Chapter Four
I watched as the sun set. The sky was illuminated with a bold palette of oranges reds, yellows, purples, and pinks. Darker hues bid their farewells to the light.
I rocked back and forth on our back yard swing set. My hands were loosely wrapped around the cool steel chains.
It had been two seeks since Mamoru's arrival. A lot had changed since then. After our pact at the Crown, we had gotten along great. It's funny how the best of friends can come from archenemies and rivals. It's even funnier that we sealed our friendship on a bag of chips. I'll never forget that.
The girls had accepted our newfound friendship. Although I hadn't missed the suspicious looks that Kioko sent me from time to time. I'll have to have a chat with her one of these days.
Shingo is doing fine. He's on crutches right now. Three weeks, doctor's orders. Turns out, Mamoru's diagnosis of an ankle sprain was correct. No doubt, my little brother had been wallow in disappointment, but it's not all lost. The coach had agreed to continue to let him bat while he's injured. They'll just be sending out pitch runners.
A light breeze passed by causing me to shiver.
"Cold?"
Glancing behind me, I found Mamoru holding out a jacket. I quickly thanked him, then grabbed it. As I pulled my arms through the sleeves, Mamoru sat down on the other swing. The house lights created dancing shadows on his face.
"You've heard about the rabbit on the moon, right?" Mamoru asked, staring up at the sky.
"Yeah, with a name like mine it's hard to miss."
He chuckled. "It's a cute name," he said. "Come to think of it. Your hair doesn't just look like odangos."
"Oh really?"
"Yup, they look like rabbit ears."
"Rabbit ears?"
Mamoru nodded. "Fits better too, Usa-chan."
"Usa-chan?!" I exclaimed.
Leaping, I tackled him off of the swing. We hit the bark covered ground with a thud.
"Hai!" Mamoru said, grinning.
"Well," I smiled, "I guess that makes you Mamo-chan."
- - -
"Wow. Let's go again!"
Mamoru sighed as he pulled me away. "Usagi-chan, we just went five times. I think all the twirling on that ride went to your head."
"But it's fun!"
"I'm sure it is," Mamoru said, dragging me along by me arm. "Motoki-kun, wait up!"
The sandy-blond stopped the main group in the middle of an intersection. He waved us over. "You both need to walk faster," he said, grinning.
"Tell that to Usa-chan here."
"You know you want to ride it again," I told Mamoru. "You're just in denial."
"Why would I be in denial?"
"Because you know I'm right."
"Right, huh?" Mamoru doubtfully repeated. "Who said you were right?"
"I did, of course," I stated smugly.
"And you're always right."
I clapped. "Good job, Mamo-chan. We're making progress."
Mamoru smiled. In my mind's eye, I could see his eyes twinkling from behind the dark shades he wore.
Then I heard Kuri give a scream. "Oh my gosh! They have a mirror maze. I love those."
"Me too," I agreed. "Let's go!"
We each deposited two ticked at the entrance. The maze was fabulous. All the walls were made of glass. There were no exceptions. Our confused demeanors gazed back at use as we came to the first splitting path of the labyrinth.
"I'll take the left, Shiro volunteered. He was an old classmate of mine.
"I'll go with you," Yuki offered. The tall brunette. Nodded and they set off.
"I guess I'll take the right passage," I said. "We can have two go down each of the tunnels since there are four and eight of us."
"I guess I'll be your partner," Mamoru stated.
We started walking down the hall of reflections. "You better mean that in a good way."
"Of course, I did."
"Did I just hear sarcasm?" I asked.
"Of course not, Ma'am."
"Ow!" I took a step backwards. Rubbing my head, I changed directions.
I saw Mamoru's face everywhere. A smirk was plastered on it. "Did you just run into a wall?"
"No," I replied without looking back.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"No."
He chuckled. "I knew it."
"What?" It's not that hard to do. The only reason you haven't walking into one yet is because you're walking behind me."
"Fine, then," Mamoru said. He gently pushed his way in front of me. "I'll take the lead."
"Be my guest."
We continued on bump-free for about two minutes. It was then that Mamoru became a little too friendly with the mirror panels. It was hilarious. He had walked straight into one mirror, then turned and walked into another. I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down onto my knees, laughing.
"Mamo-chan," I managed to get out, "It's a dead end."
He turned back and looked at me, a puzzled look on his features. "I knew that."
"I'm sure you did."
- - -
"Didn't the guy at the door say that there were two exits?"
"Yeah."
"Then how is it that we've been wondering around for almost thirty minutes and still haven't found either one?"
"I don't know, Mamo-chan. I don't know," I said.
Mamoru sighed. "Oh, well. At least we haven't bumped into anymore walls. Still, I wish I could see some part of the outside world."
I stopped in midstride. "Mamo-chan, that's it."
"What's it?" He asked confuse.
"Bumping into walls, seeing the outside world. Don't you see it?"
The older boy shook his head. "No, not at all."
"There's a museum I've been to," Began to explain. "It's an interactive one designed for fun and that sort of stuff. There's a mirror maze there with multiple exits. None of which are obvious. One exit you have to crawl to get through. It's a mirror flap that you push open. It takes you to a dark playground area which has an easy access exit. The other exit is a moving mirror panel. No matter where you are in the maze, you can't see outside. It can mess up the way the mirrors work."
Mamoru nodded. "Start tapping the walls"
We started backtracking until we came across a mirror that was slightly dirtier than the others. Fingerprints littered its surface.
"Do you think this it?" I asked, inspecting the glass.
"No harm in trying."
Placing our hands on the mirror, we put our weight onto it and pushed. The panel opened up easier than expected. We tumbled into a heap outside of the labyrinth.
"Well about time someone came out," a voice said from above. "Although I can't say I expected you two to come out like that."
I rolled off Mamoru and saw a platinum blonde and a brunette staring down at us. It was Yuki and Shiro.
"You beat us," Mamoru said disappointedly. "Darn, I thought we had a pretty good chance at the end. Too bad, I though we made a good team."
"That's probably because you did," Shiro said. "The only reason we beat you is well. because we didn't."
"Huh?"
Yuki grinned. "You two are the first ones out. Congratulations."
"But how?" I asked, completely confused. "What about you two?"
"We've been outside for almost as log as you guys were inside," Shiro explained. "Yuki got kinda scared that we might get lost and stuck inside so we came right back out through the same way we came in."
"Oh."
"Yeah," Shiro said, offering his hand to help me up. "So now that you guys are finished, you wanna come with us to the boat rental? Yuki-chan's been bugging me to go for a while now."
I took Shiro's hand and he pulled me to my feet.
"What about the others?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it," Shiro said. "We've got everything under control. Toshi said he'd tell then where we were."
"Who's Toshi?"
"The guy at the entrance," Shiro gave a wave which the young man at the door returned. "We've been talking to him the whole time. Nice fellow."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
- - -
"Wow, it's so pretty from out here," I said, staring back at the lively carnival.
The sun had begun to set and the colourful fair lights were beginning to stand out more and more against the darkening skies.
"Sure is," Mamoru agreed. He let the oars a\hang from the rings attached to the sides of the boat.
Moments of silence passed as we watched the scenery. Dozens of small boats floated amidst the bay. I wondered if people would find it strange that Mamoru still donned a pair of sunglasses. It sure wasn't a common sight. Oh well, I guess he couldn't really afford to take them off.
"Mamo-chan" I asked.
"Hai," he replied, still gazing at our surroundings.
"What's it like being an actor?"
Mamoru turned to look me in the eye. He remained silent for a while, appearing to be in though. Then he smiled.
"It's a lot of fun, especially when you're with a team that just clicks, but I guess it's also a lot of hard work. We have long hours and after that there's the media frenzy and fans. It's hard to get some quiet time alone. Even so, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I understand I can't have the life of a normal person my age, but that's just fine. My life has some perks of its own."
I nodded. "Do you want to go back?"
"Huh?"
"Do you want to leave Toya and return home?"
He looked at me, puzzled. "You mean now?"
"Yeah."
"I dunno. It's been nice to finally have a break. You know what I mean? But if I did have to go back home now, I wouldn't complain," he said truthfully. Then he smirked. "Besides, who know what'll happen to you when I leave. You might go crazy with grief. I wouldn't want that to happen now, would I."
"I will not go crazy when you leave, and if I did I would go crazy with joy," I retorted, standing up.
The boat rocked at the movement.
"Yes, you will. You'll miss me so much." Mamoru rose from his seat as well. He towered over my petite form.
"Wanna bet?"
"I don't think a bet on this will mean anything."
"Of course it will."
"I'll get enough satisfaction from knowing that you miss me."
"Why you little."
I took a step towards him and was about to take another when my foot got caught on the bench. Not expecting the obstacle, I was thrown off balance. Instinctively I reached for the nearest object which just happened to be Mamoru. We hit the water with a splash.
I kept my eyes shut until I resurfaced. Mamoru came up seconds later.
"Are you okay?" I asked, clearing the water from my eyes.
"Hai. You?"
"I'm fine."
Mamoru let out a sudden laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"That has to be the highlight of my day."
I gazed at his deep blue eyes for a moment as I thought. Coming to the same realization, a smile fell upon my lips. "It was better than the rides!" I joined Mamoru's laughs.
"Excuse me. Are you two all right? We saw you fall overboard."
Looking over Mamoru's shoulder, I noticed another boat similar to ours. On board it was a group of girls about my age. I hadn't seen them arrive, having been caught up in my conversation with Mamoru.
"Hai, we're okay. Arigatou," I told them.
Mamoru added another thanks while turning to face the boat. A chorus of shrieks and screams immediately filled the air.
"Mamoru-san!"
"Oh. my. gosh. It's Chiba Mamoru."
"Stop joking around guys. It's not funny."
"We're not, it's really him."
"Let me see," one of the girls said pushing her way to the other side of the boat. She gave a shriek. "Konnichi, Mamoru-san!"
"Konnichi," Mamoru said nonchalantly. He pulled himself into our boat, then helped me in. I looked at Mamoru again and realized that his glasses and cap had fallen off, probably from the impact of the fall.
Meanwhile, the audience that had gathered around us continued to increase. It wasn't long until we were bombarded by camera flashed. Mamoru muttered something, but I couldn't hear him over the shouting.
We quickly rowed back to shore. The groups of crazed fans were right on our heels. After anchoring, we met up with Shiro and Yuki who had been waiting at the docks.
"We have to leave now," Shiro shouted, his brown eyes serious.
I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the blinding flashes. "But what about the others?"
"They'll understand," he replied. "But right now we have to get Mamoru-san out of here."
I nodded and followed him to the car. We made sure to keep Mamoru in the middle of the huddle at all times.
- - -
"Arigatou, Tanaka-san. Well, some of you may have seen or heard about today's exciting and unusual event at the annual carnival. Highly acclaimed teen idol and actor, Chiba Mamoru, was spotted at the docks. The nineteen year old had disappeared from the public eye a couple of weeks ago. His agent had remained quiet about the issue, only saying that he too did not know about Chiba's whereabouts."
"So the mystery is finally solved, Maeme-san."
"Hai."
"Well, it's now time for the weather report with Yamaguchi-san. Take it away, Jiiro."
I pressed the power button on the remote, turning off the television.
We had been followed home by a few obsessive fans and photographers. All the blinds in the house were immediately closed. We hadn't gone outside since.
Setting the remote down, I glanced over at Mamoru. He sat on the other couch in the gaming room.
"When are you going to go back?" I asked quietly.
"Tomorrow morning," he said. "It's back to work for me."
"I'm sorry about everything."
He shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn't your fault."
"But it was!" I said, standing up. "I was the one who pulled you along into the water and it was my idea to go to the carnival in the first place."
"It was my decision to go so stop apologizing or you might actually have something to apologize for."
I gave a light laugh, but it didn't last long. I let out a sigh. "I still can't help but feel bad about the whole thing. I wish I could make things up to you somehow."
"It's okay."
The phone rand preventing him from saying anything else.
"I'll get that," I said, walking towards the side table. "Moshi moshi."
"Konnichi wa," a deep voice no the other line spoke. "Is this the Tsukino residence?"
"Hai, would you like to speak to Kenji-san?" I asked. I figured it was another person from my father's work.
"Iie. Actually I would like to speak with Chiba-san."
I instinctively went on the defensive side. Reporters wouldn't stop at anything. "I'm sorry," I told him with a distinct edge in my voice, "Chiba- san is not available for interviews of any sort." I noticed Mamoru's ears perk up at the mention of his name. "Please don't call again. Sayonara."
I was about to put the phone down when the man began to speak quickly. "Iie, iie. You have it all wrong, miss. Please don't hang up on me."
"Give me a good reason as to why not."
"I'm not a reporter. I can guarantee you that," he said. Then I heard him mutter the word 'hounds.'
"Then who are you?" I twisted the spring phone cord around my slim fingers.
"Miyazaki Hiroshi. I'm Chiba-san's agent."
I sat down on the arm of the beige couch. "You and a hundred other people," I said sarcastically. "Do you have any idea how many people have called tonight saying that?"
"No. Now may I please speak to Chiba-san."
"Not really. I told you he's busy."
"Well tell him to get his butt on the phone."
I placed my hand over the speaker and pretended to call out to Mamoru. Then I placed the phone next to me ear again. "I'm sorry," I told him sweetly. Too sweetly. "He's not available."
"Just get the kid on the damn phone!"
"Okay, okay. Don't get your underwear in a wad." I held out the phone to Mamoru. "Some guy claiming to be your agent."
He took the phone warily. "Moshi moshi."
"Chiba-san, why the hell didn't you tell me where you were?!" The man was shouting so loudly into the phone that I could easily hear him.
Mamoru's eyebrows rose. "Miyazaki-san?!"
"Hai! Who did you think I was?! Your fairy godmother?!"
"Iie, iie," Mamoru replied nervously. Then he paused. "It was my mother's idea." There was a long silence as he listened intently. "She did what?! She can't do that!"
The ebony haired man ran a hand through his hair. He then glanced at a pile of magazines that Kuri had left behind from the sleepover a week ago. He picked one up and flipped through it. Placing it down, he picked up another. Seconds later it was back on the table. It was in the fifth magazine that he paused at a page. He stared at it. "We need to do something," Mamoru said into the phone. "We can't just abandon the whole movie. So much money has already been invested into it. Why don't you just cast another girl?" He waited for an answer. "I see, so the writers won't budge from their perfect image." He sighed. "That's what happens when you write a part for a specific individual. And you say that the costume designers can't afford to alter their designs for another person as well?"
Mamoru continued listening to his agent. "I understand, Miyazaki-san, but what if-" Mamoru halted in midsentence. He raised the magazine, analyzing the page more closely. Then he glanced up at me and back at the page again. "Miyazaki-san, what if I brought someone to fill in her role? Just give it a chance. Yeah." He listened some more. "Hai, arigatou. You won't be disappointed. Sayonara."
Setting the phone back on the hook, Mamoru turned to look at me. "Usagi- chan, I think I just found a way for you to make things up."
I gazed back at him for a moment before sitting down. "I'm listening."
I watched as the sun set. The sky was illuminated with a bold palette of oranges reds, yellows, purples, and pinks. Darker hues bid their farewells to the light.
I rocked back and forth on our back yard swing set. My hands were loosely wrapped around the cool steel chains.
It had been two seeks since Mamoru's arrival. A lot had changed since then. After our pact at the Crown, we had gotten along great. It's funny how the best of friends can come from archenemies and rivals. It's even funnier that we sealed our friendship on a bag of chips. I'll never forget that.
The girls had accepted our newfound friendship. Although I hadn't missed the suspicious looks that Kioko sent me from time to time. I'll have to have a chat with her one of these days.
Shingo is doing fine. He's on crutches right now. Three weeks, doctor's orders. Turns out, Mamoru's diagnosis of an ankle sprain was correct. No doubt, my little brother had been wallow in disappointment, but it's not all lost. The coach had agreed to continue to let him bat while he's injured. They'll just be sending out pitch runners.
A light breeze passed by causing me to shiver.
"Cold?"
Glancing behind me, I found Mamoru holding out a jacket. I quickly thanked him, then grabbed it. As I pulled my arms through the sleeves, Mamoru sat down on the other swing. The house lights created dancing shadows on his face.
"You've heard about the rabbit on the moon, right?" Mamoru asked, staring up at the sky.
"Yeah, with a name like mine it's hard to miss."
He chuckled. "It's a cute name," he said. "Come to think of it. Your hair doesn't just look like odangos."
"Oh really?"
"Yup, they look like rabbit ears."
"Rabbit ears?"
Mamoru nodded. "Fits better too, Usa-chan."
"Usa-chan?!" I exclaimed.
Leaping, I tackled him off of the swing. We hit the bark covered ground with a thud.
"Hai!" Mamoru said, grinning.
"Well," I smiled, "I guess that makes you Mamo-chan."
- - -
"Wow. Let's go again!"
Mamoru sighed as he pulled me away. "Usagi-chan, we just went five times. I think all the twirling on that ride went to your head."
"But it's fun!"
"I'm sure it is," Mamoru said, dragging me along by me arm. "Motoki-kun, wait up!"
The sandy-blond stopped the main group in the middle of an intersection. He waved us over. "You both need to walk faster," he said, grinning.
"Tell that to Usa-chan here."
"You know you want to ride it again," I told Mamoru. "You're just in denial."
"Why would I be in denial?"
"Because you know I'm right."
"Right, huh?" Mamoru doubtfully repeated. "Who said you were right?"
"I did, of course," I stated smugly.
"And you're always right."
I clapped. "Good job, Mamo-chan. We're making progress."
Mamoru smiled. In my mind's eye, I could see his eyes twinkling from behind the dark shades he wore.
Then I heard Kuri give a scream. "Oh my gosh! They have a mirror maze. I love those."
"Me too," I agreed. "Let's go!"
We each deposited two ticked at the entrance. The maze was fabulous. All the walls were made of glass. There were no exceptions. Our confused demeanors gazed back at use as we came to the first splitting path of the labyrinth.
"I'll take the left, Shiro volunteered. He was an old classmate of mine.
"I'll go with you," Yuki offered. The tall brunette. Nodded and they set off.
"I guess I'll take the right passage," I said. "We can have two go down each of the tunnels since there are four and eight of us."
"I guess I'll be your partner," Mamoru stated.
We started walking down the hall of reflections. "You better mean that in a good way."
"Of course, I did."
"Did I just hear sarcasm?" I asked.
"Of course not, Ma'am."
"Ow!" I took a step backwards. Rubbing my head, I changed directions.
I saw Mamoru's face everywhere. A smirk was plastered on it. "Did you just run into a wall?"
"No," I replied without looking back.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"No."
He chuckled. "I knew it."
"What?" It's not that hard to do. The only reason you haven't walking into one yet is because you're walking behind me."
"Fine, then," Mamoru said. He gently pushed his way in front of me. "I'll take the lead."
"Be my guest."
We continued on bump-free for about two minutes. It was then that Mamoru became a little too friendly with the mirror panels. It was hilarious. He had walked straight into one mirror, then turned and walked into another. I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down onto my knees, laughing.
"Mamo-chan," I managed to get out, "It's a dead end."
He turned back and looked at me, a puzzled look on his features. "I knew that."
"I'm sure you did."
- - -
"Didn't the guy at the door say that there were two exits?"
"Yeah."
"Then how is it that we've been wondering around for almost thirty minutes and still haven't found either one?"
"I don't know, Mamo-chan. I don't know," I said.
Mamoru sighed. "Oh, well. At least we haven't bumped into anymore walls. Still, I wish I could see some part of the outside world."
I stopped in midstride. "Mamo-chan, that's it."
"What's it?" He asked confuse.
"Bumping into walls, seeing the outside world. Don't you see it?"
The older boy shook his head. "No, not at all."
"There's a museum I've been to," Began to explain. "It's an interactive one designed for fun and that sort of stuff. There's a mirror maze there with multiple exits. None of which are obvious. One exit you have to crawl to get through. It's a mirror flap that you push open. It takes you to a dark playground area which has an easy access exit. The other exit is a moving mirror panel. No matter where you are in the maze, you can't see outside. It can mess up the way the mirrors work."
Mamoru nodded. "Start tapping the walls"
We started backtracking until we came across a mirror that was slightly dirtier than the others. Fingerprints littered its surface.
"Do you think this it?" I asked, inspecting the glass.
"No harm in trying."
Placing our hands on the mirror, we put our weight onto it and pushed. The panel opened up easier than expected. We tumbled into a heap outside of the labyrinth.
"Well about time someone came out," a voice said from above. "Although I can't say I expected you two to come out like that."
I rolled off Mamoru and saw a platinum blonde and a brunette staring down at us. It was Yuki and Shiro.
"You beat us," Mamoru said disappointedly. "Darn, I thought we had a pretty good chance at the end. Too bad, I though we made a good team."
"That's probably because you did," Shiro said. "The only reason we beat you is well. because we didn't."
"Huh?"
Yuki grinned. "You two are the first ones out. Congratulations."
"But how?" I asked, completely confused. "What about you two?"
"We've been outside for almost as log as you guys were inside," Shiro explained. "Yuki got kinda scared that we might get lost and stuck inside so we came right back out through the same way we came in."
"Oh."
"Yeah," Shiro said, offering his hand to help me up. "So now that you guys are finished, you wanna come with us to the boat rental? Yuki-chan's been bugging me to go for a while now."
I took Shiro's hand and he pulled me to my feet.
"What about the others?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it," Shiro said. "We've got everything under control. Toshi said he'd tell then where we were."
"Who's Toshi?"
"The guy at the entrance," Shiro gave a wave which the young man at the door returned. "We've been talking to him the whole time. Nice fellow."
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
- - -
"Wow, it's so pretty from out here," I said, staring back at the lively carnival.
The sun had begun to set and the colourful fair lights were beginning to stand out more and more against the darkening skies.
"Sure is," Mamoru agreed. He let the oars a\hang from the rings attached to the sides of the boat.
Moments of silence passed as we watched the scenery. Dozens of small boats floated amidst the bay. I wondered if people would find it strange that Mamoru still donned a pair of sunglasses. It sure wasn't a common sight. Oh well, I guess he couldn't really afford to take them off.
"Mamo-chan" I asked.
"Hai," he replied, still gazing at our surroundings.
"What's it like being an actor?"
Mamoru turned to look me in the eye. He remained silent for a while, appearing to be in though. Then he smiled.
"It's a lot of fun, especially when you're with a team that just clicks, but I guess it's also a lot of hard work. We have long hours and after that there's the media frenzy and fans. It's hard to get some quiet time alone. Even so, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I understand I can't have the life of a normal person my age, but that's just fine. My life has some perks of its own."
I nodded. "Do you want to go back?"
"Huh?"
"Do you want to leave Toya and return home?"
He looked at me, puzzled. "You mean now?"
"Yeah."
"I dunno. It's been nice to finally have a break. You know what I mean? But if I did have to go back home now, I wouldn't complain," he said truthfully. Then he smirked. "Besides, who know what'll happen to you when I leave. You might go crazy with grief. I wouldn't want that to happen now, would I."
"I will not go crazy when you leave, and if I did I would go crazy with joy," I retorted, standing up.
The boat rocked at the movement.
"Yes, you will. You'll miss me so much." Mamoru rose from his seat as well. He towered over my petite form.
"Wanna bet?"
"I don't think a bet on this will mean anything."
"Of course it will."
"I'll get enough satisfaction from knowing that you miss me."
"Why you little."
I took a step towards him and was about to take another when my foot got caught on the bench. Not expecting the obstacle, I was thrown off balance. Instinctively I reached for the nearest object which just happened to be Mamoru. We hit the water with a splash.
I kept my eyes shut until I resurfaced. Mamoru came up seconds later.
"Are you okay?" I asked, clearing the water from my eyes.
"Hai. You?"
"I'm fine."
Mamoru let out a sudden laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"That has to be the highlight of my day."
I gazed at his deep blue eyes for a moment as I thought. Coming to the same realization, a smile fell upon my lips. "It was better than the rides!" I joined Mamoru's laughs.
"Excuse me. Are you two all right? We saw you fall overboard."
Looking over Mamoru's shoulder, I noticed another boat similar to ours. On board it was a group of girls about my age. I hadn't seen them arrive, having been caught up in my conversation with Mamoru.
"Hai, we're okay. Arigatou," I told them.
Mamoru added another thanks while turning to face the boat. A chorus of shrieks and screams immediately filled the air.
"Mamoru-san!"
"Oh. my. gosh. It's Chiba Mamoru."
"Stop joking around guys. It's not funny."
"We're not, it's really him."
"Let me see," one of the girls said pushing her way to the other side of the boat. She gave a shriek. "Konnichi, Mamoru-san!"
"Konnichi," Mamoru said nonchalantly. He pulled himself into our boat, then helped me in. I looked at Mamoru again and realized that his glasses and cap had fallen off, probably from the impact of the fall.
Meanwhile, the audience that had gathered around us continued to increase. It wasn't long until we were bombarded by camera flashed. Mamoru muttered something, but I couldn't hear him over the shouting.
We quickly rowed back to shore. The groups of crazed fans were right on our heels. After anchoring, we met up with Shiro and Yuki who had been waiting at the docks.
"We have to leave now," Shiro shouted, his brown eyes serious.
I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the blinding flashes. "But what about the others?"
"They'll understand," he replied. "But right now we have to get Mamoru-san out of here."
I nodded and followed him to the car. We made sure to keep Mamoru in the middle of the huddle at all times.
- - -
"Arigatou, Tanaka-san. Well, some of you may have seen or heard about today's exciting and unusual event at the annual carnival. Highly acclaimed teen idol and actor, Chiba Mamoru, was spotted at the docks. The nineteen year old had disappeared from the public eye a couple of weeks ago. His agent had remained quiet about the issue, only saying that he too did not know about Chiba's whereabouts."
"So the mystery is finally solved, Maeme-san."
"Hai."
"Well, it's now time for the weather report with Yamaguchi-san. Take it away, Jiiro."
I pressed the power button on the remote, turning off the television.
We had been followed home by a few obsessive fans and photographers. All the blinds in the house were immediately closed. We hadn't gone outside since.
Setting the remote down, I glanced over at Mamoru. He sat on the other couch in the gaming room.
"When are you going to go back?" I asked quietly.
"Tomorrow morning," he said. "It's back to work for me."
"I'm sorry about everything."
He shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn't your fault."
"But it was!" I said, standing up. "I was the one who pulled you along into the water and it was my idea to go to the carnival in the first place."
"It was my decision to go so stop apologizing or you might actually have something to apologize for."
I gave a light laugh, but it didn't last long. I let out a sigh. "I still can't help but feel bad about the whole thing. I wish I could make things up to you somehow."
"It's okay."
The phone rand preventing him from saying anything else.
"I'll get that," I said, walking towards the side table. "Moshi moshi."
"Konnichi wa," a deep voice no the other line spoke. "Is this the Tsukino residence?"
"Hai, would you like to speak to Kenji-san?" I asked. I figured it was another person from my father's work.
"Iie. Actually I would like to speak with Chiba-san."
I instinctively went on the defensive side. Reporters wouldn't stop at anything. "I'm sorry," I told him with a distinct edge in my voice, "Chiba- san is not available for interviews of any sort." I noticed Mamoru's ears perk up at the mention of his name. "Please don't call again. Sayonara."
I was about to put the phone down when the man began to speak quickly. "Iie, iie. You have it all wrong, miss. Please don't hang up on me."
"Give me a good reason as to why not."
"I'm not a reporter. I can guarantee you that," he said. Then I heard him mutter the word 'hounds.'
"Then who are you?" I twisted the spring phone cord around my slim fingers.
"Miyazaki Hiroshi. I'm Chiba-san's agent."
I sat down on the arm of the beige couch. "You and a hundred other people," I said sarcastically. "Do you have any idea how many people have called tonight saying that?"
"No. Now may I please speak to Chiba-san."
"Not really. I told you he's busy."
"Well tell him to get his butt on the phone."
I placed my hand over the speaker and pretended to call out to Mamoru. Then I placed the phone next to me ear again. "I'm sorry," I told him sweetly. Too sweetly. "He's not available."
"Just get the kid on the damn phone!"
"Okay, okay. Don't get your underwear in a wad." I held out the phone to Mamoru. "Some guy claiming to be your agent."
He took the phone warily. "Moshi moshi."
"Chiba-san, why the hell didn't you tell me where you were?!" The man was shouting so loudly into the phone that I could easily hear him.
Mamoru's eyebrows rose. "Miyazaki-san?!"
"Hai! Who did you think I was?! Your fairy godmother?!"
"Iie, iie," Mamoru replied nervously. Then he paused. "It was my mother's idea." There was a long silence as he listened intently. "She did what?! She can't do that!"
The ebony haired man ran a hand through his hair. He then glanced at a pile of magazines that Kuri had left behind from the sleepover a week ago. He picked one up and flipped through it. Placing it down, he picked up another. Seconds later it was back on the table. It was in the fifth magazine that he paused at a page. He stared at it. "We need to do something," Mamoru said into the phone. "We can't just abandon the whole movie. So much money has already been invested into it. Why don't you just cast another girl?" He waited for an answer. "I see, so the writers won't budge from their perfect image." He sighed. "That's what happens when you write a part for a specific individual. And you say that the costume designers can't afford to alter their designs for another person as well?"
Mamoru continued listening to his agent. "I understand, Miyazaki-san, but what if-" Mamoru halted in midsentence. He raised the magazine, analyzing the page more closely. Then he glanced up at me and back at the page again. "Miyazaki-san, what if I brought someone to fill in her role? Just give it a chance. Yeah." He listened some more. "Hai, arigatou. You won't be disappointed. Sayonara."
Setting the phone back on the hook, Mamoru turned to look at me. "Usagi- chan, I think I just found a way for you to make things up."
I gazed back at him for a moment before sitting down. "I'm listening."
