DIS: Welcome, welcome! Yes, I am back with the fourth chapter of The Notes Of My Heart. Thanks to the reviewers – and the readers who like to not review, lol – and so here is the next chapter! Have a blast.
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Chapter Four, Conflict within the family
Anzu appreciated Otogi's company as he walked her outside. She and Yami had exchanged numbers and he told he would call her to set up a date as soon as he could and they could get started after she signed up for auditions for Swan Lake. Otogi explained to her, as they left the opera house, that Yami had exhausted himself and would be better off being alone for awhile. "He's usually surrounded by someone constantly," Otogi had told her, "so it's good for him to get some alone time in."
"Why doesn't he just stay at home, then?" She had asked, knowing Yami was sure to have a grand piano at home. Just as a writer could not stop writing when they got an idea, or a chef could not stop cooking when they needed to blow off steam, a pianist could not be from their music for long.
"Although he needs his brief times alone, he can't stand not being around someone. He's naturally social. He gets lonely quick and usually depressed. He almost always needs someone around him. He substitutes it with his music usually, but he prefers a living, breathing person. I think that's why we get along so well. You'd be amazed at some of the conversations we have."
Anzu hadn't responded, puzzling over the pianist. She didn't doubt Otogi about Yami's dependence on social life. Both him and Otogi were easy, comfortable men that could start up a conversation with a stranger – they had done it with her. She was of the same manner and understood Yami's loneliness. She felt small and incredibly lonely in her apartment now that her father wasn't living with her. It had thrown her off balance the first day in her apartment when she was unpacking by herself.
I should make friends with Yami, she thought to herself as they arrived at her car a bit away from the opera house's entrance. I could use someone interested in the same things as me.
"Thanks for walking with me, Otogi," she said, smiling.
"No problem, Anzu. I actually wanted to ask you a favor, so my intentions weren't purely honest." He gave a smirk of mischief that made her giggle. It certainly wasn't the right expression for him. When she gestured for him to ask for his favor, he sighed and looked from her. Then he turned back to her and said, "I want you to give me safe passage into the Katsuya household."
"Uh...I don't have their keys..." She said uncertainly.
"No, no, that's not what I mean. I want to see Shizuka. I like her. She's a sweet girl. I used to like her brother, too – not that I don't – but he hates my guts. Unfortunately, when he and Mai divorced, I was forced to take sides and I chose Mai since she would be needing more support than Jou. He had Shizuka and Honda. Mai didn't have anyone but Rena. So, because I stayed with Mai, Jou got pissed off and pretty much called me a traitor. I mean, when he came to pick Rena up at house some time ago, he was civil and acting nice, but I know he hasn't forgiven me."
"Oh..." Anzu replied dim-wittedly to his long explanation. "Well...Whenever you can get away, give me a call and I'll see what I can do. I don't want to cause conflict with Jou, either, so we can try and do it at a time him and Honda are gone."
"Thank you, Anzu," he told her with a clearly relieved tone, taking her hands and squeezing them to accent his point. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
I do if you've got a crush on Shizuka, Anzu answered him silently. She smiled at him instead and bid him goodbye as he left back to the opera house, waving his arm. She got in her car and shoved the keys in the ignition. After pulling away from the curb, she vaguely wondered who this ex-wife of Jounouchi's was.
X
Anzu heard shouting inside the house of her friend's and winced, wondering if she should just come back later. Instead, she turned the knob and let herself in as both the Katsuyas had bid her to do. She blinked, staring at the mess in the apartment. Shizuka was a horrible clean freak. She couldn't imagine her letting Jounouchi to this. Said female came flying out of the kitchen and let out a horrified shriek, staring at the mess with her hands pressed to her cheeks. "JOUNOUCHI!" She shrilled, slamming her hands down to her sides. "If you don't get your butt in here and clean this mess up – "
"I'm still looking for my car keys!" He shouted back at her from somewhere at the other part of the apartment.
"I AM GOING TO RIP OUT EVERY ONE OF YOUR BLONDE HAIRS IF YOU DON'T COME CLEAN THIS UP!"
"FINE, BUT I CAN'T GO GET ANY MILK!"
"I DON'T CARE!" Shizuka thrust her hands in her hair, staring with wild eyes at the dismantled living room. Anzu gave a sympathetic look to her and shut the door, making her presence known. Shizuka turned, her face pale. She immediately went to Anzu and started crying in her shoulder. Anzu hugged her friend comfortingly while Jou came into the living room with a bright expression on his face. His keys were hanging from his index finger.
"Found 'em," he announced unnecessarily. "Oh, hey, Anzu."
"Just go get the milk, Jounouchi," Anzu said with a sigh. He blinked, took one glance at his sister, and hastily left the apartment. Shizuka sniffed as the door closed and drew out of Anzu's embrace, her brow puckered with irritation. Anzu laughed softly, saying, "It's just a bit of a mess, Shizuka. It's not the end of the world."
"It's the end of my world." Anzu shook her head and guided the younger female to the kitchen and sat her down. She removed her jacket and dropped it on the table with her purse. It was amazing how comfortable she was in the Katsuya household, not to mention how comfortable she was with them. She instantly went to the coffee pot, poured Shizuka a cup and handed it to her, setting the sugar and cream on the table before she took her things and went and put them in the closet by the door. "Thanks, Anzu," Shizuka mumbled when she returned to the kitchen.
"It's fine, Shizuka. We'll clean the mess up later." Anzu got herself a cup of coffee and as soon as she sat back at the table, she asked, "Do you remember Otogi Ryuuji?"
Shizuka raised a startled, chocolate gaze to Anzu's curious, ocean-blue one. She could see the innocence on the face, not to mention the tone in which the question was asked, but she couldn't help but feel defensive. Otogi's name hadn't been mentioned to her in years unless he was being cursed about. She hadn't heard from him since Jou's divorce, even though she wanted to. He was only three years older than Jou's twenty-three years. Otogi was the same age as Mai.
Shizuka hadn't wanted to take his flirtatious advances seriously, but Mai had told her woman-to-woman that Otogi's usual flighty ways had abruptly stopped and he had remained without a woman since he met Shizuka. Whether they were with other people or alone, he was always tender with her and it made her feel special. She had known by Jou's suspicious looks that he hadn't trusted Otogi around his sister in the least. She had been fifteen when she met Otogi and had been seventeen when she last saw him. She had thought it ridiculous that she could fall in love with someone as young as she was, but the way her heart stuttered at his name and how her stomach churned in anticipation made her hesitate in her theory.
"I remember him," Shizuka said presently, her eyes fixed on her coffee. "Why?"
"I talked with him today," Anzu responded casually. "He was asking about you." Shizuka's head shot up so she could meet Anzu's gaze. Her older friend's mouth curled into a smile. "You like him, don't you?"
"...He's way too old for me," Shizuka muttered, "and he thinks of me as more of a sister than anything." She was lying to herself and both of them knew it. "But...um, what did he say?"
"He wanted to see you and he wanted me to be his 'safe passage,' as he put it. I told him I'd figure something out."
"N-no!" Shizuka gasped out, her cheeks warming. "Jou would be furious if he knew!"
"Shizuka, Otogi really does want to see you," Anzu sincerely said. "Jou will have to make a sacrifice for his little sister." She reached over and took Shizuka's hands in hers. She didn't like going up against Jounouchi, her best friend, but had seen the hope and eagerness in Shizuka's eyes before she had discouraged herself. And the way Otogi had thanked her made her certain that his intentions were good. She knew he was older than Shizuka, but she consoled herself by thinking that it would be worse if he was forty. Then she would have a problem with it.
"Wait." Shizuka suddenly gave Anzu a confused look. "How did you even meet Otogi?" Anzu's face lit up and she instantly told Shizuka all about how his going to the café and offering to get her an accompanist and how she had met Yami Mutou the day after. Shizuka looked bemused after her story ended and said, "Wow. I've never even heard of Yami Mutou, to be entirely honest. I don't think Otogi's ever spoken about him – " She stopped suddenly and frowned. "But then, I've never had any musical interests..."
"So what?" Anzu demanded. "That doesn't mean you two can't like each other!" Shizuka stared at her and smiled faintly.
"You sounded like Mai for a minute. She said the same thing about her and Jou when I told her how different they were." Shizuka laughed slightly. "It's kind of ironic, though. That was the whole reason she and Jou started fighting. Jounouchi said he couldn't stand how narcissistic she was – I told him all women were like that, but he ignored me – and how she was always nagging at him about his appearance. He said that she was too focused on what other people thought about them that she forgot about their marriage. I don't entirely disagree, but Mai was a good sister-in-law to me."
"She doesn't sound like the kind of person Jou would marry," Anzu remarked. "I always imagine him with someone sporty, someone who likes to have fun. Like one of those hairdressers that are always cheerful and making helpful suggestions."
"You wouldn't believe how surprised strangers are when they realize Jou and Mai used to be married." Shizuka fingered her cup and quietly continued, "Mai really loved him, Anzu."
"He's a good guy."
"I know, but Jou...You wouldn't think he cared in the least about the divorce. He just brushed it off like it was a daily occurrence, like spilling a glass of milk. Mai is insanely jealous now because she thinks that you and him are dating. Jou's never hung around anyone but Honda – it's always been that way – so she's really upset."
"I don't think your brother knows how much he hurt her, Shizuka," Anzu slowly said. "Some people are like that." Like my mom, she added to herself silently. Shizuka could see the sadness masked beneath Anzu's voice, though she didn't question her about it. She had a feeling that Anzu wasn't ready to talk about it yet.
X
Honda looked up from the magazine he was going through and shook his head, grinning. "What are you doing here, Jounouchi?" He demanded of his friend that had just wandered into the corner store. He wasn't sure what it was that made him and Jounouchi get along so well or stand each other's company, but whatever it was seemed to work well for them since they were still friends after their years in junior high and high school.
Honda had thought that Jou wasn't ready for a kid when he ended up getting Mai pregnant while they were engaged, but he had been proved wrong. Jou had matured once his child was born. Honda had been surprised that Jou insisted in being with Mai while she had their child as Jou was squeamish when it came to those kinds of things. He hadn't even been very willing to go to birthing classes with Mai.
And even now, a year after Jou's divorce, Honda was still unused to not seeing Mai or Rena trailing behind his friend when he was off work. He had been surprised, just as Shizuka had been, at Jou's complete nonchalance after the divorce. He really hadn't seemed to give a damn, even though Honda knew Mai had practically crash landed in a different universe without her husband.
"Getting milk," Jou grunted as he passed his friend. Honda abandoned the magazine and followed his moody friend, wondering what his reason for irritation was this time. "I got bitched at by Shizuka for practically no reason at all!" He fumed to Honda, who raised his eyebrows.
"Okay...Well, if it was practically no reason, it was probably a huge reason to your sister, knowing her." Honda had gotten over Shizuka in a snap like he did with all women. Rejection was becoming normal for him. That definitely was not a good thing. He always got the same response: "Let's just be friends." It was as if they thought he would be better being gay or something.
"Whatever." Jou went to the back of the store where the milk was, grumbling, with Honda following. As soon as Jou had the two gallons of two-percent, they went up to the cashier, standing behind a purple-haired girl.
Honda checked his watch to see what time it was and heard the girl give a surprised exclamation of, "Oh, no! Um..." He looked up to see what the problem was and saw the irritated scowl on the cashier's face. "I'm sorry, I don't..." She trailed off uncertainly, blinking her wide eyes.
"How much do you need?" Honda asked politely, getting out his wallet. She turned to him, startled. "I'll give you the money." He let his mouth stretch into a friendly grin and she flushed, bowing her head shyly.
"Five dollars..." She replied meekly. He gave the cashier the five dollars while she fished out two quarters and a penny for the rest of the amount. The cashier punched in the numbers and the cash register dinged before the drawer thrust out. The elderly man stuffed the money in and growled out, "Have a nice day," even though he probably didn't mean it.
"Man, you're such a sucker," Jou told Honda as he threw down the milk. Honda merely shrugged. After Jou paid for the milk, they headed outside where Jou's car and Honda's motorcycle was. The girl was outside and rushed to them as soon as they exited the store. Jou glanced at her, and then at Honda, saying, "I'll talk to you later, Honda." Honda nodded, raising his hand in farewell.
"I...never got to thank you," the female said, her voice soft, her eyes staring up at him. He thought they were an attractive lavender color, the same as her long hair that was tied up in a yellow ribbon. "I don't want to just take your money and not pay it back – "
"Hey, it's no big deal," he answered, smiling. "I don't mind helping someone every once in awhile. Besides, you seem like a really nice girl and that cashier was being an ass." She blinked and then giggled, her face going a bit pink at the compliment.
"I still want to repay you."
"If you give me your name, that'll be enough."
She looked baffled and queried, "What? Really?" He nodded. "Um...Well...It's Miho Nosaka. But if you really do want your money back, you can come to my work some time and I'll pay you back. I work at Java Beans."
"No, I don't want it back." He flashed another disarming smile. "But maybe I'll come by for coffee, Miho Nosaka." He waved at her and left to his motorcycle. When he got on it with his helmet on, she was already in her tiny Kia Rio and backing out. He gave a goofy grin to himself that he was glad she couldn't see and drove out of the parking lot, speeding down the roads with the wind whipping past him.
X
"Miho, are you alright?" Miho blinked and turned to look at Anzu. Anzu was usually cashier, but Miho sometimes had to take the job on herself. It was generally herself, Kanna, and Rika that alternated the waiting and coffee making. Miho hadn't been able to keep the orders right today, though, so she wasn't doing much of anything. Her mind kept straying to the kind male at the store yesterday. No one had ever done something so nice to her.
"Yes, I'm fine," Miho assured. Just upset because I never got that man's name, she silently said to herself. And she was. She had given him her name, but hadn't gotten one in return. If she knew men – and she did – she suspected he wouldn't actually ever come in for coffee. There was a three-day calling rule for dating. She wondered what the rule was for this situation.
"You seem a bit spacey."
"I guess I am a bit. Sorry. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Which was true. It just wasn't why she was spacey. A little white lie never hurt anybody.
"Did I tell you I finally found an accompanist?"
"Really?" Miho questioned, thankful for the change in topic.
"Yeah. His name's Yami Mutou. He's supposed to call me sometime. I signed up for auditions for Swan Lake today. I never got a chance to do it yesterday because I had to meet with him and then helped Shizuka clean a mess that her brother made while looking for his keys." Miho laughed. "They gave me all the papers for it and how I had to dance. I'm trying to get the part of Odette."
"Well, I hope you do well, Anzu," Miho said, smiling. "I know that you have the potential, even though I've never seen you dance before. You move so smoothly and I don't think I've ever seen you trip over your feet once. That's a good sign!" Anzu chuckled and turned back to the cash register as a customer entered. She froze, staring at the beautiful woman that entered. She looked like some kind of model with her lush, blonde hair, soft complexion, and slender body. Her violet eyes locked on Anzu's as soon as the door shut behind her and she smiled at her.
"Hi, hon," she said to Anzu before she was given a chance to greet her. It was then that Anzu noticed a little girl trailing behind her. "I'd like a triple cappuccino."
"Would you like whipped cream on that?" Anzu queried politely with the woman shaking her head in answer. Almost as soon as she spoke, a voice cried her name out. The woman turned to her daughter and then her eyes shot to Anzu's nametag. A hostile look entered her eyes and Anzu took a step back in surprise.
"Anzu!" Rena repeated. Anzu hesitated and then leaned over the counter to look at Rena. The girl's face lit up and she reached her arms up for her to pick her up. Anzu had to ignore her as she leaned back from the counter, seeing the cold look on the beautiful woman's face. So this is Jounouchi's ex-wife.
Mai felt a rush of jealous rage souring up to meet her. The female before her was pretty, that much wasn't denied, and she was shorter than Mai with gentle features and an attractive body. Rena had mentioned that Anzu could dance and it showed. She had the body of a dancer. And she was young. That was what really pissed Mai off. She was closing in on being thirty while this...this Anzu Mazaki...was probably younger than Jounouchi. Mai had never felt the want to smash someone's face in very often – and usually it had never been a woman she felt the malice for – but right then she wanted to launch herself at Anzu and beat that pretty little face beyond repair.
Instead, she calmed herself and considered just spitting in her face.
She didn't. She spoke to Anzu in an amazingly steady tone, "I didn't know Jounouchi's girlfriend worked in a coffee shop." Originally, Mai was planning on going to the opera house since Otogi was working with some violinists and thought to see if he wanted to go out for lunch with her and Rena. Instead, she was faced with this.
"I'm not dating Jounouchi," Anzu responded, uncomfortable with the woman. Miho carefully set the triple cappuccino on the counter. Anzu nervously pushed it forward, saying, "Here's your coffee."
"Thanks for lying to me, since everyone else seems to think it's okay." Mai slapped her hand against the cup. Anzu flinched as the lid snapped off and hot liquid flew onto her apron and a bit on her arms. She was lucky it didn't burn her arms. When she turned her gaze from her wet garments, everyone in the café was staring as Mai marched out the door with Rena in her arms. It slammed behind her.
"I'll cover for you here," Miho quietly said to Anzu. "Go home and get cleaned up, okay?" She touched Anzu's shoulder and the latter just nodded, trudging to the back room, ignoring the curious stares of the customers and Rika and Kanna. She slumped at the table, undoing the strings behind her back. She tossed the apron to the side and pressed her face in her hands, holding back the tears of hurt and frustration that welled behind her lids.
Taking a careful breath, Anzu stumbled to her feet and grabbed her things, ignoring her coffee stained shirt. She hoped to whatever god that was above that she never encountered Mai Kujaku again. Because if she did, she had a feeling she might get a little pissed off because of this incident of hers.
X
Otogi was saying farewell to one of his students when he spotted Mai storming towards him. His smile slid off his face while the male left to join his friends. He could tell by her stiff walking and the way Rena was crying that something had happened. He moved towards her in worry, thinking that Jounouchi and her might have fought in front of Rena. As soon as he got close enough, Rena let out a wail and threw herself against Otogi's legs. He brought her into his arms and his eyebrows knitted together in concern as he looked to Mai. "Do you know the girl down there at the café?" She snarled at him as soon as his jade eyes met hers. "Anzu Mazaki?" She added.
"Anzu?" Otogi repeated blankly. "Sure, I know her. Why? Is something wrong?"
"Of course there's something wrong!" Mai snapped furiously. "The fucking bitch – " Rena started crying loudly again and Mai seemed to strangle herself with the words that she wouldn't allow to erupt. For a long time, no one spoke as Rena sobbed into Otogi's shoulder. He hushed her gently, stroking her blonde curls, so curly like Mai's, but the color of straw like Jounouchi's. "I hate her," Mai said simply when Rena wasn't crying as hard.
"I can see that..." Otogi slowly said. He heard someone call his name and he turned to see Yami arriving. He had been at a party, he recalled, and told Otogi he would meet him here after his class was done. Yami raised his hand in greeting and Otogi waved a bit to him. As soon as he arrived, Otogi asked, "Can you take Rena inside, Yami? Mai and I need to talk alone."
"Certainly," Yami replied smoothly, taking the girl from Otogi. "I'll play you something. How does that sound, princess?" Rena nodded silently, curling against him. Yami smiled lightly and nodded to Mai in greeting before leaving them.
"Alright, Mai," Otogi sighed, turning to look at his friend, "explain to me what you've got against Anzu. As far as I know, she's new here and hasn't done anything wrong to you."
"She's obviously a slut!"
"Mai!" Otogi scolded. "You hardly know the girl. How can you make conclusions like that?"
"She just arrived in town maybe a week ago and she's already dating Jounouchi – "
"I never heard of this."
" – and she's working on you it looks like, too, hon. What does that say?" Otogi grimly assessed his friend and almost sighed aloud. He had known, since the first time Mai started dating again, that she was still deeply in love with Jou. Her sudden burst of jealousy made it obvious enough. He hated to see her attaching herself to a man that obviously had moved on. He doubted Anzu was dating Jou or she would have said something. Besides, he knew enough about Anzu Mazaki that she wasn't "working on him" like Mai suggested. She was naturally friendly and he was sure that she would be nice to Mai, too, despite her being Jou's ex-wife.
"Well, perhaps you had better discuss this with Shizuka, Yami, and Honda, too," Otogi quietly suggested to her. Surprise crossed her features when he said Yami's name. "Yami met her yesterday – just as I did – and decided to become her accompanist. He wouldn't partner up with just anyone. And trust me, she's not dating Jounouchi."
"...I threw coffee on her," Mai told him, her anger fading. "How do you know she's not dating Jou?"
"Because, dear," Otogi said with a smile, "her heart doesn't go out for men like him." She looked away from him, clearly uncomfortable with his words. "You still love him, Mai. Why don't you just admit it?"
"The only reason we started fighting," she sighed, "was because he stopped loving me. It wasn't because we were different – we could overlook that as long as we loved each other. Everyone thinks it's because of that, but it's not. I know Jou could be better, but he made me happy, Otogi. He made things fun and he's so good with Rena..." Her expression turned bitter. "Rena instantly knew Anzu when we walked in the coffee shop."
"They're not dating, Mai," he repeated, just like Jou had, just like Anzu had.
"I know." She sighed, smiling sadly to herself. "I just...I can't stand thinking of another woman getting close to him. No one's been willing to except for me. And friendship can always evolve into something more, Otogi. She's perfect for Jou. She's friendly, pretty, young..." She gave another sigh. "If she takes Rena from me...What will I do?"
"Rena will always love you more, Mai," Otogi said, drawing her into a hug. She was almost taller than him. "I promise."
"Thank you, hon," she mumbled, drawing away and letting her rouge lips curl the slightest bit. "You're the only friend I know in this whole damn world."
I know, Mai, Otogi thought sadly, I know.
X
DIS: You know what's strange about this fic? I usually never have Mai, Honda, Jou, Miho, or Otogi in my stories. Now they're part of a huge plot! Amazing, isn't it? Please leave a review before continuing in the real world. Reviews make a happy author, even if they're full of criticism. Ciao!
