Disclaimer: The characters of "You're Under Arrest" belong to Kosuke Fujishima, Bandai, TBS and other related firms. Keitaro and Aunt Asuza were my creation.
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Note:
" ... " - talking out loud
.... - thoughts
( .... ) - author's thoughts
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Yoriko was so shocked to witness a furious Aoi. Kuso! I can't understand him. Why was he so mad? she wondered. It seemed that she was seeing a different side of Aoi. She turned to look at Keitaro with question in her eyes. "Why did you kiss me? Did I do or say something that prompted you to do it?" she inquired of him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Why was Aoi so mad at me? Tell me, please... I don't understand," she pleaded, her voice breaking.
Keitaro wanted so much to gather her in his arms and comfort her, but he knew that was the last thing she would welcome now. "You didn't do anything wrong, Yoriko. I just wanted to kiss you... the feeling came over me even yesterday and it's just now that acted on it. I really wanted to know if your lips were as sweet as I imagined them to be," he confessed while nursing his broken nose. "I don't think Aoi is really mad at you, seems more like, he's mad at himself." Keitaro explained with a slight grimace on his face as he approached her.
She took one step backwards as she saw him advance, "What do you mean by Aoi being mad at himself? That is even more ridiculous than the fact that he was mad at me!" She exclaimed, getting more confused by the minute. She was starting to panic as he closed the distance between them. She just didn't know what to do anymore. She had never been in such situation before.
"Please, Yoriko, don't be afraid of me," he muttered and stopped his advance, head hanging down dismally. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I'll go and talk to Aoi. He should apologize to you. He was way over his head when he accused you of being a flirt. That is one thing you are not!" he declared. "That is also one thing that drew me to you. You weren't like the other women I've met. They almost always throw themselves right at me. Most of them would scream, swoon or even flirt outrageously... not even giving time for us to be introduced properly. I guess when I met you and you didn't react the way I thought you would, it was a heady experience, coupled with the fact that I really find you attractive, I just lost my head." He gently explained, a bit embarrassed for admitting it to her. "I'll bring back Aoi here ready with his apologies," he left the office and slowly closed the door behind him.
Yoriko sat in her chair still dazed. But it didn't take long for things that happened in just two days to come crashing down on her. She just broke down and cried for full 5 minutes before she can pull herself together. Two days and all these had already happened! she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Oh my god!" she gasped out loud. Masaka! she shook her head vigorously. It just can't be true! she denied. He can't be jealous of Keitaro, can he? she wondered. She stared blankly at her computer monitor while thoughts of a jealous Aoi were buzzing through her head.
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Meanwhile, Aoi stormed out of the station and let his rioting emotions calm down with a breath of fresh morning air. The scene of Keitaro and Yoriko kissing kept playing in his mind. What really galled him the most was the fact that Keitaro could have any girl he wanted, why did he have to pick on Yoriko? She might be vivacious and gossipy but despite that, she was still naïve when it came to matters of the heart. He took a deep breath and shook his head to clear such thoughts. Darn it! Why am I thinking of her a lot lately? I'm not interested in her, am I? his eyes widened at that thought. No way!! I'm just being concerned. She's my partner and a dear friend. YES! That's all she really is to me. He convinced himself with that.
"Aoi-kun! Why the heck did you punch me?!" Keitaro demanded of him as Aoi spotted his cousin coming towards him still nursing his nose. He stomped over to Aoi and suddenly punched him in the gut. "That's for breaking my nose!" and punched again, "and that's for accusing Yoriko and making her cry!" He was satisfied to see Aoi doubling over. "How am I supposed to explain my nose next week to my agent? Have you goddamned forgotten that I have to shoot another commercial next week? You should have told me in the first place that Yoriko is your girlfriend, then I wouldn't have made a move on her." He lashed at Aoi verbally. "She's the first woman I've met since I started my career in commercial modeling who didn't hang on to me in our first meeting. And I do find her attractive, couz." He turned his back on Aoi as he said that last part.
Aoi looked up at him and slowly straightened himself up still holding his belly, grimacing in pain. "I know, Kei-kun. I can tell. And she's not my girlfriend. She's a dear friend though and I just know how you are. You easily get tired and leave your woman on a lurch. I don't want you to do that to her." Still denying the contradicting emotions within him as he said this. "And I can't for the life of me, understand why you took a modeling career when you're doing great as a corporate lawyer." He shook his said and looked at his cousin in wonder.
Keitaro glanced back at him and grinned, "well, being a lawyer can be so boring with all the legalities and everything... modeling gave me the opportunity to get out of the routine." He sighed inwardly when he realized that Aoi had calmed down already. "But I had to admit though, it was the easiest way to get my pick of women. Unfortunately, it turned out to be such a pain in the neck," he frowned and scratched the back of his head in annoyance. Draping his arm over Aoi's shoulders, he nudged him back inside the station. "Come on, man, you need to apologize to Yoriko. It wasn't her fault, couz. I was the one who kissed her. She didn't flirt with me, that's for sure. If there was ever a time when I would wish for a woman to flirt with me, this would be IT." He sighed in regret.
"I guess I over-reacted about the whole scene," Aoi admitted sheepishly. "I should have known better. We've been partners for almost forever and I've never seen her yet flirt with any man. Not even the time when there was an actor who came to the station." He chuckled at that memory. "Although her being a nosey-body is very annoying... the worse of it is, she couldn't even get some of her gossips right," he sniggered.
"So... she's not your girlfriend at all?" Keitaro asked warily, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Ahh... of course, not." Aoi exclaimed suddenly feeling foolish for going postal over such a trivial thing.
"So it's perfectly alright with you if I pursue her?" His cousin anxiously asked him. "I'm really interested in her, Aoi. And I want her to be my date to the upcoming cocktail party that Azusa-obasan set up for this weekend."
"Heck, no!" he laughingly replied, "it's absolutely okay with me." Outwardly, it really did seem that he was amenable to this idea. But inside, he winced at the thought and a nagging tiny voice kept telling him that what he said was an outright lie.
"Phew!" Keitaro wiped his imaginary sweat on his forehead with the back of his right hand and thumped Aoi on the back. "I'm really glad to hear that. You had me worried there for a while."
Think! Think! I have to find a way to discourage him. Yoriko is so naive when it comes to the matters of the heart that I can't, with a clear conscience, allow her to be taken in by my fickle cousin. Aoi tried to convince himself that he was only thinking this to spare her from any possible heartache. But if he would just admit to himself and examine his feelings closely, he would find that he was way off his mark.
"Yoriko as your date??!" He laughed out loud, making it obvious how ridiculous he found that idea.. "I definitely doubt that she has anything remotely decent to wear on a cocktail party. You do know that Aunt Azusa always throws a lavish party, right? She'd stand out like a sore thumb." However true this statement was, he still grimaced inwards for ridiculing his partner to his cousin.
"Well, I'm not worried. I'll think of something to fix that," a determined Keitaro replied. "Just wait and see. Oh she will definitely stand out. I promise you that." He swore with a gleam in his eyes as he walked out of the station.
Aoi stared dumbly at the retreating back of his cousin as he digested Keitaro's words. Oh no! I think I've made things worst! He groaned as he dropped his head on his left hand and shook his head in defeat.
--to be continued.
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Note:
" ... " - talking out loud
.... - thoughts
( .... ) - author's thoughts
****
Yoriko was so shocked to witness a furious Aoi. Kuso! I can't understand him. Why was he so mad? she wondered. It seemed that she was seeing a different side of Aoi. She turned to look at Keitaro with question in her eyes. "Why did you kiss me? Did I do or say something that prompted you to do it?" she inquired of him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Why was Aoi so mad at me? Tell me, please... I don't understand," she pleaded, her voice breaking.
Keitaro wanted so much to gather her in his arms and comfort her, but he knew that was the last thing she would welcome now. "You didn't do anything wrong, Yoriko. I just wanted to kiss you... the feeling came over me even yesterday and it's just now that acted on it. I really wanted to know if your lips were as sweet as I imagined them to be," he confessed while nursing his broken nose. "I don't think Aoi is really mad at you, seems more like, he's mad at himself." Keitaro explained with a slight grimace on his face as he approached her.
She took one step backwards as she saw him advance, "What do you mean by Aoi being mad at himself? That is even more ridiculous than the fact that he was mad at me!" She exclaimed, getting more confused by the minute. She was starting to panic as he closed the distance between them. She just didn't know what to do anymore. She had never been in such situation before.
"Please, Yoriko, don't be afraid of me," he muttered and stopped his advance, head hanging down dismally. "I'm so sorry for what happened. I'll go and talk to Aoi. He should apologize to you. He was way over his head when he accused you of being a flirt. That is one thing you are not!" he declared. "That is also one thing that drew me to you. You weren't like the other women I've met. They almost always throw themselves right at me. Most of them would scream, swoon or even flirt outrageously... not even giving time for us to be introduced properly. I guess when I met you and you didn't react the way I thought you would, it was a heady experience, coupled with the fact that I really find you attractive, I just lost my head." He gently explained, a bit embarrassed for admitting it to her. "I'll bring back Aoi here ready with his apologies," he left the office and slowly closed the door behind him.
Yoriko sat in her chair still dazed. But it didn't take long for things that happened in just two days to come crashing down on her. She just broke down and cried for full 5 minutes before she can pull herself together. Two days and all these had already happened! she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Oh my god!" she gasped out loud. Masaka! she shook her head vigorously. It just can't be true! she denied. He can't be jealous of Keitaro, can he? she wondered. She stared blankly at her computer monitor while thoughts of a jealous Aoi were buzzing through her head.
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Meanwhile, Aoi stormed out of the station and let his rioting emotions calm down with a breath of fresh morning air. The scene of Keitaro and Yoriko kissing kept playing in his mind. What really galled him the most was the fact that Keitaro could have any girl he wanted, why did he have to pick on Yoriko? She might be vivacious and gossipy but despite that, she was still naïve when it came to matters of the heart. He took a deep breath and shook his head to clear such thoughts. Darn it! Why am I thinking of her a lot lately? I'm not interested in her, am I? his eyes widened at that thought. No way!! I'm just being concerned. She's my partner and a dear friend. YES! That's all she really is to me. He convinced himself with that.
"Aoi-kun! Why the heck did you punch me?!" Keitaro demanded of him as Aoi spotted his cousin coming towards him still nursing his nose. He stomped over to Aoi and suddenly punched him in the gut. "That's for breaking my nose!" and punched again, "and that's for accusing Yoriko and making her cry!" He was satisfied to see Aoi doubling over. "How am I supposed to explain my nose next week to my agent? Have you goddamned forgotten that I have to shoot another commercial next week? You should have told me in the first place that Yoriko is your girlfriend, then I wouldn't have made a move on her." He lashed at Aoi verbally. "She's the first woman I've met since I started my career in commercial modeling who didn't hang on to me in our first meeting. And I do find her attractive, couz." He turned his back on Aoi as he said that last part.
Aoi looked up at him and slowly straightened himself up still holding his belly, grimacing in pain. "I know, Kei-kun. I can tell. And she's not my girlfriend. She's a dear friend though and I just know how you are. You easily get tired and leave your woman on a lurch. I don't want you to do that to her." Still denying the contradicting emotions within him as he said this. "And I can't for the life of me, understand why you took a modeling career when you're doing great as a corporate lawyer." He shook his said and looked at his cousin in wonder.
Keitaro glanced back at him and grinned, "well, being a lawyer can be so boring with all the legalities and everything... modeling gave me the opportunity to get out of the routine." He sighed inwardly when he realized that Aoi had calmed down already. "But I had to admit though, it was the easiest way to get my pick of women. Unfortunately, it turned out to be such a pain in the neck," he frowned and scratched the back of his head in annoyance. Draping his arm over Aoi's shoulders, he nudged him back inside the station. "Come on, man, you need to apologize to Yoriko. It wasn't her fault, couz. I was the one who kissed her. She didn't flirt with me, that's for sure. If there was ever a time when I would wish for a woman to flirt with me, this would be IT." He sighed in regret.
"I guess I over-reacted about the whole scene," Aoi admitted sheepishly. "I should have known better. We've been partners for almost forever and I've never seen her yet flirt with any man. Not even the time when there was an actor who came to the station." He chuckled at that memory. "Although her being a nosey-body is very annoying... the worse of it is, she couldn't even get some of her gossips right," he sniggered.
"So... she's not your girlfriend at all?" Keitaro asked warily, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Ahh... of course, not." Aoi exclaimed suddenly feeling foolish for going postal over such a trivial thing.
"So it's perfectly alright with you if I pursue her?" His cousin anxiously asked him. "I'm really interested in her, Aoi. And I want her to be my date to the upcoming cocktail party that Azusa-obasan set up for this weekend."
"Heck, no!" he laughingly replied, "it's absolutely okay with me." Outwardly, it really did seem that he was amenable to this idea. But inside, he winced at the thought and a nagging tiny voice kept telling him that what he said was an outright lie.
"Phew!" Keitaro wiped his imaginary sweat on his forehead with the back of his right hand and thumped Aoi on the back. "I'm really glad to hear that. You had me worried there for a while."
Think! Think! I have to find a way to discourage him. Yoriko is so naive when it comes to the matters of the heart that I can't, with a clear conscience, allow her to be taken in by my fickle cousin. Aoi tried to convince himself that he was only thinking this to spare her from any possible heartache. But if he would just admit to himself and examine his feelings closely, he would find that he was way off his mark.
"Yoriko as your date??!" He laughed out loud, making it obvious how ridiculous he found that idea.. "I definitely doubt that she has anything remotely decent to wear on a cocktail party. You do know that Aunt Azusa always throws a lavish party, right? She'd stand out like a sore thumb." However true this statement was, he still grimaced inwards for ridiculing his partner to his cousin.
"Well, I'm not worried. I'll think of something to fix that," a determined Keitaro replied. "Just wait and see. Oh she will definitely stand out. I promise you that." He swore with a gleam in his eyes as he walked out of the station.
Aoi stared dumbly at the retreating back of his cousin as he digested Keitaro's words. Oh no! I think I've made things worst! He groaned as he dropped his head on his left hand and shook his head in defeat.
--to be continued.