After reading the next chapter(up very soon), I think this chapter contains the highest number of ironies in this entire fanfic. Haha, nevertheless, just enjoy reading this!
Chapter 9
Watarasebashi
“Watarasebashi de miru yuuhi wo…”
“Storey 2”, the automated device of the elevator sounded. This, together with the footsteps, brought her back to reality.
“Maki, why are you in a daze? You were looking like that,” Risa commented as she tried to impersonate Maki’s expression a few moments ago.
Sayumi said rather agitatedly, “No, Gaki-san, that’s wrong. Let me try.” Sayumi then exaggerated Maki’s dazed look.
“Nothing, I was just thinking,” Maki replied with a gentle smile.
“Oh, Yoshizawa-san, where were we just now? Oh yes, what should I do after Ai-chan appeared in the scene? Should I bend down or…Yoshizawa-san?” Risa shook Yossie vigorously with a confused look on her face.
“Huh, that’s a hard one,” She remarked with a frown on her forehead as she rested her chin on her hands. As if a bolt of lightning had struck her, she turned instantly to face her ‘comrade’. “Maki, what is the song you are humming away?”
“Huh? It is ‘Watarasebashi’.”
Yossie shot her an annoyed glance, took in a deep breath before proceeding to hold Maki’s shoulders with a grip so tight that made Maki flinch. “You are really-”
“Storey 8,” the recorder went off in the nick of time. Yossie shook her head and without looking at Maki, she moved out of lift with her fellow MM mate. Maki stared blankly at the disappearing silhouettes while she allowed her mind to drift off again to a world of her own. Before long, the elevator door opened again with a “Ting” sound and a familiar figure appeared.
Their eyes met for a few seconds but neither said anything as they were too engrossed in their thoughts. Aya took a look up at the lift status display before murmuring, “Sorry, I thought this is going down…”
“Aya, it’s me. What happened?” Maki whispered softly while tears began to accumulate in her eyes. Even though she was aware of what had happened, she had to put on pretence. She didn’t like to be a hypocrite in front of Aya but this was the best option.
“Maki…”
Maki pressed the “Door open” button and said in a warm voice, “Come in.”
Aya took a step into the elevator and stared blankly into space for a few seconds before saying, “Maki, GAM is going to be gone. It is going to be a special unit. Now what should I do?” She kept her head down while tears streamed down her cheeks.
“How did…Miki react?”
Aya shook her head. “I don’t know and that’s the trouble. I bet Miki think that GAM is better off as a special unit. We weren’t on the best of terms today…”
Maki felt her heart scattering into pieces from a combination of sadness and pain. She had always hoped for the formation of GAM and that was the sole reason why she joined forces with Yossie and the rest. But now, things weren’t the same. She hated GAM and began to feel for Aya. Aya certainly desired for the formation of GAM but if GAM is formed, the plan will be able to proceed accordingly and Aya will…
“Aya, you know sometimes you can’t allow your emotions to control the happenings. See, for example-”
“Storey 16,” the recorder went off. Maki took a look at her watch before exclaiming, “My god! I am late! Aya, let’s meet later at around 6 or something at the pavilion in the garden, okay?” Before Aya could reply, Maki had already dashed out of the elevator.
Miki stood in a corner of the corridor. “Miki, hurry up, it’s now time for futsal training. Where is your stuff? Oh god, don’t tell me you’re sick again?” Yossie asked. The group of futsal players was standing beside her and she was holding a net filled with footballs.
“Sorry, I’m feeling sick today. This is for real.” She gave a constipated look for a second before saying in a sulky tone, “You should know the reason, don’t you?”
Yossie shrugged her shoulders before turning towards the rest of the team. “Hey, I’ve something to settle now, so see you downstairs! I will not take long, promise!”
“Your nose will grow long, Yossie. You are always taking very long, especially with-” Rika gave an impatient look and allowed the rest of the words to fade off.
“I promise, dearie, I won’t make you wait long.”
With that, the group of players walked down the corridor. After they had disappeared from view, Miki murmured, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He wanted to say it. Anyway, it won’t change a thing, will it?”
“True.”
“So, have you made up your mind?”
“I don’t know, Yossie, what should I do? I can’t bear to leave MM but I don’t want to lose Aya. What should I do?”
Yossie recalled the earlier incident with Maki for a moment before surmising, “I think you don’t want Maki to become closer to Aya, right? That’s why you want GAM, right?”
“Not quite but…okay, you’re right about it.”
“You need to think hard, real hard about this. What is more important to you?”
“I don’t know…Aya just admitted that we are friends so-”
“Make it more than friends then. I think you’re able to do it. Sorry, I shouldn’t force you to a decision. Anyway, I better go before Rika slaps me or something.”
“So lucky.”
“Huh?”
“Rika cares for you. She is getting jealous.”
“Yep. Relax, Aya still cares for you. I can see it.”
“Before the bastard Goto entered the scene…sorry, I’ve forgotten that you two are good friends, sorry.”
Yossie moved a step closer to Miki. “Never mind, I prefer you like that. Be natural, Miki, don’t hold anything back in front of me.”
Miki let out a laugh. “Okay, off you go before Rika slaps me.”
“I dare her to do that.”
“She won’t?”
“She will. I swear she will do that to you if you keep skipping training and make me talk to you in private.”
“I get your point. Okay, I will go for the next training, promise.”
“Good girl, think hard about that, okay? See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, MM leader.”
“Bye, MM sub-leader.”
Yossie dashed down the corridor, leaving Miki on her own. Miki thought of their conversation and smiled to herself. In Morning Musume, the only girl who approached Miki and accepted her from the start was Yossie. Sometimes, when she was on her own, she would wonder, “Perhaps, without Aya and Rika, Yossie and I can become a pair. She accepted me as what I am and I had accepted her as a rough yet hilarious girl.” She always believes that Yossie is her best pal in MM and she feels comfortable talking to her than to anyone else. With Aya, she had to watch her words so that she won’t say anything wrong. She didn’t want Aya to have the wrong idea of her.
As she thought of these, she felt lighter suddenly and the GAM issue doesn’t trouble her that much. Perhaps, Yossie was one of the reasons why she didn’t want to leave MM. She didn’t like to admit that but Yossie had somehow changed her navigation in life. She had allowed her to take charge of ‘disciplinary matters’ in MM and had constantly reminded her to stay natural. ‘Stay natural’ simply means that she can scream, scold, shout, giggle, smile or laugh whenever she feels like. At least, that’s what they had agreed on. “Will life be the same if I’m in GAM but not MM? Will it be the same if I am with Aya but not Yossie?”
6pm
The sun was disappearing down the horizon which was smeared with different shades of orange, red and blue and blurred by the drizzle. Maki stared out of the window while she gathered her thoughts. “Why does a beautiful sky look so forlorn?” she wondered to herself. All of a sudden, she realized that Aya might be waiting for her in the pavilion. She dashed out of the studio, building as fast as she could while her mind began to re-collect the earlier happenings.
When she reached the ground storey, she realized that it wasn’t a drizzle. Moderate rain would be a better description of the weather. She hurried in to reception to borrow an umbrella. Without a ‘thank you’, she dashed towards the garden.
As arranged, Aya was sitting in the pavilion and her shoulders were trembling. When she saw Maki, she stood up and attempted to walk towards Maki. However, she wasn’t in the best condition to move and immediately, she fell back on the bench. Once Maki caught sight of Aya’s drenched state, she frantically reached for her pocket to take out a packet of tissue paper. “Aya, what happened? Why didn’t you take an umbrella? You don’t have to come out here anyway. We can meet at the ground storey. I mean-”
“Maki,” Aya’s voice was a faint whisper, “I really feel like getting wet. At least, it can hide my tears.”
While wiping Aya’s face, Maki remarked, “No, you will fall sick. Being sick is bad, you know?”
Aya reached for Maki’s hands and held them tight. “Maki, I thought you will not come. Thanks for coming.”
“What rubbish. I was the one who suggested meeting here.” Maki let out a faint laughter before falling into silence with her eyes wide open in shock. She was stunned by the fact that someone in this world smelt so great without perfume. She moved an inch closer to Aya so that she would not notice her movements that much and at the same time, she could smell the beautiful fragrance.
“You know, I don’t mind giving up my career for Miki. I don’t. It is up to her now,” Aya interrupted her train of thoughts.
“Anata ga suki da to itta kono machinami ga kyou mo kurete yukimasu…”
“Hiroi sora to tooku no yamayama futari de aruita machi…Watarasebashi, it is a nice song.” Aya continued.
“Yes. It is the only song of yours that I had my own version of.”
Aya giggled before saying nostalgically, “I think you sang it better than me.”
“No, original is always the best.”
“Stop being humble…do you remember that time we performed it together?”
“Yes. Do you want to sing it again?”
“Huh…let’s get out of this place first. You can’t even speak properly in this state.” Maki held Aya up and together, they walked under the same umbrella, towards the town where they walked together with a beautiful sunset and the life that they grew up in. Under Maki’s lips, she murmured a prayer to herself, “Aya, please don’t give up on your career for Miki. If one wish would just come true, I want us to stay like this forever."