A/N: This has been one of my favorite chapters to write. Also one of my most difficult ones. But inspiration hit me and I was determined to get it done and out. So I hope that you all enjoy! Happy reading!
Chapter 33: Super-Star
"Sana, can we have a moment to talk?"
6-year-old Kurata Sana was playing animatedly with her toy bear when her mother walked into her room and sat down next to her.
"What is it, Mama?" The young girl asked, looking up at her with wide, curious eyes.
Kurata Misako smiled tightly.
"Dear, there's something that's been on my mind as of recently. But I cannot move forward with it without speaking with you first."
"What is it, Mama?"
"This is hard for me to say, even more difficult to suggest. And I am not sure how exactly you will react. But, if it is not something you want, or even something you want to consider, I will stop speaking about it and move on."
Sana was starting to get worried. They had just started getting along not that long ago and her family was finally starting to come together. Was her mother already tired of her? Was she going to be left at the orphanage again?
"Sana, I want to find your birth mother."
Her heart stopped, thousands of thoughts racing through her mind. Her eyes went wide and every little thing she did, all the times she messed up, all the times she talked back, Sana was starting to regret them all.
Did her mama want to give her away?
"I want to find her because I have some questions for her. And I know you probably have questions for her too. It may be near impossible, but I want to find her."
What type of questions did her mama have for her birth mother? Was it something about giving her back? She didn't want to go back. She didn't want to be go back to that place. She didn't want to be abandoned again.
Sana nodded slowly, smiling thinking that if maybe she cooperated, that her mama would second guess this. Maybe if she agreed, her mama would change her mind?
"I want you to join the Komawari theater. I was in it when I was your age too. You don't have to be a star, daughter. Just be better known than most children. And I will become a famous writer. And we'll use both of our skills to find your birth mother… someday."
With a firmer nod, Sana brightly. But deep in her heart, she was crying in agony, the overwhelming sense of abandonment filling her.
"Okay, mama!"
-O-
The entire class exploded in chatter and ruckus. Sana could only stare at the screen of the phone in front of her as everyone around her was throwing a million and one questions at her as she struggled to pick her jaw off the floor.
"This is you, isn't it?" Gomi asked her once again as he zoomed in the picture of her on the JPop article talking about her movie, "Mansion on Water."
She could see everyone looking so keenly at her and in that moment, Sana felt like she was in front of all the camera's again, people shouting her name, fans screaming for an autograph.
She smiled and scratched the back of her head, burying her feelings of despair and shame.
"I guess I must have forgot to mention it!" She said so casually, laughing to hide away her anxiety.
"You forgot!?" The entire class said as she continued to laugh nervously.
"Wow, did you guys practice that before I got here?" Sana muttered, crossing her hands in front of her.
Hisae stood from her desk, her eyes still looking starstruck. "Sana-chan, how could you forget to mention something like that?!"
She shrugged, casually walking towards her desk, tired of everyone staring at her as if she was naked. The walk back to her desk felt long as everyone just looked at her with amazement in their eyes.
Everyone except Hayama Akito.
They shared a brief look as his eyes found hers when she dropped her book bag on the desk. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, not that she ever could really. But she remembered that she was actually really upset with him and was partially to blame for her and Fuka fighting yesterday.
So, she looked away in a huff.
Sana didn't see the slightly raised brow or confusion in Hayama's eyes.
"It happened a while ago, so it doesn't seem like something to bring up. Besides, if the first thing I said to everyone was "hey I was a child actor!" it'd seem pretty boastful." Sana hoped that explanation was enough to settle everyone's questions, but she knew how this was going to go.
"Dude, your show was legendary!" Gomi said next as he sat on his seat, still looking at her with this fascination that she remembered receiving through most of her childhood.
Mami nodded, her eyes shining just as bright. "My whole family and I watched you almost every night! You made the show so much better!"
"That explains why you seemed somewhat familiar, Sana-chan!" Tsuyoshi added to the conversation and she shifted her gaze towards the glass-eyed boy. Aya was smiling as she nodded. "Even after your show ended, my mom and I would put it on for Aono-chan."
"You were also in that drama with Kurumi Asako, right?" Hisae added.
"And the movie, Mansion on Water! With Hamada Tadashi too! Oh, he's so dreamy! Was he as dreamy in real life as he is in interviews?" Mami asked and Sana was starting to suddenly feel overwhelmed.
When she was in elementary school, the behavior of her classmates was similar to her friends now at first. Everyone was so shocked and excited about a TV star being in their class. Overtime, the excitement dimmed, and they started to treat Sana like a real person, especially Fuka, Yuta, and their other close friends.
Of course, they would all be supportive and enlighten whenever she landed a new role; especially after she was casted as the main leading role in Mansion of Water. But even the excitement of that diminished after some time.
Sana couldn't fault her friends for their jubilance right now. If she had never been famous and was a regular kid and learned one of her classmates was a famous actor, she probably would have been just as excited.
"And Kurumi-san too! I've heard that she is so sweet! Is that true?" Hisae asked, both girls taking over the seats next to her.
Kurata Sana sucked in a breath, Kurumi Asako being someone she had not thought about in years.
"What about working with Zenjiro? He seemed kind of like a creep on TV. But it seemed like you guys had so much fun on set! I always wished I could be a kid in the classroom!" Hisae continued to bombard her with questions and Sana felt like she was 12 years old again.
"You have captured the hearts of everyone in Japan, Sana-chan! How do you do it?"
"The child star sensation, Kurata Sana, joining us on TV today for an exclusive interview of her new movie, Mansion on Water!"
"Sana-chan! Can you comment on the death of your manager, Sagami-san?"
Her chest caved in on her as that last memory slipped into her mind. She could feel the tears building under her eyes. Biting the inside of her cheek, Sana did everything she could to stop them from falling.
"What the hell does all that matter?"
A new voice joined the fray, and everyone immediately shifted their eyes towards the dark and gruffy voice that was seated behind her.
The auburn-haired girl's eyes went wide as Hayama Akito stared at everyone with annoyance. The looks on Gomi's, Hisae's, Mami's, even Tsuyoshi and Aya's faces her all of shock as the least participated one of all spoke.
"Who the hell cares about all that? She even said it herself, it happened a long time ago. So why bother bringing it up now? It's not like she's even famous anymore. It's almost like you guys are all clinging on what has beens." His voice got louder and angrier almost. Sana's eyes got wider and wider as he continued yelling at everyone in a way she had never seen.
The entire class seemed to freeze at his sudden outburst, including herself.
"You all are asking her questions like it matters. She probably doesn't even talk to these people anymore. You're all acting like damn leeches, trying to suck information out of her that isn't even relevant anymore." He continued; Sana equally as horrified as grateful for his sudden intrusion of the conversation.
All the conversating had halted, the questions ceased, and all attention was towards Hayama Akito. Sana could seriously kiss him for it right now.
"What the hell is your problem?" Hisae broke the silence as she glared at the blond. He glared back, narrowing his eyes further. "All of a sudden you have something to say about it?"
"My problem is that it's annoying me." He countered and Hisae's own glare deepened.
"So, because YOU don't want to hear about it, all of a sudden we can't ask her about it? And we are NOT leeches!" Her attention was turned towards Hayama completely.
"Akito-kun… I would watch what you say next here." Tsuyoshi warned, with an uneasy look on his face, like he was speaking from experience. Hayama casted a quick glance his way and then back towards Hisae.
"All of you are acting like leeches. Making a big deal over something stupid. And yes, I could really care less about all this."
Sana's jaw dropped as she watched him argue with Hisae. What in the world was going on? Where did Hayama Akito go and who was he replaced with?
"It doesn't even concern you! And it's Sana's life! We were asking her about it! Not you!" Hisae argued and Sana was about to step in because this argument was starting to worry her.
"Then ask her on your own damn time. Not around me."
A chill filled her when Hayama's eyes went dark, eyes cold in a way that she had never seen in a person. And she had seen her share of eyes in the acting world. All with different expressions of course. But she had never seen anything quite like that.
Hisae immediately stopped talking, and she could see the fear evident in her own eyes. Her body went rigid and she looked away immediately. Tsuyoshi went wide eyed with his mouth parted slightly.
"Akito-kun… I think you made your point." Tsuyoshi said in an almost frightened voice. The atmosphere in the room changed and Sana was incredibly confused as to what was going on right now.
And just like that, those god awfully scary eyes that left a deathly chill in her were gone and back were his apathetic golden irises.
"So… Kurata-san… do you have Kurumi Asako's number and can I have it?" Hiroshi loudly asked, breaking the heavy and awkward tension in the room.
The entire class broke out into a much-needed laughter and even Sana couldn't help it as she shook her head. He sighed disappointedly and his head fell forward. The conversation took off from there, Hisae and Mami saying something about him not being old or cute enough for a famous actor. Gomi knocked him over the head, calling him an idiot for even suggesting it.
While the class was resuming back to normalcy and Sana was currently not the center of attention anymore, Sana really only had Hayama to thank.
He may have said it out of pure annoyance, but he halted a conversation that Sana had no desire continuing.
And she couldn't have been more thankful for that.
But what Sana could not shake was that eerie and murderous stillness in Hayama's eyes. His eyes were cold and calculated, filled with malice and venom. She was entirely curious of where he acquired such dangerous eyes.
And by the change in atmosphere and the sudden urgence in Tsuyoshi's tone, this was not new. Their classmates had seen this from him before.
She stole a quick glance, wondering what exactly was going through his mind. He was staring out the window, the passive stoniness in his eyes shielding her from whatever thoughts were running through his head currently.
Sana so desperately wished she could see inside his mind. She knew there was more to Hayama Akito than anyone cared to bother with. She knew that there was another part of him that he was locking away from everyone. She knew it existed because she had seen glimpses of it. And Sana wanted nothing more to see it revealed in its fullest.
"… What?"
Sana blinked, Hayama's low and gruff voice piercing through her own thoughts.
"Uh, nothing!" She chuckled in embarrassment of being caught.
He didn't say anything else as he turned away from her. Sana was confused by his actions, half expecting him to fight her, goat her own like he normally did. But he did just the opposite today.
Before she could say anything else, the door to her homeroom opened and her sensei walked in, apologizing for the late start to the day and muttering something about an early meeting that took too long.
As they got their day started, Sana casted one last look at Hayama and couldn't help but feel perplexed by his sudden change in attitude.
-O-
Fuka yawned, rubbing at her tired eyes. She was doing everything she could to stay away this morning. Last night proved to be restless, tossing and turning all night long. After her fight with Sana, she felt entirely drained.
Walking away from that fight felt like Fuka lost a part of herself.
Sana had been her anchor for so long that Fuka forgot what it was like to float so aimlessly like she had before she met her. But she couldn't forget the frustration that was so evident in her eye's as the fight continued to build and build.
And there were definitely moments where Fuka was being unreasonable and she knew it.
Fuka didn't know what to expect when she called Sana out of class so they could talk. She didn't know that it would lead to them ending their friendship, because that was what essentially happened, right?
Either way, she couldn't help but cry into her pillow. Because even with all their differences, Sana was still her best friend, a sister she never had.
Not thinking the day through, she had successfully avoided their friend group this morning. She had seen them from a distance, but she wanted to avoid the awkwardness that would stem from Sana joining. Tsuyoshi, being as surprisingly perceptive as he was, would pick up on the tension and that would lead to questions.
Which would unveil her confession to Akito ultimately.
She internally groaned, thinking about how they ended up here, worse off than they were when they were separated four years prior.
"Whoa, did you guys see this?"
"See what? Let me see!"
"Yo, look at this! Isn't this Kurata Sana from Class-A1?"
At the mention of her now ex-best friend, Fuka couldn't help but raise her brows at crowd forming around her classmate, Ishida.
"What?! No way! That's her!"
Fuka narrowed her eyes, slowly creeping up from her desk. The brown-haired girl was starting to get a sinking feeling in her stomach as she approached the boys who crowded around Ishida.
"I didn't know she was famous!"
That sinking feeling felt like an entire drop, and Fuka felt her heart stop. Her eyes went wide as those words came out of Ishida's mouth. The brown-eyed girl turned cold, feeling numb from head to toe.
Fuka burst her way through the crowd of boys and they all looked at her in confusion.
"Matsui-san, what the hell?" One asked and she ignored him as she snatched the phone from Ishida.
"Who sent this to you?" Fuka not so much asked but demanded as she looked at the message on his phone. It was screen shot of Sana on the cover of an article for her movie, Mansion on Water. Fuka was filled with panic the longer she stared at it.
"Someone from Class-A1! They said that Kurata-san was the famous child actor from Child's Toy!" He said in hurry, his voice obviously frightened by Fuka's sudden urgency.
Her class suddenly stirred alive, obviously recognizing the famous child TV show. If it was as big in Osaka, she imaged it had to be just as big in Tokyo.
Fuka frowned, giving Ishida his phone back and marched back to her desk right away. Her chest grew tight as she was thwarted back to elementary and middle school. Fuka closed her eyes and saw Sana on her knees, crying in agony. She saw her best friend's life plastered all over the news, TV stations not leaving a poor 12-year-old girl to grieve in peace. She saw a broken, hollowed girl who refused to eat, drink, or even move.
Fuka felt like she was going to vomit.
She reached for her phone and immediately pulled up Sana's number, her fingers stopping at the keyboard.
What could she even say?
What was she supposed to do?
Could Fuka put her pride aside, her anger and fury, to be at her best friend's side? Would Sana even want her there? Sana was never one to be spiteful or hold a grudge but even she had her limits.
She cradled her head in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut, attempting to wall off the racing images from entering her head of a girl so pale and lifeless, it made her want to vomit.
-O-
"Wait what? Am I reading this right?"
Hayama Ayame said as she grabbed Kyo's phone from his hands. Her jaw slacked, eyes wide as she read the text and picture.
"Yup! I was pretty shocked too!" He said as he took a seat next to her, looking over her shoulder.
"Pretty nuts we have a real-life super star at our school. Someone you're super close too, nonetheless!" The silver haired boy finished as he took his phone away from her.
Ayame sat back in her chair, still in a daze and honest shock, her mind trying to wrap the idea of Kurata Sana being a real-life superstar. She felt a bit giddy thinking that. She always wondered what they were like, never feeling real because they were always on TV.
How many times had she watched Child's Toy when she was younger? Her and her mother would sit and watch when she was a child, obsessed with the show and the main characters antics.
Looking back, it was silly for Ayame to not put together that it was the same Kurata Sana she knew. Albeit, more mature than her 12-year-old counterpart, it was the same girl.
"Wow. I'm looking at her IMDB, and she did some pretty impressive stuff when she was still acting." Kyo was strolling through his phone and Ayame craned her neck over to take a look. He moved the phone towards her.
"I remember when Mansion on Water premiered! They showed clips of the interview on TV! How did I not put together that was the same Sana-chan!?" Ayame wondered as she looked at photos from the movie.
Kyo shrugged, putting his phone away. "That's pretty freaking cool though." He smiled and she nodded.
"Definitely will have to ask her about it when I see her at lunch!"
Her best friend smiled, and they returned their attention to their sensei., who had some announcement to make.
-O-
Word seemed to have gotten out because everywhere he turned, people wouldn't stop talking about the famous Kurata Sana.
It irked him, seeing all these people suddenly so invested in Kurata's life. All morning, people's beady and curious eyes had watched her, like a piece of meat roasting on a stick. Left and right, people talked to her in complete fascination.
He doubted anyone could see it, but there was exhaustion behind Kurata's smile.
During the interrogation this morning, he could see Kurata's shoulders tense and rigid, her smile quickly put together, and the uneasiness in her voice. And the further they prodded, the more anxious she was growing. Watching them pick her apart, it bothered him.
He had to do something.
You will learn, she plays the part well.
All those months ago, Kurata Misako had spoken those words to him. He didn't understand, was entirely perplexed by the conversation. Akito thought she was just overly optimistic and jubilant. Thought the girl could feel no other way.
But it had all made perfect sense now.
Kurata Sana was a good actor.
So good that she probably didn't realize her acting didn't stop on stage.
And it seemed like he was the only one who knew it. Because everyone else didn't see the anxiousness nor worry in her eyes like he did. Because if anyone had any sense, they would know to stop pestering her with questions and praises.
He didn't know if it was just all the time they spent together or his perceptiveness, but Hayama Akito could read Kurata Sana better than anyone could give him credit for.
Not sure how he felt about that, Akito pursed his lips, realizing that he knew far more about this girl then he ever intended too.
Lunch had rolled around quickly, and he found himself sitting quietly, eating his sushi while Tsuyoshi, Aya, his sister, Kotetsu, and Kurata were chatting about something. The only person missing was Fuka.
And he had noticed that she was missing all day.
With the events of yesterday, he all but expected some awkwardness, maybe some slight tension. But what he didn't expect was for Fuka and Kurata to be avoiding one another. Another thing that he didn't think their friends noticed as the gymnast was sitting with her gymnastic friends.
Akito caught her looking over a few times, worry evident in her face. They locked eyes once, Fuka blushing madly at being caught. Whether it was based on her embarrassment from her confession yesterday or just her being caught in the act, he didn't know. But the blond had an inkling that something was going on when both girls avoided each other. And it didn't seem like anyone else noticed it.
The blond rubbed at his temples with his eyes closed.
This was where his solitude had an advantage. He didn't have to deal with drama like this anymore. Being involved in the fray of it all was annoying and frankly quite stressful.
"Wow, Sana-chan! That is so neat that you were an actress!"
"Was it stressful? Being in school and doing your jobs?"
"Did you meet a lot of different actors or actresses? Who were your favorites?"
The conversation carried on, questions nonstop and it was even giving him a headache. He couldn't image what it was like for her.
"What's going on with you?"
He opened his eyes to find everyone staring at him, Kurata putting her fork down and raising a brow at him. Tsuyoshi looked at him in worry and his sister was staring with curious eyes. Akito frowned, looking back at his sushi.
"Nothing." He responded desolately, hearing the huff from the girl across the table.
"You look stressed out." Kurata bluntly stated and now Akito was growing more annoyed than he was earlier.
"I'm fine." He bit back with more of a bark.
She looked offended. Good. She was grating his nerves. Kurata was already plaguing most of his thoughts today, uninvitingly so. He needed to get the auburn-haired girl out of his mind.
Before she could bother to reply, a shadow loomed over him, and he looked up to find Akimoto Hiro staring down at her.
He narrowed his eyes as he saw that same fascination and star struck look that everyone had been wearing today.
God dammit.
"You've been quite the talk of the school today, Ms. SuperStar." His cool voice teased as he took a seat next to her, his smile lifting higher as she smiled back at him.
Real.
"Surprised it took you this long to find out." She countered, laughing slightly.
"I was bidding my time. Didn't want to overwhelm you." He said smoothly and it took everything in Akito to not snort and roll his eyes. Her smile grew wider.
Real… kind of.
"She's been surrounded all day today! We haven't had her to ourselves all day!" His sister said, Kotetsu nodding his head in agreeance.
"I guess that's the price you pay when your famous, huh?"
Akito wanted to punch Akimoto the moment those words left his mouth. He knew the older fourth year meant it with fondness – very obvious by the look in his eyes. But, dammit, the moment he said that, he could see something shatter in Kurata.
She smiled tightly, scratching the back of her with this false laugh.
Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake. FAKE.
"Well, you know, that's just how life is when your famous. Or at least, used to be!" Her smile grew, that nervousness and anxiety from before, vanishing completely.
He couldn't tell now, Kurata switching a flip and using her acting skills to bury whatever she was feeling.
This felt wrong.
All this interrogating and cuddliness. It felt so false.
They continued their conversation but Akito didn't care to listen. He was watching Kurata silently, watching for her to façade to break, waiting for her mask to crack as they continued to ask her about her acting life.
But it was perfect.
It was frightening, how natural it came to her. Which made him wonder, did Kurata even know the difference between her own self and her acting? Had she created such a perfect façade that even she didn't know when she blurred between real and fake?
In his thoughts, he heard the chair scrape, and saw Kurata stand, excusing herself to take a quick bathroom break. She grabbed her book bag and rushed hurriedly out of the cafeteria before anyone could catch her or stop her. Hiro offered to walk her, but she politely denied and he nodded, saying his goodbyes and returning to his friends.
The chatter continued after she left and Akito fisted his hands.
"Still kind of amazing that she was so famous, huh? It's almost hard to believe!" Tsuyoshi said.
"I bet that life is fun to live. Probably stressful, but lively I would assume!" His sister added and that was all about Akito could take.
He slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone that was sitting around him.
"A-Akito-kun?" Tsuyoshi stammered as he stared at his old best friend in slight shock and fear.
"You are all… idiots." He snarled, locking eyes with every member of the table. He could see visible fear and confusion cross their faces, clearly confused by his outburst.
"All day, you have gone on and on about Kurata and her being famous and I am tired of it." He started, his voice growing more hostile. Similarly, to his outburst in class this morning, he could feel the string being stretched in him, to the point where it was ready to snap.
"But Akito-kun, just because it annoys you, it doesn't mean it annoys her." Tsuyoshi retorted and Akito pierced a glare right through his old best friend. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. The moment to put everyone in their damn place.
"And how exactly do you know that?" He shot back and everyone stilled, Tsuyoshi taken aback by his counter argument.
"How do you know she isn't annoyed by it? How do you know all this pestering doesn't bother her?"
His answer was met with an uncomfortable silence.
"Have you even bothered to ask her?" Akito continued with his questions, watching as they all shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze.
"Don't you think if Kurata really cared for any of us to know about her acting career, we would have already heard about it? She would have said something about it?"
The blond watched as all the light bulbs went off in their minds, eyes growing wide, everyone staring at one another. A realization hit them all at once and Akito knew he had made his point.
"If any of you had any sense, you would drop this conversation for her sake."
He didn't give any of his friends an opportunity to reply as he grabbed his book bag and angrily made his way out of the cafeteria.
Akito cursed under his breath, his body emitting a hostile aura. The spare students that loitered the halls skittered away from him, wisely so. He felt like he could hit something right now.
And he wasn't so sure why.
Why was he so upset? Why did Kurata's own issues irritate him so damn much? Why was he so fixated on what she was feeling and why did it bother him so much to see her so troubled? He wasn't so sure if his irritation with their friend's came from their inability to see the truth or because he was feeling so conflicted.
God dammit.
He wanted to scream.
"Akito, wait!"
He groaned in frustration at the call of his name and he turned, ready to scare off the poor soul that caught him in the middle of his foul mood.
But he stopped dead in his tracks as Fuka stopped abruptly in front of him.
"I'm glad I caught you before you left." She huffed through her pants.
He erased his shock and returned to narrowing his eyes at her.
"Where is Sana?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"How should I know? I'm not her keeper."
Fuka scowled at this, definitely not appreciating his sarcasm.
"Look, the news that broke about her today."
He narrowed his eyes further.
"You knew."
Her jaw steeled; eyes fixed on his sternly. Her silence was enough for a confirmation.
"There's a reason she didn't say anything to anyone when she moved here."
I knew it.
The look that flashed through Fuka's eyes was one he didn't expect. She looked almost scared, unsure of what? Unsure of what came next?
"We met when her career was really starting to take off. I hardly saw her sometimes, but she loved her job. She loved what she did."
He could hear the but coming.
"But there is a reason she never said anything. And with an easy google search, you'll find out." He narrowed his eyes again, his hand instinctively reaching for his phone.
"Trust me when I say this." Her voice turned unexpectedly low, and soft to where it had him slightly worried. "You're going to want to keep an eye on her."
His eyes went wide.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Her jaw hardened once again, and she took a deep breath.
"She is going to need someone at her side, someone she can trust, someone she can rely on."
Akito was confused. It was almost like Fuka was entrusting Kurata to him? His confusion must have been reflective on his face because she sighed roughly.
"Isn't that your job?" He inclined and the sadness that crossed her face was all he needed to know.
"We're not exactly speaking to one another."
The puzzle pieces fell into place and Akito was starting to see the picture.
"You two had a fight after yesterday." He stated, frowning slightly.
"You're very perceptive for someone who doesn't care." She muttered, looking away in shame.
"And you're an idiot if your letting a stupid fight get in the way of your friendship with her." He countered and Fuka flashed him a combined look of hurt and anger.
"It wasn't a stupid fight!" She defended but Akito didn't really care. If they were really as close as they said, why didn't Fuka just cast aside her own frustrations to be there for Kurata? Why was she putting that responsibility on him? Gods, all this was so damn frustrating.
How the hell did he get in the middle of all this?
She was taping her foot, muttering something to herself. Akito's patience had been tested all day. He already had two uncharacteristically outburst today. He really wasn't shooting for a third.
"You've fought before and made up. How is this any different?"
Fuka stilled for a moment. She didn't say anything for a few seconds. But then she wrapped her arms around herself and parted her lips.
In the softest and saddest voice he had heard from her, she said "Because it was, okay? And I don't think I can be the person needs right now. Not for this. I've destroyed that."
His own mouth parted with her confession, clearly taken aback by her sudden change in attitude and tone. Fuka was always so naggy and persistent. He forgot that she could feel deeply too.
"Please, Akito." Fuka begged, looking at him with tired and pleading eyes.
"I can't be what she needs. But you can. She is going to need someone to help her through this and you're the only one that can provide her the support she needs."
Akito steeled his own jaw, not appreciating Fuka using his own words against him.
He raked his hand through his hair, sighing roughly. He looked away, the pressure of Fuka's pleading gaze petrifying him.
Somehow or another, he got himself tangled up in all this mess. Somehow, he was now being tasked with being at Kurata's side.
"… Why me?" He asked.
There had to be a reason.
Fuka wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't have come all this way to come and plead with him on a whim. She may have been a bit disillusioned, but she wasn't an idiot.
"I've seen the way you two look at one another."
His eyes went wide and the back of his neck started to feel very warm. He gulped, feeling his cheeks grow warm. His heart raced and Akito opened his mouth, reverently ready to deny all assumptions Fuka was going to make.
"There's something about you two that just… work."
That was all Fuka offered and Akito felt like his heart was in his throat.
"I know it's a lot to ask."
He snorted, almost wanting to laugh at the incredulous task she was assuming of him.
"But please. I love her like she was my own sister. And I can't watch her go through that again. I can't."
Go through what again?
Fuka's comment made him raise his brow but before Akito could question her further, she turned around, her back towards him.
"Don't screw this up."
And that was all she said when she stalked off, leaving his mind messier and more scrambled than before.
Before meeting Kurata Sana, he was living a life of silence and solitude. The only noises he heard were the traitorous thoughts in his own mind, branding him a murderer. The voice in his head was so loud it silenced the noise from the outside world. He was living in a world that was black and white, the background just muffled silence.
Fast forward and his life was now filled with so much noise; messy, loud, boisterous noise. And his world was painted in color again. Bright, obnoxious color that made him second every thought he once had. The people he kept an arm's length away, were standing by his side again. Those dangerous thoughts that screamed bloody murderer was nearly non-existent and while everything was so tangled and messy, it was a hell of a lot better than where he was.
It reminded him of his childhood, the trouble he was constantly getting involved in, the fights that broke out. It reminded him of a certain blonde-haired girl that encouraged the worst side of him.
But instead, there was a peppy, happy goo-lucky auburn-haired girl in her place, that pushed his best side; whatever the hell that was because Hayama didn't see it. But she pushed him to be better than what he was.
He fisted his hands tightly, snarling slightly.
Kurata Sana was so busy fixing everyone else's problems, she buried her own.
That girl was a hell of an actor because she even had him fooled.
A realization hit him.
It astonished him really, to be so invested into a drama that had nothing to do with him, invested into a person that has done nothing but aggravate him. He preferred his lone wolf, as she would say, lifestyle. But life got a bit brighter with Kurata Sana around.
Akito strode off, his mind made up. He fingered the burutcha button on his belt before grabbing his phone from his pocket.
"She said a quick google search…" the blond muttered and he started typing away at the keyboard.
-O-
One Japan: TV Station
Broadcast: 12 February 2005, 9:00am
Channel 7
Misaki: Good morning, Japan! I'm your host, Harada Misaki with my co-host, Tanaka Asuna. We cover all the latest pop news in the entertainment world. So, if there is anything worth knowing, you can find it here with us!
Asuna: Thank you for the introduction, Misako-san. Ohayo, Japan! Like my partner in crime said, we are here to bring you all the latest stories in the entertainment world! And this morning, we are starting with a rising star that has caught the hearts of people all over the country!
Misaki: That's right, Asuna-san! Child sensation Kurata Sana has taken over the televisions of thousands of families across Japan! Staring in the now hit TV show "Child's Toy," Kurata Sana has really brought the show up from where it first started.
Asuna: The show's host, Zenjiro, was really struggling with it's come up and the ratings were awful. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the show was on the verge of cancellation, right?
Misako: That's right! The show was scheduled to be cancelled until a certain 9-year-old girl joined.
Asuna: Kurata Sana has brought Child's Toy alive with her crazy and funky energy, her hyper personality, and bright energy. Her quirky confidence and antics along with her blunt honesty have brought a light and heart that no one really knew was missing!
Misako: Her popularity is growing very quickly! And it's not just her either. Her mother has grown very popular in the last year and a half with her book series "The Gigolo and Me." It's rumored to be about her disastrous marriage to her ex-husband.
Asuna: Let me tell you, I have read the book and it is as scandalous as is great! That woman definitely has skill with her pen. For all you that are watching this morning above the age of 18, this steamy book is a MUST read for all you out there!
Misaki: Both mother and daughter are extremely talented in their own way! Especially that Sana-chan. She's so young now, but if she continues like this, I can't wait to see what she will be like in ten years!
Tokyo Pop
Issue: 67839
Date: 07 March 2005
Headline: 10-year-old Kurata Sana, Japans brightest and hottest child actor, on the rise! Child's Toy rising in TV rankings.
JNN (Japan News Network): TV Station
Issue: 76329
Date: 01 December 2005
Breaking News: Child star and sensation Kurata Sana joins star studded cast in Christmas special and appears in new Tokyo Pop commercial.
My Kyoto; TV Station
14 May 2006
Headline: 11-year-old Kurata Sana casted in prime-time TV Drama with the famous Kurumi Asako! Premieres June 20th, 2005 at 730pm.
Tokyo Pop
Issue: 67843
Date: 29 October 2006
Breaking News: Critically acclaimed movie director Mono Okio has casted Kurata Sana for his new movie "Mansion on Water" alongside Kurumi Asako and Hamada Tadashi.
BBT; TV Station
03 November 2006
Headline: Filming for "Mansion on Water" has begun! Kurata Sana to join star studded cast for first big screen movie.
One Japan; TV Station
14th March 2007
Headline: The highly anticipated "Mansion on Water" premieres on the red-carpet tonight! 12-year-old Kurata Sana, Kurumi Asako, Hamada Tadashi and more joining live now!
Asuna: How excited are you to be here on your first red carpet ever?!
Kurata Sana: I'm really excited! Of course, all the big dogs are here, so I have to be on my absolute best behavior!
Asuna: *laughs* Well, your manager isn't very far if you're in real danger, right?
Kurata Sana: You know it! Rei-kun is never far behind!
Asuna: Tell me, Sana-chan. Are you intimidated at all being here? You're only 12-years-old but you handle yourself like you are much older. A lot of people say you don't really act your age!
Kurata Sana: *Laughs and rubs the back of her head* Well, that is a first! Everyone tells me I'm a bit of an airhead! But it's pretty fun being here! Not so much intimidated but more nervous I'm going to fall flat on my face! I can already see the photo all over the tabloid's tomorrow morning!
Asuna: I sure hope not! Before you leave, anything you want to share with your fans?
Kurata Sana: Thank you so much for watching our movie! I hope you guys enjoy it! We worked SUPER hard for it! I mean, I almost DIED. Wait- I don't think I was supposed to tell you that? Can we take that off?
Asuna: Oh honey, this is live!
Kurata Sana: Well that sucks. I guess I better get going before I spoil anything else! ENJOY EVERYONE! *Throws up the peace sign on national television*
JNN
12 May 2007
Breaking News: Sagami Rei, Kurata Sana's longtime manager, gravely injured after equipment malfunction on set.
Tokyo Pop
14 May 2007
Breaking News: Kurata's Sana manager, Sagami Rei, pronounced dead after suffering fatal injuries from a faulty set during filming.
My Kyoto
21 September 2007
Breaking News: Kurata Sana stepping away from acting, her mother, the famous Kurata Misako states. Is this a temporary or permanent move? Only time will tell. Turn to page 84 for more details!
-O-
Taking a deep breath before walking back into the cafeteria, Sana put on her best smile. She could get through today, right? This was no big deal. She went to school for a few years dealing with this type of attention.
Rei entered her mind and she stilled, closing her eyes.
Stop being a coward. You can do this.
She scolded herself. She was better than this. Her mother raised her better than this. Sana couldn't stop now. She could only play stupid for so long. It was bound to happen, someone discovering the truth with an easy press of the button. And even if she wanted to be upset with Gomi, how could she?
It wasn't his fault that he happened to stumble on that article. He probably was watching videos and saw her in something, did his research and discovered that she in fact was Kurata Sana from Child's Toy.
Sighing in trepidation, Sana walked through the doors.
So far, so good. No eyes were made her way yet.
She continued her silent walk to where she left her friends. But as she made her way, she found Fuka walking towards her. Of course, she was looking at the phone in her hands and not up at her or else her now ex-best friend would have moved away.
With everything that had happened today, Sana forgot her and Fuka were in the middle of this cold war.
And Fuka was the only person to know what occurred. She saw it unfold piece by piece. Just like Sana had seen the worst of Fuka, Fuka saw Sana at what she thought was her lowest. After Rei's death, the brunette was the only other person there outside of her mother.
The thought of dealing with all this without her frightened Sana.
But just like she had before, Sana knew she had to endure on her own.
Fuka finally looked up and her eyes went wide as she stopped abruptly in her tracks. Sana stopped as well. The two girls stared at one another for a moment before Fuka pulled away. The former actress frowned slightly, confused as she watched her old friend scurry to the gymnastics team.
There was sadness and guilt in her eyes.
Did Fuka know? She had to have known. Everyone at school knew by now.
A part of Sana felt a bit resentful.
If Fuka knew, why didn't she say anything? Was their fight yesterday so disastrous that she couldn't get past her pride to even check on her? That left a sour taste in her mouth. If the roles were reversed, Sana would like to think she would swallow her own pride and ask Fuka if she was okay.
But then again, what did she even know?
It was like her mother had said to her last night.
Sana was prideful as well. When she was a child, she was confident, borderline arrogant. People would often say she thought to much of herself and her blunt nature almost overpowered her sweet and kind personality. Sana always strived to be the best when she was acting. The effort she put into acting versus school was astronomical even.
A little obtuse and somewhat naïve and oblivious, Sana never meant for her pride to get to the best of her. She just wanted to her mother and Rei proud.
But with Fuka, her best friend fueled her pride and arrogance as along the way, she tried to be just a good as her; if not, better.
If Sana really wanted too, she would swallow her pride and ask Fuka for comfort.
Swallowing hard, she continued past her old friend, walking in opposite directions of one another. The distance grew wider and wider as Fuka remained with her gymnastic friends and Sana found her seat with her group.
Except, there was someone missing.
"Where's the lone wolf?"
The auburn-haired girl asked as his seat was empty. Tsuyoshi, Aya, Ayame and Kyo all looked at one another in an uncomfortable silence and Sana was praying that Hayama didn't say anything to them.
"He left a little after you did. Not sure where he went too.." Tsuyoshi finally answered, bowing his head in shame.
Sana perked an eyebrow.
What the heck happened while she was gone?
"Okay…" she drawled out, confused as to the sudden change in atmosphere at the table.
"Sana-chan, we just want to say we're sorry!" Ayame started, her eyes looking awfully remorseful. She actually looked somewhat teary eyed.
The rest of the table nodded. This caught Sana by surprise no doubt.
"What are you apologizing for, dummy?" She laughed nervously, not really understanding what was transpiring.
"We should have been more thoughtful." Aya added softly.
Her heart quickened, wondering if more research told them the truth; if they had finally pieced together why she didn't say anything in the first place.
"Akito-kun made a good point while you were gone." Tsuyoshi was looking on in shame.
Another brow rose at the mention of Hayama Akito's name. What did he have to say now, she wondered?
"He said that we should have been more considerate of your feelings. That if you wanted us to know about your acting career, you would have told us." The glass eyed boy was playing with his hands, obviously feeling bad about before.
But Sana was more focused on the words that left Tsuyoshi's mouth.
"We apologize if it brought up unwanted memories. We promise we won't bring it up anymore unless you want too."
Sana was dumbfounded.
And it wasn't because her friends hadn't realized why she never spoke of her acting career or that they were all apologizing. She suddenly didn't care about any of that.
Hayama Akito had stood up for her.
The same boy who preferred solitude and remoteness, who was constantly aggravated with her presence, who complained about her intrusiveness, who said she meddled too much, was the same boy who stood up to their friends for her.
Part of her was scared. What prompted him to say something? Why did he say something? What did it matter to him? What did Hayama see that others couldn't? Sana thought she had perfected the façade. After all, she's had a few years of practice. But for someone to see through it… that honestly terrified her.
The other part of her was touched.
Sana knew that she irritated Hayama. She knew that her presence often aggravated him, caused him annoyance. She always knew she was more trouble than what she was worth, and he made it a point to let her know.
But slowly, she watched as the lone wolf came out of his den and started to rejoin the pack. She saw the underlined smirks and heard the witty comments. She saw him engage in more conversations and be more present in their lives. She watched as he rebuilt his relationship with his younger sister and attempt to atone for his mistakes.
And somewhere in all that, she and him shared their own moments; his own way of caring.
Was that too bold to assume?
Him caring about her and their friendship?
Sana didn't want to assume but if what Tsuyoshi said was true and Hayama did in fact say what he said… well Sana was really sure how to respond to that.
Her hand reached for her heart and suddenly she had a strong urge to see him, thank him. Because she really was grateful. This morning when he took the heat off her and was being spiteful, it was for her. He made others uncomfortable around him just so she could get a break.
She really wanted to see him.
The school bell rang overhead and Sana was broken from her thoughts, coming back to reality. She smiled at her friends and scratched the back of her head.
"It's really not that serious! You guys are silly. All if forgiven! I promise you!" Her words seemed to bring relief as they all collectively sighed at once. Tsuyoshi smiled, but she saw the remorse in his eyes.
"When all this dies down, I'll explain a little more, okay? I just- Not right now. If you guys don't mind?" Sana asked, feeling a little bad that they were so worried.
"Whenever you want, Sana-chan." Ayame came up to her and grabbed her hands. "We are here for you whenever you're ready." The youngest Hayama hugged her tightly and Sana sighed in her own relief.
Ayame and Kyo said their goodbyes as they raced off to their next class and Sana was left with Tsuyoshi and Aya.
"By the way, Sana-chan. Where's Fuka-chan today?" Aya asked and Sana wanted to throw herself over the edge of the school's building. For once, could everyone just stop with the questions?
"We had a fight." It was better to be honest, wasn't it?
Tsuyoshi and Aya both looked at one another in concern, raising a brow at the thought.
Sana smiled tightly and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure what's going to happen next, but I guess we will just have to wait and see."
"How serious is this fight, Sana-chan?" Tsuyoshi cautiously asked and Sana pursed her lips.
The smile grew tighter and she turned away from them. What was she supposed to say to them? The last thing she wanted was for their friends to take sides. Because even though they fought, she didn't want Fuka to have bad blood with everyone else too.
"You guys ready to get back to class? Man, today has gone by so slow!"
Not wanting to mull on it anymore, she threw her book bag over her shoulder and made headway towards her next class.
Tsuyoshi and Aya followed behind her and changed the subject, thankfully.
She could feel the cracks beneath her feet, control slowly slipping from her hands. Sana barely had a grasp on the narrative she built here, the pieces of her life seemingly slowly falling through the cracks. She hoped she at least had a little longer.
But life didn't seem to wait for her to catch up. Because her past was coming up to her now.
-O-
"I hate her." One voice spoke, her voice filled with poison and hate.
"She's literally such a snobby bitch." Another added, crossing her arms.
"She walks around this school like she owns the damn place! And then has the nerve to be so close to Akimoto-kun!" The first girl said, voice pitching higher.
"Even worse, now she's an actress? I mean, who does Kurata Sana even think she is?" The second voice continued.
The two girls were sitting side by side as they complained and moaned about Kurata Sana, spewing mean and hateful comments, their hearts filled with jealousy.
But the third and final girl in the room remained quiet, looking at her phone, Kurata Sana's image pulled staring right back at her.
"What should we do about her, Chisaki?" The girl known as Chisaki looked up from her phone, staring blankly at her phone.
"We can't just let her continue walking around the school like she owns the place. And continue letting her drool all over Akimoto-kun."
Chisaki smirked, hiding her phone away in her pocket.
"Girls, we just have to bide our time. We have to find the right opportunity to put Kurata Sana in her place. If we jump to it now, it will ruin whatever chances we have with Akimoto-kun."
Both girls nodded in agreeance, not bothering to fight against her decision. They've followed her decisions for this long now, what would it hurt to continue now?
"You know best, Chisaki-chan!"
They were right. She did know best. And they would assure that Kurata Sana knew what was best for her too.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! There were definitely different drafts of this chapter, a few scenes rewritten multiples times. But, overall, this was definitely one of my favorites, especially in relation to a ceratin lone wolfs character development. Because we are going to see a whole new side to Hayama Akito and I think you guys are really going to enjoy it.
Sana has quite the road ahead of her. One after another, things are sort of blowing up in her face. And there seems to be some trouble stirring... poor Sana. I feel for her. And you know, as I was writing some of these scenes, I sort of just screamed because i was like this isn't how you handle something like this but then I remember they are teenagers who don't always know better. So, theres that.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! As always, reviews are always welcomed! I seriously love to hear from you guys. Your favorite parts, moments, what you wished you could see, etc. etc. etc..
Until next time!
Dark Waffle