Gomen minna~! T_T There's gonna be a few cliffhangers for a while since exams are coming up and my grades have 'suddenly' slipped, so if I don't get them up I'm grounded for the first three weeks of summer, harsh ne? Life has done everything in its powers again to put me down u.u ^__^ But 'nuff about meh~! Now, about the story, this chapter is kinda not that exciting, it's a more talking and relaxing time ^.^ and I'm starting to put in more Mimato fluffiness but remember that Yamato DOES HAVE that punk-leave-me-alone loner, mysterious type of image, and like I said before…Mimi sort of has Miaka's personality while Yamato has Tamahome's REMEMBER?! O_o You didn't, did you? u.u You din read the intro thing? X.o Gosh…well, a chocolate chip cookie for each of you who did read it *hands Aiko-chan's brownie to he* r. Now on to the story~!
---*---
"No Matter How Long The Rain, Sunshine is sure to follow."
"So, where we headed guys?" Mimi asked as she poked her head in front, between Tai and Matt. They were speeding around the downtown streets to get away from their lunatic yet adoring fans, Mimi was sitting between Takeru and Michael while Tai sat in front and Matt drove. Matt glanced beside him and quickly turned back, his cheeks a shade of crimson, Mimi's beautiful face and beaming smile was too much for him. Mimi had put her hair up in a high ponytail, which was swishing frantically around as the swift wind whizzed past them, her perfectly-shaped brown eyes were full of naivety and such thrill of just being in speeding car with the guys.
Tai answered, "To the Marina, where else?"
"Marina? I didn't know we had one." Mimi said innocently.
Matt finally got his senses back and replied, "The Marina, it's an anti-fan zone so we always go there and just hang out. There used to be an old fair ground there that's been abandoned so we fixed it up a bit and claimed it our own."
"Coolness!" Mimi shrieked and plopped herself back down between Takeru and Michael, "Too bad Sora couldn't come!"
Tai stuck his elbow over the door, "Yeah, flying around and doing concerts day in and day out doesn't really leave me with that much time to spend with Sora. Sometimes I even wonder why she still stays with me being that I'm never really around…" he sulked and drooped his head on his arm.
Mimi slapped him playfully on the back, "Aw, Kamiya-kun! Why wouldn't she?! You're mega-sweet and super-kawaii!" she gleamed, making Tai blush a bit and the others chuckle, "Now I know who's name she's always scribbling and doodling around on her books!"
"Besides," Michael said, "If she's seen you wear that head thing of yours she must love you that much!" they all laughed and Tai just couldn't help but join in.
Mimi looked over to the driver's seat, she could only see one side of his face, but she could tell that something was bothering Matt. He had that stern leave-me-alone-I'm-lost-in-another-dimension kind of look and wasn't even laughing with everyone. She tried to find something to say to him.
"So, Yama-kun…" she said and stared at him fervently though his blank expression gave no heed at what she way saying, "Gosh, are you always like this? Out of all the magazine pictures I've seen of you I've never even remembered seeing you smile at any of them!" she scowled. She glanced beside her when she heard Michael laughing-Tai and Takeru seemed out of the conversation and were staring out somewhere else.
"Matt's always been like that, Mimi," he whispered, "Don't even bother asking him why cause he'll just throw a huge fit and walk off-drive off-something like that."
Mimi sat back down and leaned closer to Michael. A sudden coat of cherry washed over Michaels' face when Mimi spoke, "Why? Did something happen to him?"
"That'd actually be a miracle, no he's just like that. Lord doesn't even know why, we've all tried asking what's wrong with him but he either leaves or throws a fit-and man, could he yell." He said cringing a bit, "I don't get how he could be so gloomy all the time when he has half the female population after him! It's always been about Matt with girls, though he's never paid any attention to them. Weird, huh?"
"Hasn't he ever dated?" Mimi asked curiously, stealing a glance at Matt.
"Not that I've heard. We've tried setting him up with tons of gorgeous girls when we go out, but he always finds a way to tick them off and then acts like nothing happened, this cycle goes on and on and on. It's surprising, really…" Michael said to himself as if it were a 'Guinness Book Of World' type of thing. Mimi could sort get a hint of jealousy in his tone.
"Guys," Takeru, out of the blue, popped his head in completely surprising Mimi and Michael, "We share this car so you guys don't have to whisper." He said that last word as actually doing it.
"Go-men, Takeru-san!" Mimi apologized while she scratched the back of her head, grinning, "Michael and I were just-discussing stuff!" She smiled at Michael, totally making him blush.
"We're here." Matt announced as he pulled over beside a ratty old shack about two stories tall.
The building stood old and broken down, with broken windows hanging on one side that's tinted with dust and fog, the wooden walls were tattered and the sky blue paint was wearing off and the flyers that were piled up against an area of the wall were torn up and the writing was hardly readable. Two huge panels that were just a bit taller than the average man creaked as the murky wind softly blew against them.
"Blech, it smells like horse crap!" Mimi commented and plugged her nose, "You guys actually enjoy being here?"
Takeru let out a muffled laugh, "Don't let the smell fool ya, this is a great place where we come to relax and stuff-so peaceful, huh?"
"Depends on your definition of 'peaceful'."
"Would you stop criticizing it by its looks before you see everything." Matt harshly snapped and Mimi felt herself shrinking.
The four teenage boys casually walked passed the doors, hands dug in their pockets and eyes closed like they knew the place behind their backs. Mimi enthusiastically skipped in front with gleam. Inside was so typical; small stacks and bundles of old hay cried in the corners as the spiders hanging at the cobwebs they built on the hay stacks fed on their meals. The wooden walls were dark and damp from the salty atmosphere that hung about, two huge, long wooden planes were spread across the roof, serving as the 'second story', and at one corner-by the other pair of threadbare doors on the opposite side of the building- stood humbly a small lemonade-type of stand. If the fair grounds were still alive, that little stand would've served as a ticket booth.
"Sugoi! This is so 'I know what you did last summer'!" she giggled to herself and skipped around like everything piece of hay seemed like it held some special knowledge to her.
"What's she so peppy about?" Tai asked and Matt shrugged.
"Alright, Miss Cheerleader. Chill out, would ya? We're only at the ticket stand and already you're 'bursting with joy'." Matt plainly said.
"Tee-hee, gomen ne, Yamato-kun!" Mimi grinned.
When they walked out of the building, Mimi gasped at what she saw. A huge arch sign stood in front of them and she could almost make out what it said, but the letters were so worn out by the years. Behind the sign and down a not so steep hill, the rides, she thought, were pretty old looking and most of them were broken down and didn't look like they have been touched for ages. Beside the fair, the hill went down to a small private beach that had a tiny dock floating about and was being eaten away by the moss and algae that covered it.
"Coolness! Do these rides still work?" she asked hopefully.
"Just one, we managed to fix only the carousel and a few booths are still in good shape too." Tai proudly replied, "Isn't it great? Mimi? Hey!" Mimi was already off into her own world and was running and frolicking around everything, admiring its antique beauties.
Takeru smiled, "Well, she's sure a bundle of happiness."
"Yeah," Matt said to half himself, "Listen up guys, we have at least twenty decent, peaceful minutes here. It's already-11 p.m." The others nodded and walked off to different directions to find relaxation.
Matt stayed leaning against the sign while Tai strode off to the beach, Takeru just walking around and playing catch with himself, and Michael ran towards the direction Mimi went off to. (You should know by now that Michael is completely into Mimi^^) Matt let out a grunt as he watched Mimi greet Michael and both walked towards the carousel.
--------*-*--------
"Ack! Where the heck could they have gone to now?!" Masimachii panicked as he paced back and forth around the boys' dressing room and furiously dialing numbers. He stopped when he heard a knock on the door. It was Sora.
"Excuse me, Art?" she said.
"Sora, dear! Weren't you suppose to be heading home by now?" Masimachii asked.
"Yeah, I just came to say goodnight." She sweetly said.
"Night, Sora. Oh! Please tell me you happen to know where the heck Tai and the others are? I've just got the restaurant they were suppose to go to and they said they never made it."
"Oh, really," Not even Sora knew about the Marina, "Hmm, don't worry. I'm sure they're fine, they probably needed to escape those fans and I'm sure they'll be back soon!" and with that she left.
"Ahh! I can't handle this pressure!" Masimachii cried, pulling his hair out. Suddenly the door burst open and Masimachii sighed and turned around, "Guys! Where have you been I've been worried-Ack! You!"
Nothing more was heard in the dressing room but Masimachii's yelps of fear and his hands scraping on the door, followed by some kissing-type of sounds. (^_-)
--------*-*--------
"So, Mimi," Michael fumbled, "how's the life of a rock star so far?" he tried to avoid her eyes as he almost fell off the plastic horse he was sitting on but held onto the pole.
"Pretty hectic, really." Mimi replied, "Tenshi Tsubasa is my all time favorite band and practically life…but it's not all as fun like I thought it'd be. And Yamato certainly isn't the guy I imagined him to be…"
Michael's eyes narrowed, "Mimi, why do you have such a great interest in Matt? He's all you ever talk about, like I haven't heard that before. He has a heart of ice, okay? That's all there is to know about him-"
"Stop it!"
Michael quickly looked up to find a quite furious Mimi. She spoke in such a cold voice that made her seem like some demon took over her.
"Don't ever talk about Matt like that! He's your friend, you think he'd say things like that?!" she fumed, "He might not be the most nicest or romantic guy you've met but-you have no right to just say something so harsh about his heart, his feelings. You can't just force someone to change their mind about something." Her face quickly softened when saw Michaels' hurt face, "Oh, Mike-kun…Gomen ne, I didn't mean to bite your head off like that-actually how could you bite off someone's head cause, I mean, you'll just kill them and go to jail and not to mention it won't really taste good and you can't just swallow a whole head and-"
Mimi stopped when she realized what she doing and Michael was laughing at her.
"Gomen," she repeated.
"Forget it, Mimi-chan. That actually helped me feel better, I guess."
After a while, they had nothing else to talk about so Mimi excused herself and was reluctant that Michael let her go. She slowly wandered around and found herself walking along the beach. She dragged her feet on the dry sand and kept shaking them off but still continued dragging her feet. How could my ultimate crush and band-mate be so…different and distant than I thought? She fought with herself, Oh, Matt…I finally got my wish to be with you yet now it seems like you're even farther-unreachable even, It's like we live a different corners of the earth or something. Just hearing that you've never even felt love, sends this awful sensation swirling around inside my heart-Heck, even my lame excuse for poetry can't describe it! Wait, could I actually be in love with Yamato Ishida? Heck, no-I-It's just a silly teen crush…yeah. Guess this is the life of a rock star-the life I've wanted my whole life…she sighed and slouched back, No, she brought her head higher, I should stop worrying, I've waited for something like this my whole life, and I've also waited this long just to be with my idol, even if they say he doesn't have any love in his heart-I just think-no, I know that I'll find some way to make him feel how it's like to love-even if it's not with me.
"Got bored, huh?" came a voice behind her.
Mimi almost screamed, she quickly turned around and saw that it was only Tai, she forgot where she was for a second there.
"Taichi, it's only you." she sighed and placed her hand over her beating heart.
Tai let out a small laugh and started walking beside Mimi, they both walked in silence for a while just enjoying the company of one another and their troubling problems. Tai broke it first, "You've adapted to everything pretty fast, Mi-chan. Surprising you're not going all nuts just being around us." He said half to himself and half to Mimi.
"Yeah, guess I got pretty used to you guys. I mean, you are pretty normal than most boys I've met." She replied, "Tai-kun."
"Yeppers?"
"What's the deal with Yama-kun? Why is he always so 'Leave me alone, I don't care' all the time? I swear I've only seen him smile twice my whole life." She said.
Ta smirked, "Hai, I heard you and Michael talking about him. Don't worry though, doubt Matt heard. He was off in his own world probably."
"Oh. Well, was it just me or does he always come close to-I don't know, a loner? Rude? Cold? I admit that I am a big fan of his but, he is so not how I imagined him to be." She sighed.
Tai crossed his arms over his head all Taichi-like, "411 on Matt is-I really don't know. Gomen, Mi-chan, even if Matt is my best bro, he's not exactly the guy of guy who opens to ya-don't get him wrong he is a great friend and all, he's probably the greatest friend I can ever have. His only problem is that he only has one priority in his life-Money."
"Money? Matt?" Mimi asked with a hint of laughter.
"Yep, sometimes it seems like he's on the band just because of it. He always goes nuts whenever he gets his paycheck or something, he'd do anything for money. He would sell his stuff to fans, sell ours, anything he could do for money…weird thing is that he never even spends it!" Tai remarked and seemed quite shocked at his statement.
"Gosh, Matt seems much more different and certainly not a money-lover on those magazine articles," Mimi said to herself, "And he never spends it?"
"Iie, he just saves it. Don't know why though…We've tried setting him up with a buncha girls and stuff but he always finds some way to piss them off and go back to money. Matt's the kind of guy who doesn't really feel those type of stuff. But seriously, all I really think he needs is some girl to just get him to loosen up," Tai lowered his gaze and frowned, "It worries me that my best friend's never gonna be happy when all he ever thinks about is money…" his voiced trailed off.
Mimi's face fell, Poor Matt, doesn't he know that money won't give all the happiness he deserves? Mimi's face drooped and she stopped in her tracks, the grains of sand shifting around her toes. Tai also stopped and looked back and waved his hand in front of her face, "Mimi-chan?" Tai laid his hand on her fragile shoulder and she almost collapsed. Tai quickly held her up, "Whoa there! Are you okay, Mimi? C'mon, let me help you up. Maybe we should head back now."
Tai helped her back up the hill, Mimi smiled, "Arigatou, Tai…Guess I-I'm just exhausted." Tai nodded in concern and they walked back up to the others who were waiting.
Mimi let her head sink down as Michael and Takeru came running up to them, their eyes wide in shock. She managed to give them a weak smile when she slightly tilted her head up, at the corner of her worn out eyes, she could she Matt still leaning against the same spot he was in-he hasn't even opened his eyes to see if she was alright. She let her head sink back down for she couldn't stand his bitterness towards her. An arm gently wrapped her left arm around his neck, Takeru, she could almost hear their worried voices though she felt the darkness of oblivion blanketing her to sleep.
"What happened? Mimi? Tai what'd you do?!" Michael scowled as he strode beside Takeru who held Mimi's left side up.
"Chill, Mike. It's not my fault! She fainted, okay?" Tai replied.
They limped to the piles of huge haystacks and slowly let Mimi off to sit. She hastily plopped herself down and let all her weight be supported by the wall behind her. She buried her face in her hands to cover her ill-stricken face, her forehead felt like the top of a volcano-well, that's what it would feel like if she's actually touched one-strings of sweat beaded down her cheeks and onto her clammy palms. She breathed heavily though not loud enough that the others would hear. Get a grip, Mimi…C'mon, breathe, she thought and actually did so calmly, I can't let them know I'm sick…Then our concerts will be delayed and our album and everything! Mimi kept shaking her head while the others stared at her like she had finally lost it.
"Yo, Mimi-chan? Anyone home?" Takeru waved his hand around her.
Mimi could slightly make out the voices that spoke to her but she couldn't seem to get her mind to cooperate and understand them. She knew it was Takeru, but she couldn't seem to focus very well. Though one voice seemed to stick out and struck through her like a knife.
"She'll be fine. C'mon we need to get back, it's already midnight," Matt's voice plainly said as he got up from his position and, hands in his pockets and eyes closed, he headed back to the car completely ignoring the girl he passed by.
"But, Matt can't you see she's-"
Matt swiftly turned back, "I said, let's go," he said firmly, "Mimi will be fine. Just let her get some rest-and let me get mine. Now, let's go back to the hotel, I need to check my profits."
Mimi slightly picked up her head and watched as Matt walked back to the car, They're right-all he does care about is money…I'm surprised he even remembered my name. Michael and Tai tried to help Mimi up but she just shook their hands off and said in a voice almost like Matt's.
"I'm fine, I can handle myself. Don't worry." She kept her gaze low as she painfully marched back to the car and ignored that Matt even lived.
It was one o'clock in the morning when they got to Mimi's house. The whole ride back was completely deafening silence between all of them. They've never seen the once enthusiastic-genki Mimi act so cold and hurt though they were pretty used to Matt acting the way he is-careless. When the car pulled up, Mimi gingerly passed Takeru and stepped out, she nodded her thanks and forced a smile just for the fact that she was living what she thought would be her dream, the one Matt had turned into a nightmare. Before she turned around, she caught sight of Matt who was eyeing her deeply. She couldn't tell if the emotions that seemed to swirl around in those icy-blue storms were forgiving, concerned, or what…They were the same ones as she had seen on those magazine pictures and the day she met him-they were hollow.
"We'll see you at rehearsal on Sunday, Mimi? Are you sure you'll be okay then?" Tai asked in concern and Mimi nodded before she turned away to her doorstep.
After the ten minutes of her parents harassing her about how her big time in the spotlight went and gushing about how their little girl has grown up, Mimi sleepily climbed up the spiral staircase and dragged her feet into her pink, Tenshi Tsubasa poster-filled room. She didn't even bother getting undressed before she hastily let herself collapse on the warm, silky bed and let the night's events trouble her.
Some hectic night this has been. I still can't believe I'm part of Tenshi Tsubasa-and they're part of me…Everything's just going too fast for me to catch up-I'm not even that good of a runner in gym! She sighed and felt her forehead, Hmm, at least my fever's gone down. I can't let anyone know that I'm sick-for now. There's still so much going on and I wouldn't want everyone to stop everything just for me, I really lost it back there-good thing Tai, Michael, and Takeru were there to help me. She snorted, though I can't say the same for Matt, Arrgh, how rude can he get?! He was my idol, my dream, my-everything…and he crushed all of that in one night. He didn't even care that I fainted and went on about his money! She grabbed a pillow above her and curled up, laying it on her head, she picked up her knees to reach close to her chest and stared in front of her. Right there, standing humbly and magically-was a picture of the famous Yamato Ishida. One of the very few pictures she's seen him smile in, how nice he looked when he smiled that Mimi couldn't help but smile back.
"Matt…Why'd you have to be so-dreamy," she sighed, "You have so much to offer yet you keep it all to yourself. You have millions of adoring fans yet you turn them away and use them as money vending machines, you have half of the girls in this planet in love with you however you always turn away from love. Hmmph," she softly laughed, "I can't even stay mad at you, how pathetic is that." She whispered and felt her eyelids drooping, "I can't change your mind forcefully, though I can help you find that loving person that you need to help you not be so lonely and cold anymore, to make it all worthwhile…even if it's not me."
---*---
Well? I didn't get to check for editing mistakes but I do hope it was okay n.n Hai, this chapter was mostly all about Matt-I used it to show the Tamahome personality of his and same goes for Mimi/Miaka. Don't forget to review ^.^ Or no more chapters~! O.o; Well . I dun have that much…And as for my newest story, I have to repost it again~! I need to add something and so I hafta take it down again. Gomen, Gemini-chan~! -.o And Keeshness~! Ahem…REVIEW~! O_o