CHAPTER 10 - AVOIDING HIM
I don't know how long I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling of my room that night. Whenever I closed my eyes to try to sleep, the image of Tsukasa and Umi kissing kept searing my mind. My cell phone kept ringing and I saw from the caller i.d. that it was Tsukasa. I turned it off. Later on he tried calling my landline but I ignored that as well. He left a message on the answering machine, asking me to call him when I got home. It was dawn when I finally fell into a fitful sleep.
I spent the weekend at home cleaning the whole apartment to keep my mind occupied. I kept my cell phone off and disconnected even my landline to avoid Tsukasa. I wasn't ready to talk to him just yet.
I immersed myself in work the following week. Rui called me Wednesday afternoon to invite me for drinks with the guys. Shizuka was out of town for a few days. I didn't feel like seeing Tsukasa yet so I declined.
"What's wrong?" Rui asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I just don't feel like going out tonight."
"Liar! I know something's wrong. I can hear it in your voice. Listen, I'm gonna blow off the guys and tell them I can't make it. I'm taking you out instead, is that okay?"
I agreed to meet him at a café near my office.
============
I was waiting for Rui at the café when two hands covered my eyes from behind me. I pried the hands loose and turned around.
"Koji!" I exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in a long time!" I threw my arms around him and gave him a long and tight hug. Koji was my gay actor ex-boyfriend.
"Hey beautiful! I knew it was you when I saw you in the window. I just had to come in to see you." He kissed me on the cheek. "I missed you!"
We sat down and caught up with what's been happening in each others' lives. We were still happily chatting when Rui arrived.
"Hey you," I greeted him. "Getting back at me for all those times I've been late? Good thing Koji was here to keep me company!" I introduced them to each other. Rui excused himself to go to the washroom after ordering his food.
"He's cute!" Koji remarked.
I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out. "He's straight and he's engaged!"
Koji stayed for a few more minutes when Rui came back from the washroom, then rose to leave, citing a hot date with his boyfriend.
Our food arrived and Rui and I ate in silence for the first several minutes. We ordered coffee when we had finished.
"So," he looked at me as he stirred his coffee.
"So," I answered back, looking innocently at him.
"What's wrong Tsukushi? I know there's something wrong so don't bother denying it. Tell me so I can help."
I sighed. Rui could always read me like a book. "There's this guy. I can't stop thinking about him."
"Who is he?"
"I'd rather not tell you at this time. Maybe I'll tell you later on, when I've gotten over this stupid infatuation. I just need some time to sort my feelings out."
"Fine. But I don't understand. If you like him so much, why don't you go after him?"
"He's in love with someone else."
"Oh. Well, if he can't see the Tsukushi I know and love, and prefers someone else over you then he's a fool. He doesn't deserve you."
I smiled. If it came from someone else, what he said would have sounded merely like empty platitudes. But hearing those words coming from him, with sincerity shining in those gorgeous eyes, they sounded like the gospel truth. Like I said, Rui is my guardian angel. He always knows how to make me feel better.
He spoke again. "Forget about him. Next time I see you, you had better be back to your old self, you hear? Or else I'm gonna hunt that idiot down and beat some sense into him."
The mental image of Rui beating up Tsukasa was just too funny for me. I let out a loud laugh. "Thanks," I said, holding both his hands in mine. "I needed that."
"That's more like it. Hey, whatever happens, don't you ever forget that I'll always be here for you, okay?" he said, clasping my hands tightly.
"I won't. Thank you."
"Oh and by the way. . . I don't think this is just some "stupid infatuation."
I looked at him questioningly.
"I've never seen you like this before. I think this time. . . you're in love."
Rui's words kept ringing in my ears all the way back home.
**********************
A/N: *ducks to avoid flying objects hurled by readers* Okay, I know I promised a resolution to the kiss brouhaha soon, but I didn't say it was gonna be in this chapter, did I? I know, I'm evil, aren't I? LOL!
But I hope you liked this chapter anyway. I wanted to show that special bond between Tsukushi and Rui which I mentioned at the beginning of the story. Apologies to Tsukasa fans because he didn't make an appearance in this chapter.
Oh, and now that this fic is coming to an end, I have a favor to ask. If you noticed any glaring errors anywhere in the story, please let me know, so I don't make the same mistake if and when I write my next fic. I tried re-reading the whole thing and one really big mistake I found was when Junpei tried to rape Tsukushi in his car and she kicked him on the groin before she escaped. Htf did she do that in such a cramped space?!?! Man, she must be one flexible babe! LOL! And she even did it twice, hahaha!
Sailor Angie, Haruka605, and XxSwtDreamerxX1: Here's your update. Sorry that your questions about the kiss remain unanswered though. That's why you have to keep reading!
fresh8: I love angst but it's too bad I don't have the depth to write it, LOL! So expect a quick, non-angsty resolution to this mess, hahaha!
Chi5: Sorry the last chapter was so short, as is this one. Hope you liked it anyway. About difficulty in logging in to post comments, I'm not really sure although a few days ago I think the system went awry. Hope everything's okay now though.
blue and venus_goddess: And yet again I leave you hanging! Well, rest assured there wouldn't be any more cliffhangers after this. . .
I promise to make it up to all of you on the next update, LOL! Please don't abandon me, now that we've come this far. . . ^_^
Final chapter coming up soon! Stay tuned!
I don't know how long I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling of my room that night. Whenever I closed my eyes to try to sleep, the image of Tsukasa and Umi kissing kept searing my mind. My cell phone kept ringing and I saw from the caller i.d. that it was Tsukasa. I turned it off. Later on he tried calling my landline but I ignored that as well. He left a message on the answering machine, asking me to call him when I got home. It was dawn when I finally fell into a fitful sleep.
I spent the weekend at home cleaning the whole apartment to keep my mind occupied. I kept my cell phone off and disconnected even my landline to avoid Tsukasa. I wasn't ready to talk to him just yet.
I immersed myself in work the following week. Rui called me Wednesday afternoon to invite me for drinks with the guys. Shizuka was out of town for a few days. I didn't feel like seeing Tsukasa yet so I declined.
"What's wrong?" Rui asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I just don't feel like going out tonight."
"Liar! I know something's wrong. I can hear it in your voice. Listen, I'm gonna blow off the guys and tell them I can't make it. I'm taking you out instead, is that okay?"
I agreed to meet him at a café near my office.
============
I was waiting for Rui at the café when two hands covered my eyes from behind me. I pried the hands loose and turned around.
"Koji!" I exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in a long time!" I threw my arms around him and gave him a long and tight hug. Koji was my gay actor ex-boyfriend.
"Hey beautiful! I knew it was you when I saw you in the window. I just had to come in to see you." He kissed me on the cheek. "I missed you!"
We sat down and caught up with what's been happening in each others' lives. We were still happily chatting when Rui arrived.
"Hey you," I greeted him. "Getting back at me for all those times I've been late? Good thing Koji was here to keep me company!" I introduced them to each other. Rui excused himself to go to the washroom after ordering his food.
"He's cute!" Koji remarked.
I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out. "He's straight and he's engaged!"
Koji stayed for a few more minutes when Rui came back from the washroom, then rose to leave, citing a hot date with his boyfriend.
Our food arrived and Rui and I ate in silence for the first several minutes. We ordered coffee when we had finished.
"So," he looked at me as he stirred his coffee.
"So," I answered back, looking innocently at him.
"What's wrong Tsukushi? I know there's something wrong so don't bother denying it. Tell me so I can help."
I sighed. Rui could always read me like a book. "There's this guy. I can't stop thinking about him."
"Who is he?"
"I'd rather not tell you at this time. Maybe I'll tell you later on, when I've gotten over this stupid infatuation. I just need some time to sort my feelings out."
"Fine. But I don't understand. If you like him so much, why don't you go after him?"
"He's in love with someone else."
"Oh. Well, if he can't see the Tsukushi I know and love, and prefers someone else over you then he's a fool. He doesn't deserve you."
I smiled. If it came from someone else, what he said would have sounded merely like empty platitudes. But hearing those words coming from him, with sincerity shining in those gorgeous eyes, they sounded like the gospel truth. Like I said, Rui is my guardian angel. He always knows how to make me feel better.
He spoke again. "Forget about him. Next time I see you, you had better be back to your old self, you hear? Or else I'm gonna hunt that idiot down and beat some sense into him."
The mental image of Rui beating up Tsukasa was just too funny for me. I let out a loud laugh. "Thanks," I said, holding both his hands in mine. "I needed that."
"That's more like it. Hey, whatever happens, don't you ever forget that I'll always be here for you, okay?" he said, clasping my hands tightly.
"I won't. Thank you."
"Oh and by the way. . . I don't think this is just some "stupid infatuation."
I looked at him questioningly.
"I've never seen you like this before. I think this time. . . you're in love."
Rui's words kept ringing in my ears all the way back home.
**********************
A/N: *ducks to avoid flying objects hurled by readers* Okay, I know I promised a resolution to the kiss brouhaha soon, but I didn't say it was gonna be in this chapter, did I? I know, I'm evil, aren't I? LOL!
But I hope you liked this chapter anyway. I wanted to show that special bond between Tsukushi and Rui which I mentioned at the beginning of the story. Apologies to Tsukasa fans because he didn't make an appearance in this chapter.
Oh, and now that this fic is coming to an end, I have a favor to ask. If you noticed any glaring errors anywhere in the story, please let me know, so I don't make the same mistake if and when I write my next fic. I tried re-reading the whole thing and one really big mistake I found was when Junpei tried to rape Tsukushi in his car and she kicked him on the groin before she escaped. Htf did she do that in such a cramped space?!?! Man, she must be one flexible babe! LOL! And she even did it twice, hahaha!
Sailor Angie, Haruka605, and XxSwtDreamerxX1: Here's your update. Sorry that your questions about the kiss remain unanswered though. That's why you have to keep reading!
fresh8: I love angst but it's too bad I don't have the depth to write it, LOL! So expect a quick, non-angsty resolution to this mess, hahaha!
Chi5: Sorry the last chapter was so short, as is this one. Hope you liked it anyway. About difficulty in logging in to post comments, I'm not really sure although a few days ago I think the system went awry. Hope everything's okay now though.
blue and venus_goddess: And yet again I leave you hanging! Well, rest assured there wouldn't be any more cliffhangers after this. . .
I promise to make it up to all of you on the next update, LOL! Please don't abandon me, now that we've come this far. . . ^_^
Final chapter coming up soon! Stay tuned!