Disclaimer: To cut the long story short: Own nothing, don't sue. Yeah. I only own Tajeri Hideoshi, Nakata Sayaka and couple of mystery men.
Note:
- Totally made up
the names of places in Yokohama, didn't exist except in this fic.
- Lots of inner thoughts and perspectives…just to clean up the 4 years apart
thingie. Sorry if it's completely boring.
- Ages of characters:
Fuuko/Recca/Yanagi/Domon – 22 yrs
Tokiya – 23 yrs
Kaoru – 19 yrs
Ganko – 17 yrs
Until The Last Moment
written by: da*mouse
Chapter 1: And So We Meet Again
Four years later…
"Mikagami here."
She cradled the phone to her ear, her heart pounding.
"Hello?"
Her voice was lost on her, for some reason.
"Who's this? Speak up, I don't have all day." The voice was tinged with annoyance.
"Mi…Mikagami."
A long silence. Then…
"Kirisawa?"
"Yeah."
A sound of a throat being cleared. "How's everything?"
"I'm coming home."
-
'Ladies and gentleman, the plane had just entered the borders of Tokyo. We will be landing in another 30 minutes time.'
Tokyo…
Fuuko shifted, allowing herself to look out of the tiny window on the plane. She could see a huge spread of tall buildings, not unlike the city she had called home for the past four years.
There wasn't really anything familiar.
Fuuko rested back on her seat and closed her eyes. After four years, the city she had grown up almost seemed foreign to her. The thought of coming back never really occurred to her, because there was a point in time where she believed that she would never return to Tokyo.
She bit her lip. All these years, and the pain was still as fresh as if it had been just yesterday…that she got home and found her okaa-san sobbing. Finding out that her otou-san was dead…gone forever…
Fuuko slid down into her seat, trying to force the unhappy memories out of her mind, picking up a newspaper, scanning the news stories without much enthusiasm, until a name jumped out at her.
Mikagami Tokiya.
The article highlighted one of the more sensational trials in Tokyo at that time, the trial of an infamous Japanese mobster, Hideoshi Tajeri. Tokiya was a part of the prosecuting team.
A smile flickered past Fuuko's face as she carefully refolded her newspaper. Never in a million years would she have thought that Tokiya and her would end up choosing the same career; told her this scenario during their Hokage fighting days and she'd probably laughed at the thought of having anything in common with the infamous freezer.
But…
There's a lot more in common between us than I originally thought…The ironic thought crossed Fuuko's mind. A lot more…
A sense of loneliness filled her suddenly.
Otou-san, I miss you so much…still do…
-
"Here, hang onto this, please, Ganko…" Fuuko easily grabbed a huge luggage off the carousel and dumped it at Ganko's feet. Ganko picked it up, and almost immediately, she staggered back. Struggling for balance, she managed to place it on the luggage cart.
"Whoa, this is heavy!" She gasped.
Fuuko was still waiting for the other piece of baggage. "Never said it wasn't."
Ganko narrowed her eyes at the slim purple-haired young woman. "You made it seem so light."
Fuuko merely laughed. Her lithe figure was not to be mistaken that she was a dainty young lady. Fuuko could handle heavy things as well as a man, if not, better.
Four years had not done Fuuko a lot of change. Of course, she did change, mellowed down a little, quieter and more subdued after her father's death, and remained so until today, but some of the old 17-year-old Fuuko still remained, and that was partly what made her so intriguing to a lot of men.
Ganko observed her Fuuko-neechan out of the corner of her eye, as the latter tapped her foot impatiently, hands on hips, eyes scanning the baggage carousel.
At New York University, where Fuuko obtained her law degree, men swarmed around Fuuko, guys begged her for dates, rich, handsome and available guys, but Fuuko never gave them another glance, or gave them anytime of the day. Unlike the Japanese guys who were virtually scared off by Fuuko's tomboyish tough-girl exterior, the American guys actually welcomed it, calling it her 'irresistible attitude'.
Thinking about the geek who coined that term made Ganko wrinkled her nose.
Of course, Ganko knew what exactly kept Fuuko from getting too close to her admirers. Or should she say, who.
Mikagami-niisan.
She was thirteen when she saw them at the airport, but age wasn't relevant, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there were something going on between Fuuko and Tokiya. She saw the expression of Tokiya's face, and she could read the one on Fuuko's as well.
The letters and phone calls didn't come as often as Ganko expected. They did come, of course, but few and far in between. Fuuko never said anything, and so, Ganko never asked.
"Hey, Ganko!"
Ganko was snapped out of her reverie, as Fuuko waved a hand in front of her face. "You there?" She then tapped on Ganko's head. "Hello, Ganko, are you home?"
Ganko laughed and slapped Fuuko's hand lightly. "Just spacing out."
"Well, you can stop spacing out and give me a hand with the luggage here!"
Laughing, the two young women linked arms, and together, pushed the trolley out to the arrival hall.
-
"We're meeting at Mizu No Uta restaurant for dinner, around six. You'll be there, right?" Recca was already putting a tick next to Tokiya's name on his checklist.
"Actually, Hanabishi…I am not so sure I could make it." Came the cool reply over the phone. "I have a court case I have to prepare for tomorrow, I don't think I can spare any of my time."
A short silence as Tokiya's words penetrated Recca's mind.
What?
"Yeah, well, I have to draft my proposal for the chemical plant, tomorrow, too. You don't see me flying the coop."
"And your point is?"
Recca took the phone away from his ear and stare at it with disbelief, as if the phone was Tokiya himself.
"Mikagami…this is Fuuko we're talking about. Our old teammate whom we haven't seen for, like, four whole years? And you can't spend a measly hour to see her? If you don't already know, she's only going to be here for a few days. After that, she's going to head back to New York, and god knows when we'll see her again!"
"I know." The voice on the other end was still cool and impersonal. "But I don't see how I could make it. And if there's nothing else, I have to get back to my work. Goodbye."
Click.
If that block of ice was standing before me, I'd melt him completely with Nadare! Recca replaced the phone with a loud bang.
Geez! If not for Fuuko, who wants him there? Recca thought sourly.
-
Tokiya stared at the phone on his desk.
"I'm coming home…"
His grip on the phone receiver tightened.
"Oh."
"Will I see you when I get back?"
"Maybe."
He could hear a soft sigh on the other end. "We'll just see how things go. Thought I'd tell you, anyway."
He didn't know what to say, so he kept quiet.
"Well, see ya then. Hopefully."
And…
Mikagami…this is Fuuko we're talking about. Our old teammate whom we haven't seen for, like, four whole years? Recca's words echoed in his head.
Of course I know! He thought irritably. He knew it had been four years since they last saw each other. Four, long years.
Now and then, he thought of her. She was never too far from his thoughts. Likened to a suppressed memory.
And now, she was back again.
But whether should he or should he not see her again, he didn't know. A look at the neat piles of paper on his desk told him that regardless of the excuse he had given Recca, he could very well afford to take some time off.
He didn't exactly know why he told Recca he couldn't make it when he very well knew he could. Discomfort, perhaps. He didn't quite know how to face her. What to do, what to say.
It had been so long since he last saw the purple-haired monkey. And he couldn't help wondering, what was she like now? Was she any different? Still tomboyish, loud and obnoxious? Or had she finally mellowed into a demure young lady?
He found himself laughing inwardly at the last thought. Kirisawa, a demure young lady? Yeah, well, when pigs fly…
But then again…tragedy did change people.
It changed him.
Did it change Fuuko?
After so long…how are things going to be?
He remembered how things were between them; yes, she was annoyingly merry and chirpy around him, and it irritated him, but somehow, she managed to be the bright points of his days at times. No matter how much he hated to admit it, she was a cheerful presence.
No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he knew he felt differently around her.
But that was before her father's death, before the tragedy changed everything.
He recalled their last days together. How Fuuko had sought after him, because she needed for someone to understand. He understood, and he did what he could. He didn't know whether did he help, but it was all he could give.
No one really gave him comfort after Mifuyu died. He didn't want Fuuko to feel the overwhelming anger and sadness he had felt, that no one understood, no one even bothered to understand. He found himself wanting to be there for her, with her.
Underneath his icy exterior, he cared. He cared about her. It was almost unbelievable, but he did, truly did.
Tokiya glanced at the clock on his desk. It read a quarter past five. If he were to leave now, he could go home, take a shower, and be at the restaurant, just a bit late.
He wanted to see her again.
And tonight, he could.
-
"Thank you, Mosuke-san." Fuuko took a huge, bulky envelope from the older man sitting at the table opposite her. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get out here, it was just…"
The man waved his hand carelessly. "Ah, it is all right, Kirisawa-san. I should be the one to apologise; it had taken too long for it to settle. But you know how it is, insurance firms. The prevention of fraud and all. And besides, the circumstances were really quite mysterious. A lot of things have to be investigated."
Fuuko nodded, smiling politely, as she removed the papers from the envelope, carefully looking through the items.
"Everything should be in order, Kirisawa-san."
She rifled through the papers, mentally ticking off all the supposed documents. Picking up the report of the accident, she scanned it briefly, and was about to put it aside when something caught her eye.
She looked at the paper again. Stamped clearly in red under the box 'Occurrence of Accident' was Kitagawa.
Fuuko frowned. Kitagawa?
"Uhh…gomen…Mosuke-san. I think there's a mistake here, my otou-san had his accident in Kitakawa, was it not?"
The man took the paper from her. "Oh, that's right." He smiled apologetically. "I supposed it was very very careless, the handling of the initial report, but it's right. The accident occurred in Kitagawa, not Kitakawa."
"Oh, I see." Fuuko replied, preoccupied, as her mind was working itself into a jumble as she tried to recall the events four years ago.
What was otou-san doing in Kitagawa? He had no business there…no reason to be there. So why? It was strange, and yet…
"Kirisawa-san? If everything is in order, can you please sign here for me? I hate to rush you, but I have another appointment in half an hour's time."
Fuuko jolted out of her thoughts. "Of course. Gomen ne, I was spacing out." She scribbled her signature, and left the lawyer's office, holding the envelope of documents in her hand, her mind still going back and forth between Kitagawa and Kitakawa.
Ah, just forget it.
Dropping the envelope into her bag, Fuuko pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It shouldn't matter, really, maybe her otou-san had some other business there. And it was an honest mistake to mix up the place of the accident.
But she couldn't help feeling that something didn't quite add up…
-
"I could hardly wait to see Fuuko-san again!" Yanagi clutched Recca's arm excitedly, her eyes at the door.
"Yeah, it'll be great seeing her." Recca pat the young woman's hand affectionately. Across from them, Domon was looking decidedly dreamy. "Oooh, my Fuuko darling has returned to me…"
Recca eyed him warily. "That was exactly the kind of attitude that'll have Fuuko beating you up."
Of course, Domon chose to ignore the flame-caster, and looked eagerly at the door, waiting for his precious Fuuko to appear.
They didn't have to wait long. Fuuko and Ganko entered the restaurant a few moments later. Spotting her childhood friends, Fuuko rushed over with a squeal.
"RECCA!" she yelled, ignoring his outstretched arms for a hug and chose to tackle him, causing them both to fell over on the floor. She then punched his arm. Painfully.
"OW, FUUKO! THAT HURTS!"
"Errr…Recca, Fuuko-san…ahem…" Yanagi coughed discreetly, and the two on the floor looked up to see other diners glancing at them with a mixture of curiosity, amusement and irritation.
Fuuko immediately jumped up, and pulled Recca to his feet. The two then hugged each other again, properly, without anyone falling onto the floor.
After they drew apart, Recca kept his hands on Fuuko's shoulders, his eyes warm and affectionate. "It's great to see you again, Fuuko."
Feelings overcame Fuuko, and she felt choked for a moment. "It's great to see you, too, Recca."
"Fuuko-san!"
"Yanagi-san!"
The two hugged then, and Recca ruffled Ganko's hair playfully. "All grown up, eh, Ganko? How many hearts have you broken?" he asked teasingly as Ganko blushed.
"Geez, Recca-niisan…"
"Fuuko darling!" Domon grabbed Fuuko in a huge bear hug.
"Okay, okay…you…can…let go…now…" Fuuko gasped as she tried to breathe.
"How about a kiss, Fuuko…?"
POW!
A bruised Domon lied on the floor as Fuuko dusted her hands with satisfaction. Recca shook his head amusedly as Ganko and Yanagi cringed.
Still the same old Fuuko in many ways…and I'm glad. Recca smiled to himself.
-
Once they were seated, Fuuko looked around. "Where's Kaoru?"
As she spoke, the door to the restaurant opened, and in strode Koganei Kaoru, looking stylish in a buttoned-down shirt, dark jeans, dark sunglasses and a girl hanging off his arm. He stopped by the table where the Hokage gang was seating, with Fuuko and Ganko looking a bit shocked.
"You can go now, Chiyuki."
"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Kaoru?" The girl said, smiling in a way Ganko thought was decidingly sick.
Kaoru winked. "If you're lucky."
As the girl left (not without pouting), Kaoru slid into a seat, across from Ganko.
"Looking good, Fuuko-neechan and…" He turned to Ganko, and stopped speaking. Slowly, he took off his sunglasses.
"No way! Ganko?"
"Yup." Ganko confirmed coolly.
"The little Ganko that was barely four feet tall?"
Ganko glared, then. "For your information, I happened to be four and a half feet tall when I left for New York!"
"The same Ganko who always had that doll Gondo around?"
"It's KONDO!"
"Yea!" piped up a familiar voice. From Ganko's shoulder bag, a small fox-like creature poked its head out and stuck out its tongue at Kaoru.
'Yeah, whatever." Kaoru didn't give Kondo a second glance, his gaze was fixed on Ganko. "Well, I have to say, you look really great, Ganko." He smiled charmingly.
Ganko frowned inwardly, she could almost see the flirt radar in Kaoru switching itself to 'high'. She could not deny that four years had done Kaoru a lot of good in the looks and physique department, but she certainly wasn't going to tell him that! Flirting was Kaoru's hobby after all. She chose to ignore him, and picked up the menu instead.
"Fuuko-neechan, what are you going to have?"
"The chicken teriyaki is really good." Kaoru plucked the menu from Ganko and set it aside. "Trust me on this, and you won't regret it."
"Yeah, the little brat is right." Domon agreed.
Kaoru frowned, and Fuuko grinned. "Okay, then. Whatever you guys say!"
As the waiter took their orders and served them hot o-cha, Kaoru leaned across the table, and grinned at Ganko. "How's life in New York? Did you miss me while you were there?"
"Life is good, and I didn't miss you." Ganko replied calmly, sipping her o-cha.
"Touché." Recca smirked.
Nevertheless, Kaoru wasn't giving up. Not by a long shot. All throughout dinner, he tried to get Ganko's attention, with the younger teen brushing him off with annoyance every time he tried to hit on her.
The older Hokage members watched amusedly at their exchanges, a flirting Kaoru and an indifferent Ganko was definitely an interesting sight.
"Dating anyone right now, Ganko?"
"None of your business." Ganko looked menacingly at Kaoru. "If you don't want to end up with a black eye, I suggest you start eating and stop bothering me."
Kaoru held up his hands in mock surrender as Recca laughed.
"Ganko reminded me a lot of someone."
All eyes turned to the purple-haired wind-wielder. "Fuuko!"
Fuuko looked half-amused, and half annoyed as the table burst into laughter, even Ganko herself.
"Yeah, Fuuko hadn't changed much…" Domon touched his bruised nose, looking woefully at Fuuko. "Remember how your father used to say…" Yanagi gasped and Recca started gesturing frantically at Domon, but the latter either didn't see it, or chose to ignore them. "…that you'd be his burden for the rest of his life if you don't change into a more lady like character? You probably drove him to his grave with your tomboyish personality!"
Silence came over the table, and Domon realised his blunder as Fuuko's face changed.
"Oops…Fuuko! I mean…OW!" Recca pinched Domon on his upper arm. "Shut up!"
Fuuko set down her chopsticks, Domon's painful words imprinted in her mind. She knew he didn't mean it, but it didn't lessen the pain.
She then stood up. "Guys…I hate to cut this short, but I…think I gotta go. I'll see you guys some other time, ok?" She picked up her bag and walked rapidly to the door, knowing she had to be out of there before she exploded and started throttling Domon.
"Fuuko-san!" cried Yanagi at the same time Ganko echoed her. "Fuuko-neechan!"
Ganko stood up and was about to go after Fuuko when Recca stopped her. "Let her be. I think she needs to be alone for now." He said, with a significant glare at Domon.
The bigmouth slumped down on his seat guiltily. "Damn."
-
Fuuko exited the restaurant, and standing outside the entrance for a moment, she let out a frustrated sigh. Inwardly she was berating herself for leaving in such a childish manner, but she just couldn't stay there any longer, even though she knew Domon was just being his loud-mouthed, idiotic, thinking-without-brains-self.
But still, his words stung at her. It had made sorrow and pain resurfaced when she had successfully kept it suppressed. She exhaled loudly. It's okay. He didn't mean it. It's okay…you're okay…
Feeling a lot better about the situation, she started to walk down the steps when she knocked into someone.
"Sorry," she muttered and was about to push past that person when a hand caught her upper arm.
"Kirisawa?"
Startled, she looked up, and saw him standing before her.
"Mikagami."
-
They sat opposite each other in the dimly lit coffee house. Fuuko was toying with her napkin, her normally chatty tongue seemingly uncooperative as she searched for something to say to the young man sitting across from her.
Tokiya, however, sipped his coffee with an expression of indifference that he had mastered over the years. Over the rim of his coffee cup, he regarded his former comrade.
She had changed over the years; she still kept her purple hair cropped short, but longer at the back to give her a much-needed air of feminity. Gone was the T-shirts and shorts, her simple V-neck blue blouse and black slacks gave her a look of casual elegance. Her figure, the talk of the UBS during the fight years ago, was still slender.
But he noticed the slight change in her: the maturity in her emerald eyes. Once upon a time, nothing but mischief and playfulness sparkled in her eyes. Now those eyes held a slightly more serious expression.
As for Fuuko, she was also carefully eyeing Tokiya. Character-wise, she supposed he was still the same. Physically, he had changed, but not too much. He still possessed the air of charm and cool indifference that made girls in high school fell all over him. He still kept his silvery hair long, and held back in the ponytail she had never seen him without. He was dressed immaculately, in a dark suit. Ice-blue eyes peered out from behind a few locks of silver hair that had escaped from his ponytail.
Mikagami Tokiya, as attractive as she last saw him, if not more.
Fuuko emptied a packet of sugar into her latte. The silence still hung in the air.
He never changed. Still won't take the initiative to begin any sort of conversation.
"So…how's life?"
Long fingers placed the coffee cup back on its saucer. "Good."
"Enjoying your work?"
He reached for a napkin. "Bearable."
"Oh."
Silence lapsed between them again as she slumped back, and he continued to sip his coffee.
Nothing unusual for Tokiya to be so quiet in front of Fuuko, but uncharacteristic for Fuuko to be keeping her mouth shut.
She disliked this, this feeling of stiff formality between them. Back in the old Hokage days…well, frankly speaking, there wasn't much change in Tokiya, he didn't have a lot to say. She was the one who was always talking, and teasing him indefinitely, the only one could ruffle Mikagami Tokiya's calm feathers. The only one who could get him to lift a corner of his mouth, the closest he could ever come to smiling.
Now she felt almost uncomfortable to want to talk to him, much less tease him like she used to. She couldn't even call him Mi-chan like she used to, and had used 'Mikagami' throughout the whole 'conversation'.
The circumstances in which they parted under…and the distance that stretched since then probably contributed to this scene of awkwardness.
Their last days together…she had cried in front of him, he had comforted her, he had hugged her, held her close, and yet, they never really talked about it. The few letters and phone calls over the years were civil, and most of the time, impersonal. Just a note to make sure each other was all right, and that was it.
But she…she wanted to dismiss all these feelings. She wanted to able to tease him and laugh at him as it was before all this happened. Could she try…? She decided that she wanted to.
Let everything be the way they used to be…I want them to be.
She nibbled at her bottom lip, and then threw out the old endearment.
"Oi, Mi-chan. Can't you, like, say something?"
Tokiya was startled slightly as he heard the familiar playful cadences, and the hated nickname he never permitted her to call him. He looked at her, she was looking at him, her arms folded on top of the table, a tentative, but teasing smile on her face.
He felt a rush of undecipherable emotion; it had been so long since he heard that nickname, heard her saying it with that grin on her face. At that instant, it was almost like old times.
Tokiya scowled, it came almost like a natural reaction to the unwanted moniker. "Kirisawa, you're still at that? I was hoping you'd forgotten all about it."
Fuuko brightened at the sight of his scowl, strangely enough. The scowl was very Mi-chan, and she welcomed the sight. "Never! Once Mi-chan, always will be Mi-chan."
"I had outgrown the 'chan' part about twenty years ago."
"I bet a lot of fan girls would disagree with that, ne, Mi-chan? Still have hoards of fan girls after you?"
"Kirisawa…" He wore a look of exasperation.
Fuuko giggled; and the ice was broken. At least, partially. She could see it in him, too, Tokiya's broad shoulders, tensed all the while, had relaxed as he continued glaring at her.
"So, how many girlfriends have you had? Or still having? How many girls are after you? Five? Six? Twenty?" She looked at him, an expression on interest on her face. She was definitely very curious about that question.
"I shall not insult my intelligence by answering that question." Tokiya muttered.
"Come on, Mi-chan…there must be someone…I mean…"
"Actually, no." He cut in.
"No?" Fuuko was surprised.
He shrugged indifferently. "Why are you so surprised?"
"Because you always had tons of girls after you?" She pointed out, rather obviously.
"They are after me. Not the other way round."
She laughed then. "Twenty-three years old, and you never dated before?"
"Can't be bothered. I am perfectly happy, alone."
Fuuko looked down at her latte. Happy, alone? "Are you really…? Happy, being alone?"
"What was that, Kirisawa?"
She jerked up. She didn't realised that she had spoken her thoughts out loud. "Ahhh, I mean…"
"Never mind." He didn't really want to hear her repeat her words. At that instant, his mobile phone rang.
Picking it up, he spoke rather tersely into the phone. "Mikagami." As the speaker on the other end said something, he frowned. "Nakata-san. I told you not to call me after office hours…"
Fuuko could hear laughter on the other end that sounded very female. And then…"It doesn't matter what I call you, Nakata-san, be it that or Sayaka. Now, what is it? You are disturbing me."
Sayaka. Yup, definitely a woman. Fuuko suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Across from her, Tokiya's frown deepened. "What do you mean, Hakugi demanded…what? No, I definitely do not agree to that." The other speaker seemed to be protesting, as he continued rather arrogantly. "No reconsiderations. I don't agree, and that's the end of it. If you'd excuse me, I have company right now." Without waiting for an answer, he ended the call, tossing his mobile phone aside.
"Hmmph." He muttered, rather irritably.
"Problems with the trial tomorrow?" she asked tentatively.
"Nothing major." He then looked at her, a look of mild surprise on his face. "You knew about the trial?"
"Read about it in the papers on the plane en route to Tokyo this morning. It's a great opportunity to be involved in a major case, isn't it?"
"It's a headache." He retorted. "We have a strong case, but the defending team is a bunch of irritating imbeciles…" he was then interrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone, yet again.
Impatiently, he snatched his phone up. "Mikagami. What is it now, Nakata?" As he listened, a scowl fixed itself on his features. "Good lord. Can't you people do anything right?"
Fuuko guessed that Nakata-san was protesting, as Tokiya harrumphed loudly. "Fine, I'll be there as soon as I can."
He then looked at her. "Kirisawa, sorry but…"
"Yeah, I heard that. No matter." She said, not without feeling a twinge of disappointment.
He stood up, as did she, and they made their way to the exit. As they stood outside the door, both of them hesitated slightly.
"Which way are you going?" he asked.
She pointed, the opposing direction to his destination.
"Do you want me to see you back?"
"Ahhh…no. It's all right, Mi-chan. I'll be fine."
He nodded, still standing there. Fuuko was the first to turn and leave.
"Well, ja, Mi-chan."
As she walked, she suddenly heard his voice behind her.
"Hey, monkey."
She halted at the mention of his hated nickname for her. Turning around, she glared. "Yes, Fridge-boy?"
Rather than looking irritated at the name, he smirked. "You actually answered to 'monkey'?"
"You just answered to 'Fridge-boy'." She said smugly.
"I did not answer to that ridiculous name, you turned around, it's only natural for me to respond to you."
"And you responded. To Fridge-boy. Clearly you would not have entertained me unless you think I am calling to you, in this case which I used Fridge-boy."
"Not bad, Kirisawa. Could see why you just managed to pass law school."
"Did you call me back just to insult me?" She looked irritated.
"No, actually. I was wondering…"
"Yeah?"
"By any chance would you be free for another cup of coffee tomorrow evening?" he asked, his tone flippant, but for some strange reason, he found his heart beating abnormally fast as he waited for her answer.
She stared at him, hardly daring to believe that Mikagami Tokiya was asking her out. Even if it was just a lousy cup of coffee.
It took her less than a moment to decide.
"Yeah, I'd like that."
-
Somewhere in Tokyo, two men sat across from each other, glasses of wine between them.
"He's going on trial tomorrow." The younger man confirmed.
The other one scowled. "Tajeri better know what he's to do."
"He's been told. By the way, Shigeru-sama…Kirisawa's daughter is back in Tokyo."
He frowned, remembering the man. "So?"
"I found out that she was part of the winning team that fought in Mori's tournament five years ago."
Silence settled as he digested the information. Then a crafty, unpleasantly cunning smile spread across his face. "Really? Well, well, well. This is very interesting indeed…"
-To be continued-
*
da*mouse ®
posted 21st September 2003
No long notes this time, just a huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed, and once again, sorry for any OOC-ness, sappiness, draggy-ness. Call in character development…yes, I am extremely lame.
Once again, please review/comment/flame/whatever, as long as it makes me improve myself.
Till next chap.
