SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Forever
Step 04 - My world turns
A/N: Revision one of this chapter. ^_^. More coming soon, I'm working hard!
Aneri stepped out of the plane, nervously looking around at her surroundings. In Hollywood, all the signs would be in English, and everyone was fluent in the language as well. Unfortunately, all the signs were in some weird characters that looked Chinese? Japanese? Korean? The languages were all the same - Aneri knew only how to say 'Hello' and 'Where is the bathroom?'
AOi! Gaijin! Hayaku!@
AS-sorry,@ she muttered, then quickly ran out into the main boarding area, bumping into several people along the way. Of the responses she received, none appeared to be nice, and she dashed to an empty seat and sat down to collect her emotions.
Her adoptive parents said her past lay in Japan. So, being the idiotic impulsive person she was, Aneri bought a one-way ticket to Japan with only five hundred dollars to her name. If she needed money, her parents told her to call them, but Japanese phones were . . . odd. Her damn Learn Japanese in five minutes= book didn't help much either.
She didn't even know where in Japan her past lay. Sure, it was a tiny country, but looking for one person in this tiny overcrowded piece of land?
Why not seach for two people? Her parents had died during Aneri's childhood. Aneri knew all she had left was an older brother. She didn't know his first name, or where he lived, or if he even knew she existed.
Of course, these facts just dampened her already low spirits even more.
Hopefully in Japan they had clubs with room and board, so she could use her voice for a living like she did in the states. Somehow Aneri doubted places like this existed. And if they did, well, it wasn't shown in Hollywood.
Dinner at Miyu and Yamato's home was like a family scene from a movie, and Miyu confirming that Aya would arrive by next week and stay for about a week. Ran felt hurt that one of her best friends hadn't called her yet with the news, but knowing Aya she had a special reason for not telling, right?
Like a child looks forward to the promise of ice cream, Ran found herself feeling the same way about her date with Tatsuki. Going out with him felt natural, his presence just felt 'right', and no matter what they did, he could make her laugh. "What should I wear," she muttered, searching through her closet, throwing some things onto her bed. "A pair of shorts and a t-shirt, maybe? Or a skirt and a peasant top?"
She frowned as she tried on the peasant top. The look didn't suit her at all. "Waste of money," she cursed, throwing it on the floor and returning to her closet to find something else. After about ten minutes of 'too this' or 'too that', she settled on a pair of blue jeans and a bright, hawaiian style backless shirt. Knowing their 'intuition' they would mesh perfectly without prior planning.
After spending about twenty minutes on hair and makeup, Ran checked the clock, only to discover her date wasn't going to arrive for another half hour. Sighing, she plopped on her couch and grabbed an issue of Tomodachi and thumbed through the pages. Before she could find anything interesting, her cell rang, and Ran grabbed it urgently.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Ran?"
Ran's mouth dropped slightly. It was Rei. She'd recognize that sarcastic voice anywhere. What did he want? Why did he call? And he just had to call right before Tatsuki got here!
"Ran, you there?"
"Y-yes," she quickly replied. Oh, how his voice did things to her heart . . .
"I called to ask," the doorbell rang,
"Sorry Otohata, but Tatsuki's here and I need to go. Talk to you later, okay? Bye," she exclaimed and dashed to the door. Tatsuki stood at the door, wearing Hawaiian clothing and carrying a bunch of . . . bananas?
She laughed while shaking her head. "You're goofy, you know that?" Tatsuki gave a lopsided smiled and nodded. Ran gave him a hug and took the bananas to her kitchen. "We should make banana splits when we get back."
"But I'd rather have you for desert," he whispered in her ear and kissed her neck. Ran shuddered from the sensation - until Tatsuki wrapped his arms around her waist and snapped her back to reality. She pushed away, slightly flushed.
Tatsuki half smiled, then reached for her hand. They didn't talk much until they were on the road. Tatsuki turned the radio off and asked, "Where should we go today?"
Ran playfully glared, "You didn't plan before we went out?!"
Tatsuki grinned his carefree, heart stopping grin and winked. "You know me. . ."
Ran smiled back. "Yes, I do," she sighed, "Although sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself." Tatsuki shrugged.
"Being together for over ten years will do that to you." Ran smiled and nodded. Silence again possessed the car. Ran spent her time looking out the window, watching the trees pass by.
Her neck burned where Tatsuki had kissed. It felt so good . . . but there was no way she could be in love with him, right? Ten years blurred the feelings she had for him. They were together too long, his smile only stopped her heart every so while, yet the physical desire always made itself present. Perhaps today she should let him kiss her . . . even if she didn't love him that way, if the first kiss belonged to Tatsuki it wouldn't be so bad. Ran nodded. Tonight she would let Tatsuki give her a good-night kiss.
"The park," he suddenly said, sounding like it was a revelation.
Ran blinked. Where did that come from? "The park," she repeated, "We've never gone out there before."
"Exactly!"
"Alright." Tatsuki turned on the radio, and they spent the car ride singing along to various pop music. "Hey, Tatsuki, the park we're going to has a trail around, right? Let's take a walk when we get there."
"Um.. okay," he replied, slightly surprised. If Aya were here, he'd expect something like that from her, not Ran. He smiled inside, she was always unpredictable, that's what he liked about her.
"Thanks," Ran replied softly. A walk sounded boring, but part of her looked forward to it, a time where they could walk among nature, and talk about whatever cam to mind. Ran secretly smiled to herself, was she finally becoming mature? Or just romantic?
"We're here," Tatsuki said as he parked the car. "Do you want to eat or take a walk first?"
"Let's walk," Ran decided, then grabbed his hand and practically dragged him to the trail. Tatsuki half laughed in amazement.
"Next time tell me if you want to walk so bad." Ran smiled, a secret, 'I'm not telling' gesture, suggesting further meaning. Her beauty shocked him, she looked like an angel when she smiled. . .
"Ne, Tatsuki, what do you want to do when Aya gets here?"
"You have a plan to hook her and Rei up, don't you," he replied, well versed in Ran's schemes.
"Of coarse," she exclaimed. "Know it or not, those two like each other!" But as those words left her mouth, a feeling of regret, almost sadness hit her heart. Like it or not, her feelings were a third wheel. Duty to friends and family, that came foremost. "So, are you going to help me?"
"When have I not," he said with a grin. Even though her schemes were a bit outrageous sometimes, they were fun to act out.
Ran beamed her reply. "Thanks!" Silence followed, until Ran broke it, "Ne, Tatsuki. . . what you said at the club awhile back, I -"
"Taaaaatttsssuuuukkiiii," a female voice called, and when Ran turned to the voice, she discovered that it was the same girl from that night at the club, running toward them, dressed in autumn colors. Ran glanced at Tatsuki, who showed no outward sign of emotion that was different from the norm. She ran and wrapped her arms around him, not taking notice to Ran, or rather, not caring. Tatsuki hugged her back, although not as tightly as she did him.
"Ran, this is Aki." That explained the autumn colored attire. She must've thought it was cute. Sorry, but autumn colors are not in right now sweety.
"Hello Aki. Nice to meet you." She glanced at Ran to Tatsuki, back to Ran. They were dressed similarly, could they be on a date? The thought brought a snide smile to her face.
"Are you two . . together," she asked in a mock innocent tone. Ran fought to keep from frowning. Both her and her police instincts told her that this girl lied easily, and likely had the personality of a top-dog.
"Yes," Tatsuki replied, much to Ran's relief.
"That's not what it looked like Saturday night," she replied, pouting. "Speaking of which, when are we going to get together again? We could meet at my place again. . ."
Her place? Tatsuki had gone over to her home? They probably didn't do anything, right? Even though Tatsuki acted wild, he was a gentleman at heart. Ran decided to ask directly, after all, she trusted him. "Tatsuki, what did you do at her place?"
"Oh, you don't want to know," Aki replied, smiling sweetly and latching herself on Tatsuki's arm. Ran's eyes went wide and she felt like crying. Of coarse she couldn't, not in front of this beastly girl. Tatsuki blushed slightly and opened his mouth to say something, but Aki leaned up and kissed his lips before he could verify the falsity of the statement. He tried to break it, but she had her hands on his head and wouldn't let him go.
He knew that look, it bothered her, and it bothered her greatly.
Ran turned and ran away from them, screaming silent curses and such at herself and Tatsuki in her mind. She thought she had found sanctuary under a sakura tree, but a familiar 'Kotobuki' greeting sent her back to 'mask' mode.
Otohata's voice. She almost groaned. There were way too many coincidence happening today. "Otohata. . . what brings you here?"
"I should be saying the same to you," he replied, and crouched so they were eye to eye. Ran looked at the ground, focusing on a fallen flower.
"Oh thanks allot Otohata. Put me on a spot. I just can't say - 'Oh, I was with Tatsuki and he dumped me for a scheming little whore,'" Ran thought with a frown. Her initial sadness disappeared rapidly, and was quickly being replaced by anger. "I was with Tatsuki, but a friend of his showed up," she replied, staying as close to the truth as possible.
Luckily Rei seemed to catch her sarcasm on the word friend, and he gave a puzzled expression to compensate for her initial lie. "That bad," he replied, adding a hint of sympathy.
"You don't know the half of it. Anyway, wanna go get some ice cream or something?" Comfort food. That's what she needed. But . . . her and Tatsuki were supposed to . . . Tears sprung to her eyes. Go ahead, betray me all you want Tatsuki.
Rei looked as if to question her further, but nodded and they walked to a little stand, only to come back to Tatsuki and Aki. He didn't have the courage to leave her it seemed. Aki seemed to take an instant liking to Rei, because when she saw Ran approaching, she latched off of Tatsuki's arm long enough to wave and call out 'Ran' as if she were an old friend.
Rei arched an eyebrow and glanced at Ran out of the corner of his eye. She looked perturbed. Extremely perturbed. "Don't use my name with such familiarity," she muttered under her breath. Still she plastered on a fake smile and waved back.
"Ran doll, who is your friend?"
"Oh great. Now she wants to go after Rei," Ran thought as Aki gave Rei a good one over. Tatsuki was staring at her, eyes apologetic and worried. Ran simply cast a blank stare back before giving a quick glare to Aki.
"I'm her boyfriend. Otohata Rei. Nice to meet you." A gasp came from all three as Rei finished that line, and draped his arm around Ran's shoulders. Tatsuki's apologetic look morphed to a sudden indifference.
"Is that so," Aki replied, voice slightly amused. "Well then, Tatsuki and I will be leaving now. Later!"
Rei and Ran watched them leave, and when they were out of earshot Ran mumbled a thanks. Rei nodded and bought her a scoop of strawberry ice cream. "Now who was that," he asked as she licked the cool treat.
"Her? I believe she's called the 'other girl'. That night when we were at the club she apparently 'met' Tatsuki. In any case, she ruined our date and parades herself as Tatsuki's girlfriend. Judging by her leers at you, I don't think she's an honest person."
"And Tatsuki?"
"Who nows. He doesn't seem himself when he's around her. Maybe he does like her. Anyway, why should it matter," she struggled to smile, "It's not like we were officially together. So, what do you want to do when Aya arrives?"
"Don't start Kotobuki," Rei said and gave her a warning glare. She didn't know the half of his old relationship with Aya. Besides, it seemed her concern provided an escape to her own troubles at the moment, not of genuine interest.
"What," she replied innocently. "You always think so low of me!"
"Because I know exactly what's going on in that mind of yours."
"Hey, why don't we have a picnic here," she replied, ignoring his last remark. She was too drained, emotionally and physically, to come up with a smart remark.
"Why do you bother asking? You're going to make me come no matter what you think up."
"And? So that means you like it?" Rei didn't answer. If there was one major fault in the boy, it was communication. In truth, Rei wasn't interested in what the future plans were. He wanted to know more about the situation with Aki and Tatsuki. If that problem wasn't settled, then the next week was bound to be fiery, in more ways than one. Ran sighed and for a moment looked as if she were about to cry. She shook her head abruptly, and stopped walking. "Listen, Rei, thanks for the ice cream. But I really need to go. See you later, okay?"
"Ran. . ."
Ran smiled, turned, and dashed away to the nearest bus stop. Only when the bus carried her far away from the park did her tears begin to flow.