Chapter 6: Letting go for him.
Fuko walked back into the office with the print of Miwa's slap still on her face. Tokiya was still at café talking, or rather trying to calm Miwa down. Fuko didn't stay to watch, she just turned on her heel and headed back to the office.
Before she went back to the studio however, she went into the toilet, and washed her face, till the print had been reduced to a mere pinkish color. Satisfied, Fuko walked back to the studio. If anyone asked, she was just going to glare at them.
However, as it turned out, she didn't have to at all. Tokiya was waiting for her outside the studio. Knowing that it was useless to try and ignore him, Fuko nodded to him to follow her into an empty room.
There was silence as they entered the room, and Fuko sat down on a chair, feeling tired by the day's events. Tokiya took a seat too, right beside her and his gaze rested on the slight imprint on her cheek. Fuko turned away.
" Don't look at me like that. I don't like that. It hurts even more like that."
" I'm sorry." Tokiya said
" Don't be. I deserved it. What did you say to her? It seems obvious that you were lacking in tact when you told her you wanted a breakup."
" I told her as plainly as I could that I couldn't be with her anymore. That's all."
" That's the problem with you." Fuko muttered. " You're too direct with women. Women aren't men. They aren't Tokiya Mikagami."
" Whatever it is. I just put her on a cab home. I'm meeting her and her father tonight to discuss it."
" Discuss it! This is not a business arrangement! You're getting it all wrong!" Fuko got out of her seat frustrated, " That's it. You can go and solve this on your own. This is stupid. I should have never gotten myself into this mess."
" Fuko."
" Don't Fuko me. I've had it. We are over. Over." Fuko snapped as she strode out of the room angrily.
Miyuki eyed her suspiciously as she walked back to her seat, " What happened?"
Fuko glared at her.
*********************
Fuko turned up for work lacking her usual spirit the next day. She went through the job routine, doing her work, making sure everything went well. The explosion didn't come till midday.
It was Chiharu who first found it. It was an anonymous e-mail. Fuko had been doing a report, when Chiharu had come up to her table and pulled her to a corner.
" Fuko, do you have any idea of this?" Chiharu asked as she held out a piece of paper to Fuko. Fuko took it and it read.
The anchorperson of the morning talk show is a slut. She goes around pretending to be a nice girl, but her actual goal in reality is to separate happy couples. Be wary of her. She has bonds with the top people. That's why she gets to run the show in her own way.
Fuko could have broken down and cried then, but she didn't. Chiharu whispered nervously to Fuko, " I think almost everyone in the building got it. It was a mass e-mail, from outside, so I don't know who sent it. But Fuko, this is so upsetting. Tell me honestly, do you know anyone from the top personally?"
Fuko didn't answer her, but instead walked away. Already she could see, that everyone else had received the mail. They were beginning to look at her suspiciously. Then, Miyuki came up to her and said, " Fuko, the director wants to see you."
*********************
It was with a pounding heart that Fuko took the lift up to Tokiya's office. Everyone was staring at her. When she knocked on the door of Tokiya's office, he was already waiting for her.
There was a cup coffee in front of her, when she sat down, which Tokiya offered to her, " Drink it, I had it brought in for you. It'll make you feel better."
Fuko sipped it, but almost immediately, she put the cup back on the table and stared back at him.
" I have discussed it with the other directors, and we think it best that you take a break for a while, till the mess is cleared up."
" I understand." Fuko replied. " I'll leave immediately."
" Fu. Miss Kirisawa. You must understand that you still have your job. But to prevent further rumors from spreading, we need you to take a break for a while. Do you understand? Everything will be all right. I promise you."
" I understand." Fuko murmured and got up. " I'll take my leave now."
" No Fuko wait." Tokiya got up and came towards her. " You've got to understand. You can't let this affect you!"
" No Tokiya, can't you see. She chose the perfect weapon. She chose to bring down my reputation. And what she is saying is not false either! But what am I supposed to tell the others when I see them? I can't lie to them, but I can't tell them the truth either. Maybe this was a sin, a big sin. Let's break up Tokiya. We shouldn't have started this in the first place."
" No! I won't break up with you. ever!" Tokiya persisted.
" No, go away!" Fuko pushed Tokiya away from her. " This is wrong!"
Tokiya looked at her, then he turned away and went back to his desk. " I told Recca to come and pick you up. Apparently, the e-mail reached them too."
Fuko closed her eyes and opened them again. She said nothing as she walked out of Tokiya's office.
It only took a few minutes to pack her things. Miyuki promised to send the rest over to her place. Everyone crowded around her as she packed her things. Yutaro announced loudly that he didn't believe the rumors and Chiharu kicked him in the shin. Finally in a last ditch effort, Fuko had told everyone that she was all right, and that she would come back soon.
As she reached the front entrance, tears were already streaming down her face. Recca was waiting for her, with Yanagi too. Both of them said nothing, but Yanagi just hugged Fuko and helped her into the car, while Recca drove off. It was a long painful journey back home.
*******************
Tokiya turned away from the window as he saw Recca's car drive away. He went back to his desk and took out his mobile phone. Quickly, he dialed a number
" Hello?" an all too familiar voice answered
" Nice job. I couldn't have done better myself."
" What are you talking about?" Miwa asked in her innocent voice.
" Cut the crap. What do you want."
There was a pause on the other line, then Miwa spoke, " You know the answer Tokiya. It's all up to you really."
" Forget about it. That childish act won't hurt her at all. She's stronger than that."
" Really? Then why did you ask her to go back?"
Tokiya's eyes narrowed, " How did you know that."
" I have my own sources."
" What is it that you want."
" Meet me at my apartment tonight. We'll talk then." Before Tokiya could reply, she had hung up already.
Slowly, he ended the call, but now, there was a glint in his eye that one would not count as amusing.
********************
" Fuko, are you all right in there?" Yanagi knocked on the bathroom door.
" Yes." Fuko replied. Knowing that if she didn't come out soon, Yanagi would start to get worried. Thus, she got out of the tub and put on a bathrobe. Yanagi was in her room when she came out of the bathroom.
" Honestly Yanagi, I'm all right, you and Recca can go back now."
" No, I have to make sure that you won't do anything stupid. Besides, Domon's here too."
"Domon? Why?" Fuko asked
" Well."
" He got the email too right. How could I forget." Fuko sighed.
At that moment, Domon came into her room, followed by Recca. Recca nodded at Fuko and then he said to Yanagi,
" Yanagi, I think that we should make a move now. We'll come back in the evening. Domon has offered to stay for the time being."
" No, I don't need you guys to keep watch over me. I'm all right." Fuko protested.
" Sorry Fuko, but that's a lie and you know it. Besides, I took the day off." Domon replied, as he ushered Fuko to the bed and winked at Recca, " What she needs is a little prodding sometimes."
Everyone laughed, including Fuko, who managed a slight smile, and for that second, forgot about everything.
****************
Later, when Recca and Yanagi had departed, Domon came into Fuko's room carrying a tray with two cups on it. He frowned when he saw that Fuko was still not yet asleep.
" I can't get to sleep." Fuko replied when she saw his face.
" I sort of guessed that, so I brewed some rose tea for you. It'll calm you down."
" You were always an expert on this." Fuko replied, as she took the cup from him.
Domon put the tray aside and sat down on the bed beside her. After a moment of silence, he asked
" Do you want to talk about it?"
" Yes, I want to very much, but I can't find people to tell."
" You can tell me." Domon offered.
That was enough for Fuko. She told him everything. From the first time she saw him again till when Miwa had slapped her. When she finished, she was sobbing like a baby, and Domon had put an arm around her and hugged her and told her to sleep, which Fuko finally did.
******************
It wasn't much later, when Fuko was woken up by the sound of voices arguing. Still feeling sleepy, she got out of bed and shuffled her way to the sound of the noise. It was coming from the doorway, and she saw the Domon was arguing with . Tokiya.
" Just let me see her. I need to talk to her." Tokiya was saying.
" No Tokiya, I'm not going to let you hurt her again and again. She's been through so much."
" But this time, I can explain."
" Explain what! That Miwa hit her because she was entitled to. Miwa sent the letters because she was jealous? It's not going to help her. You've left her bruised and broken like you did five years ago."
" I admit that five years ago was a mistake."
" Oh, like finally! How long did you take to realize that Tokiya. Long enough for you to get a fiancé I see, and you have to spoil it all over again, but pulling Fuko into the picture. Fuko doesn't deserve a jerk like you. If I were you, five years ago, I would not have insisted on going to America and forcing Fuko to decide if she wanted you or not. Leave with me or break up with me, I believe that's what you said."
" I know, but she let me go. She told me to leave."
" Or course she told you to leave! If you didn't and stayed, you would have blamed her for the lost opportunity."
" I never thought of that."
" Oh yeah, that's hard to believe Tokiya. You're always so selfish. How were you supposed to give up a higher paying job for love? My god, you didn't even want to give Fuko some security by getting engaged like she asked you to."
" It's different now. I love Fuko, and I want to marry her."
" No. You marry Miwa and leave her alone. She's better off without you."
" You have no right."
" Enough." Fuko spoke, and both men turned around to face her. " Tokiya, please leave. I'm very tired. I wish to rest."
" But." Tokiya began.
" You heard her, leave!" Domon said.
Tokiya looked at Fuko, and stared at her for quite a while. Finally, he relented and moved away from her.
When Domon had closed the door, Fuko leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes. Tears were already beginning to form, and she didn't want to cry again. When she opened them again, Domon was standing in front of her. Slowly, he lifted up a finger to dab away the tear gathered on her eyelash.
" Is he really causing you so much pain Fuko?" he asked softly. When Fuko didn't reply, he continued, " If he is, would you let me try to relieve some of the pain?"
*********************
Tokiya rang the doorbell impatiently and waited for it to open. He heard footsteps, and then door opened to reveal Miwa, who was clad in a nightgown and nothing else.
" Tokiya! I thought you would come. Come on inside." She called out as Tokiya stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind him.
Fuko walked back into the office with the print of Miwa's slap still on her face. Tokiya was still at café talking, or rather trying to calm Miwa down. Fuko didn't stay to watch, she just turned on her heel and headed back to the office.
Before she went back to the studio however, she went into the toilet, and washed her face, till the print had been reduced to a mere pinkish color. Satisfied, Fuko walked back to the studio. If anyone asked, she was just going to glare at them.
However, as it turned out, she didn't have to at all. Tokiya was waiting for her outside the studio. Knowing that it was useless to try and ignore him, Fuko nodded to him to follow her into an empty room.
There was silence as they entered the room, and Fuko sat down on a chair, feeling tired by the day's events. Tokiya took a seat too, right beside her and his gaze rested on the slight imprint on her cheek. Fuko turned away.
" Don't look at me like that. I don't like that. It hurts even more like that."
" I'm sorry." Tokiya said
" Don't be. I deserved it. What did you say to her? It seems obvious that you were lacking in tact when you told her you wanted a breakup."
" I told her as plainly as I could that I couldn't be with her anymore. That's all."
" That's the problem with you." Fuko muttered. " You're too direct with women. Women aren't men. They aren't Tokiya Mikagami."
" Whatever it is. I just put her on a cab home. I'm meeting her and her father tonight to discuss it."
" Discuss it! This is not a business arrangement! You're getting it all wrong!" Fuko got out of her seat frustrated, " That's it. You can go and solve this on your own. This is stupid. I should have never gotten myself into this mess."
" Fuko."
" Don't Fuko me. I've had it. We are over. Over." Fuko snapped as she strode out of the room angrily.
Miyuki eyed her suspiciously as she walked back to her seat, " What happened?"
Fuko glared at her.
*********************
Fuko turned up for work lacking her usual spirit the next day. She went through the job routine, doing her work, making sure everything went well. The explosion didn't come till midday.
It was Chiharu who first found it. It was an anonymous e-mail. Fuko had been doing a report, when Chiharu had come up to her table and pulled her to a corner.
" Fuko, do you have any idea of this?" Chiharu asked as she held out a piece of paper to Fuko. Fuko took it and it read.
The anchorperson of the morning talk show is a slut. She goes around pretending to be a nice girl, but her actual goal in reality is to separate happy couples. Be wary of her. She has bonds with the top people. That's why she gets to run the show in her own way.
Fuko could have broken down and cried then, but she didn't. Chiharu whispered nervously to Fuko, " I think almost everyone in the building got it. It was a mass e-mail, from outside, so I don't know who sent it. But Fuko, this is so upsetting. Tell me honestly, do you know anyone from the top personally?"
Fuko didn't answer her, but instead walked away. Already she could see, that everyone else had received the mail. They were beginning to look at her suspiciously. Then, Miyuki came up to her and said, " Fuko, the director wants to see you."
*********************
It was with a pounding heart that Fuko took the lift up to Tokiya's office. Everyone was staring at her. When she knocked on the door of Tokiya's office, he was already waiting for her.
There was a cup coffee in front of her, when she sat down, which Tokiya offered to her, " Drink it, I had it brought in for you. It'll make you feel better."
Fuko sipped it, but almost immediately, she put the cup back on the table and stared back at him.
" I have discussed it with the other directors, and we think it best that you take a break for a while, till the mess is cleared up."
" I understand." Fuko replied. " I'll leave immediately."
" Fu. Miss Kirisawa. You must understand that you still have your job. But to prevent further rumors from spreading, we need you to take a break for a while. Do you understand? Everything will be all right. I promise you."
" I understand." Fuko murmured and got up. " I'll take my leave now."
" No Fuko wait." Tokiya got up and came towards her. " You've got to understand. You can't let this affect you!"
" No Tokiya, can't you see. She chose the perfect weapon. She chose to bring down my reputation. And what she is saying is not false either! But what am I supposed to tell the others when I see them? I can't lie to them, but I can't tell them the truth either. Maybe this was a sin, a big sin. Let's break up Tokiya. We shouldn't have started this in the first place."
" No! I won't break up with you. ever!" Tokiya persisted.
" No, go away!" Fuko pushed Tokiya away from her. " This is wrong!"
Tokiya looked at her, then he turned away and went back to his desk. " I told Recca to come and pick you up. Apparently, the e-mail reached them too."
Fuko closed her eyes and opened them again. She said nothing as she walked out of Tokiya's office.
It only took a few minutes to pack her things. Miyuki promised to send the rest over to her place. Everyone crowded around her as she packed her things. Yutaro announced loudly that he didn't believe the rumors and Chiharu kicked him in the shin. Finally in a last ditch effort, Fuko had told everyone that she was all right, and that she would come back soon.
As she reached the front entrance, tears were already streaming down her face. Recca was waiting for her, with Yanagi too. Both of them said nothing, but Yanagi just hugged Fuko and helped her into the car, while Recca drove off. It was a long painful journey back home.
*******************
Tokiya turned away from the window as he saw Recca's car drive away. He went back to his desk and took out his mobile phone. Quickly, he dialed a number
" Hello?" an all too familiar voice answered
" Nice job. I couldn't have done better myself."
" What are you talking about?" Miwa asked in her innocent voice.
" Cut the crap. What do you want."
There was a pause on the other line, then Miwa spoke, " You know the answer Tokiya. It's all up to you really."
" Forget about it. That childish act won't hurt her at all. She's stronger than that."
" Really? Then why did you ask her to go back?"
Tokiya's eyes narrowed, " How did you know that."
" I have my own sources."
" What is it that you want."
" Meet me at my apartment tonight. We'll talk then." Before Tokiya could reply, she had hung up already.
Slowly, he ended the call, but now, there was a glint in his eye that one would not count as amusing.
********************
" Fuko, are you all right in there?" Yanagi knocked on the bathroom door.
" Yes." Fuko replied. Knowing that if she didn't come out soon, Yanagi would start to get worried. Thus, she got out of the tub and put on a bathrobe. Yanagi was in her room when she came out of the bathroom.
" Honestly Yanagi, I'm all right, you and Recca can go back now."
" No, I have to make sure that you won't do anything stupid. Besides, Domon's here too."
"Domon? Why?" Fuko asked
" Well."
" He got the email too right. How could I forget." Fuko sighed.
At that moment, Domon came into her room, followed by Recca. Recca nodded at Fuko and then he said to Yanagi,
" Yanagi, I think that we should make a move now. We'll come back in the evening. Domon has offered to stay for the time being."
" No, I don't need you guys to keep watch over me. I'm all right." Fuko protested.
" Sorry Fuko, but that's a lie and you know it. Besides, I took the day off." Domon replied, as he ushered Fuko to the bed and winked at Recca, " What she needs is a little prodding sometimes."
Everyone laughed, including Fuko, who managed a slight smile, and for that second, forgot about everything.
****************
Later, when Recca and Yanagi had departed, Domon came into Fuko's room carrying a tray with two cups on it. He frowned when he saw that Fuko was still not yet asleep.
" I can't get to sleep." Fuko replied when she saw his face.
" I sort of guessed that, so I brewed some rose tea for you. It'll calm you down."
" You were always an expert on this." Fuko replied, as she took the cup from him.
Domon put the tray aside and sat down on the bed beside her. After a moment of silence, he asked
" Do you want to talk about it?"
" Yes, I want to very much, but I can't find people to tell."
" You can tell me." Domon offered.
That was enough for Fuko. She told him everything. From the first time she saw him again till when Miwa had slapped her. When she finished, she was sobbing like a baby, and Domon had put an arm around her and hugged her and told her to sleep, which Fuko finally did.
******************
It wasn't much later, when Fuko was woken up by the sound of voices arguing. Still feeling sleepy, she got out of bed and shuffled her way to the sound of the noise. It was coming from the doorway, and she saw the Domon was arguing with . Tokiya.
" Just let me see her. I need to talk to her." Tokiya was saying.
" No Tokiya, I'm not going to let you hurt her again and again. She's been through so much."
" But this time, I can explain."
" Explain what! That Miwa hit her because she was entitled to. Miwa sent the letters because she was jealous? It's not going to help her. You've left her bruised and broken like you did five years ago."
" I admit that five years ago was a mistake."
" Oh, like finally! How long did you take to realize that Tokiya. Long enough for you to get a fiancé I see, and you have to spoil it all over again, but pulling Fuko into the picture. Fuko doesn't deserve a jerk like you. If I were you, five years ago, I would not have insisted on going to America and forcing Fuko to decide if she wanted you or not. Leave with me or break up with me, I believe that's what you said."
" I know, but she let me go. She told me to leave."
" Or course she told you to leave! If you didn't and stayed, you would have blamed her for the lost opportunity."
" I never thought of that."
" Oh yeah, that's hard to believe Tokiya. You're always so selfish. How were you supposed to give up a higher paying job for love? My god, you didn't even want to give Fuko some security by getting engaged like she asked you to."
" It's different now. I love Fuko, and I want to marry her."
" No. You marry Miwa and leave her alone. She's better off without you."
" You have no right."
" Enough." Fuko spoke, and both men turned around to face her. " Tokiya, please leave. I'm very tired. I wish to rest."
" But." Tokiya began.
" You heard her, leave!" Domon said.
Tokiya looked at Fuko, and stared at her for quite a while. Finally, he relented and moved away from her.
When Domon had closed the door, Fuko leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes. Tears were already beginning to form, and she didn't want to cry again. When she opened them again, Domon was standing in front of her. Slowly, he lifted up a finger to dab away the tear gathered on her eyelash.
" Is he really causing you so much pain Fuko?" he asked softly. When Fuko didn't reply, he continued, " If he is, would you let me try to relieve some of the pain?"
*********************
Tokiya rang the doorbell impatiently and waited for it to open. He heard footsteps, and then door opened to reveal Miwa, who was clad in a nightgown and nothing else.
" Tokiya! I thought you would come. Come on inside." She called out as Tokiya stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind him.