Thanks for the wedge!
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PART 10
MIKI - AUGUST 22ND
I sighed heavily as I walked down the hallway. They had canceled everything but the Hawaii tour - and that was only safe because it would be too expensive to cancel. No new GAM single. No TV work. My radio show would end as soon as the contract expired. They'd sternly told me I was lucky I wasn't kicked out of Gatas as well. With things how they are right now, I almost wished I was. Ugh, why did I ever get out of bed this morning.
I walked into the cafeteria. Most of the girls were still there from a late photoshoot for some 10th anniversary promotion that I wasn't to be a part of anymore. I remembered Yossy talking about it...
Abe caught my eye and quickly looked away, turning to Iida and hastily starting a conversation. Even Takahashi was avoiding my gaze. Nakazawa barely glanced up from her paper as I walked by her and over to the vending machine to buy a drink. On top of everything else, I woke up with a killer sore throat and my body was begging for a drink at this point. I wrenched the cap off the bottle and gulped down the cool liquid.
I could feel the eyes on me. I wanted to scream at them, force them to come out with it. I've already heard the whispers behind my back, so just say it to my face!
But I couldn't. I just didn't care anymore.
And then she walked in with Rika. Our eyes locked. Yossy froze.
"Yocchan! Are you ok?" Abe asked, running over to her. Most of the girls followed suit, crowding around her with concern. She just kept staring at me until I had to look away. It hurt too much to look at her. Every time I saw her, I'd think about it. About them together. It made me sick.
"Fujimoto, maybe you should go," Yasuda called back to me. Surprised, Yossy finally looked away from me and turned to Kei.
"What? She doesn't have to - "
"You don't have to pretend," Risa interrupted, patting Yossy's arm.
"They all think I cheated on you," I called out in a clear, even voice. Yossy looked horrified. I calmly walked over to the group and looked each one in the eye. "Isn't that ironic?" I continued, unable to stop myself. "I'm not the one who got drunk and slept with my ex, but I'm the one getting blamed for it."
I regretted the words as soon as they left my lips. Yossy looked as though I'd slapped her across the face. She closed her eyes and bit her lip. The others looked at Yossy, waiting for her to deny it.
"Yoshizawa?" Koharu said softly, the confusion apparent in her voice. Still, Yossy said nothing. She looked down at the floor, her fists clenched helplessly at her sides.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "This is why I can't be around you right now." I started to move past them.
"Miki..." She reached out and grabbed my arm. I flinched at the familiar warmth on my skin. God, she sounded so tired, so drained, so desperate. I wanted to hold her, to tell her everything would be fine, to tell her I love her, to go home and lie in her arms forever. But I couldn't forget what had happened. I couldn't just pretend it never happened. I wouldn't do that to myself.
"Don't," I finally choked out. "It's still too raw." I wrenched myself away from her and fled the room.
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* almond passes out the tissue boxes