Broken Fragments
Chapter 48: The Calm Before the Storm
Yuuhi sat in her seat, softly clenching her fists as the plane gradually took off. She stared at the back of the seat in front of her, dazing. Her thoughts muffled the loud noise of the plane and blurred her surroundings. Seconds later, Yuuhi looked out the window to find endless clouds floating next to the plane. Her thoughts once again occupied her, remembering what happened last night and Laurent's last order.
The successful runway fashion show ended with Yuuhi's getting more popular. Due to her fresh face in the Western media, almost all of the audience were captivated by her. Her fellow Japanese were also delighted as they watched the broadcast at their home country and other parts of the world. She portrayed the modernized kimono that represented Japan with pride and elegance down the catwalk. Her straight face added to the illusion of the outfit's beauty, making her look more professional.
All the participants of the fashion show were invited to a celebratory party, but Yuuhi opted out. Many interviewers, photographers, and other professionals wanted to meet Yuuhi, even going as far as asking Genevieve to make the Japanese idol to stay.
"As much as I'd like her to stay, too," Genevieve looked at Yuuhi, meeting the idol's cold eyes with the fashion empress's deceitful smile.
"I'm not the type to force someone to do something they don't want to do," Laurent turned back to Yuuhi's new fans.
"Besides, my dear Yuuhi's not feeling well, am I right?" another smile was sent to Yuuhi.
Yuuhi shot Laurent with a sharp look, but knowing that she must maintain her composure, Yuuhi quickly responded with grace.
"I truly apologize for my rudeness," Yuuhi bowed.
"But I must return to the hotel. I haven't been feeling well lately. However, my manager would gladly respond to any questions if you contact him. You can get his card from Ms. Laurent. Now, if you'd all excuse me, I will be returning to the hotel. Thank you so much for all the support."
Without staying any further in the fashion show's arena, Yuuhi left with one of Laurent's assistants who drove her and Subaru back to the hotel. After they arrived at their temporary place of stay, the chauffeur did his job and escorted the two out of the black car. Before driving off, the chauffer handed Yuuhi an envelope. Yuuhi opened it in a rushed yet calmly manner. Inside were two tickets back to California scheduled for the next day. Their stay in New York was supposed to last two more weeks to give them time to attend interviews and social gatherings, but Yuuhi was aware of why her stay had been shortened.
"What do you want to do tomorrow? Do you want me to tour you around?" Subaru asked, having no idea of what had happened between his younger sister and Genevieve.
"I wish we could, but we're heading out tomorrow," Yuuhi handed the envelope to Subaru after placing the tickets back inside.
As they entered the elevator, Subaru read the information on the tickets, a little surprised of such quick changes. The two separated to their own rooms to rest and also begin packing.
Yuuhi flopped down on the bed, exhausted. She closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep right away, when suddenly, knocks on the door interrupted her. Yuuhi found a man in a black suit holding a package for her when she opened the door. The idol needn't ask who the package was from since Laurent's signature was the ribbon's print. Without thanking the man, who Yuuhi assumed was one of Genevieve's bodyguards, the idol accepted the package and shut the door.
Yuuhi untied the ribbon and took the lid off of the box. The present inside was covered with a royal purple silk fabric, fitting for the fashion empress who sent it. On top was a small envelope that was addressed to Yuuhi.
"Wear this when you visit Mr. Kazama on set. It will be perfect," Yuuhi read with Genevieve's voice in her head.
When Yuuhi revealed what was underneath the silk fabric, her hands trembled.
"Yuuhi. Yuuhi."
Yuuhi felt her body being shaken. After slowly opening her eyes, she found Subaru's worried face.
"Are you okay?" Subaru asked, letting go of his younger sister.
"Yeah, I'm alright."
"You looked like you were having a nightmare."
"No, I'm fine, really," Yuuhi faked a smile as she fixed her tousled hair.
"We're going to land soon, so I'm getting our things ready," Subaru said as he packed his headphones in his carry-on bag.
Yuuhi also began to clean up around her even though she slept the whole time. In the back of her head, Yuuhi knew that every little thing she was doing was only to distract her from Laurent's present. With a blank mind, everything passed quickly and Yuuhi left the airport with Subaru. They were brought to the hotel that Genevieve had already arranged for them by another one of her bodyguards staying in California.
Once again, Yuuhi was alone in her hotel room.
The bright sunshine that entered the room was a contrast to Yuuhi's jumbled mind. Her room was serene. The furniture and the décor were beautiful. They received, however, no attention from the person staying inside for her head was somewhere else. The girl sitting on the bed stared at the box she placed on the coffee table. The box, though matted, glistened under the sunlight. The rays gave it its own spotlight, making it impossible for the auburn-haired girl to ignore.
"You don't have to do what she said," a voice in Yuuhi's head echoed.
"Don't you want to prove her wrong, though?" another voice battled the first.
Yuuhi clenched her fists as she listened to her two separate consciences.
"Yuuhi, you don't have to listen to Genevieve."
"Genevieve has a point, though, Yuuhi."
The two voices began to overlap each other, confusing Yuuhi. Nevertheless, Yuuhi was still sure that one voice supported Genevieve's orders while the other opposed.
"Yuuhi, you must get to the truth!"
"If you see Hiroto while you're dressed in what Genevieve gave you, you'll only get hurt!"
Yuuhi's ears started ringing, causing her to fall. She covered her ears as she landed on her knees, her eyes also shut tight. Not knowing what to do, Yuuhi cried out loud in pain. When the ringing was gone, Yuuhi was on fours. She stared at the white carpeted floor as tears still continued to flow from her eyes. Her blue eyes weren't cold but shocked; shocked at the conclusion Yuuhi was reaching to.
"You'll only…get…hurt," Yuuhi repeated what her conscience said.
Shaking, Yuuhi sat up and looked up at the box again. The silence enveloped Yuuhi as she gathered her thoughts together.
Then, Yuuhi found her resolve.
"I'll get to the truth."
Christopher Ray's crew had been filming since sunrise on their third day. Though they were only working on a short film, time was still too valuable to waste. They filmed a few major scenes that were set in the city and suburbs. Ray also took care of most of the B-shots needed. So far, they've filmed one-third of the movie.
"Alright, let's head to the beach to film one of the major scenes," Ray ordered his crew.
The scene that Christopher was going to film on the beach is actually the last scene of the movie. In this scene, the main character, played by Hiroto, must finally come into terms with a final decision. Hiroto, who still had no idea what the film was really about, had been ordered by Ray to act however he wanted on the last scene they were going to film for the day.
"I know you very well," Ray looked at the sky, looking forward to its red hue when the sun sets.
Quick flashes of memories sprung up in Ray's mind. His memories were like photographs, each documenting the smiling faces of a beautiful brunette with piercing green eyes. He was happy with her. She was happy with him. However, his flashback ended with her fading away without a word.
Clenching the steering wheel, he pictured what was bound to happen.
"I know you very well, Genevieve."
The crew arrived earlier than Christopher, but they were almost ready with the set up for the scene because of the director's orders. When Ray got out of the car, the makeup artists were almost finished touching up Hiroto's makeup.
"Are you ready, Mr. Kazama?" Ray asked when he approached the idol.
"Yes, sir," Hiroto smiled with confidence.
Ray gave Hiroto a pat on the shoulder. Hiroto sensed an odd feeling from the director, but he couldn't seem to pinpoint what the feeling was. Whatever Hiroto felt, though, he didn't like.
"Subaru-nii, I'm heading out," Yuuhi walked up to Subaru while she fixed the navy blue cap on her head.
"Wait, where are you going?" Subaru just finished his first sip of the tea he ordered at the hotel's lounge.
After the short notice, Yuuhi immediately walked out of the lounge to the hotel's exit. She kept walking, not even replying to Subaru's question.
For some reason, Subaru felt worried. When he thought about what had been going on, something was amiss. They had to leave New York right away, then returned to California, instead of going back to Japan. His younger sister also seemed to be restless ever since coming back from New York.
With a hunch that Yuuhi was in trouble, Subaru walked up to the hotel's front desk and asked for another key for Yuuhi's room. After stating that he's her older brother, he easily received a key. He rushed down the hall after taking the elevator to Yuuhi's room. The door opened without any problems, and Subaru didn't hesitate to walk in. He started going through Yuuhi's things, trying to find any clues to explain—and rest assure—whatever horrible feeling he'd been having.
Before he could give up, Subaru came across folded papers hidden in the deepest pockets of Yuuhi's purse. He rushed to read the contents of the letter, addressed to Yuuhi from her adoptive mother, Saeko.
Out of nowhere, Subaru's eyes widened.
"Yuuhi's…the weaker twin?" Subaru muttered, finishing the letter.
While placing the papers down, Subaru remembered the information he learned about superfetation, the rare case of the Tsukishima twins. He fell to the floor while grabbing his hair, not knowing what to do.
While the ocean was tranquil, the sky seemed to roar with its vibrant colors. The sunset was fiery red, just the way Ray pictured in his mind. The wind continued to whistle its soft tune, though a hint of sadness accompanied it.
The director looked out into the distance while taking a deep breath. He remembered the old saying that when the sunset's bloody red, a storm was approaching.
"The calm before the storm, huh," Ray quietly said, his eyes melancholic.
Out of nowhere, Ray's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a message from a friend—also Genevieve's main assistant—Henry Grant.
"I've been informed that she's approaching the set now," the text message said.
The director returned his phone in his pocket and proceeded to give orders to the crew. Hiroto received the last retouches for his makeup and wardrobe before he stood in the position he was assigned to. The cameramen finished setting up and were ready to roll as soon as Ray called it. Ray sat in his chair, calm.
For a moment, everything stood still.
"Action!"
The cameras began to roll. Hiroto stood by the shore, his bare feet feeling the sand. He was looking at the orange sun, just as Christopher asked the idol to start.
Hiroto remembered Christopher's instructions, though they were a few. Christopher asked Hiroto to look at the sunset when the filming starts for the last scene. Then, Hiroto would turn around when he hears footsteps behind him. From then on, the director asked the Japanese actor to act however he wanted, but the actor was to follow his heart.
Though he kept the reminders in mind, Hiroto seemed to have lost his thoughts to the sunset in front of him.
"It's so beautiful…like Yuuhi," Hiroto felt at ease when he thought about the auburn-haired girl, who was named after the sunset.
Suddenly, the sound of feet hitting the sand resonated and brought Hiroto back to his senses. Following instructions, Hiroto turned around.
Time stopped.
In front of Hiroto was Kirari.