Chapter 20:

Eri was not having the best of days. It was exam week and the subject she was struggling with was Japanese literature. It didn't help that she was still somewhat pissed about what happened in the shooting range with Harima. It had taken all her courage and will to finally invite him out, and when he arrived, he appeared out-of-sorts like a man robbed of his soul. They were at a shooting range, not an opera play! Boys usually have an innate fascination and bravado concerning guns, but Harima took it as if it was a chore to do. They should have gone to the zoo or taken a lame walk around instead, and die of boredom and awkwardness while they were at it. Eri wasn't up for those kinds of stoic activities. It was more like that girl Yakumo to do such campy things.

Brushing the thought away because it was only raising her ire, Eri read the same paragraph over yet again and tried to cram as many words as she could into her head. The exams were about Japanese language, particularly kanji, hiragana, and katakana. She had been living in Japan for a few years now but she couldn't master the local language and writing. Her fellow British schoolmate Sarah had no problems learning it and here she was: a half-Japanese by blood but could not totally get the language.

Last year, Eri had friends that she could count on for help. For language, it was the enigmatic bookworm Akira Takano. Her secretive friend had a part-time job working at a used bookstore that was practically always devoid of people. To pass the time, Akira read any book she wanted and so Eri assumed she might be able to help her. Along the way, Eri learned that Akira had a knack for languages aside from her gun hobbies. Akira simply stated that language was her thing and it was crucial for her "other" job, whatever that was. It wasn't Eri's business and she wouldn't let her curiosity get the better of her if she could help it.

But as fate would have it, Eri was placed in 3 – A, a class with none of her friends or classmates from last year. Worse still, the foreign exchange students were stacked in here too. Max and his posse, the previous 2-D students consisting of Harry, Lara, and Tougo (who acts as a strange combination of different nationalities despite being really Japanese), and Shawn, who was always absent thankfully. The class was now dubbed as the "Foreigner's Section", much to Eri's chagrin and Tougo's delight.

And so, she studied by herself. It's not that she didn't have any friends. It was because she was now "engaged" and most girls and boys in her class treated her differently. Boys were now much less interested in courting her and girls would gossip about her - some half-truths and exaggerated lies. Every conversation going her way was about her fiancé and some perfect girl he was currently living with. This irritated Eri to no end and she opted to be alone rather than put up with those people.

Eri once again stared at her notebook and the exercises she did for practice. It was a short story in English and it needed to be translated into Japanese. She reviewed it sentence by sentence and felt somewhat satisfied with her progress. She was about to close her notebook when she heard a voice from behind her.

"You made a mistake in paragraph 3. It's a figure of speech, not a direct translation."

Eri turned her head and saw Max, the scar-faced goon of Shawn, much to her annoyance.

"I didn't ask for your help." Eri spat back.

"I know," answered Max. "That's why I did it myself. Oh, look here, another mistake. You're now doing it word for word instead of translating its context."

"Are you here to make fun of me again?" Eri asked, irritated.

Max shrugged. "Depends on what you want. You seem to be forgetting that in junior high I was the one who taught you Japanese."

"Oh, how could I forget that," replied Eri with sarcasm in her tone. "That a random British guy knows how to speak and write fluent Japanese. I only asked for your help back then because I was going to return to Japan with my father the next year." Eri closed her notebook before the man could point out another flaw. Although they had met again quite recently, this was the first time they'd conversed with each other in a long time. "Whatever happened to you? I don't remember you having those claw marks on your eyes before. Did you get in a fight with a cat or something?"

Max sat on his seat which was just beside Eri's and crossed his arms behind his head. "Job hazard. Nothing serious."

"It would be dangerous if Shawn makes you fight his battles." At the sound of Shawn's name, Max's eyes sharpened.

"I don't particularly like it but it pays," the hardened Brit continued. "He's a spoiled asshole, even I know that. But him being a jerk all the time makes enemies left and right. That's where we come in. We intimidate and he reaps the rewards."

"And that's the reason why you took my lucky charm last year?"

Max grunted. "No. I was just messing around back then, halfie."

"Halfie?" repeated Eri, quite offended. "Being half-Japanese, half-British does not make me any less of a person, you… you scarface!"

"Hmm. Scarface, huh?" Max mused with a grin. "I think I like the sound of that."

"And I don't care about your opinion." Eri said, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Even so, you still need correction, Ms. Halfie. And the exams are tomorrow."

Eri gritted her teeth in frustration. She hated it when she was being manipulated. "Fine! Then help me out here even if I don't want to."

"That doesn't make any sense." Max deadpanned.

Eri opened her notebook with one swipe. "I know, but I need it, not want it. There's a big difference."

Max stretched his arms. "For making a fool out of Shawn that one night, I'll help you out. It's nice to see him getting embarrassed in front of a lot of people. But just to let you know, I'm here to help you if it means embarrassing him even more."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you when you finish that exercise. Oh, I'm a strict teacher – if you don't already know that."

"Tsk. Whatever. Let's get started."

Max corrected Eri's mock exercises quickly. It was apparent that an automated web translator would have been more accurate than Eri. Of course, he made this known to her, much to her irritation and his pleasure. It was more of a trial-and-error as Max didn't like to give her the answers directly. He knew she didn't like to be belittled by treating her like a child. Eri was committed and she did what was asked with surprising improvement. He had to admit, Eri was a fast learner when taught one-on-one.

As Eri was working on another exercise set by Max, he was reminded of their junior high days. Eri was the snobbiest person he had ever met and she didn't have that many friends back then. One had to have the initiative to approach her first and after that, put up with her attitude. Max was somehow able to befriend her because he brought up her Japanese lineage and he knew how to speak some Japanese. At first, the young blonde was very defensive and broody and it became apparent that despite her lineage she didn't know how to speak the language. Perhaps she acted that way because he had wrongly assumed some things about her. Nevertheless, Max couldn't say he became her real friend. She virtually ignored him most of the time unless he was teaching her. Even when they met again in high school, Eri seemed ignorant of his existence. It was fun to snatch away that damned charm she desperately clung to. However, it escalated when a man's charm was included. That man would end up being her fiancé, and, not admitting to his regret, it was he who had given him the idea.

It doesn't matter as long as she's happy.

"Why are you staring at me like that, scarface?" The question broke Max from his thoughts.

"It's nothing." Max dismissed. "You should be more focused on what you're doing, halfie."

Eri angrily pouted and wanted to throw her pen at the delinquent. Resisting the impulse, she returned to writing.

Strange, though. She felt a sudden familiarity. Maybe it was nostalgia since she knew Max from England. It also didn't help that he sometimes acted like Harima, impulsive and a delinquent.

This comparison surprised Eri a little.

No. Of course not, Eri thought. He's nothing like Harima.

And she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

x-x-x

Yakumo, Sarah and Harima were walking away from the school premises after finally finishing the exams. Harima had managed to pass the exams without much fuss after remembering Itoko's advice last year on how to review: by writing countless words on his body. Both Yakumo and Sarah were very confused about this sage advice and had doubted the need to actually write it down on his body. A notebook or any kind of paper would have sufficed. But Harima insisted that this was needed for "it" to work.

Nevertheless, he passed without any problems and so did the two girls. Yakumo was reminded that Tenma's way of learning was by associating the material with the man she loved so she wouldn't forget. The methods of the two were similarly unorthodox and Yakumo had found them almost the same in their mentality and motivation.

Before they could leave the school grounds, the usual limousine of the Sawachika family pulled up before them and the butler Nakamura got out to open the passenger's door.

Harima braced for what was in store for him and after his mental countdown, heard "Whiskers".

Sighing, he turned around. "Okay, okay. I know the drill, Rich Girl. No need to be so dramatic."

"Dramatic? It's not like it was my choice." Eri answered back. "If anything, you're the one being uncooperative here by not replying to your cellphone messages when in school."

"Well, I don't like being bothered."

"You seem to be forgetting our deal."

"You can contact me but it doesn't mean you should."

"Texting you that we have a meeting this night bothers you?"

"…Yes."

"For the love of –"

While the two bickered, Yakumo and Sarah kept quiet. It wasn't their business to intrude but they didn't want to see the two talk back at each other like they were mortal enemies.

"Anyway," said Eri, defusing the argument. "I'll explain everything on the way there. But first, you need to suit up. It's a dinner hosted by Shawn and he's very keen on dress codes. Nakamura has prepared what you'll be wearing so there's no hassle." Eri briefly flicked her gaze to the two girls and ignored them completely. "Let's go."

Harima followed Eri to the limo after saying a quick farewell to the two girls and they drove off.

"Now that's a lively conversation." Sarah finally said. "By the way, why didn't Harima ask you to review his manga like last time?"

"I already did." Yakumo answered.

"You reviewed for the exams and his manga too?"

"Yes. We usually turn off our cellphones during lunch break so no one would distract us."

Sarah giggled. "Now that makes sense."

"What makes sense?"

"Yakumo, do I really have to explain everything to you? Him turning off his cellphone so Eri can't distract him while he's with you?"

Yakumo blinked. "Oh."

"Come on. Let's go home. You're turning red again."

Yakumo followed Sarah with a smile.

x-x-x

"A pleasant evening to the both of you." Shawn greeted Eri and Harima. Eri was in a yellow gown while Harima was in a crisp, dark suit. Shawn was always styled in white and bright colors to complement his pale skin, blue eyes and blonde hair. That was the dress code Shawn wanted of his guests and Eri knew too well how to dress in a way that was both fashionable and enhanced one's looks, even bordering on obsession and nitpicking about certain brands.

It was vanity of the lowest level.

"I apologize if this was all too sudden but I hope you don't mind, I'm having dinner with my colleagues tonight so I thought I might as well invite you two."

I DO mind! Eri thought.

"Not at all, Shawn." Harima said. "It's a pleasure to be here." All of them knew they were lying but for the sake of formality, said those words nevertheless.

Eri and Harima took their seats on Victorian chairs placed on the right side of the table, with Shawn sitting at the head of course. The other guests were already there. Oddly, there wasn't any food on the long rectangular table. The chandelier looking like a thousand diamonds hung over them, and the countless pieces of cutlery arranged in a proper manner were there, but the reason for all of this wasn't here.

What? Is Shawn gonna make us eat his spoons and forks? Eri thought. While her eyes lingered, she spotted Max at the far end of the room, standing like a guard. The words he said to her came back to her mind.

"Listen here. Shawn will prepare dinner this Friday night and invite you out. He's a tricky bastard so he set up a dinner with a meal that one of you will absolutely hate."

"Hate? Unless he's going to serve us fermented beans, I don't see that being possible. He himself abhors those things too."

"But your… fiancé does hate something."

"And that is?"

"For you to find out."

"What?! You're going to leave me in suspense after all you've said?"

"Yeah. You're going to have to figure that one out. I did say I'm a strict teacher."

"But that's only when you're helping me with Japanese literature!"

"I'm strict no matter what I do. You'll figure it out."

"Welcome everyone!" Shawn announced as he lightly tapped a spoon against a glass. "I again apologize for inviting you all here in short notice. But I hope the trip will be worth the trouble. I would like to show you what meal you will be given first before it is prepared. We have some incredible staff so it won't take too long." A maid entered with a cart, a veiled box atop it, much to everyone's surprise.

"Whiskers, is there a food you don't like?"

"Not really. I'm not a picky eater. Damn, this suit is tight."

"That is a branded British suit so stop complaining. So?"

"So, what?"

"A food that you don't like."

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Just answer the question! Ugh, well, it's very important. Believe me."

"I can pretty much eat anything. Even horrible riceballs."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

"No, you're not."

"Why should I even answer if you already know the answer?"

"Because you definitely hate it. You told me once before, remember? Don't try to act so tough and manly here."

"Hate what?"

"I hope this night will be enjoyable for all of us." Shawn walked towards the cart and pulled off the sheet hiding the box, underneath there was a glass case containing...

"Shrimps."

x-x-x

"Yakumo, I do not want to intrude for a second time now, but…"

Yakumo paused eating supper and looked at Sarah.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Harima lately. You're going on walks; you two tend a garden together, and you're going to the zoo on a weekly basis now. He even drives you home after your shift. Why not… you know… tell him how you feel? I think he will understand after what you've done together."

Yakumo was surprised again even it wasn't an unexpected question anymore. Anyone would have suggested it if they knew what Sarah knew, although in a slightly tactless or forceful manner. "Sarah, it's just that… I –"

"You're afraid that if you reveal it, he might feel awkward and it might change what you two have been doing so far."

Yakumo smiled a little. Sarah was more of a mind reader than she was.

"In due time, perhaps." Sarah continued. "As for me, you two are bound together now! I can't wait for the wedding pictorial. I might announce you two husband and wife on the spot!"

"S-Sarah."

"What? I did say I'm gonna be your matchmaker so I'm going to stick with you 'til the end."

Yakumo was flattered by her dedication and smiled. "I suppose so."

"Wait!" Sarah exclaimed surprising Yakumo by its volume. "Isn't Harima's show on TV right now? What's it called? Three for the Kill?"

"Don't worry." Yakumo calmly replied. "I'm already recording it."

"You are?"

Yakumo motioned to the red LED blinking under the TV. "Yes. It's already recording as we speak."

Sarah grinned. "And you're telling me you two are not a couple yet."

Yakumo kept silent, knowing Sarah wouldn't hold it against her. She continued eating, wondering what Harima was eating too.

x-x-x

"Shrimps."

The guests went wide-eyed with surprise as Harima began to prepare himself for the worst. They already talked about this while at Eri's house and on the road and all he had to do was play his part. Whatever the consequence, he would not let those glorified bugs touch his lips, let alone eating them.

"What's the matter, Kenji?" Shawn asked, sounding almost patronizing. "You don't like shrimps? I made it as a surprise so as not to spoil the excitement."

"I do not eat shrimps or prawns, Shawn, so I'm skipping it." Harima said flatly.

"Oh? It would be quite rude to reject something we invited you over for in good faith."

"I do not mean to interrupt," said Eri, joining in the conversation. "But my fiancé doesn't eat shrimps. It is also rude to hide what meal you've prepared. Perhaps others might be allergic to it. And then what?" the other guests nodded after hearing Eri's words but Shawn wasn't finished yet.

"I took into account your health, and none here, including your fiancé, has any allergic reactions in regards to shrimps or shellfish."

"You're right," said Harima, "I'm not allergic to shrimps but I don't eat them. Do you know why?"

"Pray tell us." Shawn said. "We're all curious about your aversion to so extravagant a meal."

Harima cleared his throat. "Just like how there are vegetarians and meat lovers, I don't eat shrimps. It's just who I am. We have our own preferences. If fish is like the chicken of the sea, in my eyes, a shrimp is like a beetle from the ground. If you look at them closely, they resemble bugs, don't they? They are bottom feeders who eat leftovers. I remember that you once said that you like Kobe beef because they are raised properly and grain-fed. What do you say about shrimps that look and feed like bugs? Just take a good look at them and you'll see it."

"Serving shrimps in an Oyster bar is not very sensible either." Eri added. "You might as well call it Oyster and Shrimp bar."

Murmurings started ringing as Shawn was visibly surprised by Harima's answer and Eri's comment.

"I think this young couple here has a point." An elderly man said. "I'm beginning to see why he doesn't like shrimps. They look very peculiar now that I think about it."

"And you're agreeing with him?" Shawn asked, almost offended.

"I did not say that, Shawn." The elder answered sternly. "I expect good oyster from an oyster restaurant, not shrimp. Why not serve your usual menu instead of trying out new ingredients? This restaurant is well known for its oysters so play with your strengths." Others nodded and Shawn found himself in a bind again. Damn that Japanese and his half-breed fiancée!

"If that is your wish." Shawn conceded. "You, throw those things away from here since we won't be having that anymore."

"Don't be wasteful, Shawn." Harima said. "That shrimp is still alive in that glass case so take it back to where it came from."

"You want me to put it back in the sea?" Shawn retorted mockingly.

"What are you talking about? Just put it back in a tank or something. But it would be quite a sight to see you trying to carry a shrimp back to the sea."

There were a few light laughs but Shawn was immensely incensed at how his plan was panning out. He knew going out of character now would not be beneficial to his cause, however. He ordered the cart away and went to the kitchen to command the staff to serve the usual menu. The way he did it was so brash that the staff was scared of their boss, barking orders at them. It was disconcerting when an affluent and cultured man spoke vulgarities when out of the public's eye.

The dinner didn't take too long. They simply ate and conversed with others. Harima had grown a reputation and some asked if he could spare the time to show them his artistic talents. Harima obliged and drew some quick sketches of people present that mostly pleased and entertained them. To add insult to Shawn's hurt ego, Harima drew a caricature of him sporting small pigtails at the side of his head. He said he couldn't capture his good looks so he drew him in a way that makes him look very comical for a change. This was all in good sport and everyone took it as one but Shawn, humiliated for the last time, excused himself after forcing a small smile and fake merriment. The dinner was over much to Shawn's expense of being the butt of jokes again.

"That taught him a lesson." Eri said in the limousine going back home.

"It better have." Harima said. "I won't ever eat a shrimp even if my life depended on it."

"Is that so? Then why did you eat some when Tenma invited you over that one time?"

"Oh, I did but I hated it from the start. It's too salty for my taste."

"I find that strange too but this tr…uh, Yakumo told me you like shrimp."

"She did? Well, I don't know about that but she prepared a meal looking like a shrimp but with potatoes in it so I could eat it."

"A shrimp prepared with potatoes in it?" Eri couldn't hide her surprise even if she tried.

"Yeah. It sure is considerate of her to notice. I guess she did it so I could tag along. That's just the person she is."

It was so annoying how everyone seemed to be complimenting Yakumo every now and then. That sly tramp. I knew something was fishy back then. "But oysters are better, right?"

"Way, way better."

That made him change sides. Eri smiled a little bit. She didn't want to intrude on how Harima and Yakumo were doing but compared to her relationship with Harima, theirs wasn't even worth talking about. As long as Eri and Harima like and hate the same stuff, things would just flow naturally for them. Harima and Yakumo seemed very ill-fated since they were total opposites. Their conversations may often be antagonistic, but Eri heard that a relationship blooms better in that rugged manner because it shows what they really are. One look at Harima and Yakumo and it felt like they were just doing it for show, not as their natural selves, especially Harima. Eri didn't know very much about Yakumo, but after hearing about that weird shrimp potato meal, she thought Yakumo was sly and might be putting up a front for him.

Well, Yakumo could play that game but Eri would just act natural and things would fix themselves along the way, no matter how others might see it.

It was just a matter of time.

x-x-x

Yakumo was looking out the window, gazing at the thousand stars illuminating the cloudless dark sky. It was late and she should be in bed by now, but whenever Harima was out and not yet home, she couldn't convince herself to sleep. Even though she couldn't muster the courage to greet him when he did get home, she simply felt content knowing that Harima would still be there tomorrow morning, and she could ease into sleep.

Days passed by with this in mind every night and she contemplated if this would always continue. Sure, they'd started doing something together now outside of his manga, but there was this distance she felt that she couldn't cross.

A whisper of his thoughts, even if barely audible. To hear him think of even a single word that could perhaps change all of this.

Still, nothing.

Silence. That absolute silence that once comforted her had become a signboard that showed how things were going.

Nothing was changing.

"The reason you won't confess is that you're not sure. Despite all you've done, you still cannot read his mind – even a little. You know the result already."

Yakumo turned around but didn't see the mysterious young girl. The young girl was brutally honest as always but what she said was the cold hard truth. She knew it herself that all this time; she wanted to make sure, to make sure she had a chance. And yet, none. Not even a whimper of his thoughts could she read. Would she risk it knowing that a chance was not slim but non-existent? Was that even a risk to begin with?

It wasn't good to lie to oneself, Yakumo knew. Despite others close to her seeing something promising between them, there was always a lingering thought in her heart that said otherwise. This wasn't denial but rather an uncertainty compounded by a much deeper reason.

Was it sensible to hope when the reason to doubt was so much stronger?

This wasn't about fear.

It was about doubt.

Author's Corner: PHEW! It's been so long since I've updated this story! I've been terribly busy these past few months, not to mention I've been focusing on my other story. I'll say this again: I haven't abandoned this story even if the updates and progression are very slow. That's just how I write given this is an old anime. I might edit some chapters to make it seem more bearable to read. Even I can get too much of an exposition!

We're 20 chapters now. Wow. 20 chapters and whole lot of words. I can't believe this has been going for that long. But don't fret! This has an ending that I haven't forgotten yet. Sometimes I wish I could just blaze through and end it in one fell swoop. Nah. Better stick to the plan.

Anyway, sorry for the late update and see you in the next chapter!