Chapter 7

A sudden trip

Michiru was agitated. She had seen M. Tenoh's angry face at the aquarium… She knew they would argue… She was in her preferred room of the house, the one where she drew. She looked at her precious drawings of Haruka. They were strange but she liked them very much. If Haruka had been a girl, he would have been wonderful.

Suddenly her phone rang. It was Haruka.

"Ruka? Are you all right?" asked an anxious Michiru.

"I'm okay, Honey. Don't worry, everything is okay."

"And your father… is he still angry?"

"Yes, but it is better… he said he would accept you being with me… with some conditions… we will talk about this later, I'll explain you everything."

Someone suddenly called her from downstairs.

"Michiru?"

"Haruka… can you wait a second, please… someone's calling me… probably the butler…"

"Okay."

Michiru exited the room. She looked from upstairs who was calling at her. It was not the butler, but her father.

"Dad? You… you came back?"

"Yes, I took a break to see you… I wanted to make you a surprise. This week's your birthday, you'll turn 18 on wednesday…"

"Sure… I'm… surprised. Can you hang on a minute, I've got a call."

"You're boyfriend? M. Tenoh Haruka, isn't it?"

"Yes… A minute! How do you know this?"

"I received a call from a friend when I was in Osaka… he saw you together this morning at the new aquarium…"

Michiru realized that if her father was here tonight, it was just because he had learned she had a boyfriend… and because the father of this boyfriend was an important person…" She went to the room and talked to Haruka.

"Ruka? You're still on line?"

"I am. So what was it?"

"I'm afraid I was my father…"

"You're father? He is in Japan?"

"He is. He was in Osaka… I thought he was in Italy, or maybe in England… he never tell me about his business. And there is more… he knows about you and I."

"How?"

"He said a friend had phoned him… probably one of your father mates…"

"Maybe my father himself."

"I don't think so; my father isn't that important… I don't think so. So I don't think he knows your father."

"But if my father don't want us to be together… he could have phoned him."

"You said everything was okay…"

"It is, it is… but maybe he phoned before we discuss…"

"That's a possibility… but my father seems… well… I'd say he is happy, or in a good mood."

"OK… so I will let you. You must have lots of things to tell each other…"

"Not really, but I think I have to go."

"I'll come to see you tomorrow. It will be your birthday and I want to be the first to see you Honey…"

"I'll be waiting for you my love."

Michiru hanged up the phone. She went downstairs to see her father.

"My dear little girl… I didn't came home since a long time… nearly six months…"

"Nine months."

"Well… I want to correct that error… I've been too absent, you've been alone for so much time in this large house."

"So… you'll stay?" asked Michiru, surprised and interested. She didn't really wanted her father to stay… she would have less freedom. And less freedom meant less time to see Haruka…

"No, no, no… You didn't catch it… no… I bring you along with me. We're going to Italy and maybe other countries. You are in holidays till September, we're in July… so we have two whole months to spend together, isn't that great?"

Michiru looked at her father in an expression she hoped was not too relevant of the feeling of hatred she had towards him at this precise moment… he was going to keep her for two months far from Haruka… It was the most awful idea he had ever have… She felt fear… what would their relation look like after two long months of separation… Will he still love her?

"And I have another great new!"

Michiru tried to smile but she was about to cry.

"What… what is it, Daddy?"

"We're living tonight! Our plane leaves at eleven!"

"No… not tonight… you can't…"

"Why?"

"I'm… I'm afraid I won't be able to gather my things so quickly… it is eight… I have only three hours…"

"Don't worry, the butler will help you."

"No… I will be able to handle it myself… well… I'm going upstairs… to gather my things…"

"OK, and hurry!"

Michiru wanted to cry. This was an evil plan; she knew it. Her father had never took her on a trip before. Haruka was probably right. His father had planned everything, he had phoned her father to ask him to do his best to pull them apart… She phoned Haruka quickly.

"Michi?"

"Ruka… that's horrible… my father… we're leaving tonight… for two months…"

Now she was really crying. Haruka tried to calm her down but without any success.

"Well… I'm coming. Wait for me."

"Don't, he'll see you… and he's not a modern father, he won't let you see me at this time…"

"I'll be at your window."

"No, you'll… well… okay, I'll wait for you."

In less than ten minutes, Haruka was knocking at her window. She had climbed the wall. She had took her motorbike and drove very fast. She was panicked… she had worried about the summer of the holidays… but never she had wanted to see Michiru going so far from her. It would be unbearable… they've never been apart more than a week or two. Michiru let him in. Haruka grabbed her in a tight embrace. He dried her tears with his lips.

"So you're going?"

"Yes… two months. I'll be back just before the beginning of the school year."

"I thought of it… I think my father did this."

"That's my idea too… My father never worried about me. He prefer his business, it's easier for him. He always says I look too much like my mother."

"Oh… I don't want you to go…"

"I don't want to be so far from you…"

Michiru hadn't need three hours to pack her things, but she had passed this time in Haruka's arms, kissing, embracing, telling sweet words to each others till her father called her.

"Michiru? Are you ready?"

"I'm coming!"

She kissed Haruka a last time.

"A minute… I've got something for you…"

Haruka had a little box in his hand. She opened it. There was a ring inside. A silver ring with a turquoise on it. Michiru was gob-smacked.

"Don't… don't imagine things… it was your birthday present. I hope you'll like it and that you'll think of me when you'll wear it."

"It's… well… it's wonderful. I'll never leave it, I'll always have it on me… and I'll think of you all the time."

"I'll be waiting for you. Trust me I'll be at the airport for your return."

"Michiru?" asked her father from downstairs.

"I'm coming!"

She grabbed Haruka a last time and kissed her lovingly. She caressed her hairs tenderly. Haruka felt she was loosing her self control. Her hands were wandering on Michiru in a desperate way. She didn't wanted to be parted from her for so long… She finally had to jump by the window. Michiru's father was at the door.

"Michiru? What the hell were you doing? I'm waiting for you, the plane won't wait!"

"I'm ready."

She had gathered many clothes, and above all, her drawing equipment and the drawings she had made of Haruka, her violin, and above all, her mobile phone to keep talking to Haruka everywhere she would be. The ring was at her finger.

She was ready to go, not in her mind, but her things were packed. They left the house. Michiru looked at the plane that was to bring her far from Haruka with a disgusted glance. But she went on board and took place next to her father. She was glad he couldn't feel the hatred she felt at this moment.

So Michiru passed two months travelling across Europe. As she had wondered, her father didn't really want to be with her. He was a busy man, and his main interest was his business. Michiru visited the countries they went alone. But it was better, she was free. She passed these two months writing postcards to Haruka, phoning Haruka, drawing Haruka… For her part, Haruka had moved into her new flat after another argument, far more stronger this time, with her father. She passed her time on car racings. She also went on the beach more often, just to imagine her mermaid in her element and remember the wonderful afternoon they had passed there before she left. She ran very much too… while running she was making plan, like taking a plane and join Michiru wherever she was. But she knew she had to wait… but two months… each day was as painful as hell for both.