"I should've known that was you!" laughs Hatoko from her seat in front of Kazuhiko's desk.
"Yes, I suppose," replies Kazuhiko, still breathless from his last bout of laughter, "I certainly was a fan for practical jokes at the university."
"You mean in the sense that you used to laugh when other people did it. You were never so bold as to try it yourself," points out Hatoko with a grin and a wave of her finger, "This time, though – it had your name written all over it. I mean, who else would go to all of the trouble to buy a soda, drain the can, clean the inside of the can and re-fill it with just the right amount of chemicals to turn someone's tongue black?"
"Someone really bored, perhaps?" says Kazuhiko with a smirk.
"Yeah. Someone like you," winks Hatoko who then leans back in her chair and sighs softly, "I've… Really missed this, Kazu-san."
"So have I, Hatoko," replies Kazuhiko with a nod, "We haven't been able to talk like this for quite sometime." The pair sat quietly for a few minutes. Outside of the room, Lenore squints in an attempt to get a better look at who Kazuhiko's talking to. She knows who it is now, though. She heard the name. Placing her hand on the doorframe to steady her, Lenore considers leaving. She knows, deep down inside, that she could, and probably should, but something weighs her down. Her feet refuse to move. Her eyes cannot tear away from the sight. All she can do is watch and wonder as the scene unfolds before her.
"Kazu-san… Do you have a girlfriend?" asks Hatoko at last, her eyes nervously darting to the floor as a red flush seeps into her cheeks.
"Er, do I what?" asks Kazuhiko, taken by surprise at this sudden turn in the conversation.
"Do you… Have a girlfriend?" Hatoko repeats, her voice shaking ever so slightly. Kazuhiko sits in a thoughtful silence after that question rolls through his mind like a tidal wave. Why was she asking him this? As the fog builds in his mind, a warm light pierces the haze. He thinks of Lenore and closes his eyes.
She isn't his girlfriend, though. He isn't even remotely sure of her feelings. He knows how he feels about her, but they aren't a couple. In fact, Lenore has exited a relationship only a week ago. Sensing Hatoko's discomfort at this silence, Kazuhiko clears his throat and speaks up.
"Well, to tell the truth, no, Hatoko," replies Kazuhiko, "I'm not in a relationship right now." Outside, Lenore can feel blood rushing into her cheeks. She tries to deny it to herself, though, and ignore it, but some little part of her makes a note of it. Her chest tightens as she stands there, and though she knows that his words are true, she can't help feeling a strong, irritating sense of jealousy sweep through her entire body and mind. Foolishly, she continues to watch, knowing full well that it would hurt a lot less to just leave.
"I see," says Hatoko while standing up, gathering all of her courage to do so, "And why is that? I figured that a handsome, sweet man like you would have been snatched up in no time after…" She hesitates. "My mistake," she says after a moment of hesitation. Walking around the desk, Hatoko leans over Kazuhiko and smiles softly at him.
"H-Hatoko," says Kazuhiko while leaning back in his seat a touch, "What… What are you getting at, hm?"
"That should be fairly obvious, Kazu-san," says Hatoko while lifting a hand to gently trace his face. He shivers in spite of himself. "I came all this way to find you," she continues, "And… If you'll have me, I'd like to go on with the plans we talked about. When I found out I wasn't pregnant, my first thought was that I wanted to be with you – especially after David turned out to be so non-committal." She sighs softly, "But, please, don't consider yourself a rebound. I was in love with you too, I just… I thought that's what I had to do." She bows her head a bit.
"Hatoko, it's alright," says Kazuhiko with a soft smile, "I'm not angry with you or anything. I never was. Hurt, yes… But never angry. Please. Don't frown. I never liked it when you frowned." Kazuhiko lifts her face carefully by the chin and she smiles weakly at him.
"Oh, Kazu-san," she whispers while tears start to form in the corners of her eyes, "I.. I.." Unable to finish speaking, Hatoko throws herself onto Kazuhiko in a tight hug full of sobbing. Kazuhiko, unsure of what to do exactly, just lifts a hand and gently begins to stroke her back. "Shh," he whispers, "It's alright. No need for tears now, Hatoko." Deep down inside, he can feel his heart straining in his chest. He feels the undeniable conflict.
He loves Lenore Stone.
…But does he still love Hatoko Mizuki?