71. Questions and Answers
482 Words
The first evening on the location turned out to be really fun. Just like on a school trip, everyone packed into a single room – the girls and Kouji to chat, the boys, Mitsuo and Taiki, obediently following their girlfriends, and the usual loner Ken because of his own private ulterior motives.
In a relatively short time, their cheery chat had evolved into a game of questions and answers.
"Alright, Izumi!" Kouji began, grinning. "I've been dying to ask… Why did you agree to date Mitsuo?"
"Oy!" Mitsuo muttered gruffly.
Izumi smirked and patted Mitsuo's knee.
"Because he was too cute to resist. Even if he took his sweet time to finally ask me out."
Mitsuo's ears tinted slightly pink.
"Hmmm," Izumi hummed in thought. "Okay, my question goes to Satsuki. What was your first boyfriend like?"
Satsuki's face was almost the exact shade of tomato red, and she squirmed in embarrassment.
"I've never had a boyfriend," she confessed miserably.
"Ehhh?" gasped Noriko in surprise.
"Why not?" Izumi inquired, amazed.
"Because… because I never was too popular in high school. I was a tomboy and an athlete, and the few boys I got along with didn't see me as a girl," Satsuki muttered, wishing there was a deep hole somewhere near she could disappear into.
"Keh!" Mitsuo huffed. "Your high school must've been full of blind idiots."
"I agree," Taiki said. "You are great, Satsuki-chan! Almost as pretty as my sweet Noriko!"
Taiki pulled Noriko into his arms, and the shy actress blushed and giggled nervously.
"Thanks guys," Satsuki said a bit hesitantly.
"Alright, it's your turn to ask now, Satsuki!" Izumi said, smiling.
"Okay… Himeko-chan, how did you meet with your husband?"
Himeko smiled.
"It's a really boring story, to be honest… We met because of work. I was recording my album and he was the sound tech at the recording studio. There was a lot of staring going on through that recording booth glass, accompanied with small flirty smiles."
Noriko and Satsuki giggled at the mental image.
"Then… My question goes to Ken-san!" Himeko said slyly. "There has never been much talk about you dating anyone seriously. Do you have some kind of an aversion for relationships?"
"A relationship requires mutual respect and affection, but most of all it needs work." he said simply. "And none of the women I have been with so far have been worth of all those three. But that does not mean that I am opposed to relationships or shy away from them. It simply indicates that I haven't found the right girl… yet."
Satsuki's heart skipped a beat when, for the fleetest second, she could feel Ken's dark gaze on her. A slight blush warmed her cheeks even though she had tried to fight it down.