Chapter 3
Secrets Reviled
That night Ran couldn't sleep. What had happened today that made it so hard for her? Deep down she wanted to cry but she couldn't tell why.
The next morning she was up before dawn, something that rarely happens. She grabbed an apple and went into Shibuya. "Maybe I'll run into someone."
After making her rounds of town, and sensing no trouble near by she decided to see if Miyu could pull herself away from Yamato for an hour or two.
When she arrived Miyu wasn't there. "No, haven't seen her yet today. Maybe she's sleeping in?"
"Okay, thanks bro." Ran went to the park and called Miyu's cell.
"Hello? This is Miyu."
"Hey Miyu. It's Ran."
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong!"
"Ran. I've been your friend forever. I know something's wrong. Do you need to talk about it?"
There was a pause before Ran said, "Yeah."
After Ran told Miyu where she would meet her, Miyu said that she would call Yamato and tell him that she would be late. Ran wanted to gag.
A few minutes later Miyu found Ran hugging Hachi. "You really love that dog that much?"
"I've always sat with Hachi whenever I'm upset ever since I can remember."
"So what's going on?" Miyu asked as she leaned against the base of the statue.
"I hung out with Second Place yesterday."
"And that's bad?"
"He saw me." It was hard for her to say, but she knew that she would have to tell Miyu if she wanted to her to understand. "He saw me crying."
"Crying?"
Ran nodded. "I just feel really left out, you know? I mean you have Yamato, Aya's gone, and Tatsuki broke up with me. I don't really seem to have anyone else."
"That's not true Ran! I'm always here when you need me."
"I know, but I didn't want to get into your lovey dovey dates."
"So what happened with Yuuya?"
"We spent the whole day together. We ate crepes, and Para Paraed, and we went window-shopping. Well, sort of."
"Sort of?"
"He bought me this," Ran said as she pulled out her cell and showed Miyu the cute new cell phone strap. It had a condor hanging off of it. "See, it even has a condor."
"He heard about the personality quiz?"
Ran nodded. "I couldn't sleep last night. I just felt like crying and I don't know why."
"Ran, what is Yuuya to you?"
Ran wondered why everyone seemed to be asking her that. "He's-he's a nice guy I guess. I mean that's what I told him when he asked me."
After she said that Ran felt like crying again.
"You don't really mean that do you? That's all he is? A nice guy?"
Ran didn't answer.
Miyu stood up and sighed. "Let's go get a drink."
"No, you need to go meet Yamato. Go ahead. I'm going to go see if there's any newbies that need help on the Para Para machine."
"All right Ran. If you're sure."
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Miyu said goodbye and headed to the police box.
What did Yuuya mean to her, Ran wondered again. This time she sighed and climbed off of Hachi.
"I'll talk to you later Hachi. Thanks." With that she headed off to the record store that Rei worked at. "Maybe he'll be around there."
As she walked up the steps Ran saw the three Ganguro gals getting kicked out. "We're uber pissed!" they screamed before heading off. They didn't even notice Ran. However, seeing them she knew that Rei would be at work. Those girls didn't have any money, so why else would they be hanging around?
Ran walked into the store, Rei was sitting behind the counter. "Welcome. How can I help you? Oh, it's you Ran."
"Nice to see you too."
"What are you looking for?"
"I need to talk to you. Can you spare one of your breaks?"
"I suppose I could. Hold on." Rei went to the back to talk to his manger. A moment later he came back, "Okay, let's go."
She followed him out of the store and they sat down on a bench just outside the store.
"This is about Yuuya, isn't it?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes. Now what do you want?"
"I wanted to know what Second Place thought of me."
"Well, what does he mean to you?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Just answer the question Kotobuki. What does Yuuya mean to you?"
"I'm not sure. I told him that I thought he was a nice guy."
Rei paused. "A nice guy?"
"What was I suppose to say?"
"Anything but that. Its no wonder Yuuya hated Tatsuki so much."
"Being a nice guy is a bad thing?"
"To a guy it is, especially when you hear it from a girl you like."
"What?"
"Yuuya told me once during a photo-shoot that he didn't care about his fans, or his popularity or any of that. He only wants to be first place in your heart."
That night Ran couldn't sleep. What had happened today that made it so hard for her? Deep down she wanted to cry but she couldn't tell why.
The next morning she was up before dawn, something that rarely happens. She grabbed an apple and went into Shibuya. "Maybe I'll run into someone."
After making her rounds of town, and sensing no trouble near by she decided to see if Miyu could pull herself away from Yamato for an hour or two.
When she arrived Miyu wasn't there. "No, haven't seen her yet today. Maybe she's sleeping in?"
"Okay, thanks bro." Ran went to the park and called Miyu's cell.
"Hello? This is Miyu."
"Hey Miyu. It's Ran."
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong!"
"Ran. I've been your friend forever. I know something's wrong. Do you need to talk about it?"
There was a pause before Ran said, "Yeah."
After Ran told Miyu where she would meet her, Miyu said that she would call Yamato and tell him that she would be late. Ran wanted to gag.
A few minutes later Miyu found Ran hugging Hachi. "You really love that dog that much?"
"I've always sat with Hachi whenever I'm upset ever since I can remember."
"So what's going on?" Miyu asked as she leaned against the base of the statue.
"I hung out with Second Place yesterday."
"And that's bad?"
"He saw me." It was hard for her to say, but she knew that she would have to tell Miyu if she wanted to her to understand. "He saw me crying."
"Crying?"
Ran nodded. "I just feel really left out, you know? I mean you have Yamato, Aya's gone, and Tatsuki broke up with me. I don't really seem to have anyone else."
"That's not true Ran! I'm always here when you need me."
"I know, but I didn't want to get into your lovey dovey dates."
"So what happened with Yuuya?"
"We spent the whole day together. We ate crepes, and Para Paraed, and we went window-shopping. Well, sort of."
"Sort of?"
"He bought me this," Ran said as she pulled out her cell and showed Miyu the cute new cell phone strap. It had a condor hanging off of it. "See, it even has a condor."
"He heard about the personality quiz?"
Ran nodded. "I couldn't sleep last night. I just felt like crying and I don't know why."
"Ran, what is Yuuya to you?"
Ran wondered why everyone seemed to be asking her that. "He's-he's a nice guy I guess. I mean that's what I told him when he asked me."
After she said that Ran felt like crying again.
"You don't really mean that do you? That's all he is? A nice guy?"
Ran didn't answer.
Miyu stood up and sighed. "Let's go get a drink."
"No, you need to go meet Yamato. Go ahead. I'm going to go see if there's any newbies that need help on the Para Para machine."
"All right Ran. If you're sure."
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Miyu said goodbye and headed to the police box.
What did Yuuya mean to her, Ran wondered again. This time she sighed and climbed off of Hachi.
"I'll talk to you later Hachi. Thanks." With that she headed off to the record store that Rei worked at. "Maybe he'll be around there."
As she walked up the steps Ran saw the three Ganguro gals getting kicked out. "We're uber pissed!" they screamed before heading off. They didn't even notice Ran. However, seeing them she knew that Rei would be at work. Those girls didn't have any money, so why else would they be hanging around?
Ran walked into the store, Rei was sitting behind the counter. "Welcome. How can I help you? Oh, it's you Ran."
"Nice to see you too."
"What are you looking for?"
"I need to talk to you. Can you spare one of your breaks?"
"I suppose I could. Hold on." Rei went to the back to talk to his manger. A moment later he came back, "Okay, let's go."
She followed him out of the store and they sat down on a bench just outside the store.
"This is about Yuuya, isn't it?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes. Now what do you want?"
"I wanted to know what Second Place thought of me."
"Well, what does he mean to you?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Just answer the question Kotobuki. What does Yuuya mean to you?"
"I'm not sure. I told him that I thought he was a nice guy."
Rei paused. "A nice guy?"
"What was I suppose to say?"
"Anything but that. Its no wonder Yuuya hated Tatsuki so much."
"Being a nice guy is a bad thing?"
"To a guy it is, especially when you hear it from a girl you like."
"What?"
"Yuuya told me once during a photo-shoot that he didn't care about his fans, or his popularity or any of that. He only wants to be first place in your heart."