Part I

Chapter 29

Minamo pressed the buzzer, waited for a minute, and then frowned, no response coming from the intercom.

...maybe I did come too early. I guess they're all asleep still.

She looked around, spotting the Tanizaki family car in its usual parking spot, its dented and scratched exterior making it appear so out of place next to their charming abode.

But...he should be going to work now, right? He must be up, at least.

Minamo pressed the button one more time.

"...hellooooooo?"

She smiled. "H-hi, sir...it's Minamo. May I come in?"

"Oh! Damn! It's you, Nyamo! Why you pressing that thing? Just get the hell on up here."

The outside gate wasn't locked, the norm for this particular house, so Minamo quite easily strolled up to the entrance of the Tanizaki residence, its door swinging wide open just as she neared it.

"Damn...you're here early! It's not even seven yet, kiddo'."

A thin, wiry man now stood before Minamo, a dress shirt and matching pants adorning him. Smeared across his unshaven face was a humorous grin, his sparse beard blending upwards into the frizzy, graying hair that covered his head.

Mr. Tanizaki waved his guest inside. "Come in! Come in! Damn, when's the last time I saw you, Nyamo?"

Minamo bowed her head respectfully, following her friend's father into the house. "Umm...it's been awhile I think, sir. Maybe a few months."

The man laughed jovially, a lightness in it that matched the playful, carefree aura that he had about him. "Geez, kiddo', you're still too damn formal. But that's why you're such a good kid I guess, huh? Yeah, it's been awhile! I'm always missing you when you come over nowadays."

"I know! It's really nice to see you again, sir."

He laughed once more. "Such a damn good kid!"

She smiled warmly as she removed her shoes, Minamo taking her steps onto the carpet slowly afterwards as she adjusted herself to the ambient darkness that greeted her. Much like their daughter, the Tanizaki parents seemed to have a general dislike of artificial lighting, the rooms bathed in a subdued atmosphere thanks to the little amount of sun that made its way through the windows, the sky being an overcast one this morning.

"That damn dummy isn't going to be up for awhile, Nyamo, unless you want to go wake her up."

"O-oh...ok. I'll go check!"

Mr. Tanizaki was heading into the kitchen, so she parted ways with him before it, heading up the staircase to her friend's room, but stopped halfway.

...maybe...maybe it's better to...let her sleep some more. Yeah. Just a little more...

She nodded to herself, taking in a deep breath that didn't help in the least bit to settle her buzzing nerves.

It's...still early. Really, really early...so it would be rude to get her up like this. Yeah. So, just wait. Yup, yup, just wait...a little more...yup...

With haste, she turned around, skipping down to the first floor and bolting into the kitchen, Mr. Tanizaki sitting down at a little table with an empty plate and open book before him.

The man looked up from what he was reading. "She kick you out?"

She stepped towards the table clumsily, her feet tied together with apprehensiveness. "Ah...ah, no, she was...really sound asleep. I'll wake her up soon. Um...so, so, if it's ok...I'll just wait in the living room, sir...umm...if it's ok...sir?"

"Why the hell are you asking? This is your place too, kiddo'." He beamed, smacking the top of the table a few times with a hand. "Hell, sit down right here! C'mon, sit down! Let's catch up with each other!"

Minamo obliged hesitantly, pulling up a chair.

"Oh, right, before that!" The man stood up abruptly, taking his plate with him as he headed towards the sink, placing it down inside. "You want something to drink, kiddo'?"

"Ah..."

He went over to the fridge. "I got some sake still!"

A dubious look washed over her face. "N-no...that's ok, sir. Umm...maybe some coffee, if you have any ready."

Mr. Tanizaki pulled a chilled bottle out. "Sure do! Got some riiiiiight here!"

She sighed as the man sat back down, pointing the bottle straight into her face. "Sir..."

"Coffee!"

"I'm...working soon..."

"Wow! Me too!"

She frowned.

He wiggled the bottle back and forth between his fingers temptingly.

"...I...I really shouldn't, sir...

Mr. Tanizaki laughed, taking the drink away. "Man, I can never pull one over on you, Nyamo. You knew there wasn't really any coffee in here, didn't you? You're just too damn sharp!"

Minamo sighed again, trying her best to maintain a smile.

The man took a swig from the bottle then, leaning back in the chair as he continued to laugh. "So, hey, tell me what's going on in your life now. You're still teaching P.E., right?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, sir. And...things are going...ok, I guess."

Mr. Tanizaki looked at her curiously. "Whoa, what's up with you? You sound kind of out of it."

Minamo shrugged. "I'm fine...just, you know...a little tired. I got up early."

"Hmm...how come you're here so early, anyways? Damn...did that bastard principal change the hours?"

"No...no...school still starts at the same time as always, sir."

"Oh, yeah? Hmm, well..." He began to laugh again. "Don't tell me that you came over just to see this old man again, now! Aww, you're always such a damn swell kid, Nyamo!"

Minamo glanced at the table with a bit of abashment, trying to hold back a chuckle as Mr. Tanizaki grinned merrily.

It's so funny...he always acts just like Yukari...that same, stupid smirk...

She managed to keep herself together. "W-well, I mean...it really is nice to see you again, sir, but, actually, I came here early because...well..." She considered her words for a moment. "...I...I just wanted to talk to Yukari about some things before we left today."

Mr. Tanizaki placed the bottle on the table. "Damn, that right?" His eyes suddenly sparkled. "Oh, I bet I know why! I thought that dummy was acting kind of strange yesterday..."

She stared at him in alarm. "W-what...?"

The man pointed a thumb towards the staircase outside of the kitchen entrance. "Well, she was being pretty weird last night, Nyamo. Usually we watch some stuff on the tube together whenever I get home at night, you know? But, damn, she didn't want to yesterday! Didn't even want a beer! I thought she was sick or dying or something, because she was being all stupid and mopey and stuff. So, me and her mom figured that she was pretty upset about something or such."

Minamo felt her chest tighten considerably. "...upset...?"

The man shrugged. "Seemed like it. Something got her rattled. So, I take it something happened, Nyamo? That's what you wanted to talk to her about, I bet?"

"I...y-yeah, I guess, sir."

"I figured! So, what's up? She lose some money again or something?"

Her gaze sunk down to the table. "No...it's something...personal, between us."

"Oh, shit!" Mr. Tanizaki grabbed his drink, taking a long chug from it. "You get mad at her for something? I don't blame you if you did, kiddo'. She needs to be yelled at here and there, yeah?"

"...no...it's nothing like that, sir. It's...it's a little hard to explain. But..." She bit her lip. "I sort of...said something that I shouldn't have, so..."

Her friend's father gawked at her. "Oh, man! You must have told her off really bad, Nyamo! She screwed something up good, huh?"

"No...she didn't do anything wrong, sir. It's just...something that's my fault, that I want to clear up with her before work. That's why I came early." She looked back up at him. "I'm sorry if I don't go into the details, sir, but...I just..." Her shoulders drooped. "...I'm just worried that she might be really mad at me for it, and I wanted to talk to her about it now, but...I don't know. I'm just stalling now, I guess..."

The man's face came alive with disbelief, an enormous amount of doubt that was borderline comical. "Whoa! That's a new one! Didn't think it was possible for a good kid like you to ever get on anyone's bad side, Nyamo."

Minamo smiled weakly. "...well...I'm not totally sure about it, sir...but I think I might have this time. We texted a bit last night, but, I can't really tell from just that..." Underneath the table, her fingers began to weave together nervously. "But...if you said that she was acting strange..."

Mr. Tanizaki nodded. "Yeah, she was. Pretty damn moody. She wasn't talking much at all. But, hey, kiddo', I wouldn't sweat it any. She wasn't mad about anything. I'm pretty sure of that."

"...why is that, sir?"

The man took a look at his watch, standing up as he began to stretch. "You know that dummy is mad when she comes home and throws a fit all over the place. Damn, it's hell when she's like that..." He shook his head slowly. "She won't shutup about whatever pissed her off. You know what I'm talking about, Nyamo? Of course you do. But, she didn't do that yesterday. Like I said, it was weird. I think she was kind of down, but...well, if you guys had a fight or something, then she didn't act like she was mad at you for it or whatever." He laughed. "C'mon! You're the last person that dumbass would carry a grudge against anyways, Nyamo."

Minamo fumbled with a response, not quite sure as to what she had just heard. "M-me...?"

"Yeah." He picked up the bottle, going around the table to his visitor, patting her shoulder as he continued to make work of his drink. "You guys have been friends forever, right? I mean, even if she's actually pissed off at you or whatever, it won't last long. She likes you too much, kiddo'."

For a few seconds, Minamo forgot how to speak.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

Her body shook itself out of its sudden stupor. "I...umm...tired, sir. I didn't have any...coffee. I'm kind of out of it...I guess. Yeah..."

"Oh." Mr. Tanizaki looked over towards a counter. "Well, I got to get going to work now, so go make some if you want."

"O-ok..."

"Anyways..." Her friend's father laughed. "Go smooth things over with her, or whatever you were going to do, alright? Damn, it's such a drag when she's bummed out, Nyamo." He sighed dramatically. "At least when's she's mad, she'll still come and drink with me after I get home. That's my favorite part of the day..."

"...I'll...I'll talk to her, sir. Don't worry."

"Well, good! That makes me feel better. You always know how to fix everything, Nyamo. Just go wake her stupid ass up and do your thing." He gave her another silly grin before turning around, picking up a set of car keys from a drawer as he made his way out of the kitchen. "Can you lock the door?"

"S-sure..."

He looked back towards her, his face gleaming as he waved his hand enthusiastically. "Such a damn fine kid you are! Good seeing you again, Nyamo!"

"Bye, sir."

Mr. Tanizaki left then, and in a few moments, Minamo heard the sound of a car roaring to life outside, its wheels squeaking loudly as it sped away into the distance.

She looked down to the floor, her stare burning a hole into it.

...she...likes me?

Her head shook back and forth, as if it were trying to rid itself of something.

...of course she does. She's your friend. You...you already knew that. It's nothing new...nothing new at all. I mean...that's why we're friends to begin with. We just get along somehow, so, obviously, that means that she thinks well of you...

She sat there in silence.

...and likes...to be around you. And talk to you. And do things for you, and...and watches out...for you...

In an instant, her arms wrapped themselves around her body, Minamo leaning over her knees as the prickly chill that now danced across her skin started to become far too much to bear.

...and tells you...how nice...your smile is...

Slowly, her eyes went up, ascending the stretch of stairs outside of the kitchen, the number of steps on it appearing to somehow having doubled, tripled, quadrupled...

...Yukari.

With a shiver, Minamo hugged herself tightly, and then, despite the heavy chains of anxiety that held her, she launched herself onto her feet and began to head up to her best friend's room, wondering along the way as to the real reason of why she had so badly wanted to see the woman so early this morning.