File #19It was the most restful sleep she had gotten in 3 weeks or more, if the loose feeling in her muscles and the lingering sensation of absolute contentment was any indication.
With a lazy half-turn, Niigaki Risa rolled around in her own bed, arms flailing to one side...and hitting empty air. A sleepy frown knitted her thick brows together, even as unease snaked its way through her barely awake consciousness.
Eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting gradually to the dim light of her modest bedroom. The curtains cut off the source of light from outside, so she was able to wake to a pleasant gloom.
I think...I had a dream... The plain white ceiling seemed oddly comforting as she stared blankly at it, the fog of sleep slowly clearing from her head. It reminded her of snow, both the good and bad memories associated with it.
I met Ai-chan on a snow day too... A dreamy sort of smile parted her lips slightly, before another thought crept into her head. Her hand groped the spot on the bed next to her, instinctively.
Empty. Her vision swirled with nauseating speed as she sprang up from the bed, finally remembering her late night visitor. Or had it just been a dream?
I don't know anymore... She found it hard to trust her senses nowadays. Past and present all mingled into a confusing mess in her head, making it difficult to distinguish what had already happened from what was currently happening. An unfortunate side effect of her distressed mental state, but she kept silent about it, not wanting anyone, particularly Sayumin, to worry about it.
The experience left her feeling somewhat dejected, as well as in need of a drink of water. Her mouth felt dry, and a bit musty from her sleep. Standing, she headed towards her door, passing by her dresser on the way.
And noted that the usual bottle of pills was no longer at its customary place.
That's odd. Briefly, an image of her dropping the bottle upon discovering the intruder into her home came to her, and she shook her head vigorously to clear the image. It simply could not be. She was probably just dreaming. That had to be it.
Shrugging, she left the room, her head turning automatically to check the spot near her couch. No bottle, no mess of pills scattered on the ground. That only reinforced her belief that the previous night had only been a very beautiful dream. A dream that Ai had come back to her...
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block off the twin sensation of euphoria and oddly, loneliness. A dream was a dream, it was not real. Better to not think about it.
Turning again, she stepped into her kitchen. And stopped.
Froze. Halted. What have you.
Takahashi Ai very calmly turned the page of her newspaper, one hand reaching out and taking a sip of orange juice from a clear glass. A steaming plate of pancakes was just beyond her glass, with a loosely capped pot of jam next to it.
All in all, it looked absolutely normal. Except that it wasn't. Risa continued to gape, unable to come to terms with the fact that Ai was
actually there.
"Morning. Breakfast?" Ai asked without looking up. She seemed totally focused on whatever she was currently reading, pausing only for her precious orange juice.
"Ai...chan?" Risa's voice was tinged with disbelief, and reasonably so. Haltingly, she stepped closer, still trying to reconcile what her eyes were seeing with what her mind was telling her. The utter normalcy of the situation seemed to baffle her. It just did not mesh with what had been going on.
"Risa, stop dawdling and sit down. The pancakes will get cold." Ai commanded calmly, turning over another page of her paper. Risa sat, still not really comprehending the situation.
"Why?" She finally managed to get out after a few more moments of stunned silence. "Why are you here?"
"I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by." Came the detached answer. Ai handed the plate of pancakes to Risa, eyes still not leaving the tiny print on the page. Risa took it, idly lifting a piece and starting to munch on it, her own eyes fixed on Ai.
"By the way, I dumped the pills. Stop using them, it's not good for you." Ai reached over for another pancake, fingers just brushing the topmost piece when her cellphone chirped.
"Who is it?" Risa asked, more to break the strange silence between them than out of any real curiosity. Ai was reading the text message even more intently than she had been scrutinising the newspaper. A hint of a smile curved her lips, though it was so brief that Risa thought that she might have been imagining it.
"My little sister." Ai said a bit tersely, even as she snapped the phone shut again. Her face had returned to its usual impassive state, and for the first time since Risa had entered the kitchen, she was looking at the younger girl.
"Oh, Yuuka-chan? How is she?" Risa asked, fidgeting a little under Ai's unreadable stare. Ai continued looking at her for a moment more, before returning her attention to the paper. Her hand reached out automatically for another pancake as she replied.
"Doing alright." She bit of a chunk and chewed, then swallowed. "Better than you, at any rate."
Risa paused in mid-chew, not knowing what to do or say for a moment. Fortunately, Ai continued on, saving her the trouble of responding.
"Take better care of yourself, Risa. I can't be there for you all the time."
"So you
do care." The bitterness of her own response surprised Risa. Ai did not seem to turn a hair at the unspoken rebuke. In fact, her reply was most unruffled.
"We've been together for a long time, Risa." A pause. "Don't be catty, it doesn't suit you."
A deluge of angry remarks built up behind that emotional dam of hers, threatening to break through...but didn't. Risa simply sat there, unsure of whether she should burst into tears or throw a fit. Or both.
Moments passed again, and again Ai broke the silence after another sip of orange juice.
"Things change, Risa. We're both not quite the same anymore. We can't go back." Her voice was even, calmly accepting of the circumstances. Risa half wanted to reach over and shake her for it. How could Ai so easily let go of things? It just wasn't fair.
Their eyes met, Risa's mute with suppressed grief and resentment, while Ai's was again, a blank slate, coldly measuring and giving nothing away.
A lump was forming in Risa's throat, the burning sensation of unshed tears welling up in her eyes, making them prickle. Ai seemed very far away, despite being seated no more than 3 feet away from her. The newspaper hung limply on Ai's lap, glass half empty in the older girl's right hand.
The clear sound of a ringtone broke through the tense atmosphere, Ai putting down her glass to reach for her cellphone, answering the call.
"Morning." Pause. "Don't sound so excited this early in the day." Smirk. "Pouting doesn't work when I can't see you." Another pause. "Dinner? Alright. What time?" A half nod. "I'll be there. See you later." She snapped the phone shut.
"I have to go now." Ai stood, leaving the papers open on the table where she had last stopped. She downed the last of the orange juice, putting the glass down.
Stepping past a still silent Risa, Ai stopped just as she passed the girl. Her voice was once again neutral, almost friendly in advice.
"Grow up, Risa. It doesn't get any better than this."
A pause, then the older girl left. Risa continued to sit there, tears starting to overflow from her eyes, but still silent. Her upper front teeth gripped her lower lip with a taut force, threatening to break the skin. Her eyes remained fixated on a random spot directly in front of her, which just happened to be the abandoned newspaper open on the Business pages.
Since when was Ai-chan ever interested in that? And that was where her thoughts remained even as they shattered into an avalanche of misery, a wave of tears and despair at the lines drawn between them.
I don't want it to end like this...~*~*~
"...and then I clinched that deal after two weeks of negotiation. It was difficult, but very profitable."
Ai discreetly hid a yawn by lifting the wine glass to her lips, catching Eri's eye in the process. The rich girl was doing a much better job of hiding her obvious ennui, no doubt the result of much practice in handling such situations. Eri returned the look with a quick wink, as well as a derisive eye roll directed at her other dining companion, currently seated on her left.
Kobayashi seemed immune to the disinterest surrounding the table, his only actual audience, and technically the only one that really mattered, being Kamei Otosuke himself, who was seated at his rightful place at the head of the table.
Ai was currently seated directly across from Kobayashi, neither party having been very pleased by the arrangement, but tolerating it in deference to the senior Kamei.
Kobayashi had been surprised when he had first discovered that Ai was there, enthusiastically greeted by his future wife to boot. A vague sense of discomfort had shot through him when he saw the unfettered smile Eri had been giving a smiling Ai, further reinforced by the slightly smug glance that the offending person in question had shot him out of the corner of her eye.
Although, he had to admit, both girls were rightfully stunning, especially since Ai was not, as before, dressed in plain clothes. The simple black number embraced her slender form elegantly, lending an air of refinement to the young woman. A far cry indeed from the insolent journalist that had confronted him before.
Ai, for her part, had not been intending to be so dressed up, but Eri had prepared the clothes for her and insisted, and so she had given in. She too, was not particularly fond of Kobayashi's presence, but ignored it rather than allowing it the pleasure of even having her attention, be it distaste or even plain annoyance. Boredom, however, seemed to rule the evening, especially with Eri being seated so far away from her, and with Kobayashi's attempts to impress his future father-in-law.
Eri was oddly serene despite being seated right next to her fiance, even with Ai diagonally across from her, or perhaps was so composed
because of it. She was the very epitome of the well-raised daughter, if one discounted the minor acts of rebellion through the looks that passed between the two girls at the table. Her glass was not filled with wine, but with juice, since her father was strict about things like that. It did not bother her though.
Otosuke, the host of the evening and master of the house, appeared almost regal at the head of the table, presiding over a minor court. With Ai on his left and Kobayashi on his right, he engaged both, as well as his daughter, with light conversation, the focus being mainly on his future son-in-law. His appearance was perfectly composed, though he did not touch his wine as much as he would have liked, as per his doctor's advice.
They were on dessert when Kobayashi smilingly suggested opening the bottle of champagne that he had brought along as a gift. A quick gesture brought the servant to the table, bearing the aforementioned bottle.
"A good vintage. You have excellent taste, Keisuke." The senior Kamei complimented the young man, who flushed at the compliment, beaming at the praise. The servant stopped at Ai's side, bottle in hands.
"I think I'll pass. I've had enough alcohol for tonight." Ai declined politely, brushing the servant away with a demure sort of air. The servant bowed and retreated, having been instructed to serve everyone except Eri, who was still not quite yet 20, the legal age for drinking.
Lightning flashed outside the windows even as the two men clinked their glasses together, sipping as thunder rumbled in anticipation of a downpour. Eri flicked a glance at the worsening weather.
"It's getting late, and it looks like rain..." She observed, looking back at her father. Otosuke lowered his glass, now half-empty.
"Perhaps our guests should stay the night. Would it be inconvenient for you, Keisuke?"
"Not at all. My chauffeur can come pick me up in the morning with a fresh change of clothes." Kobayashi glanced briefly at Eri next to him, his face and neck still flushed from the alcohol. Eri pointedly ignored him, directing her interest at her almost finished dessert.
"Maybe I should leave then. It
is getting rather late..." Ai spoke up quietly, laying her spoon down. Eri jerked upwards slightly, her own spoon clinking against the glass bowl.
"I want you to stay too." The request tumbled out of her lips, heedless of her audience. Eri continued to stare at Ai intently, the message in eyes clear.
Don't leave me alone with him.Otosuke broke the moment with a light cough. His eyes steered to Ai after settling briefly on Kobayashi, reassuring the man while intimidating the woman.
"Of course, Takahashi-san is welcome to stay as well." His voice was neutral, betraying nothing of his personal feelings on the matter.
"We can have a sleepover, Ai-chan!" Eri grinned, totally ignoring her fiance next to her. "Don't worry, you can wear some of my pajamas." She nodded vigorously. "It'll be fun!"
"Eri." Otosuke said firmly. Eri quickly quieted down, lowering her head like her a chastised child. Ai smiled reassuringly.
"If you say so, Kamei-chan." Eri looked up hopefully, a shy grin on her face. Ai returned the smile just as easily, the two girls communicating without a need for words.
Otosuke remained silent at the exchange. Tipping the delicate vessel back, he finished the last of the champagne, putting it down with a definite sounding thunk. His jaw seemed a little tightly set, and he puffed slightly before taking another deep, deliberate breath. Ai watched him out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing.
"It is getting rather late. You should go to bed, Eri." Otosuke stood, nodding at Kobayashi, who followed as the two males headed towards the lounge for a bit more talk.
Eri was grinning girlishly as she pranced over to Ai's side the moment the two men disappeared into the lounge. Ai couldn't help but return that enthusiasm with a smile, letting Eri pull her from her seat.
Even as she was being hauled up the stairs, Ai half turned to face the open doors of the lounge, a self satisfied smirk on her face as she whispered.
"Checkmate."
~*~*~
"The proposed merger of our companies after the marriage will surely boost our operations, Kamei-san." Kobayashi said earnestly as he leaned foward on the lounge chair.
"I would prefer if certain branches remained independent though." Otosuke leaned back into his chair, studying the young man across from him.
"You understand that of course, my daughter will retain her shares in the corporation, regardless." The meaning behind his words could not be missed, not for someone like Kobayashi.
The younger man straightened a bit, but did not reveal his own reaction to that declaration. He was, after all, also an experienced businessman who knew when to hide his own feelings.
"I see." Kobayashi nodded, studying the older man. "I hope that I can meet your expectations, Kamei-san."
"We'll see." A non-committal response, coolly delivered. Kobayashi stood and bowed, knowing a dismissal when he heard one.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Otosuke watched him leave, his face a careful mask, at least until the doors swung shut. Then his cheek muscle twitched, rippling down from his neck and then on to his shoulder and arm.
He did not stand for a moment, and when he did, he did so hesitantly, before overcoming his moment of weakness and putting up a solid front again.
I must be getting old... He thought a bit grimly to himself as he ascended the stairs to his room, just past his daughter's. He was tempted to look in on the girls, but decided that not even someone like Takahashi would try anything at a time like this.
Eri's room though, was the one place without cameras. Otosuke did respect her privacy enough to leave that one area untouched. Although, of course, he still had listening devices in there. Anything to guarantee the safety of his precious daughter.
He entered his own room, closing and locking the door behind him, before heading towards the elaborate set-up off to one side, hidden by a screen. There he sat, and with practiced hands administered the medication his doctor had instructed, to keep his condition under control.
Eri...what will you do if I'm gone...He shook his head. Evidently, he really must be getting too old if he was even thinking this. Silently he sat, observing the monitors arrayed around him, deep in thought even as the drug pumped through his system, alleviating the heart block that had plagued him for some time.
Slowly his eyes drooped, his thoughts still cycling restlessly. He continued staring at the camera view of Eri's door, as if to see past it by sheer force of will. He still had a bad feeling about the whole thing, and his instinct hadn't failed him in decades.
Takahashi, I won't let you win so easily.The cameras continued working silently, as they always have.
~*~*~
The low strains of classical music permeated the room, matching the dimmed lights of the room to create a delicate sort of ambience. Eri stepped back from the stereo, her hair still slightly damp from her quick shower, the nightie she was wearing clinging to her curvaceous form in all the right places. Looking around, she eyed the door of the attached bathroom where Ai was currently situated, taking her own shower.
Biting her lower lip nervously, Eri paced around a bit before sitting down at the foot of her wide bed, restlessly picking at the strands of her hair. It was the first time she had had Ai stay over, and in her room to boot! She flushed at the implications, shaking her head vigorously to clear it.
The door clicked open, and Eri started, jerking her head upwards to look. Ai's hair was almost boyishly mussed, still wet from the shower and with parts of it sticking up in strange places. Ai was rubbing at her head with the towel, seeming completely at ease with her surroundings.
"Are you alright?" Eri's voice came out a little too high pitched, shaky even. Ai smiled gently at the obviously nervy girl, walking over to pat the younger on the head.
"Relax, I don't bite." Ai teased, letting the towel fall to her shoulders as she sat next to Eri. She pushed back one side of Eri's lustrously long hair behind her ear, leaning in as she did so to whisper into the younger's ear.
"Not unless you want me to." Eri shivered, blushing faintly as she looked almost shyly at the older woman next to her. Ai returned the gaze, their fingers edging towards each other on the sheets, intertwining after only a moment.
"Ai-chan..." Eri's voice trembled almost uncertainly, but there was no mistaking the underlying note of decision in it. Ai smiled; well, smirked, actually.
"You'll have to be quiet." Ai warned, eyes burning dangerously. Eri swallowed nervously, but nodded anyway, closing her eyes submissively as Ai closed the remaining distance.
Their entwined fingers clenched together, digging deep into the sheets with growing force, almost ripping it but not quite. Sighs grew, almost in harmony with the background music, a peculiar concordance growing between that purr of pure pleasure with the stringed murmur.
Lightning flashed outside, punctuated by rain and thunder, to last for the rest of the night.
~*~*~
"Death confirmed. Cause of death appears to be cardiac arrest."
"Any suspicion of foul play?"
"Unconfirmed. We need post-mortem for confirmation."
Detective Saehara looked around the large, severe-looking room, eyes falling on the uncorked bottle of champagne that lay on its side, cushioned by the impact of its fall by the carpeted surface. Its contents lay spilled in a mess on the rug that lay by the dead man's body.
"Take samples for analysis. We'll need to look into this closely." Saehara's face was grim. "Not everyday that an important person dies on us like this. Can't let any evidence pass if there really was foul play involved." He wiped at the beads of sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief, stepping away to allow his subordinates to collect the rest of the evidence.
Walking over to the side, he nodded apologetically to the mute girl who was staring blankly at the corpse of what was once her father.
"I'm sorry for your loss." He said sympathetically, bowing to the daughter. "We will get to the bottom of Kamei-sama's death, don't you worry."
Eri said nothing, only clinging to Ai next to her, her face completely unreadable, as if in shock. Her eyes though, were passively accepting, even as she continued to lean against Ai for support.
Saehara nodded at the two girls, before stepping past them and on to the outside.
He had plenty of work to do.
=================================================================
And there.
I am proud of myself. This was done in approximately 4 hours.
Have fun everyone~ Comment lots. ^_^
*sneaks off to bed*
Topic: Nocturne [13/02 - Epilogue (END)] (Read 112715 times)