Chapter Four==
A few days ago I, Takahashi Minami (the girl version in case anyone was wondering) sincerely decided that I would accept the
unavoidable loveless marriage that was arranged for me. A few minutes after that point, I was whisked away from said
wedding, in the arms of my same named cousin and our squirrel – Oshima Yuko.
Even more interesting is on that very same day, all my attention was focused not on my impending wedding of doom… but on
a girl.
If I could guess I’d say that she was the sweet, shy type that had a little trouble communicating with people she didn’t know
very well. She was probably working at this café part time and I could also guess that it’s only while studying for her degree
in veterinary science – because she looks like she likes animals. Why do I think I know all this? I’d say it was because I’m
sincere in my interest.
Although I suppose other people would just call it stalking.
The most interesting fact of all however, is that out of the three sitting in the vicinity… I’m the normal one.
In front of me is the not unusual scene of Yuko and Miichan sprinkling lots of strangeness in the form of what they think is
suitable conversation.
“Ok! Ready to meet your match?,” Yuko asks, her eyes shining with interesting (worrying) excitement (mischief).
I paused for a minute unsure of how to reply but apparently even that was an unnecessary thing to do.
“What the hell are you talking about Yuko?!,” Miichan asked incredulously, standing up from his seat and trying very hard not
to jump up and down.
Bad tasting as the coffee was it was still armed with glorious amounts of caffeine and Miichan… with glorious amounts of ego.
“THAT woman is certainly… certainly not my match! How dare you say that Yuko?!,” he asked her complete with an accusingly
pointed finger before he rounded on me. “And YOU, how dare you let her say that Minami?!”
The squirrel in question looked on in amusement as I tried not laugh out loud.
“Umm… that wasn’t directed at you,” Yuko said.
Miichan stopped his pointing immediately and sat down, trying to pretend nothing happened while Yuko and I grinned at him.
“OF COURSE IT WASN’T! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR MINAMI, ANSWER HER!”
Well there he goes into embarrassed yelling… probably figured out there were two too many witnesses to his outbursts.
“I suppose,” I answer.
“Why aren’t you excited?!,” Yuko asked before dear Miichan, still without control of his voice followed her.
“EXCITEMENT IS IMPORTANT!”
“In case you two haven’t figured this out, I’ve ‘met’ coffee shop girl pretty regularly.”
“We know. During your bouts of stalking when you should have been planning a wedding. But you’re a chicken.”
“BUT I was tied up in the usual amounts of FAMILY ridiculousness so I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“And even now you’re still a chicken.”
“As much as I’d like to see her now, not much of the above has changed.”
“No kidding,” Yuko agreed easily as she watched some new customers enter the store and head straight towards us.
“Takahashi-san… please come with us.”
Miichan’s eyes narrowed immediately and I saw him search for his cell phone. Probably to yell ‘How did you let this happen?!’
at some unsuspecting minion of his.
Too bad for everyone that the reason he couldn’t find the thing was that he accidentally threw it at Yuko during his tirade.
At Yuko… who probably deserved to have something else thrown at her as far as he was concered.
“Shouldn’t you guys be in Sherlock coats?,” she asked the sharp suited men towering over us. “At least dress the part.”
Thank you Yuko’s brain. Helpful as always with all the clever things you make her say.
“Please refrain from making any aggressive moves, we do have orders to use force if necessary.”
“Miichan don’t do anything retarded. Please…”
“I’m the man here Minami, let me handle this. Hey punk, do you really think threatening me is going to…”
“We will taser if forced.”
Miichan paled at the threat and looked sheepish as I stabbed him with mock disappointed eyes.
“So… Takamina… any ideas?,” he asked me.
Before we could turn to Yuko however, both Miichan and I heard the squirrel voice… suspiciously further away than we both
expected it to be.
“Sorry guys I need to buy perfume or my girlfriend will miss me,” Yuko said as she waved at us from the café door.
“You’re just gonna leave?!,” Miichan asked while I stood silently by with a dropped jaw. “She’s not even your girlfriend.”
“She just doesn’t know it yet!”
I really can’t help but direct even more sighs into the atmosphere. What the heck are these guys thinking? Here I am in the
middle of one of the most exciting times of my romantic life and here they are being huge pains!
Well if there was ever a time to stand my ground, it’s here and now. In addition to a few days ago where I failed to do so and
had to be carried instead of running away but once again… back to now.
Pulling my shoulders back and with my head held high, I stare at the most leader looking guy’s eyes and let loose.
“NEVER!!!”
Moments later when I found myself sitting in the back seat of a large black vehicle along with my frustrated looking cousin, it has become very clear to me that I need to find a much better way to stand my ground. One that actually works.
Damn you Miichan, I knew I shouldn’t have left hiring counter private detectives to you. It’s YUKO that should be in charge of
ridiculous things.
“Where exactly are you taking us?,” useless cousin demanded before adding more uselessness. “I demand to know!”
“We’ve actually arrived at our destination Takahashi-san, we tried to tell you earlier but you were ranting quite loudly.”
“Where exactly have you taken us?,” I ask as I pull on Miichan’s shirt to make him stop trying to half stand in the car.
“As soon as you step out, the first building you’ll see is the main branch office of the Maeda law firm. Please make your way
to the top floor, you are expected.”
“Well of course we’re expected, you people dragged us here! So stupid!”
“Wait… the Maeda law firm? God damn that squirrel!”
“You think this could this be Yuko’s fault? But she was with us at the café.”
“I’ve learned not to put anything past that girl so I’m going to ask you again; could this be Yuko’s work?”
“Not sure, we have to wait a little while to figure out how ridiculous things will become. If the scale is off the charts then yes…
it might be. If things just start to suck… let’s attribute the whole thing to life and the universe not liking us.”
=== === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === ===
At the Race Track
It seems no matter how long you know a person, there are still so many things you have yet to find out about them.
For example, Tomo and I grew up together, practically in the same household as she was over all the time but even I’m still
learning stuff about her.
Specifically… about her ability to glare without blinking for prolonged periods of time.
Judging by the defiant smile Chiyuu is posing with however, she not only knew about it previously… but she’s immune.
Tomo sighed and dropped her glare, which is about the normal human equivalent of throwing her hands above her head in
defeat.
“I don’t suppose you two are going to explain why I was dragged here?,” she said as she fixed her hair and turned her gaze
towards me.
“I just told you! I want you two to-“
“If you’re planning on saying the words ‘hook’ and ‘up’ right next to each other, I’m going to have to plan to kill the both of
you.”
“What do you want me to tell you Tomo? There is no reason,” I replied with a smirk.
“Actually… there is.
I blinked for a moment before throwing questioning raised eyebrows at Chiyuu who I’ve known almost as long as my cousin.
“Do you remember that girl you tried to pick up?”
“I’m gonna need you to be more specific,” I told her jokingly.
Man what is with this mood? Chiyuu has something so serious to tell me that she’s not even ogling Tomochin who’s standing
right next to her at the same time? What is the world coming to?
“Atsuko I was at a wedding a few days ago.”
“Probably accidentally got some girl pregnant,” Tomo said making me smirk.
“Actually it was work related.”
“Aaaand?”
I was getting a little impatient, it wasn’t normally like Chiyuu to drag things out. Even Tomo was frowning. Hold on, she was
probably doing that already.
“You got a coworker pregnant?,” my cousin asked almost as if she believed it was actually possible. “What? Some other
actress?”
“No!,” Chiyuu replied with frustration. “I mean yes it was the wedding of another actress but it wasn’t me she was getting
married to.”
“Then who?”
“Atsuko… that girl… I think SHE was the bride.”
Huh. I guess I was right. There’s always something else left to find out.
“I don’t suppose there’s anything else I should know?”
Chiyuu hesitated for a moment before shrugging the dampened mood altogether and switching almost back to normal. Was
that a dare I now saw in her eyes?
“There is in fact,” she told me. “Your sister was there too.”
I shared a quick look with Tomo as I hopped on my bike as fast as possible.
“I don’t suppose you’re expecting me to hop on with you when you’ve got dangerous aura coming out of that leather suit of
yours right?”
“I’m not actually,” I replied with an apologetic smile. “Gotta get there as fast as possible and I don’t want you passing out in
the middle of the ride.”
I pulled the visor down on my helmet just slow enough to get a clear view of Chiyuu wrapping an arm around my stunned
cousin’s shoulders and felt the slight guilt disappear.
Now I know I have nothing to worry about… Tomo was in good hands and I had rubber to burn.
=== === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === ===
Maeda Law Firm – Main Branch OfficeTakamina stood uncomfortably next to her glaring cousin. In front of them was a beautiful slightly older woman with a slight smile gently gracing her lips.
She leaned against her huge and expensive looking exotic desk with her arms folded delicately in front of her.
Takamina was about to offer her official greetings when Miichan beat her to it.
"I hope you slip your ass off that desk," he said seriously. "Poser."
The lawyer replied with a very sharp narrowing of her eyes though she chose to say nothing.
Usually Takamina would smack... or at least nudge the young man for being so ungentlemanly with his 'greeting' and glowering in general but even she had to admit that the tall female standing before them with an air of command and some amazing model good looks deserved a strong reaction.
What she didn't know was why Miichan's was particularly geared towards... annoyance.
“So… Mariko-san,” she began before being immediately corrected.
"Sama," the girl said, confident smile still plastered on her face even though Miichan had responded with a barely hidden scoff before rudely going through the items in the room.
Takamina looked between the two before deciding that whatever tempest was brewing between them was something she definitely wanted to avoid.
In response she merely bowed respectfully.
"Mariko-sama, please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Takahashi Mi…."
"I know who you are. You happen to have the same name as one of my more… disliked acquaintances. Speaking of, could you please assist in refraining him from eating everything in the room?"
"You’re the one that didn’t offer snacks when we came in so I’m just going to eat them," Miichan retorted unaware that his cousin was unsure of weather or not to regard him with daggers or sweatdrops.
"What is wrong with you Miichan?," Takamina hissed at him as he opened another packet of whatever it was he fancied snacking on and pointed at the room's only other occupant with his head.
"That woman. And also our kidnapped situation. But mostly that woman."
"I happen to be your lawyer."
"Yes she’s that too."
"You didn’t think it would be a good idea to mention this to us earlier?"
"Sorry, it slipped my mind."
"How? What could you possibly have been thinking about?"
"Unhealthy snacks perhaps?," the lawyer asked with a bored sigh.
"These snacks were found in your office, don’t judge me!"
"Why would I, I’m a lawyer, my job is to have you convicted."
"I’m not on trial and the evidence is against you!"
Takamina watched silently as she wondered what she should do. Determining that she may not actually be needed for the... exchange... she bowed once more before attempting to wander out the door.
Just as she was about to execute her official escape plans however, a cold voice cut through the atmosphere.
"Takahashi-san. I’m afraid I can’t allow that… there are things we need to discuss," the lawyer commented.
"Regarding what?"
"Regarding your marriage…"
"There will be no marriage," Miichan stated, standing close to his cousin in full support of her.
"The lawyer finally unfolded her arms and easily removed herself from her position against the desk only to round it and seat herself on the comfortable black leather seat situated behind it.
"Oh really?," she questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
"Yes. Really," Miichan replied.
"Then there will be no inheritance. For either of you."
=== === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === === ===
Department Store – Perfume SectionA dark haired beauty walked through the section the only way she knew how; with style and confidence radiating from her in
waves.
She paused and slid off her designer sunglasses slowly as if willingly allowing those who were lucky enough to witness the
sight time to take magazine worthy shots.
Flicking her hair gently over her shoulders, her eyes roamed the various counters and smiled as they finally met with a
complimentary sight.
“It’s been a while,” the girl said, mirroring her friend’s delicate hair toss with one of her own as she adjusted her long, dark
red hair over her shoulder.
“It has. So how’s life treating you?”
“Great actually. I think I’m finally starting to get a feel for the character. I mean I’m really living and breathing…”
“Poisonous gasses in the form of cheap perfume?”
“It’s not the perfume’s fault that you think anything less than ridiculously expensive is cheap.”
“Touche.”
“Listen, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your non-wedding.”
“Uh huh. Everyone knows you made that call under protest.”
“You agreed to get married for a lot… possibly ALL of the wrong reasons there could possibly be. As your friend…”
“As my friend you could at least admit that I’m doing this for some of the right reasons too, give me some credit.”
“Sometimes I think it’s just better to face our realities. What’s done is done and it’s me who should make amends, not you.”
“I’m not doing this just for you… as for amends, some things are easier said than done.”
“I know but I’m working on… ohmygodohmygodohmygod…”
“What is it? Your panic is starting to freak me out.”
“Ok I need you to step away and pretend you don’t know me. Right now. Please, you’ll know why in a minute.”
“What? First I’m left at the altar and now my best work friend abandons me? What a week!”
“Just do it!”
Moments after that, realization came in the form of a cheerful looking squirrel. As soon as Yuko saw the dark haired girl’s
gaping look out, her dimpled smile faltered slightly before she reeled it back in.
“It’s been a while,” the squirrel greeted with a nod, not noticing the object of her visit slip back behind the counter.
“Oh God,” the dark girl replied, still staring at Yuko, her wide eyes and gaping look still in full force.
“Oshima is fine, you don’t need to be so formal about it.”
“Oshima… what are you doing here? You actually buy perfume from this store?”
“Wait a minute, I helped stop your wedding a mere few days ago and you ask me about my shopping habits?”
“There are people working on the wedding situation. It doesn’t worry me.”
“You’re obviously very cut up at the bad end of your touching love story,” Yuko continued, her brow arching at the apparent lack of care in the other’s reply.
“There’s no need to be bitter about it, my fiancée is the one that ran away, not me. I’ll have you know that I was waiting
patiently at the door ready to wake up the aisle.”
“Oh everyone made Takamina the man… I guess I kind of get that.”
“Is she well?”
“Please, enough with the pretending to care about my friend. Our rivalry… the working relationship we used to have or
whatever it is you want to call it is long over. Let’s just pretend this little meeting never happened. So please excuse me, I
have some perfume to purchase.”
“Perfume (!) … wait!”
The squirrel sighed and half turned in exasperation.
“What?”
“There’s… umm… You want to buy it from here?”
“Same place I always buy it.”
“Then you’ve… met?”
“Met who? What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Alright you seem to be suffering from some possibly related wedding trauma that I feel a little responsible for. So just for
that and maybe for old time’s sake let me clue you in. You see that girl?,” Yuko said as she pointed out the redhead who
currently looked like a deer about to be squished by a large vehicle.
“Oshima, do you know that girl?!”
Yuko frowned at the panicked tone.
“Do YOU know that girl?”
“I… really don’t know what’s going on.”
“Are you having that much trouble following this conversation… which you’re having?”
“My head hurts.”
“At least let me finish what I was going to say! Ok?”
“Ok.”
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“She’s WHAT?! But that whole thing was…”
“You said you were gonna let me finish! What’s with the overreaction? I know you’re an actress and everything but don’t you
think that was a bit much? I didn’t even get to the punch line… still gonna deliver it by the way, ready? *ahem… She just
doesn’t know it yet.”
“My head hurts.”
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Sorry this one took a little longer guys! I just got back from my super awesome Tokyo trip!
Thanks as usual to the readers, the thankers and especially to those that take the time to comment!
More to come soon
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Topic: [Atsumina] Red String - Chapter Five 9/26 (Read 12546 times)