A/n: The last time I updated this story was last year. When I came across it again, I realized I missed it. I have grown from a happy, just got into Uni girl to an angsty, crazy, life-deprived biology undergraduate. I wrote this chapter last year, but I never got the chance to post it, but oh well... here it is.
Chapter 21
Makino Mansion
Susumu's just on the way out when he saw his sister sprinting in, wearing clothes that she wouldn't dare put on in public, that is, a really faded, loose t-shirt and faded jeans from last season, and her face isn't even made up.
Susumu rolled his eyes in disgust and thought, 'My sister is so damn near perfect. Even if she wears something not so fashionable, she still look great'
"Why are you home?" asked Susumu.
"Because I want to be home," answered Tsukushi grumpily, and proceeded to leave her brother and went to the East Wing towards her apartments.
"What's with her?" Susumu asked Katie, who entered the mansion in a hurry as well, and didn't answer Susumu's question.
Susumu shrugged and went out. A grumpy Tsukushi is equivalent to a bloody nose and a cut off allowance from dear mama.
During Tsukushi's absence, Aikawa Anna's things have been moved back to her apartments, but in another room in her apartments.
Soon after calling Shizuka, conversed in French with her, Tsukushi took a deep breath, and entered the bedroom, and flopped herself on the bed.
"I'm in deep shit," she said to herself.
Half an hour later, Shizuka was shown into her apartments by a maid.
"Tsukushi?" Shizuka called out.
"In the bedroom," Tsukushi answered, not wanting to leave the comforts of her bed.
Shizuka entered the bedroom, and smiled when she saw Tsukushi curled in the bed, not asleep, but closing her eyes.
"Tsukushi!" Shizuka called out.
Tsukushi opened her eyes, and said, "Oh, you've arrived,"
"You really remind me of Rui just now, not really caring if somebody is in when you want to sleep," replied Shizuka.
"I'm just tired, Shizuka," stated Tsukushi. "Of everything."
"I'm tired of my responsibilities as Makino Tsukushi and Aikawa Anna," continued Tsukushi. "Today, as Anna, I had to go to the premiere, when actually I longed to go to the premiere as Makino Tsukushi, and be with Soujiro, not Ashiya Kaze."
"Why not just tell the whole world that you are also Makino Tsukushi, instead of telling all those lies?" asked Shizuka. "When you can't stand it."
"I have to, Shizuka. When Katie took me up to become a star, I signed an agreement with my father to completely hide my Makino Tsukushi persona, whenever I am Anna, and completely hide my Aikawa Anna persona when I'm Tsukushi," answered Tsukushi. "I actually quit school in favour of a home tutor for that."
"Why?" asked Shizuka, and then, realisation hit Shizuka.
"Oh yes. Your family's wealth rival that of the F4, including my family's and Shigeru's," Shizuka answered her own question. "If we don't include the F4, and just us three females, Shigeru's family takes the top notch, your family is the second and mine the third."
"That way, if Makino Tsukushi became well-known as a star, since she is a minor, not only does your family's tax bracket gets higher, it also threatens your safety," continued Shizuka.
Tsukushi nodded in agreement.
"But, Tsukushi, you really should tell Soujiro," Shizuka pleaded.
"I am going to, but I'm too afraid to do so. I'm such a wimp, Shizuka," answered Tsukushi. "When I was watching myself act as Ichigou confessing to his fans that he's a girl, I said to myself, 'Am I that brave to do what Ichigou does?', I honestly do not think so."
"When you guys came to watch me do the scene, even though I act normal and ok, actually, I'm nervous inside. I thought, 'what if they recognise me, what if they find out?', and it's not just people who know me as Makino Tsukushi are deceived, people who know me as Anna, like Kaze, are deceived as well," Tsukushi continued. "Like, when I was staying at my grandma's house, Kaze came to pick me up over there. I lied to him telling him that I bought that house, when the house is actually one of the houses belonging to my maternal grandmother, Aikawa Aya."
"Aikawa Aya?" asked Shizuka. "Your mother's maiden name is Aikawa?"
Tsukushi nodded, and answered, "That's why I use Aikawa Anna, Aikawa is my mother's maiden name, and Anna is a name that my grandmother would want to give me, if my dad didn't insist on naming me Tsukushi."
"Isn't that house near Soujiro's house?" asked Shizuka again.
"Yes, when I became Aikawa Anna, I'm actually living right next to him. That's why I made such a fast escape when he confessed to me the first time around, when I was supposed to be in LA," answered Tsukushi.
"I never expected for you to find out, Shizuka. I never expected my friends would find out my secret," continued Tsukushi. "Whenever people try to do a background check on either Tsukushi or Anna, nobody can put the two together."
"Actually, Rui suspects that you are also Aikawa Anna," interrupted Shizuka. "I don't know how, you know that Rui is such a man of a few words."
"Actually, I can feel Rui's suspicion too," replied Tsukushi. "Shizuka, can you please promise me that you won't tell the F4?"
"I can promise you that I won't tell the F3, but I'm not so sure of Rui. He knows how to probe people," Shizuka answered, giving Tsukushi a small smile.
"What if I give you something that Shigeru would get so jealous of if she sees it?" asked Tsukushi.
"An Anna memorabilia? I'm not that crazy as her for Aikawa Anna, Kushi," answered Shizuka. "And besides, if I tell Rui, he won't tell the F3, I'll make sure of that."
"Thanks, but no matter, I'll still give you an Anna memorabilia," Tsukushi replied, and led Shizuka to the room full of Tsukushi's pictures as Anna, the trophies, the costumes that she bought from the studios because she love them, and everything related to Anna.
"This is something that my advertisement campaign had wanted to do last year, an Aikawa Anna handmade doll, but somehow, at first, they liked it, but when about 3 handmade dolls were made, they suddenly decided to stop production, they said it's too expensive to be given free," said Tsukushi, and Shizuka nodded in agreement.
"But, I kinda like it, so, they gave all three to me, and I'll give one to you," continued Tsukushi.
Shizuka thanked her.
"And this is for you to give Rui," said Tsukushi. "An Aikawa Anna pillowcase!"
Shizuka laughed, because it reminded her what Rui had said during Tsukasa's birthday.
Tsukushi took a permanent marker pen, and signed over there, "To Hanazawa Rui, sleep well and sweet dreams" above the love Aikawa Anna sign.
"I think Rui will appreciate this very much, Anna," said Shizuka. "I think way tooo much! Thanks."
"You are welcome," answered Anna.
"How do I explain where I get this doll if Shigeru found it at my house?" asked Shizuka.
"Don't show it to her," answered Anna simply. "Or tell her that you bought it off eBay. You do know some stuff at eBay are fake, so she'll think it's fake."
"By the way, when will you answer Soujiro with a 'yes'?" asked Shizuka.
"In a way, I answered him already," answered Tsukushi. "From my actions."
"I love Soujiro, I really do," continued Tsukushi. "I just don't trust him enough to tell him my secret."
"Why?" asked Shizuka.
end of chapter 21 - please read and review