Chapter 2:On the Scissors Point
Grace Pearl
disclaimer: I don not nor ever will own the Paradise Kiss characters. They are purely Ai Yazawa's though if I may say so myself I have tried to be true to here style yet slowly shift it to my own plots. Thank you Ai Yazawa for creating Paradise Kiss.
Key : "" talk
''thoughts (mostly Yukari)
setting or scene change
Saturday Morning the Tokumori Apartment
Yukari woke up on Saturday. The sun was coming in through a window over a desk that wasn't her's.
"Uh oh," she stumbled out of bed still in her ruffled shirt and jeans, "Hello." She tried uncertainly out the door.
"Hey, your awake," Hiro said brightly sticking his head out of the another room. He was setting a table in that room that could have only been the kitchen.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep," she blushed.
"Don't worry about it. I'm glad your dealing with it." He had cooked noodles. She grabbed the pitcher of tea before he could reach it and poured two cups. "Your mother called."
"Oh no," she covered her face, then peaked out from between her fingers. "What did she say?"
"Well, she wanted me to wake you and tell you to go home." He ate some more. "I didn't want to hand you over to her. She sounds unpleasant."
"Is that so." She kept quiet and ate.
" I called your father." He waited for a reaction. He didn't have to wait long.
"Really?" She perked up "How... How did you get his number? Where did you find him? What did you say?"
He had expected that, "Well I looked up his name and address which gave me that number. I called his house and left a message he called me back right away and wanted to meet with you." All this he said with a sort of sweet sarcasm. "I told him you would meet him in my family store. You two can have lunch this afternoon."
She looked at him unable to speak ( her mouth being stuffed with food didn't help.) While Hiro talked she forgot how to chew, to deep in thought. Finally needing to respond she chewed, choked it down and said quietly, "Thank you, your always looking out for me." Embarrassed she couldn't meet his eyes.
"No problem. You'll need clothes." He said getting down to business. "Miwako called, worried, already this morning and we need to get to school, but you don't have your uniform."
She laughed at herself. ' I knew this is would happen again. At least I'm more prepared.' Yukari had left a spare uniform at Miwako's house not to mention may other necessary items. Over there last month all her possessions that were dear to her had been moved to the spare room at Mikako's house.
"You can stay here this weekend. My parent's won't be home til Monday." Hiro began to do the dishes.
"Let me help." She tried to take away the dishes in his hands unsuccessfully.
"No, go call Miwako back and figure out what your going to do." He resounded firmly. Completely ignoring her then and finishing cleaning up.
She walked out of the kitchen, this time really looking at the living space. It was stylish. She didn't know if she could picture Hiro's parents. She was pulling out her cell phone when she saw a picture on the desk. Yukari hit 2 and pushed call.
RING
'Hiro's mom is beautiful.'
RING
'His dad is pretty handsome too.'
RING
'Maybe I'll get to meet them?'
RING
"Morning! Caroline!" Miwako said almost too brightly.
"Morning Miwako, thanks for checking up on me last night."
"Miwako was worried when you did not come back," her tone expressing what she just said.
"I'm sorry I just..."
"Well, Miwako will bring your things to Hiro's house now!"
"Thanks, do you need directions?"
"No, Miwako knows where it is."
"Okay thanks again."
"See you soon!" click
The water shut off in the kitchen.
'Oh my.'
'smooch'
"Bye bye Arashi. Miwako is going to Caroline!"
"Wait a bloomin' minute! Isn't Yukari at Hiro's" the mose suspicious and almost hurt look crossed his face.
"Yes," Miwako said meekly.
"Let's go." He picked up his back and took the one with Yukari's stuff from her hand, making for the door.
George who had been "sleeping" on the couch got up."So your going to see Yukari?"
"Uh huh. George do you want to come with us?" She smiled happily.
He grabbed his jaket and walked away, deep in thought, not even acknowledging Miwako, right out the door Arashi was holding open.
"Hmm," said a troubled Miwako.
" Get a move on, Miwako. I don't want to hold bloomin' door all day," Arashi said calmly.
"Hello Miwako! Arashi! I'm glad you guys came."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Arashi said stiffly.
"Hiro was showimg me some pictures of you guys when you were younger. Your all so cute!"
'Well, at least she seems happy.' Arashi thought.
"Miwako brought all your clothes!"
"Thank you. Sorry to cause so much trouble."
"Miwako and Arashe don't mind!" Miwako said Cherrily.
"We 'ave t' get t' school. We'll be late now," Arashi said passively as if it were a suggestion and not a request or demand.
"Sorry we can't stay!" Miwako said still really cheery, "Miwako will call you during lunch!"
"Thanks again! I'll talk to you later." Yukari shut the door as Hiro finally walked out of his room, fully dressed in his uniform.
"They left already?" She nodded her head. "No I guessed that they wouldn't." He looked calm but was tinged with saddness.
"I'm going to change." Yukari said trying to turn the mood around.
"'Kay, if you need anything let me know," Hiro said, his serious face back in action.
'Always calm and composed this one'
Outside of the apartment George sad in his car. It was parked down the street. He watched Miwako and Arashi walk away hand in hand. He'd had hoped to see a glimpse of her but she was still in the apartment.
He asked himself, 'what am I doing here? I never chase girls. What has become of me?' He tipped his hat and made his way to school. As he turned around the corner Yukari and Hiro made thier way down the steps. Yukari stops and looks around. The smell of George's Cologne is in the air.
Everyone at their respective schools, the wind blowing naked branches, white crystalline drops floated to the ground.
Yukari and Hiro had been leaning against a heater their backs to the window when a classmate exclaimed "It's snowing!"
The students crowded the windows to see this anomaly. It almost never snowed in Tokyo.
Meanwhile on the other side of town at Yaza Arts, the natural expressions class duct into an awning. George looked at the gray sky thinking about how ironic snow was considering the frozen state of his hear and relationship with Yukari. A relationship that had begun to mean to much to him. Still not admitting it but loves thorns had dug into his heart and threatened to rip it to shred's what would happen when the ice between them melted ? and would his heart drip away with the melted ice?
Right at that very moment George stared to sketch designs for a new line dedicated to a cold heart.
During the day Yukari had scored a 95 on a math test. The best she had ever done. She smiled as she changed her shoes. Her scores were not the only things improving and every one was noticing. Two guys had asked her out on dates, since she seemed more approachable. Today she had made plans to go shopping the next day.
Hiro was waiting for her at the main entrance. He had prep school but he was still walking her to the store where she was meeting her dad. After some debate he finally left finally left for class when they had waited a while. She stood inside the store looking at some of the products. When he showed up.
He looked healthier and younger. He looked around for her anxiously. Yukari had missed him so much. She barreled from behind a heap of rice and into his arms.
"Odosan!" She pressed her face into his chest. He hugged her back.
"Yukari," he said slowly but still full of emotion. "I missed you too."
"Why did you leave?" She said near tears.
" Yukari, you should know why," he said sadly, "but even with all the reasons, it doesn't mean I love you any less."
"I know," she conceded into his chest because she hadn't let go yet.
"Come on. Lets get something to eat." She stopped her death grip on him and let him lead her to a table at the back of the store. "Well how have you been? How is your brother and mother?"
Yukari didn't know exactly how to start, "They are both doing well. I'm having problems with mom which is mainly why I contacted you..." She stopped and couldn't go on.
They ordered tea and coffee. Yukari had some tomato soup and her father had a bowl of miso. When the waitress left, Yukari's father started nervously, "What happened with you mother? I can't imagine you searching me out because of your brother." He diverted his eyes shamefully.
With a deep breath and all the courage she could manage, Yukari said, "Lately Oka-san has been ... really abusive." There was a silence.
"Your mother is a very strict women. What did you have in mind when you called me?" He was unsure where to go or what to do.
Yukari was relieved that he believed her and that he might be willing to help her. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do, but anything would be better than what had been going on. "I want to be a model." He was a little shocked. "There are some people who believe I can be successful and they are willing to help me."
"Okay, will you continue school? What do you need to fulfill your dream?" He was surprised and didn't know where to go. He hadn't expected this, actually he hadn't really known what to expect.
"I will finish High School, but I may not go to college. To model I need a parent's permission because I am underage right now. I don't know where I'm going to live. I was hoping I could live with you?" Now she was tentative. There were so many dreams she had just laid out on the table and she didn't know which ones would be successful.
Her father was deep in thought. Their food had come and already cooled. "Where are you staying now?"
"I'm staying with a friend from school."
"Is it okay if you stay there a little longer? I'm going to need some time to make some arrangements."
"Okay, I don't think it will be a problem."
" I don't think I will be good for you to stay with me," her face dropped, "but I may be able to arrange for you to have your own apartment and to be taken care of." He smiled bittersweetly, "The only good thing about my leaving your mother is that I have become more successful. How do you feel about living with yourself?"
"That would be fine." She smiled, 'it might me better that way'. "I will be great living by myself. "
"Well, then wonderful. Let me make the arrangements."
They parted on a promise and both parties had high hopes. They had talked more about what had been going on and how life had been. Yukari received the signature she needed and went strait to Ms. Shimamoto's Agency and turned it in.
"Well Yukari, this is good news. I never thought your mother would relent." Then she saw it. "So ...not your mother but your father." She raised her eyebrow in question, saying don't make me have to ask you, but I have to know.
"My mother and I have been having some domestic problems. How can I put this lightly...she is very abusive." At this Ms. Shimamoto became pensive. "It wasn't very bad, but I decided enough was enough. I am going to do what I want." She smiled to lighten what she had just said.
"Well, how are things with you father? I had wondered when you mother had she he was on a business trip."
"He is trying to arrange for me to have my own apartment and he will be paying for my expenses. He had been sending money to my brother and I but my mother always intercepted it. It seems he is more well off now than before."
"Well this is good. Has he found a place for you to live? I actually have a space you maybe able to rent from me. This does seem to be your lucky day. We have an apartment that the agency owns. Actually it was my own but now I live on the floor under the agency I don't know what to do with it. It is rather large and the rent it quite a sum but I do not expect you to pay all of it. Only partial."
"Wow thank you Ms. Shimamoto! This is good news."
"Also this comes at a wonderful time. I just received a job that will need several girls. I had you in mind but did not think you would have been able too, but I put your name down anyway. It is for a Men's magazine."
The world around Yukari spun and she was put through a whirl wind of events. He father agreed to her apartment. She began to be requested for jobs. It was hard to keep up in school but it was her goal to graduate. Hiro was very supportive in fact he even came to some of her shoots. George was silent as usual in fact she hadn't seen him in months. Miwako frequently stayed the night at Yukari's new place. It was a flat. There were 5 bedrooms, 2 and ½ bathes, a large kitchen, living room, and den. Surprisingly the inside was very traditional to old Japanese houses. Her mother had not tried to get in touch with her. Truthfully she still believed that Yukari would come back on her own. What she did not notice was that all of Yukari's prized possessions that had not already been moved to Mikako's were gone. Her closet was completely empty except for a few old dresses and clothes her mother a shrewishly chosen. When she finally got a break from school work, model work, and the appearances she was required to make she decided to go see who was at paradise.
When Yukari reached the steps leading down to Paradise Kiss, she heard a low murmur of voices. The door was open a crack and radiated heat. A glimpse through the crack showed a large gathering of people working at sewing, machines, cutting patterns, and seemingly having a good time. Bewildered the thought to leave crossed her mind, but just at the moment. Isabelle came down the stairs behind her.
"Well isn't this a surprise! Caroline! I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been hiding your self?" Isabelle was so excited that Yukari didn't notice that she had been slyly shuttled into Parakiss. The murmur of talk diminished to whisper's. Everyone turned to look at the new comer with interest, jealousy and curiosity.
"Oh well I thought I would stop by and see everyone, but you seem to be so busy right now." She said glancing at the large congregation nervously.
"Oh my you haven't been here since we became a corporation. Well let me tell you our delightful little story!" As they walked toward the back room. Whisper's grew "Who is she?" "She looks like that new model." "Nah, it couldn't be." "I heard she used to model for them." "No way" "Wow she is pretty."
It turned out that the back room was now Isabella's office. George had finally got the funding he needed from a designer that saw his work in America. The American had remembered what it was like to be an upstart new designer and took pity on George. He had given them the start up money of A MILLION DOLLARS! They had opened 3 boutiques and the old hang out had become their sweat shop of sorts. The workers were Yaza Arts students looking for a chance. George was usually at the largest of their three stores and Arashi and Miwako handled the others. While Isabella held down the home front. Yukari was so surprised. She congratulated Isabella profusely and told her to relay the same sentiments to the other three. Isabella refused to let her leave until she was introduced to what George called the slaves.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce Yukari Hayasaka. Also know as the model Caroline. "There were lots of gasps. "She had agreed to show you what we work for." Yukari looked at Isabella suspiciously.
"I have?" she murmured under her breathe.
"Yes you have." Isabelle whispered just as quietly.
Yukari was tricked into doing a fashion show of all of George's new design's. What was odd was that as Yukari was dazzeled by each piece of art and wonderment. She noticed touches of Arashi and Miwako in everything. She also noticed that George had cultured a way for his artistically eccentric outfits to become the fashion of the masses. This was a true accomplishment. For an artist of George's talent to be able to reign himself in. She wished that they were still speaking and that she could tell him herself.
Ladies and Gentlemen this is the next chapter. I felt kinda bad I lost the Ai yazawa mood. I'M SO SORRY! If it sucks tell me. If its stupid tell me. And if you think I should quite now. Lemme know... Thanks to all those who encouraged me. This chapter is all yours!
Much Love, Gracie!