Rin poured the coffee in the mug and watched as the small clouds rose from it. She clicked her tongue and leaned against the cabinet, looking up at the ceiling. She breathed in the bitter smell of the dark liquid and remembered a faint memory from last night. "Ah, Nee-chan, stop being so bitter all the time! It's just a game. You don't have to make such a drama about it." Rin shot her brother a glare and muttered that it was still unfair for him to own four hotels when the game only started ten minutes ago. Makoto tilted her head as she looked at the younger boy. "Y'know, Matsuoka-chan isn't that bitter,"Makoto smiled back at Rin, "when she wants to be."
Rin looked down at her coffee and pursed her lips. She knew Makoto was wrong about that; Rin was bitter. She was always sarcastic and glared and ignored people and even called them names behind their back. And the only times she wasn't bitter, she was acting stupid. She acted the most stupid around Makoto. "Hey." Rin glanced at her brother and greeted him back. "Where's Tachibana-chan?"he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a jug of milk. Rin sipped her coffee and rose a brow at her brother that jugged down the milk. "She went home when you fell asleep,"Rin said those words but felt sour when saying them. She didn't like it when Makoto's phone rang and she felt an itch when Makoto said she had to leave.
"Oh, okay,"Gou wiped his mouth and looked intently at his sister as she sipped on the beverage. "Makoto seems like such a sweet girl. You need to bring her around more often,"their father slipped into the room and the two almost jumped. Their father never woke up early on his days off, and when he did it was when he wanted to butt in in their lives. Rin always thought it was annoying how most of those days he butted in hers. "So caring and considerate. She even put up with your solitary nature and bitter sarcasm. And she seems to like you, Rin. She'd make a good friend for you." The girl twitched at the word 'friend'. That word and Makoto didn't seem to fit with Rin. Not one bit. And she didn't know why. "Hm, why did you use so much coffee?"her father whined and frowned. Rin rolled her eyes and sipped some more when her father looked back at her. "It's because all of your candy at the party made my mouth taste all sweet. You know I don't like sweet things." Gou smirked and shared a glance with his father. "Oh yes, Nee-chan usually doesn't like sweet things,"the two snickered. Rin was confused and just told them they were stupid.
A week passed after that. Makoto came to the lessons earlier to pick up Haru, but sometimes it seemed to Rin like Makoto wasn't there for Haru (considering the one time Haru said her other friend came to pick her up). Rin tried not to smile every time Makoto walked over to her and bit her lip when Makoto accidentally called her by her first name -at least, Rin thought it was an accident. Rin became a little more comfortable looking at Makoto in the eye and sitting next to her, but couldn't help but wonder why Makoto did those things in the first place. Or why Rin liked it.
Her brother linked his arm into hers and huffed as his other sister stuck her tongue out. "Baby,"she whispered and he glared at her. Makoto told Ren to stop teasing and smiled down at her brother. "It's okay, Ran. You'll do fine in the dark. Just hold on to me tight, okay?" Ran nodded and gripped his other hand on her arm. Ren just rolled her eyes and told her sister that she wasn't afraid of the dark. Makoto just smirked and told her sister that was very nice. Ran frowned at his sister's smug look and just leaned against his older sister. They walked down the aisle slowly and slid into their seats. Ran felt for his sister and gripped on her tight. Makoto patted his head and gazed at the lights that faded on the stage.
The smoke flowed in and the music began to play slowly. The violins, then the piano and came in the cellos. A single dancer tip-toed to the middle of the stage and bowed. She raised her head and stretched her arms upwards and it went black. Silence. Then came in the big smash of cellos, violins and pianos. The light hit over a circle of ballerinas that twirled and skipped to side. The middle dancer was met by two others. They linked arms and leaped forward as the rest went behind them. They all twirled and leaped and linked and jumped and they were all so graceful.
"They're all so pretty,"Ran whispered. Ren nodded and leaned in. Makoto tilted her head and furrowed her brows. She pursed her lips and fiddled with her hands. "Something isn't right,"Makoto whispered. She twisted her lips and pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Something about it all felt off to Makoto. She didn't know why, but it all was a bit...muddled. Rin looked as light and controlled as ever. So natural; so perfect. But something about her being in the rest of the group was...off. Yet she couldn't put her finger on it.
Then the lights shut off so suddenly that Makoto reached out for her brother and held him tight. She heard a thump and felt her heart fell. She held unto her brother even tighter until she heard muffles and quickly let him go when the lights came back on. Makoto pressed her lips together so hard that it became thin and pale. She got out of her seat and quickly ran up the stairs to the stage. She stopped in front of the heap of dancers that pushed each other out of their way. Each one got up and groaned and glared at one another. She searched around and breathed a sigh when she saw the red head sitting in the middle of it all. "Rin-chan,"Makoto knelt down and reached for the girl's hand. Rin looked up at the brunette and didn't even seem to mind her calling her by her first name. "Matsuoka-chan! Matsuoka-chan!"the two children followed behind and knelt down next to their sister.
Rin felt flustered by all of this attention and looked sheepishly at the other dancers that rose their brows. "I'm fine,"Rin hesitated, "Makoto-chan." Rin looked down at her hands. "Are you okay? You're shivering..."Rin glanced up at the girl that bit her lip. The two looked up at their sister as well and Ran pulled on her sleeve. "Nee-chan, what's wrong?" Makoto glanced at her brother and smiled weakly."I-I'm okay. Everything is fine,"Makoto assured, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself to Rin. The red head looked down at her hands and blushed at Makoto's tight grip. She soon pulled away when she felt her heart.
"Who the hell decided to change the lights,"Mikoshiba bellowed. The backstage crew shrugged amongst themselves The teacher sighed and asked the rest if they were okay, pulling on their dresses and wiping away their smeared makeup. Rin stood up and pulled Makoto up with her (a bit surprised by how light she seemed then). Ran held unto his sister's hand as he heard the doors open wide. Ren gasped and pointed her finger to the figure that stepped onto the aisle. "Daddy! Daddy!"she yelled and jumped off the stage into his arms. The man laughed and rubbed his daughter's head. Rin stared wide-eyed and felt herself smoothing her skirt. Makoto just tilted her head and completely lost interest.
"Hello father,"she said simply and pursed her lips when he walked up on stage and wrapped an arm around her. Ran sniffed as his father ruffled his hair. Rin stared at the family; how amazing they all looked. Makoto's father was tall, handsome and (despite his age) had all his hair. The twins looked so young an innocent and full of life. And Makoto looked like she looked the first day Rin saw her; charming, pretty and unreal. The red head felt a little out of place and gulped as the man looked back at her. "Ah, you must Matsuoka. I've heard good things from Miho about you." Rin noticed how Makoto seemed to twitch at that.
"I see my recommendation was worth it,"he chuckled and Makoto fidgeted. Rin blinked and felt her shoulders tense. A person has been recommending you to me for months. Makoto's father was the one that recommended me!?, Rin thought. She gulped and pulled a smile."Ah, thank you, sir,"she croaked. The man nodded and turned to his daughter. "I hope my daughter has been treating you well like a good girl should." Even though Makoto smiled at her father, Rin could see the annoyance in her eyes. "Mommy will be really happy to see you, daddy," Ren gushed and pulled on his sleeve. The man smiled and said he'd be happy too. He told his eldest daughter that he'd take the twins home and that she should get home early. Makoto nodded and looked back at Rin when he left. "I'm sorry about that.". Rin pursed her lips and said it was no problem. Rin didn't like the pale green of the girl's eyes and blushed when she took her hand and excused it by saying it was Haru's group's turn to go.
"I'm really sorry about this, Nee-chan. I'm just busy with...stuff. I know this is really mean of me, but I'll pay you back; I promise. Please don't hate me. Bye." Rin stared at the phone and stuffed it in her pocket. She looked out the window and cringed at the sight of rain. It was raining the whole weekend but she still wanted to go. She didn't mind it that her brother cancelled but was shocked to hear her father didn't want to come at all. She sighed and cursed herself for not buying her own car. She flipped through her phone and narrowed at her contacts. "..I shouldn't. But maybe..."she bit her lip and clicked on the option. She pressed the phone against her ear and ticked her fingers on the window sill. When the other end clicked, Rin took a deep breath. "Um..hey. I was wondering if maybe you're not busy, you could do me this one favour..."
The wheels slid over the ground and she hit the brakes right in front of the gates. She looked around and glanced at Rin. She twisted her lips and felt worried of the sound of the pitter patter of the rain. "Are you sure you want to go out there..alone?"Makoto chose her words carefully but soon regret them when Rin looked back at her. "I'll be fine,"she hesitated, "Makoto-chan. It's just a little rain, it won't kill me." Makoto grinned at that and Rin felt a flutter. She reached for her umbrella and told Makoto she'd be gone for a minute or so. Makoto nodded as Rin slid out of her seat and on the wet ground. She opened up the umbrella and smoothed her slightly damp hair. She walked around the car and clicked the gate open. She stepped up the stairs slowly and took a breath when she saw the tombstone. "Hey,"she shifted the umbrella from her one shoulder to the other, "Mom."
Makoto glanced at the radio and furrowed her brows back at the girl that still stood in the cemetery. She fiddled with the wheel and wondered if it was already a minute. She sat there for a moment hesitating, but quickly grabbed for her jacket and pulled it over her head. She stomped in the puddles and held unto the gate tight when the wind blew it open. She opened her mouth to call the girl, but shut it tight when she saw the girl standing in front of the tombstone. There was a silence as Makoto stood with her jacket pulled over her head, staring at the distracted Rin. "She's my mom,"Rin said slowly. Makoto didn't know what to say and looked at the block. Azami Matsuoka, 1972-2001 A Beautiful Sight R.I.P. Makoto stared at the carved words for a moment and felt a lurch when she saw Rin' crumpled face.
"She would've been 46 years old today,"Rin spilled. "She said she'd be the best dancer ever by now." Rin looked over at Makoto and felt her heart soften when she saw the dark green eyes look at her with sympathy. "She practised practically everyday. She told me I was good, but I know it was just for being nice,"Rin felt her voice crack. She looked away quickly when she felt a tears muffle her vision. "I sometimes remember how she would hold me tight on days like this. She'd tell me everything was going to be okay, but I know she was just comforting,"she bit her lips hard. "Do you have any memories like that, Makoto-chan?"
A silence. Rin glanced at the girl and furrowed her brows. She felt bad for saying it then and stepped closer to the girl. "I,"she twitched her nose. She looked around worriedly and looked over at the red head. "I..I don't have any..."she whispered. Rin stared at the girl for a moment. "..I can't remember anything...about..back then.."she said slowly and her lids lowered. Makoto looked at the ground and felt a sting when Rin didn't reply. But then she widened her eyes and gasped as the red head wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Makoto felt her heart race as she felt the tight grip around her shoulders and couldn't help but breathe in the smell of Rin's hair.
"Is it weird..that I'm doing this?" Makoto gulped and cautiously placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "N-no, it's not." The two stood in the damp weather, only protected from the rain by a small umbrella and stood there for a while even after the rain slowly stopped. Makoto heard a faint sniff and felt a tear drip down her cheek. "Everything...everything is going to be okay..."Makoto whispered and placed her other hand on the nineteen-year-old's shoulder. Rin chuckled and Makoto wished she could see her smiling face. They stood like that until an old man scolded them to leave.
"Makoto's boyfriend gave up, y'know." Rin gripped her shirt at the shock of the girl's voice. It's been almost a week of silence from the girl and now all of the sudden she sprang back in her little annoying self. Rin glared at the dark head and went back to stretching her leg on the bar. "Tch, so what; I don't care." Haru tilted her head and stared for a moment. "That's not what your smile says." Rin blinked and turned back to the girl, but she was already gone. Rin kept reminding herself to ask Haru to stop with all this boyfriend nonsense, but something about the girl's normal, monotone way of speaking about it makes Rin suspicious. Did Makoto really have a boyfriend?
Rei quickly wrapped the skirt around Rin's waist and pulled it tight. "Ugh, can you not be so aggressive? I need to breathe,"Rin spat and pulled on the rims of the skirt. Rei twisted her lips and let out a small 'sorry'. "I'm just a bit irritated today,"Rei explained and looked back at the mirror to view the shape of the clothing. Rin rose her brows and almost wanted to ask more, but just bit her lip. She wasn't going to get in their business. Especially since annoying was standing behind them. Rin parted her lips when she saw her reflection and was amazed by the detail. Crystal white with small little snowflake-like patterns on it that slightly sparkled and in the right light. It looked so perfectly fitting against Rin's figure that for a split-second she didn't believe it was her in the mirror. Haru tilted her head at the dress. "Looks nice,"she said simply and Rin just rolled her eyes. "Makoto will like it." Rin flushed and glared at the girl. She caught the other's smirk and felt like punching her in the face if it wasn't for the other dancers in the room.
Rin didn't like Haru's sudden interest between Makoto and Rin, especially during the practice. "I see you wear rose scented perfume; roses are Makoto's favourite." "You shouldn't crack your knuckles like that; Makoto thinks it's gross." "Makoto isn't picking me up today, so don't be disappointed when she doesn't come...I can see it on your face." Rin groaned and glared but the girl wouldn't leave her alone. She thanked the world that the class was over but hesitated packing her bags when she heard something wheel into the room. She took a glance and then turned completely around.
There stood a metal wheelchair at the door and Rin felt like choking at the shock. A petite girl sat in the chair with silver hair, bright blue eyes and a big smile. What made Rin more shocked was that Haru knelt down next to the girl and listened to her chattering. The girl glanced at Rin and smiled even more brightly. She looked back at Haru and said something which made Haru look at the girl too. She stood up slowly and rolled the girl over to Rin. The red head felt her throat close up when the girl got closer and started to sweat. "Ah, you must Matsuoka-san,"the girl said sweetly and Rin made a weary smile. "Um, and you must be-" "-Nitori Aiichiro,"the girl explained and looked up at the dark head. "She doesn't seem as bitter as you said, Haruka,"Nitori tilted her head. Rin grinded her teeth at that and rolled her eyes. The silver head looked back at the elder and smiled.
"I saw one of your performances once, Matuoka-san. You were really good." Rin felt a little tug at her heart as the girl shined. She felt a little sad when she saw the girl's wheelchair and grinned at the girl. "Thanks,"she said softly. Haru glanced at the girl and back at Rin. "Can you maybe give me your autograph?"Nitori reached for her notepad in her pocket and Rin's eyes widened. She felt a rush of flattery when she saw the notepad shoved in front of her. She took it cautiously and quickly scribbled her signature with the pen. Haru tilted her head as Nitori took back the autograph. "We have to go,"Haru said stiffly and Nitori replied with a small 'oh'. "Okay, well, goodbye Matsuoka-san!"Nitori called when she was wheeled out of the room. Rin kept remembering Haru's face and wondered if maybe that was how she looked like when she was..jealous. "This can be used for my advantage,"she chuckled.
Rin took one last stretch and grabbed her bag on her way out of the room. She planned on slipping into her baggy pants and big sweatshirt and then taking a long nap. But when she stopped in front of the entrance, she immediately cancelled everything. She ran over to the blonde and pulled out a towel to clean the girl's stained mouth from the vomit.
"Ugh,"Nagisa stuffed her face in the towel. Rin glanced at the girl and looked around for a taxi. Rin didn't understand why she was helping this girl, but kept having the thought of Makoto cleaning up Nagisa's mess that one time and had a feeling to sort of...impress her. But she didn't understand why. "Rei-chan is busy buying materials today, so she couldn't take me home,"Nagisa explained. "Makoto was supposed to take me home today,"Nagisa muffled. Rin rose her brows at that. "She must have forgotten, the poor thing. She's got a lot on her plate,"Nagisa sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky. "College, the twins, Haru, therapy-" "-a boyfriend,"Rin slipped and regret it immediately.
Nagisa blinked and then chuckled. "Puh-lease Rin. Makoto might be a great catch, but I'm pretty sure her father would cut off a head if he found out she was dating." Rin felt her stomach turn when she heard that. "Her..her dad doesn't allow her d-dating?" Nagisa nodded and twisted the towel. "Once he demanded to meet a boy before she could go to his party. When the parents refused, he never let her around him again. And that was when she was just in first grade." Rin gulped and felt her forehead sweat. What would Makoto's father say if he knew that Makoto went to Rin's father's party with Rin? She fidgeted with her hands to make sure they weren't cut off.
Rin flagged the blonde a taxi and hoped she was going to be okay on her own. She quickly went inside when the rain started to pour and ran as fast as she could to her bedroom. She slipped into her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She told herself to go to sleep, but kept tossing side to side and soon just sat up and groaned. She kept thinking about the charming old man that held a protective arm around Makoto's shoulders. How he kept all the men away from her with a tight grip. How he got Rin a scholarship to the school. How Makoto and Rin seem to get closer. How the old man will lose a bolt when he finds out. How Rin will lose her scholarship and Makoto if he does. How scary and strange the school really was.
Makoto tilted her head and fiddled with her hands as the therapist leaned back in her seat. "Where did your friend, Haru, take you last week?"he said calmly and ticked something on the clipboard. Makoto pursed her lips and closed her eyes. "She took me to a little park a block away from my house,"she said softly. The man nodded his head and scribbled. "What did she tell you?" Makoto breathed a sigh. "She...she said..she said it was where I used to play after class,"she said slowly. He cupped his chin and made a small 'hm'. He told her to go on. She clicked her tongue and shifted her one leg onto the other one. "I..I told her I couldn't remember...because..well, you know...a-and she said she was okay with it...but I know she wasn't..."Makoto gulped. "I knew because my mother said the same thing...so did my dad...a-and even the twins.."she stopped and turned her head quickly. He nodded and scribbled. "Makoto, how many times have you been in my office?"the man leaned. The girl thought for a moment. "I've been coming here every Friday for five years,"she said slowly.
He shifted a bit in his chair and stood up. "And do you know what I've learned from these past five years?" She shook her head. He smirked and turned to the window. "I've learned that, even though a mother dog lost all her pups,"he glanced at the girl, "she thinks that it's her responsibility to find them all again." Makoto blinked at that. "..But, isn't she supposed to find all her children?" The man grinned. "Yes, but the question is; did the mother purposely throw away her children, or did they children throw away her?" Makoto sat in silence, completely confused and muddled and kept closing her mouth when she wanted to say something.
The man told her that their time was up and she unintentionally said 'thank you' when she walked out of the room. She ran to her car, covering herself with her handbag from the rain. She closed the door hard and held unto the wheel for a moment. Or did they throw away her? Makoto sat there for a long moment and then reached in her pocket for her cell phone. She clicked the phone and pulled her knees to her chest waiting for the click. "Hey,"she greeted softy.
There was a small silence. "Hey,"the girl greeted back. "Did I wake you?"she ticked her fingers on her knees. "Ah nah, I'm wide awake." Makoto pursed her lips and looked over at the radio. 7PM, she thought. Father must be home already."Are you doing anything?" There was a crunch and a tumble on the other line. "No, just in my room. How come? Is there a favour I have to return already?" Makoto blushed a bit and pulled on her flat shoes. "Well..sort of. If you want to..."Makoto took a breath. "...would you mind if I came over?" A silence. Makoto fidgeted in her seat. "R-rin?" There was a thump and a tumble. "S-sure, you can come over,"Rin croaked. Makoto felt her face heat up and she cracked a smile. "Great,"she said under her breath.
Rin stood at the front entrance, glancing from side to side and thanked the world that the rain stopped. She was still in her baggy pants but quickly put on a jacket when Makoto called. She didn't know why the girl called so late or why she called her in the first place, but something about Makoto's soft voice didn't make Rin want to say no. She stood straight when she saw the car park in the far distance and walked a little closer when she saw the girl come over. "Hey,"Rin greeted and felt a tug when she saw the girl's grin. "Hey,"she greeted back. Rin asked if she wanted to go up to her room and then showed her the way when the girl replied. The security guard hardly glanced at the two when they made their way through the halls. Must a be a benefit of being the owner's daughter, Rin guessed.
Rin apologised for the state of her room, but Makoto soon noticed there was nothing wrong with it. She didn't say anything though. "So,"Rin leaned against the foot end of the bed. "What do you need?" Makoto blinked and scratched the back of her neck. "Um,"she pursed her lips. "..I know this might be a bit forward, but could I maybe..."she took one glance at the girl. "...stay here tonight?" Rin stared dumbfounded at the brunette. She felt her throat close up and she could almost choke on the air she breathed. "L-like a s-sleepover?"she could feel her voice crack. Makoto quickly nodded, not knowing how to describe it exactly. "Y-you don't have to say yes, Rin. I-it's just that, my dad is coming home for the first time in a while and..well...my mom.."Makoto bit her lip, not wanting to say more. Rin blinked, trying to comprehend. "D..does your mom and dad...fight a lot?"she tried to choose the right words, saying them slowly and as gently ad she could.
Makoto looked down at her feet and twisted her lips. "I know this is really selfish of me, but I-I just don't want to be there. They sometimes use me for when...well,"she glanced at the girl, "y'know." Rin nodded, not knowing what to say. "Are the twins there?" Makoto shook her head. "No, they're sleeping over by Haru since Ren is in the same category as her and Ran doesn't like being home alone.." Rin folded her arms and looked at the girl a bit longer. "Well,"she started, trying to put her thoughts together. "I don't really have a problem with it, but I don't know if there's room for you.." Makoto shook her head and fiddled with her hands. "I-I could sleep on the floor, I really don't mind..." Rin furrowed her brows, feeling a bit bad. "O-okay, I guess.."
The took a spare mattress out of the supply closet (without permission; it gave Makoto a stressful moment, but Rin just waved it off saying they'd put it back and no one would care either way). Rin pulled out a thin blanket for the taller girl and gave her a spare pillow. Makoto thanked her for the gesture and for letting her stay there, but Rin just shrugged, trying not to show the nervous smile on her face. It was already 10PM and the two climbed in their beds and told each other goodnight. Rin, of course, couldn't go to sleep. She just kept staring up at the ceiling hoping for day light to come soon. A few minutes passed, and then Rin heard a mumble.
"Rin-chan, are you still awake?" Rin fiddled with her hands. "Yeah,"she mumbled. She could practically hear the smile that spread on the other's face. "Good. Y'know, we've know each other for a month now." Rin blinked at that and thought about it. They have known each other for that long, haven't they? Rin just said another 'yeah' and then there was another silence. "Rin-chan, we're friends, right? And friends can tell each other anything, right?" Rin kept quiet for a moment.
"Yeah,"she said slowly. Rin looked to the side and saw a sleeping Makoto, clutching the pillow with her one hand. Her soft long eyelashes caressed her pink cheeks and she had a faint grin. She looked peaceful as the moonlight hit over her so perfectly, yet Rin didn't like the faint shivers she gave when the wind blew in through the windows. Rin hesitated for a moment, but then climbed out of bed and took her jacket to wrap around the girl. She stared at the brunette as she knelt before her. "Friends can tell each other anything, right?" Rin reached to tug the strand of hair behind her ear, but then pulled it away. Friends, she thought. Right, friends. That's all will ever be, I guess. She stood up and climbed back into bed. She turned on her side and sighed. She went to sleep the moment she heard Makoto mumble a thank you for the jacket.
It was about around 3AM when Rin woke up by a sniffling Makoto. She sat up slowly and cringed at the tears that Makoto wiped from her eyes. She slowly slipped out of bed and climbed next to Makoto. The girl buried her face in her hands and Rin wrapped an arm around her. She rubbed the girl's shoulder and didn't say a word when the girl leaned against the red head. She just kept shushing and rubbing and placed her chin on the other's head until they both fell asleep.