Chapter Six

The house was abuzz with laughter and giggles. The girls were over at the Akagi residence for the bridal shower held in honor of the approaching wedding. Wrapped gifts were piled on the table and the sofa set, some even spilling onto the floor, and the balloons and streamers littered the furniture. The television was switched on and the radio located somewhere at the back of the house was blasting with music.

Ayako glanced at her watch, frowning slightly. The performer she had hired wasn't here yet. She hoped it was truly as worth it as Yohei had told her. After all, it had been him who had given her the number and urged her to give it a try. She had booked the most expensive package, with a top dancer named Malcolm, who was supposed to be here at this very point in time, but interestingly enough, wasn't. Bright headlights outside the house caught her attention, and she turned and narrowed her eyes to see the passenger's side open and a tall figure cloaked in black step out.

Finally! she thought, jerking her head as casually as she could to Fuji, who grinned widely and pulled Haruko out of the living room towards the backyard where the television room was. Heaving a sigh of relief for the day's plans going smoothly, she hurried to the door and opened it just as a slim hand reached up to press the doorbell.

"No!" she gasped, catching the hand and exhaling. "It's supposed to be a surprise for the bride." She released the hand and moved back to open the door. "You're Malcolm?"

Underneath the hood that shaded the pale face, she caught sight of a pair of delicate, glossed pink lips that turned up in a brilliant smile, making her blink and blush. "That's right."

Behind him, the black sedan pulled away into the darkness of the night.

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As he drove away, his cheek still tingling from the goodbye kiss, his thoughts wandered to his schedule. It was always jam-packed, either with classes or with his work, and the week was no exception.

Tomorrow…I'll have that club opening to go to with Aki…and I have to finish that paper for sensei before Wednesday…and the new technique class…I must remember to sign my form before all the places are taken up… Musing, he finally stopped the car by the road. He had unconsciously driven to the nearby park. Reaching back to the backseat to grab the can of beer from the packet on the floor, he inclined the seat slightly and cracked open the drink.

It's cold tonight.

Being alone always felt different. There were times when he wanted nothing more than to get away from the world, and there were other, happier times, when being alone felt lonely. Tonight, he was distracted, and he didn't know why. Lifting the can to his lips, he bent back his head and drank.

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When the last guest had left, Hanamichi reached up and loosened his cravat. The dinner had been enjoyable, albeit too formal for his tastes, and he was tired out with his hosting. Breathing in deeply the cool air of the night, he stretched and shook his head to clear the kinks from sitting down too long. Making a spontaneous decision, he grabbed the keys on the shelf and strode down the driveway to the car. I'll just go have a spin…relax for a bit…

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For some strange reason the past few days had been unusually taxing. He could not quite put his finger on it. Life had grown predictable, perhaps. His days were filled with the same torrid events that echoed back and forth in his mind every time he was alone.

Am I unhappy with the way life has turned out? he wondered to himself as he lifted himself off the hood of the car and walked to the back to retrieve another can of beer. Would I have wanted it any different?

After high school he had attended the arts program at the prestigious university, taking scholarships in music and dance as well as a more pragmatic degree of electronic engineering. Right after he graduated, he had looked around, and a schoolmate had introduced him to the company. That schoolmate had been Sendoh. It was a wonder I had never noticed him before, the younger man thought wryly, leaning back onto the side of the car and popping the can open.