Uh... Hi. Been awhile, hasn't it? Well, to make up for it, this is a full two pages longer than previous chapters? I could have broken it up into two parts like chapter five, but uh... I got lazy. Honestly, I had two days of exams in the class I write the most in, and since that class only meets twice a week, my writing time was quite limited.
@TakaminaBG: Glad you thought the Atsumina part was sweet! I was hoping for that.
@fausto: Ah, I'm just glad you like it.
@kahem: Thanks!
@Haruko: I like it when Atsuko's on top, too. She can be so playful!~
@hidden_player: That's very high praise, thank you! I think a lot about my word choices, so I'm glad you appreciate that! I hope this chapter doesn't break your heart!~
@Pdpond: Thanks! Here's the next chapter for you!~
@thebotole: Thank you! I've continued, as you can see!
@ichikawa: I'm glad you thought it was sweet! Of course, Aki-P has to resolve what's happened, so you'll see how it worked out!
So anyway. Last time I updated, I said that I didn't know what was going to happen in chapter seven. That's not exactly true anymore, but I don't know how to end the chapter. After a few pages, I'm gonna get stuck.
But an idea struck me when I was almost done writing this chapter that I kind of really liked, so I incorporated it a bit. I was originally going to make Atsuko even more angry and defensive, which would tie in with her mentality about how she's grown since her graduation, but I decided to take a different route
and didn't both changing anything leading up to it >_>. I hope you like it anyway, because...
In this chapter we reach the climax! Not that kind of climax, you pervs. You know what I mean. Geez.
Second to Last
Chapter 6
When Minami awoke in the morning, she was first comforted by the sight of her girlfriend snuggling into her side.
But although it was the same physical position that she had found herself in as the morning before, instead of being in her own bed in her own room, they were in the cheap hotel — which brought to her attention that she was still wearing the dress from the day before. It stuck to her body uncomfortably, the combination of her sweat and being crumpled under Atsuko's weight.
A knock on the door to their hotel room forced her to untangle herself and stumble over her forgotten shoes on the way to open it. After carefully examining the person on the other side of the door through the peephole, she pulled the door open to reveal Togasaki standing in the hallway. With her tired appearance, barefoot, hair sticking out in all directions, she felt insignificantly tiny as she looked up at the stern man who already was wearing a well-ironed suit. But when a smile cracked his solemn demeanor, she felt a bit of relief.
"Here," he stated, pushing two large paper bags into Minami's hands.
She struggled as she grabbed them, not from their weight, but because she could barely see over the top of the two.
"Thanks," she answered, her syllables slurring together.
Togasaki let out a low-pitched laugh. "You still seem like such a child sometimes, just like eight years ago. I've watched you — both of you — grow up, so I'm happy for you. But keep in mind that Akimoto's absolutely furious."
"As expected," Minami mumbled in response.
"So change into those. I'll be waiting in the van outside," Togasaki finished.
Minami attempted to bow politely in response, but nearly lost both bags in the process. She scowled playfully as Togasaki laughed his way to the stairwell.
Once back inside the hotel room with the door closed, Minami set the bags on the floor and pulled the contents out to rest at the foot of the bed. Two nearly identical dresses were placed next to each other, one slightly smaller than the other. The black and white dresses nearly brought tears to her eyes as she recollected the memories associated with them: Yume no Kawa, Atsuko's last appearance on Music Station...
Togasaki didn't have access to anything besides performance costumes, so he had grabbed Atsuko's final AKB uniform, and brought Minami's to match.
A few other assorted items were in the bag: a sealed toothbrush and hairbrush for each of them. She was extremely thankful that Togasaki had thought of these things, as they had been confined ever since the scandal had occurred. Without their phones, they had no idea of the damage caused, either. While Atsuko had reassured her the night before, she found her doubts coming back.
Minami shook her head to eliminate the thoughts from her mind for now. They didn't have time to waste on brooding, since their ride to Akimoto's office was waiting in the alleyway. So she quickly took her items into the bathroom and changed, careful to not wash off the previous night's make-up as she freshened up, since she had nothing to replace it with and she'd rather die than walk around without make-up on, a fact about herself that she had been made fun of for multiple times before. Sure, her mascara had run and her blush had smudged from all of the tears she had shed, but it served the purpose she needed it to better than the alternative.
She emerged from the bathroom in record time, a habit borne of lightning fast costume changes backstage. Atsuko was still sleeping, curled on her side, reaching for the warmth that had disappeared when Minami had left to answer the door. The tiny girl shuffled over to the bed, the stiff petticoat of her dress rustling with each step. When she sat on the bed, it sank slightly under her weight and the petticoat slightly hissed as it re-arranged itself, but the younger woman was not brought out of her slumber by neither the movement nor the sound.
Minami brushed a few strands of hair back from Atsuko's eyes that had fallen out of place in her sleep. With the obstacle out of the way, she was able to lean close to her girlfriend and place a soft kiss on the younger woman's slightly parted lips, causing a slight stir, but as Minami pulled back, Atsuko settled right back into her slumber.
"Come on, Atsuko," Minami gently whined, her face still close enough that her exhales caused Atsuko's hair to flutter slightly. Her hand, which had pushed Atsuko's hair aside, stayed at her girlfriend's face, her thumb stroking her soft cheek until the closed eyes in front of her slowly opened, glazed over due to being woken before she was ready to wake up. But as soon as Atsuko focused her gaze enough to recognize Minami sitting, well, half-lying on her stomach at this point, a smile broke across her face and the shine in her eyes was not longer from having just woken up, but from waking up to the woman she loved.
"Morning," Atsuko mumbled softly.
Minami couldn't help herself at the adorable sight in front of her. She leaned close once more to brush her lips against Atsuko's, this time feeling the younger girl respond lazily. Since they were short on time, the kiss didn't last very long, but it was enough to help reassure her that she was truly not alone. Atsuko was going to be at her side for the rest of the day, and hopefully for the rest of her life... Though she really hadn't thought that far ahead. It was more like she hoped Atsuko would be with her tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that, and if that sequence keeps going, it does turn into forever, but that was really—
"Minami, what time is it?"
Atsuko's soft voice stopped Minami's voice from spinning out of control, and the small girl looked over to the clock by the television before responding, "Just after eight. Togasaki's waiting downstairs. He brought a change of clothes for each of us. Yours is in the bathroom."
"Oh," Atsuko stated, her eyes widening. She quickly sat up, causing Minami to do the same. "He brought those dresses?"
"We have a lot of memories in these, don't we?" Minami agreed with the unspoken statement.
After nodding, Atsuko said, "I thought they'd always stay as just memories. I've graduated."
It was hard to express, but Atsuko meant that she had moved on from this part of her life. Yet by digging up this relic of the past, she was bringing to the surface everything that went along with it, only to bury it later again. In that sense, it wasn't just a dress she would be wearing, but an entire part of herself that she had grown out of, turning past memories into current happenings.
She knew that Minami, having not gone through such a progression of character, wouldn't quite understand this, so she didn't elaborate on her discomfort in wearing the dress. Instead, she simply gave her girlfriend a bittersweet smile before moving to the bathroom to quickly change, while Minami tucked her few things back in the paper bag. After a few minutes, she, too, emerged, fully dolled up in her dress, looking as immaculate as she had during her time as AKB48's ace. Not that she didn't look perfect as the mature actress that she had grown into, but it was... different.
Different, like the ride from the hotel to the offices in Akihabara. The travel the night before had been tense and uncomfortable, but this morning was much more relaxed. Putting her own frustrations aside, Atsuko reached for Minami's hand across the empty middle seat between them, running her thumb back and forth across the bent knuckles curled around her palm. It was a loving action of support, and it contributed to the relaxed atmosphere surrounding the two women.
If Togasaki noticed this change, he didn't react to it, simply driving them to their location. He parked in a dark, underground parking ramp to avoid the paparazzi surrounding the building and led them to the maintenance elevator to travel to the floor Akimoto Yasushi's office was on. His escorting stopped at the thick door of the office, and after he loudly knocked on the it, he silently bowed and walked away.
When Akimoto opened the door, his face was stuck in a stern frown, wrinkles creasing across his forehead and shadows hanging under his eyes. He was visibly furious, exhausted, and as a response, Minami and Atsuko took a step away from each other, putting symbolic distance between them in a futile hope it would ease the older man's frustration.
It did not.
"Takahashi-san, Maeda-san, we'll be going to the meeting room," he forced out between gritted teeth.
It was rare for him to address the girls by their family name as he had just done. Especially because he had mentored both of them for so many years, he generally used a more friendly way of referring to the both of them. But to be so distantly formal now was another expression of his anger, detaching the girls in front of him who had caused such a damaging scandal from the two girls who had grown under his care over the past eight years.
The meeting room wasn't meant for such small group discussions (or lectures, as this was most likely to be), as the large oval table had a dozen or more chairs surrounding it, but the arrangement made for a distanced situation, as Minami and Atsuko found themselves opposite the man who had begun and shaped their careers. He placed a small folder on the table, and then reached into his inside jacket pocket to retrieve both girls' cell phones before setting them on the table as well, although the distance placed between them made it impossible for the girls to reach them. It was a metaphor for the distribution of power among the occupants of the room, and the girls recognized this enough to not ask for said phones back.
The heavy silence was broken by Akimoto, as he stated in a flat, businesslike tone, "Both of you are smart enough that I don't need to tell you what's happened in the past twelve hours. Though that you even allowed yourselves to be put in such a situation gives me some doubts about what I can expect from you, so I do have the reports here in this folder."
He didn't push the folder towards the girls; nor did the girls request to see the contents. As a result, he placed the folder to the side, now bringing the two phones to the center of the discussion.
"These have been ringing constantly all night long, until their batteries finally ran down. Once we come to an agreement over an official statement and actions to be taken, you can respond to your worried friends."
"Shouldn't my manager be part of this?" Atsuko asked in an attempt to gain some control over the situation.
"I've been given permission to deal with the situation, since your agency is currently in discussions about the state of your contract," Akimoto responded, causing Atsuko's face to pale. "You have to admit that your record with scandals hasn't been the best since your graduation. Since both of the biggest ones involve my members, this type of meeting is the most efficient way of resolving this. And as for you, Takahashi-san, I've always thought of you as AKB, and I've never been disappointed in you before. I never thought I would find myself in the situation where I would be disappointed in you, but this is something that I cannot overlook."
Neither girl had anything to say to the statement, to he continued.
"Looking at the photos and reading what the tabloids have to say about the situation, I'm not sure we can spin this in any way that could reduce its impact. We can't explain this as a kiss between friends given the pictures. No one would be able to accept that. We also can't explain this as fan-service, as the room was reportedly empty before the photographers made their way inside. Who would you have been giving fan-service to?" he shook his head in frustration. "Has anything I've said been untrue?"
Weakly, with her stomach churning, Minami shook her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Atsuko do the same, though her normally peaceful face was distorted in a tight frown, her jaw clenched.
"This puts the group in a tough position," Akimoto signed, pulling his glasses off and setting them atop the folder to his side. He reached up with his hand and rubbed is drooping, tired eyes before continuing. "Since you just won the senbatsu election, there would be quite an uprising if I punish you too harshly. But I can't just let this slide, either. When I look back at the consequences I've imposed in the past, such as for Sashihara, not only were the scandals involved much less severe than yours, but I knew they would be forgotten after a time. I can't say the same about the situation here. This will most likely follow the both of you for the rest of your careers, regardless of what we decide upon today."
Discreetly, Atsuko reached for Minami's hand under the table. The action was unexpected, but before Minami could react, Atsuko stated in an uncharacteristically strong voice, "I don't care if my career falls apart here, but Minami was just finally rewarded for all of the unending effort she's given to you for the past eight years. I won't let anyone take that away from her."
"Unfortunately, that's not how the world works," Akimoto responded. "Your devotion is admirable, but it won't change anything—"
"Then I'll make it change everything," Atsuko cut in. "We'll tell them that I forced myself on her in an attempt to confess, and she'll publicly reject me, and I—"
"I can't do that."
Minami spoke for the first time in the meeting, her normally strong voice frail and scared. It almost seemed as if she and Atsuko had switched roles, but the reality was that their priorities in the situation were different, and their actions reflected that. Atsuko's desire to leave Minami's future unscathed gave her unwavering courage, but Minami's uncertainty about if her future could be salvaged caused her own inner strength to falter. However, there was a line which even the weakest part of her could not cross.
"I can't lie with it comes to Atsuko and me," Minami added, lowering her head.
Akimoto was leaning back in his chair, thinking. "But that could have worked. I wonder if there's anything close to that we could use..."
"Think about it, Minami," Atsuko pleaded. "In AKB, you're not allowed to have a relationship, anyway. You wouldn't have to answer by denying everything outright. Just citing that rule would be enough."
Minami shook her head. "And then they say, 'Takamina, what about after you graduate? You'll be free from the love-ban rule, so will you accept her confession then?' What am I supposed to answer to that?"
"That's the easiest question so far," Akimoto broke in. He seemed to have regained some of his energy that he had lost during the stressful night. "As the general manager, senbatsu regular, and now the winner of the election, you're far too busy with things happening in the present to think about graduating, much less happen after. Accepting her confession after graduation wouldn't ever cross your mind, anyway, which is true, since you accepted it before your graduation. Of course, you can't say that last part."
"We're all forgetting something here," Minami frowned. "Atsuko'll be taking all of the blame, when the whole thing was really my fault, anyway."
"With the situation as it is, someone taking the blame is unavoidable. As much as I think of the both of you as I would my own children, I'd prefer the blame not be put on Minami-chan for the sake of AKB as a group," Akimoto responded. In addition to having regained his energy, he began taking on more familiar speech. He even seemed to appear relieved at being able to do so, suggesting that he found the farce of acting in such a reprimanding fashion exhausting in itself. In this way, he truly seemed to be like a father who found that his children had made a damaging mistake; showing them the consequences of their actions was necessary, but it did not mean the he loved them any less.
But Minami still couldn't accept this situation. She shook her head in disagreement, but didn't have anything to say that wouldn’t just be repeating herself.
Knowing Minami's stubbornness, Akimoto stood up, reaching for the two phones and putting them back in his pocket. "I'm going to get some forms for us to sign. I know I can't convince you, but I hope you'll decide what to do before I get back so that we can move on and you can tell me all about how much you two love each other."
After Akimoto left the room, Atsuko turned to her girlfriend, her eyes sparkling. "I think he's happy for us. What do you think?"
"I think it's ridiculous that you'd sacrifice your career like this," Minami grumbled, leaning back in her chair. "It's not necessary. I can take responsibility for my own actions."
"Says the girl who puts AKB before everything else, even me," Atsuko responded, stifling a laugh. "I don't think you could last even a week if the consequences were laid out in front of you."
Minami had yet to let someone else take the blame for a mistake she had made, and often took the blame for mistakes she
hadn't made. She really felt uncomfortable with the idea of someone else doing the same for her, even if that person was Atsuko.
"Please," Atsuko said, reaching her hand to Minami's cheek. Her fingers caressed the soft skin as her eyes locked on the wide eyes of her girlfriend. "I'm losing my contract, anyway. There's no point in you trying to protect me. Let me do this for you."
Minami closed her eyes and thought.
Topic: Calyrica's Atsumina Offerings~ Update: 11/15/12 (Read 22152 times)