Ultra A/N:
This is an alternate retelling of Bridging the Gap. It's uploaded here as it was meant to be read before I realized I was getting nowhere with this plot. This story ends at Chapter 8; I do not plan to continue writing it.
Chapter 1: Alien Abduction
A/N:
To be honest, I'm piecing the plot along the way. When I started writing, I didn't have a plot, or a decent cast, for that matter. I just wanted to write, I guess. And now I can't stop writing! I think I've even written too much!
Disclaimer:
I do not own La Corda d'Oro; the whole concept belongs to Kure Yuki-sensei.
Chapter 1: Alien Abduction
"Tell us, Hino-san. Is it true you're dating actor-model Hihara Kazuki?"
Hino Kahoko violently jerked back from her trance, instantly blushing scarlet to match her artfully brushed hair.
"Anou… i-iie," Kahoko began, her voice cracking under the strain of answering such an unanticipated question. "Kazuki and I are just friends-"
"And yet you call him Kazuki?"
"Well, we have known each other since high school-"
"Still," Fuji Miki interrupted, her face serious, "it doesn't explain the pictures of you two that have been gracing tabloids these past few weeks. In fact," she added, distracted by something at the corner of her eye, "we have Hihara Kazuki-san right here on the set today. Please wave for your fans, Hihara-san."
The focus shifted from the two ladies who were seated around a makeshift living room towards the backstage, where a man with a mop of green hair tucked under a baseball cap was waving at the camera, his face tomato-red, his expression torn between embarrassment and glee. Several of the young women around him began giggling madly, prompting one of the male stage crew to nudge Hihara by the elbow. This caused him to grin ever wider, and he scratched the back of his cap sheepishly as he bowed apologetically to someone on stage.
"Can you explain then, Hino-san," the host began to speak again, "why Hihara Kazuki-san is here at this very moment if there's truly nothing going on between the two of you? Why," and here she paused for dramatic effect, her brows furrowed, "would he go so far as to accompany you to an interview, given his surely busy schedule?"
Hino Kahoko froze, her complexion losing color alarmingly fast. "That's because-"
"Mou! Why are you watching that? Turn it off, turn it off!"
Kahoko snatched the remote control from Nao and turned the overhead plasma TV off.
"Kaho-chan~"
"Kaho! What do you think you're doing?"
"You really think I want to watch me embarrass myself on national television?" Kahoko sighed, collapsing onto one of the stools near the bar. "Going through the shame once is enough, I promise you."
"But now we won't know what happened next, Kaho-chan," Mio complained, pouting.
"Yeah," Nao added. "You may know what happened, but we don't. What did you say anyway, right after she asked that question?"
Kahoko blushed.
"I told her the truth," she replied as nonchalantly as she could. "I told her that Kazuki and I know each other from way back in high school, during the concours, when we were both participants-"
"Yeah, yeah, we know. We went to school with you two, remember?"
"-and that Kazuki's always been naturally kind to his friends, and he's always ready to help them when they're in need-"
"It's not as if you needed him then, right?" Mio asked innocently, looking at Nao, who was nodding ardently.
"That's what she said!" Kahoko complained. "So I explained that we hadn't been able to hang out for a long time because, obviously, he's very busy with his career, and I'm still trying to build mine, so we decided to… hang out."
Silence.
"Sounds to me like you are dating," Nao said smugly, retreating to the kitchen to get her friends' breakfast.
"Nao's right, Kaho-chan," Mio agreed. "People who want to take that statement another way will take it another way."
"Aaargh!" Kahoko cried exasperatedly, half-throwing her hands in the air. "I never want to be interviewed again! I'm just going to flush my name down the drain-"
"Don't be too harsh on yourself," said a voice from behind the two women. "It was only your first TV interview, after all."
Turning around, they saw Amou Nami in front of the doorway, arms akimbo, her face lit up by an ear-to-ear grin.
"Nami-chan!"
"Nami!"
"You're late!" Nao said, pushing plates of toast, eggs and sausages in front of Mio and Kaho. "What happened to meeting at eight, eh?"
"Gomen, gomen!" Nami said, seating herself beside Mio. "I wanted to finish Kaho's interview before I got here. Good job, Kaho-chan!" she added, holding both thumbs up.
Kahoko dropped her head dejectedly as Mio asked, "What else did they talk about, Nami-chan? We only got as far as Fuji Miki asking Kaho about Hihara-san…"
"Nothing much, actually," Nami said, taking the plate that Nao offered her. "The interview wasn't that long, and thank God it wasn't or Kaho here would have died of hyperventilation. Did you get a good look at her face? I swear it was emitting heat."
Nao patted Kahoko's arm in sympathy.
"On the plus side, this interview's sure to boost Kaho's popularity, so you should expect more offers to come your way," Nami told Kahoko as she bit into her toast.
"Nami, I don't want to be known for my love life, thanks-"
"Then stop hanging out with Hihara," Nami advised. "Or Tsuchiura, for that matter-"
"Nami~"
"Ne, Nami," Nao interrupted, looking thoughtful. "Where did you watch Kaho's interview anyway? How'd you get here so fast if you finished the whole thing? We didn't even hear you enter…"
"I was at the restaurant next door."
"You were at Pierre-san's?!"
"Yeah… I had a feeling Kaho would do what she just did."
"Nami, I am seriously going to-!"
At that precise moment, the bell above the restaurant's main door rang, distracting the four of them from their light banter.
"Irashaimasen! Welcome to Café Forte," Nao greeted with a bow from behind the bar. "I'm sorry though, Sir, it seems you've missed the sign at the door. It says we open at 10 AM-"
"Nao," Nami warned, silencing her friend. She eyed the customer warily, her eyes narrowing.
Before them stood a dignified man in his mid-forties. He had thick dark hair, framing the squarish face that hid behind circular, highly reflective glasses. Even at eight in the morning his dark suit was impeccable, his black leather shoes atrociously shiny. Something about this man bothered Nami's sharp journalistic instincts – perhaps it was the way he looked as if he was perfectly aware the café was closed?
"Ohayou gozaimasu," the man said with a brief bow. "I apologize for disturbing your meal, but I wonder if Hino Kahoko-sama would grant my young mistress the privilege of a private breakfast?"
At this, Nao threw her apron aside and began to move to the front of the counter, Nami throwing her arm out to protect both Mio and Kahoko.
"And who, may we ask, is this young mistress of yours?"
The man smiled.
"I'm afraid I cannot reveal such sensitive information," he replied. "Otherwise, my young mistress' safety might be compromised. I guarantee, however, that Hino Kahoko-sama will be in safe hands."
"Tell your young mistress, whoever she is, that we're not letting her have a private breakfast with our Kaho," Nao retorted. "Not unless she introduces herself properly."
"I can assure you that we do not wish to harm Hino Kahoko-sama-"
"Yeah, yeah," Nami said, scowling. "That's what they all say."
The man sighed deeply.
"I suppose it cannot be avoided," he said. And with this, he snapped his fingers.
Instantly, the door flew open again, the welcome bell ringing madly. About four men in black suits and dark sunglasses entered the restaurant, flanking their leader.
"I must warn you that these men are trained in armed combat," he said, seeing the worry on their pale faces. "I do not wish to fight with any of you, but if I have to take Hino Kahoko-sama by force, then I shall."
Mio and Kahoko clutched each other tighter, retreating towards the bar until their backs hit the countertop. Nao and Nami, too, stepped away from the men, their faces extremely anguished; a nerve was twitching on Nami's neck.
"Ne, Minna," Nao whispered as softly as she could. "You know the way to Pierre-san's, right?"
All three nodded as inconspicuously as they could.
"Jaa, on the count of three," Nao whispered. "Ichi. Ni-"
Before Nao could finish counting, the four men sprung on their feet towards the frightened girls. With a small scream from Mio, the four girls ran towards Café Forte's kitchen, Nami upending a small table to hinder their pursuers. It didn't work.
"Run, run, run!" Nao cried, pushing Mio and Kahoko forward. Quickly, they made their way to the door at the back of the kitchen, weaving through pots and pans and sinks and containers of vegetables and of wine. As the men began to gain ground on them, Nami paused to bring a shelf of silverware crashing down to block the path. Scowling, the men retraced their steps to find other ways to get to the girls. Meanwhile, Nao was looking stricken.
"Oh my God," she rasped.
"Nao, hurry!" Mio cried, grabbing her friend's arm.
Together they rushed to the alleyway at the back of Café Forte, Nami bolting the heavy metal door to lock the men inside. Panting heavily, they looked around the dark alley with unseeing eyes, pausing to catch their breath.
"This way," Kahoko suddenly said, breaking the silence.
They ran to the darker end of the alley, towards an open door similar to the one they had just left. Entering it, they looked around and saw themselves in a larger, more sophisticated kitchen than Café Forte's. Near the huge double doors that separated the kitchen from the dining area, a huddle of men and women decked in white were whispering madly as they peeked at something beyond the doors.
"Sumimasen," Nao began, tapping a young woman at the rear of the pack. "Is Pierre-san around? We'd like to speak with him, please. It's kind of urgent."
Terrified, the woman lifted a finger and pointed towards the scene she and her colleagues were watching. Bewildered, the four girls tiptoed to see past the heads of the people in front of them.
Up ahead, the golden-haired Pierre-san was conversing with a pair of men in black suits. It seemed as if they were arguing, for the pair was advancing while the former was holding his hands up in front of him as if to pacify them. Behind the three, customers were leaving in a steady stream while the waiters stood frozen on their feet, unable to do anything but look on.
"Come on," Nami said suddenly, grabbing Kahoko by the arm.
Taking a different route than the one they had used to get in, Nao led the others to what looked like the manager's office. Behind a wooden desk stood a wide open bay window framed by flowing white curtains, under which was a metal fire escape. Kahoko was first down, followed by Mio, then by Nao, and finally by Nami, who had a hard time getting down owing to her five-inch heels. When all four pairs of feet were back on solid ground they ran towards the mouth of yet another alleyway, in the direction of what looked like the main road.
Tugging Mio's skinny wrist, Kahoko ran with a stitch at her side, wondering why the mysterious man's boss had gone to such lengths just to eat breakfast with her. In the first place, she wasn't even famous enough to gain the attention of someone important and dangerous. So why were murder-capable high-end bouncers out for her blood?
As she rounded the corner, Kahoko didn't look at where she was going and ended up bumping her forehead into someone's stone-like chest. Blinded by pain, Kahoko stepped back, rubbing the point of collision, dimly aware of her friends' gasps of shock.
"I did warn you," an eerily familiar voice said.
Kahoko was only partially aware of a pair of strong arms scooping her up and carrying her away from her friends, who she identified through their shouts and curses. Hovering between consciousness and the absence of it, Kahoko looked up and saw the murderous face of a large, meaty man with a scar running down his right eye, shutting it completely.
Upon seeing this, Kahoko promptly collapsed.
XXX
"Naoto-san," chirped a singsong voice. "What did I…? Didn't I … treat Kaho-senpai gently… much care? What have you…?"
"…sorry, Erika-ojousama," spoke a low voice. "Her friends… good fight… against her will."
"Naoto-san!"
"…could not afford to fail..."
A sigh.
"I appreciate your efforts, Naoto-san" the female said. "But frankly… your methods!"
"My apologies."
"Jeez, Naoto-san, you apologize too much."
A pause. And then-
"I will be right over there if you need me," the man said.
"Yes, all right."
Kahoko was utterly bewildered by the conversation. She could barely process half the information she had just heard, mainly because her brain was still half-conscious. Slowly, painfully, she opened her eyes, and was greeted by too much brilliance.
She shut her eyes again.
"Ahh, Kaho-senpai!" chirped a voice. "You're awake! How are you feeling?"
Sitting up gingerly, Kahoko rubbed her eyes and slowly tried to open them again. This time, the sunlight didn't hurt, but for a moment, Kahoko merely paused to take in her surroundings.
It looked as if she was in the middle of a pristine white beach, sitting up on a rattan recliner, a large, colorful umbrella shielding her from the violent sun. Several feet in front of her was a calm, crystal sea - strangely, intoxicatingly azure. Strangely enough, there were no coconut trees, no beach lovers, nothing in her line of vision except herself and a few pieces of furniture. Just when Kahoko was beginning to think that this was all a nightmare, someone called out her name.
"Kaho-senpai!"
Turning to her right, Kahoko came face to face with a girl in a large straw hat and oversized sunglasses. A smile was on her face, a permanently rosy color was on her cheeks, and to complete the picture of a beautiful beach goddess in a green summer dress, her long, dark brown, pin-straight hair was flying gently in the sea breeze. Kahoko gaped.
Seemingly satisfied that Kahoko was awake, the stranger smiled even wider, and she held out a tall glass filled with red juice.
"Red iced tea?" she offered, not unkindly.
At a loss for words, Kahoko could only mutter, "W-who are you?"
Smiling, the stranger took her hat and sunglasses off and shook her hair off her face. Kahoko found herself staring into deep blue eyes, identical in shade to the beach that stretched in front of them.
"Sawajiri Erika desu," the strange young woman replied. "It's a pleasure meeting you!"
"Sawajiri…" Kahoko whispered, playing the name in her head. "How are you related to the incumbent Prime Minister?"
"Oh, he's my dad."
"Ehhh?!" Kahoko cried, jumping from her seat. "You're the Prime Minister's daughter? How- Why- Kahoko wrung her hands in confusion. "Anou… have we met before?"
"Of course we've met never before, silly," Erika said, motioning her guest to resume her previous position. "I only found out about your existence six months ago, and I assume you've only heard about me today."
"But then-"
"I will explain things only if you calm down," Erika said stubbornly. "All else can be explained much much later, after we've discussed the important bits."
What's more important than figuring out why I'm here?
"I know, I know," Erika said, taking a sip from the juice she had offered Kahoko earlier. "You're wondering what's more important than figuring out why you're here. Weeell… there is a more interesting question than that, which is, 'Why am I here?'"
Kahoko stared.
"Nuh-uh, scratch that," Erika said, waving a hand in front of her face and setting her juice on a nearby glass-topped table. "The point is I'm here right now because I have an issue that only you can help me with."
"And that… is?"
For a moment, it seemed as if Erika would not reply. She turned her face towards the ocean, and with sad eyes gazed at something far beyond the waves. Pensive, she sighed.
"Help me win Len's heart," she whispered. "Please?"
A/N:
Ahahaha. That took so much time and effort to write; thank God it's sembreak. I'm sorry if it turned out to be an excruciatingly long-winded chapter – I'm well aware that I tend to insert too much detail in my work, and I'm trying to reduce the extras but… I've yet to succeed. Ahahaha.
Next:
Chapter 2: Deal with the Devil
Ice cube, huh?
"You're smiling," Erika observed, cracking a grin herself. Kahoko instantly rearranged her expression. "I'll take that to mean you're interested in helping me."
"I still don't see how this is going to work-"
"Trust me, it will," Erika said firmly, sitting back down. Kahoko thought she may have imagined it, but the girl looked somewhat… unsure. "All I need right now is assurance of your cooperation. That's all."