Applications of Chaos Theory to Love
Getting Miyako out of the picture was going to take a bit more work than getting Sora out of the picture had needed. After I finished convincing Ken that he needed to take this opportunity, I got back in touch with Iori and set up a few things with him. I would be in need of his assistance this time around.
The next day, I met Ken outside the library right around the time I promised Miyako I'd meet her. In an instant, though, I could tell that almost all the pep talking I'd done last night with Ken had already been undone.
"This plan of yours isn't going to work." He said gloomily as we entered the library.
"Yes it will, Ken. Don't be so defeatist." I said, countering his feeble point.
"I'm going to make an idiot out of myself."
"You'll be just fine. Just be yourself."
"She'll never go for a guy like me, I just know it."
"She's crazy about you, Ken. You just need to get her to open up."
"I still don't see why I should even be given such a chance."
At about this point I didn't know which I wanted to do more: slam his or my own head into a wall. For someone who is nigh onto being a genius, Ken was acting like a moron. I pulled him into an aisle of bookshelves and stared him down.
"Do you like Miyako-san?" I asked point-blank, doing my best to keep my voice down.
"TK, I..."
"Answer...the...question..." I tried hard not to start shaking with anger, and did my best to control my temper, though Ken was seriously pushing it at this point.
"...more than I can say in words." He finally said with a sigh.
"And can you honestly tell me that you want to be miserable the rest of your life?"
"No! I hate feeling like this!"
"Then it's time to do something about it."
Ken shifted about uneasily for a few moments before he nodded to me and we continued on into the library.
"So, mind filling me in on this master plan of yours?" he asked as we walked slowly through the library.
This plan was a bit more involved than the one with Sora and Taichi. I'd start off reading and chatting a bit with Miyako, and then would head off to find a new book. Ken would stay out of sight until I headed his way and signaled to him, and that would be his cue to move in. How things went from there would be up to him. As for removing myself from the picture, that's where Iori came in. He would call me on my cell phone, which I'd made sure to charge this time, and I'd make like it was something that needed my urgent attention. Hopefully I would be able to buy Ken enough time to make a sufficient enough impression on Miyako that my departure wouldn't matter.
What I wasn't aware of was the simple fact that all of my plans for the day were going to go right out the window.
I spotted Miyako sitting alone at a table with a couple of books nearby. She was already engrossed in one of them. I ushered Ken off to a spot where he couldn't be seen and approached quietly, waving to her as I approached.
"Hope I'm not late." I said, sitting down across from her. She smiled up at me, her face almost instantly turning red at my sudden appearance. I could tell she had been looking forward to seeing me.
"Not at all. I just got here a few minutes ago myself." She said a bit nervously. "You know me, habitually early for everything."
"I'd be worried if you weren't early."
"Heh, I guess so. Did I ever tell you that I was even born early?"
"You're kidding!"
"Nope, I was born a full week before my mother's expected due date. Surprised the heck out of everyone."
"That's you, though, Miyako-san. Always full of surprises."
Miyako blushed a bit more at my compliment, and for a moment I found myself really enjoying just being there chatting with her. We kept up the small talk for a little while, and after about fifteen minutes I figured it was time for me to make my move.
"Well, I'm gonna hunt around for a book or two. I'll be back soon, though." I told her.
"Okay. I'll be right here waiting." She replied, going back to her own book.
So I got up from the table and started walking towards where I had left Ken, all the while starting to look at books around me.
And from that point on, chaos took over.
_ _ _ _ _
No sooner did I reach the row of books where Ken had been than I was grabbed from my left and pulled onto the aisle just across the way. I turned my head to the left, a look of utter confusion on my face. Let the record show that it was at that moment that I first experienced terror in its most pure and true form.
"Hey there cutie!" Mimi said, pulling me up close to her. "I thought I'd surprise you."
"M-M-M-Mimi-san!" I stammered, trying my hardest not to panic. "How did you know I would be here?"
"I didn't, but I happened to be across the street and saw you and Ken-kun come in here. I don't know where he went off to, but at least I found you."
She had this playful look in her eyes, and the way she was smiling at me told me that now that she'd found me, she wasn't interested in immediately letting me go. If Ken or Miyako had come looking for me and found us just then it would've all been over for me. If we hadn't been in a library, I may very well have screamed.
"So what are you doing in here anyway, Takeru?" she asked. "I didn't think the library scene was your thing."
"Ah...well you see...it's kinda funny. See..." I said. My mind raced to try to think of an excuse, but as I fumbled for one Mimi just stepped right around me and looked over in the direction that I'd come from. She turned back to me, a smirk on her face and her right eyebrow raised at me.
"I should've known this was all just a front." She said in a flat tone.
'Oh God no, she figured it out! I'm toast!' was all I could think.
"Mimi-san, I can explain everything. Really!"
"You don't need to explain, Takeru. I understand perfectly." She said, smiling at me now.
"Y-you do??" My eyes were the size of golf balls as I looked at Mimi in disbelief.
"Of course! I mean, it makes perfect sense to me."
"Well that would make one person. All of it still makes no sense to me."
"Come on, use your head TK. It was bound to happen, after all. And I must admit, I kinda admire you for being able to do what no one else was able to do."
"Mimi-san, how in the world is this admirable? It's sneaky, underhanded, and...just not my style at all, really."
"Hey, all's fair in love and war. I'm just surprised it was you who decided to end up playing cupid is all."
"Yeah, I guess.huh?!"
I stepped around the corner and looked over to the table. Ken was there now, looking over at Miyako and the two of them were chatting a little, both looking a bit awkward. I grabbed onto the bookcase for support, or else I would have just fallen over right then and there. I had been convinced Mimi had figured out what all had been going on when she was just commenting on my getting Miyako and Ken together.
"I was a bit curious when Taichi-san called me up yesterday for advice on dressing nicely for Sora-san. He told me you were helping him out. Now I see you're just trying to help people get together, and it's just the sweetest thing!" Mimi told me. "You really are one heck of a guy, Takeru."
I just laughed a little, shrugging at Mimi. Words escaped me at the moment. Ken must've forgotten the plan and just moved in towards Miyako just after I'd left, hence why I never saw him when I came back to where he'd been.
"Let's see if we can listen in on them!" Mimi said, pulling on my arm. I was still too stunned to argue, so we approached carefully, keeping out of sight until we were in earshot. I swear, this is how the conversation we heard went, word for word, with Miyako starting off.
"Have you read the latest one in this series?"
"How could I miss it?"
"What did you think?"
"Isn't the story getting a little out there?"
"Hasn't that been one of the cool things about this series?"
"Don't you wish they threw in a little variety sometime, though?"
"Like what do you mean?"
"Wouldn't it be great if he actually admitted his feelings to her?"
"Wouldn't that ruin the series, though?"
"But it's silly to hide such strong emotions for so long, don't you think?"
I gave Mimi a look after we'd heard the exchange of questions. It had sounded less like a conversation and more like a round of Jeopardy! In case you don't know, it's a game show they have on TV over in America. Mimi told me about it. You're supposed to give answers in the form of questions. I always thought it was the weirdest concept for a game show ever, but then Mimi reminded me of some of the game shows we have on in Japan. I conceded her point.
By the looks on Miyako and Ken's faces, the subtle hints they had been dropping to each other in their continuous questions back and forth had been picked up on. The two of them kind of smiled at each other and after a pause continued talking. I stepped back a bit into an aisle of books along with Mimi, who folded her arms and smiled at me.
"Looks like another success, Takeru." She said cheerily.
"Yeah, I suppose so." I said, finally beginning to regain my senses. "Hey, Mimi-san? Did you tell anyone else about tomorrow?"
"Well...I have to confess, I did kinda mention it to Taichi-san by accident yesterday. But I swore him to secrecy. Trust me, he won't blab to anyone else."
"How do you know?"
"I threatened to tell Jun-san that he knew how to reach Yamato-san."
"Ah. That'd do it."
For all Taichi and Niisan don't have in common, they do share one singular fear, and that fear is embodied in a girl named Motomiya Jun. If you have to ask, yes she is the older sister of Daisuke, and really that's all I should have to say for you to get an idea of what she's like. She's been obsessed with Niisan for years, ever since his band started to become popular. Of course I don't mean obsessed in the mostly innocent, slightly infatuated and somewhat funny sense, like my thing about weird hats. I mean obsessed in the scary, freaky, pop-out-of-the-bushes-at-you-just-as- you're-coming-out-of-a-fast-food-joint serial stalker sense. She even came after me for a while after Niisan left with his band, trying to see if I'd give away how to get in touch with him. That's one of the times I was thankful Daisuke was around. He managed to get Jun off of my case, a deed that I am still ever thankful for.
Anyhow, all things considering the plan was still somewhat on track, Mimi's surprise appearance notwithstanding. Of course, the problem of my extraction was now a bit more complicated. I had to get out of there, and without Miyako seeing me with Mimi, who I knew would not let me leave without her. I quickly nixed the idea of just running screaming out of the library, even with as appealing as it was to me at the moment.
I turned away from Mimi for a moment to try and think and almost jumped out of my skin. Iori had been standing right behind me, and his sudden appearance freaked me out almost as much as Mimi's ambush had.
"What the heck are you doing here?!" I whispered to him, suddenly a bit angry with him.
"Takeru-san, I called you six times and you never picked up!" Iori told me, looking a bit cross.
"What?! Iori-kun, my phone hasn't rung all day!"
"Well I've been calling you!"
I tried to think for a second how that could be possible, and then I rolled my eyes as I realized exactly what had gone wrong.
"Iori-kun, what number were you dialing?" I asked plainly.
"197-8329. Why?" he said. I groaned inwardly. Leave it to Iori to forget that I'd gotten a new phone and new service a couple of months ago.
"That's my old cell number!"
"Aw geez, I'm sorry Takeru-san. I'm terrible with phone numbers."
"Nevermind that now. Since when did you turn into a ninja? You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"Takeru-san, we're in a library. I had to be quiet, after all." He replied simply. I had to concede that point, but the absolute stealth that he'd used to creep up behind me was uncanny, and this wasn't the first time he'd done this to me.
Sure, he calls it "kendo practice", but I'll bet that crusty old grandfather of his is really some kind of mystical ninja master, training Iori to be the perfect assassin/spy. I mean come on, just look at the kid sometime! Short, dark hair, dark eyes peering out from behind the narrow slits that are his eyelids, and just the way he carries himself.I swear, he's got "ninja" written all over him. Besides, what else would he grow up to be? A lawyer? That'd be a laugh! That'll happen as soon as Niisan gives up music and becomes an astronaut. Now that'd be hilarious. My brother in a big ol' space suit walking on the moon...that would be too funny to see!
Anyhow, back to the scene at hand. Mimi stepped up alongside me as I conferred with Iori, curious as to what was going on.
"Hey Iori-kun. Why are you here?" she asked.
"Mimi-san! I didn't know you were here! I, uh." Iori stammered. As unexpected as Iori's appearance had been, it had given me the exit I had been looking for.
"He came by to join me for some ice cream." I said quickly, smiling at Mimi. "He knew what I was up to here, and we wanted to go hang out afterwards to relax."
"Oh, that sounds like fun! Mind if I tag along?" Mimi asked.
"No problem, right Iori?" I said, looking at him. Iori stared at me blankly for a moment until he caught on. He nodded vigorously at us. "Then it's settled. You guys hang back here, I'm just gonna check in with the lovebirds."
As I headed back for Miyako and Ken I quickly grabbed a book at random, so I didn't look too suspicious to her. I set the book down on the table as I arrived.
"Hey there. I didn't know you were here too, Ken!" I said, putting on my best act.
"Yeah, I came in right behind you. I think you just missed me before." Ken replied, going along with the act.
"Miyako-san, I'm sorry, but Iori came by here and reminded me that I promised to treat him to ice cream today. I owe him from the last time I had dinner at his place. Mimi-san came by with him, and she was headed in the same direction, so we're all heading out together. Is that okay?"
"Sure! I mean, that is...Ken and I have a little talking to do, after all." Miyako said, blushing a little. "I'm sorry this fell apart, Takeru."
"Oh don't worry. I'm sure we'll have a chance to hang out again sometime. You two take it easy, and I'll see you later."
I nodded to Ken and waved to Miyako and started to head back to Mimi and Iori. As I did, the same feeling I'd gotten the previous day after setting Sora and Taichi up welled up inside of me agin. Miyako was a brilliant and interesting girl, and personally I found her quite pretty. Once again I found myself realizing that I could very easily be in the opposite position at that moment, spending quality time with her instead of leaving things to him. I steadied myself, though, and joined Mimi and Iori to head out for ice cream.
The thought nagged at me for the rest of the day, though. I had let another one slip away from me.
_ _ _ _ _
After dinner that night I flopped down onto my bed and let my mind drift a bit. With everything I'd gone through so far in the week, I needed to just space out for a little while. That day at the library had been an even closer call than the day before with Sora. At this rate, I had to wonder if it wouldn't be an impossibility to pull this whole thing off with absolutely no one else being any the wiser. Nonetheless, I had come this far. I had to try to see my plan through to its end, even if phase 3 would be more difficult than the prior 2 phases combined.
Half of why the last phase would be difficult was because it was clear to me that Mimi certainly did have some feelings about me. Getting her to give up on me would mean finding someone she liked even more. As luck would have it, I felt I had found that person in Izumi Koushirou.
Koushirou isn't a bad guy by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, he is another of my closest friends, and a technical wizard if I've ever known one. He's 18, making him the same age as Mimi, though I think he's younger than her by a couple of months or so. Don't quote me on that though. He's not just good with computers, though. History, Mathematics, Physics, Literature...you name it and he's good with it. This is, unless we're talking about his feelings for Mimi, that is.
Yes, when this would-be mental Superman comes within a certain range of the Kryptonite that is Tachikawa Mimi, he loses all of his powers and becomes a gibbering fool with a backbone that has the consistency of Jell-o. Somehow, I had to get him to open himself up to her and finally admit to her how he feels. I could only hope that those feelings were still returned by Mimi.
I went to my computer, got online, and managed to catch Koushirou online. After about a half hour of chatting, I convinced him to come over to my place so we could talk in person about a problem that was troubling me. About ten minutes later, he showed up and we sat down in the living room, him on a chair and me on the couch.
"So, what's this problem you need my help to fix?" he asked, looking eager to sink his teeth into a good problem. "Calculus? Thermodynamics? Maybe something about Czarist Russia?"
"It's about Mimi-san." I told him flat out.
"Excuse me?" His jaw dropped in disbelief.
"I was wondering...how do you really feel about her, Koushirou-san?"
"Takeru-kun...don't do this to me, okay?" He sounded upset as he stood up like he was going to head for the door.
"Koushirou-san just hear me out, please?" I stood up as well, trying to calm him down.
"Thanks but no, Takeru-kun. I have no desire to make myself look like a fool."
"I know you love her!"
Koushirou stopped in his tracks and looked over at me, as if to say that he was stunned that I had figured it out.
"How...how do you know that?" he asked, his voice a bit hushed.
"I remember when Mimi-san came back to Japan. You had me give her those flowers, though you had every intent of doing it yourself. And I looked back at some of my old journal entries and photos, too, and found evidence there as well."
"That was a long time ago, Takeru-kun..."
"You were holding hands in one picture, Koushirou-san! I saw it!" I said, almost shouting at him. "You've had a crush on her for a long time now, and I'm almost sure deep down she feels the same way about you! You spent just as much time as I did, if not more, chatting online with her while she was living in America. That wouldn't have happened if neither of you didn't feel something for the other."
"Takeru-kun, I...it's just..."
I could see the despondence in his eyes, and decided to change my approach a bit. It was quickly apparent to me that I'd have to handle this situation differently from how I'd motivated Taichi and Ken to make their moves.
"Sit back down. Let's talk about it." I said, leading back to this chair. Koushirou walked back and sat down, sighing as he did. "So if I may ask, what's holding you back?"
"The fact that I know a girl like her deserves better than me." He said. "She's everything I'm not, Takeru-kun, and she deserves someone who can give her the best of everything. There's nothing I could offer her that she either doesn't already have or couldn't get from a better man."
Talk about a tough nut to crack. And we're talking coconut-tough here. Here I thought I had angst issues, and Koushirou's been suffering with this mentality for years now. So I used the one card I hadn't played yet: the truth. Mind you, not the truth about my whole mess, but the truth about Mimi and what she's really like.
"Koushirou-san, I've spent a lot of time talking to Mimi-san since she got back. We hang out a lot, so I know a good deal about her. Do you know what she really likes?" I said, moving to the corner of the couch nearest him. He looked up at me and shook his head 'no', and that's where I began.
"Mimi-san likes burgers, fries and a cola. She likes hanging out and watching movies on video with a bag of microwave popcorn. She likes strawberry ice cream, splashing in puddles in a rainstorm, and snowball fights. You following me?"
"But...everybody likes that kind of stuff."
"That's my point. Sure she likes the high life. Who doesn't? But she likes normal things just like you and me as well. Believe me, the last thing she wants is some guy who's going to put her up on a pedestal 24/7. When you get down to it, she's just someone who wants to be treated the same as any other."
"...I never thought about her like that before." Koushirou folded his hands in front of his mouth as he thought about what I had said.
"Not many people have, because they see her for what's on the outside. And sure she's a beautiful girl, but she doesn't want preferential treatment just because of how she looks." I said, reclining on the couch again.
"Well...do you think I might have a chance, then?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. I smiled back at him, seeing that I'd gotten through to him. The truth had indeed set him free.
"If anyone does, it's you Koushirou-san." I told him.
"I'm still skeptical of all of this, mind you, but I guess I'll never know for sure unless I experience it firsthand." He said, standing back up again. "Okay, I'll give it a shot."
I stood back up as well and shook hands with Koushirou, thus beginning the third and final phase of the plan. I figured once I got Koushirou and Mimi together it could only be smooth sailing from there for my upcoming date with Hikari.
I had no idea that ultimately my plan was going to backfire on me in a way that I could never have imagined.
Getting Miyako out of the picture was going to take a bit more work than getting Sora out of the picture had needed. After I finished convincing Ken that he needed to take this opportunity, I got back in touch with Iori and set up a few things with him. I would be in need of his assistance this time around.
The next day, I met Ken outside the library right around the time I promised Miyako I'd meet her. In an instant, though, I could tell that almost all the pep talking I'd done last night with Ken had already been undone.
"This plan of yours isn't going to work." He said gloomily as we entered the library.
"Yes it will, Ken. Don't be so defeatist." I said, countering his feeble point.
"I'm going to make an idiot out of myself."
"You'll be just fine. Just be yourself."
"She'll never go for a guy like me, I just know it."
"She's crazy about you, Ken. You just need to get her to open up."
"I still don't see why I should even be given such a chance."
At about this point I didn't know which I wanted to do more: slam his or my own head into a wall. For someone who is nigh onto being a genius, Ken was acting like a moron. I pulled him into an aisle of bookshelves and stared him down.
"Do you like Miyako-san?" I asked point-blank, doing my best to keep my voice down.
"TK, I..."
"Answer...the...question..." I tried hard not to start shaking with anger, and did my best to control my temper, though Ken was seriously pushing it at this point.
"...more than I can say in words." He finally said with a sigh.
"And can you honestly tell me that you want to be miserable the rest of your life?"
"No! I hate feeling like this!"
"Then it's time to do something about it."
Ken shifted about uneasily for a few moments before he nodded to me and we continued on into the library.
"So, mind filling me in on this master plan of yours?" he asked as we walked slowly through the library.
This plan was a bit more involved than the one with Sora and Taichi. I'd start off reading and chatting a bit with Miyako, and then would head off to find a new book. Ken would stay out of sight until I headed his way and signaled to him, and that would be his cue to move in. How things went from there would be up to him. As for removing myself from the picture, that's where Iori came in. He would call me on my cell phone, which I'd made sure to charge this time, and I'd make like it was something that needed my urgent attention. Hopefully I would be able to buy Ken enough time to make a sufficient enough impression on Miyako that my departure wouldn't matter.
What I wasn't aware of was the simple fact that all of my plans for the day were going to go right out the window.
I spotted Miyako sitting alone at a table with a couple of books nearby. She was already engrossed in one of them. I ushered Ken off to a spot where he couldn't be seen and approached quietly, waving to her as I approached.
"Hope I'm not late." I said, sitting down across from her. She smiled up at me, her face almost instantly turning red at my sudden appearance. I could tell she had been looking forward to seeing me.
"Not at all. I just got here a few minutes ago myself." She said a bit nervously. "You know me, habitually early for everything."
"I'd be worried if you weren't early."
"Heh, I guess so. Did I ever tell you that I was even born early?"
"You're kidding!"
"Nope, I was born a full week before my mother's expected due date. Surprised the heck out of everyone."
"That's you, though, Miyako-san. Always full of surprises."
Miyako blushed a bit more at my compliment, and for a moment I found myself really enjoying just being there chatting with her. We kept up the small talk for a little while, and after about fifteen minutes I figured it was time for me to make my move.
"Well, I'm gonna hunt around for a book or two. I'll be back soon, though." I told her.
"Okay. I'll be right here waiting." She replied, going back to her own book.
So I got up from the table and started walking towards where I had left Ken, all the while starting to look at books around me.
And from that point on, chaos took over.
_ _ _ _ _
No sooner did I reach the row of books where Ken had been than I was grabbed from my left and pulled onto the aisle just across the way. I turned my head to the left, a look of utter confusion on my face. Let the record show that it was at that moment that I first experienced terror in its most pure and true form.
"Hey there cutie!" Mimi said, pulling me up close to her. "I thought I'd surprise you."
"M-M-M-Mimi-san!" I stammered, trying my hardest not to panic. "How did you know I would be here?"
"I didn't, but I happened to be across the street and saw you and Ken-kun come in here. I don't know where he went off to, but at least I found you."
She had this playful look in her eyes, and the way she was smiling at me told me that now that she'd found me, she wasn't interested in immediately letting me go. If Ken or Miyako had come looking for me and found us just then it would've all been over for me. If we hadn't been in a library, I may very well have screamed.
"So what are you doing in here anyway, Takeru?" she asked. "I didn't think the library scene was your thing."
"Ah...well you see...it's kinda funny. See..." I said. My mind raced to try to think of an excuse, but as I fumbled for one Mimi just stepped right around me and looked over in the direction that I'd come from. She turned back to me, a smirk on her face and her right eyebrow raised at me.
"I should've known this was all just a front." She said in a flat tone.
'Oh God no, she figured it out! I'm toast!' was all I could think.
"Mimi-san, I can explain everything. Really!"
"You don't need to explain, Takeru. I understand perfectly." She said, smiling at me now.
"Y-you do??" My eyes were the size of golf balls as I looked at Mimi in disbelief.
"Of course! I mean, it makes perfect sense to me."
"Well that would make one person. All of it still makes no sense to me."
"Come on, use your head TK. It was bound to happen, after all. And I must admit, I kinda admire you for being able to do what no one else was able to do."
"Mimi-san, how in the world is this admirable? It's sneaky, underhanded, and...just not my style at all, really."
"Hey, all's fair in love and war. I'm just surprised it was you who decided to end up playing cupid is all."
"Yeah, I guess.huh?!"
I stepped around the corner and looked over to the table. Ken was there now, looking over at Miyako and the two of them were chatting a little, both looking a bit awkward. I grabbed onto the bookcase for support, or else I would have just fallen over right then and there. I had been convinced Mimi had figured out what all had been going on when she was just commenting on my getting Miyako and Ken together.
"I was a bit curious when Taichi-san called me up yesterday for advice on dressing nicely for Sora-san. He told me you were helping him out. Now I see you're just trying to help people get together, and it's just the sweetest thing!" Mimi told me. "You really are one heck of a guy, Takeru."
I just laughed a little, shrugging at Mimi. Words escaped me at the moment. Ken must've forgotten the plan and just moved in towards Miyako just after I'd left, hence why I never saw him when I came back to where he'd been.
"Let's see if we can listen in on them!" Mimi said, pulling on my arm. I was still too stunned to argue, so we approached carefully, keeping out of sight until we were in earshot. I swear, this is how the conversation we heard went, word for word, with Miyako starting off.
"Have you read the latest one in this series?"
"How could I miss it?"
"What did you think?"
"Isn't the story getting a little out there?"
"Hasn't that been one of the cool things about this series?"
"Don't you wish they threw in a little variety sometime, though?"
"Like what do you mean?"
"Wouldn't it be great if he actually admitted his feelings to her?"
"Wouldn't that ruin the series, though?"
"But it's silly to hide such strong emotions for so long, don't you think?"
I gave Mimi a look after we'd heard the exchange of questions. It had sounded less like a conversation and more like a round of Jeopardy! In case you don't know, it's a game show they have on TV over in America. Mimi told me about it. You're supposed to give answers in the form of questions. I always thought it was the weirdest concept for a game show ever, but then Mimi reminded me of some of the game shows we have on in Japan. I conceded her point.
By the looks on Miyako and Ken's faces, the subtle hints they had been dropping to each other in their continuous questions back and forth had been picked up on. The two of them kind of smiled at each other and after a pause continued talking. I stepped back a bit into an aisle of books along with Mimi, who folded her arms and smiled at me.
"Looks like another success, Takeru." She said cheerily.
"Yeah, I suppose so." I said, finally beginning to regain my senses. "Hey, Mimi-san? Did you tell anyone else about tomorrow?"
"Well...I have to confess, I did kinda mention it to Taichi-san by accident yesterday. But I swore him to secrecy. Trust me, he won't blab to anyone else."
"How do you know?"
"I threatened to tell Jun-san that he knew how to reach Yamato-san."
"Ah. That'd do it."
For all Taichi and Niisan don't have in common, they do share one singular fear, and that fear is embodied in a girl named Motomiya Jun. If you have to ask, yes she is the older sister of Daisuke, and really that's all I should have to say for you to get an idea of what she's like. She's been obsessed with Niisan for years, ever since his band started to become popular. Of course I don't mean obsessed in the mostly innocent, slightly infatuated and somewhat funny sense, like my thing about weird hats. I mean obsessed in the scary, freaky, pop-out-of-the-bushes-at-you-just-as- you're-coming-out-of-a-fast-food-joint serial stalker sense. She even came after me for a while after Niisan left with his band, trying to see if I'd give away how to get in touch with him. That's one of the times I was thankful Daisuke was around. He managed to get Jun off of my case, a deed that I am still ever thankful for.
Anyhow, all things considering the plan was still somewhat on track, Mimi's surprise appearance notwithstanding. Of course, the problem of my extraction was now a bit more complicated. I had to get out of there, and without Miyako seeing me with Mimi, who I knew would not let me leave without her. I quickly nixed the idea of just running screaming out of the library, even with as appealing as it was to me at the moment.
I turned away from Mimi for a moment to try and think and almost jumped out of my skin. Iori had been standing right behind me, and his sudden appearance freaked me out almost as much as Mimi's ambush had.
"What the heck are you doing here?!" I whispered to him, suddenly a bit angry with him.
"Takeru-san, I called you six times and you never picked up!" Iori told me, looking a bit cross.
"What?! Iori-kun, my phone hasn't rung all day!"
"Well I've been calling you!"
I tried to think for a second how that could be possible, and then I rolled my eyes as I realized exactly what had gone wrong.
"Iori-kun, what number were you dialing?" I asked plainly.
"197-8329. Why?" he said. I groaned inwardly. Leave it to Iori to forget that I'd gotten a new phone and new service a couple of months ago.
"That's my old cell number!"
"Aw geez, I'm sorry Takeru-san. I'm terrible with phone numbers."
"Nevermind that now. Since when did you turn into a ninja? You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"Takeru-san, we're in a library. I had to be quiet, after all." He replied simply. I had to concede that point, but the absolute stealth that he'd used to creep up behind me was uncanny, and this wasn't the first time he'd done this to me.
Sure, he calls it "kendo practice", but I'll bet that crusty old grandfather of his is really some kind of mystical ninja master, training Iori to be the perfect assassin/spy. I mean come on, just look at the kid sometime! Short, dark hair, dark eyes peering out from behind the narrow slits that are his eyelids, and just the way he carries himself.I swear, he's got "ninja" written all over him. Besides, what else would he grow up to be? A lawyer? That'd be a laugh! That'll happen as soon as Niisan gives up music and becomes an astronaut. Now that'd be hilarious. My brother in a big ol' space suit walking on the moon...that would be too funny to see!
Anyhow, back to the scene at hand. Mimi stepped up alongside me as I conferred with Iori, curious as to what was going on.
"Hey Iori-kun. Why are you here?" she asked.
"Mimi-san! I didn't know you were here! I, uh." Iori stammered. As unexpected as Iori's appearance had been, it had given me the exit I had been looking for.
"He came by to join me for some ice cream." I said quickly, smiling at Mimi. "He knew what I was up to here, and we wanted to go hang out afterwards to relax."
"Oh, that sounds like fun! Mind if I tag along?" Mimi asked.
"No problem, right Iori?" I said, looking at him. Iori stared at me blankly for a moment until he caught on. He nodded vigorously at us. "Then it's settled. You guys hang back here, I'm just gonna check in with the lovebirds."
As I headed back for Miyako and Ken I quickly grabbed a book at random, so I didn't look too suspicious to her. I set the book down on the table as I arrived.
"Hey there. I didn't know you were here too, Ken!" I said, putting on my best act.
"Yeah, I came in right behind you. I think you just missed me before." Ken replied, going along with the act.
"Miyako-san, I'm sorry, but Iori came by here and reminded me that I promised to treat him to ice cream today. I owe him from the last time I had dinner at his place. Mimi-san came by with him, and she was headed in the same direction, so we're all heading out together. Is that okay?"
"Sure! I mean, that is...Ken and I have a little talking to do, after all." Miyako said, blushing a little. "I'm sorry this fell apart, Takeru."
"Oh don't worry. I'm sure we'll have a chance to hang out again sometime. You two take it easy, and I'll see you later."
I nodded to Ken and waved to Miyako and started to head back to Mimi and Iori. As I did, the same feeling I'd gotten the previous day after setting Sora and Taichi up welled up inside of me agin. Miyako was a brilliant and interesting girl, and personally I found her quite pretty. Once again I found myself realizing that I could very easily be in the opposite position at that moment, spending quality time with her instead of leaving things to him. I steadied myself, though, and joined Mimi and Iori to head out for ice cream.
The thought nagged at me for the rest of the day, though. I had let another one slip away from me.
_ _ _ _ _
After dinner that night I flopped down onto my bed and let my mind drift a bit. With everything I'd gone through so far in the week, I needed to just space out for a little while. That day at the library had been an even closer call than the day before with Sora. At this rate, I had to wonder if it wouldn't be an impossibility to pull this whole thing off with absolutely no one else being any the wiser. Nonetheless, I had come this far. I had to try to see my plan through to its end, even if phase 3 would be more difficult than the prior 2 phases combined.
Half of why the last phase would be difficult was because it was clear to me that Mimi certainly did have some feelings about me. Getting her to give up on me would mean finding someone she liked even more. As luck would have it, I felt I had found that person in Izumi Koushirou.
Koushirou isn't a bad guy by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, he is another of my closest friends, and a technical wizard if I've ever known one. He's 18, making him the same age as Mimi, though I think he's younger than her by a couple of months or so. Don't quote me on that though. He's not just good with computers, though. History, Mathematics, Physics, Literature...you name it and he's good with it. This is, unless we're talking about his feelings for Mimi, that is.
Yes, when this would-be mental Superman comes within a certain range of the Kryptonite that is Tachikawa Mimi, he loses all of his powers and becomes a gibbering fool with a backbone that has the consistency of Jell-o. Somehow, I had to get him to open himself up to her and finally admit to her how he feels. I could only hope that those feelings were still returned by Mimi.
I went to my computer, got online, and managed to catch Koushirou online. After about a half hour of chatting, I convinced him to come over to my place so we could talk in person about a problem that was troubling me. About ten minutes later, he showed up and we sat down in the living room, him on a chair and me on the couch.
"So, what's this problem you need my help to fix?" he asked, looking eager to sink his teeth into a good problem. "Calculus? Thermodynamics? Maybe something about Czarist Russia?"
"It's about Mimi-san." I told him flat out.
"Excuse me?" His jaw dropped in disbelief.
"I was wondering...how do you really feel about her, Koushirou-san?"
"Takeru-kun...don't do this to me, okay?" He sounded upset as he stood up like he was going to head for the door.
"Koushirou-san just hear me out, please?" I stood up as well, trying to calm him down.
"Thanks but no, Takeru-kun. I have no desire to make myself look like a fool."
"I know you love her!"
Koushirou stopped in his tracks and looked over at me, as if to say that he was stunned that I had figured it out.
"How...how do you know that?" he asked, his voice a bit hushed.
"I remember when Mimi-san came back to Japan. You had me give her those flowers, though you had every intent of doing it yourself. And I looked back at some of my old journal entries and photos, too, and found evidence there as well."
"That was a long time ago, Takeru-kun..."
"You were holding hands in one picture, Koushirou-san! I saw it!" I said, almost shouting at him. "You've had a crush on her for a long time now, and I'm almost sure deep down she feels the same way about you! You spent just as much time as I did, if not more, chatting online with her while she was living in America. That wouldn't have happened if neither of you didn't feel something for the other."
"Takeru-kun, I...it's just..."
I could see the despondence in his eyes, and decided to change my approach a bit. It was quickly apparent to me that I'd have to handle this situation differently from how I'd motivated Taichi and Ken to make their moves.
"Sit back down. Let's talk about it." I said, leading back to this chair. Koushirou walked back and sat down, sighing as he did. "So if I may ask, what's holding you back?"
"The fact that I know a girl like her deserves better than me." He said. "She's everything I'm not, Takeru-kun, and she deserves someone who can give her the best of everything. There's nothing I could offer her that she either doesn't already have or couldn't get from a better man."
Talk about a tough nut to crack. And we're talking coconut-tough here. Here I thought I had angst issues, and Koushirou's been suffering with this mentality for years now. So I used the one card I hadn't played yet: the truth. Mind you, not the truth about my whole mess, but the truth about Mimi and what she's really like.
"Koushirou-san, I've spent a lot of time talking to Mimi-san since she got back. We hang out a lot, so I know a good deal about her. Do you know what she really likes?" I said, moving to the corner of the couch nearest him. He looked up at me and shook his head 'no', and that's where I began.
"Mimi-san likes burgers, fries and a cola. She likes hanging out and watching movies on video with a bag of microwave popcorn. She likes strawberry ice cream, splashing in puddles in a rainstorm, and snowball fights. You following me?"
"But...everybody likes that kind of stuff."
"That's my point. Sure she likes the high life. Who doesn't? But she likes normal things just like you and me as well. Believe me, the last thing she wants is some guy who's going to put her up on a pedestal 24/7. When you get down to it, she's just someone who wants to be treated the same as any other."
"...I never thought about her like that before." Koushirou folded his hands in front of his mouth as he thought about what I had said.
"Not many people have, because they see her for what's on the outside. And sure she's a beautiful girl, but she doesn't want preferential treatment just because of how she looks." I said, reclining on the couch again.
"Well...do you think I might have a chance, then?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. I smiled back at him, seeing that I'd gotten through to him. The truth had indeed set him free.
"If anyone does, it's you Koushirou-san." I told him.
"I'm still skeptical of all of this, mind you, but I guess I'll never know for sure unless I experience it firsthand." He said, standing back up again. "Okay, I'll give it a shot."
I stood back up as well and shook hands with Koushirou, thus beginning the third and final phase of the plan. I figured once I got Koushirou and Mimi together it could only be smooth sailing from there for my upcoming date with Hikari.
I had no idea that ultimately my plan was going to backfire on me in a way that I could never have imagined.