Chapter 4
Note: Sorry about the wait! ;^.^ The next chapter is on it's way very soon. Enjoy!
The music pounded around us like waves. Was everyone moving in slow motion? No, we were just underwater. Dim lights cast aquamarine shadows, creating a sea in shades of blue. The air- no the water- shimmered with glitter and wavy light. When we're all underwater, everyone moves gracefully- there's a kind of sway that everyone has, a rhythm that is slow and hypnotic.
Either that or I was blasted. But I'm liking the underwater metaphor, so let's roll with it.
I tossed back the rest of whatever the hell was in the glass in my hand, loving the burn that trickled down the back of my throat. The underwater lights seemed to dim a little, and I moved with the beat, helpless to the power of the music. A pair of mischievous brown eyes caught mine, as hypnotizing as the music. She was a fox- no an otter. I twisted my way through the swaying kelp people- where did that otter go? Then there she was, grabbing my hand playfully. I pulled her closer, silky brown hair brushed against my arm. We swayed together, bodies in sync. Brown eyes winked mischievously up at me. She leaned close to me, our faces centimeters away.
I know who you are," she said, her breath tickling my ear.
Ah Sh*t. I wondered whether she meant who I was politically, or as one of my fans who knew I wasn't the girl I seemed to be. The room kept tipping right and left precariously and I was curious to how we weren't falling.
"Tell me," I said into her ear now, running a hand through her hair. "Do you like Jellyfish?"
She laughed, not understanding. Her hands wound their way through my blonde wig and I felt her lips graze my neck.
"Did you know, some jellyfish are immortal? They can go back to their polyp stage after being a medusa. It's like decided to be a kid again after being an adult."
Yellow streamers dangled from the ceiling, fluttering dreamily in the sea. It was so beautiful- like a giant cloud of jellyfish, just beneath the surface.
I detangled myself from the girl, pushing her towards someone else in the pulsing crowd. No matter what I did, I couldn't escape thinking about that damn otaku. Not even pretty brunettes seemed tempting anymore.
My feet hurt. I yanked of the silver Louis Vuitton heels I'd chosen to wear earlier because they matched my skintight silver dress so well, but now felt like torture devices. It was time to get out of here.
"Kuranosukeeee, where're you going?" Yui pouted when she saw me heading for the door, stumbling away from the mass of people to protest my elopement.
"I need to leave early tonight, but we'll hang later!" I winked at her, as my other friend Hina shoved one more drink into my hand and they shouted bye. They probably wouldn't even remember that I came tomorrow. But that's the party life I guess.
The night air was shockingly refreshing, and the ground didn't seem like it was tipping so much out here. I pulled at the wig on my head, feeling lighter as it came off. It pooled in beautiful curls in my purse.
Even though it felt like I was wandering the streets, I knew my heart was leading me to one place in particular. Amamizukan looked cozy and maybe even beautiful in the nighttime shadows- it looked a bit antique, a remnant of an older time.
I looked up at her window- and there she was starring out into the night. Was she watching the stars?
"Tsukimi! Yoo-who!" I stage whispered.
"Kuranosuke? Stop shouting." She peered down at me, squinting without glasses. Moonlight washed her in a spotlight of milky light. She was wearing some kind of white night dress, with soft white layers pooling around her gracefully. So beautiful. Like a jellyfish. Damn it.
I waved at her, beckoning her to come out. She stared at me, half bemused, half exasperated, before turning around to disappear into her room.I sighed, leaning back against the side of the building. What the hell was I doing?
The door opened with a quiet creak, and then she was there, shivering slightly, and clutching her bare arms around her.
"Kuranosuke? Are you drunk?"
"What gave you that impression, love?" I gave her my best smile, and judging by her expression, it came off as crazy instead of reassuring. Ah, what did she know. She didn't know the awful turmoil I was going through, and that it was her fault. I had absolutely every right to be drunk. I rumpled my hair, letting it fall softly around my face. Tsukimi just frowned at me, squinting.
"I'll call Hanamori for you…" she muttered and started to turn away.
"Wait-" I said, and with faster reflexes than I knew I had, I grabbed her arm and stepped towards her. Suddenly we were very close. Her back was pressed against the brick wall, and I moved closer, our bodies almost touching. I expected her to freeze, but she didn't- instead she looked up at me. Big brown eyes stared in surprise up into my own, as lovely as a doe and framed by thick dark lashes. How did she really not know how pretty she was? She was so much more than those girls in the club- she had beauty, passion, and she was stubborn and brave and crazy enough to fight for this stupid home of theirs, even though it scared her. And I wanted her. My gaze wandered down her nose to her lips. Reaching with my other hand to push her hair to the side, I pressed my lips to hers.