As promised! This should be more of a fun chapter.
Chapter 14 – The Warmth of a Cup of Coffee“Hey Reina-chan…” Eri piped up when she finally got the time to talk to the girl in question. “Where have you been all weekend? I tried calling you dozens of times… Did you lose your phone?”
Reina continued her stretches in the short time they had between rehearsal numbers. For some reason, these stretches didn’t seem to hurt as much as they used to. She also swore she was able to reach farther down her leg. She could always catch her toes easily – she’d always thought of herself as quite flexible and proud of it – but now she could grab her whole foot and squeeze it with no problem. The feel of a gaze on her leg, bare below her short gym shorts, made her turn to look at the girl sitting cross-legged next to her. Did she even try?
Eri shook her head as if coming out of some kind of trance. Noticing her come back to reality, Reina asked slyly, “My leg’s that sexy, huh?”
The other girl blushed and bowed her head, before mumbling
“Of course it is” under her breath. Not one to be distracted however, at least about this, she quickly raised her head and asked again, “So about the weekend…”
“I was busy,” Reina said dismissively. “You do know what that’s like… right?” She raised her eyebrows at the other girl. “I’ve found it’s best to keep myself occupied since what happened to Miki. I guess it’s the opposite for you?”
“But I do keep busy!” Eri protested. “Saturday I went shopping with Sayu and Koha-chan, and Sunday I practiced my religion.”
Reina grimaced to the floor, still clutching her foot. Shopping. She had a feeling it might be a while before she did something quite that novel again. And… religion? She looked up at Eri, whose wide innocent eyes stared back insistently. “What religion do you practice anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention it before.”
“Oh it’s quite complex,” Eri said, nodding to make sure Reina knew exactly how complex she was implying. “I’d tell you a bit about it but I imagine you wouldn’t understand. Maybe sometime…”
“That’s all right,” Reina said, releasing her foot and pulling her knees up to hug them against her chest. “I don’t need any more spiritual enlightenment at the moment anyway.”
Eri nodded wisely, apparently quite agreed that was the best thing to do. Reina wondered what her dear friend regarded as so
complex and almost barked a laugh.
“So you were busy this weekend, huh?” Eri asked in one more futile attempt.
“Yep.”
Reina hopped up and nearly bounced over to the floor for the next rehearsal. She heard Eri follow behind, although she didn’t look back.
“Excellent energy, Tanaka-san!” the choreographer crowed in a bubbly voice. “If everyone shares your effort, we should be done in half an hour!” She then quickly pulled all the girls together and they ran through the set for their encore. After an hour passed, they were still seemingly endlessly waving their hands and making peace signs. Reina was becoming bored after having done it perfectly since fifteen minutes after they started, but praise from the choreographer –
“That’s exactly how it should be done! Why doesn’t everyone have Tanaka-san’s energy?” – didn’t seem to have much of an effect. Reina was very conscious of a feeling of being watched the whole time, though, and she knew by whom.
After the day of rehearsal was up, Reina still felt energized and ready to do anything. Maybe what she was being forced to go through wasn’t that bad after all. The girls all filed out of the studio and said their
otsukaresama deshitas before reaching the freedom of the hallway. Reina chatted a little with a few of the other girls and was turning a corner while talking to Risa and Sayu when they ran into a few of the members of C-ute, including her imouto-chan she hadn’t seen since the memorial.
“Airin, hi!” she said cheerfully. “Are you guys having rehearsal today too?”
The other girl smiled enthusiastically back at her. “Yes, we were just on our way there! I’ve just come from school with Leader and Chisa-chan. It’s nice to see you!” The two girls she named bowed and greeted the three Musume when Airi mentioned them.
“So what have you been up to lately?” Reina asked, happy with the diversion from what has become her daily life.
“Oh, we just started up rehearsals again over the weekend,” the young but talented girl responded. “They were worried about us, but I don’t think any of us are having trouble really. It’s sad about Miki…” she paused a second, bowing her head, “But none of us really knew her that well aside from the few that backed her up in her videos years ago. And that was, well, years ago…”
Risa nodded at Airi’s words. “Yeah. Miki kind of kept to herself even among most of us. It’s too bad… I know I wish I’d gotten to know her better.”
Reina piped up immediately after Risa finished speaking, eager to change the subject. “So what have you guys been rehearsing the last few days? I haven’t kept track of what all you have coming out.”
Airi laughed at that and poked Reina in the arm. “You haven’t?! I’m hurt!” she said, and held her hands beneath her eyes, mocking crying.
“Airin-chan, be nice!” Maimi grinned, and looked to the Musume. Reina felt that the leader of C-ute would fit quite well with Morning Musume’s image. She was a hell of a lot more sophisticated-looking than Koharu, for example.
That damn kid… she thought as the girl came into her mind. She looked around to see no one but the six of them in the passage. She’d have to look her up sometime and harass her a little more. Ai had told her a bit of what was going on with her, and she was eager to take care of that little issue as soon as possible.
Maimi went on in an explanatory tone, “Actually, we’re picking up again with recording of our new album,
Cutie Queen 2. It’s been tough without Megu-chan, but we’re doing our best!” She said that last very proudly as if to convince the three Musume she was keeping her troupe in line. She didn’t notice Airi and Chisato giggle softly and roll their eyes at it as well. “Hopefully we’ll get someone from your 8th gen auditions, too. Someone like that Satou. She’s our age, and I think her voice would go perfectly with Airin-chan’s!”
Sayu smiled cutely at C-ute’s leader and spoke up finally herself, “I know! She seems very talented, but I’m just not sure if she’d fit in with us… She looks too much like Nii-chan here, and one of those is all we can handle I think!”
“He~y…” Risa whined, and punched a giggling Sayu in the arm playfully.
Reina cleared her throat, grinning herself. This was too good of an opportunity, and she was going to make the best of it she could while she had the chance. “If Nii-chan will stop molesting my friends…” -
“I’m not molesting!” Risa protested with puffed cheeks – “…Would you guys like to talk more? We have
tons to catch up on! There’s a coffee and tea shop just down the street. Would you join us if you have time before your rehearsal starts?”
Airi and Chisato both looked at their leader, who gave a quick nod. “Yeah. We have a little time. We were just going to chill for a while before it started, but I’m sure we’d have much more fun with you guys too!” The other two girls turned and beamed to the three Musume.
They turned to walk toward the elevator, and all the girls began chatting among themselves. Airi hung on Reina’s sleeve. “Nee-chan, I’m so happy to see you! Where have you been the past week?”
“Hey Gaki-san, you know I absolutely
love your solo songs, and I haven’t gotten the chance to tell you how awesome you sounded in
Koe on the last tour!” Chisato gushed. “I’m kind of scared… For some reason they’ve given
me a solo song on our next album! Do you have any tips?”
“Yassui-chan, have you been training a lot? You seem a lot more… fit… than I remember…” Sayu said, giving Maimi quite an appraisal and frowning down at her own legs and stomach. The other girl blushed profusely.
Ahh, it’s nice to have things back to normal for at least a short while on an evening… Reina thought. As they passed a crossing corridor, her awareness caused her to look sharply down it at a figure standing still and watching them. She stared for the split-second they passed and gave a lightning-quick shake of her head that she knew the other would notice. She didn’t need baby-sitting now. As the figure fell out of sight and they continued on, she thought with confidence that it wouldn’t be long before she never needed it again.
…
It was a fun time, albeit short, as the six girls chatted over coffee and tea. Reina didn’t have a drink herself, despite the urges of her friends, telling them that she just wasn’t thirsty. She wasn’t; but that wasn’t all of it. Regular tea just seemed to have lost its appeal lately, and she was already way too wired for any coffee. It made her happy though… She was able to keep up easily with the kids. It made her feel young again and not like a girl who just turned seventeen.
Seventeen… Damn, she was getting old. Well, thankfully it seemed to be stopping a little!
After only a half hour or so the C-ute girls had to leave, hugging each of the Musume and reaffirming that they should hang out more often. Just before she left, Airi told Reina that she was looking forward to getting together with her and Miya for
Aa! practice for the upcoming short H!P winter concert tour. Reina didn’t even know they would be getting together for that. The young girl sure did keep well-informed. Nonetheless, it made her excited. She loved working with her two kouhai, even though sometimes it seemed they stole the stage from her. Well, she’d see if that would still be the case from now on.
When the C-uties were gone Reina sat lounging in her chair while Risa and Sayu delicately sipped their respective drinks. “Well, that was fun wasn’t it?” Sayu said smiling after softly setting her tea back on the table.
“U~n,” Risa chimed, smacking her lips after the sip of her own cappuccino. “It’s nice to hang out with girls who have as much energy as me sometimes,” she said, grinning at a now pouting Sayu and wonky eye rolling Reina. “Although…” she continued, “Reina-chan seems to be besting me at that today.” She gave the girl in question a skeptical look. “I guess I just can’t keep the energy anymore at my age,” she said wistfully, stretching creaking bones in a perfect image that just begged for pity.
“Be careful there or you might break something,” Reina said, hardly stifling a giggle. Risa gave her a mock affronted glare.
“So Reina-chan…” Sayu said slowly and with a cutely serious expression, sliding the tip of a finger along the rim of her cup. “I heard from Eri that you wouldn’t tell her what you were up to all weekend. I hope it wasn’t anything too scandalous. I’m sure we’d hate to see you in
Friday again.”
Reina leaned forward, the front feet of her chair hitting the floor from being raised in her lounging.
“I told her why I was busy,” she mumbled. “Nah, I don’t think you guys will be seeing me in
Friday anytime soon,” she said louder and with a wink.
Risa chuckled a little, looking down at and playing with her cup. “Hopefully
none of us will be in
Friday ever again…” she said ponderingly, with quick peering glances up at Reina.
Reina took a hint and looked over to Sayu. “Sayumin, would you hold the table for us? I need to use the washroom.” She glanced now to Risa. “Would you like to join?” Risa nodded and the two rose from the table.
Sayu pouted. “He~y…!” she said, “Oh fine, you two run off without me. I’ll just sit here. Alone. And look cute.”
“You do that,” Risa said with a wink and pointed finger, and the two girls walked off leaving the Ichiban Kawaii behind.
Reina and Risa didn’t say anything until they entered the washroom, and once there Reina went to a sink to peer into the mirror as if to fix her makeup. “So… how are you doing?” she asked the other girl, who was pulling at part of her hair for some reason.
“I’m okay,” she responded. “I went back to the club Saturday night but couldn’t find out about anything that happened last week.”
Reina nodded understandingly. “Well, if anything
does happen again, we’ll make sure you’re safe,” she said reassuringly.
The other girl looked over at her. “We?”
“Mhm. Ai-chan and I.”
Risa stared at her. “Ai-chan? What does she have to do with anything that involves me?” There was a hint of bitterness and anger in her voice.
Reina turned to her. “Ai-chan and I have become… close lately,” she said in explanation. “She knows that something happened to you – don’t give me that look Nii-chan, I didn’t tell her, she just knew – and between the two of us we’ve decided to do our best to make sure you’re safe from now on.”
“Safe?!” Risa yelped. “I don’t need you two to take care of me! I’m even older than you at least and plenty able to take care of myself, thank you very much!”
“Oh,” Reina said nonchalantly and turned back to the mirror to pick at an eyelash. “Didn’t you tell me you woke up nearly undressed in a hotel room you didn’t remember going to?” She tensed herself, knowing what would come, eager to put some of her new skills to the test.
From beside her in the mirror as well as through her burgeoning instincts, she noticed the girl lunging at her from the side. Before Risa reached her however, Reina felt as if time slowed down and she spun rapidly to the side to face her assailant, reaching out to take a firm grip on the girl’s shoulders, and as time sped up again her lips left the girl’s nose after a quick and light kiss. Risa was stopped dead in her tracks and stared stunned at the girl who held her.
“You’d better be careful Nii-chan. How quickly you forget the talk we had last week. You wouldn’t want me to get frisky now, would you?” she said, grinning.
Risa stared into the grinning face across from her that showed surprising tenderness and empathy. Reina understood how she felt, but she had to get the girl to stop being so jumpy and sensitive all the time or she’d never be able to heal. Before long, Reina saw moisture bloom around the eyes of her senpai and relaxed her grip, allowing Risa to fall forward and hug her, now beginning to breathe heavily with tears.
Reina patted Risa’s back just a little awkwardly. She’d gotten more comfortable than she used to be in situations like this recently, but she still didn’t fully have the knack of it. At least this girl wasn’t as old as Aya and was someone she’d been close to for a while. The thought of the peach girl caused a momentary shadow to pass through her mind, and she involuntarily squeezed Risa a little tighter, but the crying girl didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m…” she began between sobs, “I’m sorry Reina. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. I suppose I didn’t fully trust you yet.” She pulled back slightly from Reina’s chest and looked her in the eyes, sniffing. “I… do remember what happened that night. I had a few drinks, but not that many. Just enough to get me a little wound up, especially after what had happened earlier with you and Ai-chan.” Reina tried to picture the girl
wound up as she claimed to have been – that is, more so than usual. She failed.
Risa’s sniffling seemed to get better, and Reina offered her a tissue she accepted graciously before continuing. “And then…” The sound of a door opening interrupted her, and the two girls both snapped their heads to look at the culprit. The young woman who had just entered, an office-worker by the look of her, took only a step before her eyes widened while looking at the two girls standing there with their arms around each other – one of them also with a red and wet face – and bowed low, murmuring hasty apologies and slowly backing directly away, fumbling with the knob before exiting the room and disappearing quickly from sight.
The girls turned back to each other. “And then...” Risa resumed as if nothing had happened, “A really cute boy from some band I’ve never heard of started talking to me. I was feeling really down, and he seemed nice, so one thing led to another and…” She looked down, but Reina squeezed her arms reassuringly. Risa gave a small smile as she looked back up to Reina. “Well, we ended up in that hotel room and messed around a little bit, but then he wanted to go further than I did and wouldn’t at first take ‘no’ for an answer…” Her eyes now disassociated from Reina’s and she adopted a faraway look, as if unwillingly recounting some horrible event. “Eventually I fought him off and he called me names before pulling his clothes on and storming out. I didn’t know what to do, so I just stayed in the room and huddled under the covers until I fell asleep… After that, I woke the next morning like I told you.” Her eyes refocused on Reina toward the end and seemed to gain a little strength.
“Poor Nii-chan,” Reina said, brushing Risa’s hair back from her eyes. “Can you tell me who it was that did this to you?” she asked earnestly.
“…No,” Risa said after a slight hesitation. “I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. He did leave, after all.”
Reina nodded slowly. “I understand.” She let go of the other girl and waited until she washed her face before taking her hand. “Shall we return to Sayu? After all this time, she’ll think we’ve deserted her,” she said with a grin. “You know, that’s not a bad idea…” she said thoughtfully as they left the washroom.
They arrived at the table to find Sayu staring out the window with a vacant expression. She didn’t seem to notice the two girls as they sat down, and after a second Reina waved a hand in front of her face. “Don’t tell me you actually have
become porcelain now… have you?” she asked, as the girl seemed to come back to reality and looked in surprise at the two girls who had joined her.
“Maybe I did,” she said seriously and a tad tartly. “I sure had enough time to with how long the two of you were gone. I think your tea has dried up and become a permanent part of your cup.”
Reina rolled her eyes and Sayu gave her an odd look. She surely was a strange girl. Reina wondered what was in her mind half the time. Memories of an encounter in a limousine and a cat costume flitted in her head and she shivered, poking Miss Porcelain. Hard.
“Itai~!” the girl pouted.
“Looks real enough to me,” Reina said with a smirk. She could easily mentally envision horns on the head of the girl whose pouting glare she received in return, though the only audible response was the laughter from between them of a girl re-learning being young.
Topic: A Young Girl's Odyssey [Epilogue ~COMPLETE~] (Read 54433 times)