Teensy note: I have nothing to say (-duuuuh…"teensy"…-) except: Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 3: Is this called love?
I dialed the number, feeling extremely stupid. Indeed, there was probably nothing stupider than calling the deceptive bastard just to sort out some dumb girl problem. After five rings, just when I was seriously considering dropping the whole thing and hanging up, Dog Breath finally answered.
"HELLO THERE! Shigure-sama speaking!" came the loud, obnoxiously cheerful voice I always associated with the idiotic face and eternal kimono that belonged to the once-inu of the Sohma family. My heart sunk to my toes, and I could swear I felt a vein bulge on my forehead.
"Umm…uhh…Shigure?" I hesitated, doubt seeping into my mind. Was this really such a good idea?
"KYONKICHI! HELLOOOO!" he nearly yelled into the receiver, and I had to keep the phone a certain distance from my ear lest my eardrum be ripped to shreds by his effusive glee. "Calling uncle Shigu, aren't we? It HAS been a while, my little kitty-cat!" His voice was mocking, and I shook with barely contained rage. My hands itched to slam the receiver into its socket, but I held on for dear life. I could see Umi looking at me from where she sat, a worried expression on her face, and I made eye contact for just a second. I must have looked flustered, because she smiled encouragingly, as if I had never abandoned her in her seat without so much as a decent explanation. I owed her, and it stopped me from abandoning the whole endeavor right then and there.
"Right, Shigure", I growled, trying to breathe through my nose. "I need…" I swallowed hard before nearly spitting the word out. "Help". A grimace formed on my face as I waited for the explosion. My expectations were duly met.
"HELP?!" the dog cried, making me wince in pain as my ear throbbed. "Kyon-kichi wants help from humble little me? Wait till I tell Ayame…" His tone was heavy with blissful sarcasm. Someone enjoyed making a fool out of me. My hands trembled. A little more of this, and I would punch a hole in the wall, I swear…
No, Kyo. Keep breathing. This is for Umi. All for Umi.
"Just a few tips" I mumbled. How should I say this? "See…" I started, "I've…there's this…I'm eating with a girl, and I…" I would have continued if not for the roar that could probably be heard by half the people in the hall.
"KYONKICHI IS GOING OUT?!" The receiver was vibrating from all the decibels, and I dropped it, jumping away from the offensive object like it was going to blow up. I could hear loud whopping and delighted laughter, so I waited until it died down before retrieving the device and carefully putting it back against my ear.
"Yes, Shigure, but please…" I mumbled out, teeth gritted, but I was cut off immediately by a sardonic crooning.
"Ittle Kitty-Kyo has himself a girlfwiend. How cute!"
"STOP IT!" I yelled, but he kept pressing.
"Who is it? Tell me! Tell me! Is she hot? Are her breasts big? What's her name?"
"NO!" I yelled, shaking with hatred and humiliation. I slammed the receiver down before I had to hear another of his amused repartees. I stared at the dented support, livid. DAMN IT! DAMN IT TO HELL! Never again would I call the abhorrent bastard! NEVER AGAIN!
I stormed back to the table, ignoring the stunned stares, and sat down, shoulders stooped, arms shaking as they gripped the chair so I wouldn't hit the table with my fist the way I really, really wanted to.
"That didn't seem to go so well", giggled Umi. I nearly cricked my neck as I jerked my head up to stare at her with shock. She was giggling. GIGGLING?
"There's nothing funny!" I snapped, distressed. My voice was like a howl.
"Oh, I'm…sorry, I…you just reminded me of…well…someone, and it was funny!" she said, her expression darkening. The smile had frozen on her lips.
My anger melted away as I looked at her frightened face.
"It's okay" I choked out, and turned my head away.
"I could hear yelling…" she started, cautiously. "Who was it?"
"A conceited jerk…" I smirked, glaring at the phone booth as if Shigure was going to step out of it to continue my torment. We both sat still, not looking at each other while I tried to inhale and exhale at regular intervals and keep the many curses I wanted to utter to myself. The conversation had once again reached a dead end, and I wasn't sure I felt like rekindling it right now. People from the other tables were still staring at me, us, and it made me edgy. On an impulse, I stood up and grabbed her hand.
'Lets go." I started pulling, weaving in an out of the tables as fast as I could. She trotted behind me without protesting at the abuse, and I was internally grateful at her pliability. It was like nothing I did fazed her. I could feel my muscles getting less rigid as we walked down the street, her warm hand still in mine. Step after step, I found myself breathing more regularly, and the angry blush left my face until I was able to look up from the sidewalk and even throw a glance at Umi's face. She was smiling slightly, as if everything was completely okay and that no matter how stupidly I had acted, she was still miraculously enjoying herself. I had to own up to it: Umi made me feel at ease, something I had noticed was pretty rare with girls. I didn't even realize when our pace slowed, or when we started exchanging looks, but all of a sudden, we were just strolling around with no precise aim or direction, just enjoying the warm sun and fresh breeze. Neither of us talked, but somehow, it felt okay that way. She was smiling relentlessly, and I guess that without noticing, a smile had started creeping over my face as well. Suddenly, we came before a little boutique. "Ayame", to be precise.
"OH LOOK! It's Ayame!" Umi exclaimed with delight. "I like it a lot; it is such a nice place. The dresses are simply amazing, don't you think?", she continued, unaware of the frown that had been developing on my face. Ayame's boutique wasn't my favorite place on earth, Oh no, not at all! The tailors' perverted outfits really weren't my garb of choice, and Ayame himself wasn't my first pick on the "spend you afternoon with" person list.
"Couldn't we go in?" she pleaded, looking up at me with her large blue eyes. "If you don't mind of course", she added. I DID mind, but I wouldn't go around telling her that.
"Sure", I answered, looking suspiciously into the large glass shop windows, in which seemingly decent outfits were displayed in an original Ayame-ish manner.
We walked in, and Umi immediately ran up to a light pink wedding gown, looking at it in awe. "Isn't it just beautiful" she asked me, still staring at the dress like it was the eighth world wonder. I just shrugged, walking away from her to examine the store more closely. Dresses and costumes were hanging in odd places, and there was a whole section dedicated to women's underwear, which I abruptly turned away from as soon as I saw it.
I walked back to Umi's side, who was now looking at a short purple dress with billowing sleeves and cute white flowers printed all over it.
"Do you think it would be alright if I tried it on?" Umi asked me innocently, looking at the garment with longing. I tried to swiftly suppress the angry blush that I could feel blooming on my nose and cheeks so when I answered, I could do so nonchalantly.
"Why not?" I shrugged, interiorly picturing her perfect form in that dress. The image was rather pleasant, and raised my opinion of Ayame's couture by a good bit.
Umi took the dress off of its hanger and went to the counter to book a cabin. That's when a strange woman with two short braids and glasses wearing a dark blue maid's outfit came up to the counter. Mine Kuramae. Ayame's assistant. And if she was in that store, then Ayame would be as well! I started to pull Umi away from the counter, simultaneously taking the dress out of her hands and hanging it back on the rack.
"Come on, let's get out of here", I whispered to Umi urgently as I pulled her through the store and out the front door, at the same time letting out a small sigh of disappointment at the missed opportunity of seeing her in that flirty outfit.
"Eh…? What…? Why…?" she mumbled, looking at me with confusion.
I stopped only when we had turned the bend, safely out of Mine's view.
"Don't you feel like walking back to the college grounds now?" I said lightly, trying to hide my unease.
"But why…oh well…yes I suppose", she answered, then giggled. "Kyo-kun is like all men: he gets queasy around too many clothes." She grinned to herself, obviously satisfied at coming up with that rational explanation for my odd behavior. I, in turn, blushed again. I would never admit that I had actually wanted to stick around and see how her fitting session would go lest she take me for a total pervert. We walked the way back to school in silence, time which I used to think about today's events. Direct and indirect encounters with two of the Sohmas; I was really catching up for all the time I hadn't been in touch, I thought darkly as I pondered over everything. And all this time Umi had been so nice and understanding with me, it was to wonder if she wasn't an angel descended from the sky. Actually, the person Umi reminded me the most of was none other than Tohru. But it was improbable: Tohru had disappeared from our lives for over five years, and if she really had appeared again, why call herself Suzuki Umenohana and live in a completely different town? Why had she gone away in the first place? I decided it was all too much for one day. Just thinking about Tohru was painful, thinking about why she had left was even more so.
When we got to back to the college, we split up, Umi leaving to speak with one of the girls in her class and me walking grouchily to my next lesson. The day seemed to have been both a victory and a failure, but the smile Umi had given me just before she left me in front of the big campus gate was enough to make any day feel like paradise, whatever had happened during it. I awaited the next day with impatience and anguish, and thinking of seeing Umi again made my heart beat a little faster. Was this called love? And how had I caught it so fast?