So, quick question:
The situation in which this will happen won't be for A WHILE, but...would you folks want a love scene? If not, I'm cool. If so, I'm also cool. I just wanted your opinions on the matter.
Also, I'm getting a commission done of this story, which should be up on the Citrus Subreddit...any day now. Hopefully.
And for those wondering what happened and who DO NOT read Autumn's Bounty about why I haven't written, life is why. What happened was that my father died over the summer, and a week after that, my younger cousin died as well. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend my father's funeral and family drama due to time and money prevented me from attending the other. I did write a bit, but then I let myself get sucked into video games and other hobbies and ignored the stories. But I'm trying to write more. Close to having my desk back too, but to the action!
I am also expecting to get flayed alive after this chapter due to a few scenes. But maybe some of you will end up with a ship, who knows? Not me! Anyone know of someone doing commissions because I want to get the scene drawn.
Chapter 12
"All right, I'm up, I'm up," grunted Mei through the pillow as an old annoying song she'd downloaded for her alarm blared from her phone, sending sharp spikes of pain through her brain.
Sticking her hand out from beneath the covers, Mei grumbled as she felt around for the phone. Eventually, she found it through the mess of cans on the dresser next to her but sent them clattering to the floor.
"Ow," she whimpered as several landed with loud, hollow clangs just before she reached her phone and pulled it under the blanket with her, regretting it immediately as the brightness of the screen seared her cornea.
"Please shut up," she whispered as she closed her eyes and did her best to shut the alarm off as white dots danced around the blackness that engulfed her. While she fumbled for her phone, Mei whimpered as her head erupted in pain thanks to the combination of her hangover and blaring alarm.
"Finally," she sighed once she'd managed to shut the alarm off. After dropping her phone on the floor, Mei turned away from the window and wrapped herself up in the blanket as she listened to somebody on the television begin discussing the local weather.
"And today's weather will, unfortunately, take a turn for the worse as storms will begin by nine and will most likely follow through until tomorrow morning. We advise anyone planning on heading out to…:"
Daring a peek out from the blankets, Mei quickly located the remote control on the dresser, grabbed it, aimed it toward the television, and pressed two of the buttons that she knew would turn to a movie channel.
When she heard the sounds of a song she was familiar with, she lifted her head to see what movie was on but hid under the blankets avoiding the light. Instead, she remained hidden, listening to the music for a minute until a wave of nausea came over her. Unable to hold back, Mei bolted toward the bathroom, where she ended up vacating what little remained in her stomach into the toilet.
Damn her and her brothers, thought Mei as she staggered over to the sink and rinsed out her mouth. As she wiped her mouth with a towel, Mei tried to fight back another wave of nausea but lost, and eventually, her face ended up back in the toilet.
"Please let there be something," groaned Mei ten minutes later as she rummaged through her emergency medicine bag looking for anything that might help.
"Nope," she said, tossing a bottle of Tylenol away.
She'd had a bad experience after taking Tylenol the last time she'd had a hangover and wanted to avoid anything with one of the main ingredients. However, nothing met her qualifications until she finally found a small bottle of aspirin at the bottom.
"Thank you," she whispered after double-checking the ingredients, and after popping three into her mouth and chasing them with bottled water, she sat there for a minute to make sure her stomach didn't reject it.
When she was satisfied that her stomach would cooperate, Mei decided to risk going down into the hotel restaurant and attempt to eat something. But only after spending ten minutes of trying to get her socks and shoes on.
Ignoring the fact that she was wearing the same clothes she'd worn the day before and that she undoubtedly smelled like stale alcohol and barbecue, Mei slipped on her sunglasses and hoodie, grabbed her work satchel, and slowly made her way to the elevator. After boarding it and pressing the floor for the lobby, eager to fill her empty stomach, but regretted it once the doors to the compartment opened.
"Crap," she groaned, rubbing her temples while she weaved her way through kids dressed in swimsuits while they ran toward the indoor pools, ignoring their parents and hotel employees shouting at them to stop while thunder and rain pounded outside.
"Well, maybe I can get some shots of the storm from my room while I attempt to get some work done," Mei muttered to herself as she approached the host counter of the hotel's restaurant, dodging a few kids and resisting the desire to lecture them as their screams split her head.
Her mouth opening, Mei fought the urge to lecture the kids and left them to their parents. Instead, she focused on reaching the restaurant and was a few feet away when she called out to the host, ready to ask for a table when she was cut off.
"Table for one," asked the young man after turning around, a pleasant smile on his face and ignoring Mei's shock.
After grabbing a menu, he waved Mei forward and said, "Follow me, please."
Although used to this kind of treatment due to her upbringing, it was still jarring to hear people know what she needed without her having to say it, but let it slide since it was the guy's job.
Making their way through the crowd, Mei was surprised when he managed to find a small two-person table next to a window overlooking the beach. While she wasn't happy with her fellow diners' noise, Mei found the coolness from the window and the rhythm of the rain pleasant and decided she could tolerate it for the length of her meal. Once seated, Mei stared out the window as the host placed a menu on the table and said something that Mei ignored due to her attempting to get a shot of a lightning strike off in the distance and failing.
"Miss, I'm sorry to interrupt, but did you happen to hear my question?"
"I didn't," answered Mei, glaring at the orb of light on her camera's screen. "Would you mind repeating it?"
"I was asking if I could get you a drink while you waited," he asked, and Mei couldn't deny that, even though she wasn't interested in him, he was kind of cute. "Coffee? Water? Juice? Hair of the dog?"
"I'm that obvious am I," she sighed, looking over at a few of the other tables and noticed how the restaurant offered pitchers of specific drinks people had ordered, and when she looked back at the man, she could see he was looking a little nervous on how to reply. "It's okay, you can answer."
"If that's the case, it is kind of obvious." He chuckled but stopped and let out a nervous cough as he waited for her reply. "But, I'm not judging you. It happens, and we're here to help, so if there is something I can get you, please let me know.
"Coffee and water will suffice," yawned Mei before stopping herself and looking away in embarrassment, "and juice, but only if it's apple. I've had enough alcohol for the time being."
"Of course."
After placing her drinks on the table, the host excused himself, and Mei enjoyed her drinks in silence as she worked on the large tablet she'd brought to get some work done while she ate.
It was difficult, given that her head was still pounding, and the sunglasses made it difficult to judge where her lines were. But she persisted and began sketching furiously between checking her reference pictures and bites of her meat and vegetable omelette and fruit salad.
All the while, her phone was ringing with calls from her friends and even her father. But as none of her calls were from her work associates, she didn't bother accepting any of them, instead, choosing to focus on her work.
Throughout her meal, along with two pots of coffee, three pitchers of water, and one of juice, Mei was proud of the progress she made and was in the process of settling her bill when her phone rang again, but this time displaying an unknown number.
Knowing it wasn't anyone from her project team as she knew it would take them a while to look over her work, Mei figured it was a telemarketer and again ignored it. Returning to her room, she decided to relax and freshen up a bit before continuing to work.
"That's better," she sighed almost an hour later as she stepped out of the shower, her body still sore, but feeling better than she had been now that she was clean and her stomach was full.
Being careful not to take her condition for granted, Mei filled herself a glass of water and started to drink, only to spill it on herself when her phone began violently shaking on the bedside table.
"Who keeps calling me," she growled when she saw the same number from earlier showing up on her phone before the ringing stopped.
"Good riddance," she said and was ready to throw the phone on the bed and lie down for a quick nap, but was interrupted by the number calling her a third time.
Knowing that it wasn't going to end until she answered, Mei pressed the green button on her phone and, despite her wanting to shout at the person on the other end, took a breath to center herself and calmly asked, "Hello?"
"So you're awake. That's a relief," replied a quiet, piercing voice. "You had me worried. I was about to call the police."
"I've felt better," explained Mei, biting back a small laugh. "But yes, I'm alive. I'm feeling a little worse for wear, but I'll survive. What do you need, Suzuran? Also, how did you get my number?"
"To answer your first question, nothing in particular at this moment," said Suzuran, her voice even, but Mei knew enough to know that she was smiling in her way. "And to answer your second, you gave it to me last night. Also, if you're interested in what I'm doing, I'm currently at home, staring out over the ocean and watching the storm while going over some business emails. No matter how often I see it, I still find it beautiful."
"What about your brothers," asked Mei as she began to dress and prep her equipment. "My head may be pounding, but I remember them and you hanging out for a bit after we got back from dinner."
"I'm sorry if that was a bit presumptuous." Mei could hear a small hint of regret in Suzuran's voice but remained silent. "I know you have work to do, but given the condition you three were in, I figured it was smarter if we stayed together for a bit until you all sobered up and you were safe. After all, you three seemed to be having the time of your lives, and well, it's been so long since we've seen each other I didn't want to say goodbye."
"Dinner would have been enough," said Mei as she remembered the night before, and she'd somehow been conned into staying for dinner at Suzuran's home. "But yeah, your right that it was fun. I haven't had fun like that in a while, and it was nice to see you after everything that happened."
"It was, wasn't it," said Suzuran, the faintest happiness leaking into her voice. "I hope we can do it again, maybe somewhere less intimidating."
"I'll have to check my schedule." Mei's voice was stiff but more out of anxiety than rudeness. "But I wouldn't mind it, and I would appreciate a change of venue."
After the skirmish with Suzuran's brothers, Mei had been taken back to the Shiraho estate, where Suzuran ran several of her family's business interests and was treated to a feast. At the same time, she caught up with Suzuran about her work.
From what Mei remembered, the business primarily dealt with imports and exports. Over dinner, Mei learned Suzuran had been left in charge of everything from fruits, to salts, to coffee. Which wasn't surprising as Suzuran's family had been in Hawaii for generations. Adding in their other assets,
Even with her yukatas, cars, houses, and everything else at her disposal, Suzuran never allowed it to go to her head.
She was gracious with everyone she met, never turning away anyone who asked her for help and working with a few non-profit organizations to help those less fortunate, and hiring several people she met through the organizations personally. While a few of them hadn't worked out, the vast majority had, with some even becoming managers, though it wasn't uncommon for people to find jobs at other companies, but all of them who left made sure to know how grateful they were for the opportunity.
While it was challenging to hear about the ones who didn't work out, Suzuran never let it get her down. Instead of wallowing in the failure, she never stopped trying, and that was what Mei admired most about her. Although if anyone asked her, Mei wouldn't deny that Suzuran's mysterious nature, sharp features, long green locks, and deep green eyes were a close second.
When she was sixteen, Mei and Suzuran met at a charity auction her grandfather had donated a few pieces to, and that's where Mei caught the eye of the older woman, though Mei did her best to avoid Suzuran that night. Before then, Mei only met Suzuran once or twice, and while she didn't dislike her, Mei was a little unsettled and wished she could get to know Suzuran because she wanted to, not because she was expected to.
For generations, the Aihara and the Shiraho's had been connected through business connections, and knowing that Mei figured that was the only reason why Suzuran wished to talk to her. But Mei hadn't been interested. She'd been dragged to that auction against her will and was already in a foul mood having to play the part of the polite granddaughter that she wasn't in the mood to experience the odd mannerisms the Shiraho family practiced.
From hearsay and some interaction, Mei was familiar with how they rarely, if ever, showed emotion as a way to keep their possible rivals from getting the upper hand on them. Not only that, but Mei was also aware of how they watched and kept an eye on every one of interest to them and would use that knowledge at some point to gain their advantage or hold onto it until they were desperate.
There were other things Mei had heard; most were gossip, but the fact that Sue was constantly followed around by two suited men gave some credence to the ones about the Shiraho family having possible ties to the Yakuza.
While she didn't believe them, that didn't mean Mei wasn't going to risk getting involved with anything illegal. But no matter where she went that night, Mei couldn't avoid those piercing green eyes.
Unless it was the restroom, everywhere Mei went, Suzuran's gaze seemed to follow her. Not only that but as much as she tried to avoid being followed, somehow, Suzuran ended up somewhere near her. At first, she ignored it, but after a couple of hours, Mei had had enough and decided to confront her.
The moment Suzuran was alone, Mei approached her and curtly asked, "Is there something you wish to say to me? Because if you don't, I'm going to ask that you please stop following me; it's disturbing and I'll get security to remove you if I have to."
"My apologies," had been Suzuran's reply, her voice steady and her face as serene as a mannequin. "I didn't intend to make you uncomfortable."
"Well, you are," snorted Mei, stepping back. "I'm not a fan of people who skulk around, so as I said, if you need to say something to me, then say it. If not, leave me alone."
"Honestly, I'm not sure if I do have anything to say to you, and my following you was mostly unintentional." Suzuran's face shifted to something like shame before returning to normal. "Like you, I've had my role to play this evening. My parents have sent me here to make a good impression with clients as I'm set to take over the family business. So, many of my conversations near you have been necessary. But in the moments they haven't been...well…"
When she stopped, Mei noticed a small blush creep up Shiraho's neck before disappearing as she said, "Well, this is strange for me, but I will admit that despite my not wanting to follow you, I did because I can't help but find you intriguing."
"Intriguing?" Mei shook her head and crossed her arms as she continued to talk with Suzuran. "What about me is intriguing? I'm about as boring as the rest of the people you've been talking to all night."
"I don't think so," said Suzuran, her arms disappearing into the long sleeves of her yukata. "Everyone else here is a bundle of nerves. All of them are overly anxious to appease one another and give so much of themselves away. Their anxieties and everything come pouring out, and it becomes very tiresome. But you seem so calm and poised, and I find the contrast to the others refreshing. Save for your conversation with me; the only time I see you drop your guard is with your grandfather, which given what I've heard about him, is something in and of itself unusual as he's not known for being approachable."
"Is that surprising," Mei said, keeping her emotions in check since Suzuran claimed she'd dropped her guard. "He is my grandfather, and as I'm sure you're aware he's been the one responsible for raising me since my father left. I won't deny that he can be impassable at times, but he's been the closest thing I've had to a father, and I'm grateful to him."
"Interesting," said Suzuran, the corner of her mouth twitching. "I'm glad to hear that you two are on such good terms despite the rumors, and I thank you for confiding that in me, even if I struck a nerve."
"That wasn't your fault," said Mei with only the faintest hint of regret at exposing so much of her personal life but finding some relief in the momentary break in Suzuran's mask. "When it comes to my family, I tend to lose my composure. But in all fairness, it is nice to see that you can lose your composure as well."
"Well, even members of the Shiraho family aren't perfect." Mei took a step back when she saw a small smirk break on Suzuran's face causing it to extend for a few seconds before returning to its neutral position. "My mother would disown me if she saw that, so I'd appreciate it if you kept that between us."
"On one condition," said Mei, finding herself growing somewhat fond of the taller girl.
"What's the condition," inquired Suzuran, her eyes glowing with intrigue as she stared at Mei.
"Well," started Mei as she took a bottled water from the table behind Suzuran, "I've heard some rumors about your family, and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in finding out if they were true. Your family is notorious for keeping secrets and seeing as how you've been able to glean so much about me from just watching me; I think it's only fair that you tell me a little bit about yourself."
"If that's all it takes to stay in your company for a little bit longer," started Suzuran as she gestured toward a small empty table in a corner where no one was sitting, 'then I'd be happy to oblige."
Once settled in their corner, Mei and Suzuran spent the remainder of their evening conversing about everything from their families to their interests, which thankfully included books. Neither of them was interested in the latest fashion trends or pop culture things, or other subjects their age group were interested in, so it was a good icebreaker for them. However, Mei kept her interest in comics and video game art a secret since she wasn't sure how Suzuran would react to it.
Which now, in hindsight, Mei could laugh at her anxieties when it came to dealing with Suzuran, and that first night talking had been fantastic, and Mei found herself laughing more than she had in years and didn't hesitate to give out her contact information when they parted.
After that, the two of them continued to talk about anything and everything. From a news article about politics to what they ate for dinner the previous evening. While they could rarely meet face to face as Suzuran lived in Hawaii, they talked daily. Eventually, they became close enough to feel comfortable enough to spend their vacations at one another's homes. However, Suzuran visited Mei more often as she took online courses while Mei attended school in person.
Though he wasn't initially comfortable with the idea, the elder Aihara consented despite his ailing health, mostly because it made Mei happy, but also as it would help his family's business interests. It took a while, but he eventually warmed to Suzuran and treated her as if she were a part of the family.
While it was difficult, Mei did manage to make the occasional trip to meet Suzuran at her family home in Hawaii, where Mei was treated respectfully if somewhat coldly, by everyone but Sue and her brothers, who were their companions on many of their outings.
Whether it was ordered by Suzuran's family or merely a habit, Mei had never asked why they did it as she was so distracted by her happiness. Mei was so happy that outside of her schoolwork and grandfather's health, she thought of little else but what she would do when she saw Suzuran next.
Eventually, Mei couldn't deny that she felt something more than friendship for Suzuran, but she did her best to repress it. She knew that eventually, Suzuran would move back to Japan, and given their traditional nature, her family would most likely attempt to arrange a marriage for her. Still, despite her best efforts, Mei's feelings finally got the better of her, and after almost ten months of friendship, it happened while they complained about some play they'd just seen.
Mei couldn't even remember what it was Sue had been complaining about. All she remembered was focusing on the curve of her friend's lips and the way her eyes were shining in the light of the lamp they'd turned on as they talked, and before she could stop herself, Mei's lips had pressed themselves against Suzuran's, cutting the older woman off.
When she'd realized what she'd done, Mei's mind screamed at her to pull back, but the intake of breath and gentle moan from Suzuran encouraged Mei to take it further. Slowly she began pushing Suzuran toward the headboard, their lips locked as long arms wrapped around Mei's neck, pulling the shorter woman closer. While she held Mei close, Suzuran's hands slipped beneath the neck of Mei's shirt, teasing the soft skin beneath with one while the other caressed Mei's neck, a fingernail running up her spine before tracing her cheek and brushing the edge of Mei's ear.
Her arms shaking, Mei broke the kiss for a breath of air and removed Suzuran's hand and stared down at her friend to see her face flushed and her green eyes narrowed while her lips curved slightly upward in a satisfied smile.
"Are you okay," asked Suzuran, pulling her hand from Mei's and cupping the younger woman's cheek, cherishing the warmth of Mei's flushed skin. "That sounded a little painful."
"I'm fine," coughed Mei, averting her gaze as she tried to pull away from Suzuran. "I'm sorry for doing that all of a sudden. You aren't upset with me, are you?"
"Hardly," replied Suzuran as she kissed Mei's cheek, before pulling the shorter woman down onto the bed with her, entwining Mei's body with her arms as she stroked Mei's black hair and kissed her head. "I'm thrilled that you finally managed to gather the courage to do it. I've wanted to kiss you for a while, but I was afraid you'd push me away. I'm glad you feel the same way I feel, Mei."
"You're okay with this," asked Mei, ignoring the discomfort of being held so tightly and just glad that Suzuran hadn't run off on her. "With me and this part of me?"
"There's nothing wrong with it, Mei," whispered Suzuran as she felt Mei's fingers comb through her hair. "If I didn't want this, I wouldn't have kissed you back. You should know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn't do something like this lightly. I care about you, Mei, and I want to be with you. But if you aren't sure, tell me now, and we'll stop. But know that I'll always be there for you."
"Okay." Mei's voice was stiff, and it cracked as she spoke.
Pushing herself up, Mei felt Suzuran's grip relax, and she managed to adjust herself enough to where she could press her forehead against Suzuran's and pressed their lips together again for a brief but tender kiss that sent a small shiver down Mei's spine.
"I'll take it that to mean that we both want the same thing," asked Suzuran, kissing Mei's cheek and the corner of her mouth.
"I do," answered Mei, smiling as a wave of relief washed over her at knowing Suzuran felt the same. "I do."
Suzuran had chuckled at hearing this, and they spent the rest of the evening as if nothing had changed. However, when Mei went to her room, Suzuran sent her off with a kiss.
After that night, Mei and Suzuran's relationship had continued much as it had before, but it was clear to anyone who spent regular time with them that something had changed.
Several times, Mei's grandfather had nearly walked in on them kissing. However, regardless of their concerns, they couldn't resist getting close to each other, and on more than one occasion, they'd scrambled to separate when they heard him approaching, asking for Mei's assistance.
But they couldn't keep up the ruse forever, and a few days before Suzuran left, Mei's grandfather finally confronted them about it.
They'd been in the kitchen with Mei working on some commissions she'd taken from some people online while her grandfather talked to Suzuran about what she was going to do when she got home while she made them lunch.
Once Suzuran had finished making their meal and placed the elder Aihara's serving in front of him, he abruptly said, "If you two are dating, you may as well be honest with me about it. I'm tired of the sneaking around and watching you two trying to hide what you've done to one another's necks, it's getting annoying."
Mei nearly dropped her pencils while Suzuran briefly tripped over her feet, but recovered although the elder Aihara couldn't hide his humor and chuckled when he noticed the tinge of pink to Mei's ears and the mild flush in Suzuran's cheeks.
When Suzuran set some iced tea in front of him, she asked, "You know about us?"
"Of course I do," he snorted before picking up his spoon and tasted the soup she'd made. "I'm old, not senile. Besides, my son and I are the only ones in the family who know about Mei's preferences, and I'm not so blind that I'd be pig-ignorant not to notice how you two tend to jump every time I walk in the room. I caught Sho doing it a few times with a couple of girls before he met his wife, and after they married, there were times I almost made them jump out of their skins while they were sitting on the couch doing similar things you two have probably been doing."
Suzuran looked at Mei, who had buried herself into her work, her face beet red as she tried to ignore the conversation and focus on her shading.
"I'm glad you are so accepting," Suzuran had said before handing Mei her food and then sitting down next to the patriarch and began eating her meal. "I'm not sure my family would be so accomodating."
"Probably not," replied Ryo after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. "But so that you know, you'll have my support. Did you hear that, Mei?"
"Yes, Grandfather," said Mei quietly, her eyes barely lifting from her soup as she answered.
"Good." The man sighed and took another bite of his sandwich, and nodded his approval. "This is good, Suzuran. Perhaps you could teach Mei and me a thing or two before you head home."
Suzuran nodded and turned to Mei, who was smiling at her beneath her dangling strands of hair, and said with as much emotion as she could muster, "It'd be my honor."
With that weight off their shoulders, Mei and Suzuran were more comfortable with one another around her grandfather. Still, they were always respectful, saving anything that went beyond holding hands for those few moments when her grandfather wasn't awake. However, Mei couldn't deny how liberating it was that she didn't have to keep their relationship a secret, and Mei was glad that Suzuran was slowly coming out of her shell, if only in her and her grandfather's presence. But the problem with vacations is that they eventually had to end, and soon Suzuran was back on a plane, and Mei was alone with her grandfather and Harumi for company. But that didn't stop them from maintaining their relationship. They were already used to being separated and talking over the phone or computer, and Mei still made her visits to Hawaii as a guest of the Shiraho's like normal.
Although Mei and Suzuran did make sure not to do anything in the house or anywhere they could get caught, that didn't stop them from trying.
But, regardless of their efforts, one day, when they snuck away to hold each other in Mei's room while her parents were out, Suzuran's brothers found out. At first, they were shocked, but after a long talk and several oaths of silence from the two of them, the two men never said anything and supported them wholeheartedly, and Mei thought that she and Suzuran were in it for the long haul. Sure their trips ended up being less frequent given that Mei was finishing high school and Suzuran had started college, but things were good. Mei's grandfather always welcomed her and even though Mei didn't want to tell her father, she did by accidentally telling him that she had a girlfriend and when he heard the news her father said he was happy for her and couldn't wait to meet Suzuran the next time they were all in town.
But then her grandfather got sick, and Mei ended up spending much of her free time taking care of him while her father jumped from one contract to another. Suzuran's school life picked up, and though she often called, she soon couldn't make any visits due to the pressures from her family and the amount of work she had to finish.
She sent gifts and medicines and other things she thought would help, and Mei was grateful. Suzuran even sent her loads of letters and pictures, but they weren't the same as having her there. She missed Suzuran, and so did her grandfather.
Up until he went into the hospital, he often asked about how they were, and while Mei put up a front, she felt like he knew she was lying but never pushed her to answer him.
Sometimes, she wished he had; maybe then she would have vented her frustrations about once again feeling cast aside by someone she loved and forced her to do something, but he didn't. Instead, as he had with many things, he gave her a choice, and she chose to internalize everything and push people away.
So it came as no surprise to her one day that she realized she hadn't spoken to Suzuran in almost two months and that she was numb to this realization. So once again, Mei found herself alone until the day of her grandfather's funeral. Following her grandfather's wishes, the funeral was for family only, and regardless of how fond her grandfather felt about Suzuran, Mei hadn't invited her.
That decision, along with Amamiya and settling her grandfather's estate, became the final nail in the coffin, and Mei hadn't heard from Suzuran until the moment she began throwing rocks at Suzuran and her brothers.
And while she let out a deep sigh as she laid back on her hotel bed and stared up at the ceiling, Mei found herself hoping she could do right by her former lover, even if it were only to ease her guilty conscience.
"So when did you want to meet again," asked Mei as she began slowly swinging her feet. "I'm busy working on that project, and I have a few meetings tomorrow, but I should be available by Friday night. But just a heads up, I'm leaving late Saturday night, so I have to be careful with my time."
"I understand." Suzuran sounded relieved, and Mei was wondering if she was making the right decision in seeing her. "Friday evening should work fine. I'm free then. But can I make a request if we manage to have dinner?"
"I'm guessing that it'll have something to do with there being no alcohol," grunted Mei as she finished getting dressed and began prepping her laptop and other equipment.
"If that's a problem." Mei could hear the reservation but wasn't going to argue. "You know I don't drink very often, and I'd rather us be sober for whatever happens, but I won't deny you a glass of wine or two. It might help, but I ask that we limit it to only a couple."
"I think that's reasonable," Mei grunted at the light from her screen, slipped on her blue light glasses, and blinked back the pain as she scrolled through her emails and stopped when she saw an unfamiliar address. "Where do you want to meet? Here at my hotel, or do you have a restaurant in mind?"
"I know of a few nice places that aren't owned by my family," offered Suzuran after discussing something quietly with one of her assistants. "I'll call them and see if they have any tables available and send you the information once I know."
"That works," replied Mei distractedly before giggling at a picture of Yuzu and Harumi wearing costumes in her living room. At the same time, Henry sat on the couch with a game controller in his hand, looking annoyed at being interrupted.
"What's so funny," inquired Suzuran after hearing Mei's chuckle. "Did I say something amusing?"
"No, no," said Mei typing a reply to the email address before turning on her drawing software. "Just a...friend sent me a funny picture of her and my friend Harumi. You remember her, right?"
"The rather buxom girl with brown hair and the rather intimidating older sister with the tattoos that was studying law when I last visited? Yes, I remember her."
Mei couldn't tell if Suzuran was upset or if she was being cold for the sake of being funny but decided to tread carefully as she said, "That's her, we have a mutual friend who works with people in the arts like me and helped me find one of my grandfather's paintings that was stolen."
"I see." Suzuran's voice was softer, but Mei could hear she was still uncertain on how to take this news.
Mei knew she'd been intimidated by Harumi during the few times they'd met and wasn't looking forward to having to discuss this part of her life, seeing as how they were no longer dating, but part of her felt she at least owed Suzuran some explanation.
"Well, I hope you'll allow me to see the picture, granted your friends are comfortable with it, and I am happy that you finally got one of those paintings back. I bet that's a big weight off your shoulders, even if it's only one of a couple of dozen."
"I am," sighed Mei in relief that she hadn't gotten too upset. "But I do have to get to work, and I'll ask my friends if they're okay with it and if they say yes, I'll show you when I see you."
"Very good," replied Suzuran stiffly. "I'll talk to you soon."
Before Mei could say goodbye, the line died, and she let out a sigh and set her phone on the table and answered a few emails that contained some sketches for her team lead before looking back at the picture and smirked.
Despite Henry's background appearance and the living room not having great lighting, Mei liked the pirate costumes Yuzu and Harumi were wearing.
While they probably wouldn't fit the setting, Mei found the look intriguing. She was sure her coworkers and lead would give her some flack for it. Still, Mei felt inspired and began working on a design, albeit with less cleavage on Harumi's costumes and plenty of changes to avoid any legal issues regarding likeness or copyright infringements.
"Not bad," she said after fixing the tricorn hat Yuzu had been wearing into something more akin to a tophat, though she didn't scrimp on the decoration and felt pleased with her decision and sent off the sketches along with some of her other ideas.
"Time for a break." Mei stretched her arms above her head, yawned loudly, realized it was almost dinner time, and placed a takeout order.
When she finished ordering, she plugged in her earbuds and began working on another rough draft when her ringtone blared in her ears making her jump.
Glancing over at the screen, Mei's face lit up when she saw Yuzu's number on the screen and wasted no time in picking it up.
"Hello," she asked politely, trying to ignore the sounds of Matsuri and the others arguing over something in the background.
"Yo," said Yuzu playfully. Mei heard the sound of a door slide open and then shut, and the shouts all but disappeared, replaced by the ambient noise of traffic and wind. "What you up to? I'm not interrupting, am I?"
"No," said Mei as she began working again. "I'm just doing some work right now, using that picture you sent me, by the way."
"Oh really," asked Yuzu, her voice filled with laughter. "So does that mean Harumi and I are going to be in the game somewhere? Can I see what you're drawing?"
"Afraid not," grunted Mei as she worked on her jungle scenery. "Non-disclosure agreement until the game is out and putting direct copies of you and Harumi in would mean they'd have to pay you two likeness fees."
"Dang," said Yuzu with a fake sigh. "I was hoping to see myself as a sexy pirate. I didn't overstep by sending that though did I? We've been having a bit of a party, and Harumi wanted to try on the costumes, and to get the picture, I had to lend out my phone and the only one who'd do it was Matsuri.
"That explains a lot. I know I wouldn't want a picture of me in that outfit floating around out there, especially if Matsuri was the one behind the camera." Mei sat back and stared out the window and got up when she saw a break in the clouds. After grabbing her sketchbook, she decided to sit on the balcony chair and get some fresh air as she worked.
"Well, it's not like we haven't taken pictures in outfits like that before," chuckled Yuzu, and Mei's ears burned and tried to focus more on what Yuzu was doing at that moment instead of picturing her in a revealing outfit. "But, yeah, I should probably delete the photo after making sure Matsuri didn't use my phone to send it to anyone else. I didn't even want her to send it to you, but I'm hoping that you'll forgive me since it helped you with your work."
"That's still up for debate," chuckled Mei as she sketched the skyline. "But how many costumes like that do you have?"
"Not a whole lot, but I have a few," yawned Yuzu, and Mei heard something scraping on the ground. "Why you want more pictures? If so, I'm going to have to charge you."
"Let's not go that far." Mei's mouth split into a small smile. "But if you're okay with it, could I use you as a model for them and maybe Henry or a few of the others if they'll fit into them. While I can't say what I'm working on, I will say that most of its scenery but adding in possible designs and outfits can help me flesh it out. I can pay you for your time if that helps, won't be much, but give me a number, and I'll see what I can do. I just need to see if the company will reimburse me if I claim it's for business purposes."
"I'm not cheap," giggled Yuzu before saying something to Henry that she'd be in to eat in a minute and that she was talking to Mei.
"Hi, Mei," said Henry so loudly that Mei winced a little. "I'm gonna buy that game you're working on, and Yuzu told me to ask you if you'd sign a comic a friend of mine has that you did the cover for."
"Henry, you've already told her…"
"Tell him it's fine," said Mei with a bit of a sad smile. "I don't know why he likes telling people he knows me and why people want my autograph, but if he can get it, I'll do it."
"She said it's fine," sighed Yuzu, but Mei could hear a chuckle. "Now go inside please, I'm trying to have a conversation."
"Okay. Bye, Mei!"
Mei didn't bother saying goodbye but waited patiently for Yuzu to finish whatever she was doing and relaxed when Yuzu said, "Sorry about that. I know I've said it before, but he's just excited to have a friend in two industries he's obsessed with. If you want me to tell him to stop, I will since I know it can be a little off-putting."
"There's no reason to apologize," said Mei sincerely. "I've told you that, but you did say you'd tell me what that's about. Did he give you permission?'
"Uhh, one second."
Mei heard the door open, and more noise filter out, and Yuzu loudly ask, "Henry?! Can I tell Mei about…."
There was a moment and heard Henry ask, "What are you doing? Why are you hitting your head?"
"Hold on." The phone went silent, and Mei wondered if Yuzu had hung up on her, but when Yuzu's voice came back five minutes later, she felt relief wash over her. "Sorry, I had to explain things to him, and that can take a bit. Luckily, he understood and said yes but just asked to do it when he's not home since he doesn't want to be bugged. So I guess, if you want, you can um, come over on a weekend when he's out with his friends, and we can go through the clothes and stuff. Watch a movie, eat some food, maybe you can even give me another drawing lesson. I've been practicing, but I don't think I've made much progress, so go easy on me."
"I'm not going to promise that," chuckled Mei as she returned to the room to get a drink of water to settle her nerves. "But what I can promise is to help you cook and give you some constructive criticism."
"I'll take it."
They both laughed, and Mei heard her hotel phone ring and sighed, knowing that it meant she had to hang up.
"I hate to do this, but I've got to get going. Some food I ordered is here, and I need to get back to work after eating. But I'll talk to you soon, and I'll be back in town this weekend so we can schedule a meeting then."
"Sounds good," said Yuzu happily. "Enjoy your food, and I can't wait to hang out. I'll make sure to figure out something tasty to eat! Have a good night!"
"Good night, Yuzu."
After hanging up, Mei retrieved her food from the lobby and returned to her room. Once seated, Mei began eating as she worked, happy that she was making some progress with Yuzu but unable to fight the dread building up in the pit of her stomach about what Suzuran would do when they finally met up.
Some notes
Hair of the Dog means drinking an alcoholic beverage while hungover to help with the hangover.
And yes, I know they aren't Suzuran's brothers, but if I'm going with the Yakuza theme, it's in reference to how in anime and manga, Yakuza people call each other "bro" and stuff. Also, I think it works as a cover story for them hanging around her all the time.