Long Vacation 7 Long Vacation
Part Seven
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Are we crazy for feeling this way
You used to laugh until you cried
You and I keeping the world at bay
We'd sit around all day

~Deeper And Deeper~ (CAGNET)
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(At a noodle stand in the morning)

"You guys did what?!!" Miyako shouted histerically with a smile as she stood up from her chair.
"Shh!!" Mimi said as she pulled her back down. "We kissed, and that was all! It didn't even last a second!"
"But still!" Miyako squealed. "It must have been so romantic!! Right?!"
"Somewhat.... But not really... It means nothing..." she shrugged.
"You lie!! A kiss never means NOTHING!!" Miyako said loudly and turned to the cook sitting beside them. "Right?!"
"Eh.. Right..." the man nodded with a confused smile.
"When you kiss a cousin or a brother it doesn't mean anything right?!" Mimi turned to him.
"Eh.. Right.." the man nodded again.
"But we're not talking about a cousin or a brother here, so it does right?!!" Miyako asked again.
"Eh... Right..."
"It doesn't matter if you don't feel anything right?!"
"Eh... Right..." the man nodded at Mimi's comments.
"Ah..." Miyako sighed. "Does Mimi-senpai has some kind of 'feelings' for Yamato?"
"No way!!" Mimi yelled. "We're just friends!!"
"And after last night..?"
"We are STILL friends!!"
"Oops!" Miyako said suddenly as she looked at her watch. "I have to help out in a fashion shoot in the park, you wanna come along?"
"Sure!"

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(In the park)

Mimii and Miyako swung themselves on the swing, eating ice cream, watching Hiroko as the centre of attention.
"She makes me sick," Mimi said with a disgusted face.
"How come you're eating ice cream and watching her at the same time?"
"Well," Mimi said. "Ice cream beats down all the hate I have for her so that I can control myself and NOT go there and yank that stupid blonde wig on her head."
"I don't think it's a wig..."
"Who cares. I'll yank it anyways.."
"Ah.. Good point."
Just then, a basket ball came flying their way and knocked Mimi down from the swing. Good thing she has finished her ice cream. She landed hard on the sand.Just before she was gonna get up, a hand was in front of her. When she looked up, she saw a man, with long straight black hair that fell just below the ear.
"I'm sorry about that.." the man with pleading eyes said. Mimi took his hand and wiped the sand from her pants.
"It's all right," Mimi laughed and then noticed he was staring at her.
"I think you look familiar..." he said. "Like I've seen your face before..."
"Oh!" Miyako interrupted. "She's the girl in the magazine who did the 'Pocari Sweat' advertisement."
"Ah yes," the man said. "And you also did the 'Nivea Lotion' commercial too if I'm not mistaken."
"Yeah," she nodded chuckling. "But that was a long time ago!"
"My name is Kurashige," the man said shaking her hand. "I'm a photographer."
"Nice to meet you!" Mimi said cheerfully. "My name is-"
"Mimi, and you're a model."
"Yeah.. How did you know?" she said a bit surprised. "Well, actually.. I'm not a model anymore.."
"You're not?"
"No..." she chuckled. "I was fired!"
"You were?"
"Yep" she nodded with a smile.
"So what do you do now?"
"I'm currently on a 'Looong Vacation'!"
They both giggled at her remark and then he passed the ball to her.
"You two up for a game of basketball?"
"Sure!!" Mimi and Miyako both exclaimed.
What Mimi didn't notice was that when she was busy playing basketball, Kurashige was busy taking pictures of her.

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(At the apartement)

"Tadaima!!!" Mimi greeted as Yamato passed her a can of beer.
"Welcome home.." then he studied her face carefully. "You're awfully cheery today.."
"Aren't I always?" she asked.
"Well.. Did something happen today?"
"I never realized how much I enjoyed playing basketball!!" Then, she took Yamato's hand and led him out "Come on!!"
"Wh-Where are we going?!"
"To the basketball court silly!!"

The two played basketball for about an hour or so just enjoying themselves.
"Yamato," Mimi said sitting on the court as Yamato kept shooting and playing. "Do you ever wonder about growing older?.."
"Sometimes," he said as he shot the ball in the hoop. "Why?"
"Well.. When I'm 64.. You'll be 65... Age wouldn't matter anymore..."
"So?"
"I think when I'm 64 and you're 65, I'd want to marry you! It wouldn't matter who's older or younger! Age wouldn't matter anymore!!"
"Er..." Yamato said with the ball in hand. "When I'm 65.. I'd want to marry someone who's... 66!"
"What difference does it make?!"
"Well.. For sure.. If she's older, she'd be more mature..." he teased.
"What are you saying huh?!"
"I'm saying that you talk too much and act like a little kid," he laughed as she grumbled a 'whatever'.

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(The next morning)

Mimi rushed out her room in her best bussiness suit.
"Another job interview?" Yamato said chewing on his toast.
"Wish me luck!!" she said with a thumbs up. "This is my 28th try!!"
"Good luck," Yamato said to her for the 28th time.
"Thanks!" she squealed as she glanced at her watch. "OMG!! I'll be late!! Bye!!!" With that she ruched out the door. Yamato just shook his head with a small chuckle.

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(In the office)

"Ah!!" Mimi squealed as she bumped into some guy, dropping all the papers he had in his hand.
"I'm SO sorry!!!" Mimi said kneeling down to pick up his papers.
"It's allright Mimi," a familiar voice said. She looked up and saw Kurashige.
"Kurashige!" Mimi said happily. "What are you doing here?!"
"Er.." he smiled. "I work here.."
"Ah..." she said and then laughed. "That was a stupid question!"
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm going for a job interview," she said witha smile.
"Ah..." he said with a smile. "Good luck!"
"Thanks!!" she said as she started to walk away.
"Wait Mimi!!" he said. She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Are you busy tonight?"

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(Later that afternoon)

"Tadaima!!"
"Hey," Yamato greeted. "How did the interview go?"
"It blows...." She sighed and threw her purse on the couch. "ANOTHER opportunity I messed up because they looked at my resume with that I don't think she's qualified' look!!"
"How do you know?"
"Hey!" she said. "I've been through more than 25 job interviews and the face he had given to me was the same as the others!" She sighed again then smiled. "Ah well... The good thing is.. That I have a date with a handsome man tonight!!"
"Handsome man?..." Yamato raised an eyebrow.
"We met yesterday when I went to the shooting with Miyako! His name is Kurashige!! He was really nice!! He played basketball with me!!"
"Oh," he said. "That's why you started to like basketball so much..."
"Na-ah!!" she complained. "I've had a lot in my mind lately and when I played basketball, it just made me relax again!"
"Oh.." Yamato just said in reply. "I see..."

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(Later that night)

Kurashige opened his car door for Mimi to get out. He had parked in front of the apartement.
"Thanks Kurashige," she giggled. "I had a really great time tonight!!"
"I'm glad," he smiled. "By the way, how was the interview?"
"Ugh," she made a face. "It sucked."
"I'm glad," he said with a smile.
"What?!"
"That means I can offer you a job as my assistant in my studio.."
"But.. I don't know anything about photography!"
"It's easy," he laughed. "My last assistant didn't know anything about it either, but it's an easy job to learn.."
"Really..?"
"Yeah..."
They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment, but was distracted when she noticed Yamato walk by. It seems he had just came back from the store.
"Hi Yamato!!" she waved to him. Yamato just nodded at them both and walked away, catching Kurashige's eyes before he did so.
"Who was that?" Kurashige said.
"Oh!" she said. "That's my.... neighbour! He's almost like a brother to me!"
"Oh.. I see.."
"Well... I better go now..." Mimi said.
"Ok.." Kurashige said and they shook hands. "Thank's for your time.."
"No!" she laughed. "Kurashige! If someone should be thankful it's me! Thanks..."
"Ok.. I'll see you around..."
"Yeah.. See you..."
Before he could do anything else, Mimi kissed him on the cheek and walked in her apartement

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(On the rooftop)

"Hey..." she greeted Yamato who was leaning on the railing sipping his beer.
"I take it my neighbour had a good time on her date?" he said coldly.
"Sorry..." she said. "I didn't wanna make a bad impression.."
"Oh, so now I'm a bad impression?"
"I didn't mean that!" she said. "Listen.. Just forget it okay?!"
"Fine.." he said bluntly.
"The good news is," she said excitedly. "He gave me a job!! I know I don't know anything about photography, but I'll try as hard as I can to learn quickly!!"
He forced a smile at her. "That's.. great!"

To be continued....
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A.N.
Bwahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is Yamato... jealous???!!!!!!!! >.