Chapter 10: Inevitable Meeting
One month had passed by in relative calm…and Yoshiko was doing her best not to do something that would "accidentally" make her daughter and ex-lover somehow meet. They hadn't seen one another since that night in Lunaire and since then, she and Haruka haven't spoken about Michiru either. She had tried, but the blonde had evaded the topic like a plague, always with a grim look and a frown that would last the entire day…so the elder Tenoh decided not to press the matter anymore.
What her stubborn daughter didn't know though was that, she had kept in relative and close contact with Michiru…a piece of information she wouldn't know until the time presented itself. Nevertheless, it had only been recently that Haruka had finally taken a break from her work schedule of Monday to Sunday from eight in the morning to God knows what time of night.
The first week after the incident at Lunaire had probably been the worst. It was obvious that her daughter had been mourning in isolation, the bags under her eyes and the way they were so obviously bloodshot only two of the many ways Yoshiko could see that that the blonde hated the way everything ended for her and Michiru.
Whoever said that, "Time healed all wounds" had a point though. Only recently had she finally began to see her daughter smile again—not exactly the way she had been before, but getting there. But when the tomboy didn't think she was looking and she was, Yoshiko could see her stare into the distance in board meetings with the most melancholic look in her face. She could clearly see the hidden pain there, the anguish and desperation that tormented her daughter inside, but wouldn't show in the face of others. And just as easily as it had come, it would pass with a momentary, but tight shutting of the eyes or a hard swallow. Emeralds would meet the same pools of asking emeralds and Haruka would simply smile and look away again, towards the topic concerning their board meeting this time.
She was trying to get over it…and Yoshiko didn't want her to. Because both of them, although too stubborn to see it, were still completely in love with one another regardless of the fact that they hadn't seen each other at all within the last month. She just hoped something…something would finally happen to wake both of them up from their continued reverie. She realized she could be that something, but frowned at the thought of being the one to bring them back together.
Maybe it was the only way left…
As she headed up the elevator alone, she placed a finger over her temple and pressed it lightly. What could she do…?
"Chairman," Yuki greeted and she answered with a stoic smile when the elevator finally reached its destination in her office's lobby. "A letter came for either you or your daughter."
She took the nondescript letter from her secretary's hand and looked at the last name Tenoh in the middle of the envelope and no return address. As soon as curiosity got the best of her, she cut it open with a letter opener and pulled what was inside: two tickets to a show and tell regarding Michiru's new album before its release the following week.
She frowned momentarily in confusion. The aqua haired woman hadn't said anything about this, but maybe opted to surprise her?
"Anything important?" her daughter asked suddenly from behind making her shove the tickets back in the envelope where they came from.
She turned around to Haruka's asking glance as she looked at the envelope in her hands. "I'm not sure," she answered and gave a smile to a suspicious look that her daughter now sported. "I'll have to check up on it."
She headed to her office, the room adjacent to her daughter's, and closed the door behind her, leaving the blonde to look after her with the same curious glance. Inside the relative safety of her office, she reached into her pocket for her phone and dialed Michiru's personal number immediately.
"Hello?"
"Michiru-chan, how're you?" she greeted with a smile in her face and she could already feel the smile flitter on the other woman's face in the other line.
"Yoshiko-san…this is unexpected. I'm doing fine, how're you?" the violinist greeted back.
"I'm fine, but…something arrived over the mail…and I was wondering if you were trying to surprise me with it or if you didn't know about it at all…"
Silence encompassed the line before Michiru answered, "What…is it?"
"Tickets…to your show and tell tomorrow."
The sudden, "Oh!" the elder Tenoh was expecting never came. Instead, the smaller woman gave an unsure reply. "Tickets? I don't remember sending any…"
Yoshiko was baffled now…Had the faiths finally gotten tired of their dancing around and materialized tickets for Michiru's show out of nowhere?? She knew it was ludicrous so she began ticking off the options that were…more realistic.
"Oh!" There it was, the little sound she was waiting for. "I think…Shizuka-san might've sent it. Let me ask her." She nodded and was put on hold momentarily. A couple minutes later, the violinist came back into the line and stated, "Yes, she made it a point to send tickets to all of the charity donors from my last concert out of courtesy. Haruka attended it…so she sent her tickets as well."
Okay, that made so much more sense than any thought that had began pervading the older woman's mind. Divine intervention seemed a little farfetched… "I will give it to her then…"
Silence washed over the line, Yoshiko clearly hearing the small noises the other woman made in the background. "Do…do you think she'll come?"
She sighed. "I'm not sure…but if anything I will. I'll be looking forward to seeing you again Michiru-chan."
The violinist gave a tiny chuckle in the other line before stating, "Nh, thank you. I'll see you then."
As the phone turned off, she swiftly took one ticket out of the envelope and placed it on her desk before going out of the room. Yuki simply kept on with her work as she gave one knock to Haruka's door and went in, seeing her daughter in the middle of a telephone call as she entered.
"Nh I'm glad everything's going well," the tomboy stated as she and her mother met eyes. "Be sure to keep me informed on everything going on there. I'll come by some time today to check the entire thing myself…Yeah, see you then."
She hung up the phone and gave her mother a quizzical look before the phone rang out again in which she sent to speakers.
"What is it?"
"A phone call for you Chairman," Yuki stated in the background as her mother kept standing in front of her desk.
"Put them through."
A moment later and another woman's voice filtered through the speaker phone. "Tenoh-san?"
It sounded familiar and unfamiliar all at the same time. Haruka frowned. "Yeah, who is this?"
"This is Takeyo Shizuka…Michiru-san's manager?"
The tomboy's frown deepened as she looked at the passing look her mother gave her. "What's this about?"
"Did you get the tickets I sent for Michiru-san's show and tell event?"
Yoshiko flashed the familiar envelope in the air as the blonde audibly swallowed her nervous and excited feelings down. "Yeah, I got it. What's it about?"
"Well I thought that since you seemed to have enjoyed her last concert that you would've appreciated saved tickets for this event. It's on a first come first serve basis and you as well as the other charity donors from last time were given tickets to attend. You're more than welcome to come, but since it's very short notice, we would understand why you wouldn't be able to also."
"I see…"
The troubled look didn't dissipate from Haruka's striking features as her mother simply dropped the envelope with her ticket at the edge of her desk when the phone finally hung up. "I took one, by the way. There were two in there and if you'd like to come I'll be more than willing to be your 'date'."
She left her daughter with the same perplexed look she came in to and closed the door behind her, noting the blonde glance at the envelope in confusion before looking away from it and to the paper works strewn in front of her.
O--O--O--O--O
It was a warm night with many stars scattered across the sky…the perfect kind of night to be standing in her balcony hundreds of feet from the still busy streets below. The wind was a little stronger up here which only served to make her feel better, the warmth that had permeated her being the entire day releasing its bonds the more she stayed in her current leaning position. Her blonde hair danced around messily before her, but she paid it no mind. Instead her attention went back to the envelope gripped tightly in her hand, the soft skeptical frown still etched on her features.
It's been a month since she last saw Michiru, and if she hadn't had her job to fall back into, she knew she would've gone insane by now. She worked long hours, came to the office the earliest, left the office the latest, and had successfully convinced her mother to give her a lot of the on-the-field projects. When she was forced behind her desk to make sure the paperwork was thoroughly complete, it was hard for her to keep her mind from going elsewhere at first, but over time she had also successfully gotten it to shut up.
But this didn't mean that she hadn't thought of the violinist.
To her dismay…or maybe relief…the smaller woman still pervaded her mind with ease. It was hard going out of her company and not see the aqua haired woman…the release of her new album imminent and all of Japan's aristocrats and overall fans buzzing about it to no end. There were billboards posted up, posters lining CD stores, and if she watched television at all, she knew there would be some sort of commercial as well. Michiru had successfully filled the entirety of Japan with her presence…and that was the main reason why she had made her penthouse in Tenoh Corporation her current permanent place of residence.
Of course she went out sometimes too. She could even be honest with herself and say that she went out just to see the pictures and ads that had Michiru's face etched in them…
Distant…
She named her new album Distant.
Ever since she found out the name of her album she had often wondered if it was named after her…and then why it would be…and then how ridiculous the notion in its entirety was.
Michiru wouldn't make an album for her…or about her. It wouldn't have made any sense to make such an important part of one's life about a friend with benefits… And then if the album really was about her…she couldn't help, but think that the smaller woman did it out of mockery…
She wondered how the piece Distant sounded like. She figured it would be a happy little tune, devoid of feelings and only rampant, controlled chaotic joy. That was their relationship wasn't it? Controlled chaotic joy?
She bit her bottom lip and frowned. Then for the nth time that day, she took out the ticket from inside the envelope and looked at it. The slim piece of paper was thick…the material for it obviously not one that was recycled. The whole of it was a marine blue and the words: Kaioh Michiru presents Distant Show and Tell Event. Proscenium Stage Theatre at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. July 27th. 7 o'clock in the evening in bold golden writing.
It was obviously not meant to be a concert, Proscenium Stage Theatre only being able to sit a little more than eight hundred people per given time. Of course she had heard about the Show and Tell for the smaller woman's album when word of it first went out…the whole town wouldn't shut up and even someone as socially dense as Haruka was able to hear the excitement and disappointment that flittered on how one had to get a hold of the tickets that had sold itself out within fifteen minutes…
It was a big deal for several reasons. First and foremost, it was a show and tell in which Michiru herself would be talking about how she came up with the piece she would be playing and then playing it. Second, it was intimate. If someone from the audience had a question, she would have to answer it, maybe not with the truth…but she had to reply somehow. Third, about a half of the people that would be present would most likely be Tokyo's if not Japan's more prominent population. Lastly, they were to be the first in the entire world to hear what Distant would be all about…if it lived through the hype that had quickly encompassed modern day pop culture.
Haruka gave an involuntary shudder of discomfort and irritation.
And if it really was about her…
The tomboy sighed and shuddered again, this time from the coming cold. With a frown still in her striking features, she turned around and went back in her penthouse in the Royal. Unfortunately, she already knew what she was going to do… and not going would be more of a crime than staying here and wallowing in her self pity. So she figured, she only had one problem left…and that was she didn't know what to wear for the event.
Placing the envelope with the ticket back inside it on her bed stand, she sat on the side of her bed and dialed her mother's number.
"Good evening aka-chan," Yoshiko greeted in the other line which only served to make her smile.
"Kaa-san…are you going to work tomorrow?" the tomboy asked and busied herself with pulling her tie off with her other, unoccupied hand.
"There are some papers awaiting my attention, but I can put them off if needed. Why?"
"I…need to find something to wear…for the concert." The silence in the other end could only make the blonde sigh, fully knowing that her mother probably had the biggest smile in her face. "You still there?" she muttered and finally a chuckle erupted from her mother's end.
"Pick me up at ten. We'll go to Ginza and see what they can do to make you look too strikingly attractive for your own good."
Haruka laughed at Yoshiko's words and nodded. "Alright."
"What made you change your mind?"
"What do you mean? It's not like I looked at the tickets and said I didn't want to go in the first place…"
"Well…I thought you'd be more stubborn about it…get me to egg you into going."
The tomboy laughed boisterously. "Well you know…I heard the tickets were really hard to come by first of and when we got them so easily, I thought just letting it pass by seemed like a waste—
"Alright, now give me the real reason…"
Haruka laughed some more, hearing her mother join her in the other line. "I want to see what the album's about," she said seriously as their laughter died down.
"If it's about you—
"I'm not that much of an egotist—
"Do you want it to be about you?"
Silence overcame the blonde for a second before giving a little shrug. "I can't help, but think that if it is going to be about me that it'll be something I won't like. I can picture it as this happy little jittery tune…kind of saying it was all fun and games."
Yoshiko became silent as well. "I guess…we'll see tomorrow, ne?"
Haruka nodded. "Guess so. I'll pick you up…bright and early. Let's have breakfast, go shopping, and then go to the concert. Should be a fun day tomorrow…"
Her mother heard a bit of possible wry sarcasm or just nervousness coming from her daughter's words before stating, "Good night, aka-chan."
The tomboy hung up her phone and laid tiredly in her bed, the lower half of her body hanging at the edge of it. She stared at her ceiling and squashed the feeling of misery in her body as she only sighed.
She would see her again tomorrow. She wondered briefly if Michiru was at all excited to see her as well.
O--O--O--O--O
The alterationist at The Suits Company felt another wave of discomfort hit her as two pairs of similar emerald eyes gazed back at her from the full body length three piece mirror. She couldn't help, but blush at the piercingly hot look the tomboy was giving her…and of course she knew she was a woman. One couldn't be a proper alterationist if one couldn't distinguish between a female and a male's body…
The mother and daughter came in the store roughly two hours ago with the clear intention of finding one perfect suit for whatever gathering they were planning on attending tonight. It wasn't meant to be hard…but everything, and she meant everything looked good on the tall blonde woman. Everything… So they had tried everything…or mostly everything and still, her mother wasn't satisfied…
"Kaa-san…" Haruka suddenly called out while stretching her arms for the alterationist to check if the length was proper. Yoshiko gave her an even look from the comfortable sofa she sat on, teacup poised on both hands. "This is the last time I go shopping with you…"
The elder female Tenoh laughed and settled her tea down. "Well I know you'll never plan on getting a wedding dress for your wedding Haruka-chan," she stated and saw the look of utter disgust as well as confusion cross over her daughter's face. "But every bride and married woman will tell you… When you see the perfect one…you will know it…and I can safely say that whatever it is you have now…isn't it…"
The alterationist bit down a sigh as the young CEO took the grey blazer off and handed it the woman, popping buttons off of her dress shirt as she began walking to the changing room yet again.
"I don't know…to me they all look alike…" Haruka replied and shut the door behind her. She took off the blue dress shirt and deposited it to the side where piles upon piles of clothes were already making a neat little hill. She bit down a sigh. "Can't we just settle for the normal tux?"
She heard her mother reply a small no as she took off her grey trousers. Wearing nothing, but her white undershirt and a pair of boxers she adorned that morning, she came back out of the dressing room to find the young alterationist's blushing face. She really sighed out loud this time.
"Alright…what's next?"
All three of them were behind the store's main lay out, in a smaller and secluded room that reminded the blonde of the walk in closet in her penthouse in the Courier. All around her were mirrors, hanging suits, folded dress shirts, pressed trousers, and different colored blazers, hung and placed meticulously all over.
Her mother stood at the end of it with another folded dress shirt. "Try this one first with this…"
She came over to the tomboy with a French cuffed dress shirt, white satin stripes gracing all around it and flat front, black trousers. With the alterationist's eyes still blushingly looking at her, Haruka began putting on the two items her mother gave her while simultaneously walking to the main mirror.
"Aki-san, please let me see how it would look like minus the one and a half inches of excess fabric at the base of the trousers."
When her mother wanted to be specific…she definitely wanted to be specific… Haruka straightened out her collar as the alterationist pulled some pins from a side table and did exactly as Yoshiko instructed, smirking inwardly at the blush gracing the woman's small face that wouldn't go away.
It didn't help that Haruka was attractive and she knew it. It also didn't help that said tomboy purposefully went out of the dressing room looking as if she was comfortable with only what she would wear at night with the only intent on riling the woman—she had to make this exciting for herself somehow… She kind of felt sorry for this Aki-san though…forced in between the daughter who couldn't help, but play and the mother who was hell bent on getting the perfect suit.
She almost laughed at the way she blushed again when their eyes met.
"Tie or bow tie, aka-chan?"
"I'll settle for a bow tie," Haruka answered and looked back down at the alterationist who was pulling her collar up to accommodate the tie. "Mind putting it on for me Aki-san?"
The smaller woman immediately shook her head. "O-of course not, Tenoh-san."
Her stuttering made the young CEO cackle inwardly in laughter.
Yoshiko came up from beside the tomboy and sighed loudly, earning a questioning look from the alterationist and one of complete mischief from her own daughter. "Behave Haruka-chan…"
"Hey, if you're going to enjoy yourself, I should too…"
Yes, their poor alterationist…
But it seemed like they were finally making a breakthrough.
"I really like that dress shirt on you," Yoshiko stated and pressed her collars down as Aki got done with the bow tie.
"Nh, it's comfortable…"
"Waistcoat?"
Haruka nodded, not liking the all white and small amount of black from the bow tie encompassing her upper body. Her mother came back with a silky back, completely black waistcoat with brazen white buttons in the middle. She put it on and finally started liking what she was seeing.
"Hmm…blazer?"
"Black?"
"Yeah. Completely black."
Her mother came back with three blazers, each looking somewhat alike, but having little differences regardless. The tomboy chose a three buttoned, single breasted, black blazer and shrugged it on. Looking at herself in the mirror, her peripherals finally caught the contented look on her mother's before smiling herself.
"Do we have a winner?"
Their alterationist looked very hopeful.
"Pants are a little long and so is the wrist area," Haruka stated as she looked at herself in scrutiny. "But yeah…I think we have a winner."
"We'll come back for it before five Aki-san," Yoshiko instructed the small woman evenly. "Please have it ready by then."
She only gave a heavy bow. "Of course Tenoh-san."
O--O
How could she be ready and not at the same time? Haruka sighed, buttoning her blazer and unbuttoning it simultaneously. She was nervous… She hated the fact that she was nervous. Grunting loudly, she stared at herself in the mirror of her room in her mother's estate and looked at the obvious discomfort her face was sporting. She was beginning to feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but the consolation prize she got was that the entire suit indeed looked nice in her figure. Toying with the bow tie again, she sighed outwardly and turned around to an amused Tenoh Yoshiko.
"Ugh, don't look at me like that," the young CEO muttered and brushed her hair back with a frown in her face.
"Nervous Haruka-chan?" her mother had the gall to ask.
The tomboy only gave an unimpressed look. "We leaving yet?"
Yoshiko nodded and twirled around. "How do I look?"
Haruka smirked and nodded as well. "Good. You look good Kaa-san."
She wore a black sophisticatedly fitted sleeveless gown, a faux fur scarf over her shoulders and arms. "Let's get going then. I want to get good seats."
They still had a good hour before the show began as they descended the steps towards Haruka's waiting black Ferrari F50. Getting seated in comfortably, Haruka turned the car on and drove out of the Tenoh Estate, the butterflies in her stomach becoming more and more of a nuisance she couldn't shut up. She hadn't even noticed her mother looking up at her until her voice broke the surprisingly heavy air.
"Excited?"
Her unsure face heightened. "She doesn't have to know we were there right? Get in get out kind of thing?"
Yoshiko chuckled. "There's no event afterwards so I guess you may do a whole, 'get in get out kind of thing'," her mother mocked. "But I for one am planning on asking her for dinner."
The tomboy's head whipped at her in surprise. "Why?"
The question came out much more forcibly than the blonde wanted, but her mother only gave an even smile back. "Why not? The last time I had dinner with her was about a month ago and I, for one, enjoyed it."
Looking back at the road in front of her, Haruka's frown deepened. "Kaa-san…"
"You don't have to stay Haruka-chan…I mean if you don't want to you don't have to—
"Who'll take you home?"
"A chauffeur's a phone call away…and you know it. Listen, I know you're not ready to talk to her…face her even! So you don't have to."
It sounded like a challenge to the blonde's ears and when she took her eyes off the road for a second to look at her mother's smirking features, she knew that, yes, it was indeed a challenge.
"This isn't a matter of me being ready or not—
"What is it then?"
"She probably doesn't want to see me—
"Or maybe she does. Maybe, just maybe Haruka-chan she misses you. Not in the same way that you miss her, but possibly as a friend…someone she can talk to."
The tomboy's swallowed at the possibility of her mother's words.
"Tell me, when you two were still together…was it the sex that made you fall for her?"
She gave an incredulous look. "Of course not!" Haruka exclaimed loudly. "Not that it wasn't good, but her overall company was refreshing. She didn't care that I was brash and impolite…she actually preferred it that way…"
"What makes you think she doesn't miss that then?"
It was a question she wasn't willing to answer…because she didn't want to give herself some kind of false hope. Shaking her head to dispel that maybe, just maybe Michiru wanted to see her as badly as she currently felt, she looked straight ahead of her and muttered, "I'd prefer thinking that she doesn't…It would make more sense that she doesn't."
And the tone in her voice was what made Yoshiko stop their conversation. She didn't want to spoil the night for any of them and she definitely did not want Michiru to see her daughter in an awful disposition so she just merely shrugged and patted the hand that was gripping the stick shift of the car.
"If you want to go home directly after, go right ahead with it."
Ten more minutes of silence and they finally reached the parking lot of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. There were already a number of people lining up in front of the Proscenium Stage Theatre and after one of the more knowledgeable people spotted them, they were allowed to pass through the line and enter the warm building.
"Ahh, Tenoh-san! Tenoh-san! I'm so glad you both could make it," Shizuka greeted from beyond the door and bowed deeply at the mother and daughter who bowed back in return. "Let me show you to your seats which I can guarantee are the best in the house."
Yoshiko merely smiled and both of them followed the bubbly manager. The theatre was a medium sized hall, the second largest in the entire building following the main hall. The plush velvety red seats were cushioned and comfortable with three aisles of seats that stretched from the front of the stage to the back and further along was another story for more seats. The seats escalated in height the further back it got, earning everyone seated anywhere, an unobstructed view of the stage. The stage itself was relatively big, Haruka stretching her neck along to try to look at the backstage in vain.
"We'll be opening the venue soon, but this middle row will be for the special guests tonight of course," Michiru's manager stated matter of factly as the blonde gave an inward snicker.
Just say you're saving the best spots for the rich people…
As they moved to the middle of the fifth row, the tomboy's emerald eyes widened to find a familiar face there.
"Tenoh-san…good evening."
She had to remind herself to be nicer this time around…There was no more point to the little competitive air she began a month back. "Sugiura-san, good evening to you too," she greeted with a smile and stuck her hand out again.
His eyebrow rose skeptically at the action that seemed to mirror the one the blonde sported when they first met. Nevertheless, he stuck his hand out too and readied for another rough handshake. To his surprise though, it was brief…strong and firm, but brief. He smiled outwardly.
Haruka turned to her nonchalantly expressed mother and gave the introductions. "Kaa-san, this is Sugiura Jiro. Sugiura-san, my mother."
He gave a bow, one that Yoshiko returned with a smile. "It's nice to finally meet you Tenoh-san. I've heard a lot of praises in regards to your practice."
The elder female Tenoh's mask came, one that Haruka smirked at. That sonorous and fearsome pride broke out through her entire demeanor and the tomboy knew that Jiro felt it. "It's nice to meet you too Sugiura-kun," she stated with an even tone. "Would you mind if my daughter and I sat next to you for this event?"
It sounded like a question…and an order at the same time…and all the red haired man could do was just nod and stutter out, "N-not at all, Tenoh-san. I…I would be honored."
So, all three of them sat, Jiro to the left of the blonde, and her mother at her right. All around them the theatre began to brim with life, people of lesser or equal importance being seated by the ushers. The three of them remained silent though, an action no one disagreed on. Unfortunately, the fact that they weren't really doing anything was what made Haruka retreat back into her mind…and sooner than she wanted, those butterflies inside her stomach began fluttering back to life again.
She wondered what Michiru was wearing and grinned at the memory of her wanting to take off whatever it was during her attendance of the charity event. But now… Her smile died down a bit to a soft one. Now she just…kind of wants to see her. It'd be enough to just see her from afar…gaze, like a secret admirer. She smiled sheepishly at the thought of being the smaller woman's secret admirer and kind of felt as if she got demoted…it was a long way down from being friends with benefits with the violinist to simply a secret admirer.
"So how's work going Tenoh-san?"
She turned to Jiro who had suddenly broken the silence and smirked. "It's fine. A lot of projects are coming up and with Kaa-san there, there's not a lot to worry about regardless of the added workload."
Jiro nodded as he listened good naturedly. "I'm also beginning to help my father with important tasks in Kaioh-Miroku. It's nice…working with family members."
Haruka nodded in agreement. Just as long as they didn't start talking about Michiru who was the only reason they're somehow connected, she was fine.
The seats around them began filling up and the lights also began dimming. Swallowing some of her nervousness down, Haruka sat straight up and focused her attention on the still empty stage. Some random person came to the center with a stool, a microphone stand, and a microphone and left as soon as he came. The butterflies in her stomach were making her nauseated and she bit her lip down in anticipation of seeing the girl that had haunted her dreams while asleep and pervaded her mind when she woke. Her legs began to jitter up and down in a continued, anxious fashion as well and finally…finally…
Her breath caught when she saw her, entering the stage with her Stradivarius in hand. The crowd all around her clapped in excitement, but all she could do was sit there.
Haruka had never forgotten that Michiru looked beautiful…but before her was a reminder of this obvious fact. The smaller woman wore a pleasingly easy smile, her face devoid of worry or anxiousness even being in front of a large clapping crowd. She wore a strapless fitted white dress that flared as it descended down to the floor, her hair cascading to her shoulders as well. The tomboy's heart skipped a beat, before warmth at finally seeing the violinist in the flesh again pervaded her entire being.
At that exact moment, she didn't care that Michiru didn't love her back. She was just too happy at finally seeing her again. She felt a squeeze in her right arm as she looked at her mother's knowing smile. She fought a blush and smiled back sheepishly.
"Liking what you're seeing?" Yoshiko whispered in her ear causing her to chuckle.
"She's beautiful…"
The claps finally died down as Michiru stood in the middle of the stage, her smile still radiating brightly from her face. "Good evening and thank you for joining me here tonight." The claps resounded again making her smile wider. As it died down, she looked at the overall expanse of the theatre and continued, "I don't know if I've said this before…but Distant is by far, my most favorite album. It's realer to me than the albums I've released prior to it and every composition is a portion of my life that I felt has been very significant to me."
Picking up her violin and securing it at the nook of her neck, she stated, "The first track of the album is called Self-assured and it's named that, for the exact reason why everyone here's thinking why I called it that…"
Polite laughter erupted from the crowd and dissipated as quickly as it came as her bow rose through the air. Then the entire theatre was encompassed with bright, brilliant, and vivacious music and everyone could just sit back and be in awe.
Why was it called Self-assured? Because it had to be the hardest and fastest composition anyone in that theatre had ever seen or heard…and Michiru was playing it like the prodigy everyone knew her to be…eyes closed and all.
Haruka was nothing short of amazed at what the violinist was doing…not that she didn't know she was capable of it, but the fact that she was more than able to tell everyone with her music that she was a confident woman and to just acknowledge that fact.
But it was quick and powerful and showed who she was and why she was important among the other talents. It divided her from all the other "amateurs" where only she stood on the highest pedestal. No title was needed to be given…Kaioh Michiru was just fine.
She ended the piece with a sharp, quick note and opened her sapphire eyes with the same confident look her entire composition screamed. Then there was nothing, but loud and raucous ovation from the 841 people present. She only smiled softly, as if it was everyday that she could compose and perform such a hard piece.
Putting her violin and bow down momentarily, she sat down on the stool and fiddled with the mic so that she could properly speak through it.
"The second track…" She laughed to herself despite the questioning glances of her audience and continued, "Is called Second. I, as a lot of you know, am the second daughter of Kaioh Shinji and Shina and my sister and I had a lot of fights regarding the importance of being the first or second child. I will continue on after Second to my third track which is called First…and, yes, both pieces are directly correlated to one another because First is in regards to Yui Onee-san."
It was like getting to know Michiru all over again, but in her own words, the violin the one speaking for her. Second sounded like a fragile and soft composition, wanting to get just a little bit bigger, better, and stronger, but not being able to do so properly. First was boisterous, confident, all-knowing, and all-encompassing and ended as if the composition was only halfway finished, but everyone in the audience knew why it had sounded that way.
Then she continued on with her fourth track: Joy closely followed by Hate. She didn't have to explain to the audience that this part of the CD were about her parents…how the family had once been surrounded by joy and after the incident regarding her sister, all emotions had done a one-eighty to hate. The two tracks were as sharply contrasted to one another as Second and First was, the audience catching a small glimpse of the life of a Kaioh who was more than able to share the experience, albeit not its entirety.
The sixth track was Cold and it reminded Haruka so much of the dinner she had shared with the Kaiohs. How unfamily-like they, especially the husband and wife, had treated one another. And as if it was the inevitable, the seventh track was Mask. It was a funny piece…Not the laugh out loud kind of funny, but one that left someone asking why because it was a composition so detached that it seemed already devoid of any feelings. Michiru's sapphire eyes were completely opened during the entire composition and she almost seemed unreachable as she played, her features giving the same detached look as the music pouring out of her crying violin.
Haruka's hands only curled into a ball, her features one of worry.
Then the eighth track, Ties, was the one the blonde could relate to the most so far. It weaved the story of the smaller woman…how even though her family had become disconnected that she still was a part of them so she had to try to do something to convert them to how they were before. It reminded the tomboy of her pact with her father…how she had to stop living in her dreams and focus on the reality that she was their family's only hope, lest she'd leave it all alone and have her mother suffer in silence.
She leaned into Yoshiko's shoulder at the climax of the depressing composition and whispered, "Love you Kaa-san…" so softly that the elder female Tenoh almost missed it. She received a soft smile from her mother followed by the mussing of her already wild hair.
As the piece ended, a quiet applause followed it that sent the violinist to laughter. "I didn't mean to make everyone so depressed tonight," she said with mirth and got a wave of laughter from the audience. Sighing she gave an outward look of thoughtfulness before continuing, "My next composition is called Trine."
This little statement caused the relaxed blonde to sit up properly from her chair.
"What's that?" The audience had finally gotten into the whole idea of a Show and Tell along the fourth track, as a random person from one of the side seats asked the question.
Michiru only smiled at the general direction of the question. "Trine…is or…was a bar I used to frequent."
Her statement caused an uproar in the entire hall. She only chuckled as people looked at her incredulously, some even yelling over the noise if she had ever drunk herself silly.
Waiting for the noise to die down, everyone finally settled as she only smiled politely back. Raising her violin and bow to her, she began to play once again.
Trine started off as morosely as her past few tracks had ended, but held the knowing inflection that it would change for the better…and it did. Haruka briefly wondered if it was the alcohol that had served to make Michiru feel better that night or her company…Regardless of the fact, she was glad that something had made the smaller woman happier…whether it was her or the alcohol didn't matter.
When the piece died down and audience ceased clapping, someone boisterously stated, "Their liquor must've been pretty good there."
Everyone laughed merrily as Michiru joined in a chuckle. Nodding she replied, "The company was pretty good too."
Emerald eyes widened a bit as a murmur enveloped the entire hall as to who the company was…earning Jiro a lot of stares. The older man kind of shrunk back in his seat as heads turned in their general direction and finally sapphires and emeralds met.
The violinist must've known she was sitting there all along because her orbs of deep blue didn't give a sign of surprise at the tomboy's presence…just a warm and gentle greeting. Haruka smiled up at her then, and she smiled and bowed slightly back.
As the murmur died down again and everyone's attention went back to the aqua haired woman, she looked up at the audience again and asked, "Does anyone know what my album's called?"
A loud, but polite chorus of, "Distant" echoed through the mini hall making Michiru smile in content.
Tucking some lose strands of hair to the back of her ears, she stated softly, "Distant is by far my most favorite composition of all time and that's why it held that righteous place as my album title. I composed it all in one night in the best environment I could've been in and as I wrote it note for note, I couldn't help, but feel as if I was composing it for a lover."
Loud gasps were elicited from her audience making her smile wider. Glancing at Haruka who was as entranced to her words as everyone else in the audience, she only gave a mysterious smile as response and lifted her violin and bow to her once more.
The blonde looked up as sapphire eyes looked at her one last time before they closed, a content and warm look gracing the violinist's face. And as she played, Haruka couldn't help, but smile.
The song really was about her.
It started boisterously confident, the high tones mixing with the lows of Michiru's violin. Then the pace began to slow down. Not to a boorishly boring piece, but one of encompassing calm and warmth. In the violinist's face was a small, contented smile while she played and Haruka couldn't help, but feel special—not because Michiru composed a whole song for her, but because she made her feel that way.
And her heart gave a sudden twinge of melancholy as her mind revisited what they had…the long nights of being in each other's presence…the talks, the soft kisses, the comforting hugs.
"Stop acting as if you care about my wellbeing! The sex is over Michiru…We don't have to act like we know each other anymore…so stop acting as if you know me."
The familiar lump in her throat had finally come back. Act? Michiru didn't need to act as if she knew her…she just did. She knew her possibly more than she knew herself and those hateful words she said in spite…all she wanted to do was just take them back.
Her eyes began brimming with tears as the piece about her ended, and as a pair of sapphires opened and locked with hers, she only stared back with a guilt ridden, apologetic look…and Michiru only smiled back in reassurance.
The audience was giving it a standing ovation. They would…it was the only piece in the entire album that Michiru had dedicated all of her heart into making. Smiling up at everyone again, she decided to venture on…only because she wanted it to be over so she and Yoshiko…and possibly Haruka could talk after. Jiro would join to of course…
"The next piece is called Haven. I wrote it in the only place in Japan that I could be shamelessly myself…my sanctuary."
The sounds of crashing waves into a shore blared from the speakers as she started her song and the tomboy smirked at the knowledge that Michiru was speaking about her beach house. Her smirk fell almost as it came with the recalling of her past.
One week after the Lunaire incident, Haruka went back to the beach house. She didn't know why she decided to go back; her mind seemed to be pulling her there. To stop the nagging feeling, she did as it instructed and drove back. As she opened the door, nothing seemed out of place and the longer she stayed, the more her heart felt heavier by the second. The entire place reminded her of Michiru…every nook and cranny. By some chance her eyes flitted to a table beside the sofa and there laid the extra key to the beach house…Michiru's spare key. Squashing the torrent of feelings overtaking her again, she turned around and slammed the door shut. She hadn't gone back since.
The entire concert was making her teary. All around her people were succumbing to the music as well and some had their eyes closed while trails of tears marched down their cheeks while others simply looked at the violinist and cried in joy. Agony, the twelfth number…would definitely get a rise out of everyone else who wasn't already overcome with emotion.
It told Haruka that she hadn't been alone in her self pity. Michiru had agonized over their break up as well…and she didn't know how to feel about it. Every sad note served to make her think herself as selfish. She had blindly believed that the violinist was more than happy to be rid of her, but she hadn't been okay. Both of them…hadn't been okay. And in the depths of her depression, when she thought the waterworks were finally going to erupt in front of strangers she didn't want to see her in that state, the composition changed to the last piece: Hope.
Looking up miserably to a violinist who only shared a glance with her, she could only smile amidst her dammed tears and nod positively.
Hope, huh?
O--O
She wouldn't have been lying when she whispered to her mother after the concert had finally ended and people were starting to leave that she forgot Jiro was right beside her during the entirety of the event. Yoshiko only laughed at her brash whisper. Nevertheless it was about fifteen minutes after the concert was duly over and all three of them were waiting for the star attraction and her manager.
"Michiru spoke to the owner of Restaurant Maestro and he was apparently such a big fan that he decided to keep his restaurant open until she left its premises tonight," Jiro stated as they waited at the foot of the backstage entrance.
"How convenient," the elder female Tenoh only stated and looked on at the flurry of people that were still loitering around the concert hall.
A few minutes later and the door to the backstage area opened slightly, Shizuka sticking her head out from inside it. Motioning them all in silently, they did as they were told and she shut the door properly again after Haruka made her way safely inside with the others.
The brunette could only sigh tiredly at them. "Michiru-san's dressing into something more casual right now so just wait for her," she said. "She should be done soon."
Jiro pulled a bouquet of flowers from the side table making Haruka kick herself for not thinking of getting one ahead of time. Sighing, she leaned into a wooden post as Yoshiko only smirked knowingly up at her.
O--O
Patting her white halter neck sundress down, Michiru looked at herself in the full body mirror and gave an unsure sigh. Her heart wasn't beating this fast at the beginning of a concert in front of almost a thousand people, but the thought of meeting Haruka again was almost giving her a heart attack.
Breathing deeply to calm her nerves, she flicked her hand over her hair and nodded to herself. Okay, she was ready.
Stepping out of her dressing room with her Stradivarius case in hand, she walked to the concealed side of the stage and met with pleasantly surprised orbs of emeralds. She swore her heart skipped a beat when Haruka finally smiled at her and started the fray of clapping. Shizuka, Jiro, and Yoshiko joined in on the blonde's small praise as a blush rode on the violinist's cheeks effectively.
She bowed gratefully at them and gave Jiro a small smile as her eyes flittered to a bouquet of flowers, obviously for her, grasped in his hand.
Stepping up to her, he gave a handsome smile and stated, "You did a great job," before planting a kiss on her cheek.
Sapphires flitted to conflicted emeralds for a second, both of their smiles frozen in their faces.
Nevertheless, she turned back to the red haired man and smiled warmly. "Thank you Jiro. They're beautiful." They shared a brief hug before Michiru broke it and smiled widely at Yoshiko's grinning face. "Yoshiko-san, I'm glad you could make it regardless of the short notice."
Haruka's mother laughed. "Michiru-chan…tell me there's another concert within the hour and I'll be there." The violinist and the elder female Tenoh shared a laugh as they met in the middle and hugged as well. "You did a marvelous job. I'm glad you decided to change your album to what you wanted it to be."
The smaller woman nodded gratefully at the other's genuine words before her eyes met the tomboy's who was still looking at her with a sheepishly small smile.
As the hug between her and Yoshiko broke, Haruka could only bow stiffly at her and stated, "Good job."
And it was the most endearingly shy thing she's ever seen the blonde do…and that little thought caused her to grin widely at the other's action. Handing the elder female Tenoh the bouquet from Jiro, she stepped up to the tall woman and slung her arms around her neck in a hug that looked like the ones she shared before with the others, but with feelings that were entirely different. She smelled her…the scent that was Haruka and closed her eyes tightly, reveling at the warmth that had flooded all of her senses the moment the tomboy returned her pleasantries with her arms around the base of her waist.
She missed this feeling of belonging and her heart physically gave a pained reaction the moment they both began to slowly part. She ruffled the blonde's silky hair stealthily as she retracted her arms from her neck, missing the feeling of brushing her fingers along her wild tresses.
As their eyes met again, she saw the warmth glaze in her sparkling green eyes which all the more widened her smile. "Thank you for coming," she said softly.
A loud sigh emitted to her right causing all party members to look at a tired Shizuka. "Go," she dramatically stated. "Go have your dinner and leave me here to take care of cleaning up…"
Michiru chuckled and nodded. "Thank you Shizuka-san. See you Monday."
Her manager waved to them as they exited the back side of the theatre, Michiru walking alongside Yoshiko and the two "gentlemen" alongside each other, albeit a bit further forward as well.
"Mhmm, I was surprised when they were talking civilly to each other too," the elder female Tenoh whispered beside her, making her chuckle. "Haruka looks good though, yes?"
Thin aquamarine eyebrows went up in satisfaction as she eyed the entirety of the blonde in front of her. Smiling as she focused on the taller woman's rear, she nodded quite vigorously. "Yes…she really does."
Yoshiko could only laugh merrily.
"How has she been lately?" the violinist asked, their conversation turning serious at a drop of a hat.
The long haired, blonde woman only gave a tired smile. "She's stopped working her hectic hours…reverted back to her Monday to Friday routine."
Michiru sighed in relief. "That's good. She looks good…she really does."
Putting her arm around the smaller woman good naturedly, the elder female Tenoh stated, "You do too Michiru-chan."
They could only share a brief, friendly smile.
Their topic of conversation turned around suddenly and gave them a questioning look. "Where's the restaurant?"
"Just keep walking straight aka-chan," Yoshiko replied with a mischievous smile.
Sighing the tomboy turned back around to a skeptically faced Jiro and continued on forward.
A couple minutes passed and they finally got to the front of Restaurant Maestro, the owner waiting for them at the front of it with opened arms. He led them inside the restaurant and seated them properly, Michiru sitting beside Jiro in one side and Yoshiko, parting ways with the aqua haired woman, transferred to her daughter's side. The owner made it a point to give them the best the house can offer, wine, food, and all and insisted that they trust him with the order.
As soon as he left, Haruka smirked widely and gave a small cough, gathering the attention of the table. "Sugiura-san, you should watch out for that guy," she said with humor laced in her words. "They do say the fastest way to a person's heart is through their stomach…"
Michiru and Yoshiko laughed as Jiro only smiled back. Putting his arms casually around the violinist, he stated, "Don't worry. I got her right where I want her…"
As jealousy flickered through the blonde's frozen smile, the aqua haired woman easily picked up the red haired man's comfortable arm and placed it back again to his side. "We're in front of friends Jiro…there's no need to act so strongly in front of them."
Onyx eyes looked away in embarrassment as Haruka attempted to hide away her you-got-pwned smile by drinking her water.
"When's the day of reckoning?" the blonde's mother asked in an attempt to quell the awkward air out of their table.
"It's still not set in stone," Michiru replied and smiled as the owner came back with the most expensive wine in the establishment.
He distributed an even amount to everyone's glass and gave a bow as he left again.
"Haruka-chan, you're driving…" Yoshiko warned.
Green eyes rolled surreptitiously, Michiru the only one catching her furtive move and laughing at her brashness. "Yes, Kaa-san…so you tell me time and time again…"
They shared a sweet smile as the owner came back with a plate full of French food.
Dinner was spent in relative ease, the conversations not stopping as everyone ate their share. The topic of conversation circled around the concert…questions popping every now and then that weren't answered during it. As they were settling down at the end of it, Yoshiko leaned back into her seat and looked at the violinist questioningly.
"So where's Trine?" she asked with an amused glance.
"Yeah I was wondering that too," Jiro joined.
"East Tokyo."
They had said it in near unison and Yoshiko's eyes flittered to onyx ones as he looked at her daughter and his fiancé with a surprised face.
"H…how do you know where it is Tenoh-san?" he asked eyeing the blonde suspiciously.
She only stared passively back at him, the cogs and wheels in her mind already spinning up a story. "After Kaioh-san's concert a month ago, she was tired and asked me if I knew a place that was open late and served good cocktail drinks. I referred her to it."
She didn't blink in the process of her lie which caused Jiro to look at her oddly for a second before nodding. Turning to Michiru who gave him an even look as well he stated, "You shouldn't go in that area…East Tokyo's pretty dangerous…"
The violinist sighed, but the thought of evading this conflict as well as topic of conversation was all she thought of doing, so she decided that nodding and agreeing on this manner was the best way to go.
Dinner finally passed uneventfully after a half an hour prior to the suspicion regarding Trine and Jiro had begun looking at his watch repeatedly again.
"Late night board meetings becoming a new fad in Kaioh-Miroku?" Haruka asked with a smirk and one he returned with a sigh.
"I have to get up early tomorrow actually," he stated and looked at Michiru's knowing face. "Satoshi-san's picking you up, yes?"
The aqua haired woman nodded as he stood up. "I'll be staying to talk some more. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
The red haired man nodded absentmindedly and gave her a small peck in the cheek before bowing to both Haruka and Yoshiko and leaving altogether.
"Poor guy," Haruka stated and sipped the last of her wine. Her mother and ex-lover looked at her with an asking glance before she eyed Michiru evenly and asked, "Has he even gone to first base yet?"
Yoshiko whacked her painfully in the arm, the violinist's melodic laughter ringing across the table.
"Should I ask…why you two are so friendly with each other?" the blonde asked when the laughter finally died down.
The elder female Tenoh and Michiru gave each other a small look before chuckling out loud.
"It has nothing to do with you aka-chan," Yoshiko stated briefly, looking at her daughter who had an assumingly hurt look in her striking features. "I enjoyed Michiru-chan's company the last time I had dinner with her and you blew it off to kingdom come. I wanted to apologize for having such an ill mannered child, got a hold of her manager's number who was more than willing to give me her personal number and there you go."
Haruka sighed and looked at her mother challengingly. "You lied."
Her even statement caused the older woman's blonde eyebrows to go up in skepticism. "Oh really?"
"Yeah…you said it's not about me and it is. If I hadn't left with a bad impression, you wouldn't have had to call Michiru up to apologize—
"Yoshiko-san, I tell her time and time again that the world doesn't revolve around her…" the violinist jumped in suddenly.
"And she never listens does she?" the long haired woman asked and Michiru could only shake her head in agreement.
They both laughed at the unimpressed look graced on the tomboy as she got up. "I refuse to sit here and get completely mangled by you two…"
Laughter issued from the two women again as they all got up from the table with smiles on their faces. Thanking the owner for the meal and overall good dining experience, the trio left the restaurant with good attitudes, Michiru walking in between the two Tenohs.
As they stepped outside, her stretch limo waited for her, and she couldn't help, but think that she didn't want the night to end just yet as she looked at the easy going face sculpted on Haruka's features. As if reading her mind, Yoshiko walked faster than the two of them and stared evenly at Satoshi who bowed back at her presence.
"Tenoh Yoshiko," she greeted and bowed as well, her daughter and the violinist coming up behind her and giving her confused looks. Looking at the two, she gave a mischievous smile and stated, "Haruka, my irresponsible daughter, drank some wine tonight and I don't feel safe with her driving me home. Could you take me home instead chauffeur-san?"
The two kids laughed at her antics as Satoshi only smiled warmly in understanding. "But I'm pretty sure Tenoh-san's sober enough to take ojou-sama home at least?"
Yoshiko nodded. "Yes, she's not that drunk…"
Haruka blinked in exaggerated irritation, her wide smile giving her away. Beside her Michiru smiled widely as well, waving to her as Satoshi helped her in the limousine and bowed to her before he went into the driver's side.
As they drove away, the blonde gave a small sigh and looked at the smaller woman who smiled back at her. "Let me take you home?"
"If you're not drunk enough," she stated teasingly.
The young CEO pushed her playfully and began walking to her car, the violinist walking beside her.
And then it was as if the last month hadn't happened…that they had never broken up and that they were stronger together more than ever.
Michiru sighed at the contentment she felt as the car rumbled forward, passing other cars with ease to the direction of her condominium. The car was quiet, but it was comfortable, neither one breaking it for the sake of losing the normalcy that was the night that just passed them by.
Glancing at Haruka's firm hand on the stick shift, it took all of the smaller woman's self control not to place her hand over it. It also took all her self control to not press herself against the taller woman and just…
She swallowed the rising feelings down, closing her eyes as she did so.
She missed her. God, she missed her…
She felt the car lurch forward before it came to a stop. Opening her eyes, she saw the familiar look of her condo building's parking garage and looked up to sparkling emerald eyes that were on her. Not being able to stop herself, she unlatched the seatbelt holding her in place, knelt on the leather seat to get some leverage, and swung her arms tightly around the blonde, encompassing herself in the other's smell and warmth again.
Haruka circled her arms around hers as well, making her sigh with ease at the feelings that had been too long repressed in her. She brushed her cheeks along wild blonde strands and smiled at the familiar smell of her shampoo.
She missed her…every bit of her…but…
Shutting her eyes tightly, she once again bit down the feelings overtaking her and bit her lower lip in the process as well. Leaning out of the hug, emerald eyes looked up at her and she just smiled, tracing her finger in the contours of the taller woman's sculpted features.
"Are you busy tomorrow?" Haruka shook her head and unconsciously leaned into the violinist's hand on her face. "Can we spend the day together? I missed you Haruka…"
Before her heart and mind could even come to an agreement (or disagreement), the tomboy had already nodded in assent. Her eyes flickered to Michiru's lips as the smaller woman leaned back into her and kissed her on the cheek softly.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a smile and slowly made her way out of the car, their eyes not breaking contact. "Call me up…let's have breakfast."
Haruka nodded and looked after her until she disappeared into the elevator, waving to her softly as the doors closed. With her hand over her hot cheek, she sat there for a good five minutes wondering if she was making another mistake before driving out of the condominium complex.