Chapter 8 folks, here we go!

Slowly but surely we are getting to the juicy stuff.

I don't know where this is going to go or how long it's going to go for, but we'll eventually get there, and all will be revealed. Well, not everything but just about everything.

I may, or may not, have been influenced by Tan on Queer Eye for this chapter. Maybe a little bit of Johnathan as well, and Bobby, and Karamo, and Antoni...fuck it, Queer Eye influenced this chapter.

Chapter 8

"How do people put up with this," grumbled Mei as she and Himeko barely made their way around a large group of teenagers and headed toward the department store. "Honestly it's the middle of the week don't these people have anything better to do?"

"This isn't so bad," said Himeko before they climbed onto the escalator. "The ones back home are much more congested. I rather like the lack of people."

Mei chuckled when she watched Himeko instinctively begin to check her skirt only to blush when she remembered that she was wearing jeans and a blouse as opposed to one of her usual dresses. Despite no one paying any attention to Himeko, for Mei, it was strange to see her best friend dressed so casually, but she understood the reasoning.

While Himeko didn't wholly abandon her usual attire of over the top, almost gothic lolita style of dress, she'd slowly begun learning how out of place her style was in America thanks to all the people gawking at her as she and Mei walked down the street. So, out of respect for Mei's preference to not be stared at and the constant stream of people stopping her for pictures, Himeko had begun dressing in a less flamboyant manner to avoid any unwanted attention.

Though Mei appreciated her best friend's attempts to accommodate her preferences, she did feel a little guilty about Himeko's sudden change of garb.

During the tenure of their friendship, the only times Mei had ever seen Himeko in what she would consider, "normal clothing" had been when Mei and her family had visited Himeko's in Japan during a vacation, and Himeko had just come home from some school event. Outside of that, Himeko had almost always worn some dress she'd purchased or modified, or in many cases made, and Mei considered it one of her most endearing qualities. Mei admired how, in spite of her uptight nature, Himeko never lost sight of who she was. Even with her recently toned down fashion sense, Mei could still see hints of Himeko's personality making itself known. Which was one of the reasons Mei had requested that after Himeko had come back from her most recent competition that they spend an afternoon going clothes shopping.

It'd been years since Mei had bought any new clothes outside of shoes, socks, and undergarments. So, after her last outing with Matsuri and Mitsuko and seeing their new outfits and how Matsuri always had a beanie or her headphones, or a new bracelet to accentuate her outfit while Mistsuko still managed to work in some new hat, earring, or jacket to wear, Mei was beginning to wonder if she'd fallen into a slump.

At first, she tried to ignore her feeling of inadequacy, telling herself that it was just how her friends were. But when she thought about it, Mei knew there was no point in denying it. Like the others, Harumi always had some new outfit that she was showing off.

Even Kayo managed to find the occasional flashy outfit that contradicted her usually demure appearance which was more for Mitsuko's sake than her own, though Mei never once saw Kayo attempt to hide the marks Mitsuko left on her after a couple after a couple of drinks time she wore some sexy new piece of clothing.

And then there was her father and his choice of clothing and how it contradicted her childhood memories of him. Even though he wasn't as stern as her grandfather, Mei hardly remembered him without a suit and tie when he went off to work, only daring to wear anything remotely casual during the summers to avoid sweating too much and his home attire had been almost identical to his work attire. But over the years, she'd watch his demeanor change along with his clothes, both of them growing more and more relaxed with each passing year. This sudden change in personality only compounded her anger at him and made her even more frustrated with herself as she'd begun to realize that he genuinely had moved on with his life while she remained forever trapped in her little bubble, afraid to do anything outside of her comfort zone.

The only thing that kept her from thoroughly hating him was Yuzu, and how surprised Mei had been the night they'd had drinks and the stark contrast of the professional-looking woman she'd met in Udagawa's office was nothing compared to the cheery energetic woman Mei had gotten to know over the past several weeks. Even though they'd only used text, voice, or video messages, Mei found herself unable to forget the way she smiled and laughed at Mei's abysmal attempts at telling a joke. Not only that, but Mei couldn't get over how excited she got whenever Mei sent her a new picture or a rough draft of a sketch idea or an original painting she was working creating.

But out of all of those things, the one thing that never left Mei's mind was how, no matter what was going on around her or who she was talking to, Mei always felt like she had Yuzu's full attention.

Even when it was just a video chat, Mei couldn't deny the intensity in Yuzu's gaze. How her eyes sparkled at hearing how Mei had had a good day or the way they widened when Mei explained some strange dream that was slowly turning into a painting concept, or no matter how tired she Yuzu always maintained an enamored smile even if she had no idea as to what Mei was talking about.

Throughout all their talks, Mei never felt ignored when she was talking, and even if she had little to no chance with Yuzu thanks to the man in Yuzu's life, the painter was thankful that he'd never be able to take that away from her.

But rather than wallow in her misery, Mei decided that despite her contentment with her life, she knew she needed to move forward and vowed to begin doing that, even if it was only clothing. Finally, after a couple of days mulling it over, Mei mustered up the courage to ask Himeko if she'd be willing to go with her to pick out some new outfits.

When she'd asked, Mei knew that there was almost zero chance of Himeko saying no to her. But what she hadn't been ready for was the violent, nauseating shaking of Himeko's camera phone as she jumped up and down and squealed, "Of course I'll go with you! I'd be honored to help you pick out some new clothes! But why do you want new ones? You've never really been interested in your clothing before. Do you have an event or something coming up? Are you doing exhibits again?"

"No...I'm not doing any exhibits," coughed Mei through her coffee dissolving any excitement Himeko had expressed.

"Why not," pouted Himeko, plopping down on her bed, causing the camera on her phone to momentarily go out of focus. "I know you aren't happy with all of your new pieces, but I thought you wanted to submit a few of them to Udagawa-san to see if he'd sell them? You've been painting a lot more, and I love the one you painted of that sunset or sunrise or whatever it's supposed to be. I can't tell, but I think it's beautiful and I can see it getting some attention in a gallery.

"I appreciate your support, Himeko," said Mei, barely managing a smile as she was trying to hide the blush that had formed on her neck. "But I'm far from putting anything up for sale right now."

"That stinks." Himeko had let out a loud sigh and Mei could hear the dogs growling in the background while her best friend continued talking. "So, if you aren't doing a show or anything, then why the change in clothing? And, even though I'm happy that you want me to come, why not ask one of your other friends? You and I are opposites when it comes to fashion."

Himeko pointed at Mei through the screen, and Mei instinctively knew she was gesturing at the paint stains that were covering her hands, shirt, and arms.

"Not that I'm trying to offend you." Mei had watched the blush form on Himeko's face and grinned. "You know I'm not against your whole faux starving artist look. I, for one, think it shows how dedicated you are to your work, even if you aren't selling your pieces. But if you aren't selling your pieces and you aren't seeing anyone, why are do you want to go shopping?"

"Because of the possibility that one day I might start selling pieces again," said Mei through gritted teeth, irritated by Himeko's comment about her love life. "Not only that, but I do sometimes have to go to meetings with clients, and I don't have any suitable outfits. Even if they aren't as strict as Japan, not all companies appreciate my wardrobe, so in addition to my personal life, I do need clothes to fit aspects of my professional life."

Not to mention if I ever get invited anywhere formal by Yuzu, thought Mei while she heard Himeko hum quietly to herself as she fed the dogs her unique food blend.

"I understand," answered Himeko without a hint of hesitance. "Those are all good reasons, and I'd be happy to help you Mei-Mei. Are you looking strictly for business or also for personal?"

"Both, although I wouldn't mind if you can help me figure out a mix of it. I think it's called 'business casual.' Are you familiar with the term?"

"Very," chuckled Himeko as she patted her dogs on their heads while they chewed loudly before yawning. "I'll think of a few things, and a couple of days after I get into town we can go and get you some new clothes and make you the prettiest artist in the city."

Before Mei could reply, Himeko said goodnight and hung up leaving Mei standing alone in her kitchen eating reheated curry and wondering what it was Himeko had planned.

"Guess we're about to find out," whispered Mei as she walked through the racks of clothing, hardly stopping to look at them as she knew she'd wander over to her usual section and begin looking for the most basic sets of jeans, shorts, capris, and tee-shirts she could find.

She had to remind herself that today wasn't about that. Today was for her to begin making a change, no matter how little it was and began following Himeko through the racks while her best friend began flipping through the clothes at dizzying speed.

"No, no, no, no, wait that might look good."

Mei watched as Himeko pulled a hangar holding a blue pantsuit with a single button on the jacket before grabbing a black and white pinstripe shirt.

"Are you sure about…"

"Quiet," grunted Himeko before grabbing a small rolling rack for customers and hanged the shirt and suit on it before grabbing a black blazer and knee-length skirt, a red blouse, some black slacks, and several other clothes so quickly that Mei wasn't sure that she had the closet space to hold all of it.

"Now this would look good with this," mumbled Himeko as she grabbed another blouse, this one purple along with some jeans, and a couple of belts. "But we need shoes to go with them. It won't work if the shoes don't go with them. But heels are out of the questions since Mei-Mei..."

"Please for the love of God, don't put me in heels," begged Mei pointing at the imposing pile of clothing. "I'll wear anything you pick, but I'm not wearing heels."

"Relax," chuckled Himeko arrogantly before grabbing one more set of jeans and asking the lady watching the dressing room if she could keep an eye on them for a bit. "I wouldn't dream of putting you in high-heels. I mean I know you can walk in them, I've seen you do it, but I know how much you hate them. However, would you be okay with a small block heel pump? They're only three centimeters, five at the most, and we'll try them on before we leave. I promise that if you don't want to buy them, you won't have to, but can you please to give them a chance?"

"You know I will," sighed Mei as she followed Himeko toward the section Mei usually shopped in. "That's why I brought you; because I trust you. But I thought we were here to buy me new clothes, not more of what I normally wear."

"Well, what good is it buying a new wardrobe if you're only going to buy one type of clothing," chuckled Himeko while Mei began going through the familiar, comforting clothes she'd worn for the last several years. "The first rule about helping someone with fashion is to make sure that the clothes suit the person. I'd be a poor friend if all I did was try and put you in what I think you should be wearing; you have to like the clothes too. If you don't, then there's no point in us going through all this work. So have some fun and pick out the stuff you like too and whatever you buy here we'll find some clothes at home to throw away or donate at the house to make room. Or we can cut them into scrap and use them as rags hor you can use them in some new experimental piece you want to make."

"I never thought about that," said Mei as she grabbed a few new pairs of shorts, capris, and jeans. "Maybe I can find a way to incorporate them into my art; use them in place of my brushes. I wonder how that would look on a canvas."

"You can try that after you find some clothes you like," suggested Himeko, wrapping her arm around Mei's. "But until then you're mine, and I'm not letting you leave here until you find something you're happy with."

Thus began three of the most arduous hours of Mei's life.

She wasn't even sure how many outfits she'd tried on, but Mei knew most of them were things she'd never wear if it wasn't for Himeko's suggestions. While Himeko did have impeccable taste, Mei had a difficult time finding herself liking most of them. Not because they didn't fit. Every item Himeko had chosen fit perfectly with each one tastefully accentuating the high points of Mei's physique, but the fact that Mei could feel the eyes of people on her as she stood in front of the mirrors as she examined how they looked on her was enough to give her some doubts about her decision.

"That looks incredible," said Himeko with a broad smile at seeing Mei wearing a dark blue pantsuit with a set of matching wedge heels she'd picked out and a burgundy button-up dress shirt. "You'll be the center of attention wearing that in a meeting."

"That wasn't what I was going for," said Mei with a blush as she noticed two guys look up briefly from their phones before returning to whatever website or text message they were in the middle of browsing. "All I wanted was something to look more professional in, not something to get their attention."

"Then why wear it if they don't focus on you," sighed Himeko as she took a red and black suit Mei hadn't liked and handed them to a salesperson. "You of all people should know how important those meetings are. Your grandfather took you to enough of them when he was discussing his business, and you said that you needed clothing, so your clients view you as seriously as they view your work. So if we're not going to buy anything, why are we wasting our time?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't buy any of it." Mei pointed at four of the outfits Himeko had chosen that she'd set on a chair she had designated for the ones she was seriously contemplating buying. "But you know I hate being the center of attention in public, and right now, doing this in front of all these people is making me uncomfortable."

"They're only clothes Mei-Mei," said Himeko with a smile and a slight shake of her head as she began slipping a tie around Mei's neck and tying a knot. "Clothes that you said will be strictly for business purposes. The only reason you're the center of attention right now is because you're not in a business setting; you're in a mall. Once you get into a meeting or an event, there'll be people dressed in the same situation as everyone else. Besides if you think this is bad with only four or five people staring at you, remember how many people stared at us when I was in one of my dresses or when Shou-san was wearing that Hawaiian shirt? If you made it through that, you can make it through this. Now, what do you think about this?"

Himeko stepped away, giving Mei a full view of her finished suit and had to admit that she did look a great deal more professional, save for the flecks of dried paint on her hands that she hadn't managed wash off before they left. Beyond that, and with the words of comfort that Himeko had given her, she was ready to admit to herself that no one would suspect her to be a person who had spent the past several years hunched over a drawing tablet, or covered in paint while guzzling down tea, diet soda, and coffee while alternating between paying jobs and indulging in her private creative endeavors while getting sustenance from boxed meals and take out.

"This one definitely suits you," said Himeko as she watched Mei stare at herself in the mirrors. "But the choice is yours, do you want to keep it or do you want me to put it back?"

"I'll keep it," said Mei, straightening up and adjusting her jacket, "and the other ones on the chair too. Do we have shoes to go with all of them?"

"You only need a couple of pairs," said Himeko pointing at the two boxes. "A black pair will go with just about everything you picked out, so you don't need to worry about that. But I noticed your tennis shoes were starting to get a little worn. Did you want to head over to the shoe section and take a look for some new ones?

"Yeah," said Mei with a confident nod as she began undoing her tie and walking toward the dressing room. "Can you find a few more things to go with the other outfits? Not necessarily a tie, but like a scarf or something similar. Just a few things that you could show me how to wear or figure out how to get them to work with my outfits?"

"I think I can find a few things." Himeko gave Mei a thumbs up before retreating toward the accessories.

Once back in the solitude of the dressing room, Mei replaced the suit and began feeling like her old self again now that she was back in her regular clothing and picked up the .suit and smirked as she remembered her reflection.

Despite her misgivings, Mei couldn't help but admit that she didn't look half-bad in it and knew that she'd made the right choice in asking Himeko to come with her. If she hadn't, Mei probably would have taken whatever the salespeople suggested and eventually regretted it and either returned the clothes or donated them to one of her friends or charity. But with all the outfits she'd tried on, Mei could see herself wearing them into business meetings and living up to her grandfather's legacy.

Putting it back on the hanger, Mei exited the dressing room and added the outfit to the pile Himeko had been using and said they'd be back shortly and made her way toward the shoe department, and pulled Himeko away from the accessories and toward their cache of clothing. With one final trip to the sales desk, they deposited the ties and scarves and made their way to the shoe department where Mei found a couple of pairs of tennis shoes and even a nice pair of dress shoes that thankfully didn't have much of a heel to them as they followed a more male-focused design, figuring they'd work better with the suits in place of the heels Himeko had chosen. But Himeko insisted that she practice in a few pairs of heels, and Mei reluctantly agreed.

"This isn't going to end well," grumbled Mei as she slipped on a pair of black hone inch wedge heels and began walking in them. It took a minute for her to find her balance, but eventually, Mei found her stride, and while feeling a little foolish, she decided that it was best not to argue with Himeko and caved after a couple of minutes, adding two pairs to the pile.

"This is more expensive than I thought," said Mei as she began doing some mental calculations in her head. "Have clothes always cost this much?"

"Depends on brands and the style," explained Himeko, as she accepted two pairs of the heels while Mei took her dress and tennis shoes. "But I checked an ad, and there is a deal going on today so you should save a bit of money. I'd have joined in, but I'm still watching my spending until my client's checks clear."

"Do you want me to buy you something," offered Mei, feeling a little embarrassed about spending so much money while Himeko had to be miserly. "It's the least I can do after all you've done to help me, and I do owe you a few birthday presents."

"Maybe next time,' smiled Himeko as they passed by the men's section. "I have more than enough clothing and shoes to last me a life-time. But….Mei-Mei are you all right?"

Himeko's voice barely registered as Mei had become focused solely on a large annoyed looking man with a set of headphones wrapped around his neck, while his hands moved up and down while his nails began scratching his arms as he looked around impatiently.

"Mei-Mei, is everything all right? Do you know him?"

"Kind of," said Mei in a barely audible voice. "I met him a while back when I was out with my friend Harumi and a mutual acquaintance."

"Do you want to go, say 'hi'?" Himeko sounded wary of her suggestion, but Mei knew she was trying to be supportive.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Mei, clutching her boxes tightly. "Come on we need to..."

"Why do I have to get something like this," grumbled the man at a short blonde woman who was holding out a dress shirt and tie, looking even more agitated than her companion.

"Because you need it for work," huffed Yuzu and Mei could feel her ears begin to burn. "Your boss called me and told me to remind you that you are presenting to a major client on Tuesday and you need to dress a bit nicer."

"Why do I need to dress nicely for people I don't even know," snorted Henry, though Mei couldn't tell if it was from confusion or anger. "I don't even know them, and long sleeves make me itch. Why can't I wear one of my polo shirts and my tennis shoes? Those other ones are too tight, and I don't..."

"Because this is part of what having a job like this entails." Yuzu practically slammed the shirt onto Henry's chest and pointed at the dressing room. "And you agreed to do it when they hired you. We all know you don't enjoy it, but you said you would do things like this if they asked. They asked, and now it's time to follow through, so get in there and try it on."

"But I..."

"I don't care what you want right now," sighed Yuzu while running a hand frustratedly through her hair. "Henry, please. I am tired, okay? I haven't slept in two days, and you and Matsuri promised me you'd do this before I got back, but it wasn't so can you please, please, stop arguing and I promise that I'll ask about the shoes. Can you at least do that for me?"

"Fine." Henry took the shirt and nodded. "But only because I broke my promise."

"Thank you." Yuzu patted him gently on the shoulder, and Henry slunk away while Mei watched Yuzu pull out her phone and begin to send out a text message.

"Is that the mutual acquaintance you were talking about" snorted Himeko, while Mei continued to stare obliviously at the blonde who was beginning to pace back and forth while massaging her temples.

"Yes."

"Do you want to introduce us?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Mei could see Himeko's sights narrow in on Yuzu but shrugged it off as one of Himeko's usual tantrums at the thought of Mei having friends outside of her, knowing that it would be short-lived once Himeko had become comfortable around Yuzu.

But, from the way Himeko was glaring, Mei was confident that it would never happen and from what she knew about their personalities and the giant purple bags under Yuzu's eyes that the two of them meeting wouldn't be wise.

Mei had seen Yuzu tired in their video chats, but from the way Yuzu continued to yawn and the disheveled appearance of her hair and the sweats and tee-shirt she was wearing, Yuzu wouldn't be in the mood to deal with Himeko's confrontational attitude.

"I think we should leave her alone," said Mei firmly. "She's tired, and it seems like she has her hands full, so I don't want to cause her any undue stress."

"Very well," said Himeko, her voice slightly more elevated, which came as a relief to Mei. "If that's all, then I suppose we can finish up the shopping and get some lunch before heading to the grocery store. I may not have a lot of extra money, but I think I can at least cover a meal until Monday."

"Sure." Mei nodded and as much as she wanted to stay, the sight of Henry coming out of the dressing rooms, wearing a blue button-up shirt and a pair of black slacks, his face looking like somebody was stabbing him along with a fire poker while his fingers continued to scratch frantically at his arms.

"Are you happy now," he asked, forcing Yuzu to tear her eyes away from her phone.

Mei watched as she briefly paused and blinked, her eyes widening in amazement before her face lit up with a familiar smile.

"Very," said Yuzu as she pulled Henry's hands away from his arms and squeezed them. "Muy guapo. Can I take a picture and send it to..."

"No," said Henry so loudly that a few people jumped, including Mei but Yuzu remained unfazed at his frustration and the way he tore his hands away from her. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"And I hate having to spending my day off doing something that you said you could do on your own, but here we are. You whining and me repeating myself." Yuzu pointed at the outfit that Henry was wearing and tried her best to look pleased, but Mei couldn't tell if she was or not. "But thank you for trying it on, I appreciate it, and it wasn't so bad, was it? It was one outfit, and it took us all of twenty minutes to find so how come you didn't do this? Can you please tell me that?"

"Because they don't carry the clothes I like." Henry pulled at the button that was holding his shirt against his throat. "The shirts are itchy, and they feel too short, and this button around my throat makes it...Yuzu I can't breathe. Yuzu my throat.."

"Okay, okay." Mei watched as Yuzu gently began unclasping the button as Henry started scratching his arms again; only stopping when Yuzu had finished and gave him a gentle pat on his broad chest. "There, how's that? Better?"

"Yeah." Mei watched Henry's grow more relaxed, and his hands stop moving. "Thanks, Yuzu."

"You're welcome, Lindo," said Yuzu before tapping her cheek. "Can I?"

Henry took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before giving a fidgety nod.

Mei momentarily felt her ears burn in frustration before taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, after reminding herself that what Yuzu and Henry were doing was completely natural.

"Am I done now," asked Henry after rubbing away where Yuzu had kissed, making her laugh. "Or do I need to buy a tie too?"

"You'll be fine without a tie," said Yuzu before yawning again. "Your boss texted me back and said you'll be okay with your normal style shoes but only if they're all black. Is that okay?"

"That's okay," said Henry with a relieved sigh. "Can I get back in my regular clothes now?"

Yuzu nodded, and Mei could see her mouth begin to open, but was interrupted by a familiar voice saying, "Looking good, Hank! You're gonna knock 'em dead at that meeting."

A shiver made it's way down Mei's spine when she heard Matsuri's voice and felt her feet begin moving backward on instinct when the pink-haired girl came into view carrying a small bundle of clothes under her arm and her usual mischievous smile on her face.

"If I did that I would go to prison," answered Henry before pausing and Mei could see his face screw up momentarily before asking, "Was that an...what's the word? Yuzu what is it? I can't..."

"It's called an idiom," explained Yuzu before rolling her eyes at Matsuri who, while smiling, looked a little apologetic at the stern look the blonde was giving her. "You know better."

"Sorry," said Matsuri while Henry busied himself on his phone, seemingly satisfied with Yuzu's explanation and no longer concerned with trying to remember the definition. "But hey, maybe we can make that his expression or whatever it is you guys give for the week. What you think, Hank?"

"My phrase of the week is, 'bent out of shape,'" said Henry handing his phone back to Yuzu who stuffed it in her purse. "But I can make it next weeks since I didn't figure it out yet. I'm gonna change and then can we leave and get lunch? It's almost twelve-thirty."

"We will get lunch after we pay for the clothes," said Yuzu and Mei noticed that she looked a little more energized. "You brought your card, right? And you checked your balance?"

"Yes," grunted Henry as he retreated into the dressing room while Matsuri snickered and turned her head to look around the store and making Mei's worst fear a reality.

"Yo, Aihara!" Matsuri raised her free arm and jumped up and down in a pointless attempt to get her attention. "What the heck are you doing standing over there? Quit being such a creeper and get your ass over here."

"How vulgar," huffed Himeko, stomping over to Matsuri and began poking the younger woman in the chest as she started rambling on in Japanese drawing the attention of a couple of staff members. "How dare you speak to Mei-Mei in such a fashion you foul little thing. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

"Who the hell are you," asked Matsuri back in Japanese, causing Himeko's eyes to go wide. "Also where do you get off telling me how to talk to Mei?"

"How dare you use her first name like that you rude little.."

"That's enough, Himeko," growled Mei, finally stepping in and feeling ashamed that she hadn't pulled Himeko away sooner. "You keep forgetting that we're not in Japan, so it's not uncommon for people to call me by my first name. On top of that, before going off on others about their manners, perhaps you should reflect on your actions. Not just because you were rude but also in the way you approached Matsuri and began accusing her of being rude which, while crass, was the exact opposite of what she was trying to be."

Himeko's face turned almost the same shade of pink as her shirt making Matsuri snicker and Yuzu look even more confused at what was going on.

"Fine," pouted Himeko after a moment and bowed politely to the trio. "I apologize for my actions, and I hope that you won't hold it against me. My name is Momokino Himeko; it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh well.."

Mei smirked as she watched Yuzu bow stiffly and said, "I'm Yuzu Okogi, it's nice to meet you."

"Matsuri," said Matsuri, not even bothering to return the bow as she was so intently focused on Himeko's hair and face, "and that big goof you saw us with is Henry. Hank! You almost done or do I gotta drag you out?"

"I'm right here," said Henry too preoccupied with handing Yuzu the outfit and tapping her on the shoulder. "Phone, please."

"First be polite and say 'hi' to Mei, you remember her, don't you?" Yuzu turned an annoyed-looking Henry toward Mei and Himeko. "And this is her friend, Himeko. Did I get that right?"

"Momokino, please," snorted Himeko before extending her hand to Henry. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Hi." Henry reached out and shook Himeko's hand rather quickly before letting go and turning to Mei.

"Hi, Mei."

"Hello, Henry," said Mei a little more warmly than she'd intended. "Are you enjoying your afternoon?"

"No," said Henry looking slightly less agitated. "It's Saturday, and I'm supposed to be at home, but Yuzu made me come out and do clothes shopping even though she knows I hate it."

"We heard," coughed Mei blushing at the look of amazement Yuzu was giving her and Matsuri's snickering. "But if it makes you feel better, I'm doing the same thing, and I hate it almost as much as you do."

"Yeah, it's annoying." Henry gave a nervous chuckle before his face shifted back to a neutral position leaving the group in an uncomfortable silence save for Matsuri's giggles.

"What are you laughing at," asked Himeko in annoyed and stiff English. "Honestly nothing funny has been said, so I don't know why you're laughing."

"That's none of your business," Matsuri bit back before walking over to Henry and gesturing at him. "Hey, Hank. Bend down for a second I want to tell you something."

"Okay." Henry nodded and dropped down to one knee while Matsuri leaned in to whisper something.

"Matsuri, don't you dare tell him anything..."

"Relax, Yuzu," said Matsuri with a wink. "I'm not telling him anything except a joke."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Yuzu sighed and gave Mei a weak smile before waving at her. "Hi."

"Hello." Mei waved back but quickly dropped her hand when she saw Himeko's eyes narrow in Yuzu's direction. "Glad to see you got back safely. Your trips go all right?"

"Yeah." Yuzu put the clothes back on the hangers, ignoring the small fits of laughter that Matsuri was emitting while she pointed at Himeko. "I just got in last night and spent a good chunk of it cleaning up someone else's messes before going over my paperwork and filing away all my expenses, and now I'm here shopping without any sleep."

"Then why aren't you at home," asked Mei, ignoring Himeko's growls at Henry and Matsuri who were both erupting into fits of giggles as they whispered to each other. "I mean you both sound tired and it is Saturday. Couldn't this have waited until you got some sleep?"

"You'd think that," chuckled Yuzu as Henry and Matsuri's giggles turned into full-on laughter causing Himeko to begin badgering them about why they were making so much noise. "But you know how much of a handful Matsuri is and when you add in Henry well..."

At that moment, Matsuri and Henry's laughs grew louder while Henry barely managed to gasp out, "Oruga," as he pointed at Himeko.

"What did you tell him," growled Himeko stomping up to Matsuri and stamping her foot as her voice instinctively moved to "I demand you tell me immediately."

"Yuzu," gasped Henry as he climbed to his feet and pointed at his face then at Himeko. "Yuzu, Yuzu, oruga."

Yuzu gave Henry a curious look then turned to Himeko's scowling face, and after a moment Mei saw her lips disappear into her mouth and a suppressed smile form on her face and a small snort escape her throat.

"That...Henry that's not polite," said Yuzu through a strained laugh before clapping a hand to her mouth while Mei tried to figure out what was so funny. "Mat...Matsuri I told you not to tell him something like that; it's mean."

"You're still laughing," gasped Matsuri as she used Henry's forearm to balance herself while she stood.

"That doesn't mean I can't think it's mean," said Yuzu after a couple of deep breaths and wiping her eye with the back of her hand. "But you know what happens once he gets something in his head and it's probably going to be stuck there all day."

"I've had enough being the butt of this joke," huffed Himeko, annoyed at how everyone continued to ignore her, as she raised her head and turned back toward where Mei and left their clothes. "Come along Mei-Mei; I think it's time we left these unrefined fools and return to our errands."

Himeko only made it a few feet before she realized Mei wasn't following her and turning around nervously asked, "Mei-Mei? Are you coming?"

"I'll be along in a few minutes," said Mei, curious about what it was that had gotten Matsuri and Yuzu so riled up, though she would be lying if she didn't say she felt guilty about the look of anguish that had appeared on Himeko's face thanks to her decision. "I promise."

Mei could swear she saw Himeko blink back a couple of tears, but instead of making a scene, she nodded and quietly said, "Very well, I'll see you shortly."

"Thanks, Himeko." Mei gave Himeko what she hoped was an appreciative smile, but if she had, Himeko made no sign of recognizing it and left without saying another word.

With a sigh of regret, Mei turned back around to see that Henry had moved over to a chair, a smile still plastered on his face as he messed around with something on his phone while Matsuri and Yuzu stared at her, both of them grinning stupidly.

"Mei-Mei," asked Matsuri with a snort. "She calls you Mei-Mei?"

"She's always called me that," answered Mei icily. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't mock her in front of me like that. She's been through a lot the past few months, and I don't want all her hard work to go to waste just because you found it necessary to tease her."

"I wasn't teasing her." Mei could tell by the tone of voice that Matsuri was using that she was somewhat sincere. "I was only pointing out something I found funny to Henry. But if it bothers you that much, I'll go over there and apologize to her."

"You will do no such thing."

While Mei was used to seeing Matsuri flinch slightly at her tone the look of fear in Yuzu's voice at how chilling her tone could be made her feel even worse.

"All right, I get it." Matsuri rolled her eyes, stretched her arms above her head and grunted. "I promise I'll play nice."

"Make sure you do."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Matsuri as she finished picking up her clothes and clicking her tongue at Henry. "Hank, come on, we're gonna go and get you rung up."

"Okay."

As he stood up, Mei noticed how Henry still had the same smile on his face and could have sworn she heard him say, "Oruga," under his breath as he approached Yuzu and held out his hand expectantly.

"Card."

"Excuse me." Yuzu gently tapped the man on the head, forcing him to grumble and look up from his phone at her in annoyance. "Don't give me that look, you know better than to say something like that to me. Now say it properly, or we won't get lunch."

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Henry kept his hand extended and with a strained, but substantially more polite voice asked, "May I please have my card?"

"Yes, you may." Yuzu reached in and pulled the car out of her pocket and gave it to him. "You will only buy your clothes, got it?"

"I got it." Henry rolled his eyes and without even acknowledging Mei, followed Matsuri toward the register, leaving the two women alone.

"You going to be okay," asked Mei once they were by themselves.

"I'll be fine after we eat and get home," chuckled Yuzu after messing up her hair a little. "I'm going to be working from home for the next couple of weeks after all the traveling I've been doing."

"Good," said Mei taking a few steps closer toward Yuzu's side. "You deserve it. Especially after all of that."

"Thanks." Yuzu looked like she was about to say something, but instead of words, she let out a loud yawn making both of them laugh.

"I'm sorry," said Yuzu once they'd calmed down.

"Don't be." Mei carefully nudged Yuzu with her elbow and gave her an understanding nod. "I've been there before and after everything I saw and heard I get the feeling that this is normal for you."

"Not normally," said Yuzu with a small blush. "Today just happened to be a bad day. Normally Henry isn't this difficult, and I may have been a little hard on him. He has a lot on his plate at the moment since his bosses asked him to lead a project and it's starting to get to him. He's never had to do that before, and I'm sure he wouldn't have agreed to it if he knew he'd be asked to speak in front of a bunch of people but now..."

"I get it," said Mei with an understanding nod. "But I'm still sorry that you have to deal with it. Is there anything I can do?"

"I could really use a night out," laughed Yuzu as she read a text message from Matsuri saying that they had finished with checking out. "I mean I like all of our chats and stuff, but I kinda just want to hang out with you; alone. Like we did at the bar, except no distractions. Think we can do that? Maybe this upcoming Friday, if that's okay? I mean, I get it if..."

"I'm free," said Mei a little louder than she intended causing her to blush and Yuzu to giggle at her excitement.

After recomposing herself, Mei nodded and in a much quieter voice said, "I'm free but are you sure it's okay? Don't you and Henry have something to..."

"He won't mind." Yuzu reached out and gave Mei's hand a gentle pat. "Friday's he's usually out with his friends, so I'll have most of the night free."

"But don't you two have a nightly talk?"

"How do you know about that?" Yuzu's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion causing Mei's pulse to quicken in fear that she'd blown any confidence Yuzu had placed in her.

"Harumi told me when we went to the movies," explained Mei, hoping that she didn't get Harumi in trouble. "She said you always have a talk at seven-thirty and I didn't want to cause any problems. She didn't say it was him, but after I met him that night I kind of put two and two together. Was I not supposed to know about that?"

"No, I'm okay with you knowing about that," said Yuzu with a relieved sigh. "But did she mention anything else or just that we talk?"

"Just that you talk," confirmed Mei, growing more curious by the second at why Yuzu had become suspicious. "I'll admit I did want to know more, but knowing how Harumi is, I knew she wouldn't be comfortable with telling me anything more, so I left the manner alone. Also, we'd just met, and I didn't want risk upsetting you."

"Thanks," said Yuzu returning the elbow nudge Mei had given her earlier, "and look, it's not that I don't want you to know, but it's a bit difficult to explain at times. I hope that makes sense."

"It does," said Mei sincerely before trying to mimic the same gentle pat on the hand Yuzu had given her. "I'll admit I do have some questions, but we'll go at your pace."

"I appreciate it," yawned Yuzu before rubbing her eye and pointing toward the direction Henry and Matsuri had headed. "Anyway, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I need to get going. Can I call you later?"

"Absolutely," said Mei, her mood lifting. "I'll probably be up all night trying to get caught up on some work so call me when you're ready."

"All righty." Mei watched Yuzu's hand move forward, expecting another pat but instead received a gentle squeeze. "I'll talk to you later."

After bidding Yuzu farewell, Mei watched as the blonde headed toward the exit, and when she was sure she was out of sight, Mei gently caressed the spot Yuzu had touched and caressed it gently before heading toward Himeko, her mood marginally improved as she approached an even angrier looking Himeko.

"Those nasty little...I can't believe Mei-Mei is friends with them."

"I'm friends with them because I like them," explained Mei causing HImeko to jump slightly and nearly drop her phone. "And I want you to like them too, Himeko, even if they're a little rough around the edges."

"I know you do Mei-Mei," sighed Himeko, as they made their way to the cashier, "and I am sorry that I lost my temper, but that one with the pink hair; I don't know what it is, but there's something about her that I don't like. The same goes with that blonde girl, Okogi. Not to mention that man who was with her that wouldn't stop laughing at me. What's his problem anyway, they seem to have an odd dynamic."

"I don't know, but I can ask her when we hang out next Friday."

"Excuse me," said Himeko as Mei punched in her PIN and handed a couple of bags to Himeko. "You're going out on a date with that...gyaru?!"

"It's not a date," snorted Mei at hearing the word Himeko had used to describe Yuzu. "We're just going to dinner or something so she can decompress. She travels for work, just like you, and she's been away from home for a couple of months, and she asked if I could accompany her next week. I don't know what we're doing, but it's nothing serious. Just two friends spending time together."

"I'll take your word for it," muttered Himeko while the exited the store and headed to the food court, surprised, but also glad that Yuzu and the others had decided to go somewhere else for lunch.

After grabbing some food, they sat down, and as they ate, Mei could see that something was bothering HImeko and after swallowing an unusually large bite of her cheese-steak, asked, "What's the matter? Did you want to go to a restaurant or something?"

"I'm fine with the food," sighed Himeko after taking a bite of her salad. "I'm just still annoyed about what that Mizusawa girl had that man calling me and the way they were pointing at me. Do you know what that word, 'oruga' means in Spanish?"

"No," said Mei after swallowing a few ketchup soaked fries. "I never took Spanish so you'll have to explain it to me." "

"Of course," sighed Himeko as she furiously typed something into her phone before slamming it so hard into Mei's hand that it stung.

Mei hissed before wiping her hands on a napkin and unlocking the screen. It took a moment to load, but when it did, and in spite the glare she was receiving, Mei couldn't help but smile at finally getting why Matsuri and Henry were laughing so hard as she read, "Oruga (Spanish): Caterpillar."