Hi! Your reviews are great and ideas are now flowing inside of my head like it's a free pass. I'm a bit confused but I have to stick into one, hehe! ;) So I think I will have it my own way. I am so glad I am going to end this SA fanfic earning some reviews haha… I never thought that it would be like this but oh well I now know what is the feeling of having reviews from other people… and one word is the best in describing your feelings from it 'ecstatic'. So carry on now people! READ and REVIEW!
Disclaimer: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I still don't own SA!
CHAPTER 21
Flames And Embers
Hikari was awoken by the heat emitted by the warm rays of the sun… and the heat coming from her own body. Well, she's not sick but she felt so very warm especially in her face… and she can feel butterflies in her stomach flying round and round inside it, tickling her whole body which caused her to roll form here and there in her bed.
What is happening to her?
Well, you see she has started to remember what happened last night with their talk with Kei and it always makes her feel nervous and all giddy just by remembering it. After she was being comforted by Kei, she didn't manage to control herself to blurt out the words she has been longing to tell him ever since:
"Takishima… I love you."
She blushed even more and strangled her blanket which was covered around her. 'Why am I feeling like this?!' she mentally scolded herself. Seriously, she can't understand what is happening to her… it felt weird and at the same time familiar… just like before… just like the feeling when they first fell in love with each other. Is she coming back to it? Is she going to embrace this thought whole heartedly? She managed to say those words to him anyways so maybe she did or maybe…not.
She stopped moving and stared at the ceiling. She remembered how his hands travelled from up to down on her hair slowly caressing it that even despite her worn out state he managed to make her calm down. There's magic in his hands. He held her that night in his arms that almost seemed to say 'it's alright… I'm here now… you are safe with me'. In truth, she actually felt comfortable around him; she didn't know why one second they were fighting and now they are in good terms after some time. But it felt good though knowing that everything's okay.
That night went into blur for her since she almost slept on his arms. She couldn't even remember the words he said that night but one thing is for sure she did remember. She won't forget how his lips settled against her for a kiss. It wasn't a wild one but it is a warm one, just enough to satisfy each other's feelings that are silently creeping out from its cages. Just enough to tell each other that they love each other even after these consequences. No words have been said after that but Kei managed to tell her something before she could travel into the dream world:
"I will never leave you. I will always love you."
That's it! It triggered her again and started to go crazy on her bed rolling over and over again until she fell down on the floor. She grunted to the impact given by it and was startled by the voice which suddenly came out.
"Mom… what are you doing?"
Hikari stood up to see her son looking at her with puzzled look. He was on his way downstairs when he heard a thud coming from his mom's bedroom and ended up at the door looking oddly at his own mom. Oh…kay… he already thought that something might be wrong with his mom.
"Hey… Sean… good morning I guess?" Hikari smiled weakly and embarrassedly. To all people who can see that why her son? She took off the strangled blanket around her and led Sean down the kitchen to have breakfast. Sean just let her be but still couldn't push the thought away why his mom fell on the floor with red face… 'Maybe she got tripped with the blanket when she was about to go down form the bed. But why with a red face?' thought Sean. Well, it's good that her son is pretty optimistic.
"Sooo… how's your sleep?" Hikari asked unsure. They are currently in the kitchen with Sean sitting on a chair near the table and Hikari making him a glass of milk. Of course, Sean must still drink his milk despite the conversation with his mom a few days ago right?
"I must be the one asking you that." Sean answered back while Hikari smiled lamely at him. Well, we couldn't blame her for feeling all of those mushy feelings… not when she already thought that they are going to have another step in their relationship… her dream family is going to be true. Finally!
"So… your dad told you that you will be going somewhere today right?"
"You just saw him last night and now you're missing him again?" Sean teased which made her blush. She put his milk down in front of him and said, "Seriously, you must stop that."
"Stop what? I'm not doing something." Sean answered innocently. Yeah right, what was he doing anyway? He didn't even do anything… yet.
"You are so like your father." Hikari cried throwing her hands up in the air and sinking into the seat next to Sean. "You must not become like him… I mean you must not have that trait."
Sean stopped drinking his milk and looked at his mom who just raised her brows in return. "Not my fault." He said bluntly and continued drinking his milk. Of course it's not his fault if he has that trait because he didn't exist before, right? And because he didn't exist before only means that there is no one to tell his mom: 'Hey mom don't do anything with dad so that you won't ask me to dodge any trait from him'.
Yeah right. What irony. Seriously, is his mom insane that she couldn't even remember why he has that trait?
Hikari blushed at the statement being said by Sean and finally realized it. She felt embarrassed for a second. 'Great! Now that Takishima has been entering our life Sean starts to pester me things. I really don't understand him these days.' Hikari thought to herself but in truth she either liked the fact that her son has his trait. He always makes her remember him not only by his looks but also by his traits… which she found unfair because he only got the color of her orbs.
Is she a leftover? Or there really is no suitable trait from her to be passed to him? Whatever.
"You win." Hikari muttered as she gave up into her son's say. Seriously?
And now a blushing Hikari is at the shop listening to Akira while she gave instructions to Hikari before her leave. Even though she still felt like she didn't want to go to work she was practically forced by her son to go there. Kei went into their apartment to get Sean but when he saw Hikari was still in there, he insisted to drive her to the shop. She thanked him but before she can go out, Kei stole a kiss on her cheek which made Sean giggle from the back seat. Again, she was ganged by their son and Kei forcing her to seat in front beside Kei.
After realizing what has happened she opened the car's door and slammed it shut at him. She decided to say goodbye at him at first but after the harassment, she regretted it. She didn't even have the chance to say goodbye to her lovable Sean because of it. She felt pathetic.
"Hikari… have you been listening to what have I been saying?" Akira asked her.
"Uh… oh… oh, yes." Hikari nodded her head while Akira answered by raising her left brow. Something odd can be smelled at the place.
"Oh… kay…" Akira said unsure. "Well, then I hope you will have a good day! It will only last for some time so I will come back soon as I can okay?" she hugged Hikari with all her might and stepped into the door, "Bye!" she said cheerfully and finally went out.
Hikari waved her hand when she is already out. What is really happening to her? Maybe the talk with Kei made her like this not to mention the kiss they shared that night. Ugh! Just by thinking by that makes her mind swell. Now, what will she going to do if he showed up again? Hikari's trance was broken when a customer caught her attention.
"Excuse me but mind giving me a latte?" a girl almost on her age asked. She was wearing a tinted Gucci shades which covers her eyes and crimson lipstick for her lips. She looked like a model with her blue dress that hugged her curves very tightly… but she has an aura of a slut for some reason. And she looked oddly familiar especially with her blond hair. The girl cleared her throat and said: "I said I want a latte."
"Oh, yes… I'm sorry I'll give it you right away." Hikari sped up to the counter to order a latte for the girl at the center part of the shop. The shop was as usual full again and so those people who wanted to come in hesitantly goes away because of the population; actually the shop never misses a full house every day so there's never a time that the shop will broke… Hikari's thankful for that though since Akira is always in her mind when the word 'shop' comes up.
"Can you give me some latte?" she asked the girl on the counter which in return answered with a nod. The girl announced the order in the microphone beside her which was connected to the speakers at the back. Hikari wondered that the girl who ordered the latte must have been someone she'd already met… or so she thought but she really looks familiar in her eyes. She started to recall some things in her past just to have any clue on why her face is familiar against her eyes when she was interrupted by the girl on the counter. "Maam here's the latte."
Hikari looked at her and thanked her, grabbed the tray where the latte has been settled and carried it to the customer.
"Maam." She said as she put the latte down in front of her.
The girl looked at her, smiled and replied: "Thanks."
Hikari smiled back in return. "Please call our attention if you need something else." She was about to go when she heard her talk.
"But I need you now."
Hikari looked at her with puzzled look. 'What's wrong with her?' she smiled innocently and said. "I'm sorry but I didn't get you."
"I just wanted to talk to you." She picked her latte up and sipped it. "Ugh… this latte tastes like crap. Do you even know how to make one?" she insulted making everybody look at her in the process. Insulting a product in front of the owner is really not a good idea.
"I'm sorry but we're one of the finest cafes in the whole place." She answered back; the tea shop from before was upgraded into another shop but it still offers teas but is now mainly coffees and other drinks that could make your mind calm.
"Oh really? Didn't know that cafes in this place actually have low preferences against stuffs like these." She crossed her legs and stared at her.
"Where's the sun?" Hikari asked mockingly.
"Oh sorry." The girl took off her glasses and stared at Hikari with her black eyes. "So you're the one who stole Kei from me." she said out loud from which everybody around turned to look at Hikari with gossips in the background like: 'It's Aisha Tanazawa right? I didn't know the owner of this café stole her supposed to be husband.' Or 'Oh my! That girl lost all of her morals… it's probably understandable that both Tanazawa-san and Takishima-kun are definitely for each other.' And other stuffs like that which Hikari completely ignored… they don't even know a thing actually so why fight them?
"Ooops… didn't mean to say that loud and clear." Aisha said softly.
"Why are you here?"
"You should know by now why." Aisha glared.
"No. I don't think I do." Hikari shot back.
"I just want my soon-to-be-husband back low life."
"Don't call me low life if you're life is lower than I have."
"Oh so you do dare me now as a low life." Aisha said in mockery. "Did you even finish college?"
"I have completed my education and graduated in a respectable school. I graduated with a respectable course and thankfully have found a nice and decent job." Hikari answered with a glare. She crossed her arms and stared at her. "If you came here to annoy me then you can get the hell out of here."
"Oh come now Hanazono girl. That's not the right way to treat customers; did you really ever get this as your course? Looks like you didn't." Aisha smirked at her.
"Stalker now aren't we? I believe I haven't told you my name yet."
"Just pure curiosity… no need to be flattered. I know some well known people often rarely do this to peasants but let's just say that I'll give this as a bonus to you since you have befriended different people who are already on the top. I hope you aren't planning to dig them up."
"I don't do such despicable things especially to my friends."
"That's rich darling. So you're going to lecture me about friendship? Please don't bother to give me that crap becuase I have learned better than that."
"If you did then why not apply it to your everyday life?"
"I don't give craps to those who are already crapped."
"But I'm not crapped. You are."
"Tell me what you want."
"I don't need anything Tanazawa. It is you who approached me so don't give things like that."
"You want money? Fame? Jewelries? What? Tell me and I'll give it to you just to get my fiancée back."
"I don't need anything like those especially when it comes from strangers."
"You know I know you know me."
"I don't like tongue twisters dear. So better shut off yourself from our life or I'll do it."
"I never came into your life."
"Oh well now dear, you should know that you practically ruined my future by seducing my fiancée. You even forced him to be with you in bed so that you could get him. That's pathetic actually, have you have any shame left in you?" she chuckled as the people around them gave comments and looks especially to Hikari who has all eyes on her.
"Don't dare talk about that."
"Oh I do actually. You're using your son to hook him up with you so that you won't get broke. That is so lame dear have you ever thought about that? He is just merely a child and you're using him to get him. What? You're telling him that he should get his daddy back so that you could be a happy family? Geez… never did I thought you're that low."
"I'm sorry to inform you but you have the wrong information. I never did anything from which you have stated." Hikari stated coolly.
"You practically do drama on him just to make you look pitiful against his eyes. I am giving you a very nice deal Hanazono; I am asking you what do you want and I'll grant it." Aisha has her limit now and she really needs an answer.
"You are so as stupid as I thought. Ever thought of decency before?"
"Excuse me?" Aisha mocked. "Decency? Talk about that, have you ever did have one?"
"Oh I did well the question is did you?" Aisha couldn't bear it any longer. She wanted to get into the point but she's making it longer and whenever she managed to sneak that in their conversation, she could just blow it away like it's nothing and start another topic. Seriously, what's wrong with this girl?
The last question hit the trigger in her. Aisha stood up and slammed both of her hands on the table. "Enough with those nonsense!" the crowd gasped and looked at her. They thought that Aisha Tanzawa was a nice woman, a gentle, loving, down-to-earth, gener—okay cut the crap. Well, if people think she is that kind of woman then they're all fooled by her disgusting façade. Looks are seriously deceiving.
"What? Can't stand it already?" Hikari said irritated.
"You shut you damn mouth!" Aisha lost it. She's got enough already and she knows that her limit was too far long gone.
"It's a free country… you're not my boss."
"I AM ALWAYS THE BOSS dear and anything that I want will I always get… even in any method that I will use." She neared Hikari pointing her index finger towards her. Hikari stepped back in return.
The crowd suddenly felt the dark aura which was coming from Aisha and that made some of them left in fear and other people which are mostly teenagers stayed and sat excitedly on their seats waiting for what will happen today.
"You will stay away from Kei together with your mistake!" she withdrew her hand and glared evilly at her.
"Don't you dare call my son a mistake!"
"Oh but you practically drag Kei in your bed and fuck him off right?" Aisha shot back.
"You are just jealous of me!" Hikari screamed.
"Whoah! Where did that came from? Me? Jealous of you? Give me a break!" Aisha mocked back laughing evilly after she said those words. "Have you just realized what you said to me? I practically have anything that you don't own, gold digger and you have the nerve to call me jea—"
She was cut off because of the slap given by Hikari. "Don't call me gold digger because never in hell will I'm going to be one."
Aisha gasped and held her slapped cheek. Okay… this is her second time already. Her first came from Kei's mom and now from a peasant! What do they take her for anyway?
Without further ado, she answered Hikari with a hard slap which caused Hikari to stumble on one of the tables pushing it in the process which made its contents go down. Hikari too held her slapped cheek which turned red in a second.
"How dare you slap me!" Aisha screamed all over the place which made mostly of the crowd to back off. Some even called for emergencies to stop the two… seriously the shop is getting messier and messier by the second.
"Takishima can't love you because he loves me more than anything! In fact he didn't even love you before but was practically forced to sign your stupid marriage arrangement because of his grandfather! He had a plan and it is included in the plan that he will break the contract apart just after his grandfather died!"
"You claimed that he loved you more than anything but still he stayed with me even after that!"
"It's because I ran away from him! I never gave him the chance to tell me his plan all along; I jumped into stupid conclusions which made him force himself to wait for the right time to break the contract between you two apart."
"And now you're telling me that he's chasing after you! You dreamer!" she grabbed a tissue holder and threw it at Hikari who in return dodged it easily. A wrestling fanatic for many years? What do you take them for anyways? "Dream on peasant he will never do it especially not to a person like you!"
"Well actually he did? So what can you do about it? You call me a low life when you actually forcing me to be down just to put yourself up. You even force yourself to fit with Takishima even if you already know that he didn't give back the affections that you are feeling. Just how desperate are you are by the way?"
"You bitch!" Aisha suddenly started to quicken her pace towards her with her fist curved into a ball ready to throw it to Hikari but little did she know that our heroine is better than what she think she is.
When Aisha was about to throw her punch towards her Hikari caught it and held it tight. "You have attitude problems and just by looking at the mess you created here for a minute… looks like it has gotten worse. Try going into a psychiatrist one day maybe they could help you." She threw her hand away from her which made her stumble back hitting a table in response.
"I apologize but we don't need you as a customer. Please leave the shop peacefully."
Aisha looked at her with a glare. She was now panting hard with the table behind her as her support, her make-up was pretty messed up too and her hair went sticking on her face like glue. The crowd has been videoing it or capturing the scene but neither of them didn't bother about it.
Just when Aisha was about to attack her again the door of the shop opened and there revealed Akira.
"Oh my gosh! What happened in here?!"
This made the two look at her and so with some watchers who are still on their seats some even sat above the table just to have a better view of the fight.
"And what the hell are you doing here?!" she pointed her finger at Aisha.
"Oh crap! Another devil came!" Aisha said in mockery.
"And who told you to ruin my shop?" Akira glared at her.
"It was practically your employee's fault since she made a fight against me. Doesn't she even know the quotation, 'Customers are always right?'?" she said while looking at Hikari.
"But we don't count you as one of our customers since it is clear that you only show your face towards us for a fight. Now you had it, LEAVE." Akira shot back.
Aisha was hopeless in the moment. Sure did she know how strong Hikari's side has especially when the Ushikubo girl was with her makes the situation worse. But she didn't budged a bit and stood her grounds.
"Is this how you really treat your customers? Well, it is pity actually. First, you latte tastes like crap." Akira opened her mouth in protest but was cut off by her again, "Then you hit me and now you're forcing me to leave? You didn't even have the guts to apologize to me!" she smirked at them.
"Because you never need one!" Akira advanced towards her and slapped her hard across the face. Now that makes her slap three times now. Aisha was taken aback form what happened and continued to register her thoughts about the slap. "Get out now!"
She decided to leave the place already since two against one is a bit unfair. She thought that she'll give them the right punishment for the right time but as she went into her table to retrieve her shades, her darkest nightmare came.
"Oh hell…" the pink haired girl exclaimed. "I finally found you."
Oh yes, Aisha Tanazawa was currently nervous and didn't know what to do. With the great Sakura Ushikubo-Yamamoto in front of her makes her case real hard.
"Funny thinking that you are looking for me." Aisha said sarcastically.
"Oh yes, I have been hunting you down for ages and now I'll give you something worth it." Sakura fastened her pace and literally smack her head. Yes, not her cheeks this time but the head and it isn't a slap but a smack. A hard smack.
"What the-!" Aisha couldn't finish her sentence when she felt another slap on the same cheek that was slapped over and over again. Seriously, her cheeks were swollen already but nobody seemed to care about it. The crowd even cheered at the sudden attack.
"Oh I'll give you more where that came from." Sakura announced and readied another slap again when Jun came and stopped her.
"Sakura! Stop this!"
"No way in hell Jun! Release me at once and I'll smack some sense into her!"
"No!"
"Did your parents actually teach you not to meddle with things especially when it's not your business? Or maybe they taught you how to spot a rich hot guy to save your company's bankruptcy!"
All gasped at what they heard. So that's why she's been too eager to get Kei Takishima all this time.
"And you got the nerve to come show your face in public?! Oh please!" Sakura said sarcastically while still struggling forms Jun's hold.
When Aisha felt that Sakura was slowly slipping off from Jun, she hurriedly took her shades and her purse form the table and started to walk away but Hikari stopped her.
"You forgot something." Aisha turned around to look at her only to find out that Hikari's hand reach for the cup of latte she had before and splashed it in her face.
"Did you have any second thoughts on how it tastes like?" Hikari mocked.
Aisha just stood there hysterically as the latte crawled down her feet, wetting her whole body. "Ugh!" was the thing she managed to say.
"Don't ever show your face again! Or I will throw you into hell and torture you!" Sakura threatened which made the poor girl ran out of the shop and into nowhere.
But gladly, it turned out just fine. Hikari couldn't believe herself how she became like that… maybe because she insulted her then Sean? But whatever reason is, she is really thankful.
She sighed. 'So much for a day…' she thought to herself.
To be continued…
Author's Note: Too harsh? Hahaha! I had fun actually typing all of it. I really wanted to add some more but my fingers are retiring for such a day and my eyes are closing soon too. What a bummer. I was surprised myself why did I add the words 'F' and the 'B'. What the what! I don't do things like that but it just came out into my screen and I all blame it into my fingers who are really very expert in typing (not those words) so what do you say? My prediction is so wrong. I won't end in chapter 21 so I won't suggest anything anymore for any endings. I'll just hope for the best and wait for the right ending. Os how did you find it? Boring? Quite good? Entertaining? Okay? So give me some of your thoughts okay? Leave me some reviews to flare me up! Thanks for reading! =)