Hello, my dear readers :-)
Chapter 10 is finally finished :-)
To Mac:
Of course, I don't want to kill you :D I seriously wanted to reach the Christmas in this chapter but it would take me at least one more week to write it so I decided to present you with the 10th chapter earlier. But don't worry, the next chapter WILL BE only about Christmas.
One little secret: While thinking about your review I got an idea how I'm going to close up the Christmas day so THANK YOU :-) You inspired me. :D
I will try to write something about Tsukasa and Tsukushi but they will surely attend Soujirou's and Yuki's wedding which I intend to write about. :-)
To Di:
Sorry, I didn't update earlier. :-) I know very well the feeling of waiting for next chapter :-)
Well, there's going to be more Yuki and Soujirou now that they are back in Tokyo :D
Thanks for your praise :-) I still need to adjust the ending of 'Catch me if you can' though. Because I wrote it before this story, it's not exactly accurate. :-)
To MatsuJunLover:
Where are you? :-( I miss your reviews…
Chapter 10
. - wedding dress - front
.- wedding dress - back
. - traditional wedding outfit
. - traditional wedding dress
.
.
Sasha let fall all the bags she was carrying in the hallway of her flat. It was a long and exhausting Friday. But this time it wasn't just because of the work but also due to her shopping spree with Yuki and her friend Tsukushi in the afternoon.
Yuki called her in the morning and they agreed to meet at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Ginza at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Sasha arrived a bit later as she had to finish some urgent report and Yuki was already waiting for her…
"I'm sorry, I'm late." She apologized to Yuki who was standing patiently in front of the entrance of the Department Store.
"It's ok, it's just five minutes, no problem." Yuki smiled at Sasha. "I called my friend Tsukushi yesterday so we must wait for her as well."
Sasha smiled, surprised. "Oh, really? Then I'm glad I'm not the only one who is late." She was also curious about this friend of Yuki as she mentioned her in Sapporo. 'I hope she's as good as Yuki told me.'
Yuki was itching to ask Sasha about Akira but before she could voice up her question she saw a small figure approaching in a great speed.
"Hi, Yuki, am I too late?" Tsukushi said while trying to catch her breath.
"No, it's ok, I kind of expected you to be late." Yuki replied calmly.
Tsukushi frowned. "I wouldn't be if I didn't have to persuade my stupid husband that I want to ride the underground for once. I'm getting tired from all the riding in limousines." Sasha and Yuki laughed. 'Tsukushi is the only one who would be tired of something like this.' Yuki thought.
Tsukushi finally calmed down her breath and beating heart and looked curiously at Sasha.
"Tsukushi, this is my friend from Sapporo, Sasha. Sasha, this is my best friend Tsukushi." Both girls smiled and nodded towards each other.
"Nice to meet you, Tsukushi."
"Nice to meet you, Sasha."
Yuki laughed and led both girls inside the store.
"So, what are we going to look for, Yuki?" Tsukushi asked.
"Well, because my fiancé is equally stupid as your husband, I need to buy myself a wedding dress and everything needed to it because HE decided that we are getting married in just three weeks." Yuki sighed.
Tsukushi smirked. "Don't complain, Yuki. I didn't even have three hours."
Sasha just listened in awe. Although she didn't know both men she clearly understood three weeks is definitely not enough time to prepare a wedding. 'But less than three hours?' She thought.
"Ah, you're right, sorry." Yuki smiled apologetically at Tsukushi and seeing Sasha's confused look, she explained the events that led to Tsukushi's wedding. In fact, they spent next three hours telling her about Tsukasa and F4 while Yuuki tried on an endless line of wedding dresses. They weren't going around just Mitsukoshi's department but also other big Stores with exclusive boutiques full of wedding dresses, veils, gloves, tiaras and so on. Sasha's head soon started spinning from all the information and zeros she saw on each dress or accessory. All girls were enjoying this crazy hunt for everything connected with wedding and to relieve the stress from endless trying on and off all the stuff, they also bought a great number of Christmas gifts.
For one of them, Sasha needed to go to a shop which specialized on making Japanese hanging scrolls. She persuaded the girls to visit it and while Yuki and Tsukushi were looking around the displayed fabrics, Sasha asked the shop-assistant for an advice. Hearing her request, the lady brought the owner of the shop, a man who seemed to be over seventy, and Sasha explained her vision to him. He seemed to be really surprised that a foreigner is asking for something like that but he gladly agreed and they settled a meeting on the next day even though it was Saturday.
When they left, Yuki and Tsukushi asked her why she needed to go there and what kind of gift and for whom is she preparing but Sasha just smiled and said it's top secret.
Soon after that they ended their shopping in a coffee shop relaxing their tired legs and enjoying espresso with little evening snacks.
"I'm so glad that I'm sitting, I don't feel my legs anymore." Tsukushi sighed. Yuki and Sasha just laughed.
"Don't worry, Tsukushi, we are all on the same boat." Tsukushi smiled at Sasha. She found her very friendly and nice but she was still a bit cautious. 'It seems like Doumyouji's precaution rubbed on me more than I've thought,' went though her mind.
"But thanks God we found everything we wanted and that they will adjust the dress in time. I was getting really depressed after the first two hours." Yuki added her own complain. They all laughed again and continue eating and drinking.
They chatted for some more time when Tsukushi's phone rang. It was Tsukasa. Tsukushi just rolled her eyes and picked up.
"Yes?" She listened to the voice on the other side and her face clouded. "Alright, I'll be right back." She paused for a second listening to the voice of her husband. "Ok, I'll wait for the car but hurry." She urged him.
She sighed and hung up. She turned back to the girls, her face still full of concern and worries.
"What did Tsukasa say?" Yuki asked.
"Hiroshi is not feeling well so I need to return home immediately." Both Yuki and Sasha nodded. Tsukushi earlier showed Sasha a photo of her little boy who was just adorable in his baby blue playsuit, laughing from ear to ear.
"I hope it's nothing serious." Both girls were honestly worried and that strangely helped Tsukushi to calm down a bit.
"It's probably just a minor cold but still, I want to be with him." Tsukushi's mother's instinct was coming up and she was impatiently waiting for the car. When she finally left, Yuki and Sasha both headed home.
Sasha sighed as she entered her living room. I hope Tsukushi's son will be ok. She thought. She stopped when she almost set her foot on paintbrush she left on the floor the evening before. She realized that her living room is quite messy thanks to her preparing gifts for Akira.
I need to clean up a bit. She left her handbag on the floor next to the couch and picked up the brush and black and red ink. Then she bent down for Akira's shirt fixed in a wooden frame. The paint on it was already dry and Sasha checked her finished work with critical eyes. It's not perfect but it looks good. She complimented herself. Now she just needed to make sure the painting won't disappear after first washing. She carefully took the shirt from the frame and still unfolded, she placed it on a sofa.
She went back for the bags with presents for her family and friends back in her country and dropped them next to her handbag. She really didn't have the energy to pack them at that moment so she sat down on the couch next to the shirt and closed eyes leaving out a big sigh. She relaxed her body for several minutes before standing up again. She needed to prepare everything for her meeting with the owner of the shop which she settled for 9 o'clock in the morning. Sasha knew herself more than enough to know she won't be able to get up sooner and prepare in the morning. A smile spread across her face. She was really looking forward to Saturday. The owner also promised to show her how they make typical Japanese scrolls. I wonder if Akira will like his gifts. Her smiled was replaced with nervousness. Although she was enthusiastic about her idea, now she started to doubt. Well, it's already too late to regret. So I'd better wish for him to like it.
oOo
Next day, precisely at 9 o'clock, Sasha opened the door of the shop. The old man was already waiting for her. She smiled and walked to him.
"Good morning." She greeted him with a slight bow and he returned her smile.
"Yes, good morning." He paused. "So can you show me your idea?" He asked and Sasha nodded. She took out a piece of paper with a drawing.
"Hm… this looks rather interesting. I think I might have the right fabrics for you. Please, follow me." He turned and went to the back of the shop with Sasha closely behind him. She was more than pleased to hear that he likes her creation.
She helped him to look for the fabrics, some of them were placed pretty high, and they were soon engrossed in comparing different types of cloths, matching them together in terms of colours and type of fabric.
When Sasha looked at her watch, it was already noon. Oh, the time surely flies. She thought. But given the fact that now she had everything she needed, the time was used fully.
The old man also advised her where she can have her creation printed on the chosen fabric and they agreed on the date when Sasha will bring him the finished work so he can make it into a modified hanging scroll.
Sasha thanked him several times and then left the shop in high spirit. Great, another hurdle cleared. She thought and smiled.
oOo
Next week, on Wednesday evening, Soujirou knocked on the door of Akira's office.
"Come in." Soujirou opened the door and smiled at the sight of his hardworking friend.
"Hi." Akira lifted his head and returned the smile.
"Hi,Soujirou, you're already here? I thought we're supposed to meet at 8 o'clock." Akira checked his watch. It was already past eight. He looked apologetically at his friend.
"Sorry."
Soujirou just waved it off. "It's ok. I see you're pretty busy before Christmas." He didn't wait for his friend's suggestion and sat down comfortably in a chair in front of Akira's table.
"I'll just finish this and we can go, okay?" Akira asked and Soujirou nodded. It gave him a time to organize his thoughts. He asked Yuki about Sasha but she wasn't much of a help as she could just provide him with basic information. Soujirou didn't want to investigate her on his own so he rather decided to ask Akira directly about his new friend. Well, if she was just a friend I wouldn't mind… He thought.
Akira sighed and closed the thick pack of reports. It's the end for today. He smiled at Soujirou who seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
"You seem to have quite a lot on your mind, Soujirou. Is everything ok with you, Yuki and the wedding?" Akira was really concerned about his friend.
Soujirou woke up from his deep thoughts and smiled at Akira.
"Yes, everything's alright. I was just thinking about my talk with parents today." Soujirou decided to not start the talk about Sasha right away.
"Really? Are they against the wedding?" Akira was sincerely worried.
"No, no, they met Yuki last week and everything went well. It's just that they would like to have a traditional wedding in spring and I don't want to wait that long." Akira nodded as he understood his friend's intention well.
"In the end, we agreed on two weddings, one in a western style in three weeks and another one in Japanese style on a suitable day in spring." Soujirou sighed. "Now I just need to tell the news to Yuki."
Akira laughed. "And what are you afraid of? If she's ready to marry you once, she will agree on marrying you twice. Also, what woman wouldn't want to have two weddings?" Soujirou smirked at Akira's remark.
"Yeah, I suppose so. But still, don't you find it a bit scary? Thinking back, who would have thought that one day I would want to marry Yuki? And pretty desperately, on top of that." Akira laughed at Soujirou's facial expression.
"Yeah, it is hard to believe. Not just the fact you're getting married but also that you say it so proudly aloud." Akira commented.
"Well, let's stop talking about me, what about you? Any plans of settling down?" Soujirou changed the course of their conversation to Akira and was waiting for his friend's answer.
Akira was struck by this sudden question. "No, not yet… W-Why do you ask?" He was worriedly expecting Soujirou's answer.
"You don't need to be so nervous, it was just a thought. You seem to be different from our old times, you work more and spend less time in bars." Soujirou tested the waters, noticing Akira's flustered reaction.
Akira secretly sighed in relief. So it was just a normal question. For a second he thought that Soujirou was implying something more. "I guess I just got tired of our old life style."
"Hmm…" Soujirou just nodded. He didn't miss any of Akira's expressions.
"Akira, there's actually one thing I wanted to ask. How well do you know your new friend Sasha? I'd like to have some more information about her because of Yuki."
Akira whose heart stopped at the mention of Sasha's name, started to breath again after Soujirou's explanation.
"Well, what would you like to know? She's employed in one of ours building construction companies and is in charge of developing projects. As for her background, she's from Central Europe, her family which includes parents and one younger brother is from the middle class and they live in their home town in a three-room flat. And you could see what her personality is yourself last time we met."
Soujirou remained silent as he was absorbing all of the information Akira dashed off at him. The way his face beamed while talking about Sasha helped Soujirou to confirm his friend's feelings. So he really likes her a lot.
"But are you sure she's not after something more than just being your friend?" Soujirou finally asked what he wanted to know.
"H-How do you mean it?" Akira looked at Soujirou, confused by his question.
"I mean, if she's not after your money, for example." Soujirou paused for a second. "Look, I've never seen you having a female friend so I'm just worried about you. But if you tell me that you got her checked and she's alright, I'll gladly accept her not just as your friend but also as Yuki's." Akira whose blood was starting to boil calmed down hearing Soujirou's reasonable words. He smiled assuring at Soujirou.
"You don't have to worry. When I found out she's one of my employees I read her file. I also got to know her during these two months and trust me, she doesn't represent any threat."
Soujirou lifted his hands as a sign of giving up. "Alright, if you say so." He smiled. Ok, I'll trust Akira's judgement.
"You know what, let's leave this place. It's late and I'm really hungry. What about dinner?" Akira stood up and Soujirou followed him.
"Great idea. Shall I call Rui? I haven't seen him since I returned with Yuki, we could have an F4 meeting. It's been quite some time we spend evening together just the four of us." Soujirou suggested on their way to the elevator.
"Alright, I'll call Tsukasa. Let's hope Tsukushi will let him go." They laughed at the thought and made their calls.