Chapter Five – Moving Closer

They met for lunch that afternoon, and she noticed the constraint in him, but said nothing. He followed her to a donburi place near her work and they sat talking about work and politics and other topics that didn't touch them personally. Yumi could see from the line between his brows that there was something wrong.

"Is everything okay?" she asked diffidently, despite all that they had gone through in her last life, she still wasn't entirely sure of where they stood in this one.

"My family is very loud," he burst out and then fell silent again.

"My mother is a horrible snob who thinks that if you buy off the rack, you are low class," she answered and his head popped up in surprise. "I would like to think that doesn't matter." He was eyeing her with concern now.

"You think she won't like me?" he asked, his voice uncertain.

"I think that unless you were the CEO of Honda, or a member of the Imperial Family, my mother wouldn't like you," she grumbled and rolled her eyes. He laughed a little nervously at that.

"Do you think that she would like my family?" This was obviously an important question and Yumi knew that only the truth would do here.

"My father will love you and your family, but my mother will be chilly and distantly polite." His face froze over a little while she spoke and she sighed.

"I like your family, what I have seen of them, anyway. I haven't cared what my mother thought of other people since I was a child." She leaned forward, trying to catch his eye and he looked up at her with no humor in his expression. "Tsubasa-san, please don't think that her opinion matters to me."

"Would she like me better if I weren't a boxer?" he asked and she blinked in surprise.

"Probably, but then I wouldn't like you as much," she answered and now it was his turn to be surprised.

"What? Why not?"

"Because if you gave up something that important to you, just to be with me, you would be miserable and I would be miserable for having caused that. It would be like me having to give up music for you, something that would cause us both pain." She insisted. "You just be who you are and don't pay attention to anyone who thinks that it isn't good enough." She was feeling rather vehement by the end of the speech and found herself ducking her head in confusion over the very intensity of her reaction.

"Huh, Kai said something like that to me once, you are both right," he murmured and she looked up at him, relieved that she hadn't embarrassed him. He smiled at her and shrugged. "I would hate to give up boxing, but I would do it for you." It was nearly a declaration of love and it made her beam at him with happiness.

"Don't give up boxing for me, Tsubasa-san. Follow your dream, I will even try to watch your bouts, without cringing so much," she teased and he laughed.

"Well, I don't want you to give up music either, let's just be who we are, okay?" She was so happy in that moment that she thought she must be glowing with it. "So, if a reporter asks me if we are seeing each other, can I tell him that we are?" He asked the question while looking out the window and his fingers were clenched tightly around his chopsticks.

"That would be fine," she answered and saw him relax and turn back to smile. She hadn't realized that he was as unsure of her as she was of him. It was actually reassuring to know how nervous he was.

"So, my parents would like to meet you." He blurted out with that slightly panicked look back in his eyes. She paused with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth and blinked.

"I would like that, Tsubasa-san," she answered and swallowed nervously. She had a sudden fear that they wouldn't approve of her, that they would think her too shy or too formal.

"Ah, you know, you could call me Tsubasa-chan, if you wanted to." He was rubbing the back of his head again and she could see how awkward the whole conversation was. It made her want to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Why was she feeling so constrained around him? After all, didn't he pull her soul back from oblivion, just because he cared about her?

"Tsubasa-chan, please forgive my formality before. I was very badly raised," she joked and he laughed in response.

"Its okay, Yumi-chan," he answered and she found herself grinning rather foolishly at the way his voice caressed her name. They finished the meal with far more ease than they had begun it. Yumi wasn't sure why just admitting that they were dating made such a big difference, but it did.

Jun-sensei was frowning at him as he worked out. Tsubasa could see his expression in the mirrors that lined the wall as he did his push ups. Even though he had assured his trainer that Yumi wasn't going to make him stop boxing, still the man was irritated with the very fact that Tsubasa was seeing her. He glowered and fretted and there was nothing that Tsubasa could say to change his attitude. It was hard to keep training like nothing was going on.

The real problem though was that he liked Jun-sensei, he respected his opinion and truly wanted the trainer's approval. The tension between them was hard to take. Higa-san had come to watch him train today and he knew that part of it was to see if Jun-sensei's upset was going to affect Tsubasa's training.

Not wanting to cause friction between the two old friends, Tsubasa was earnestly pretending to be fine with everything and working hard. Still, the atmosphere in the gym was strained.

"Oy! Tsubasa!" Makito-nee-san's voice boomed through the room and he came bounding in, dragging a rather wide-eyed Yumi behind him. He had a firm grip on her elbow and she was hanging back, but unable to escape. Tsubasa knew that Makito at his most insistent was an unstoppable force.

"Oy!" Tsubasa called back, somewhat confused by what the two of them were doing here. Yumi looked very uncomfortable and he got up and grabbed a towel, moving quickly to her side, wanting to rescue her from his brother's puppy-like energy.

"Yumi-chan didn't want to come in and bother you while you were training, but I told her not to be silly!" Makito laughed, completely oblivious to Jun-sensei's frozen expression or the painfully neutral look on Higa-san's face. He released Yumi at last and Tsubasa introduced her to his manager and trainer.

"Please forgive the intrusion," she murmured, bowing very deeply to both of the older men. She was wearing a simple white top and pale yellow skirt, her hair back in a knot at the back of her head. She looked nervous, but quite lovely, he thought. Still, the moment was decidedly awkward, though the only person who seemed unaware of that, was Makito-san.

"Its fine, Kimura-san," Higa-san replied with a wave of his hand, though Jun-sensei still looked miffed.

"Tsubasa! You won't guess! Yumi-chan is getting an award for her song-writing! Isn't that great?" Tsubasa grinned and grabbed her hand.

"That is great!" he congratulated her.

"There is an awards dinner on the fifth, if you would like to come?" her voice was hesitant and his heart sank.

"I have a fight that night," he sighed, letting go of his grip on her. He felt horrible; he didn't like to disappoint her.

"Can't you re-schedule?" Makito asked.

"No!" Yumi answered quickly. "Tsubasa-chan had his fight planned before this came up." She smiled at him. "It's fine. I will ask Genji-sensei to escort me."

"Genji-sensei?" Makito asked in confusion and with a touch of suspicion in his eyes. Tsubasa could see that Makito had appointed himself protector of his little brother's relationship, and he hoped that any man speaking to Yumi wouldn't get Makito's fist in his face.

"He's the studio's best engineer and he has been my mentor for many years," she answered. "He deserves some recognition for all that he does." Tsubasa snapped his fingers in understanding.

"The old man from the booth," he answered and she nodded. His description of the man wiped the suspicious expression from Makito's face. Tsubasa smiled down at her, lost for a moment in her loveliness. "That is a great idea; he will be a very good escort. He was quite… protective of you." She laughed as he paused to search for a neutral word.

"Gave you a lecture, did he?" Yumi asked him with eyes sparkling. Once engaged in the conversation, her shyness had evaporated, or maybe it was just the fact that he was there beside her, he wasn't certain. The girl she became when she laughed was one that he couldn't imagine being without.

"A bit of one, yes," he replied with a lopsided smile. She turned her smile on his trainer and manager and bowed deeply to both of them

"Please take care of Tsubasa for me," she asked, with her voice full of respect, and they both bowed in response, though Jun-sensei still looked a little dubious. "I am sorry that I will miss your fight, Tsubasa-chan, do your best!" she gave him a thumbs up and he grinned at her.

"Congratulations," he repeated and she bowed to the room again before slipping away. His mood was considerably better just for having seen her.

"Beautiful," Higa-san murmured with a strange look in his eyes. There was something almost wistful in the way he stood there watching the doorway that she had passed through.

"Humph," Jun-sensei grumbled, but the rest of the training went far more smoothly from that moment on, with both men somewhat reconciled to Yumi-chan's existence. It probably helped that Makito was so enthusiastic about her. His happiness for his little brother was quite infectious.

Tsubasa hoped that the rest of his family would be charmed as well.

Urara got the call from her mother and smiled as she listened.

"For dinner, really?" she asked with a bubble of laughter in her heart. "This sounds serious!" Hikaru came in as she was speaking and his eyebrow arched in interest. "Of course we will be there, kaa-chan, we wouldn't miss meeting Tsubasa's new girlfriend!" His handsome face comical in its surprise, Hikaru slipped up beside her and pressed his ear close to the phone. "Yes, yes, we will make sure to dress normally," she laughed and Hikaru smiled as well.

She hung up and gave her husband a small kiss.

"Tsubasa has a girlfriend, eh?" he queried and at her nod, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I am glad that he is finally over Rei. I was starting to get genuinely worried about him."

Urara merely nodded, happy that so far he had no suspicions about her involvement.

Yumi stood in front of the mirror trying not to hyperventilate. Her father was coming in a few days to meet Tsubasa's family and tonight she was going over to the Ozu house to meet the rest of his. Every moment of social embarrassment that she had ever suffered was being replayed through her mind just then. Having been a pre-schooler with all the reserve and formality of an old woman, she had been horribly teased by the other children. Then, when they found out that she could play the piano, write and read music, they had simply moved away from her, deciding that she was some sort of freak.

Most of her life she had spent alone, her father was usually at work at the lab, her mother was always attending some social function or charity event, and the servants were too well trained to play with the lonely little girl.

Then the concerts began. She remembered being a very young girl and sitting there in front of people, playing Chopin, or Beethoven and feeling like a she was some side-show attraction. She recalled all the times that her mother trotted her out to perform for her guests and then sent her away again when she was done.

None of these things had taught her to be easy and comfortable in large groups. Tsubasa had four siblings, plus there would be Urara's husband, Makito's fiancée, and Kai's girlfriend, as well as his parents. That was ten people. She already knew and liked Makito, but she was petrified to meet their parents. Every time that Tsubasa spoke of them, his voice was filled with such affection, his love for them quite obvious. What if they hated her?

"I don't think I should go," she sighed and heard an exasperated noise behind her.

"Don't be an idiot, it'll be fine!" Chi-chan insisted and went back to arranging Yumi's hair. It was up in a knot, but Chi-chan had managed to soften it with delicate curls wisping around her face.

"What if they hate me?" she asked, twisting her hands together nervously.

"They will adore you, you are sweet, pretty, talented, kind, and totally gone on their son, what parent wouldn't love you?" she chuckled, her voice filled with patient amusement. Yumi blushed at the idol's assessment of her feelings for Tsubasa, but didn't deny it either.

"I am so formal and stiff," she complained, wishing she could be more easy-going, like Chi-chan.

"Not around, Tsubasa-san, you're not," the younger girl responded absently, her hands still busy.

That comment made Yumi pause and think. It was true that she never felt as comfortable and happy with anyone, except perhaps her father, as she did with Tsubasa.

"Tsubasa-chan is different," she murmured, not able to explain.

"You know you could try "Tsu-kun", or "Tsu-chan" if the first one is too hard for you," laughed the pretty idol, with her black eyes sparkling merrily. Yumi found herself blushing again.

"I've only just managed to stop using "san", give me a little time, please," Yumi chuckled, finding the humor in the whole situation at last. Chi-chan rolled her eyes at her and Yumi laughed aloud.

Maybe this would all be okay after all.

She stepped out of the cab and all her fears were back again. The Ozu house was pretty, all stone with two stories and a gabled roof. It was western in style and had a very lovely garden all around it. Makito's handiwork, no doubt.

Laughter and voices were coming through the open door and the warm light that spilled out was welcoming, but still she hung back, nervous and with a wave of apprehension rolling over her.

"Are you lost?" a voice asked her and she spun around in surprise. A rather tiny, slender woman with long dark hair was standing beside her and Yumi had no idea where she had come from. She was very pretty, but she looked like she had stepped out of a history book, dressed in kimonos, tabi, and geta, with her hair done up on her head in a rather formal, ancient style. She actually looked like she ought to be in a glass case somewhere, rather than walking around the street.

"No, I'm just a little nervous to go in," she admitted and the woman smiled. It was a kind smile and it made Yumi feel a little silly for standing here in the gathering dark.

"You must be Kimura Yumi; Tsubasa-kun said you were shy. We are all supposed to be very nice to you and not scare you," she informed her with a placid tone and Yumi tried not to laugh. "I am Ki Sakura, Makito's fiancée," she frowned. "Did I say that correctly? Miyuki-san gets a funny look when I get it wrong."

"You said it quite well," Yumi assured her. The delicate woman, with her perplexed expression and quiet voice, while a trifle odd, seemed somehow quite fragile. Yumi felt a trifle protective of her and didn't want to hurt her feelings. Sakura-san beamed up at her, obviously pleased by the praise.

"Oh good, there are so many things that I get wrong," she explained and then took Yumi's hand and started leading her towards the house. Yumi was startled by the gesture, but it was obvious that Sakura had no idea that she was behaving at all strangely, so Yumi just gave in and let herself be dragged along. First Makito, then Sakura, she thought to herself with a laugh, this family seems determined to drag me into it.

It wasn't a thought that bothered her overmuch, though it was rather overwhelming at times.