a/n: I know that I have stolen a small dialogue from another anime. Anyway, Tokiya's having his ice protégée when I start writing a new story out of a new category. So, anyway, here's the update. You know, Mametsuki's presence started to bug me since I had this dream but oh well, she's the matchmaker in this story. But I'll zap her out when I have the idea how to.
CHAPTER 6:
Three days before the awaited contest, Tokiya and Mametsuki were dead practicing, so was Fuuko at the other hall. However, the immense practice did something not nice to Tokiya's dancing partner.
Fuuko stopped practicing when she heard screams and stomping of feet. "What happened?' she asked her partner. The man simply shrugged. "We have to go check it out," she said in a tensed voice. She burst out of the hall and went to the place where almost all of the students were. "Mame-san!" she gasped, running towards the hall.
Tokiya got out of the hall, carrying the unconscious Mametsuki. "Get out of the way!" he shouted, looking really worried. Fuuko tailed them. Slowly, she noticed the golden chain Mametsuki was hiding from her. It was a half-pendant. It was hanging loosely from her neck as Tokiya carried her. "Why are you following us?" Tokiya inquired Fuuko.
"Do you think I'm not concerned?" she spat, looking at the irritable and worried expression written on Tokiya's face. He shrugged and quickly took Mametsuki inside his car, Fuuko riding behind.
"We have to take her to the nearest hospital," Tokiya said with urgency.
Fuuko sat on the front seat beside Tokiya while Mametsuki was unconscious behind. After full five minutes, Fuuko already wondered. "Why aren't we moving?"
Tokiya kept a straight but embarrassed face. "Well, I forgot where the hospital is."
"Stupid git," Fuuko shouted. "You don't want me to go with you then you don't know where the hospital is," she said.
"Stop that nonsense, stupid girl. Just tell me where that is," Tokiya said.
"Fine, just don't call me stupid girl. Now go!" Fuuko ordered.
Tokiya stepped on the accelerator that made Fuuko fall back her seat (I'm just showing off my driving skills). "Now?" he asked.
"Just go straight!" Fuuko said, rubbing the back of her head after the fall. Tokiya speeded up, finally passing the intersection. "You idiotic water-head! You should turn right in this intersection!"
Tokiya, obviously annoyed with this, turned around in a sharp curve, causing Mametsuki to fall off from the seat, therefore waking up. "Hey, are you guys trying to kill me?" she asked groggily. Tokiya stopped the car, causing her to hit the front seat, fainting once again.
"Now, we'll be taking her to the hospital with more than fatigue, you lack-wit," Tokiya said.
"Huh, as if you're not the overspeeding maniac here," Fuuko replied, folding her arms.
Finally, after an hour of shouting and direction-pointing, they finally reached the hospital (which was supposed to be fifteen minutes away from the institute).
Tokiya carried Mametsuki, now sporting a large bulge on the forehead, to the emergency room. Doctors and nurses attended to her, covering her with a curtain and leaving Fuuko and Tokiya outside.
Fuuko flinched when she heard an earsplitting scream from the room. "What could have happened?" she asked herself (rather than asking Tokiya). A doctor went out of the room and Fuuko ran to him immediately, followed by the quick-paced steps of Tokiya.
"What happened?" Fuuko asked, color draining away from her face. "I heard Mame-san screaming."
"There is a neck dislocation and her ankle was twisted. Aside from that, she cannot stand because of loss of breathing," the doctor said. "I believe she cannot stand without braces for a month."
"A month!" Tokiya exclaimed. "But she needs to dance three days from now!"
"I understand. But I think if she dances three days from now, she won't be able to dance forever," the doctor said.
Then they heard a voice from the room. It was Mametsuki. "Hey, doc, you don't need to explain anything. I have an understudy and that can be talked about, right?" she shouted from behind the door.
"There, you have an understudy. No problem," the doctor said, removing his surgical gloves and leaving the two of them.
"Stupid Mametsuki. Now I have to dance with a prehistoric ape," Tokiya muttered, shaking his head.
"Mametsuki is a psychic after all," Fuuko thought, "she expected this one."
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"What are you doing here?" Tokiya asked Fuuko the next day.
"Mame-san ordered me to come. Once again, I will be your partner," Fuuko said. Looking at Tokiya's sour face, she said, "Aw, Mi-chan, don't look like that."
Tokiya shrugged and took Fuuko's hand. Fuuko looked at his face. He looked really different than yesterday. In fact, he looked like he's out of his body. After few rounds of practice, Tokiya stepped on Fuuko's foot.
"What is happening to you?" Fuuko asked angrily, hopping and clutching that foot. "That hurts."
"So?" Tokiya sneered, folding his arms. "If you have many excuses, alibis, and complaints, we can call this off."
"How about Mametsuki? This is her request. Even if you don't like it, even if I don't like it, we have no choice," Fuuko spat. "Mi-chan, this we only have two days of practice. You are backing out. That is not the way things go in this world."
"What?' Tokiya said angrily, an eyebrow raised.
"Mikagami Tokiya, things are not always under you," Fuuko said, bursting everything out. "We are both professionals here. There's no such thing as backing out. Do you know why you're backing out? You're a coward. You do not want to…"
With that, Tokiya hit Fuuko. "Don't talk about things you don't know," he said coldly before going out of the room.
Fuuko held the part of her face that was hit. She saw a glass at the side and threw it to the door. "You don't know anything either."
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The next day, Fuuko visited Mametsuki in the hospital. That was her last day inside the hospital. "I have claustrophobia," Mametsuki kept on saying. "And I hate these dull colors."
"It's okay, Mame-san," Fuuko said. She walked around the room, looking for things that Mametsuki might forget.
Fuuko saw a glint of gold inside the drawer so she bent to pick it up. It was the half pendant. Before telling about it to Mametsuki, she studied it. "I'm sure I can remember this stuff. But where?" she mused, looking at it.
"What is that, Fuuko?" Mametsuki asked. Fuuko gave her the necklace. She looked ready to throw it. "Thank you for returning this to me, Fuuko."
"Where is the other half of the pendant?" Fuuko asked.
"It's gone," Mametsuki replied. "The owner is long gone."
"Is he… dead?" Fuuko asked.
Mametsuki smiled. "Don't worry about that, Fuuko. Let's go," she said, carrying her bag.
They arrived inside Mametsuki's house. "I have something to show you," she said, pulling Fuuko inside.
"What is that? You don't have to drag me!" Fuuko said.
Mametsuki excitedly went upstairs and back down, carrying a box. She opened it and showed the dress to Fuuko. "You know, I admit that this is a lucky dress, Fuuko," she said. "That is the reason why I want you to wear it."
Fuuko took the dress and smiled. "This looks really wonderful. In what category?"
"I forgot to tell you, the two of you will dance under the waltz category. So you'll dance the figure 42," Mametsuki said with a sigh.
"That is the hardest!" Fuuko complained.
"But it's a sure way to the top," Mametsuki said. "Anyway, take this home and try to fit it. I'm sure it will fit you. And lastly," she took the half pendant and handed it to Fuuko, "my lucky charm."
"Really?"
"I believe in luck, Fuuko," Mametsuki said.
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Fuuko went home, carrying the box and the necklace on her neck. She looked at the wonderful clothes Mametsuki gave her to use. "This is like a dream!" she exclaimed, throwing herself to the bed. She looked at the clothes once again and frowned. "But I think there is something fishy about this," she said, looking at the necklace. "Is this Caribbean voodoo or something?" she asked aloud, looking at the necklace. "This necklace looks weird. It is as if I saw it before."
Fuuko closed her eyes and dozed off. Then she managed to have a few things passed her brain while subconscious. Immediately, she woke up and said, "I think I remember where I saw the other half."
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The day of the contest arrived and Mametsuki helped Fuuko dress up. "You'll get a head cold wearing the dress on the way to the hall," she said, looking at the almost backless gown.
"You were the one who wore it before," Fuuko said. "And you wore it in a cold country. How did it go?"
"Well, when I removed the coat, I felt I'm going dizzy. I needed to drink coffee before the contest," Mametsuki said, arranging Fuuko's hair into a spiky bun.
"I'll look like a trying hard here," Fuuko said, standing up and looking at a mirror in front of her.
"No, you look like a goddess," Mametsuki replied, standing up and holding her hand. "Actually, since there's no such thing as the Goddess of Dance, you can pass those criteria."
"You're flattering me so much, Mame-san," Fuuko replied. Mametsuki took the necklace and placed it on Fuuko's neck. "Mame-san?"
"Huh?" Mametsuki replied, struggling to close the hook.
"I think I saw the other half of the necklace," Fuuko said.
"Yeah? Where?"
"I saw it in Tokiya's house, the day when I saw his private collection."
a/n: (sigh) please review… Onegai!