Hi! Long time no see o/
As I took too long, this chapter ended up being the longest I've ever wrote o/ One curiosity about my writings: with this chapter, this fic is officially my longest story.
Calyrica said she think I'm crazy, because I added more characters. And I agree with her
Thank you, Calyrica o/
As you can see the poll results, I'll be not writing the Persona's point of view.
Thank you for being so patient with me \o/
I hope you like it! And I hope it's not too boring ><
Edit: I changed the twin into Milky.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6
A tiny noise could be heard from far away. Minami turned to the other side of the bed, mumbling she wanted to sleep for five more minutes. Then, she remembered that Monday would be a special day at work, and she couldn't just arrive on time like always. The directors of the dance company where she was a trainee at would announce some changes, and that also included promoting a few employees. That could be her chance to be hired, and it would put Minami close to her second dream, which had become her top because of Yuuhi's wedding.
Minami sighed and pulled off the bed sheet. She shivered when the cold air touched her bare skin. Yes, she was naked. Minami's thoughts travelled back to two mornings ago. She really liked to sleep without her clothes on, and back then, she had overreacted. She should apologize. But every time Minami looked at Mariko, she wanted to start a quarrel and call the woman strange nicknames. It irritated Minami. She stood up and walked towards her bathroom. After a fast bath, she packed her work clothes, got dressed, and headed to the kitchen.
"Good morning!" Minami greeted cheerfully. It was early, and only her mother was awake at that time. Her father and her sister were still sleeping.
"Good morning, dear. You are up early. What happened?" Mrs. Minegishi asked her oldest daughter while finishing the first part of the breakfast.
"Yeah! Today is a big day," the girl answered, letting her mother serve the food.
"I hope everything goes well" Mrs. Minegishi smiled, looking at her daughter. Minami was eating her usual amount of food for breakfast. That meant she was having large portions of every food available. By the time she finished, her mother had to cook again.
"Mou, nee-chan! You ate everything we had for breakfast again!" complained a girlish voice. The girl walked in the kitchen wearing her pajamas. Her dark brown hair was messy, and she seemed to have her bed on her back.
"Don't worry, darling. I'm cooking more," the mother simply said. The girl sat in front of Minami and served herself some toast.
"At least I have sense of taste," Miichan said with a childish smile.
"Hey! I have sense of taste!" the younger sister protested.
"Tomochin, eating toast with peanut cream AND blueberry jam just shows that you don't." Tomochin scowled at Miichan.
"You two, don't start fighting so early in the morning!"
"We're not fighting. We're just showing our love to each other," Minami said winking to Tomochin.
"Yes! I love you, my gluttonous nee-chan" Tomochin smiled, showing a sharp canine.
"Love you, too, my tasteless imouto." Then Minami remembered. "Hey, don't you have school today? Isn't it a bit early for school, anyway?"
"Not today. I have a photo shoot today. It's for a rising new brand, AkaNeko: RedCat. Their clothes are really cute, and I'm looking forward to do it!" Tomochin said gleefully. Minami asked herself where she heard that name. She put it aside and stood up.
"Good for you! Show me the shots later. I have to go! Don't wanna be late." Minami ran to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. "Bye! Itekimasu!"
"Iterashai!" Tomochin and their mother waved cheerfully.
Minami walked to the train station with a smile on her face. She loved her family so much, and she wouldn't know what to do without them. Tomochin was her sister, but they were not blood related. Minami's father passed away when she was little, and her mother married again to a widower who also had a child. Miichan was seven, and Tomochin was four. That's why Tomochin is called Itano Tomomi and not Minegishi Tomomi. Minami took the role of big sister with pleasure. Tomochin is an idol under the name Kyoko Tanaka, and Minami likes to buy every little thing related to her sister.
Arriving at the station, Minami sighed in relief because she would get an empty train. It wasn't rush hour yet. A few stops later, she stepped out of the station in front of the theater of the dance company she worked at as a choreographer trainee.
~-~-~-~-~-~
Elsewhere in the city, a cellphone rang. Persona's music filled the clean and neat room. A slim hand reached out the from underneath the cover sheet and grasped the gadget. She answered without checking who was calling.
"Mariko! You have to come here right now! I had some insight and drew tons of sketches for your PokerFace line!" Haruna said in a high pitched voice. Mariko put some distance between her ear and her gadget.
"Good morning to you, too. Can you please lower your voice? I don't want to start the day with a headache," Mariko said groggily. She shifted on the bed and sat up. Then, she rubbed her face and hair in one large movement.
"Oh! Sorry. Good morning. So hurry up. I want to know if you like them," Haruna said anxiously.
"Isn't it today the photo shoot for the new collection with the PokerFace line included?" Mariko asked, looking at her naked reflection in her wall mirror. She smiled, remembering a certain girl’s overreaction two mornings ago. A tiny smile could be seen on the corner of her mouth.
"Yes! The staff members are already here to set things up. It will start at eight. It's just that I can't stop myself from sketching," Haruna answered, like she was thinking about her reasons.
"I think you have too much time to space out. Don't rush me. I'll be there at nine, or so. I have to go to the lab's office first. See you, Nyaro." She turned off the phone, smirking. Mariko started to call Haruna 'Nyaro' during yesterday's travel back. It was to tease about the Nyannyan thing. She liked it, though; it resonated well with Haruna.
Mariko stood up and dressed in a robe, wondering why she remembered Gachapin first thing in the morning. She expected not see the girl anytime soon. Minami gave her an irritating feeling that makes her want to strangle the girl. But Gachapin was nice when she was not calling her 'old mummy'. And Mariko really didn't want to receive a prank from her, because she won't be as nice as Yuuhi's father.
Walking towards the kitchen, Mariko thought about what she could have for breakfast. As always, she chose a healthy meal. She looked at the clock she had on her dining room: 7:30 am. It had to be a fast healthy meal, because she had to be at her office at eight. She prepared some fruit juice, sliced a papaya, and toasted two slices of whole-grain bread. Then, she took a fast bath, dressed up with formal, yet fashionable, work clothes, and drove straight to her office. She didn't have a driver simply because she hated people doing things for her, except when she asked for help.
When Mariko had almost arrived at the building, she saw an interesting scene. Rena was walking with a high school girl, who was desperately trying to hang on her. The two were smiling. Judging by the uniform, the girl was from a school five blocks away from the laboratory building. Straightening her eyes, Mariko recognized the high schooler: Jurina. Didn't that girl knew when someone needs a break? Mariko smiled grimly.
Mariko parked in her permanent parking lot. She greeted everyone on her way up to her office with a warm smile. Her employees admired her, but also feared her. Not in a bad way; it's just that Mariko made it clear who was the boss: her. And they showed respect.
The first thing she always sees when she enters her office is a large photo of her family. She smiled at her mother's and father's smiling faces. That was the only way she could see them now. When she was twenty, they died on an airplane accident, leaving the family business in her hands. Six years later she became the successful president of a corporation which researches diseases and studies, researches, and sells tomography machines: Shinoda's Medical Corporation. They were the best.
Mariko sighed, looking at a few folders that got stuck on her desk. 'Urgh. I skip work for one day and my assignments triple...' she thought. She sat down on her chair and quickly looked at the folders and ordered them by importance. Five of them were ordering dossiers, two of them were equipment request dossiers, and the rest was administrative paper. Mariko still had to go to Haruna's atelier.
Before driving to another part of the city to fulfill Haruna's wish, she headed to the Tomography Engine Research Laboratory.
“Good morning, Takayanagi-san,” she greeted the department secretary and walked in the laboratory.
"Good morning, Dr. Togasaki," Mariko said to a middle aged man looking at monitors. He turned his attention to her.
"Oh! Good morning, Mariko! And good news! That new type of receptors seems to be working well," he said enthusiastically.
"Great! Now, where is Rena?" She asked, smiling.
"Matsui-san went to get more letterheads for the report,” he answered looking back at the monitors. Moments later, Rena walked in the laboratory holding a bunch of papers.
"Morning, Mariko. How are you?" Rena asked, smiling.
"Marvelously well. How was your walk to work?" Mariko smiled back. Rena blushed. Mariko grinned.
"G... Good. I.. Met Jurina on my way here..." Rena stuttered. Mariko saw her chance.
"Well, you know that she's a jailbait, right?" Mariko asked, grinning. Rena widened her eyes and blushed even more. "Be careful, okay? I don't want one of my employees getting arrested in charge of pedophilia."
"It's not pedophilia! Jurina is..." She started, but the truth hit her hard. 'Oh my god! How old is Jurina? She was wearing a school uniform today... Which school was it?' Rena thought, panicking.
"Then, have a good day you two. I have to go. Bye." Mariko left the amazed researcher and panicked assistant trainee.
Satisfied, Mariko drove all the way to Haruna's atelier while thinking about Rena's reaction. She knew her friend hadn't thought about that matter. Mariko didn't mind who Rena had a crush on, but she wondered if Rena would accept an underage girl as a girlfriend, since she is a scrupulous person. 'Poor Jurina' was all she could think.
Luckily, a nearby parking lot was vacant. Mariko walked a block to Haruna's atelier. Mariko stopped in front of a three-floor-tall building and looked up. There was a plaque with the silhouettes of two stylish red cats and letters saying "AkaNeko: RedCat". The third floor was where Haruna lived. Mariko didn't want to go there for her own sake. Only god knows how messy that place could be. The second floor was Haruna's atelier, where she designed the clothes for her brand. It's was there where all her creations took form. The first floor sold the manufactured clothes of the accepted designs.
Mariko sighed and stepped in the building. A salesgirl recognized Mariko and directed her to the stairs that led to the second floor. The atelier had been tidied for the photo shoot, although it seemed that the session hadn’t started yet. Mariko looked at her wrist watch: ten to nine.
“Mariko!” Haruna said, gracefully jumping into Mariko.
“Calm down. Why haven’t things here started yet?” Mariko asked, trying to be patient.
“I wanted to wait for you!”
“I told you not to wait for me. Were you spacing out while talking on the phone with me?” Mariko hated when Haruna tuned off the world when they were talking about business.
“No! I knew you would arrive earlier then nine, so I asked them to wait.” Haruna explained.
“Yeah, ten minutes early…” Mariko said ironically, patting Haruna’s head. “Ok. Let’s start this shoot. Tomo~mi!” Mariko called to Haruna’s assistant. Two girls who were chatting looked at Mariko at the same time. The one with round cheeks and straight brown hair smiled and stopped arranging the other girl’s clothes.
“Mariko-sama! Thank the lord you arrived! This air-headed boss of mine delayed this shoot for too long. And—” Mariko raised a hand, making Tomo~mi stop.
“Okay. I’m here now. See if the model needs something else, and I’ll ask the photographer the same so that we can start.” The girl sighed in relief and nodded to Mariko’s order. The taller woman left to check up on the photographer, while the other girl walked back to the model.
“Kyoko-chan, do you need anything else?” Tomo~mi asked helpfully. Kyoko looked at her with curiosity.
“Actually, yes.” Tomo~mi looked at the idol, waiting. “What’s your name?” Tomo~mi was stunned by the question. “It’s just that you’ve been here taking care of me for almost an hour. I should at least know your name. Right?” the idol smiled, showing her charming fangs. Tomo~mi blushed.
“My name is Kasai Tomomi,” Kasai said with sudden shyness.
“Hm… Kasai-san…” Kyoko thought that Kasai Tomomi was totally cute. She thought that from the very beginning.
“You can call me Tomo~mi, like everybody else,” Kasai interrupted.
“Eh! No. It’s too strange calling out my own name.” Kasai gave a puzzled look to Kyoko. The idol was bit surprised to learn that some people didn’t know her real name, because it wasn’t a secret at all. Every fan she had knew her real name, and also people who weren’t into her knew it, too. In fact, she didn’t know why she still used her artistic name. Kyoko looked over every inch of the other girl’s face. “I’m going to call you Chiyuu.”
“But everyone—” Kasai was interrupted.
“I’m not everyone. And I won’t call you Tomo~mi…” Kyoko made a funny face when she said the name. She leaned closer to Kasai’s ear and whispered sensually. “Because my real name is Itano Tomomi.” She leaned back with her teasing smile to find a hard blush on Kasai’s chubby cheeks.
“Okay… Chiyuu is fine! So, let’s start this photo shoot!” Kasai said hastily and bewildered. Kyoko kept smiling at Kasai while they walked towards the photographer. When the camera started clicking, Kyoko turned into her professional self. But eventually, she looked for Chiyuu with her eyes. Also sometimes, she noticed the tall woman giving analyzing her with a gaze.
Mariko watched the model and Tomo~mi from afar. ‘Oh! What’s with these girls nowadays? This lovey-dovey atmosphere everywhere is getting me sick.’ She thought as she rolled her eyes. When the photographer started clicking, she began to analyze the model. Kyoko Tanaka was a rising idol who was getting lot of attention lately. She fit Haruna’s creations perfectly. She knew how to look like cute, serious, and lovely. She even had a decent pokerface, in Mariko’s opinion, to match the PokerFace line. Kyoko Tanaka was approved. Satisfied, Mariko decided to head back to her office.
“Nyaro, I have to go back to the office. I won’t be able to lunch with you at Acchan’s,” Mariko said, patting Haruna’s head. The girl made an angry face. Mariko looked behind Haruna and saw an empty table. “What is the problem with that table?”
“Oh.” Haruna looked back. “I bought that table to put the fabric rolls on, but it came with a huge crack. It arrived right before we travelled.”
“From that website again?” Haruna nodded. “Haven’t I told you to go to a furniture store to buy this kind of thing?”
“This isn't the kind of shopping I like to do. It's the first time something like that happened. And their office is near here, anyway,” Haruna explained.
“So? Leave this laziness behind and go there to claim your rights! Do it this afternoon or tomorrow we won’t eat at Acchan’s,” Mariko threatened Haruna with a scary face. Haruna almost teared up. Mariko sighed and left, thinking she had to go back tomorrow to check up on things again.
~-~-~-~-~-~
She held her breath while rushing through the theater's corridors. It was stronger than her. Minami greeted the few people on her way with a head movement. She headed straight to the female locker room and found two friends changing.
"Good morning, Miichan!" Greeted the two at the same time. Minami smiled, finally breathing.
"Morning, Sasshi, Akicha!" She said, cheerfully walking to her locker. Sashihara Rino and Takajo Aki were two dancers from the permanent dance crew that Minami managed to get close with.
"Nee, Miichan. How was the wedding?" Akicha asked, finishing changing. Minami sighed.
"The ceremony went painfully fine," Minami said while undressing. The two knew about her crush on Yuuhi. "It was a beautiful wedding. And that Kayo girl has a really annoying friend. That old mummy keeps calling me Gachapin." Sasshi and Akicha looked at each other and tried to hold their laughter. Looking closely, Miichan really resembled the Fuji TV's mascot.
"Don't worry. You'll get over it," Sasshi said in a friendly way. She was ready for the morning rehearsal.
"Or not..." Akicha muttered to Sasshi, who giggled.
"Get over what? Yuuhi or the Gachapin thing?" Minami turned to the girls only in her underwear.
"Both!" Sasshi said. They were a bit surprised, since before the weekend, everything was about Yuuhi. Who was that woman and what she did to her friend?
"Miichan, you seem kinda off today. Is today’s announcement affecting you that much?" Akicha asked, worried. Minami wrinkled her eyebrows.
"Yeah! You usually pick things fast," Sasshi stated.
"Is it that obvious?" Minami asked, putting her work clothes.
"It's stamped on your face," Akicha answered. Minami sighed.
"Don't worry. You've been working hard. I'm sure they've noticed that," Sasshi tried to cheer her up.
"I hope so..." Minami finished changing. Then she wore her best smile. "Let's go?!" The other two girls nodded and the three walked to the rehearsal room.
The room was large and had two walls of mirrors. It was almost time, and just few employees were missing. The dancers started their warm up while waiting. Right on time, a secretary walked into the room and attached a couple of papers on the notice board. Minami decided to wait until the crowd surrounding the board dissipated. Then she approached and looked for her name. The nice thing about that announcement was that no one was fired. But the best thing was where Minami found her name: right beside the title Choreographer Assistant. She couldn’t hold herself. Minami smiled victoriously, gave a loud "Yeah!", and celebrated with a gangling dance. After that, she noticed a general notice to all promoted employees to go to the directors’ office.
With a wide smile, she faced the group of directors. They smiled at her as well. The one who was in the center started saying how much they were satisfied with her hard work. The one on the left side told her that she was chosen to take over the children's and teen's dance classes, since the current teacher was quitting. The one on the right said she had to use that week to attend the classes and get what was being taught. Her schedule would remain the same, since she was already doing most of the assistant work.
After signing the new contract, she headed to where the dance classes took place. Minami was happy. Now, she had an official job. Teaching was nice, and more than ever, she was close to achieve her dream. She will work hard as always and have lots of fun.
Minami knew the teacher she was going to replace. He was a very talented man in his thirties. So the rumor she had heard about him going to Europe was true. He deserved it more than anyone. When she arrived, the class had already started. She excused herself and the teacher introduced her.
"This is Minegishi Minami. She will replace me starting next week," he said. Minami bowed.
"It's Miichan!" a kid said cheerfully.
"You have to call her sensei." The teacher repremanded the kid.
"Okay. Miichan-sensei." The kid corrected himself. The teacher sighed defeated and continued the lesson.
Minami knew those kids. Once, she was asked to take care of a children's class because teacher was going to be late. The kids ended up liking the activity she came up with at the last minute.
The first class went smoothly, but at the end of the second class, Minami's phone rang. She thought it was bit strange, since her relatives and friends knew she was at work at that time. She excused herself to answer the call. It was from an unknown number.
"Moshi moshi?" she said, confused.
"Good morning, Minegishi-san," a male voice started. The guy knew her name. She didn’t like the direction this call was taking. "I'm from M Hospital. Your mother passed out in a supermarket. She's fine now and is going to be released soon, but the doctor needs to talk about her condition with a relative. So can you please come here?" Minami widened her eyes, worried.
"I'll be there in ten minutes." Minami hung up and explained the situation to the teacher. He let her go and said to take however much time she needed. She hurriedly took a cab and headed to the hospital.
Minami walked into the hospital reception area like a hurricane and went to ask the whereabouts of her mother. Minami found out that her mother was in the infirmary on the second floor. She took the elevator and followed the plaques that lead to the infirmary. She was so focused and worried that she didn't notice the glass door at the entrance of the infirmary.
BAM!
"Itai!" Minami complained bit loud while caressing her forehead. With her other hand, she pulled the door and walked to the sector's reception.
As soon she asked about her mother, the nurse took the phone and called someone. A few minutes later, a man that seemed to be in his forties appeared. He introduced himself and took Minami to a room. He asked her to sit and started.
"Minegishi-san, your mother's condition seems to be serious. She said she was feeling pretty well before she passed out. And during the fast examination, I found that she's a healthy woman who doesn't seem to passing through stressful situations or the like." Minami just nodded. "I'll ask her to have few exams, and I need a tomography of her brain." Minami nodded again. Tomography was an expensive exam; will her family have money to pay for one?
"But is she fine now?" That was all she could think of.
"Sure. I'll take you to her now. But first." He reached his pocket and then handed a business card to Minami. She got quite confused. "A friend of mine leads the research of tomography machine improvements in this laboratory. He always needs people to test his ideas. The greatest thing is that it's free. You just have to sign the terms of compromise. Call the laboratory if you are interested."
"Thank you, doctor!" Minami was grateful that the doctor was a nice person. They shook hands, and then he led her to the infirmary room her mother was.
"Oh, dear, sorry to trouble you," was the first thing Mrs. Minegishi said when she saw her daughter. She was lying on one uncomfortable hospital bed. Minami approached the woman and gave her a tight hug.
"It's okay, mom. The doctor said you can go home," Minami said gently. Mrs. Minegishi slowly stood up, and they walked out the infirmary with linked arms. They met the doctor on their way out, and he handed Minami the papers needed to order the exams he had asked for. Minami put them in her bag and the two went to the exit. The daughter only stopped to pay the hospital bill.
While they were waiting for a cab, Minami decided to call that laboratory. It was almost lunch time, and she was starving. She took the business card, opened her cell, and dialed the number.
"Tomography Engine Research, Takayanagi speaking. Good morning." A serious, yet cute voice answered.
"Good morning, Takayanagi-san. My name is Minegishi Minami and my doctor said you might be looking for people to test," Minami said firmly, trying to hide her nervousness.
"Indeed, Minegishi-san. Do you wish to make an appointment?" The girl said gently.
"Yes, please. When is your next time available?"
"Oh, you seem to be in a hurry..." The secretary got distracted by something on her side of the call. Minami couldn't comment Takayanagi's statement because the secretary started to talk again. "Doctor Togasaki said that if you are free now, you can come. He and his assistant will be waiting for you."
"Really?! We're free! We'll be heading there in a minute! Thank you so much!" Minami was so happy, despite the whole situation with her mother. It might be a lucky day.
"You're welcome, Minegishi-san. Do you have our address?" The girl asked.
"Yes. It's on the business card. Thank you. See you later." And the two hung up the phone. Finally, a cab appeared and Minami made the sign to hail it. She read the address to the driver, and in fifteen minutes, they were in front of a huge building.
It was a twenty-floor-tall building with huge capital letters saying ‘Shinoda’s Medical Corporation’. Minami didn’t even know that there was a huge building like it in that neighborhood. ‘Shinoda… Can it be…?’ She thought, but she didn’t want it to be true. Minami explained to her mother what was happening while they were on the cab, about the exams she had to have done. Minami paid and the cab left. That research sector was on the fifth floor.
They walked in the building and headed to the receptionist. They said they had an appointment at the Tomography Engine Research Laboratory. The woman phoned to the sector to check up. After receiving permission to go up, they took an elevator. The sector reception was like at the hospital. A cute girl was sitting behind the table. Minami smiled at her.
“Good morning. I’m Minegishi….”
“Hello, Minegishi-san!” the girl behind the table greeted with a shy smile. She took the phone and dialed four numbers. “Dr. Togasaki, Minegishi-san arrived. Okay.” She hung up and looked at Minami. “The doctor’s assistant will be here in a second to pick you up.”
“Well, actually, it's my mother who's going to have the exam,” Minami explained with a tiny smile.
“Oh, sorry! So Mrs. Minegishi, I’d like you to sign the terms of condition before you enter,” the secretary asked gently. Then a door opened, and a girl with a white coat and a pony tail walked out.
“Takayanagi-san, where is the patient?” the girl asked the secretary, not noticing Minami and her mother.
“They are right here, Matsui-san. Mrs. Minegishi was about to sign the terms.” Takayanagi pointed to the two.
“Miichan!” Rena surprised herself. Minami gave her a depressed smile. Then, Rena reached the other girl and gave her a tight hug. Minami couldn’t remember Rena being so caring. Maybe it was because Jurina spent the entire weekend on Rena’s back. She just returned the kind gesture.
“Rena-chan, this is my mother.” Minami started to introduce the two. “Mom, this is Matsui Rena.” The two shook hands gently. “Rena-chan, it's my mother who's going to have the exam.”
“Oh,” Rena slightly shook her head up and down. “Let’s go, oba-san. Can I call you oba-san?”
“Sure, dear. I’m glad you are my daughter’s friend. I feel safer this way,” Mrs. Minegishi said.
“Matsui-san, she hadn’t signed yet,” Takayanagi said, worriedly.
“It’s okay. She can do it when we're finished.” Then Rena turned to Minami. “Sorry, Miichan, but you have to wait here. It’s a part of the procedure. We’ll be back in twenty minutes or so.” Minami sighed.
“Right. I’ll sit there and wait.” Minami pointed at few seats, hugged her mother, and sat while her mother walked through the door with Rena. Minami leaned her back on the chair thinking she had to tell her father and Tomochin about her mother's condition.
Miichan was so worried that she didn't notice someone was watching her. It was lunch time, and this person wanted to ask a friend to eat together. She stepped out of the elevator and saw the girl sitting on the chairs near the entrance of the Tomography Engine Research Laboratory. She didn't expect that girl to be there; she didn't expect to see that girl anytime soon. Minami was wearing a worried expression that the women never seen before. She saw Minami get her cell out of her purse. But when the girl flipped open the gadget, it slid down of her hands and fell on the floor. The surprised expression Minami wore did entertain the woman. She smiled, shaking her head. Minami leaned down to get her phone back, but the purse, which was on her lap, fell on the floor spilling out its content. The woman held her laugh and decided to help Minami gather her belongings.
"Easy, Gachapin," Minami heard a known voice and looked up to see Mariko kneeling down. The taller woman started to help, and the smaller girl got quite confused.
"Old mummy! What are you doing here?!" Minami exclaimed throwing her belongings in her purse. The two stood up at the same time.
"I work here, dummy., Mariko said stabbing her index finger on Minami's forehead. Minami pouted and caressed the place where Mariko touched.
"Mou, how could I know that, you dinosaur? So, the name outside is...?" Minami started asking.
"Yes, my surname. It's family business," Mariko confirmed.
"Hmm... I knew there had to be a reason for you to be that cranky," Minami said looking at Mariko straight into her eyes. The two kept staring at each other for a while. Takayanagi watched the whole scene from the beginning. She was terrified about how the two treated each other, but mostly about how Mariko let Minegishi-san call her by almost offensive nicknames and didn't complain about it.
"Miichan, we're done," Rena's voice resounded behind the two. "Oh. Hello, Mariko!" Mariko and Minami turned to face Rena. Mrs. Minegishi was at the secretary's table signing the term.
"Rena, do you want to have lunch with me?" Mariko was straight to the point.
"Sure. Let me get my wallet." Rena accepted and walked back to the research room.
"Minami, dear." Mrs. Minegishi was done signing.
"Hey, mom. How was the exam?" Minami asked gently. Mariko got bit puzzled.
"It was fine. More comfortable than I thought it would be, actually. They'll call when they get the results," Minami's mother said. Then she looked at Mariko, smiling.
"Good. Mom, this is the ol..." Minami cleared her throat. "Shinoda Mariko. We met at Yuuhi's wedding. Shinoda-san, this is my mother."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Minegishi," Mariko said offering a hand.
"My pleasure." Mrs. Minegishi shook Mariko's hand. "Thank you for being friends with Minami, and please continue taking care of her." She said, smiling.
"Sure. I'll do everything I can." Mariko said looking at Minami. Minami rolled her eyes.
"Mom, we still have to eat lunch. I'm not letting you cook today," Minami said, holding her mother's arms. The woman looked at her daughter and nodded. Then, Mariko realized how much the two looked alike. "See you another time, Shinoda-san. Say good bye to Rena for me," Minami said politely.
"See ya," Mariko said, smiling and shaking her hand, moving each finger separately. Mariko stood there until the elevator reached the first floor. Why were Gachapin and her mother there? Was her mother sick or something? Mariko was brought back to reality by Rena.
"Let's go! Where is Miichan? She left already?"
"Yes. They had to go eat. And you know what happens when Gachapin is hungry," Mariko explained. "By the way, she asked me to say 'good bye' for her."
"Why didn't you invite them to go with us?" Rena wondered.
"I don't know. It didn't cross my mind, really," Mariko said and pointed the way to the canteen. That was when Rena noticed something.
"Mariko, what are you holding?" Rena asked. Then, Mariko looked at her own hand. She was holding an identification card. She looked at it closely. It was from a dance company, and had a photo of a slightly serious Minami. Mariko knew that dance company. She used to watch their performance at their theater.
"Micchan might need it later!" Rena said worriedly. "I'll send her a message telling her to come back and pick it up."
"No. It's okay. I'll take it to her later," Mariko said, walking away. Rena was marveled her friend attitude. She decided to ignore it, slightly shaking her shoulders and changed subjects. When they arrived at the canteen, Mariko got a message. 'Don't be too hard on Harunyan ^3^'. It was from Acchan. Mariko sighed, smiling.
~-~-~-~-~-~
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed and put a serious expression on her face. It wasn't so hard, since that business meeting was boring. She liked her job, but she hated these meetings in restaurants. It was uncomfortable, but not because she was the only woman in these meetings; it was because most of the men tried to hit on her and kept telling dirty jokes. Eighty percent of these meeting outside the office were about chatting about non-work related things and hiting on her. What were these old men thinking? That a young woman could only get a slightly high position on industry by going to bed with their superiors? She worked really hard to get where she was, so she faked enjoyment on their presence. She was used to do it. She learned to be a good actress, because being the General Selling Manager wasn't an easy task. She sighed again, faked a serious smile, and walked out the restaurant bathroom. She was so focused that she didn't notice she passed through someone she knew.
"Yuko?" A gentle voice called to the distracted woman. Yuko looked in the voice's direction.
"Acchan?! What are you doing here?" Yuko was surprised. They hugged each other.
"This is my restaurant," Acchan said with a smile. "Yuko, are you okay? You don't seem well."
"I'm okay. I'm just tired from this meeting. At least the food is good," Yuko sighed.
"Thanks. So, you're with the scheduled business meeting?" Atsuko wanted to know. Yuko just nodded. "Well, let me give you a hand then. Let's go," Acchan said, walking towards the tables. Yuko got bit confused, but followed her friend. Soon, they arrived at Yuko's table.
"Oshima-san, why did you take so long?" A man in a dark blue suit asked. Yuko no longer wore a tired expression. She was smiling and bowed her head.
"Sorry, sir. I just ran into a friend," She explained.
"Good afternoon. I'm Maeda Atsuko, the chef here. I hope you are enjoying our food," Acchan said politely.
"It is delicious. Congratulations!" said another man.
"Thank you. Well, as Yuko here is a good friend of mine, today the dessert is on the house. Feel free to order anything you would like. Excuse me now." Acchan bowed and walked away. Yuko was speechless.
"Well done, Oshima-san!" Another man said. Yuko smiled and bowed. She sat back in her seat and the chat restarted.
Atsuko went back to the kitchen to see if everything was going well. It was her lunch time, but she couldn't help being worried. She worked a lot to open that restaurant and she wouldn't let it close because of anything. She was waiting for Haruna to have lunch, and with that thought, she heard a noise at the back door. Haruna walked in, greeting everyone in the kitchen.
"Harunyan," Acchan started and the other girl darkened her expression when she heard the nickname. "Why do you keep using the back door?"
"Because it's closer to my house," Haruna answered. "And don't you start with nicknames, too," she complained.
"But Nyanyan is the best nickname you ever got. Come on; let's eat," Acchan said, smiling. Haruna sighed, giving up. They walked out of the kitchen and sat at the counter. Atsuko noticed that they had a good view of Yuko's table. "Hey, Harunyan,"
"What? And stop calling me that!" Haruna looked into Atsuko's eyes.
"Look who's over there," Atsuko said, pointing at Yuko's table with her head. "It's your number one fan." Haruna looked at the table and saw Yuko. Something shifted inside her. Yuko was the only woman at a table of five men. She was showing her smile and her cute dimples...
"Why did you show me that? You ruined my lunch, you know?" Haruna was pissed off. She looked at Atsuko, but kept the squirrel girl's table at the corner of her eyes. The group was laughing about something and one of the men touched Yuko's arm. Haruna frowned. Why? Why?! WHY?!
"I thought you would like to know. It's a business lunch. She's a good girl, you know. And she really adores you," Atsuko said while the food arrived.
"I don't want to know." And they ate in silence. Atsuko observed Haruna, and Haruna observed Yuko's table. The cat-like girl saw the same man trying to approach Yuko, who avoided each time gracefully. Then, they laughed again. Haruna wondered what kind of profession Yuko had, and why seeing Yuko like that ruined her day. When she finished eating, she left the payment and left for home by the back door.
~-~-~-~-~-~
Mariko headed back to her office after the lunch. She needed to dispatch documents and keep analyzing the dossiers she had on her table. But the sight of Minami's ID card, also on the table, was taking away her concentration. Mariko asked Rena why Gachapin was there with her mother. Rena explained the situation and gave her opinion about what she saw on the monitors. They used two machines on Mrs. Minegishi. One of them was meant to give higher resolution images with more tones of gray and textures. But Rena wanted to wait for the doctors' report, since she was just a student. The tall woman leaned back in her chair, sighing. She looked at her wrist watch: almost three p.m. She got her purse and her car keys, and drove to the dance theater.
At the reception desk, Mariko introduced herself as a friend of Minegishi Minami and said she wanted to return the ID card Minami forgot at her house. The receptionist informed ger that Miichan was on a stage for rehearsal. If Mariko wanted to wait and return the ID card in person, she could sneak in the theater and silently watch the rehearsal. That wasn't part of Mariko's plans, but when she remembered what awaited her in her office, she accepted the invitation. She turned off her cell phone and walked into the theater. She chose a chair in the last row and sat down.
Watching a rehearsal was a completely different experience. They had to stop, restart from the beginning, and follow instructions. Mariko recognized Minami in the front row dancing with the crew. Suddenly, she stopped and said it was wrong. Mariko wondered how Gachapin saw that. Does she have eyes on the back of her head? Minami showed them the steps again, and they agreed that they had made a mistake. This time, Minami watched the group and shouted instructions. Mariko was amazed by Gachapin's behavior and how everyone respected her. She watched Minami; every step, every expression, every gesture. She was bewitched. Mariko only realized that the time passed when Minami announced that the rehearsal was over.
Minami stayed on stage to chat with Sasshi and Akicha. She still had some time before her next assignment. Sasshi and Akicha saw a tall woman approaching.
"Yo, Gachapin," Mariko said when there were only the three girls at the stage. It was about three meters high, and there was no visible entrance up to the stage. Minami looked at her with an incredulous expression.
"What is your problem, old woman? Are you following me? Oh. I see... You fell for me, isn't?" Minami started teasing. The need to was stronger than her. Akicha and Sasshi now knew who that woman was. Mariko smiled smugly.
"Don't be silly. I'm here doing a favor for you. So don't place your expectations that high." Mariko said, smiling and showing the ID card.
"My ID card! Where did you find it? I looked for it like crazy," Minami exclaimed, ignoring what Mariko said.
"It was on my floor. You might have forgotten it when your purse spilled open," Mariko said, stating the obvious.
"Yeah, you might be right. Wait a second." Minami approached the edge of the stage and jumped. She landed firmly. Then, she stood up like it was nothing. Mariko was surprised by that. It was high, even for her. The tall woman handed the ID card to its owner.
"Thank you," Minami said, hugging Mariko like it was an automatic gesture.
"You're welcome," Mariko said, patting Minami's head.
"Hey, that was kind of like the Miichan we know," Akicha whispered to Sasshi.
"Yeah. But I still think that woman did something to her," Sasshi whispered back.
"Maybe it's what you said earlier..." Akicha put a hand on her waist end a finger on her chin.
"Which one?"
"Both, I guess." The two looked at each other. Maybe Miichan...
"Nah!" They said together, shaking their heads negatively. Akicha and Sasshi looked back at Mariko and Minami. They were already separated from the hug. Mariko looked up to the girl and waved. The two waved back. Then, Mariko turned around and walked to the exit. Minami parted from her friends and went to her next duty.
~-~-~-~-~-~
The photo shoot was still running, but Haruna needed to go outside again. She had to go to that website's office to claim her rights about the damaged product. Otherwise, Mariko wouldn't show up tomorrow. She knew her friend would appear one way or another; it was just an excuse. She left everything with her assistant, Kasai Tomomi, and took a cab to the office.
The office was the fourth floor of a business building ten blocks away from her house. Stepping out of the elevator, Haruna found herself impressed by the layout of the floor. Almost all of the walls and partitions were transparent. Maybe glass, maybe acrylic, maybe another material she didn't know. She could see the employees working and chatting with each other. At the reception desk, she said she wanted to make a complaint. The receptionist was nice and led Haruna to a room with four transparent walls. She asked Haruna to wait there because someone will appear to hear her complaint.
Siting on a comfortable couch, Haruna recognized the silhouette of the receptionist and followed it with her eyes. She saw the receptionist talk to a well dressed woman, who nodded and looked her way. Unfortunately, that transparent material make the vision blur, so all Haruna saw was a woman's blurry face. She saw the woman walk towards the room she was in. Haruna took a deep breath.
"Good afternoon. What can I do for you, Miss...?" said a familiar voice, which this time was serious and deep, not squeaky and high pitched like Haruna was used to hearing. The question faded when their eyes met.
"Yuko! I mean, Oshima-san..." Haruna couldn't believe in her eyes. Today was definitely not a good day. Yuko smiled, showing the same cute dimples Haruna noticed at lunch time. She took a seat in front of her customer.
"I'm glad you remembered my name, Kojima-san." Yuko was really surprised, but managed to recompose herself fast. She crossed her legs, placing the tablet she was holding on her leg. Hearing her name through Yuko's voice was like getting a stake to the heart. Why? And why did Yuko look so sexy with that serious behavior? "So, what brings you here?" Haruna cleared her throat.
"Well, last week I bought a table to place some of my work material on. But when I was tidying it, I noticed a crack in the table," Haruna explained. Yuko heard her fiercely. Haruna was uncomfortable.
"Do you have the order number?" Yuko asked taping on her tablet. Haruna took out a printed piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Yuko. Yuko tapped on her tablet again. "I see. Kojima-san, we need to evaluate that cracked table and make a report so that we can replace your product."
"Okay." It was easier than Haruna thought it would be. "Any time is fine. There's always someone there on week days."
"Let's schedule it, then." Haruna nodded and Yuko tapped on the tablet. "We're available this week Tuesday at 8 a.m., Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., Thursday at 11 a.m., and Friday at 9:20 a.m." Yuko read from her tablet. Haruna thought the earlier they do that report, the earlier she will get the replacement.
"Tomorrow morning is good," Haruna said. And she could swear that she saw a perverted smile on Yuko's lips. It vanished when Yuko passed her hand through her hair. 'That was sexy. No wonder those men were trying to hit on her at lunch...' Haruna thought.
"It's settled. Tomorrow morning. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Yuko asked, looking into Haruna's eyes.
"No," Haruna said keeping the eye contact.
"So, that's it," Yuko said, standing up. "See you tomorrow, Kojima-san." She offered a hand. Haruna stood up and shook Yuko's hand.
"Thank you, Oshima-san." Then, Yuko walked Haruna to the elevator and bowed, saying, "Thank you for buying our product." Haruna decided to walk home, since she had a lot to think about. Now she knew where Yuko worked.
~-~-~-~-~-~
She saw the man who was with her walk out of the snack bar. He was her editor. Being the good writer she was, she handed him the piece she had promised. She worked under various nicknames and had various hits under them. They discussed her ideas for her ongoing work, and she shared the new ideas she had thought about on the weekend. The best part was that their meal was paid by the company they worked for. She grabbed her phone and called a friend. It was almost the time when normal people got off work.
"Hey, Yuki! Wanna go somewhere when you're done with work?" she asked happily.
"Hey, Sae! I'd love to, but I have to do overtime today. Sorry. I'm sure next time I'll be free," Yuki answered with a sad voice.
"It's okay. I understand. Not everyone can choose their work hours like I do," Sae said, sighing.
"You're right. Aren't you a lucky girl?" Yuki said, smiling.
"Yes, I am. I'll hang up now. I don't want to interrupt anymore of your work. See ya," she said cheerfully. After hearing her answer, Sae turned off the gadget. She walked out of the snack bar, wondering where she should go next.
That snack bar was in a neighborhood that she wasn't used to, so she decided to walk around and see if she could find something interesting. She walked through it's commerce streets. She found a gaming store, which was now filled with students, food stores, and clothing stores. But a rustic plaque caught her attention: Aki's BathHouse. It was a long time since she had taken a bath at a bathhouse, and the thought of doing so at that moment brightened her spirit. She decided to try it out.
When Sae entered the bathhouse hall, she noticed that place was a hit. The counter was full of people, and the waiting room seemed full as well. Since she had nothing to do, she walked to the counter to hire the services of the bath house. She could use the time she'd have to wait to write something in her notebook. When she finally was able to see the attendant's face, she got a surprise.
"Sayaka?!" She never thought she would find Sayaka working in such a place.
"Sae! Good to see you!" Sayaka said while attending other customers. "As you can see, we have a full house today."
"Yeah! And it is good for business." Sae looked behind her and saw that the line behind her increased. "Do you want help?" Sayaka looked at her thankfully.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! I have nothing to do now." So Sayaka let Sae go behind the counter and explained what the other girl had to do. Two worked faster than one. When was about seven, Sayaka had to put the 'closed' plaque on the door. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to handle the amount of customers they had.
Sae was enjoying working at the bathhouse. She discovered that the bathhouse was a family business passed down through generations of the Akimoto family. That was one of the reasons why that bathhouse was famous. Sae helped serve the food the customers ordered and entertained them with games and jokes. By the time everyone took their bath, Sae was extremely tired.
"Come on, Sae! Help me clean the bathroom, so we can use it." Sayaka said handing Sae a broom.
"Okay!" Sae shouted lively, raising the broom.
"Woah! I made you work like a mule, and you are still full of energy," Sayaka said, astonished. Sae smirked, not telling the other girl why she still had spare energy.
They washed the two bathrooms together, and Sae was surprised by how large they were. No wonder Sayaka had a nice figure! Anyone would have a nice figure if they had to clean that every day, without fail. When they finished, they went to the locker room to undress. Sae decided to only look when they were both undressed. She heard Sayaka calling her and turned. Sayaka was naked, holding two towels. Sae was unable to blink.
"What's your problem? Let's go!" And Sayaka threw one of the towels on Sae.
"Coming!" Sae said finally waking from her trance.
First they had to wash themselves. Sayaka volunteered to brush Sae's hair and back. Sae happily accepted. Sae felt like she was the luckiest person in the entire world. Sayaka's technique was amazing! It was a professional's work. She lived in a bathhouse, for Christ’s sake! Of course she had learned every trick to make the customer happy! Sae returned the favor, though she wasn't as good as Sayaka. She tried to not stare at Sayaka's body for too long. She was aware of the idiotic role she played at the beach.
When the two finished, they got in the bathtub. Sae felt every inch of her body relax. She sighed. That was such a good feeling. Sayaka and Sae kept chatting until they felt like it was time to get out. They dried and dressed up. When Sae went to pay, Sayaka said it was okay, that Sae had already paid with her work. Sayaka advised Sae to use a drier on her hair when she got home, because she didn't want her friend to get a cold. They parted with a hug and Sae promised to come back anytime to help and take a bath.
~-~-~-~-~-~
She was looking at her painting, trying to remember which color she thought would best fit that part. The girl decided to go with any color she had on her palette. She would hold an exposition next month, so she had to paint and draw as much as she could to select the best ones. She heard noises coming from the living room. Her friend might have arrived. She shared a three-room apartment with a friend.
"Takaminaa~!" exclaimed a squeaky voice. Seconds later, a girl ran into the room and jumped onto Takamina. "You won't believe who I met today!"
"Calm down, Yuko! And watch out, this is oil paint. It's hard to clean if it gets on fabric," the small girl said, laughing. She liked her friend's enthusiastic behavior. "Who did you met today?"
"I met Acchan at therestaurant I went to for a business lunch," Yuko said, leaving Takamina and leaning on a desk. Takamina blushed a bit when she heard the name 'Acchan'. "She owned the place. We should go there some other time; their food is great!"
"Right. And how was work?" Takamina asked, looking at her friend.
"The business lunch was awful as it always is. But things at the office were great! AND..." Yuko made a pause just to make Takamina more curious. Yuko's face lit up. "NYANNYAN APPEARED IN THE OFFICE!" Yuko squeaked loudly.
"Woah! What did you do? Please don't tell me you jumped on her and tried to squeeze her boobs."
"No. I didn't do that. But I wanted to do that so bad! It was so hard to keep composure... She was wearing a short skirt and I did what I could to not look at her legs! And she wore a blouse with a square neckline..."
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Takamina made an 'x' with her arms. "I don't want to hear your perverted thoughts! There's food on the oven, so go eat something."
"Horay! Takamina's handmade cooking!" Yuko headed to the kitchen.
"Don't forget that tomorrow's your turn!" Takamina shouted.
"'Kay!" Yuko liked living with Takamina. She also liked Takamina's paintings, so she didn't mind being in a house full of them. She often buys a few to help her friend. They got along well.
~-~-~-~-~-~
When Yuki finally finished work, it was really late. She didn't notice the time flying. She didn't know that asking for a day off would accumulate so much work. She liked what she was doing, even thought she was just a trainee. She worked at a Meteorology Center, and was aiming for the Governmental Meteorology Center when she finished her education. Yuki looked at the time on her phone. She realized that she had lost the last train. A taxi to her house would cost too much. She'd rather spend a night in a hotel and go back home in the morning to change clothes and go to her university. Yuki asked the security guard if there was any hotel near the Center. He said that there was only a love hotel near where they were. Well, a love hotel was better than no hotel. It was a few blocks away, and she could get there by walking. After getting the directions from the guard, Yuki called her mother and told her she would spend the night in a hotel because she had missed the train.
Walking while holding her purse in front of her through the deserted street, Yuki found the right place. The shining neon letters saying 'Fantasy Love Hotel' told her so. The first thing she saw in the hall when she walked in was an illustrated banner with the saying 'Welcome to the place where your fantasies came true~!'. The place was empty, except for a person reading something - and hiding her face within it - sitting behind the counter. Yuki approached and noticed the person was reading a light novel.
"Excuse me. I would like to have a..." Yuki started. The person looked over the top of the light novel and looked at Yuki. "Mayuyu?!" Yuki was surprised. The girl didn't show a trace of emotion. Instead, she took the phone and dialed four numbers.
"Onee-chan, there's a girl here saying that she wants you," The girl said into the phone while looking at Yuki. That was Mayuyu's voice, right? Yuki blushed at what the girl said. "I know you don't sell yourself, but she called me Mayuyu. You better get here, fast." And then, she hung up the phone. She went back to reading her light novel.
'What the...? What's wrong with that girl? Onee-chan? What's going on?!' Yuki thought, but she couldn't say a word. She heard the noise of the elevator, and then footsteps.
"This is better be for real! You know I don't like to be interrupted when I'm tidying a room!" That was Mayuyu's voice! Yuki turned to see the girl and got an unexpected vision. "Oh! Yukirin!" Mayu was wearing a white coat with BDSM clothes underneath. She blushed when she remembered what she was wearing.
"So she's Yukirin?! Onee-chan, why didn't you tell me that she's prettier in person?" The girl behind the counter asked.
"I did tell you," Mayuyu said.
"Right. That cosplay looks good on you. It would be even better if we had bigger boobs," The girl said. Yuki felt that her presence was being ignored, so she cleared her throat.
"Yukirin! I didn't know that you knew where I live," Mayuyu said.
"I didn't. I work near here and missed the last train. Wait... You live here?" Yuki couldn't believe that.
"Yeah! On the last floor with my sis. Ah! That's my twin sister, Miyuki." Mayuyu said, pointing at the girl behind the counter. Yuki looked at her. They had almost the same face.
"Milky deesu~!" Sayu said winking and making a 'v' with her fingers. She got dizzy. Love hotel, twin sister, BDSM clothes; that combination was too much for her.
"You never told me that you have a twin sister..." Yuki said weakly.
"You never asked. Well, now you know," Mayuyu simply answered.
"Why she didn't go to the wedding party?" That was the prized question.
"Someone had to stay and take care of the business. And I lost on the janken," Miyuki explained.
"You said you're here because you want a room..." Mayuyu started and looked at her sister.
"I didn't say it with those words, but yes, I want a room..." Yuki commented.
"Here's a deal: help us test the new thematic room of our hotel, and you can spend the night for free," Miyuki said grinning. How bad would that test would be? As long as she didn't end up raped, Yuki thought she could handle it.
"Deal..." Yuki didn't know why she was so unsure.
"Great!" Mayuyu smirked. Then, she walked to the laundry and came back with a cloth bag. "Wear this, please. Come with me. Miyuki, ask someone to stay at the reception desk and meet us up in the room." Yuki wondered what was in the bag.
"Don't need to say it twice!" Sayu said, getting the phone. Mayu and Yuki entered the elevator and headed to the room in question. Only then did Yuki notice that the building had ten floors.
On one side of the room was a huge round bed with black with red detailed sheets. On the other side was a weird chair. A part of the seat was missing, and Yuki didn't want to know the reason. There were straps for the legs, the arms, the torso and the neck. Yuki also didn't want to know what it was meant for. The room had a dark lighting and was decorated with spare straps, ropes, chains, whips, and all kinds of torture tools. And the ceiling was covered with a mirror. Yuki gulped. She was starting to regret that crazy idea of helping the twins. Mayu gave her the cloth bag and showed her the bathroom door. Yuki changed, terrified at what she saw on the bathroom. It was full of adult toys she never wanted to see in person. Next time, she would think twice before entering a love hotel. The clothes Mayu gave her were a leather corselet, a leather neck strap, and a garter-belt. Yuki never, even in her dreams, thought she would dress like that. When she walked out the bathroom, Miyuki was already there.
"Good! You have the perfect body for that costume!" Mayu said, impressed by how well she choose Yuki's cosplay.
"Nee-chan, she's better than I imagined!" Miyuki was amused.
"Now, Yukirin, sit here," Mayuyu requested, tapping the weird chair. Yuki walked over to the chair, embarrassed, and sat. Faster than Yuki's could think, Mayu strapped the girl in the chair. The only one she didn't use was the neck one.
"It worked, Nee-chan!" Miyuki said, applauding.
"Of course it worked! I wouldn't buy it if it didn't!"
"Thank god you're not taking pictures..." Yuki sighed.
"But we're recording," Miyuki said, pointing her thumb up. "It's one of the room's features." Yuki widened her eyes.
"She's kidding," Mayu said, looking at Yuki strapped in the chair. Yuki gave a mean glare to Miyuki, who smiled. "But it's true that recording is a feature of this room." Mayu opened the wardrobe and showed the recording equipment.
"Lord..." Yuki didn't know why she still was impressed. Miyuki approached Yuki and started to look at the tied girl. Yuki looked at her, puzzled. Then, Miyuki leaned in and kissed Yuki on her lips, making Yuki blush hard and her heart skip fast.
"Milky! Why did you do that?!" Mayuyu was bit angry.
"I guess I envied you. Yukirin's cuteness overwhelmed my expectations," Miyuki smiled innocently. "Come on! I know you want to do that, too!" Mayu blushed. Yuki turned purple. Then, Miyuki pulled Mayu close to Yuki and make the two kiss. Yuki had to confess to herself that she had wanted to do that since she licked the grape syrup off of Mayuyu's cheek. But now, she was between two Mayuyus, and her heart was beating twice as fast. When the two separated, Sayu gently hold Yuki's head, turned it to her side and gave a fast kiss on the tied girl's lips. "Now, we're even," Miyuki said walking away. Mayu cleared her throat.
"So, let's move to the bed." Mayu said, untying Yuki.
The recent happenings drained Yuki's strength. With a few steps, she threw herself on the bed. The twins smirked grimly. 'Oh, god. Why?!' Was all Yuki could think. Mayu and Miyuki got on top of Yuki, back to back. Mayu handcuffed Yuki's arms to the bed, and Miyuki did the same with Yuki's legs. Then, they turned to each other and clapped their hands together while smiling. Yuki didn't know where those handcuffs came from. She wanted to hide herself from embarrassment. She was in a love hotel room, tied in a bed with spread legs and arms, with two girls on top of her and looking at her shameful expression and in clear view of ceiling mirror. What a great way to start a week... The twins got off of Yuki and laid on each side of the tied girl. They leaned closer to Yuki's body like it was a huge pillow. Then, looked at each other and hold hands, placing it between Yuki's breasts.
"Oyasumi, Mayu-nee." Miyuki said gently.
"Oyasumi, Miyuki-nee." Mayu answered gently.
"Oyasumi, Yukirin." The twins said together. It made shivers go down through Yuki's spine.
"Oi! Untie me! Please!" Yuki asked, but the twins seemed to be already asleep. She panicked at the thought that she had to spend the night tied up. Yuki struggled until she ran out of energy, and the twins still didn't wake up. When she passed out due to fatigue, the twins opened their eyes. The truth was that they were faking. They untied Yuki and spread an ointment on her wrists and ankles to prevent them from getting red. Yuki shifted to a normal position, and the two went back to the bed. They leaned closer, and Yuki embraced them unconsciously.
Yuki slowly woke up. The bed was comfortable, the sheets were soft. There wasn't any sunlight, and the bed seemed larger than her's. What time was it? She didn't know! There was any sunlight! She sat up fast, opening her eyes. She was in Mayuyus' love hotel's BDSM thematic room! That didn't even make sense! So it wasn't a dream... She wished she could forget that night, but she couldn't. It would terrorize her for years. Yuki looked around, and there was no sign of the twins. However, she noticed on the table, beside her purse and her clothes, sat a tray with food. She stood up and realized her that wrists weren't red, and neither her ankles. Yuki sighed in relief. She walked towards the table and saw a note.
"We hope you enjoyed your stay. We're sorry that we're not here when you wake up, but we had school. Enjoy the food and the room. And don't miss classes. Missing classes is bad! ;] You're welcome back anytime. love Graciously, Watanabe M. M."
It was obvious to see which part the twins agreed upon and which part each of them wrote. Yuki gave a tiny smile. She wasn't able to hate those two. She uncovered the food and started to eat. Yuki checked her phone. There were five missed calls of her mother and tons of messages. It was fifteen to nine. She totally missed her first class. Yuki called her mother and calmed her down. She told her she was so tired that she had over slept and that she would go straight to her class. The twins sent her clothes to the laundry. When did they do that? She took a bath, ignoring all of the adult toys. She walked back to the room, tangled in a towel, and read the note again. Only then did she notice that tricky word.
"School?! I'm doomed..." Yuki sighed, throwing herself on the bed.
TBC
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That's it! What do you think?^^
One note: The new characters in this chapter are supportive ones. Tomochin, Chiyuu and Sayu are going to appear more often though.
See you next chapter o/
Topic: It started in a wedding. (MariMii+Everyone) Ch 13 [06/06/12] MariMii + KojiYuu (Read 95771 times)