Chapter 06 - Minami Tomoya
"Shigeru," said an annoyed Sojiro, "Will you stop shifting around! I'm trying to get to sleep!" Akira seated in front of them, grinned and thought, "How lucky can I get! If I hadn't insisted on taking the next seat, I would have to put up with that monkey." Shigeru rebutted, "I can't help it. I'd never need to share a first class seat." Sojiro grimaced and muttered softly, "I wouldn't need to share a seat with you too if the flight hadn't been fully booked. I have opportunity costs being seated next to you." Sojiro was of course referring to his flings with the flight stewardesses.
"Forget it!" said an exasperated Shigeru, "I'm going to take a walk. Excuse me!" Sojiro made way for her to pass. "Thank goodness," he sighed and closed his eyes. It was another good 12 hours before they arrive in Japan and Shigeru is not the type to hibernate on the plane. Her decision was a relief to Sojiro.
Shigeru took her walk down to the economy class of the plane. "Hello," she greeted a little girl by the aisle who looked up and smiled, "What are you doing? Can I see that?" The little girl handed the book over to her. "Did your Mama make this for you?" asked Shigeru, flipping through the booklet made of felt material. The little girl nodded. "She's very talented," admired Shigeru.
"Miki, here's your drink," said a young man as he handed the drink over. "Oh! You must be the father," commented Shigeru. The young man looked at her expressionlessly. He was not much older than Shigeru and was of a lanky built with cropped hair. "Oh dear!" thought Shigeru, "He's probably doesn't fancy someone disturbing his daughter." The little girl tugged at Shigeru's skirt. "Oh! I'm sorry," apologised Shigeru, handing the booklet back to her, "Here you go."
Turning to the young man, Shigeru smiled and said, "Your wife's handiwork is really good." He did not smile or acknowledged the compliment. "How rude!" thought Shigeru angrily and not wanting to let him go without giving him a piece of her mind, she said, "It would be nice and polite if you could just acknowledged the compliment."
The shock on the young man's face indicated his unpreparedness for this confrontation, however, his expression soon returned to that of a blank face. Picking up the newspaper from the floor, he commented as Shigeru stood fuming at him, "It's not wise to be so assuming. Miki, don't be like that when you grow up."
"What do you mean?!" yelled Shigeru, oblivious to the passengers looking at her, "Such obnoxiousness!" Whispers among the passengers grow loudly and noticing the commotion, a flight stewardess had come forward to placate Shigeru. "Er...I'm sorry to interrupt, Miss," said the stewardess, "Why don't you return to your seat and I'll get you a nice cup of orange juice?"
Shigeru eyed the stewardess who backed a little. "Shigeru," called a male voice, "I've been looking for you." Both turned to look at the interrupter - Akira. He smiled his brilliant smile and gestured Shigeru to join him. "I'm not done here," replied Shigeru defiantly. "Come on," cajoled Akira as he moved towards her. Shigeru stood her grounds and stared at the young man.
"You're embarrassing yourself," hissed Akira as he got to her side. Grabbing hold of her arm, Akira literally dragged a struggling Shigeru back to the first class cabin. Minami Tomoya stared at the disappearing couple and thought, "Interesting."
************
At the viewing gallery of Logan International, Tsukasa and Tsukushi stood silently next to each other. "How long are we going to stand here?" asked an irritated Tsukasa, looking at his watch, "They have probably boarded the connecting flight to Japan." Tsukushi made no move nor utter a word as she stared at the planes taking off and landing. Tsukasa sighed and frowned as he faced his back to the glass.
"Don't you think these planes are beautiful?" asked Tsukushi softly. "Huh?" replied a puzzled Tsukasa, "What have planes got to do with 'beautiful'?" Tsukushi sighed inwardly and wondered how dense can Tsukasa get before replying, "I meant it metaphorically." Tsukasa made no reply. Silence occupied the space between them again.
"Makino," said Tsukasa finally, "I have something to ask you." Tsukushi stole a glance at him before turning back to the glass and replied, "En. What is it?" He turned sideways toward her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Tsukushi looked at the hand on her shoulder before looking up at the owner of the hand. "Makino, can we start again?" he asked earnestly.
"Start again..." Tsukushi's mind echoed. She pulled her eyes away from his and asked softly, "Can we?" Tsukasa's heart tugged at her uncertainty. Sliding his hand from her shoulder to her waist as he place himself behind her, he hugged her tightly. Tsukushi closed her eyes as she loses herself completely in his embrace. "We can and we will," assured Tsukasa as he whispered into her ears. His assurance was comfort to her and she wanted very much for it to be real.
"But..." she began. Tsukasa stopped her from saying further by covering her mouth with his hand. He turned her around and looked at her with those dark brown eyes of his. "We will make it this time," he said firmly. "Doumyoji..." utter Tsukushi uncertainly. Tsukasa wasn't going to let her spoil it by saying things he didn't want to hear, thus before she could utter a word further, he kissed her. Tsukushi, hesitant to respond, tried to struggle free but Tsukasa tighten his arm around her waist and his hold on her neck.
Tsukushi responded. As she melts slowly away in his embrace and his kiss, she realised suddenly that they were in a public place and they were kissing in full view of the public. She opened her eyes and pulled herself forcefully away. "We are...we are in a public place," she stammered as her face turned bright red with embarrassment. "So," said Tsukasa nonchalantly, "We are in America and don't the Americans kiss in public too?"
He moved closer. Tsukushi bit her lips and thought of her reply. "But...but we are Japanese," she stammered, backing as Tsukasa inches closer. "Stop your hum and haw," he said, grabbing hold of her, "We do it the American way. I'm not going to let that go so easily." He grinned. Tsukushi did not like the grin and pounced on him with her fists. "Don't you give me that smug smile of yours," she yelled, "I'm Japanese and will stay one as long as I live!"
"Shigeru," said an annoyed Sojiro, "Will you stop shifting around! I'm trying to get to sleep!" Akira seated in front of them, grinned and thought, "How lucky can I get! If I hadn't insisted on taking the next seat, I would have to put up with that monkey." Shigeru rebutted, "I can't help it. I'd never need to share a first class seat." Sojiro grimaced and muttered softly, "I wouldn't need to share a seat with you too if the flight hadn't been fully booked. I have opportunity costs being seated next to you." Sojiro was of course referring to his flings with the flight stewardesses.
"Forget it!" said an exasperated Shigeru, "I'm going to take a walk. Excuse me!" Sojiro made way for her to pass. "Thank goodness," he sighed and closed his eyes. It was another good 12 hours before they arrive in Japan and Shigeru is not the type to hibernate on the plane. Her decision was a relief to Sojiro.
Shigeru took her walk down to the economy class of the plane. "Hello," she greeted a little girl by the aisle who looked up and smiled, "What are you doing? Can I see that?" The little girl handed the book over to her. "Did your Mama make this for you?" asked Shigeru, flipping through the booklet made of felt material. The little girl nodded. "She's very talented," admired Shigeru.
"Miki, here's your drink," said a young man as he handed the drink over. "Oh! You must be the father," commented Shigeru. The young man looked at her expressionlessly. He was not much older than Shigeru and was of a lanky built with cropped hair. "Oh dear!" thought Shigeru, "He's probably doesn't fancy someone disturbing his daughter." The little girl tugged at Shigeru's skirt. "Oh! I'm sorry," apologised Shigeru, handing the booklet back to her, "Here you go."
Turning to the young man, Shigeru smiled and said, "Your wife's handiwork is really good." He did not smile or acknowledged the compliment. "How rude!" thought Shigeru angrily and not wanting to let him go without giving him a piece of her mind, she said, "It would be nice and polite if you could just acknowledged the compliment."
The shock on the young man's face indicated his unpreparedness for this confrontation, however, his expression soon returned to that of a blank face. Picking up the newspaper from the floor, he commented as Shigeru stood fuming at him, "It's not wise to be so assuming. Miki, don't be like that when you grow up."
"What do you mean?!" yelled Shigeru, oblivious to the passengers looking at her, "Such obnoxiousness!" Whispers among the passengers grow loudly and noticing the commotion, a flight stewardess had come forward to placate Shigeru. "Er...I'm sorry to interrupt, Miss," said the stewardess, "Why don't you return to your seat and I'll get you a nice cup of orange juice?"
Shigeru eyed the stewardess who backed a little. "Shigeru," called a male voice, "I've been looking for you." Both turned to look at the interrupter - Akira. He smiled his brilliant smile and gestured Shigeru to join him. "I'm not done here," replied Shigeru defiantly. "Come on," cajoled Akira as he moved towards her. Shigeru stood her grounds and stared at the young man.
"You're embarrassing yourself," hissed Akira as he got to her side. Grabbing hold of her arm, Akira literally dragged a struggling Shigeru back to the first class cabin. Minami Tomoya stared at the disappearing couple and thought, "Interesting."
************
At the viewing gallery of Logan International, Tsukasa and Tsukushi stood silently next to each other. "How long are we going to stand here?" asked an irritated Tsukasa, looking at his watch, "They have probably boarded the connecting flight to Japan." Tsukushi made no move nor utter a word as she stared at the planes taking off and landing. Tsukasa sighed and frowned as he faced his back to the glass.
"Don't you think these planes are beautiful?" asked Tsukushi softly. "Huh?" replied a puzzled Tsukasa, "What have planes got to do with 'beautiful'?" Tsukushi sighed inwardly and wondered how dense can Tsukasa get before replying, "I meant it metaphorically." Tsukasa made no reply. Silence occupied the space between them again.
"Makino," said Tsukasa finally, "I have something to ask you." Tsukushi stole a glance at him before turning back to the glass and replied, "En. What is it?" He turned sideways toward her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Tsukushi looked at the hand on her shoulder before looking up at the owner of the hand. "Makino, can we start again?" he asked earnestly.
"Start again..." Tsukushi's mind echoed. She pulled her eyes away from his and asked softly, "Can we?" Tsukasa's heart tugged at her uncertainty. Sliding his hand from her shoulder to her waist as he place himself behind her, he hugged her tightly. Tsukushi closed her eyes as she loses herself completely in his embrace. "We can and we will," assured Tsukasa as he whispered into her ears. His assurance was comfort to her and she wanted very much for it to be real.
"But..." she began. Tsukasa stopped her from saying further by covering her mouth with his hand. He turned her around and looked at her with those dark brown eyes of his. "We will make it this time," he said firmly. "Doumyoji..." utter Tsukushi uncertainly. Tsukasa wasn't going to let her spoil it by saying things he didn't want to hear, thus before she could utter a word further, he kissed her. Tsukushi, hesitant to respond, tried to struggle free but Tsukasa tighten his arm around her waist and his hold on her neck.
Tsukushi responded. As she melts slowly away in his embrace and his kiss, she realised suddenly that they were in a public place and they were kissing in full view of the public. She opened her eyes and pulled herself forcefully away. "We are...we are in a public place," she stammered as her face turned bright red with embarrassment. "So," said Tsukasa nonchalantly, "We are in America and don't the Americans kiss in public too?"
He moved closer. Tsukushi bit her lips and thought of her reply. "But...but we are Japanese," she stammered, backing as Tsukasa inches closer. "Stop your hum and haw," he said, grabbing hold of her, "We do it the American way. I'm not going to let that go so easily." He grinned. Tsukushi did not like the grin and pounced on him with her fists. "Don't you give me that smug smile of yours," she yelled, "I'm Japanese and will stay one as long as I live!"