To hokuto: Thank you for leaving me a long review. I know it is advisable to stick to the canon, especially when it is a fan fiction. Unfortunately, the idea of having a young stepmother stuck me when I first penned down this fiction so I guess, this would be an imperfection in this plot eh? Honestly, my baby sister has the same feeling as yours after she finished reading my chapter two. Gosh, how I wish she could tell me that before I had posted it up. Oh yes, I kind of remembered too that Akira not only went for married women, but older and available ones too. Perhaps the image of Akira being chased by an angered husband is so memorable that I have overlooked this point. Nevertheless, be assured that I will try to do something about this point in the later chapters. Last but not least, thanks for letting me know that you have read and analyzed this humble fiction of mine. ^_^
To Dytia: Yep, poor Akira, the only F4 member who had lost out to an old lady (Tama) and a girl who only appeared once (Sara) and currently twice, in the Manga during one of Margaret's voting programs eh? Haha…Thank you for reviewing. ^_^
To piglet: Bingo! It's the infamous 'battery went dead' scenario. Haha… wanted to know what happened next? So, here I am, presenting you the next chapter. Thank you! ^_^
To Som: Gosh! I am SO SO SO HAPPY to see your penname in this fiction. You've surprised me once again for reading my hyd fictions. Thank you! Muahkk! ^_^
Gosh! I am really, really, really a happy lady!! Thank you for making me into one! ^_^
Now, hope minnasan would enjoy this next chapter. Thank you!
IT IS JUST ANOTHER LOVE AFFAIR?
Chapter 3: Don't Jump!
In another part of the city, Nanaji Kumiko was staggering her way towards the fountain located inside a public park near the hotel that she had just emerged from.
" Ita! Damn those old hags!" Kumiko cursed out loud. " I have not wasted all those years taking karate lessons for nothing!" Kumiko growled into the quietness of the park as she remised the event happened during half an hour ago.
" Kumiko, please go." Kurota pleaded after seeing his wife and her companions, who had sustained much more injuries than Kumiko, whining on the floor. Kumiko looked at him, " You don't want me anymore?" Kumiko questioned out, with a note of discreet seduction.
" This isn't the appropriate time to discuss this issue. I will call you." Kurota cajoled, praying hard that Kumiko would be taken in by his words. " If that's what you want." Kumiko cajoled back.
Kurota felt as though an unbearable weight had been lifted from his shoulders. " Thank you, Kumiko, I can't tell you how much…" She smiled and said, " I understand." Kumiko grabbed her overcoat from the table and made her way out the penthouse of Maple Hotel.
Damn that spineless creature. Kumiko screamed out inside her tiny head and settled herself onto the cold marble edge of the fountain and she could see very clearly, those nasty and sore bruises covering almost eighty percent of her tiny face inside the still water.
Thanks to her tactless lover, instead of a romantic night for two, the embarrassing affair nearly threatened to embroil her family's reputation (something which she wouldn't care even if it had actually happened) when Mrs. Yamaguchi decided to give the reporters a call after Kumiko had out beaten them in the fight.
The angry wife of Yamaguchi finally dropped the idea after realizing the fact that her husband's reputation might be tarnished from their double-edged sword situation.
As a matter of fact, it wasn't the first time Kumiko had ended up like this and she was quite immune to all those wives battering since the day she decided becoming a husband snatcher.
It was the carelessness of her lovers that really pissed her off.
~*~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~
Akira let out a sigh of defeat as he stared at the blanked screen on his phone. " Do I really have to break a leg or two?" Akira mumbled to himself, swallowing hard while he shifted his attention back to the dark alley below him.
Silent…there wasn't even any argument inside the apartment when Akira placed his ear against the brick wall to check out the couple. Did Seiko manage to get away so successfully with her short-lived fling? Akira wondered out aloud.
However, from the look of it, she really did. Anyway, he did thank God for not having to squeeze himself inside the tiny partition just in case Seiko's husband wanted to check the window.
Silent…even the chilling night breeze had taken pity of the poor man, now shivering himself near death and decided to take a break. That's it. No more home visits for me in the future! Akira reminded himself pointedly and concluded that hotels would be the best place for either a fling or an affair.
At least, he had reliable informers in some hotels to keep him informed, especially when his partner was a married one. Akira clear knew that he wasn't a cat and he had only one precious life for enjoyment before his father finally decided who his future wife would be.
In spite of his awkward situation, Akira did another scanning around his current environment and tried to figure out a way to escape from this saddening balcony. " Ah ha!" A grin flashed across his frozen face when he seemed to find a hope for his escape.
" If I can swing myself down all the way to the balcony on the first level, maybe I can just jump right down to the alley from there." Akira finally had his plan carefully devised when he noticed the short distant of the balconies located between each level.
" Sayonara, Seiko-san." Akira whispered out as he blew a kiss at the direction of the closed window, a kiss that the sleeping lady would never get to receive and he had mentally taken note that this would be his first and last visit to this apartment.
Slowly and carefully, Akira carried out his great escape plan.
~*~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~
" Oh! Is this a diamond?"
Kumiko's attention shifted the other side of the fountain when she heard someone talking and spotted a couple.
" Hai! I hope our love would be as everlasting as this diamond. Will you marry me?" The guy proposed to his girlfriend while the lady just stared disbelieving at the ring, which her partner had held in his hand.
" Everlasting love? Craps!" Kumiko muttered, with a note of disgust. " I won't end up like this if there is everlasting love in this world." Kumiko finally concluded.
From the reflection of the pool, Kumiko noticed some tiny sparkles; soon her glance fell onto an exquisitely designed bracelet around her wrist.
Sayonara… Kumiko unhooked the bracelet and give it one last kiss. …Kurota Yamaguchi…Sayonara…
With those last words said inside her head, Kumiko tossed the bracelet into the water and thus officially ended her fifth love affair in the past six months.
~*~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~
" Phew, so far so good." Akira comforted himself even though it wasn't as safe as he thought he is. As a matter of fact, the extended cement flooring on the other side of the balcony was so narrow that Akira had to tiptoe in order to hang out there.
Akira took a deep breath before he concaved his body so that his palms would a good grip on the lower end of the metal rods before he allowed the lower part of his body to swing freely in the midair.
" I have not wasted all those years pumping irons for nothing." Akira smirked, feeling proud of the powerful grips he had while he tried to gain momentum in his swinging.
In a matter of seconds, he managed to land himself on the balcony outside the apartment on the second level. " Did you hear something?" Akira heard a female voice and soon the light inside the apartment was switched on.
" Meow…meow…"
" Stray cats." This time, a masculine voice was heard and then the light was out again. " Great, now I am a cat." Akira grumbled out and rolled his eyes. Nevertheless, he did heave a sigh of relief to know that his imitation was at least convincing enough.
" Another level more to go and I am free." Akira happily quipped and hurried on with his escaping acts.
~*~*~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~
" Neechan, I am now on the way to your place." Kumiko finally ended the short phone conversation with her sister. Those hags really do know how to attack. Kumiko frowned at this realization.
In fact, Kumiko almost lost count of the number of times she had been slapped during the fight. Her head was beginning to ache again, and all she wanted to do was to sink into the soft, smooth pillows. She wanted to sleep and stop thinking about what was happening to her.
Soon Kumiko felt weak and confused when an abrupt dizzy spell hit her hard, thus she had to lean against the wall in order for her to keep her balance.
It took Kumiko quite a while to realize that she had made a wrong turn and landed herself inside one dark and narrow alley behind some private apartments. She was practically sitting on the wet ground with her back leaning against the mould-infested wall.
Kumiko moved her legs from underneath her and stretched them out. They were already beginning to cramp with the cold. Oh! I am getting sick… Kumiko knew that some of her injuries had gotten infected when she felt feverish. I better call neechan to pick me up…
As Kumiko was about to retrieve her mobile phone from her overcoat, she noticed some chipped stones dropping down. For an instant, Kumiko got a glimpse of a black shadow standing outside a balcony right above her and worst of all, it looked like it was about to jump down from where it was standing.
" Don't jump! There is someone down here!" Kumiko yelled at the figure before it landed right on top of her. However, it was already too late.
" What the heck?" Kumiko heard a voice echoed above her before she finally blacked out.
To be continued….