Part 2: Takoyaki and Suzie, 12/05/2016

Putting my worries aside, I had my measurements taken so they could be sent over to a tailors presumably for an outfit to be made for which I found out this interview would take place Monday 16th. I was also led through a walkthrough of what to expect just before the interview would happen. From heading to the green room to going on stage, the goal was to ensure I had a sense of assurance in my stride. It was best to assume there would be eyes on us from the moment we step into the studio. When that was over, I happened to watch the two besties finally address the elephant in the room.

"Hi, Ren."

"Hey, Shiho." Kissing her, she took a seat on the counter tops. I got a coffee started so that we could have some. Pretty inconsiderate of me but I'd asked for Futaba's help to bring the two girls back together again - they would know something was up if it was just me. There existed an awkward vibe surrounding the two which the others apparently noticed. Ryuji brought it to my attention and after hearing what Futaba and Sumire had to say, there was probably some merit to it. As such, I figured I could help them speed it along without breaking my promise to Shiho.

"Hi Futaba." Both girls waved to one another.

"So, I got your message. What's up? Oh, Shiho, you're here as well?"

"Yeah. Ren invited me. What's important? Is it something to do with the ongoings at Shujin? Did that person contact you again?"

"No, nothing like that. I wouldn't exclude the others otherwise. I want you guys to request a drink from me."

"Uh…context?" The biggest problem was how wary they were - it's a good thing Futaba and I thought of something convincing enough to bring the two down without it being so glaringly obvious that their time was wasted.

"Ren wants to help me convince Sojiro to offer more kinds of drinks besides the standard Leblanc brew and bring in a bit more revenue for us. We've not said anything because he won't hear it from just talk so to stand any chance, we want to see if it's possible to do that with the beans in store."

"To be more specific, I want you to request something you'd normally have from a Starbucks or Doutor for example. You'd both be the first to try out a Leblanc style variant." I followed on. The two girls looked at each other for a moment.

"Wouldn't it be better to have more opinions?"

"Ryuji doesn't like coffee much, Sumire's busy, Haru is unavailable, Makoto is probably tired of seeing me and Futaba is too used to Leblanc's coffee for an opinion to be fairly given. Mona's pretty obvious which leaves you two." The response? Two suspecting stares. While the two girls probably ran through what I said, I was convinced our lie was air-tight enough to pass. And in all truth, this would soon no longer become a lie - I really wanted to show this idea off to Sojiro so that the younger market could be broken into. Futaba crossed her fingers for that extra good luck. Shiho just happened to ask:

"Is there something you're hiding?"

"Well, you're always putting together nice meals for me to enjoy - is it so bad that I want to repay the favour with a drink put together just for you?" Shiho couldn't help but feel a little guilty put on the spot like that.

"Why not? Besides, I hear you know your way around a brew." Ann stated. Excellent.

"I believe you've heard correctly. What would you like?"

"...Let's go for a latte. Ooh! With a dash of caramel sauce!" She happily requested. Guess I'm going to hit the store for the sauce.

"And what will quench my lovely lady's thirst?"

"A cappuccino for me, Ren." Shiho requested.

"Alright. Will you also have some curry to go with it? Ren's treat." Dick. I'm now having to prep dishes too?

"Huh? When did I say such a thing like that, Fu-chan?"

"It's odd that you'd make a drink and not provide food - what if it tastes horrible? I definitely would have something nice to remove the bad feeling." She smiled mischievously.

"Thanks, Ren." "I really appreciate it, babe." Such warm smiles from the two girls too…seeing as I set this up, I couldn't let the reason for bringing the besties over show so I decided to accommodate them today.

"Sure. I've just got a couple of things to buy and then I'll get started. Won't be long." Leaving the store to Futaba, I popped over to the local convenience store and perused the shelves to see if they had all the things I needed. While the milk was a no-brainer, there was sadly no caramel syrup. Asking for the closest place that sold it, the clerk was more than happy to oblige and provided the partner 7Eleven in Shibuya as a place to onto a train there and lucking out on the cavities in a plastic bottle, I failed to check if either had any allergens. Opening up my chat with Shiho, I asked her:

You: "Quick question. What milk does Ann like in her latte?"

Shiho: typing…

Shiho: "Almond milk but if that's not possible, whole milk is okay."

You: "No problem. Any allergens I need to watch out for you?"

Shiho: "You're fine on that front. You holding up okay?"

You: "Yeah. I'm glad you set me straight."

You: "At least I can return the favour."

Ren: "I won't be long." Shiho let me know that he was actually trying today. I was glad he took my request for a drink seriously even if it meant I'd go hungry for another hour or so. I should've definitely eaten something at lunch…Futaba didn't need to block out her day to be here though - why was that?

"Why don't you join us Futaba?"

"I'm keeping an eye on the curry. Maybe I'll join you after." If we were going to wait until Ren got back, surely she could turn off the pot and come over.

"You can turn the pot off." Shiho rightfully stated.

"No, no. It's not sensible because Ren's set a timer for this - do you want to screw with it?" Futaba was rather snappy about this so I didn't broach it with her further.

You: "Did you really set a timer?"

Ren: "Hm?"

You: "For the curry pot. Let Futaba hang with us until you're ready for her again."

Ren: "I'm not her boss. You tell her yourself you want to hang with her."

You: "I did - that's why I'm asking, you ass!"

You: "What's going on? And the truth, Mr. Amamiya."

Ren: "Talk with Shiho." Just as I was about to type a message, I stopped. Looking over at Shiho, she'd seemed oddly quiet and didn't look me in the eye. Oh….that's it then. While he knew all about the relationship, Shiho must've found out way before Kamoshida confessed. I could at least start with that.

"You knew. Way before he broke the news publicly."

"...Sorry. I swore Ren to secrecy." It pissed you off that badly…

"No…you shouldn't apologise for that. We weren't as intimate as you think."

"Really?"

"Sure, we took pictures together and looked like an item but not once did we ever do anything. At least, nothing lewd...we did nothing, more or less."

"...Did he ever kiss you?"

"I should've stopped him from doing that…I was nothing more than someone to ogle in the best of times and a punching bag in the worst." That horrid breath would've made me vomit…Ann's reflection of their tumultuous relationship left me feeling that she made her peace with it. Why was it so hard for me to find the words to say? It shouldn't have felt like a wall stood between us yet I felt I couldn't overcome it. Ren came back and said nothing to either of us, instead getting on with the drink preparations.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" I asked.

"None." Ann's hasty response…I believed she was lying about that.

"…Not even a little?" I pushed. A nasty question but one I wanted to know - it really was the crux of the discussion seeing as she was now the only person to be able to speak honestly over it.

"I've got nothing against you if you have even a tiny smidget." I pushed again. My takoyaki's gone all cold…guess I really need to push.

"Takoyaaaaaaki…I'm waiting." Shiho annoyingly moaned, doing her best to push an answer out of an embarrassed Ann. Futaba snickered at the nickname, not helping herself. I continued to focus on the drinks for the girls to consume.

"Suzie, look what you've done now. Futaba's probably going to tease us a lot going forwards and I'm sure Ren's secretly bellowing with laughter." What is there to mock? Such charmingly adorable nicknames…they really are childhood friends.

"...I'll tell you about it later if you want, Amamin."

"Haru's friend has already claimed that nickname, Suzie." What was that girl's name again? I couldn't remember. I'd seen Shiho shove her face right in front of me with a mischievous grin on her face - was she getting up to hit the restroom or did she sneak up on me again?

"Who said you could call me Suzie? Do it again and see what happens." Okay…could just ask not to tease you with that name then. I interlocked her tongue with mine while her guard was down and gave her a warning of my own.

"Who said you could call me Amamin? You'll get another one if you do."

"*sigh*...Well played. Now, Takoyaki, I'm expecting your answer when I'm done." With that, Shiho hit the restroom annoyed at being caught out and I'd brought over the latte and cappuccino I brewed to the booth.

"I know one of you are going to ask about it so I'm telling you now! When I first made friends with Shiho, we got into a fight of sorts because of our names were so hard to announce without flubbing them. Suzui sounded like Suzie and Takamaki sounded like…you know, the food." Futaba and I gave Ann a warm smile to which she cutely blushed and barked:

"We were only 6!" WE know!

"Anyway, here's your latte with caramel sauce. Please enjoy."

"*sigh* Thanks. Let's see how you did." Sliding the drink over to her, Futaba brought a condiments tray to allow Ann to customise her drink further as well as Shiho when finished. Ann took a sip of her latte and a somewhat dour look appeared on her face. Let's face the music…

"Caramel's a bit lacking and I don't know why but it feels like the coffee and the milk are fighting against one another. Maybe the beans should just be brewed straight and left alone." She assessed. Jotting down her thoughts, I was sure to apply them to my next attempt.

"Maybe. I've got a long way to go."

"It's definitely a latte though. I appreciate the effort and I'm happy to be your first special order!" She gave me a warm smile - at the very least, I knew it would be a hit if I kept working at it. I got up to let Shiho came from the restroom and took her seat at the table.

"Oh? This is the cappuccino? Thanks for the drink, Ren." She'd taken a sip from her cup and had a slight grin as she tasted my attempt.

"...It's not bad. I think you overdid the milk though."

"Could I try?" Sliding the saucer with the cup over to Ann, she was of the same sentiment.

"Yeah…I get what you mean. It's easier doing a cappuccino because all the parts are equal while a latte...you really need an espresso machine to nail it."

"Sojiro's probably not going to invest in that any time soon." Futaba contemplated.

"Ann, your answer please?" It was our cue to leave the girls be.

"...It wasn't all unhappy. I'm not lying when I say I don't have any more feelings for him but there are some memories I don't feel I can let go of." I admitted. Shiho looked at me with such an encouraging smile and took my hand. How can you smile so warmly?

"I see. Hold onto them and never forget them." I advised. There was nothing wrong with her choosing to keep or forget the memories she wanted but Shiho decided to provide this advice to Ann.

"Why?" Ann asked.

"Because it'll be a necessary reminder what not to look for in a guy ever again." THUD! Ouch. What a way to undercut the moment…

"OW!" I rubbed my leg from the sudden jolt that was Ann's boot.

"She gets it from you, dummy." Futaba whispered to Ren. He can't be that bad of an influence on me…is he?

"You know, not everything is my fault." he responded back.

"You knew that was coming, Suzie." Ann reprimanded.

"Jeez…my shin?! If I have to wear braces again because of you, you're paying for my rehab treatment!" I squealed. It wasn't funny at all!

"So don't make jokes your boyfriend would. You're better than that, Shiho. And don't you make a snide comment, either of you, or you'll both get one." Course they will…

"Yeah, yeah…" "Whatever…" the two replied.

"You know I never asked…when was it that you broke up with him, Ann?"

"When I spilled my guts on how awful a friend I was."

"Really? So that's why you sounded such a mix of a wreck and a relief…" Shiho's composure was starting to crack at that nugget of knowledge.

"I didn't even think about you when I was trying out. I didn't think of anything much other than some sort of glory being on the team over the past year." she admitted.

"I kept on telling myself the way he looked at me, touched me, whispered in my ears…it would all be worth it when I land a spot on the team so I shouldn't let it bother me. I could shake him away afterwards and get on with my life and no one would have to know. I said the same thing to myself…not to let the girls that would constantly harass me for just trying my best for a sport I love get to me…one spat in my face because of her rejection…I had to really hold back from doing something stupid to her."

".….." Ann's composure was also starting to crack.

"You know that day? The one where I felt like ending it all?"

"...Wh-what about it, Shiho?"

"After my tryout, I was asked to go and see him during lunch so I could get my feedback earlier on. Opening the door to the office, he had such a feral look in his eyes. The words he said went through one ear and out of the other. That was until he'd told me if I did something for him, I'd pass and get on the team straightaway. If I didn't, he'd spread the word about everything we ever did. Like a helpless idiot, I took the bait." Shiho…I'll work to restore your heart, keep it intact and stay in your corner for as long as you need . You're such an intelligent, mature young woman and a shining bright diamond in my murky world…I won't ever make you feel so helpless again.

"What exactly happened?"

"He'd tried to pounce me. I ran out of there as fast as I could, losing all semblance of my surroundings. How could I have been so foolish to tell myself it was okay that he could do this to me? I hated myself so much in that moment, I wanted to just put my life in fate's jaws…if it wasn't for Ren happening-" Ann quickly grabbed her bestie's hands, looked her dead in the eye and did her best not to break into tears of her own.

"Shiho! It's okay that you told yourself those things!"

"It isn't!"

"It is! You did it…you did it so that you could endure the hell and keep your mind intact! You did them because your love for volleyball couldn't be shaken, right?! I know that's why! I know this…that you're so fiercely stubborn when it comes to what you care about, you don't ever let it just go!"

"...It's only thanks to you I survived so long, Ann."

"No. You're honestly one of the strongest people I know…you survived because you had faith you would attain your goal! If anything, it's the other way around."

"That's not true…"

"Shiho. When I came to Japan from America, I lost all of my friends that I made in New York at the pageants, school and in the neighbourhood. I had no understanding of the Japanese culture whatsoever. All of the kids who I wanted help from did naught but make my life miserable: the boys put me on a pedestal for my looks while the girls bullied me for pulling the attention away from them. And it gradually got worse as some of the boys began teasing me for never saying yes to going out with them. Not after I saw how they treated their girlfriends. You came and berated the boys and girls that they weren't worthy of my time, standing up for me. You were the first person that looked beyond my looks and chose to help me with the small and big things in elementary. Showing me how to craft kanji and romaji, teaching me the basics of Japanese life, always talking to me whether I WANTED you to or not…you helped me to find a place in the world and recognise my worth. And as the gazes grew along with us, you still stood by my side while a lot of others left me behind. I wanted to be strong like you…cool like you…assured like you."

"You already are, Ann. You got back into modelling and made sure not to take anyone's shit as you take on job after job. You manage your family's household making sure the place is kept tidy and presentable at all times."

"Err…"

"You keep on top of the team efforts and always check in on everyone to make sure they're okay. And your patience is second to none - no doubt, the two restaurant residents who drive you nuts will back me up on that." Futaba and I chose not to chime in. We needn't sully the moment.

"And most of all, you're the most passionate woman a person could ever ask for." Never mind the phrasing, it was there and then I'd realised I'd never hold a candle to either one of those two incredible women. Takoyaki and Suzie…two girls whose crossing paths at a young age would form such an unbreakable bond, far stronger than any partnership or contracted relationship, far stronger than any siblings…an unconditional reliance on one another deeper than any ocean, higher than any mountain, wider than any forest. You couldn't have Suzie without Takoyaki. You couldn't have Takoyaki without Suzie. The silence eventually went interrupted when something so simple ended up slipping our minds.

"Um...where's our food?" Shiho reminded. Crap…the food.

"Soooo sorry for the wait, we'll heat up your food properly! Want anything in the mean time?"

"Coffees please. The signature edition this time!" Shiho stated. As Futaba and I began preparing food and drinks for them both, they laughed for a bit.

"So…what now?" Suzie asked.

"We look after one another. It's that simple."