We've reached the mid-point of the story! Not only that, but this is also the last Summer time chapter. That's right, Ataru went an entire season without seeing Lum :o And its hitting him a lot harder than he probably expected. But is he really ready to say goodbye to his favorite pastime for her? Maybe talking with someone older and more experienced will help him figure that out.
CHAPTER 10: LESSONS
"I propose a toast!" Heedless of social conduct, Yamagata stood with one foot propped against his chair, a glass of Sapporo held victoriously to the ceiling. "To myself!"
"I don't think that's how it works." Minami added dryly. She'd yet to raise her glass before knowing what the occasion actually was. Most of them, in fact, held onto their reservations and glasses. Except Ataru, who wasn't about to let ignorance prevent him from celebrating whatever this occasion may be.
"I don' give a shit," Yamagata huffed defiantly before raising his glass all the higher, determined to resume his toast with vigor. "I'm celebrating all night baby!"
"Are you going to tell us why?" Tenjou asked, still withholding his glass. The question was shared across the table, even if silently. Since that morning they'd all noticed their normally bleary-eyed Manager was full of uncharacteristic cheer, though none of them pressed him for a reason during working hours. Right now, being asked to toast some unknown event, seemed like a better time to dig for an answer. And Yamagata, by the smirk on his face, was eager to disclose the source of his elation. Donning a proud stance with one foot still braced on his chair, he lifted his head triumphantly.
"I did it." He declared in a way that suggested he expected them to connect the dots immediately.
"Do we toast that now?" Ataru asked aside to Minami, his mind going straight into the gutter.
"I proposed ya goon." Yamagata thwacked the back of his head. "I finally did it!"
"And she said yes?" Minami pressed further. Yamagata regarded her with a flat stare.
"Maybe he's toasting the single life?" Ataru offered with a chuckle.
"Of course she said yes." Yamagata flashed a smile and coolly brushed back his hair with a free hand, clearly unruffled by their jests and jabs. He needed nobody to help bolster his swelled confidence.
All joking aside the table was genuinely happy for him and offered a round of congratulations, finally joining him in his much-awaited toast of victory. The clink of their glasses drew a few curious glances, and even a distant cheer from their usual waiter, Kisé, who, despite not knowing the context, was always game to share in his patron's joys. Yamagata sucked his drink down in a singular gulp and slammed the empty glass on the table. In the next moment he point an accusing finger between Tenjou, Minami, and Ataru.
"That just leaves you three!" The only ones of the group who he believed didn't have steady relationships, or any to speak of. "Come join me on my chariot of joy!"
"Nobody talks like that." Minami rolled her eyes at his corny lines.
"Way to call us out for being single." Tenjou pouted over his noodles. This all prompted a questioning glance from Ataru.
"Who said I'm single?"
Never had their table been so quiet. The lot of them abandoned their earlier conversation in favor of staring down Ataru, who sat amid the group plain-faced as though what he said was reasonable. Yamagata leaned in further to lock eyes with his kohai, studying them deeply before landing back in his chair, unconvinced.
"Uh-huh. Good one." He waved Ataru's statement off as a joke and signaled to Kisé, pointing at his empty glass. From across the room, he got a thumbs up of acknowledgment.
"That's just rude," Ataru scoffed and straight up in his chair, a dashing smile flashed across his face as he all but posed for them. "I happen to be a catch."
"Moroboshi," Minami interjected severely, "we watch you hit on girls every day."
"What does that have to do with anything?" He looked at her cross. So what if he flirted? Hitting on girls didn't mean anything to him, certainly not that he was in love with them. There were many different ways to love a woman, and different ways of expressing that love. How could he even compare his feelings for other girls versus Lum? They were just too different. So why temper his desires when it didn't matter?
"That has everything to do with it!" Minami clapped back swiftly, exasperated by Ataru's cryptic responses.
"Is he for real?" Tachibana was finally moved to speak, his question aimed at Yamagata as a beacon of wisdom. All he got for his troubles was an offhanded shrug. Their manager had long accepted Ataru wasn't normal.
"I think I understand." Tenjou, who had since been sitting with a pensive expression, his arms folded studiously, nodded at last.
"You do?" Minami turned to him with disbelief that was soon shared by the rest of the table minus Ataru, who sat justified and smug.
"Tenjou I knew you would." For a blissful moment Ataru believed someone understood him, even if it were the voraciously covetous Tenjou. Granted he wouldn't know all the intricacies making up his unique relationship with Lum. He wouldn't know how she cornered him and imposed herself, nor the constant urging of his friends to simply give himself up and surrender peacefully to the feelings he tucked away in his heart. And nobody could perceive how feverishly he clung to his own convictions and refusal to be misunderstood due to their relentless suggestions. But still, at least having someone on his side who shared his hunger for the fairer sex was better than no allies at all. Or so he thought, until Tenjou actually opened his mouth.
"You're in one of those 'complicated' relationships right?" He slammed a fist to his palm, confident he'd unraveled the mystery. Well...Ataru supposed it was a complex dance of emotions but not at all in the way Tenjou was suggesting!
"What?!" Oh he knew the conventional definition of 'complicated'. And that was absolutely not the right word to use! In no sense were they 'complicated'! Lum was fixed in her infatuation, she was hooked on him solidly! And he was...well...just, no! There was nothing 'complicated' about their relationship!
"My cousin is in one of those so I could tell." Tenjou nodded sympathetically.
"I never-" said it was complicated; he wanted to say but found himself cut off by Tenjou again.
"They're really awful. Moroboshi you need to set women like that straight right away! And if she doesn't listen to you, make her. Or just dump her." Tenjou advised with a perfunctory shrug; either one was a fine solution for women who don't fall in line. Plus, if they did break up, that was one more girl in the pond for him to snare.
"Who-" the hell did he think he was to suggest that!? Is what Ataru wanted to say but he was yet again cut off.
"You had me questioning everything for a second." Minami sighed, happy to be relieved of her earlier confusion.
"Right?" Tenjou laughed heartily. "I can't picture you in a normal relationship."
"Aight, that's settled," Yamagata's voice lifted above their heads with an enthusiasm that was fostered by Kisé filling his glass. They'd spent enough time pondering the intricacies of Ataru's dating life, now he wanted to get back to what mattered: his engagement.
"Nothing's-" settled! Ataru wanted to scream but nobody was listening.
"So Tomoko," Yamagata leaned over the table in her direction, an impish glare in his eyes and a hooked smile playing on his face. Minami felt a shiver run up her spine.
"The fuck is with that look?" She hissed, sensing nothing good would come from that expression.
And on they went with their merriment.
Ataru's arms folded across his chest, and he sat deep in his seat with a scowl. There was no arguing with these people! Their ears were just as closed off as everyone else's. Nobody ever bothered to try and understand his relationships. Not them, not his friends, even Lum was defiantly opposed to his harmless flirting. Well fine then! What did it matter? He knew what they were, and nobody else's opinion was relevant. They were not complicated! Just...different. But-but only because everyone else felt a need to meddle in their business! If they just left well enough alone, if Lum just accepted his appreciation for beautiful women or respected his youthful vigor and love of the chase then there wouldn't be anything to misconstrue. Maybe then things would be different.
Ataru pounded half his drink as his mind simmered.
Maybe she'd be with him in Senshoo, rather than working some stupid poster-girl job for no good reason. Maybe they wouldn't be playing this tiring mental game of tag all Summer long. Maybe he wouldn't have to go home to an empty apartment every damn night, or have to do his own laundry, cleaning, and shopping. And it would sure save him a hell of a lot of worrying about what she was doing, why she hadn't bothered to find him yet...or if someone at her new job managed to woo her.
Which was impossible of course because she was in love with him.
No matter who tried to catch her eye it wouldn't work. It would never work. After everything they went through for the last handful of years, right down to their final game of tag in the mushroom jungle that ravaged Tomobiki, there was no way she'd be lured away. No way she had any misgivings about her place in his heart. Just because he moved out with no way for her to get in touch with him...and...he hadn't contacted her at all since then, that...that didn't mean anything changed. She would know that. She had to know that.
But, teased his tipsy mind, what if she didn't? What if him leaving actually hurt her? What if it made her question everything? What if that was the last straw? What if she got a job because she was trying to save enough money to move out on her own too? What if she was trying, as he sat here idle, to distance herself from the Moroboshi family? It would be easy considering all the money she was probably making. Ataru saw her Ads everywhere...she was likely to meet all sorts of people. All sorts of guys. Did she go out with them at the end of every day too? Was she also out on this very Friday evening with some schmuck getting handsy on his woman? His mind painted a terrible picture of a man he didn't know leaning in to whisper in her ear, giving her all the love and attention she begged him for. And then this creep's hand would go down to her leg (because of course it would), and where he'd assume she'd rebuke him as a married woman, Ataru remembered he was the genius who told her it didn't count on Earth! Fucking hell, he all but gave her permission to do whatever she wanted! Why!? Why the hell did he have to go and say something like that just before leaving!?
"Yo, Moroboshi," Yamagata's voice boomed into Ataru's nightmarish daydreams, ripping him from the midst of a downward spiral of negative thinking. "You good?" Ataru blinked, the visions he'd conjured slowly being replaced by the curious attention spared to him by four sets of concerned eyes. He hadn't realized how far down in his seat he'd sunk, to the point where they could only see his shoulders up. And the look on their faces was enough to tell him he'd lost all composure.
Drowning in his own embarrassment Ataru barked a laugh and pulled himself up, waving dismissively in a desperate attempt to save face.
"What? Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" More nervous laughter coughed from his throat as he fidgeted under their puzzled stares. "Why are you all looking at me? We're supposed to be celebrating Yamagata after all!" And with the expertise of someone who routinely found themself in compromising situations, Ataru flipped the tables on them with a glance at Minami. "Minami you're treating right?"
"The hell!?" Minami snarled at him, no longer concerned with whether or not he was truly okay.
"She is." Yamagata nodded as he took another sip of his now half-empty glass.
"You don't decide what I do with my money!"
Again the mood picked up, letting Ataru breathe easy as a background character, content to laugh at Yamagata and Minami's friendly bickering. Once more he was saved by his own cleverness. Ataru was good at getting himself out of tight spots due to a lifetime of falling into them. And in acting, nobody could match his prowess thanks to experience. Drinking, though, wasn't something he practiced often. And he'd never truly partied with Yamagata until tonight. His tolerance was an unexplored phenomenon and before long his limit had passed like the moon across the night sky.
The first thing Ataru noticed when he opened his eyes again, was the concrete sidewalk undulating swiftly below him. Which was strange, because he knew for a fact he wasn't walking. Those weren't his legs, first of all. Second of all, he was very clearly being carried. Someone's arm was wrapped tightly around his midsection, and he could feel what he assumed was a shoulder pressing into his stomach. Ataru tried desperately to focus but there was a strange overpowering fatigue smothering his other senses. He'd been tired before, but not like this. Never like this, even when he worked nights. It seeped into very bones, as if he'd never slept a day in his life. Ataru groaned, signaling his consciousness to the man beneath him.
"Finally awake huh?" At once he recognized Yamagata's voice, and if he wasn't so tired he probably would have panicked. Considering his condition though, all he could muster was a surprised blink.
"Y-yeah." Ataru grimaced at the awful taste in his mouth. Yamagata stopped.
"Gonna set you down then." He warned before guiding Ataru off his shoulder with a frightening amount of strength and control that left him feeling like a child.
Ataru swayed under his own weight but managed to hold himself upright.
"I'm so tired." He groaned again, wiping an arm across his wearied eyes.
"Yeah that's normal." Yamagata watched him struggle with a half-smirk, reliving memories of the first time he'd taken in more than he could handle.
"Really?"
"For someone who doesn't drink often it is." Yamagata clarified. "You'll be fine."
Now that he knew who he was with, Ataru took in his surroundings. Nothing looked familiar. There wasn't a soul in sight, and the windows on every building were blackened and lifeless. Besides the moon and stars above, the only source of light around them came from street lamps and idle traffic signals.
"Where-"
"Senmake."
Well that certainly woke him up. Ataru's attention cut swiftly to Yamagata.
"Wh-what? Why?"
"Well after you hucked it all over the table you passed out," the beginning of his explanation spawned instant horror from Ataru's otherwise weary face, "I only really had two choices, leave you on the street or take you with me. Even if we're not on the clock I'm still responsible for you guys."
"D-did I...really..." In those few words was a wealth of emotions, namely shame and shock. How humiliating! To have lost himself so completely that he couldn't even remember the last few hours! Not only that, but evidently he'd made such a mess of everything, and himself, that he needed to be looked after like a kid! Yamagata read his expression and chuckled. And at that moment, Ataru wished he could crawl into a hole. His face burned red with embarrassment, and he promptly whirled away. "W-well thanks for your help! I owe you one, for real, I'll make it up to you! But I think I can make it home now, so-"
"Nope." Yamagata interrupted.
"Nope?" Ataru parroted apprehensively.
"We took the last train here. It's after midnight, kid. An' no taxis either."
"W-what!?" Ataru was just beside himself! Here he was in an unfamiliar town, with a man who honestly intimidated him, and no way to get home; what was he supposed to do?
"Don't worry, we're almost at my place." Yamagata broke into Ataru's worries with a thumbs up. "Kasami's on a business trip so it's no problem. An' now that you're up, we can keep the party going."
Ataru felt his stomach churn at the thought of drinking even more and he swiftly covered his mouth with both hands, least his body decide to give form to the sickness this suggestion inspired. Seeing his reaction flushed the color from Yamagata's face.
"Shit! I was just kidding!"
Fortunately for both of them it was a false alarm, and given a moment to calm himself over a gutter in the street (just in case), Ataru felt fine enough to continue walking. Yamagata promised they weren't far off, and with the prospect of a place to sleep awaiting him, Ataru decided to set aside his reservations and accept his sempai's offer.
Rising out of the oncoming horizon was a mountainous building, scaling at least five stories up and twice as wide as the one he occupied, with rows upon rows of night-blackened glass doors set behind spacious balconies. Most were cluttered with plants or empty clothes lines that were likely filled when the sun was high. In shape the complex was octagonal, with a staggering roof that suggested more lavish accommodations on the top floors. Ataru gaped at the building from far below, his awe growing once he realized this was their destination. And when they stood before the stately gates encompassing Yamagata's apartment, he had to lean back to look up the height of it. Ataru's jaw dropped.
"You live here?" There was no hiding the amazement in his voice, which was puzzling to Yamagata, who took to studying the building himself to try and see what was so impressive.
"'S not that impressive." he countered plainly. Ataru felt a spark of jealousy light in his heart as he compared it to his own drab building and folded his arms in open defiance.
"Are you kidding? You should see my apartment. Nothing more than a glorified box if you ask me." He argued bitterly, thinking of the gray doors and gray walls and bitter old Mrs. Miwa who was similarly gray.
Yamagata stared at him sidelong, streetlights lending an almost malicious gleam to his eyes. Having grown up poor he knew the value of having a roof over your head, regardless of how that roof looked. And as a delinquent he'd spent more than one night sheltering under bridges, in alleyways punished by the elements, or behind bars at the mercy of prison law. Ataru, he assumed, never knew such hardships. He was young and foolish, so deciding to put a bit of a scare in him, Yamagata loomed menacingly above him, leering as he did with those fire-lit eyes.
"Yeah?" His voice dipped threateningly. "Bet if you slept on the street for a night you'd be happy for that box huh?"
Beneath the shadow of his sempai Ataru shrunk and waved his hands defensively.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" He stammered something akin to an apology. And for a moment he even contemplated fleeing for his life, until Yamagata erupted with laughter and pat him on the back (which felt more like an open-handed punch than the good-natured jab it was meant to be).
"I'm just messing with you. C'mon." Gesturing for Ataru to follow, Yamagata lead him past the wrought iron gateway and toward a set of double glass doors that glowed warmly with light from the inside. To one side of the first floor was a half-turn staircase that stretched up out of sight. The walls were lined with red doors, each paired with a golden plaque detailing the room number. Even this Ataru marveled at, until the ding of a nearby elevator beckoned them both and they took a short, wordless ride to the fifth floor. There Ataru saw more of the same; a long hallway shouldered by red doors with golden plaques, and a staircase driving up the far corner in half turns. He followed Yamagata down the hall, past three or so doors (he wasn't really counting) until they came to their destination. Yamagata punched a quick series of numbers into a keypad beside the doorknob which chimed happily in response. The door unlocked, and thus Yamagata welcomed Ataru into his home.
The air inside his apartment was freshened with a hint of vanilla, and even the darkness held more mystery than oppression. With the flick of a nearby switch Yamagata revealed the secrets of his lavish domain. First there was the genkan, spacious and framed with shelves that held a multitude of shoes – many of them women's shoes. From there they need only walk a few paces down a short hallway that lead to an open space marking the living area.
"Wow." With a slow sweeping glance Ataru took in the room. It was overwhelmingly white with splashes of teal in the carpet, couch cushions, and curtains. Accents of wood were lent by the oak entertainment center and tables, but beyond the tasteful decorum, Ataru was most impressed by how tidy everything was. Considering his sempai's brusque demeanor, this wasn't at all what he expected to see. "It's so clean."
"You can thank Kasami for that." Yamagata admitted with a hint of pride. "Chill out, make yourself at home." He gestured toward the couch before moving into the adjoining kitchen. "You hungry?"
"Didn't we just eat?" Ataru asked as he moved further into the Livingroom, forgetting he'd evicted his earlier meal some hours ago.
"Your point?" Yamagata countered, poking his head out to stare quizzically at his guest. And in this Ataru saw great wisdom.
"Got me there. Sure."
Yamagata disappeared again, leaving Ataru alone to wander the Livingroom, which seemed to be the main common area which all other rooms branched from. Curiosity ate at him, and he nearly asked if he could have a look around (just to see how the two apartments compared) when the telltale sizzle and pop of oil over heat caught his attention. Ataru moved to the kitchen archway, and sure enough, there was Yamagata, spatula in hand, mixing what looked like eggs in a skillet. Smoking gently beside him was a small rice cooker along with two waiting plates.
"You can cook?" Ataru asked in disbelief of his own eyes.
"You can't?" Yamagata countered, equally surprised.
The two stared at each other, and before Ataru knew it, Yamagata had pulled him into the kitchen, determined to impart some life skills into his nescient underling.
Initially Ataru was skeptical of the practicality of cooking when whole meals could be so easily purchased, but Yamagata warned him what the combined efforts of a desk job and takeout could do to the body. Ataru prodded his waistline uneasily, relieved to find no damage had been done. But the seeds of fear were planted, and from it grew an eagerness to learn.
Together they slaved each over one burner, and under Yamagata's guidance he learned to whisk an egg and manage a rice cooker. Being unskilled in the art of cooking, Ataru struggled to copy the ease of which his senior wielded a skillet, turning and prodding the eggs just so to keep them from burning. And when all was said and done, and they'd plated their dishes, the difference in their experience was woefully apparent.
"Well it's a start." Yamagata encouraged as Ataru stared, half ashamed and half disappointed, at the mountain of rice and burnt eggs. "Keep at it, you'll get there."
Comparing the two plates, his monstrosity versus the near professional display of fluffy, golden eggs laid over a bed of rice, Ataru was doubtful he'd ever achieve such perfection. Nevertheless he'd learned something valuable today, and that was good enough on its own.
Plate in hand he followed Yamagata into the Livingroom where a couch and long coffee table awaited them. After depositing his dish, the latter disappeared back into the kitchen, returning shortly with two waters and two other bottles, one of ketchup, the other hot sauce. Tabasco, specifically. Ataru's eyes lingered over the smaller red bottle as it was placed in front of him, and an uncomfortable weight settled in his chest, tugging the edges of his mouth into a gentle frown. A mist of memories came up around him and the bottle, separating them from Yamagata and the rest of the world, until his sempai's voice punched through the pensive fog.
"Don't like hot sauce?"
"Not really." Ataru's admitted quietly and, contrary to his own words, took the bottle to apply small drops of molten liquid on the burnt outer rim of his eggs. Without hesitation Ataru shoved a forkful into his mouth, and at once his face burned red and tears streamed from his eyes, creating an altogether miserable expression. Yamagata regarded him with speculative interest.
"One day Moroboshi, you gotta tell me what planet you're from."
Wishing each other a good meal, the pair alternated between eating and talking until their plates were long empty and the clock had ticked up to the third hour of the next day.
"And then this sunuva bitch, still drunk off his ass, stars peeing in the goddamn hallway!" Yamagata bellowed a laugh while Ataru stared on in astonishment at the tale his manager was weaving of a bygone night with friends. "And my buddy just rolls over, says 'not my problem'. The hell it ain't! It's his goddamn house! Says he don't know what to do. Ain't that bastard ever had a dog? Whatever, he's not doin' shit about it, and I ain't sleepin' next to that you feel? So now I gotta clean up after this sunuva bitch! Can you believe that shit?" Ataru swiftly shook his head. "A grown ass man, cleanin' up the piss of another grown ass man." Yamagata leaned back against the couch, staring off at nothing with a lopsided grin as he fondly revisited the night as though it happened yesterday. "Shit that was a wild night."
Impulsively his eyes strayed to a digital clock on a small table near the window, and on seeing the time, he gave an impressed whistled at how quickly the hours passed.
"Well damn, would ya look at the time." Somehow or other they'd slipped free of the lethargy plaguing them after a night of drinking, and managed to greet the next morning two hours shy of sunrise. Ataru was equally stunned by how quickly the hour snuck up on them.
"Don't know 'bout you, but I'm turning in. I been up way too long." Yamagata's voice strained as he pushed of the couch and stretched his arms to the ceiling, flexing the muscles in his legs and back to get some life in them.
"Yeah, good idea." Ataru nodded, suddenly aware of a lingering weariness tugging at his eyes and weighing down his limbs when he tried to move them.
Yamagata retreated into the hallway to consult a hidden closet, leaving Ataru to ponder this second night spent away from home thanks to his own oversight. A hand extended from beyond the folding doors, pointing toward an archway at the far end of the Livingroom.
"Bathroom's back that way." Yamagata instructed from within the closet, "There's a spare box of toothbrushes under the sink."
Ataru's eyes gleamed at this chance to examine the bathroom, even if he knew it would lead to heartache. And oh, how it did! Seeing the great expanse of earthy porcelain and wooden accents nearly brought him to tears. The toilet and washing machine, rather than being crammed together with the vanity, was sectioned off behind a closed door. The main washroom was easily double the size of his own and featured a sprawling vanity with two sinks. Further back, flush against the wall beneath a row of lamps, sat a huge soaking tub. The overall design of the room was laid out in such a way that nothing intruded on the space of anything else. Ataru could have lived here, he thought begrudgingly as he set to the task of brushing his teeth with the aforementioned toothbrush. His only consolation was the fact that he'd already implemented a plan of action regarding his savings.
First thing he'd done was map out all of his recurring bills so he wouldn't overdraw. That was the easy part. Budgeting was without a doubt the most difficult task on his list, namely, because it involved the near elimination of his social life. Especially after Mrs. Miwa's awful rate hike. Ataru could only shave so much off his food budget, which meant he had to cut back on dates. Gone were the days of parading women around for drinks, movies, lunches and dinners. Now he was relegated to one or two outings - dinner and a movie, or dinner and drinks, but never more than that. It was disheartening, but necessary if he wanted to move forward. And now before him, in the form of a spacious washroom, was a tangible goal to reach for. If he could master the management of his finances, then whose to say he couldn't one day live in a place such as this? Or even a house! Then it would be his turn to say ridiculous things like 'it's not that impressive' while Lum and his friends gawked in disbelief. A devious snicker betrayed Ataru's wandering thoughts, but they were soon silenced by a loud rapping at the door.
"You get lost in there?" It was Yamagata, eager to get on with his nightly routine. Ataru cackling in the bathroom, compared to his other oddities, was far more annoying than it was concerning.
Feeling a touch embarrassed Ataru quickly rinsed his mouth, laid the toothbrush beside the sink in lieu of any practical place to put it, and exited the washroom with his head bowed apologetically. They traded places, Yamagata shut the door behind him, and Ataru was again left alone to wander with his thoughts.
While he'd been in the washroom Yamagata had moved the coffee table to another end of the room, and in its place was a plush futon and blankets. His wandering eyes also noticed a similar set-up laid across the couch - was he going to sleep in the Livingroom too? Well, that was nice of him, if a little strange. Ataru shrugged away any questions he might conjure on the matter and began preparing for bed, removing his shirt and pants so he might rest more comfortably.
As he changed, Ataru inadvertently bumped a nearby dresser, upsetting some of the pictures atop it. At once he righted them, and in doing so, his eyes couldn't help wandering over the subjects in these photographs. Some of them were clearly family portraits; three girls hanging on Yamagata's arms, while a gentle-faced older woman smiled on them from the side, and there was another that looked as if it were taken at a festival with the entire family wearing yukata and kimonos respectively. There was an aged picture too, of a man with traces of his sempai's features dressed in military garb. Yamagata's father, probably, the one who passed away. And then he settled on a far more interesting picture at the center of them all.
Only briefly did Ataru wander over Yamagata, noting he was smartly dressed but otherwise remained unremarkably himself. Rather it was the girl beside him that stole the bulk of his attention. She was quite a bit shorter, about half his lumbering height, and every bit as gentle looking as he was brutish. Her hair was dark and fringed over her eyes neatly, cascading down over her shoulders where it was tied to one side. Adorning her lithe body was a pink blouse tucked neatly into a dark black skirt, and she was clutching a bag in front of her as if she intended to hide behind it. Along with this, and most dazzling of all, she wore a warm smile that was so lively and joyous Ataru could almost hear her laughing.
"Adorable ain't she?" Yamagata was standing behind him, having crept out of the bathroom while he was under the spell of this gorgeous young woman. Yamagata's eyes softened on the picture of them, and he sighed with uncharacteristic longing. "Damn I miss her."
"How long has she been away?"
"She left this morning."
A flat, almost incredulous stare was Ataru's only response. By the way Yamagata talked, he assumed she'd been gone at least a few days.
"Don't give me that look," Yamagata huffed, his arms folded against such blatant ridicule of his pining heart, "wait till you fall for some chick, then you'll see. Being away from 'em is like hell."
Those words settled heavily over Ataru, and briefly the image of Lum reverberated in his mind's eye, laughing as only she could - unfettered and honest and brimming with life. And he thought of that persevering ache within his heart; a plague that had only festered over time, assaulting him with troubling thoughts in the absence of work or dates or company. Hell was a good way to describe it.
"Yeah."
Ignorant of the reflective fog enveloping his guest, Yamagata ambled to the couch and let himself fall into a bed of blankets. The couch creaked under him, and as he fussed and rolled, until he was sufficiently swaddled and ready to fall asleep. Ataru hesitated before finding his way into his own futon. His body moved on its own, without much direction or guidance from his mind, which was thoroughly occupied.
Whether or not he meant anything by it, or perhaps because he knew Yamagata was acting in defense rather than trying to sway his kohai, Ataru turned the words over in his head. There were...certain things he knew to be true regarding his relationship with Lum. 'Wait till you fall for some chick' - well it was too late for that. Even without the yearning in his heart, Ataru knew he was screwed the day Lum returned from that first trip home. Back then it was the prospect of never seeing her again that revealed how much she meant to him. And from there his feelings only intensified. Their lives joined without him even realizing, to the point where he'd forgotten what life was like before she arrived.
Actually, it was that train of thought that inspired him to set out on his own. Because he couldn't remember what it was like to be alone (as alone as a teen living at home can be), and he couldn't stomach the idea of settling down without knowing. Without seeing what was out there, experiencing life unencumbered by the boundaries Lum enforced. And then he wondered, too, in spite of the grind and postage-stamp days, about the many experiences he'd had and had yet to have. The world was so vast and life was ever moving forward. Ataru hated the idea of wasting his youth, languishing in his small corner of the world, beholden to some woman that claimed to be his wife at the tender age of seventeen. Truth be told, he was a little envious of Yamagata, who'd gotten to live out all his fantasies. And it just didn't make sense that he was fine throwing it all away to tie himself down to just one woman, no matter how cute she was. Ataru stared at him through the darkness, brows pinched, his mind racing with questions until he couldn't contain them any longer.
"How do you know?"
Yamagata craned his head over the edge of the couch, hints of annoyance in his squinted eyes.
"Eh?"
"How do you know you won't have any regrets?" That was his biggest concern. "What if you meet someone better, or you get bored since it's the same girl every day, or-" A flurry of questions rendered him speechless. Ataru attempted to organize them, but there were just too many. After a few seconds of trying he continued, annoyed, "-I don't know! Something!"
In the face of his guests' very serious and numerous inquiries, Yamagata laughed heartily. And not because he didn't take them seriously - quite the opposite. He simply remembered being exactly where Ataru was now, some years ago, when he was still young and brash and convinced he could have it all.
"Man, you really are young huh?"
"Hey," Ataru snapped, his eyes sharp and fixed on Yamagata, "these are perfectly valid questions."
"True enough." Yamagata had to concede; his kohai was correct. These were valid questions, and better to ask them now than rush into something and think about them after the fact. So, given that, he replied without flourish or falsehood: "The answer is you don't."
No amount of darkness could have hidden Ataru's blazing eyes as he glared pointedly at his sempai. What kind of bullshit non-answer was that!?
"What?" Yamagata asked humorlessly. "Not exciting enough for you?" Despite the skepticism in Ataru's eyes he continued. "Life's full of uncertainties, kid. All you can do is plug on ahead and take each hit as it comes to you."
Basically, life is uncertain. Yeah. Obviously. Ataru heaved a sigh and his eyes drifted to the ceiling. Really though, what did he expect? Nobody can predict which door will open and to what future. Shinobu had said much the same thing to him in her own way. Yamagata took note of the defeated look washing over his face, considered his words, then spoke again.
"I can tell you one thing though," his voice was solemn and sincere. "There're lots of women out there. Plenty of 'em got no problem keeping your bed warm for a night or two. But then one day you wake up in your thirties, and your beds cold. And the only woman wishin' you good morning is your mother. You wanna talk regret, well, there it is."
Somewhere in the empty blackness of the ceiling, Yamagata saw his life relived and all the regrets that came of his wilder years. Ataru didn't need to know them in detail to see the evidence on his face, in his eyes clouded with memories, and the listlessness of his features. And for a horrifying moment he wondered if that would be him one day.
Ataru shivered in his bed from the chill of fear ravaging his soul and shaking the nerves of his spine. And his mind walked back over all the choices he made, wondering how many of them had brought him here, to Yamagata's apartment, as opposed to anywhere else. He thought of all those girls too, the ones in his book. How willing they were to spend his money, and yet, when he needed them, they'd turned him down without an ounce of concern. Lum would never. It wouldn't have mattered to her if he was poor or rich, if he doted on her or not, she would have come to his aid. Because that's the way her love was; unconditional and enduring. And she only ever had eyes for him. Ataru gripped the sheets over his chest and his face soured miserably. For the first time, probably in his entire life, Ataru realized he simply did not deserve her. That was a hard truth to swallow for someone who thought so highly of himself. Still, much the same as medicine is bitter, it did him good to know these things. To realize them before he stepped too far into a future he couldn't walk back from.
And in this way Ataru recalled the decision he'd made on a night similar to this one, sleeping on an unfamiliar floor, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling; that he would see Lum again, very soon. All he had to do was get his life in proper order, and then he could call on her with his head held high.
"Thanks for...helping me out." Ataru whispered his gratitude, both embarrassed at himself and humbled by his own revelation. Yamagata glanced over and saw the plaintive glow in Ataru's eyes and knew his words had imparted at least something to address whatever prompted his barrage of questions. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Good karma always comes back around." He declared assuredly, then rolled over as if annoyed. "Now, stop talking would ya? I'm trying to sleep."
"Oh, right, yeah." Ataru flushed briefly and sunk a little further into the futon. All the fatigue of his early morning and binge drinking swept in upon him, and at last Ataru felt his eyes droop under its influence.
"Night Moroboshi."
"Night Yamagata."
Maybe some of you were expecting Sakura? Don't worry, her time will come :3. Tonight is for Shigeru Yamagata, the tired eyed, frank, brutish Floor Manager of Chick-Star. As cliche as it might sound I honestly love this guy (obviously). He was inspired by two other characters; Yamagata from Akira, and Dandy of Space Dandy.
This guy has had a pretty tough life and there is far more to him than will be covered in this series, but I'm sure some of his history can be gleamed from context clues. He's a pretty upstanding guy though, or at least that's how he turned out after the death of his father due to an accident. Even though he was a delinquent who spent his days fighting, stealing, and chasing skirts, he's always had a good heart and some honorable traits. Although it might not always look that way, him and Minami are actually very close and on a first name basis for the most part. Originally there was a lot of tension between them – Minami didn't trust him – but after he came to her defense when a bunch of idiots from another office (they are in a multi-company building) were poking fun at her for her orientation, they became close.
Anyways, Yamagata has a lot of life experience, being in his early 30s. And since he's not really a part of Ataru's inner circle of friends, Ataru is open to what he has to say and takes it to heart. In his eyes Yamagata has nothing to gain and no investment in his relationship with Lum, so Ataru doesn't believe he's trying to force him to do anything. Right now, an outside perspective is exactly what Ataru needs.
Fun fact, that pee story? That happened. To me. The only difference is I'm a girl lawl. It was indeed a wild night XD.