Part II
Chapter 50
Time had decided to not treat Kagura well then, as it was moving along far slower than she would have liked it to. For the last twenty or so minutes, she had just been quietly watching some television as she eagerly awaited the arrival of her mentor's old classmate. Her desire to meet this woman named Eiko had been steadily growing since Minamo had called her, a delightful sort of interest that was akin to a fan wanting to learn more about a beloved celebrity's inner circle of friends, and her curiosity had come to fully consume her thoughts.
...I wonder what she's like?
Kagura glanced over at Minamo, who was still laying upon the bed. Her back was turned towards her, and by all appearances, it seemed like she was taking a nap.
...well, she said she's not like Yukari, which is a really good thing. But what could that mean? Is she another Minamo, then? Well...a non-crazy Minamo, anyway...
The only other clue that she had to go on was that Eiko was a large player in a global car company. Kagura had been surprised to hear that her sensei actually knew such an influential person, as Minamo had just always seemed the type to associate with more simpler types of folks. If she were to go with that angle, however, then Kagura could imagine Eiko as someone who might be fairly low-key in her attitude and personality, somewhat plain and studious.
I guess that sorta' person could get along with her. I mean, Minamo's not a barrel of laughs or anything, so maybe they really are sort of the same? I figure she deals with Yukari's crap since she's in love with her, but, outside of her...
"Gah!"
Kagura immediately leapt off the couch, rushing across the room towards the bed. Minamo had suddenly sat straight up, gasping loudly as she madly wiped something off of her face. "Hey! Hey...what's wrong? Are you ok?"
Her mentor shook her head a few times as if trying to fling something off from it, and then gazed around the apartment with weary eyes. She took a few deep breaths, recovering herself. "...yes, yes...I'm fine..."
"There a spider on you?"
Minamo bit her lip, jerking her head back and forth a few more times. "...no. I just...I just had a bad dream..."
Oh, she actually was sleeping. "...damn, Minamo! That must have been some hell of a nightmare! Seriously, you looked like you were fighting off a swarm of somethin'. You freaked me out..."
"...sorry if I worried you."
Kagura chuckled. Yeah, you've been doing that a lot lately. "Nah, don't worry about it." She sat down next to her, examining her. Minamo appeared quite rattled and disoriented, and a high level of grogginess was clearly evident in her movements as well. "You sure you ok, though? You look kinda' spooked."
"...yes."
Her voice was equally fatigued. Maybe she didn't sleep that great yesterday? "Well, good. Umm...so, what did you dream about?"
Minamo frowned, closed her eyes, and then yawned. "...I don't remember..."
"You forgot already?"
"Yes..."
Kagura followed suit with her own sour expression, grimacing at the short responses. "...ok, umm, no problem! Just figured it must have been pretty scary..." She decided not to press her anymore on the subject, the woman obviously not interested in talking about it. "Do you need anything from me? Want some water or somethin'?"
Another yawn, Minamo's head bobbing up and down a little. "...I'm fine. Thank you."
She suppressed a smile, her sensei's drowsiness a little adorable to her. "Ok. Just let me know if you need anything, though. So..." She glanced at the clock that sat on the window sill behind the bed. "...so, hey: do you think that Eiko will be here soon? It's been about half an hour since you called her."
"...ah...I don't know. It's...there's probably traffic right now..."
"Oh, right. Didn't figure that. Also, by the way..." Kagura picked up her sensei's phone from a corner of the bed. "I was thinking...can you let her know that I'm here too? I just figure that it might be weird to see a stranger here out of the blue for her. Just text her quick, please?"
Minamo stared at the device as if she didn't know what it was, but eventually took it from her hand. "...mmm...she won't care..."
"Yeah, well, I will, ha-ha...it'd make me feel a little better, 'cause I hate being a surprise third wheel, you know..."
Her mentor yawned once more, her fingers lazily tapping the screen now. "Ok. Ok. I'll tell her you're here...that you were around..."
She smiled with some relief. "Thanks! I just hope she won't mind a college kid being here when she comes. Ya' know...I figure she doesn't hang around them much, like, I'm probably like an idiot to someone like her." She laughed.
The woman finished sending her message. "...everyone is..."
"Uh, what?"
"...she's...umm, what's the word...? She's always been a nerd...she loves math and science and things like that..."
Kagura's eyes widened a bit. Oh, so she's a brainiac, huh? "Wow! Well, I guess she would fit in a place that makes cars and stuff, then. But, man, I didn't figure you and Yukari would really hang out with that someone like that. Err, wait, don't take that the wrong way...I just mean, well, I always find nerds and whatever kinda' dull..."
"...mmm...we don't really...'hang out'. I don't really see her that much anymore..."
"'cause she's really busy?"
Minamo set the phone down in front of her. "...I guess. She leaves the country a lot, too, but...it's more about...it's more that..."
"...more what?"
Her sensei's words came to a gentle stop, and then she looked up at Kagura with a muddled look on her face. "...wait..."
"What's up?"
"...Eiko...wait...she was coming here...?"
"Uh...duh?"
Minamo stared at her stupidly for a second, before an alarming realization crept across her face. "That's right! That's right! Eiko's coming here! What...what am I doing...? I can't believe I feel asleep! What the hell am I doing?"
"Whoa, whoa!" Kagura reeled back from the sudden outburst. Minamo's head was now clutched desperately between her hands in fright, her sleepiness completely gone now. "Calm down! Are you serious? We were just talking about her comi-"
The woman suddenly jumped off the bed, an urgency in her actions as she raced to one of her closets, pulling out clothes from a drawer inside. "Kagura! I'm going to take a shower! Please...please do me a favor!" She slammed the door shut and then sprinted to the bathroom. "Please make my bed! Please clean up whatever looks off...the dishes! Clean the dishes! Put them in the washer!"
Kagura was on her feet now as well, gawking at her mentor. "Hey! Calm down!"
"Just clean up before she comes! Hurry!"
"Hey! Wait!"
Minamo ignored her, and within the next moment, she had locked herself in the bathroom.
...damn, man...
Kagura fell backwards upon the bed in a heap, staring up at the ceiling with an enormous amount of dismay on her face.
"...what the hell is up with her now?"
There. That looks good enough. For me, at least...
Kagura surveyed the entirety of the apartment, everything now in somewhat better order after she had given it all a quick tidying up. The pillows were set neatly upon the furniture, the bed was made, the kitchen cleaned.
Wasn't a lot to do, but, I think I've spent more time cleaning here than I have for my own room in a whole month...
She glance towards the bathroom door, sighing at it. The sound of the shower had been going on for more than ten minutes now, and Kagura was beginning to wonder if Minamo would purposely extend that time out even longer. While she didn't have any real idea as to the usual length of Minamo's baths, her mad dash to the bathroom earlier had just made Kagura feel that it was all less about washing herself and more about escaping her situation.
She threw herself on the couch.
...I get that she's nervous about telling her friend she's gay. Sure, I can get that. But...what's having the place look good have to do with that? I mean, you were looking like a mess yourself for almost two days without giving a crap...
Another few minutes passed by, the light rapping sound of water hitting the tub's bottom still carrying on about her.
...come on! Kagura kicked her legs against the end of the couch. Don't leave me hanging out here alone, Minamo. Whatever's buggin' you, just get over it already and get back out he-
The doorbell rang.
"Aw, dammit!'"
With great reluctance and a mighty groan, Kagura got herself off of the couch and then drug her feet over to the front door.
...get out of there already, Minamo!
Annoyance began to fill Kagura, the awkwardness of her predicament truly vexing her now. She had been fine with the idea of opening her sensei's door to a stranger, but that was with Minamo sitting in the room behind her. Now, she would have to do so alone, and then also attempt to play host to someone whom she had little in common with, a corporate woman, while in someone else's home.
"Coming!"
Whatever. Just get this over with.
Kagura placed her hand on the lock, undid it, and then pulled the door open.
Man, Minamo...I know this is a hard time for you, but I'm seriously going to give you some hell after this. Ugh, should I be all formal since she works for such a huge company or whatever? Should I ge-
Her thoughts immediately broke apart, a sudden, surreal feeling smashing them with tremendous force.
...holy...!
"...well, hello there. You must be the student Minamo messaged me about, correct?"
"...y-y-ye-yes...?"...she...! "...are...y-you...are you Eiko...m'am...?"
"That's right. And what's your name?"
"...I'm...my...my name's...Kagura...?"
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Is your sensei here?"
...I...can't...!
Kagura turned to her side. She hadn't witnessed it, but at some point in the last few seconds, the woman named Eiko had invited herself into the apartment, and was now standing in the entrance way as well. "...in...she's...the shower...the shower! Right now...she's taking a shower..."
"In the middle of the day? Was she out swimming?"
"...no! No...no...?"
...holy...!
"Hmm. Oh, well. I'll wait for her." She then looked her up and down. "Well, now. You're certainly a very interesting girl, aren't you...Kagura?"
To hear this woman speak her name, to see the cool smile that she had just flashed at her, both of them together had finished the job of completely decimating Kagura's ability to speak.
...holy shit! This...
...this...this is Eiko...?
But, she's...
...but...she's...
In front of her, decked out in a crisp business suit, black stockings flowing up into an equally sharp skirt, stood the most gorgeous woman, or yet, the most gorgeous person, that Kagura had ever seen in her life.
...I thought Minamo...she said...
...how...how does she know someone like this? And...and why...
...and why...
...and why the hell can't I breathe now...?