Chapter 16: Truth Pops Out

Misaki had no idea where she was. Her head was against something soft but her head pounded like crazy. Her mouth felt like cotton too.

She moaned and felt around for her phone that was always on her night stand. Her arm dropped when there was no nightstand.

"Where am I?" she thought to herself.

The room was bright and Misaki could barely even open her eyes. She couldn't really talk either because her throat felt like a desert.

"Are you awake?" a silky voice asked.

Misaki rolled onto her back. Her head…it hurt like crazy! She moaned in response.

"Here, drink this," the voice said. Misaki felt something cool touch her lips. She greedily gulped down the water. "Slowly," the voice coaxed. "Take these pills too…"

Misaki slowly opened her eyes and spit out the water in her mouth.

"TAKUMI?!" she exclaimed.

Takumi wiped his face. "Yeah, me," he said, setting the empty glass on his desk.

"What are you doing in my house?!"

"Take a look around you, sweetheart," Takumi said, amused.

Misaki looked around. This place was unfamiliar.

"This isn't my house!" she gasped.

"Correct," Takumi said, sitting in his swivel chair.

"Your house?" Misaki asked, studying the room. It was simple but clean. Everything was neat and in perfect order. Misaki saw the different shades of blue in the room. The blankets had a faint scent…almost like a very very faint cologne. Just like the t-shirt she was wearing- Wait. She wasn't wearing a t-shirt last night…

"AHHHH!" Misaki screamed, pulling the blanket around herself. "WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?! YOU PERVERT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"

Takumi rolled his eyes. "I do have neighbors," he said with a sigh.

"WHY AM I SLEEPING IN YOUR HOUSE?! WH-"

Takumi covered her mouth with his hand. "If you'll let me explain…" he said. "You had a little too much to drink last night and so did your friend, Vivian," he said, flatly. "I was going to take you home but then you threw up so I took you back to my house."

"YOU TOOK OFF MY CLOTHES?!"

"You were a mess," Takumi defended himself. "I wasn't going to let you sleep in my bed like that!"

Misaki stared at him. "This is your bed?!" she shrieked. "Where did you sleep?!"

"In the living room," Takumi replied.

"Where's Vivian?" Misaki asked.

"I don't know,"

"You left her at the bar?!" Misaki exclaimed. "I have to call her-"

"She's fine," Takumi said. "She was sober enough to walk unlike you. If I recall correctly, you wouldn't have wine with dinner but you're okay with getting drunk now at a bar?"

Misaki blushed. "No…" she admitted. "I just…It's none of your business!" she said, crossing her arms.

Takumi raised an eyebrow. "None of my business? So, I should have just left you with that stranger. You could have woken up in his bed today…with no clothes on."

"I what?"

"Some guy at the bar tried to pick you up," Takumi told her. "You don't remember anyone force feeding you shots?"

Misaki vaguely remembered something like that. "I-"

"You can use my bathroom," Takumi offered. "Here," he said, setting some clothes down on the table with a towel. "Take a shower. Your hang over will be more bearable after a shower."

"Takumi?"

"Do you need anything else?"

"Thanks,"

Takumi grinned. "No problem," he said, leaving.

Misaki stumbled out of bed and had to grab onto the desk for her head to stop spinning. Takumi was right, a shower did help. Misaki swished Listerine in her mouth twice to get the bad after taste out. She wore a t-shirt with an oversized hoodie with shorts that went to her knees.

"I look like a mess," Misaki muttered, washing her face for the third time with cold water. Partying was definitely not for her…

She walked out and wandered into the kitchen.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah…" Misaki muttered, sitting at the counter. Takumi was wearing an apron and flipping pancakes on the stove. Misaki felt embarrassed seeing him just casually in his home. He wore a white t-shirt and green pajama bottoms.

"Keep drinking water," Takumi said, setting another glass on the table. "You have to flush your system out."

"Where's my phone?" Misaki asked, sipping the water.

"It's on the coffee table in the dining room," Takumi said, setting a stack of pancakes before her. "I'll get it for you. Help yourself to syrup."

Misaki nibbled on her breakfast as Takumi got her phone. She had 7 missed calls from Vivian. She decided to call her back.

"Hello? Misaki?" Vivian asked. "Where are you?"

"I'm fine," Misaki reassured her. "How about you?"

"I'm fine," Vivian said. "I was so worried. I was dancing with this guy and I saw you except the next time I turned around, you were gone! Did you go home with someone?"

"Erm…" Misaki said. How does she put it?

"Was it that guy you were dancing with?"

"No!" Misaki exclaimed. "I accidently drank too much. Takumi took me back to my house," she lied.

"Did you…"

"No!" Misaki cut in. "Absolutely not."

"I am so sorry," Vivian said. "I didn't realize how bad your tolerance was."

"It's okay," Misaki said. "I was reckless. It's not your fault. Look, I have to go," Misaki said. "I'll call you later."

"Yeah, definitely," Vivian said. "Bye."

"Bye," Misaki said, hanging up.

"She's a bad influence," Takumi said, sitting across from her.

"Vivian?"

Takumi nodded.

"You can't blame her," Misaki said. "I made the poor decisions and I'll take full responsibility of them."

Takumi studied her. "You shouldn't hang out with her."

"Takumi," Misaki said, setting her fork down. "I'm an adult. I'm not a kid that just listens to whatever people say and can't be blamed. I knew the consequences but I did it anyways. No one forced me, no one made me. You can blame me but don't blame Vivian."

"I do blame you," Takumi said. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't…" Misaki muttered. "I should head back," she said.

"I'll drive you."

"I'll take a taxi," Misaki said. "I'll return the clothes too."

"You can keep them," Takumi said. "But I'll take you home."

"No, I'll take a taxi."

"I'm more comfortable knowing you've made it home in one piece."

"No-"

Takumi's phone buzzed and he glanced down at the screen. "Alice! Busy!" he said, impatiently and then hung up.

Alice again…

"Your girlfriend probably needs you," Misaki said, softly. "I'll just leave."

"My what?"

"Girlfriend…" Misaki said, clenching her fist.

"No, that was Alice…my manager," Takumi said, pointing to the phone.

"Yeah, whatever," Misaki said. "I don't care about your little relationship."

"She's not my girlfriend," Takumi said, cringing.

"Friends with benefits, I really don't care," Misaki said, walking away.

"Alice is my cousin!" Takumi exclaimed. "That's disgusting…"

Misaki froze. "What?"

"Alice?" Takumi asked. "My manager. That's my cousin- first cousin!" he added. "I don't sleep with people that are related to me by blood!"

"S-She's your cousin?!" Misaki exclaimed. "Since when?!"

Takumi gave her a weird look. "Since she was born?"

Misaki grabbed the wall to steady herself. Alice was Takumi's cousin?! Wait…what?

"Wait, what did you think she was?" Takumi asked. "M-my girlfriend?!" he demanded, laughing. "You thought I was dating Alice…?"

"What was I supposed to think?!" Misaki demanded. "You're always with her and she spends the night in your trailer."

"Yeah, because she's my cousin- Oh…" Takumi said. He cocked his head to the side. "You were jealous!" he exclaimed, grinning.

"What? I was not!" Misaki exclaimed, blushing.

"I get it now," Takumi said, smiling to himself. "So that's why you were mad."

"I WAS NOT MAD!"

"You could have just asked," Takumi said. "I'd be happy to tell you I'm still single."

"That's not what I meant!" Misaki snapped. This was rather embarrassing.

"I would have never guessed," Takumi said. He just kept grinning. "Oh Misaki," he said. "I didn't know you cared for me like that," he said, dramatically.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU!" Misaki yelled. "Who you're dating or sleeping with is NONE of my business. You could be sleeping with your cousin and I wouldn't care."

"How harsh," Takumi said. "What if I cared for you…?" he asked.

"W-well!" Misaki spluttered. "You can take your care and go to hell!" she said, storming out of his apartment. She slammed the door behind her and practically ran to the elevator.

"Alice is his cousin," she whispered as she walked out onto the street. She giggled. "She's his cousin…"

"Stop it!" she scolded herself even though she couldn't stop smiling. "They're cousins," Misaki thought to herself as she got home. She paused at her door. Uh oh… She left her bra at Takumi's house…

"What are you grinning about?!" Alice demanded, smacking Takumi over the head with the packet.

"What?"

"You've been grinning to yourself since I got here," Alice said. "Was the cast party that good?"

"It's nothing," Takumi said. "So what were you saying about these offers?"

"Takumi…" Alice warned. "I will search your suite!"

"For what?"

"For that person."

"No one's here,"

"You're right…" Alice said. "You must have gotten rid of her before I came. So was it Misaki? Did you guys make up?"

"What's it to you?"

"Didn't I tell you, you were right to go to that party?" Alice asked. "Hmmm? Was Little Ali right?"

"Perhaps,"

Alice gasped. "Are you guys together now?"

"I don't do relationships," Takumi reminded her.

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Takumi…" she said, slowly. "Can you get me some tea from the kitchen?"

"Get it yourself."

"Takumi…"

"Fine," he said, getting up and heading into the kitchen. He poured some tea into a cup and came back to the living room. There was no one there.

"Alice!" he yelled, setting it down on the coffee table.

He heard shuffling in his room. Takumi threw open his bedroom door.

"Alice!" he yelled.

Alice had opened all his drawers and gone through his trash can.

"Alice!" he ordered. "You can't go through my room."

"What's this?!" Alice demanded, holding up a bra.

"Uh…" Takumi said at a loss for words. "That's not mine."

"No kidding!" Alice exclaimed, throwing it at him. "Takumi! You player! You no good, man whore! How dare you bring a girl home from a bar! Who was it?!" she demanded. "WHO WAS IT?!"

"Okay, it was Misaki but- Whoa!" Takumi exclaimed as a shoe flew over his head.

"YOU!" Alice screamed, throwing her other shoe at him. "WHAT HAVE I TAUGHT YOU ALL THESE YEARS!?" she screamed, throwing a book at him. "You no good player! You heartless player!"

"Alice! Stop it!" Takumi exclaimed, dodging the flying projectiles. "It's not what you think!"

"Huh? Huh?!" Alice demanded, smacking him over and over with a pillow. "You didn't ask her out, huh?! You no good bastard! You don't sleep with a girl and then not ask her out! We don't have people like you in our family!" she rebuked. "You don't sleep with a girl unless you're serious about her! I'm going to beat the crap out of you today! I'm going to beat the play boy out of you if I have to! You faithless, no good-"

"Alice!" Takumi yelled, ripping the pillow out of her hands. "I DID NOT SLEEP WITH HER!"

"Now you're going to lie to me?!" Alice screamed. "It didn't even look like you used protection!" she said, kicking over the trash can. "I'm going to castrate you no good cousin of mine!"

"Alice!" Takumi said, jumping over his desk to avoid getting hit. "She was really drunk so I took her back to my place. Her clothes were a mess. I swear, I didn't actually do anything. I just cleaned her up and let her sleep in my bed."

Alice dropped the pillow and fixed her hair that had completely gotten ruined.

"Well…" she said, panting. "You could have just said so…"