The rest of the evening was relatively uneventful, save for Ai and Junko getting bombarded by the journalists upon returning to their table. Questions about Hiroki's sudden absence came fast and furious but Ai let Junko handle them. Saki came back halfway through the interview—dressed in, thankfully, her normal getup—but chose to lurk around in silence, which was a good thing. The world didn't need to know she was the one who had ruined Hiroki's suit. After the mass dance, the emperor gave his closing speech and the guests slowly streamed out of the hall.
The ambient music faded and the only sounds left were the clearing of plates and cutlery. The servers worked with quiet efficiency as they cleaned up the area while a couple of guards stood at the exits. Too bad Yugiri, Lily, and Tae had already left with the imperial family. Ai had hoped to say goodbye to them since it would probably be a long while before they met again. Maybe she should text them later.
"You alright to walk, princess?" Saki asked Junko while Ai helped her put on her heels.
"I think I can manage." Junko stood up gingerly, holding onto Ai for support.
"You can always ask Ai here to carry you. She had no complaints just now."
Ai shot Saki the death glare which went ignored as usual.
Junko blushed but did not respond to the jibe. "I wonder if Hiroki-san is fine. It's not like him to disappear in the middle of work."
"Maybe he's too embarrassed to show his face," Saki suggested.
"Embarrassed?" Junko asked.
"Yeah, someone spilled wine onto his clothes."
"Someone?"
"A smokin' hot bombshell with Baywatch-worthy titties." Saki cupped her own boobs for emphasis.
Ai coughed. Junko's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Maybe he's making out with her now," Saki added.
Ai coughed again.
Junko turned to her, her frown deepening. "Are you alright? Do you need a drink?"
"No, I'm fine—"
"She ain't fine. She's fucking thirsty—"
Ai threw a fist at Saki but Saki turned the tables on her and put her in a chokehold. "Let go!" She slapped Saki's arm.
"Who's your daddy?"
"We're outside! Quit being an idiot!"
"Nikaido-san, please," Junko intervened.
Saki snorted and released Ai. "She started it first," she mumbled. "Count your lucky ass that your marshmallow pleaded for you."
Again, Junko gave them a curious look but Ai spoke first. "Come on, let's go home. It's late." She offered her arm to Junko who accepted it with a grateful smile.
As they headed for the exit, Hiroki came storming in, dressed in only his shirt and pants, completely soaked from head to toe. It was not just red wine but it seemed like he had been doused in water too. His shoes made squelching sounds as he marched towards them. His manager hurried behind him, begging him to calm down.
"Hiroki-san! What happened to you?" Junko asked.
"We'll have to ask your bodyguard here." Hiroki glared straight at Ai. His voice was tight, and the veins in his temple bulged. "Someone locked me in the restroom cubicle and poured water over me. It must've been you!"
"I didn't," Ai denied. She sneaked a peek at Saki but Saki shook her head, looking equally baffled. Not her?
"Who else could it be? You knew what I'd planned and wanted to stop me."
"I didn't do anything." Ai's mind worked furiously. Something wasn't adding up. If it wasn't Saki, then who? She squinted at Hiroki's manager. He hadn't been enthusiastic about the confession plan but he didn't seem like the sort who'd have the guts to go against Hiroki and risk his job. He was already so flustered by their confrontation.
"Has there been a misunderstanding? Mizuno-san has been in the hall with me all along." Junko stepped forward.
This time, Hiroki noticed their linked arms. His eyes darkened. "I knew it. This is what you've been after. Take me out of the picture so that you can have Junko-san to yourself."
"You're misunderstanding. I stood in because you didn't show up."
But Hiroki wasn't listening. "Like I'd believe you. Now let go of Junko-san. You have no right to be touching her. Remember, you're just a bodyguard—an undead one at that."
Ai stiffened, but she felt Junko tighten her grip on her arm.
"That's enough," Junko said, a rare edge in her voice. "I will not allow you to speak of Mizuno-san like that."
His manager nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, let's drop this and go."
"Drop this?" Hiroki raised his voice. "I'd worked so hard for this day only for it to be robbed from me! My chance to perform for the imperial family, my plan to confess to Junko-san—all gone!"
"C-Confess?" Junko stuttered.
"Yes. She," Hiroki pointed at Ai, "overheard my plan to confess to you after the dance and tried to talk me out of it. I didn't agree so she locked me in the restroom! There was no one else who had a reason to do that!" He narrowed his eyes at Ai. "I told you just now. If you dared to interfere, I'd report you to your agency, and I'm going to do exactly that."
"Oi, that's going too far," Saki warned.
"You shut up. You're just another monster too," Hiroki snapped.
"Hey—"
"Excuse me..." An unfamiliar voice rose above their squabble.
All five of them turned towards the newcomer. It was the lanky server who had offered champagne to Junko shortly after their arrival. He walked towards Hiroki, holding a neatly folded white jacket. Ai pushed Junko behind her instinctively.
"Ishihara-sama, you left this in the restroom," the server said, presenting the jacket with both hands.
Ai tensed. Something was off about the way he was holding the jacket.
"Oh, thanks." Hiroki reached forward but paused. "Wait, how did you know it's mine?"
Before anyone could react, the server chucked the jacket at Hiroki, revealing a long knife in his right hand. Ai lunged forward and pushed Hiroki out of the way. The blade sunk into her arm, hitting bone. Biting back a cry, she kicked the server in his stomach, sending him to the floor where he was promptly tackled by Saki—and someone else.
Wasn't that the human guard with the imperial family earlier?
"Mizuno-san!"
"I'm okay." Ai raised her good hand to stop Junko from coming closer. God, that fucking hurt. She positioned herself before Junko and Hiroki just in case the server had other tricks up his sleeve. Blood soaked her sleeve and her arm throbbed, but she wouldn't relax, not even after the other guards had him surrounded.
"Let me at him!" the server yelled, struggling futilely under Saki and the wavy-haired guard's hold. "Fuck you, Hiroki! Stop with the Golden Couple bullshit! Junko-chan belongs to the fans! She'll never be your girlfriend! Junko-chan, I saved you! I prevented his livestream! You should be proud of me!"
Hiroki did not respond, still shell-shocked. But as the server continued rambling, it clicked in Ai's mind. She was not the only one who had overheard Hiroki's plan.
"Stop yapping! Ya making my ears hurt." Saki smacked the server on the head, causing him to bite on his tongue. Then she regarded the guard beside her. "Didn't see you come in. You a ninja or somethin'?"
The guard gave the barest hint of a smile before waving his colleagues over to take the server away. Once the threat was removed, he bowed to Ai's group. "Please accept our sincere apologies. This should not have happened at all. Rest assured that we will do the necessary."
Ai wondered what he meant by that. The next logical step would be to hand the server to the police. However, this was the imperial family; they had their way of doing things. "I'd suggest you screen all of your staff again. We're lucky that no one else got hurt," she said.
"Understood. I will relay it to Yugiri." He bowed again and left, his footsteps soundless.
Ai finally relaxed. She pressed a hand over her gaping wound but blood continued to seep through her fingers. She hissed. The knife had gone through her flesh as if it were tofu. Maybe it was a knife from the kitchen; they used the best stuff after all.
A pair of hands clamped over hers.
"Junko?"
"It's not stopping," Junko noted in a shaky whisper.
"What're you doing? You're going to dirty your dress," Ai protested when her blood coated Junko's hands in a grisly blue and dripped down her elbows.
"Do I look like I care about my dress now?" Junko snapped, her voice cracking.
Ai gulped. Somewhere behind her, she heard Saki snicker.
"Sorry," she began gently because she noticed the tears rimming Junko's eyes, "but it's not as bad as it looks. I'll be fine in a couple of days."
"Do you need the healing serum?"
Ai shook her head. "Just need to wrap it up and it'll close on its own. We have bandages in the car."
"Let's hurry then." Junko turned towards the exit.
"Wait!" Hiroki called. His face bore a conflicted expression. "Why did you save me?"
Ai opened her mouth but was unable to find words. Everything had happened so quickly; it was pure instincts. But she was no saint. She knew that very well. Just yesterday at the imperial gardens, she had nearly acted on her murderous thoughts. Deep down, she hadn't forgiven the people who had looked down on her, and he was no different from them.
So why?
"I..."
Her heart thumped, inviting her to press a hand over her chest. The beats were steady. They were real. But the dark blue stains on Junko's white dress mocked her, reminding her that her blood would never run red again, that she'd never be—
"Because she's human. One of the kindest I've ever met," Junko answered for her. "And I will not allow anyone to say otherwise."
The hold on Ai's arm tightened but instead of pain, all she felt was warmth. How absurd. But she shouldn't be surprised anymore. The evening had been a whirlwind of emotions; logic and common sense had long been thrown out the window. Tension left her muscles and she let herself be pulled against Junko, smearing more blood onto Junko's arm but Ai didn't mind it anymore.
Hiroki looked like a fish, opening and closing his mouth soundlessly. After a long moment, his shoulders slumped and he let out a quiet chuckle, completely devoid of fight. "I've lost, haven't I?"
Ai blinked.
"Mizuno-san, right?" he asked.
She nodded slowly.
"Thanks and... I apologize for what I've said. You're right. I really don't know Junko-san that well. It doesn't mean I'm giving up but..." He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "Please take care of her."
She was fully aware of what he meant. Casting a glance to her side, she found Junko still desperately holding her slippery wound together, her frown deeper than earlier.
Ai turned back to Hiroki, meeting his expectant gaze, and gave her answer.
The life of a bodyguard toggled between the extreme ends of the spectrum: on normal days it was, for lack of a better word, boring as majority of the time was spent waiting and standing around; on other days it was the equivalent of a blockbuster film. Ai had survived the craziest of situations with her clients, including high-speed car chases, shootings, and hostage rescues. Dancing would be child's play, if one looked at it objectively, but to Ai, it was the most terrifying thing she had done in her years of being a bodyguard. The act of dancing itself wasn't the scary part; it was doing it in front of strangers and the media. It was exposing herself on an even larger scale than before. The aftermath was going to be rough.
Oddly though, Madam had not contacted Junko, but Kotaro had already called Ai and chewed her head off for her crazy stunt.
"Are you sure you don't need the serum?" Junko's voice broke her train of thoughts. They were sitting on the edge of Junko's bed. She had just finished applying a fresh roll of bandage for Ai because the previous one had been soaked through.
"Yeah, I'm okay. This should close up by morning." Ai pulled the left side of her shirt back on. "Thanks," she muttered as she buttoned up. It felt a little awkward to be back in Junko's room after not having stepped foot in it since that night. Nothing had changed though. It was still tidy, simple, and comforting.
"Is taking too much of the serum a bad thing?"
Ai raised a brow at the question. "Honestly, I don't know. I'm just being cautious, I guess. Taking the normal serum makes me drowsy and I don't like it. And the instant one... you've seen its side effect. I'd rather not use it again unless necessary, or until it's past the prototype stage. Besides, this is a small wound."
"This is small?" Junko's voice rose.
"By our standards."
Junko looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Silence fell between them. Ai looked down at her gloved hands and twiddled her thumbs. The bedside clock ticked in the background.
"Junko," she faced her again, "I'm sorry. My actions tonight will probably bring you a lot of trouble. With the media and your fans. Maybe I shouldn't have—"
"You saved me. There's nothing to apologize for."
"But I..." Ai clenched her hands. "Everyone was looking forward to your dance with Ishihara. I'm sure they're mad at me for robbing him of his spot."
"Mizuno-san, you didn't rob him. You stood in for him. You said that too just now, didn't you?"
"I did but that's not what the public will think." She took a long breath and exhaled. It was time to come clean. "You know, there've been many mean comments online since the horse carriage incident. They dislike how you allow an undead to be so close to you so the insults went from targeting just me to you too."
"I had no idea." Junko said slowly, quietly.
"I deleted most of those comments because I didn't want you to see them and be affected."
"So you endured them by yourself."
"Yes..."
"Was that why you distanced yourself from me?"
Shame forced Ai to look down again. She heard a sigh before Junko spoke.
"I'm not made of glass, remember? I'm an idol. These things are part and parcel of my job. I need you to trust me."
"Sorry..."
"But I'm happy."
"Eh?"
Junko's hands found hers. "I wasn't wrong about you. You still cared." She fiddled with Ai's fingers, her eyes cast downward. "I didn't believe your words that night. That's not to say they didn't hurt but I had a feeling there was something you weren't telling me."
"You knew?"
Junko shook her head. "It was just unlike you to be so cold. You might look indifferent and sometimes grumpy but..."
Ai watched as Junko tugged at her fingers one after another, each with more force than before as if she was unloading all her pent-up emotions. The semi-dry blood on her gloves stained Junko's hands all over again.
"Do you know that your smiles are always warm?" Junko continued with a growing tightness in her voice. "But in the last few weeks, they felt so hollow and there was always pain in them. You were hurting yet you kept pulling away, further and further, and I didn't know how to reach out to you. All I could do was to watch you from the side. I felt so useless. Then tonight... tonight I finally got to see that smile again. I was so... s-so..."
Tears dripped onto Ai's hands as Junko struggled to control the quiver in her voice.
"Junko..."
But the tears kept falling. Junko sobbed, her breaths turning shallow and rapid.
Just how long had she kept them in?
"Please, don't cry."
Junko shook her head violently in between suppressed whimpers, trying in vain to keep it together. For the second time that night, Ai's heart broke.
There was no hesitation when she crushed Junko against her, whispering sorry over and over again. That was all it took for Junko's self-restraint to unravel. Her cries, riddled with chokes and hiccups, shook the room. She clawed and pulled the back of Ai's shirt so fiercely until the collar strained against Ai's throat. In these four walls, she was not the nation's beloved singing sensation, not the perfect idol who gave people hopes and dreams. She was just a girl who feared like any other.
Just a girl who happened to be called Konno Junko.
Ai stroked her heaving back like how Junko had done for her in the past. This closeness. This trust. They were exclusive to her. Human or undead, street rat or not—it had never mattered.
The world was unfair, yes, and a part of society would never acknowledge her but it balanced out because she had Junko. For them both, she'd work on becoming better so that she'd be enough. Enough to love herself the way Junko loved her.
Enough to not make Junko cry again.
She wasn't sure how long they held each other. Junko's cries gradually subsided and she pushed herself off Ai, muttering an apology for messing up her shirt. Ai passed her some tissues which she snatched before quickly turning the other way to blow her nose. The image of a jumpy little rabbit that had just received a carrot stick came to Ai's mind.
"Thank you," Junko said. Her eyes were red but dry. "Why are you smiling?"
Ai's smile froze. "N-Nothing!"
Junko eyed her with suspicion. "You must be thinking I'm weak."
"Huh?"
"I mean, I bawled my eyes out right after I told you I'm not made of glass. It's laughable, isn't it?"
"That's... well... no."
"No?"
"Yeah, no. You're strong. Very."
"You're mocking me."
"I'm not." It was Ai's turn to grab Junko's hands. "You're stronger than me, at least."
"Says the person who lifted me like I weighed nothing."
Ai gave her the side-eye. "That's not what I'm referring to."
Junko turned her head away but Ai spotted the darkening of her already flushed face.
Ah. She's embarrassed.
Then she felt Junko fiddling with her fingers again. Was this the birth of a new habit?
"Um... Junko?"
"You really surprised me. Where did you learn to dance like that?"
Ai allowed her to play with her hands. It felt rather nice. "Kotaro made us learn. Never thought I'd get to use it though."
Junko mumbled something.
"Sorry, what?" Ai leaned in.
Junko's face turned redder. "You were amazing."
Ai fell forward but caught herself in time. She grunted a thanks and tried to focus on the sensation of Junko prodding her palm instead of the sizzling memory of their dance: the hunger in Junko's eyes, the heat of her breath, the—
"Do you think we could dance again?"
The gears in Ai's brain came to a screeching halt. Did she hear right?
"But your ankle..."
"You're right. I'm sorry, I must be tired." Junko shrank, her eyes darting to everywhere but Ai. "I should wash up and prepare for bed. You too." She stood up hastily, almost tripping over.
Ai grabbed Junko by the waist, surprising even herself. Eyes wide with hope and uncertainty stared back at her. "A short one, if you're up for it. You can step on my feet and I'll hold you up."
"Are you sure?"
Ai nodded. Saki was right; she was whipped.
Small hands clutched her shoulders as Junko rested her feet on top of hers gingerly, clearly afraid that she was going to hurt her, but Ai tightened the embrace, erasing any doubts. Once they were in position, Ai began moving, swaying slowly from side to side and taking small steps forward and back. It wasn't showy or elaborate, and there was no music. No one else.
In the silence, their clothes rustled. Their hearts beat. Junko's perfume had mostly faded, giving way to her uniquely warm and sweet scent which drove Ai into a heady trance and she automatically cradled Junko even closer. There was no resistance. Soft breaths, ticklish at first, formed a soothing rhythm on her neck while a hand slid to the back of her collar, tugging lightly.
"Don't you ever hide anything from me again, you hear?" Junko murmured.
Unable to articulate a response, Ai nodded. She didn't want to break the spell. Didn't want to let go. She had missed Junko even though they had not been physically apart. When Junko's other hand slipped to her chest and stayed there, she knew the feeling was mutual.
"Ai... -san."
"Hm?"
"May I call you that?"
Ai paused, blinked a few times, before she resumed the gentle swaying motion, smiling.
"No objection."
Junko released a breath and rested against her. No other words were spoken. They were going to take their time, and they did...
… until Junko's stomach growled.
She went rigid as a rod. Even her breathing paused.
"That was... loud."
"Please don't say it."
"Sorry." Ai couldn't help grinning when Junko buried her face in her shoulder. "You didn't eat anything just now."
Junko made an unintelligible sound.
"Come again?"
"I was too nervous to eat," came the muffled reply.
"Shall I get you something from the store?"
"Yes please. Something light."
"Right. I'll see what they have left. Will you be okay on your own?"
"I might need Sakura-san to help me with the dress. Could you call her in?"
"Ah, yes. Of course." Ai gently let go and stepped away, already missing the body contact. "I'll be going then." But when she reached the door, Junko's voice stopped her.
"A-Ai-san!"
She turned. From the distance, she got a full view of a blushing and fidgety Junko.
Beautiful.
"Please be safe. I'll see you later."
Warmth swelled in Ai's chest, and her eyes crinkled.
"Yeah, see you in a bit."
The moment Ai emerged from the room she was greeted by the sight of Saki wrestling Sakura down onto the couch.
"Saki-chan! Not here!" Giggles.
"Then let's go to my room."
"We can't! I'm still waiting for Junko-chan!" A half-hearted push.
"Tch. She can get help from Ai."
"But it's my—ah, stop! It tickles!" More giggles.
Ai cleared her throat.
Sakura shrieked and kicked Saki to the floor.
"The fuck babe!"
"H-Hello, Ai-san!"
Saki got up, rubbing her butt. "You sure know how to pick a time."
Ai ignored the daggers Saki was shooting her. "Sakura, Junko needs your help."
Sakura jumped up, her face almost the same shade as her hair. "Y-Yes! Coming right up!" She muttered a quick apology to Saki and skittered past Ai, but not before giving her a funny look. Ai didn't think much of it and turned to Saki.
"I'm heading out to grab some food for Junko. You want any?"
Saki cocked her head and made an unnecessarily long hum. "Girl's got a big appetite."
"What're you saying? She didn't eat anything all evening."
Saki simply gave the shit-eating grin that Ai hated.
"If there's nothing you want, I'm going."
"Hang on. Neesan called."
Ai stopped in her tracks, her muscles tensing.
"Relax," Saki said. "You saved the royal fam from a fuckin' PR disaster by protecting Ishihara. That makes you the hero of the night. But they don't want the public to know so here's the good news."
"Good news?"
"Their PR called up Junko and Ishihara's agencies to tell them not to leak info about the incident. And," Saki paused for dramatic effect which Ai didn't care about, "the emperor loved your dance with Junko."
"He's not disappointed? You know, missing the whole Golden Couple thing."
"Pssh, you think he really cares about it? You and Junko brought the house down. That's all that matters."
"That means..."
"You're off the hook."
"So that's why Madam hasn't said anything yet." Ai leaned her back against the wall, relief washing over her.
"No one's gonna go against the emperor. Madam is working with Ishihara's agency to spin some bullshit about his no-show so that'll settle the media side of things. But you still got the crazy fans to deal with. Think you're ready?"
"I have to be."
Saki punched her shoulder lightly. "That's the way, kid."
"I'm not a kid." Despite her protest, Ai found herself smiling. "Hey, Saki."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Saki snorted. "Thank yourself."
Ai rolled her eyes. "By the way, your eyebrows are still black."
"Good thing Ishihara didn't notice, huh?" Saki wiggled them.
"They'll have to come off eventually though. Same for my makeup," Ai said, a pang of wistfulness hitting her.
"Hey." Saki's tone turned somber but Ai waved off her concern.
"I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Really. What matters is here, right?" Ai pointed at her own chest.
Saki stepped into her personal space, her thick black brows brought together into a deep, unibrow-like scowl. Ai would have laughed if not for Saki's serious expression. She tried to back away but she was already up against the wall. "I said I'm—"
"Look at you all grown up!" Saki clapped her cheeks and pulled them like a rubber band. "Hey! Still damn stretchy for a fuckin' corpse!"
Ai wrenched herself out of Saki's grip. "The hell was that for!" She rubbed her sore cheeks.
Saki shrugged, smirking. "Just felt like doing it."
"Whatever." Ai wasn't in the mood to fight. She was already tired from all that had happened. "I'm going."
"Wait."
"What now?"
"You might wanna change your shirt."
"Huh?" Ai looked down at herself. "It's just some blood. My jacket can cover it."
"Not that." Saki's grin almost split her face.
"Then?"
"There's lipstick on your collar."
"What?!"
A/N: Thank you for reading and accompanying Ai on her journey to break out of the cage she'd locked herself in. The working title for this was "Wonderful Tonight" (that Eric Clapton song) because I'd wanted to write about JunAi all dressed up and stuff but as you can tell, it blew up into something a lot more ambitious. I hope you enjoyed the ride and as always, please feel free to let me know what you think ^^
I used a few writing books and I can't recommend enough "Creating Character Arcs" by K.M. Weiland, and "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" by Renni Browne & Dave King. Weiland's book helped me put together the story that I needed to tell for Ai while "Self-Editing" showed me how I could polish and tighten my writing. Special mention goes to "The Secrets of Story" by Matt Bird for some very valuable tips too.
The fic took a lot out of me so I'm gonna kick back and maybe work on something less ambitious next. Take good care and I'll see you next time!