Disclaimer: As everyone knows, I do not own the characters from Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers. However, I do own Neko, my OC. (Yay! I own something! Mine! Don't touch!) It's still not worth suing me; I am but a humble fan.
Thank you, Kamio-sensei!
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AN: This is completely AU. Not canon! Things are different--deal with it! Don't like, don't read!
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Tea and Saké
A Hana Yori Dango FanFic
By Janice Rips
Chapter 9: Girl Talk: Shopping, Part II
As soon as the guys had gone, Neko turned to Tsukushi. "He picked out all your clothes for this trip??" she asked incredulously.
"Ah, well, the sales staff made most of the decisions. He just chose the place and paid," Tsukushi answered a bit meekly.
"Let's fix that, shall we? We'll get some things you like, and surprise him a bit. I know some great shops I bet he's never even been inside," Neko said enthusiastically.
"He won't like it if it's not a designer name brand," Tsukushi warned.
"Oh, believe me, it'll meet his standards and he'll like it. He may not be as familiar with these designers, but the quality is on a par with anything out there. I shop there all the time," Neko assured her.
Tsukushi gave Neko a skeptical once-over. "I doubt I'll find anything that will fit. Everything I wear makes me look like a child playing dress-up, anyway." She looked down at the sidewalk. "I'm a skinny shrimp, and you're, well, like a goddess. You're tall and have curves in all the right places, and I'm like a twig," she sighed.
"Who's been feeding you all that negative drivel? You're cute, which is something I've never been, and although you may be petite, you're every bit as curvy as I am."
"Are you nuts? I don't have anything near the shape you do!" Tsukushi exclaimed.
Neko clucked her teeth. "Obviously, you don't pay attention when we change for gym. It's not what you have, it's how you display it. Attitude is everything. Why be a twig when you can be a slender, graceful reed? Positive thinking will get you far. C'mon, I'll show you how to wow them all. Here we are," she said , ushering Tsukushi into a building.
"But, this is the lobby of a hotel?" she asked, confused.
"Not 'a hotel', the Hilton! We're going to the Galleria. They cater to traveling Americans, giving them a taste of home. First stop, Victoria's Secret!" Neko smiled, tugging the smaller girl into a boutique.
"Neko, I have underwear," Tsukushi blushed, staring agape at the shapely mannequins surrounding her.
"Not like this, you don't. I bet you've never been fitted for a bra, have you?" she grinned at the other girl's discomfort.
"I'm not buying a padded bra! That's cheating!" Tsukushi swore adamantly.
"I agree, one hundred percent," Neko reassured her, "but there's nothing wrong with getting the proper support for what you have naturally, is there? Give it a shot. If you hate it, we don't have to shop here. I'll let you make the final decision; my name's not Doumyouji," she reminded Tsukushi.
In the end, after getting Tsukushi fitted, Neko bought the girl all new underthings: bras, convertible bras, bikini underwear, and thongs that Tsukushi swore she'd never wear, but allowed Neko to purchase nonetheless. They compromised: Tsukushi chose pajamas that were more demure than Neko had in mind, but in return, Neko got Tsukushi a swimsuit that was more daring than she'd ever seen, nevermind owned. They visited other shops in the Galleria, and Tsukushi ended up with jeans, two flirty sundresses, a pair each of Jimmy Choo's and Manolo Blahnik's, and then both girls bought some really cute Trina Turk blouses made from kimono material.
Just when Tsukushi thought that they were finished, Neko dragged her into the hotel spa. Neko insisted on a hot stone treatment. "It's really relaxing, and believe me, girl, you need to relax." So as the warmth of the smooth stones soaked into their backs, Neko turned her head to look at Tsukushi. "Hey, do you mind if I ask you a personal question, about you and Doumyouji?"
"Uh, that depends on how personal," Tsukushi replied, a bit worried.
"Well, it's very personal, but I promise, it's not about sex or anything," Neko assured her. Tsukushi nodded, so Neko continued. "I know you love him, and, from what everyone has ever told me, love doesn't always make sense. So I was wondering, what do you like about him? Every time I see him, he's being grouchy, bossy, snobbish, or flustered. Does the man have any redeeming qualities?"
"Hmm... What do I like about Doumyouji..." Tsukushi pondered for a moment, then her face lit up. "I like his laugh. He's like a kid who just got a surprise present he likes a lot. I like how he cares about me, always concerned about am I eating right, am I dressed warmly enough, is anyone bothering me, that sort of thing. I like how honest he is, even when he's very blunt. He's not tactful, but he doesn't lie. I like how he believes in me, even when no one else does. Even when I don't believe in myself. And," Tsukushi started to say, then blushed and went silent.
"And?" Neko asked. "Tsukushi-chan, I know you were going to say something else."
"Well... Have you ever heard the expression 'bakamoichigei'?"
"'Even a fool has one talent'?" Neko translated, intrigued.
"Exactly." Tsukushi turned redder. "It's true, at least in this case."
"And just what is this talent?" Neko coaxed.
"I can't tell you." Tsukushi shook her head.
"Aw, come on. You can't leave me hanging like this," Neko wheedled.
"Oh... Alright. But you can't tell him I said so. Nor anyone else. Promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to eat escargot," Neko promised.
"What??? Why???" Tsukushi asked.
"Simple, Escargot is snails cooked in a wine sauce. First I'd be totally grossed out, and then I'd die from my allergy. So you know I'm serious!" Neko explained with a shudder.
"Okay... It's just, well, Doumyouji Tsukasa is the world's best kisser," Tsukushi admitted, bright crimson all the way down her neck.
"Get out!!! Really??" Neko exclaimed, then turned skeptical. "Wait a minute, just how many guys have you kissed?"
"Technically, four different guys have kissed me... but I only wanted to be kissed by two of them. I even bit one of the others," Tsukushi explained.
"So, who else did you want to kiss?"
"Hanazawa Rui."
"Rui-san? Oh, man! Please tell me the other two weren't the rest of the F4!" Neko squealed.
"What!?! No way! There's no way that's ever going to happen!" Tsukushi exclaimed.
"So, Rui's not a good kisser?" Again, Neko was skeptical.
"It's not that! It's just... Doumyouji's better," Tsukushi shrugged. "At least in my opinion. Maybe you'll think otherwise."
"What do you mean?" Neko asked, puzzled.
"Well, aren't you going to kiss Hanazawa Rui?" Tsukushi inquired.
"Why would I?" the taller girl replied.
"I thought you were interested in him. Why else would you invite just him and us?"
"I invited him because he's fun to hang around. And because he's safe. We're friends, and if it went any further than that, it would ruin the friendship. The F4 treat me like a kid sister, and that's fine with me," she insisted. "It would be weird to kiss a brother that way, wouldn't it?"
"So, there's nobody you're interested in," Tsukushi said a bit skeptically.
"No. When I do fall in love, I want it to be with someone my grandfather couldn't possibly approve of. I want an affair that's shocking, torrid, and disgraceful, with a man who will desire me all the days of my life," Neko said passionately.
Tsukushi's eyes went round as saucers. "Do you really think you can find that?" she wondered.
"Why not? You did," Neko replied, making Tsukushi flush crimson again. The girls finished their treatment in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
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AN: And there you have it, this is what happens when you send the girls shopping on their own! See you next time, minna-san!