Part II

Chapter 53

Although Kagura usually felt that she was a somewhat well mannered individual, those graces flew out the window the very moment a meal was put down in front of her.

"...well, it looks like I brought you to the right place."

She glanced across the table, grinned stupidly at her lunch sponsor, Eiko, and then took another huge bite from her sandwich, the soft bread and tasty fillings melting wonderfully within her mouth. It was her third one, the first two consumed within minutes, and she was still far from satisfied. "Dish' ish' greadth!'"

Eiko smiled at her, and then took a sip of a coffee she had ordered. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. I told you it was good. All of this should keep those muscles of yours fueled for a while now, right?"

Kagura let go another delightfully stupid smile, and then scarfed down the remainder of her sandwich with glee. Eiko had definitely not lied to her about this restraunt being nothing short of amazing. The place was part of a chain that served western and mediterranean cuisine, and while Kagura wasn't sure as to how authentic it all was, she really didn't care either. The food was delicious, and that's all that mattered to her. "Dho' desh'..." She swallowed. "So, do they like, know you here or something? We got seated pretty fast."

The woman shrugged. "You could say that. "

She stole a look around her then, at least fifty or sixty other people currently dining alongside them in the enormous establishment. Upon first seeing the crowd, she had figured that the wait would have been a lengthy one, but a host had brought them past all of that and had immediately sat them down in a booth.

...well, for all I know, she friggin' owns this place.

Kagura figured that she wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. The place was decorated with an expensive, trendy theme of decor that seemed to match Eiko's own style, and its patrons appeared to be from the same upper crust of society as she was from. They all were enjoying the great food, the spread of giant televisions plastered against the walls, the decked out bar in the middle of it all. And, while Kagura had been to some nice restaurants before, they hadn't been nearly as lavish or amazing as this one.

I bet all this grub is super expensive, too. You'd have to be rich to eat here. Oh well, I'm not payin' for it, so...

Another sandwich met its demise, Kagura's ravenous appetite destroying everything before her, and it wasn't long before Eiko ordered another plate for her. "You're like a garbage disposal."

Kagura chuckled. She often got a bit of ridicule sent her way because of her voraciousness, but she enjoyed them more as compliments than as jabs. "That's me all right! Yeah, uh, hope you don't mind me goin' nuts here...I kinda' want to make the most of this..."

"Like I said, order as much as you want. It's all on me."

"Thank youuuu! Man, Yukari must love you. I bet you buy her tons of food, too."

"She does, and I do." Eiko set her drink down, stirring some sweetener into it. "But, I don't mind. I enjoy spending money on my friends. I think it's a good use for it."

The 'friend' comment delighted Kagura. "That's so cool! Man, I wish I could do that for my friends, too. Maybe someday..."

"You will. Just stick to your game plan."

She grinned. "I will!" She gobbled another sandwich, taking a moment to gulp it down. "...so, I take it you see Yukari a lot, then?"

"I usually see her on Sundays, and I try to take her to a restaurant if I have time. Whenever I pick her up from her house, she's like a dog that's just waiting to be walked. It's so funny."

The comment made Kagura laugh. "Yeah, I bet. I can totally picture that. Oh, umm, hey, that kinda' reminds me...is it ok for you to be taking me out like this now?"

"Pardon?"

"Well, I just figured that you'd have tons to do back at work or something..."

"I am at work."

"Eh, what'?"

Eiko gave her a wink.

Kagura was embarrassed at how long it took her to understand, and when she did, she started giggling. "...oh, oh! Right...uh, wow, that's awesome! You can just, you know, uh...'work' anytime you want?"

Another shrug of the shoulders. "I do what I want until they tell me not to do it. Sometimes, anyways."

It was a coolly delivered line, and Kagura felt herself tingle from it. "...man, that's so crazy! Have they ever caught you 'working'?"

"...well, let's just say that our board of directors doesn't like me very much." Another sly smile. "But they're all idiots, so I take it as a compliment."

Kagura chuckled.

"...but, in any case, this is a different situation. If Minamo needs help, then I'll always drop what I'm doing for her."

The comment made her smile. "That's so awesome to hear that Minamo has someone like you to call when she's in trouble!"

"Well, she's my little sister, Kagura. That's how I've always seen her, anyway, and, you know, it's just helping family in that respect."

"...oh, I get it. You're her big sister! Is she younger than you, too?"

Eiko nodded. "Yes, by the better part of a year. Yukari is a few months older than her as well, so..." The woman chuckled. "We've always liked to tease her about being the baby in our group of friends. It drives her crazy. But it's also a bit ironic, since she's generally been the most responsible out of all of us. Back in school, she would always lecture us if we did something that she didn't find appropriate."

Kagura laughed. "Guess that's why she makes such a good teacher. She's always doing that with us, too..."

"It's because she genuinely cares about your well being." Eiko drank from her coffee again. "But, as mature as she is, she's still always been somewhat crippled by her self-consciousness. I used to quite literally hold her hand wherever we went, Kagura, because she was never sure on what to do whenever she met people. And..." She sighed, sitting back into the booth. "...I still try to do that, whenever I can. I'm just always worried about her."

"...why? I mean, she seems to do ok..."

"I'm talking about what's recently happened. I somewhat saw this whole situation coming."

Kagura stared at her blankly for a moment. "Wait...you knew she was gay all this time?"

"Well, that's not what I was referring to. However...it's not like the idea never came to mind. She was always teased about liking girls in school, but I had just figured that it was the usual stereotype attributed to a good female athlete. I never believed it, especially since she always seemed to be into men. But..." She looked off to the side. "...in hindsight, there are some incidents from the past that have come into better context for myself now. But, anyway, no, I didn't specifically think of her as gay. What I was talking about was her breakdown itself."

"...oh! Oh! Yeah...wait..." Kagura furrowed her brow, recalling what was said earlier in the apartment. "You were actin' like you saw that happen before. Like, you totally knew that she had started seeing things...that's what you're talking about?"

"Exactly. I've seen her act as if some 'thing' was around her before, and it was always brought on by a severe lack of sleep. You see, she rarely rests well, Kagura, because she always worries about some issue or someone. And when things are going quite bad, well, it gets to her in the worst way, and the ensuing insomnia gradually leads to some erratic behavior."

...I wonder if that happened when I brought my own baggage to her? "...sheesh, that's nuts. No, like, really nuts, because she's always thinking of all the kids and stuff at school, so..."

"I know what you mean, and I'm sure it affects her. But, really, it happens more so when her reputation is on the line. She's been trained to keep it sparkling, so to speak. And, when it does run into danger, she gets these strange dreams, Kagura, where she imagines herself bleeding to death, or some such."

She felt a chill hit her then, unsure if she wanted to continue on this topic. "...didn't you ask me about blood...?"

Eiko nodded. "It seems she hallucinates those nightmares when she can't sleep. I think that's what you saw. It makes sense, given she hadn't been sleeping, and with her worry about her sexuality being revealed. In any case, she used to talk to me about them since she was so afraid of them. She's had them since...I recall the first time being sometime in junior high."

Kagura's eyes widened in surprise. "Holy crap...are you telling me she's been having those dreams for, like...like, forever...?"

"...if you mean over the latter part of her life, then, yes. I've always told her that it was sourced from her worrying, but it seems to have never cured." Eiko shook her head sadly. "It's some sort of neurotic disposition, likely because of how strictly she had been raised. You know, something like...if she doesn't perform well, she'll die, you know?"

"...wait..." Kagura's felt another chill hit her. "That's what I wanted to tell you earlier."

"Tell me what?"

"Something that she said to me..."

"...and that is?"

She didn't enjoy reminding herself of the words, but she forced herself to. "When I found her, when she was acting crazy, she said she was gonna' die."

Eiko hesitated for only a fraction of a second before responding. "...she really said that?"

Kagura nodded. "Yeah. That's...that's really what made me stay the night there. Since she was acting freakin' crazy, so I thought, you know...she..."

The woman stared at her for a moment. "...well, that's certainly outside predictions."

"What?"

"...I've never heard her say anything like that before. You're positive she said that?"

"Yeah, totally! I was super worried...I was ready to call a doctor or somethin', but she really didn't want me to."

"That makes sense. She hates doctors."

"What? But, why?"

Eiko shrugged. "I've never really understood it. It's definitely not because she's squeamish or anything like that. I mean, she's a physical education teacher, so she deals with cuts and blood and anatomy every day. But, now, I wonder if it's because of her sexuality." She rested her head on a hand as she thought. "Maybe she feels that it would have been revealed to a medical professional somehow? I don't know. She's rarely ever seen a doctor, in any case, since she's always been so ridiculously healthy. However..."

"Yeah?"

"...regarding what she said: I doubt there was anything serious to it, Kagura. She wouldn't harm herself. Just in case, though..." Eiko picked up her phone from off the table, tapping in something upon the screen.

"...are you messaging someone?"

"Just my housekeeper. I have a high rise downtown, and I don't like cleaning, so she takes care of it."

Kagura thought about that for a moment. "Oh...um, if it's ok to ask...are you married?"

The woman's eyes looked up to her for a moment, and that slick smile of hers cut across her face. "No."

She had no idea why, but the response made her completely freeze up.

Eiko returned her attention to her phone. "I've never been the marrying type. Anyway...I'm asking her if she can be totally free for this week, or at least knows someone else at her agency who can be." She looked up at her lunch companion again. "So, my plan for this whole situation had involved taking Minamo to my place while we sorted everything out. I don't want her to stay alone while all this is happening."

The notion brought some relief to her. "That's a great idea! I was kind of worrying about that myself...I mean, I'd love to stay with her, but I can't all day...I mean, my mom needs her car back soon, for starters..."

"Dont worry about it. You've helped more than enough already. Anyway, I'm usually out of my apartment for most of the day, so I had planned for my housekeeper to check up on Minamo whenever she could. However, given what you've just told me..." She set the phone down. "...like I said, I'm sure Minamo would never harm herself, but we might as well play it safe. I told my housekeeper that I'll have a sick friend with me for awhile, and asked if she could watch her for the full time."

"...will she?"

"She hasn't responded yet. But, either way, I'll find someone. At the very least, though, I'll take the weekend off to spend some time with her. It will give me a chance to talk to Yukari as well.

Kagura blinked. "Man...so, you really are gonna' get in the middle of this whole thing?"

Eiko smiled. "Well, it's going to be hard enough to get her out of her apartment, let alone expect her to go and talk to Yukari anytime soon. I can deal with an angry Yukari, in any case. But, we'll save that for the weekend and give her a few days to cool down first. If I call her now to talk to her, there's no telling what she might do." The woman sighed. "She wouldn't like it if others butted into her business this soon, and, it might cause her to do some things that she would later regret."

"...that reminds me. I wanted to ask..." Kagura's eyes stared at her empty plate for a moment. "...is Yukari so pissed off because Minamo's into women? I mean, does she not like gay people or something...?"

"Oh, no. That's not it at all. I'm positive." Eiko waved a hand about, dismissing the idea. "She's never been one to be judgemental about things like that. Really, she'll be friendly with anyone, as long as they buy her a drink."

"But, then, what's up with her? That's the real deal here to figure out, right?"

Eiko enjoyed another taste of coffee. "Well, this is getting into what I wanted to talk to you about, Kagura. I don't know what their specific issue is, because Yukari wouldn't become violently angry over anything that Minamo did to her that night. But, I have seen her become genuinely violent on a few occasions before, and it was almost always because of an issue she had with one of her friends."

Kagura crooked her head. "...with her friends? Why, did they try to screw her or somethin'?"

"...I guess, in a way." The woman played with the handle of her cup as it sat on the table. "She's never had great luck with friends, Kagura. Her type of personality isn't seen as too admirable in a reserved country like ours, so...issues come up."

...never heard Yukari's craziness described that way before. "Well, yeah...she definitely isn't a quiet person, if that's what you mean."

"There's much more to it than that. In any case, her relations with her friends is a bit of a sore spot for her. But, Minamo has always stuck with her through thick and thin, and that's always meant a lot to Yukari. She's lost a lot of friends in her life, Kagura, so having a best friend of Minamo's calibur has always made her feel very proud."

"...yeah, I guess that would be true. I mean, at school it looks like they fight a lot, but they still get along. Well, I know why now, in Minamo's case..."

Eiko smiled.

"...but, what are you tryna' say? Yukari doesn't see her as a friend anymore, so, she's mad at her?"

"I don't know for sure, or even specifically why she would be. But, I'm positive her past issues with friends is at the root of things here. She only gets very, very angry when she feels like she's been hurt by a friend, and Minamo is her best friend. Now..." Eiko looked to the side for a moment, watching the crowd. "I know it's not because Minamo is a lesbian, and I know Minamo keeping a secret about being a lesbian wouldn't anger her either. Even Minamo pulling some moves on her wouldn't."

Kagura frowned. "Then what the hell is up?"

"I don't know for sure, but, Minamo does."

"...wait, what?"

"She lied when I asked her about it." Eiko leaned forward. "I asked her if she knew why Yukari was mad, remember? She said she didn't know. She lied."

She blinked in surprise. "...uh, why? If she knows what's up, then, she should spill it, if she wants this whole thing solved anyway..."

"Probably because you were there."

"Huh?"

"She probably didn't want you to hear the reason."

"...you think she did somethin' bad, or what?" Kagura folded her arms. "And, seriously, how can you even tell she's lying in the first place? What if she's telling the truth?"

The woman tilted her head, a thin smile on it. "I know her better than anyone, Kagura. I can always tell when she's lying, because she so rarely does it. It just sticks out. And she only lies when she wants to cover something that might...well, in her opinion, might sully her reputation."

"...so, what are you telling me, then? That Minamo did something else to her?" She frowned. "Wait...do you mean, like, she didn't tell us what really went on with Yukari that night?"

Eiko sat back once more. "I believe she was truthful about that, for the most part. I just think there's something deeper going on here..." She fiddled with an earring. "...and whatever it is, based on how Minamo acted, I don't think she's too proud of it."

"...I'm really lost now. I mean-"

"...just listen to this, then." Eiko's sharp eyes locked onto hers. "Minamo is a very good woman. However, sometimes even good people do things that they aren't proud of, Kagura. Remember, she had a very strict childhood, so her mindset is always oriented around staying in everyone's good graces, no matter what. I want you to remember that."

Kagura scratched her head, the conversation beginning to become a little thick for her now. "...I'd never think bad of coach, but...do you know something about what's going on with them, then? Or, not...?"

The woman shrugged. "I have a lot of leads, so to speak, but nothing concrete. I'll need Minamo to sort that out for me. However...if what I believe is true, then Minamo will have to explain it to you herself, since it's her personal matter." She smiled. "There, how do you like your own medicine?"

A sigh came out from her. "...yeah, I get it. But, I didn't tell you about her 'caus-"

Eiko raised a hand. "I'm just joking with you. It was very admirable of you to allow her to tell me about all of this. You're quite the mature young woman."

Kagura gushed, any sort of compliment from Eiko seeming like immaculate praise. "...I'm not..."

The woman grinned.

"...you know..." Her high from the acclaim peaked quite quickly, a frown now on her face. "...I guess I should take back that part, about me never thinking bad of Minamo. Actually...I was pretty pissed at her today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And now I feel bad about it, I mean, you know, 'cause of all she's going through, but..." She took a large bite of an untouched sandwich, food such a great relaxer for her. "...I went through hell getting her to tell me what was wrong, and that she was in love with Yukari and all that. That was seriously like...both the weirdest and toughest thing I've probably been through."

Eiko looked at her peculiarly. "And you were upset at her because of that?"

"...well, sort of." She sighed. "I know this probably sounds like whining, but, man, when she just told you everything in like, ten minutes, I got so pissed at her. I mean, I know she's probably more comfortable with you and stuff, but...I just felt like I went through a bunch of drama for nothin'..."

"...ah, I see. Sorry for that. But, don't worry, it's fine to be a bit angry. Just don't hold it against her."

Kagura managed a smile. "Nah, I totally won't..."

There was a small pause in the conversation, chatter from other tables, the clinking of plates and dishes, filling the space. "...out of curiosity, was it Minamo's idea to call someone for help?"

She set down her sandwich. "Huh? Oh, geez, no. I had to really convince her to. She was freakin' out about anyone else finding out she was gay. Umm..." A sheepish smile came on her face. "Actually...I sort of picked up your name at school, 'cause one of the teachers said that she used to watch you guys hang around together. So, I dunno', I just dropped your name to Minamo and hoped it would do the trick, 'cause it sounded like you guys were close. Well, then she called you..."

"...ah, I see." Eiko rapped her fingers upon the table. "I suppose she was even scared of myself finding out, which is a bit disappointing. I guess she doesn't trust me as much as I believe she did. But, given her particular issue, I guess I can possibly understand as to why."

In that moment, Kagura recalled her sensei's initial reactions to hearing this woman's name. That's right, Minamo seemed plenty scared of her. Hmm...I don't think it would be a good idea to mention that now. "Yeah. It must be pretty damn terrifying..."

"Well, it shouldn't be, really. It's not like the society of this country is openly hostile towards gays or anything. They definitely don't like to talk about it, though." Eiko sighed. "But, she's a teacher that works at a fairly prestigious school, and she's in charge of a number of female sports teams. Some people would definitely find issue with that, so I'm sure that's possibly one reason that she's so worried about being found out."

"...hey...!" Kagura felt a surge of anger hit her, and she gripped the edges of the table. "...coach would never-"

Eiko shook her head. "No, she wouldn't. But some parents would think so, and schools don't typically tolerate controversial employees. In the worst case scenario, Kagura, Minamo could possibly lose her job."

"No way! What...that's-"

"Just relax. Sit down."

She hadn't even noticed herself rise from her seat, and she immediately plunked herself back down.

"I'm just giving you possible scenarios here. I'm sure all of this is going through Minamos mind as well, and it's probably a big reason as to why she doesn't want Yukari to talk to anyone, among other things." Eiko shook her head with some frustration. "But, Kagura, if the worst happens, then don't worry about your sensei. I'll take care of her, so don't worry at all."

"...yeah, I know she'll be ok with you around, but..." A hard grimace hit her face. "...I don't like the idea of her not being at the school..."

Eiko smiled. "I'm sure not many people would like that, either. But like I said, if it comes to it, I can help her out. Actually...I've tried to steal your sensei away from you all once before, but she didn't bite."

Kagura blinked. "You tried to steal her...?"

"That's right. We were having dinner one night, Yukari was there as well, and I offered her a job at our company. We needed a fitness instructor for our employees, and if she had taken it, she would have been making at least twice as much as she now does, plus a mountain of benefits."

Her jaw dropped a bit. "...whoa...and...she didn't go for it?"

The woman shook her head. "She likes you kids too much."

She felt the comment lift her spirits.

"...but, of course, the offer has always stood. If need be, she can always work for us. So, she'll be fine economically at the very least. As far as her social life goes regarding her sexuality, though...that, we'll have to see."

There was something that Eiko had just said that didn't strike Kagura in the right way, but she couldn't immediately identify as to what it was. Regardless, the two continued to chat a bit more, Kagura tearing into more and more food as they did. Eventually, the crowd around them began to thin out as the lunch hour faded away, and Eiko recommended that they leave soon as well.

"Just have one, Kagura."

"..err..." Kagura shied away, the woman holding a cold can of imported beer that she had just ordered. "...I don't think I should..."

Eiko waved it back and forth teasingly in front of her face. "It's all I'm asking you to do, in return for a ride back to the apartment." She grinned with glee.

Kagura frowned, not sure whether the threat was serious or not. "...ok, ok. Just...just a little..." My mom is gonna' kill me...

"Oh, that's what they all say, at the start."

She didn't understand what Eiko meant, but she slowly took the can and popped it open. After a minute of hesitation, and more prodding by Eiko, she took a sip. There was a slight bitterness to it which she didn't much like, but the frostiness of it was refreshing at the very least. "...ugh..."

"It's not too bitter for you, is it?"

Kagura pondered the flavor over. "...not a lot. Don't think I like it much, though. It's ok, just, not my thing..."

Eiko grinned. "You might like alcohol that's a bit more sweetened. Beer might not be your thing." The woman called a hostess over, and before Kagura knew it, another type of drink was set down in front of her, one that looked like a chocolate milkshake. "...what's this?"

"Drink it. You'll like it. It's not bitter at all."

She sighed and did as instructed. This drink, at least, was tasty, creamy and flavorful, with just a slight hint of something stronger underneath it. She set it down after a long gulp. "Ok, that was good. Man...that's alcohol...?"

"It's basically a milkshake, with whisky."

"...whoa...really?" She stared down into the frosted glass. "Well, guess if you add ice cream to anything, its gets better..."

Eiko chuckled. "Finish it up. You'll feel it soon."

"Huh?"

The woman didn't answer, just waving her hand playfully instead.

Within a few minutes, Kagura had wolfed the whole thing down, wiping some cream off her lips afterwards. "...I could get used to drinking stuff like that."

"I'm sure you will. Thanks for humoring me. Well, are you ready to leave?"

"Oh, yeah, sure."

The bill was quickly paid, Kagura wondering as to how much Eiko had just spent on her. They were then soon outside, the scorching summer sun still destroying everything as they walked back to the parking garage.

And then, Kagura began to feel quite good.

"...ha..."

Eiko turned her head to her, smiling. "There you go."

"Yeah, I'm goin'..."

She felt the woman place a hand on her shoulder, patting her with enthusiasm. Kagura turned to her then.

...man...she's a lot more freakin' gorgeous than I thought...

The sparkle of the woman's ruby earrings was so enticing to her now, and everything else, as well.

"...hey, Eiko, m'am?"

"Yes?"

"You're really good looking."

A grin was the response, and Kagura thought she felt a finger stroke her face. "So are you, dear."

It was so easy to talk now, and Kagura said a few more things to her, not really caring whatever came out of her mouth, nor really understanding any of it. The only thing she truly comprehended was just how wonderful the world had just gotten, everything becoming so ridiculously sublime.

Oh, the car.

She was now in the vehicle, somehow. It was then a mechanical reaction as she pulled the seat belt around her.

Vroom, vroom!

That lovely voice emanated from next to her. "Well, let's get going. Minamo will be up soon."

...Minamo...?

"...Minamo...?"

Eiko tossed her an impish smile. "Yes, the woman who just confessed that she was a lesbian to you. Remember?"

"...oh..." Kagura's eyes brightened up considerably. "...right...right...r-"

It hit her right then, the thing that had been nagging at her when the woman had spoken about finding her sensei a new job.

...yeah, she...she kept talking about Minamo's job...her job...and her lesbian...lesbian stuff...over and over. Minamo likes women. That's what we were talking about. Yup, the whole time...but...

Kagura closed her eyes, feeling like she was now melting into the leather seat.

...what was the other thing? With Minamo...oh. Yeah. She likes Yukari. She's got a crush on Yukari.

Huh.

Yeah.

Does Eiko know that? Maybe she forgot. Mmm...I better remind her after I wake up, 'cause...

Her head bobbed up and down a few times.

...'cause we didn't talk about that over my sandwiches even once...nope, not even once...mmm...