thinking of its possible consequences, fighting a strange shiver of foreboding that was creeping up her arms and giving her chills…
"Where did you come from, Kaho-senpai?" Shimizu Keiichi asked suddenly, reeling Kahoko in from her daydream. "If you don't mind my asking…"
Kahoko stared at him, eyes glassy and unseeing. Then, with a deep sigh, she cupped her face in her hands and admitted dully, "You guys might as well know. I… accepted a job as a party planner for Len's grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary."
A pause. Shimizu and Shouko gaped at her, mercifully with closed mouths. It was Shouko who broke the silence first.
"Oh! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together, and positively glowing. Turning to her fiancé, who still looked slightly disoriented, she added, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to reach our 50th wedding anniversary, Kei?"
"Uh…" Shimizu began, taking his gaze off Shouko and proceeding to stare openly at their friend. "Yeah, I suppose it… would… be…?"
Shouko seemed unperturbed; perhaps Shimizu had always been slow on the uptake.
"Since when have you been into events organizing, Kaho-senpai?" she asked, all cheerful.
"Actually, just today," Kahoko answered as she helped herself to a glass of water, looking utterly defeated. "It's a very surprise event, you see. I shouldn't even be telling you this given I've signed a confidentiality agreement."
"And are you fine with that?" Shimizu inquired out of the blue, unrelenting. "Working so close to Tsukimori-senpai?"
Kahoko frowned. She had been asking herself the same question, arriving at no clear answer.
"I'll just have to bear it, won't I?" she answered, resting her chin on her palm, not meeting Shimizu's seeking gaze. "Just because things are over between the two of us doesn't mean I can't see his family…"
Silence once again. Shimizu continued interpreting Kahoko's expression as the latter pretended to be looking away. Shouko, meanwhile, seemed to be fidgeting with the hem of her blouse.
"I'll go… update our order," she mumbled, smiling faintly as she looked at the older woman. "Kaho-senpai, is there something you'd like?"
"No, Shouko, don't bother-"
"Silly," Shouko berated good-naturedly. Exchanging a quick glance with her fiancé, she added, "We want to thank you for the hospitality you showed us during our stay here. At least let us buy you dinner."
"We've given you more problems in the past few months than you've had during all your time abroad," Kahoko joked, although her shoulders relaxed visibly. "But if you insist, then I'll have the-"
"Their lobster thermidor is really good-"
Kahoko paused, eyebrows furrowing. "Why is there lobster thermidor in an Italian restaurant?"
"Excuse me, then."
To Kahoko's extreme surprise, Shouko stood up and began walking towards the counter, where several staff members watched her approach. Shouko, who had always been bad at lying, seemed to be in a rush to get something done – how many hours were left until their departure? Still trying to make sense of what had just happened, she barely heard Shimizu's faint voice practically whispering across the table.
"So this is another temporary goodbye?"
Despite the whirlwind of conflicting emotions she had experienced in the past hour, Kahoko found her face relaxing into an easy, genuine smile. "Yes, I suppose so. You will keep in touch, won't you?"
"Of course," Shimizu promised earnestly, never once breaking eye contact. "Maybe you can even visit us for a short vacation."
"I'd like that," Kahoko answered, smiling. "Promise you'll take care of Shouko-chan?"
Shimizu smiled. "You know my answer to that."
Kahoko lowered her gaze to the glass in front of her – she could see the ceiling reflected on the water's surface, ripples distorting the image as she touched the tip with one finger. A prickling sensation crept up her neck as she felt a steely gaze boring into the top of her head, wanting to read into the depths of her mind. As she trained her gaze even lower, Kahoko felt rather than heard the barrage of questions playing inside Shimizu's head, each competing with the others for precedence in being voiced aloud.
Surprising even herself, Kahoko spoke first.
"What is it, Shimizu-kun?" she asked in a low voice, fingers clutching the glass for support. "If you want to say something," she paused, biting her lip, "you might as well get it over with."
Tempting the fates, she looked up and met the young man's gaze, which had never left her. He seemed neither angry nor depressed, but merely thoughtful, frowning as though he was trying to remembering something that was proving to be elusive.
"I'm not sure if you've ever thought about this, Kaho-senpai…" he began, words gushing out fluidly, "but I don't think you're being too honest with yourself."
Kahoko flushed, her hold on the glass tightening as she realized the point Shimizu was trying to make. "Shimizu-kun, if you're trying to get me and Len back together, you're wasting your time-"
"I'm not," Shimizu replied instantly, unperturbed. "Not really," he added, frowning slightly as he half-retracted his statement. "In fact, I'm not sure I think you and Tsukimori-senpai belong with each other, the way he keeps running after you even when you keep rejecting his efforts without even considering them-"
"Whaaat?" Kahoko asked, incredulous. "What efforts are you talking about? There's nothing going on between the two of us-!"
"Only because you refuse to acknowledge it," Shimizu bluntly stated, causing Kahoko to stiffen and sit bolt upright. "He may have changed in many ways, but deep inside, he's still the same Tsukimori Len who took an entire year to figure out he loved you."
He considered Kahoko - assessing a memory, an abstract idea, not the woman who was sitting in front of him, responding to his calm gaze with a glare of murderous intent.
"But even if he's a bit dense," he continued, fingers tapping their table leisurely, "when he does figure out what he wants, he goes all out to get it. Unlike you…" he said slowly, gauging the changes in his friend's expression – from shock, to embarrassment, to sadness, and finally to irritation.
"If I didn't know you Kaho-senpai, I'd say you were thick, that you don't understand Tsukimori-senpai's wishes at all," Shimizu continued relentlessly. "The thing is - unlike Sawasaki-san and Tsukimori-senpai, hell, even Nami-senpai – I do know you, and I believe I know the way you think… you understand exactly what he wants, only you're too scared to respond."
Taking Kahoko's flustered silence as a sign that he should continue, Shimizu leaned back on his chair in preparation for the conclusion of his speech. Although he had been trying to give off the impression that the lecture was a spur-of-the-moment realization, he had been practicing for several days now…
"I don't ask that you reciprocate his feelings," Shimizu whispered, eyes finally lowered as he softened his tone. "I don't even presume to understand what your feelings towards him are. But if you care for him – if you care for yourself – I only ask that you stop running around in circles and face him head on. He deserves a little honesty; an explanation, at least. The Kaho-senpai I used to know wouldn't offer him anything less than the truth…"
As she lapsed into a dull silence, fingers clasped together with her head bent too low for Shimizu to read the expression in her eyes, he caught the worried expression on Shouko's face, observing the scene from her spot by the counter. Trying to assure her as unobtrusively as he could, Shimizu merely smiled, trying to say everything had gone according to plan; he had said everything that needed to be said.
Only Kahoko's reaction remained to be seen.
After a few minutes of silence that seemed to drag on forever, Kahoko looked up, looking slightly shaken but otherwise composed. He noticed her eyes were dry, although her fingers seemed to shake slightly as she reached for her glass. As she took a sip from it, dribbling water down her front in her haste, Shouko began to walk towards the table, face a mask of worry.
"Sorry I took so long," she explained, settling into her seat, and avoiding Shimizu's eyes for fear of losing her act. "There was a problem in the kitchens… Turns out they don't serve lobster thermidor in this restaurant. Silly me, I must have taken it for some other place, haha!"
Silence, for the nth time that evening.
The laughter seemed so fake that even Shouko grimaced. Looking desperately at Shimizu, who only smiled back as he reached for her hand under the table, she tried not to look into Kahoko's eyes…
Not that the latter was bound to notice.
"Thank you, Shimizu-kun, Shouko-chan," Kahoko broke the awkward moment with a low voice, smiling faintly to herself. "For… caring enough to tell me this. No one's ever been this honest with me before, not even Nami. I guess the years do change us, eh?"
She chuckled quietly before sobering again, eyes still on the table. "But you're right. Maybe I have been unfair to Len. Perhaps he owes more than confusing excuses from me."
She sighed. The fingers clutching Shouko's tensed.
"But… maybe in this situation… things are better left unsaid."
She looked up at them – Shouko first, then Shimizu. The former was still looking at no particular spot on the table; the latter was meeting her gaze with an expression akin to regret. It was the look of someone who felt he could change things. It was also the look of someone who knew his efforts had been in vain.
Kahoko forced a smile. Things were getting too complicated for comfort. Shimizu, curse him, had become even more sensitive than he used to be. And Shouko – she had gotten to understand her too much as well…
She settled for cheerfulness.
"Did you get me some pesto then?"
A/N:
Another twist! (I'm not talking about Yunoki's hair.) I'm sorry if the last bit's rushed; it was. Despite this obvious output downturn, I must admit I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter. It just needs a little tweaking – a boon of inspiration when my muse comes calling, actually.
I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed this story! Thanks so much! I didn't think you'd like this crazy soap opera-ish fic, but I guess you somehow do! Thanks so much! Especially to the following people whose invaluable suggestions I've put into the actual fic: IcHiGo KyArA who suggested the Kahoko's-body-getting-weak as written in Chapter Eight, fanfatic08 whose Tsukimori-should-play-something-for-Kahoko suggestion will sorta be featured in Chapter Ten, and to season's call, fanfatic08, and chamae who gave their insight regarding Kahoko's, Erisu's and Tsukimori's feelings about Le Breakup. Thanks everyone! ::D
PS. Four chapters left + an epilogue. ::D
PS again. Reading too many journal articles for class has completely sapped me of romantic ideas for this story. For suggestions, violent reactions, and possible additions to the OH-SO-FLEXIBLE plot please PM me or leave a review. Thanks very much! ::D
PS last. Honestly, is this getting too complicated? I have ideas on how to tie the knots and kill the story in due time, but do you think it's getting too out of hand, esp. with this last chap?
This chapter is dedicated to pichieriuzen, without whom this chapter would not have been finished.
Revenge of the Footnotes:
[1] Walzer Aus Dornroschen – Waltz from Sleeping Beauty Op. 66 by Peter Iljitsch Tchaikovsky
[2] Tsukimori Shun. When in doubt, invent. Let it be noted, however, that he does exist in canon.
[3] Ishida Cultural Center; Chocolat; Banzai; Vernum Autumnalis – all figments of my imagination
[4] Ukitake-taichou, the midget, and Bleach belong to Kubo Tite. No copyright infringement intended, and all that shiz. I'm only mentioning it here because I've been reading a lot of Hitsugaya fanfics lately. (For Toushirou fans, check out windlily's Treading Icy Waters and Instant Coffee if you haven't yet.)
[5] Kaitou Kid and Meitantei Conan belong to Gosho Aoyoma.
[6] Lobster Thermidor. Does this thing even exist in real life? Taken from Sims2 of EA Games.