Chapter 3
Photography
During the following weeks, Michiru trained with Ami nearly every evening, the girls seemed to be somewhat… like her, she had a goof feeling with water, and she improved very quickly. Michiru felt that she could easily be as good as she was. They were becoming good friends, and Michiru liked it. And the trainings didn't take her so much time after all. She had enough time left to do what she liked besides swimming. She drew a lot, but an image always stayed in her mind, in a obsessive manner, it was Emiko's face. She had drown her many times since their encounter. She had tried to search for the blonde girl, but she found out that Emiko Tenoh was a woman who died six years ago in her late thirties. It was a mystery. But Michiru didn't let fall, and Ami helped her in her research, she was a genius at informatics, so found her results on the net, while Michiru asked the people who were at the swimming pool, the teachers… Everyone who could have known the blonde girl… One day, an answer really surprised her, it was her economy teacher's.
"Tenoh Emiko? Well… the answer you found is right, she was Daisuke Tenoh's wife and she died. You sure you have the good name?"
"Yes, I am. But I'm sure I heard M. Tenoh saying she was his daughter…"
"The Tenoh never had a girl… every economist know them, they are quite famous, Tenoh industries are a big group… They are in all the newspapers, and I'm quite sure that the Tenoh never had a girl… but they have a son, Tenoh Haruka. Does it help you?"
"No, not really… maybe she is a parent…"
"That's possible indeed…"
Michiru went out of the room. She was pensive… a son… but she was pretty sure she saw a girl, for she was in a swimming suit and that she would have had difficulty to hide herself if she had been a man, and her name was Emiko, not Haruka.
"Miss Kaioh! Miss Kaioh come here please!"
Michiru looked behind her, the responsible of the photography club was calling for her. She approached him.
"What can I do for you?" asked Michiru.
"I need you. The headmaster wants me to send someone from the club to take pictures of our fencing team during the tournament on Wednesday afternoon. I need you to go, you're my best photographer and you refused the previous missions I gave you."
"But I…"
"No buts, I want you to go, this is an order, you didn't take any photos for us since months. So you'll miss Kaioh."
"Well, well, I'll go." Said Michiru, defeated.
She was a bit fed up with being the best in everything, because she was always wanted everywhere. The swimming coach wanted her as a captain, and now, she was M. Senoh's best photographer. She was flattered of course, but she felt that no one cared what she really wanted to do of her time. Moreover, it was the men team… she hated to take photos of men, and especially when doing sport.
Since the end of the swimming competition, Haruka's father had let go of her a bit… he criticized her less than before on her look, like if he had understood her, and what she really was after all, she knew he hadn't really gave up, but she appreciated this break. She had made researches on Michiru Kaioh as she did with her. She found out more easily the information, of course. Michiru was famous in her school, she was part of every of the arts club, she was the first In nearly every of her classes… a perfect student. And with such a look… Haruka had found a photo on the net, she had kept it for she couldn't stop looking at it. Stop dreaming, Ruka, this girl must have every men of Tokyo asking her trying to date her… Why would she be interested in you, you're not really a man… and not even a woman. The young girl obsessed her. She wanted to see her again, but she knew her father was right. What she would tell her to explain the fact that she had breasts when she was supposed to be a man? Everyone in Japan knew her family, and everyone knew she was a man… Michiru had to ignore the truth.
The following Wednesday, Michiru took on board in the bus with the fencing club's guys. She was in a bad mood. All the guys were staring at her, and she could hears theirs mutters… they couldn't help but say that they were extremely lucky, for the most beautiful girl in the school was supporting them… I'm not supporting I'll just take photos you stupid brainless muscles…
Arriving in the gymnasium, she installed herself where she thought she could take the best photos. She felt that she was going to get bored quickly… fencing, it was such a stupid thing…
The tournament began. Michiru took great photos, finally she had been wrong, for it was really interesting. But she really got interested when she heard the third or fourth opponent name…
"And now… Motosuwa Kosuke versus Tenoh Haruka!"
Michiru felt surprised… Wasn't Tenoh Haruka the son of M. Tenoh? The one her teacher had talked about? She couldn't see his face, it was hidden by his equipment. Haruka had saw Michiru… It was her, for sure, she had passed so much time looking to her photo that now she knew every details of her face. Her masculine sense told him he had to win… she couldn't loose in front of her… she would think she was a looser.
The fight began… Michiru took more photos than before. Haruka won very quickly. He was quick in his movement, the other guy have had no chance to hit than he was defeated. After the fight, Michiru had an idea, she came to the coach of the two teams to ask them if she could take photos of the men after the tournament without their protective helmets. They agreed.
Michiru observed every of the fights when Haruka fought with more attention than the others… he was admirable. At the end, he was declared as the winner without any hesitation, for no one had been able to hit him a single time. Then Michiru installed herself properly and asked the members of the teams to pose. They were all glad… but Haruka hesitated… what if she recognized her. She had to do something. She took off her helmet and went for the coach.
"I don't feel like pose… I'd rather go and get changed…"
"No way, Tenoh, go now."
His coach pushed her in front of the objective of Michiru, who hadn't seen him, for she was busy with her equipment. She looked at him… She felt this incredible warm surrounding her, and an intense will to approach the young man, those eyes… She felt surprised… it was Emiko… so Emiko and Haruka were the same person…
"Hi, Miss Kaioh… Hi heard of you, it seems that you beat my cousin Emiko a few weeks ago in the swimming pool… You must be very good…"
"You're… you're Emiko's cousin?"
"Yes I am."
What has she been thinking of… she was stupid… Haruka was a man, there were no confusion possible… He was tall, handsome, athletic, and very masculine.
"Miss Kaioh, you haven't the whole afternoon, we have to live in less than a fifteen minutes…" said the coach of her school's team.
"Well… I… it's ok."
Michiru began to take photos, she went to Haruka to help him take the poses she wanted. They were very alike, him and his cousin, Emiko. It was evident that they were from the same family. Every time she touched him, she felt like something was burning in her skin and heart. She couldn't that Haruka felt the same. He resisted with great difficulty to the desire to embrace her, to touch her long hairs… to grab her thin waist… "Stop it now Ruka…they are people around, and if you don't want her to slap you, keep your damned hands away…"
She took advantage of the situation to take many photos. He looked like so much to Emiko… Then she had to let him go and take photos of the others. At the end she went to him to ask for some news about Emiko.
"You were excellent, M. Tenoh."
"Thanks Miss Kaioh, but please, call me Haruka, for M. Tenoh's my father…"
"Well, then call me Michiru. I wondered how your cousin was doing."
"Well, she's doing all right, I don't see very much, you know."
"You look like her, you know."
"Yes, everyone tell us… But I think you won't see her anymore, she went back to the USA. She won't be back in Tokyo within years."
Michiru felt upset.
"Well… I didn't know she lived in the USA… I hope we will see each other soon… I think I'll come to your school next Wednesday, to show the photos to your team… we could… we could see each other there…"
"That would be great." Said Haruka, trying to sound not too enthusiast.
"Miss Kaioh! We're leaving!"
The coach took her by the arm and guided her to the exit of the gymnasium. She couldn't detach her glare from Haruka's green eyes. She didn't move till she was out of sight. Michiru had forgot Emiko, it was as if she had never existed except in a dream, now she had only Haruka in her mind… Haruka… in the bus she muttered his name… it was kind of… sweet to pronounce. On her side, Haruka was lost in her mind… she had lied to Michiru, she was feeling bad… but she recovered her common sense when the guys began to tease her about Michiru. It was evident for them that there was something going on…
