The Other Takino

Not-as-Thrilling-as-Advertised
9. Breakfast at Torako's

Rated: M - English - Humor/Drama - Reviews: 77 - Updated: 11-02-10 - Published: 05-09-08 - id:4246838

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Apparently in Asagi's world "as soon as possible" translated to "next week," because that was when she actually crawled out of bed before the sun rose and headed out with her bag of smut supplies. Since Torako and Oikawa had both flatly refused to carry out the plan this time, that left things up to her. She'd briefly wondered if she'd be able to draw Maiko into the fold, but she was pretty sure that she'd never liked her all that much anyway. And besides, the day after Asagi began eating lunch with Torako, Maiko had basically recited all of the "Takino is a no-good delinquent" rumors they'd all heard as though they were established fact. Asagi doubted she'd want to get involved in a war fought on her behalf.

As she made her way to school in the pre-dawn gloom Asagi cursed her newfound sense of conscience. She knew she couldn't force Oikawa into it because as meek as she looked, that girl was too assertive to be badgered into doing something she didn't want to. Torako, however, had shown herself to be just enough of a pushover that while she might refuse and protest at first, all it took was the right amount of prodding and she'd do whatever Asagi wanted. Problem was, she was starting to feel bad about taking advantage of that. If this was growing up, Asagi wanted no part of it.

Though she'd said that she'd been putting off doing this for a week to lull Ohzawa into a false sense of victory, she'd been procrastinating precisely because she didn't want to get up this early. Sure, it was quiet, calm, a pretty shade of blue, and all that stuff that Torako had said it was. Of course Torako would put all that first, seeing it as an artist. Asagi wasn't an artist, so she saw what was more important, and what was more important was that she was tired. That, and she felt like an idiot walking down the street at this hour with a bag full of dildos. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if a cop thought she looked suspicious and demanded to see what she was carrying. Seeing their reaction would almost be worth dying of embarassment.

When she got to the school Asagi hesitated before going in. Normally she had somebody to back her up, but now she was going into a prank solo, and she was coming up with a pretty short list of ways to bullshit her way out of a punishment if she got busted walking around the school at dawn with a sack of fake penises. No matter how one looked at it, there wasn't really a reasonable explanation for that sort of behavior. Casting furtive glances down the hall, she hurried to the shoe lockers and found Ohzawa's. Okay, almost done. Asagi listened for footsteps as she opened the locker and began stuffing dildos in. First she stuck one in each shoe, then piled all the rest in so they would fall out when it was opened. Then, mission accomplished, she stuffed the bag in the trash and got the heck out of there.

Asagi breathed a sigh of relief when she was back out on the street. She checked her phone and swore. Why had she listened to those two bozos? She had over an hour before she usually got up, let alone started off for school. Well duh you idiot, she thought, it takes a lot longer to fill a locker with mud than with sex toys. Why'd you give yourself so much wiggle room? She found herself wishing Torako was here. She would have planned it better. Or was she just assuming that? Well, she'd planned the last one, hadn't she? Asagi put aside those thoughts and headed back on her usual route home. What was she going to do for the next hour?

Someone was kicking her foot. "Hey. Hey, wake up."

Asagi opened her eyes to see a groggy-looking Torako standing above her. "Oh, good morning."

"What are you doing in our yard?" Torako asked.

Asagi got to her feet and stretched. "I thought I'd walk to school with you today."

Torako sighed and motioned for her to come inside. "So you got here god knows how early and slept on the lawn?"

"Well, I went to carry out my mission, and I guess I got up a little too early."

When they got to the kitchen Torako's mother Nao looked up from her breakfast. "Good morning Asagi," she said. "Enjoy your nap?"

"A pillow would have been nice," Asagi said.

"Oh, well next time you can just feel free to come in and steal Torako's bed."

"Hey," Torako said from the refigerator.

"Don't worry Tora-chan, I'd let you stay," Asagi said, and she and Nao both laughed as Torako's face turned red.

"TODAY I HAVE DECIDED ON THESE PANTIES!" came a shout from upstairs. Torako hung her head and Asagi laughed.

"Does she do that often?" Asagi asked.

"Every. Day." Torako raised her head and looked at her mother. "Can you please do something about that?" she pleaded.

Her mother shrugged and sipped her coffee. "I don't know, I think it's funny. And besides, it keeps us up to speed." She turned to look at Torako. "So what panties have you decided on today?"

"Let's check!" Tomo had reached the kitchen. She got dressed pretty fast, it seemed.

"Let's not," Torako said, looking to Asagi as if for support.

"I don't know, I'm kind of curious myself," Asagi said.

"Oh ho!" Nao exclaimed. "Seven-kinky! C'mon Tora-chan three to one, let's see 'em!"

"We wanna see!" Tomo pounded on the table.

Torako spluttered. "Wha . . . no! What is wrong with you two?"

Nao looked at Asagi and pointed at her taller daughter. "Asagi-chan, go lift up her skirt."

Torako flipped on the kitchen faucet and pulled up the hose. "Don't even try it" she warned, pointing the spray nozzle at her friend like a pistol.

Asagi laughed nervously. "Ah, I think I'll pass. I think she's been embarassed enough already."

Torako lowered the sprayer and turned off the faucet. "Thank you."

Nao sighed. "I suppose you're right. Torako never could keep up with the rest of us."

Torako began spreading butter on her toast when it popped up. "Why, because I'm not assbat crazy?"

Nao shrugged. "Pretty much." She turned to Asagi then. "Oh, are you hungry?"

She shook her head. "Oh no, I'm fine. I ate before I left home."

"When was that, last night?"

"Feels like it," Asagi said and yawned. She turned to Torako. "I wouldn't have gotten up so early if you'd agreed to come with me."

Torako gave her a Not in front of my mom, you idiot look as they both sat down.

"Oh, you mean for that prank you were planning?" Nao asked.

They both looked at her in surprise, then glared at Tomo.

"I told her," Tomo said, completely unapologetic.

Torako got to her feet. "You . . . !"

Nao just sipped her coffee. "I don't know what you two are up to, but if you get caught I'm going to kick both your asses."

"Are you sure you could take Torako, mom?" Tomo asked as she chewed her breakfast.

Nao looked appraisingly at Torako. "I'd use the shovel," she finally said.

"TAKINO!"

Torako was finishing putting on her inside shoes when she heard Ohzawa scream her name. Based on the commotion, she guessed Asagi's prank was a success. As she stood up Ohzawa came charging around the corner. "You're dead!" she snarled.

Around them students were backing away, not wanting to get get caught up in anything but not wanting to miss seeing a fight either. Torako stood her ground.

Ohzawa was almost to her when she was stopped from behind by Mifune. "Are you insane?" he demanded. "You can't get in a fight at school you idiot!"

Ohzawa thrashed as she was dragged backwards. "Let me go asshole!"

As Hagiwara pushed through the crowd and helped Mifune try to calm Ohzawa down Torako picked up her bag and got out of there before any faculty showed up. Halfway through the crowd she found Asagi trying to get in the other direction.

"Come on, let's get to class," was all Torako said.

Ohzawa didn't show up for homeroom that day, and halfway through the school principal showed up in their room to speak with Torako again.

When she stepped into the principal's office Ohzawa was already there, along with a box full of the contents of her shoe locker. Torako was pushed into an empty chair. A little dramatic, don't you think? she thought as she watched the principal (what was his name again? Oh right, Watanabe) cross over to the other side of his desk.

"Care to explain this?" he asked finally.

Torako shrugged. "Not really," she said. "Why, should I?"

Ohzawa opened her mouth but a glance from Watanabe shut her up. "Ohzawa-san here tells me you put these in her locker."

Torako sighed and looked at her, then at the box. "Again? I've never seen those before."

"You're lying!" Ohzawa said.

"Maybe it was the same person who filled your locker with mud," Torako offered.

"That was you too!" Ohzawa insisted.

Torako shook her head in feigned exasperation.

"Was that you?" Watanabe asked.

She sighed again. "No, it wasn't. I thought we'd already established that."

Watanabe nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"And you can ask Ayase if I did anything to Ohzawa's locker today, too. She'll tell you I just went straight to my own to switch shoes, just like every day."

"All that means is that you came in early and then left to come back at your normal time," Ohzawa grumbled.

Torako allowed herself a laugh. "Ohzawa, have you ever heard of Occam's Razor?" An idea came to her then. "You should be familiar with razors, after all."

Ohzawa glared daggers at her.

Watanabe apparently picked up on the hinted accusation, because he leaned over the desk. "Something I should be hearing about?"

Torako didn't take her eyes off of Ohzawa. "Watanabe-san, Ohzawa can't prove that I pulled either of those pranks, because I didn't." She turned to the principal and reached into her pocket. "But I can prove that she stole my shoes and shredded them with a razor."

Torako didn't know it was possible for Watanabe to look even more serious than he usually did. He looked at a suddenly very pale Ohzawa. "Is this true?"

Torako finished pulling up the picture of her shoes on her phone and handed it across the desk. "Her handwriting is written all over them," she said. "I can call my mom and have her bring them in if you want to see them yourself."

Beside her Ohzawa looked terrified. She was in trouble now, and she knew it.

"I think that would be a good idea," Watanabe said.

When Torako finally returned to class (sans Ohzawa) halfway through second period Asagi and Oikawa both looked at her as though demanding an explanation of what happened. She simply waved at them and went to her desk. I can't just tell you in the middle of class, smart ones.

"What happened? Where's Ohzawa?" Asagi demanded as soon as they got to the changing room for PE.

Torako turned her back on Kusanagi-sensei and pulled her top up over her head. She couldn't really wear her gym clothes under her uniform. "Suspended," was all she said.

Asagi gasped and smiled. "What? Really?"

Torako nodded and straightened her gym shirt. "I told the principal about what she did to my shoes and then had my mom bring them in to prove it."

Oikawa sighed. "When you were gone for so long I was almost afraid you'd gotten in trouble or something."

Torako just shrugged and smiled quietly as she dropped her skirt. "Why would I?" she asked. "I didn't do anything."

Asagi nodded. "Still, when he pulled you out of homeroom like that we couldn't help but worry."

Torako sat down and waited for Asagi and Oikawa to finish changing. "Anyway, Ohzawa won't be coming back for at least a week. They were still working that out when they let me go." She adjusted her gym shorts. "Apparently Watanabe's taking what she did pretty seriously."

"Good," Asagi said as she finished changing. "If it were up to me she'd get jail time."

Oikawa shut her locker. "Well, if she keeps pulling stunts like that . . ."

It was decided that they'd eat lunch on the roof that day to celebrate their victory (Asagi had insisted on sharing the credit, citing her insistance that Torako take the pictures). As they all sat down on their usual bench and Torako lit a cigarette Asagi turned to Oikawa.

"So what happened when she opened the locker?" she asked almost immediately.

Oikawa giggled around her sandwich. "Avalanche of dicks," she said when she finished chewing and swallowed. "They all came spilling out everywhere, how many did you buy?"

"I didn't really count 'em," Torako said as she tried to smoke and eat at the same time.

Oikawa shot her a sympathetic look before continuing. "Anyway everyone starts laughing, and she just stands there and stares for a few seconds before her face turns red and you can see she's getting really pissed. Then she screams 'Takino!' and runs off."

Torako nodded. "I know that part."

"Did she take a swing at you? I couldn't get over there in time to see anything."

She shook her head. "No, she almost did but her two cronies managed to hold her back. So I got out of there before the heat showed up."

"What would you have done if she had?" Oikawa asked.

Torako shrugged. "I don't know, probably just push her down like last time. I'm not about to get in a fight at school again." She took a drag from her cigarette and blew a long stream of smoke. "My parents would kill me, for one thing."

"Really?" Asagi asked. "I don't know about your dad, but your mom seems pretty laid back."

She shook her head. "Not about getting in fights." When she finished eating she got up and went to the railing at the edge of the roof and looked out over the grounds.

"So what now?" Oikawa asked to no one in particular. "Does this mean we won the war?"

Torako shrugged and turned to lean back against the railing. "I certainly hope so." She turned her eyes up to the leaden sky. It was definitely getting on towards the rainy season now.

Asagi pretended to pout. "And we didn't even get to use Yuko-chan's idea."

"Good," Torako said.

"Well, we could always kick her while she's down," Asagi said, "to really drive the point home not to mess with us." She was quiet for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject. "Hey, let's all go eat somewhere after school."

"Ooh, I have to go help at my parents' clinic," Oikawa said with a wince.

Asagi stuck her tongue out at her and turned to Torako, who shrugged. "Yeah, okay."

"And then afterwards you can let me see your homework," Asagi slipped in.

Torako frowned a little more than usual. "What was that?"

She shrugged and wrapped up her empty lunchbox. "Nothing, I just don't feel like doing my homework tonight."

Torako and Oikawa both sighed. "If you just copy from people your test scores are gonna tank," Oikawa said as she got up and stretched her arms.

"Ah, but if I copy from you and Tora-chan I'll get better scores on the assignments, so it evens out."

"It looks suspicious, is what it does," Torako pushed off from the railing with her elbows and took a few steps toward the bench.

"Oh lighten up, you two," Asagi said exasperatedly. "It's not like I'm gonna make a habit of it."

"You better not," Oikawa warned. "I'd stop letting you copy from me."

Asagi looked at Torako and grinned. "That's okay, I know Torako would let me see hers anyway."

Torako crossed her arms. "Says who?" she asked around her cigarette.

Asagi laughed. "Says me, uke. You're a pushover and you know it."

"You are pretty spineless," Oikawa said. "You really need to be more assertive."

Torako looked off to the side and blew smoke.

"Don't worry," Asagi said, "I promise I won't take advantage of your spinelessness."

"Gee, thanks," Torako said sarcastically. "A little late for that, don't you think?"

Asagi just smiled and shrugged.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"What's up?"

When Asagi found Torako at her shoe locker at the end of the day she was standing in front of it, staring at the white envelope perched atop her sneakers. As Asagi watched she reached in and took it out, staring at it as though it had just made a crude remark concerning her mother's sexual proclivities.

"Looks like somebody's getting popular!" Asagi said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Considering I got one of these just before this whole prank debacle started I think I'd rather not be." She folded the envelope in half and stuck it in her pocket before taking out her shoes and sitting down on the bench.

Asagi sat down beside her. "Can I see it?"

Torako looked at her. "Of course not."

"You're no fun."

Torako tied her shoes and stood up. "Besides, you probably put it there anyway." She put the inside shoes away, shut the locker, and picked up her bag. She glanced at Asagi as though expecting a response, but none came, so she just headed for the hallway.

When they were off school grounds Torako lit up. Before she put the pack away she shook it and made an angry sound.

"Almost out?" Asagi asked. "Sure is nice, not having an addiction to eat up all my yen . . ."

Torako's glare said it all: Shut it.

Asagi shrugged and looked up at the sky. "I suppose I could be a nice friend and get you some, but I'd need some form of compensation . . ."

"A real friend wouldn't need compensation," Torako grumbled.

Asagi laughed and patted her on the back. "Oh Tora-chan, you're so naive sometimes. If I started doing favors for someone without asking for anything in return, they'd just walk all over me."

Torako wondered if she should even bother pointing out how hypocritical she sounded just then.

"Anyway," Asagi continued, "it wouldn't be much. Just, say, a peek at your homework?"

Torako sighed. She probably would have let her see it anyway, after living with Tomo letting someone copy her homework had begun to come almost as naturally as breathing. Might as well get some free smokes out of it too. "Fine," she said, making sure to sound irritated. She had an image to uphold, after all.

Asagi clapped her hands together. "Hooray! Come on, there's a gas station with a machine down this way." As they took a detour from their usual route Asagi added, "How many packs would it cost me for a peek at that note?"

"Don't push it."