Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 36
Dance
Anshii wasn't a bit surprised that Touga should ask Ayomi for the first dance of the evening. In fact, she'd tried to have a bit of fun with it, offering bets with Miki and Juri but both of them had agreed that Touga would ask her, so Anshii stood to the side and chuckled at them both as Touga asked the blushing girl.
She was, however, surprised to see Akio approach with his hand out to her. For a moment, she wasn't sure if he was trying to up-hand her again, or if he was simply being polite. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, and then sighed, turning to set her drink on the table next to her and took his hand.
He led her to the dance floor, bowed, and took her into dance form, bringing her closer to him than she would have liked, but to fight him would bring undue attention to them both and be embarrassing.
"It's been a long time since we liked each other, Anshii," he said quietly, and her eyes widened. They danced carefully through the steps, she spun in his hand, catching a look at his face as he pulled her back to him. His eyes weren't readable, and she wondered what he was after.
"It has," she finally acknowledged. "A part of me does miss those days. But each of us is on their own path now." He spun her again, and she felt his hand lightly touch her waist, bringing her back into form as they danced through the steps. If he was trying to be his normal manipulating self, she was having a hard time seeing it.
"Our own path," he echoed, turning them both so as to avoid the clumsier dancing of another couple that was getting too close. "Anshii. it doesn't have to be like that. I'd rather be brother and sister again."
Ah. So that's what he's doing, she thought. He's trying to get me nostalgic and force me into joining him again. Well, brother dear, I have no intentions of that! She tilted her head up and smiled into his shoulder, looking across the dance floor to see Miki and Juri watching. She hoped that one of them would get her message, but Akio turned her away before she could see if either noticed her signal of distress. "In truth, we still are brother and sister, Akio."
There was a hint of a commotion, and suddenly, Akio's grip on her was lessened and a soft voice asked if he might have a turn. Relief washed over Anshii like a refreshing breeze, and she turned to smile at Miki as Akio relinquished the dance to him. "I'm sorry, brother," she offered in answer to his attempt and the fact that she'd been effectively stolen away by Miki.
Akio gave his sardonic little half-bow and excused himself from the dance floor and Anshii sighed heavily. "Thank you, Miki. I think you just saved my life."
Miki laughed as he mimicked the other dancers. He wasn't that familiar with the dance, but, "Juri didn't give me any other options. In fact, I believe her words were 'Anshii's in trouble, get out there.'"
She laughed, casting a glance to see where Juri was, and noticed Shiori in a rather demure gown chatting animatedly while Juri listened. Tilting her head, she wondered. "Miki. tell me something? About Juri."
"Mmm," he replied after a moment. "She and Shiori argued a lot for a little while after you left. One night, I found Juri up on the bridge, crying, and instead of walking away, I started talking to her." He spun her, hoping that she knew what to do, and to his relief, she did. When she turned back, he continued. "We've been seeing each other off and on now for a year, and I understand her a lot more. She still talks with Shiori, but it doesn't hurt her anymore."
Anshii nodded and the music started to fade. She gave Miki a little curtsey and he bowed back awkwardly in return. "You are a dear, sweet thing, Miki. Don't change."
He blushed to the roots of his hair, and Juri met them at the edge of the dance floor, an eyebrow lifted. "Thank you for sending Miki in to rescue me, Juri. He's a delightful companion."
Juri laughed quietly, watching Miki's blush deepen. "Speaking of companions, what was all that about out there?"
Anshii sighed, casting about a glance to see where Akio had gone. Not finding him nearby, she felt at ease in replying. "He wants me to stop fighting him. He tried to get me to drop my guard by acting like my brother again." Another song started, and Miki touched Anshii's arm. "Look." Anshii turned to see Akio leading Ayomi out to the dance floor and her stomach sank. "Oh no."
Anshii wasn't a bit surprised that Touga should ask Ayomi for the first dance of the evening. In fact, she'd tried to have a bit of fun with it, offering bets with Miki and Juri but both of them had agreed that Touga would ask her, so Anshii stood to the side and chuckled at them both as Touga asked the blushing girl.
She was, however, surprised to see Akio approach with his hand out to her. For a moment, she wasn't sure if he was trying to up-hand her again, or if he was simply being polite. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, and then sighed, turning to set her drink on the table next to her and took his hand.
He led her to the dance floor, bowed, and took her into dance form, bringing her closer to him than she would have liked, but to fight him would bring undue attention to them both and be embarrassing.
"It's been a long time since we liked each other, Anshii," he said quietly, and her eyes widened. They danced carefully through the steps, she spun in his hand, catching a look at his face as he pulled her back to him. His eyes weren't readable, and she wondered what he was after.
"It has," she finally acknowledged. "A part of me does miss those days. But each of us is on their own path now." He spun her again, and she felt his hand lightly touch her waist, bringing her back into form as they danced through the steps. If he was trying to be his normal manipulating self, she was having a hard time seeing it.
"Our own path," he echoed, turning them both so as to avoid the clumsier dancing of another couple that was getting too close. "Anshii. it doesn't have to be like that. I'd rather be brother and sister again."
Ah. So that's what he's doing, she thought. He's trying to get me nostalgic and force me into joining him again. Well, brother dear, I have no intentions of that! She tilted her head up and smiled into his shoulder, looking across the dance floor to see Miki and Juri watching. She hoped that one of them would get her message, but Akio turned her away before she could see if either noticed her signal of distress. "In truth, we still are brother and sister, Akio."
There was a hint of a commotion, and suddenly, Akio's grip on her was lessened and a soft voice asked if he might have a turn. Relief washed over Anshii like a refreshing breeze, and she turned to smile at Miki as Akio relinquished the dance to him. "I'm sorry, brother," she offered in answer to his attempt and the fact that she'd been effectively stolen away by Miki.
Akio gave his sardonic little half-bow and excused himself from the dance floor and Anshii sighed heavily. "Thank you, Miki. I think you just saved my life."
Miki laughed as he mimicked the other dancers. He wasn't that familiar with the dance, but, "Juri didn't give me any other options. In fact, I believe her words were 'Anshii's in trouble, get out there.'"
She laughed, casting a glance to see where Juri was, and noticed Shiori in a rather demure gown chatting animatedly while Juri listened. Tilting her head, she wondered. "Miki. tell me something? About Juri."
"Mmm," he replied after a moment. "She and Shiori argued a lot for a little while after you left. One night, I found Juri up on the bridge, crying, and instead of walking away, I started talking to her." He spun her, hoping that she knew what to do, and to his relief, she did. When she turned back, he continued. "We've been seeing each other off and on now for a year, and I understand her a lot more. She still talks with Shiori, but it doesn't hurt her anymore."
Anshii nodded and the music started to fade. She gave Miki a little curtsey and he bowed back awkwardly in return. "You are a dear, sweet thing, Miki. Don't change."
He blushed to the roots of his hair, and Juri met them at the edge of the dance floor, an eyebrow lifted. "Thank you for sending Miki in to rescue me, Juri. He's a delightful companion."
Juri laughed quietly, watching Miki's blush deepen. "Speaking of companions, what was all that about out there?"
Anshii sighed, casting about a glance to see where Akio had gone. Not finding him nearby, she felt at ease in replying. "He wants me to stop fighting him. He tried to get me to drop my guard by acting like my brother again." Another song started, and Miki touched Anshii's arm. "Look." Anshii turned to see Akio leading Ayomi out to the dance floor and her stomach sank. "Oh no."