@KirikomoriHime: lol I've actually been REALLY healthy lately, going to bed early (well, early for me) and waking up early (again, early for me)
So apart from my originally whacked out eating patterns... i'm doing pretty well
@missNezumi12: NEW PERSON
lol thanx so much for your support! try not to be late for school though, nee?
even though I have no right to say that since I go to classes on time but read fics through my cell 
And.... UPDATE!
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Chapter 64 A pair of cat-liked eyes glared out the window as though its very gaze was about to burn through the glass. Eri walked out of the kitchen after finishing the dishes, holding onto her cup of coffee. She had offered to do some of the chores around in the kitchen so that Reina could tidy up the living room a bit. The turtle placed her mug on the clean coffee table and was about to sit on the sofa, before she noticed her girlfriend looking out through the blinds. Sighing, Eri walked over to the kitten and gently wrapped her arms around her waist while leaning her chin against her shoulder. Reina’s body stiffened up for a bit before relaxing again, calmed by her girlfriend’s touch.
“I thought you weren’t scared,” Eri said.
“I’m not,” Reina answered. “I’m just… curious.”
“About what?”
“About why Papa is coming to Tokyo… and what it has to do with me.”
“Reina, everything—”
“—is going to be alright,” the kitten finished, chuckling. “I know, I know. I told you, it’s just curiosity.”
“… Well then, if you say so,” Eri smiled, kissing her girlfriend’s cheek.
As Reina giggled, the window panes shuddered from a vibration sent from outside. The two girls directed their attention outside again, and spotted a black limousine parked outside. A middle-aged man wearing a suit got out from the passenger seat and walked around to the back door. He opened it to let an older man, also wearing a dark suit, step out onto the sidewalk. In an instant, Eri felt her lover’s body stiffen again in her arms.
“He’s here.”
Reina gently pulled away from her lover and paced towards the front door. When Eri started to follow her, she whirled around and put two hands up.
“No, stay,” she said quickly. “I… I’m going to introduce you as a friend, alright? I mean… I just… don’t know if it’s a good idea to introduce my girlfriend in this situation, it’s not you, it’s just—”
“I got it, love, don’t worry,” Eri said warmly. “Go on.”
Reina breathed quickly a couple times before exhaling slowly. She gave a quick but definite nod to the turtle and slowly walked out of the living room. Eri made her way to the sofa and listened carefully as she waited. The bell rang almost simultaneously as the door handle turned with a click.
“Otou-san,” Eri heard her girlfriend say. That was odd. Hadn’t the kitten always referred to her father as ‘Papa’?
“Reina,” a tired but deep voice replied.
“Good to see you again, Reina ojou-sama,” a polite voice greeted.
“Likewise, Kaneda,” the kitten said curtly. “Please, come in.”
After a couple soft footsteps, Eri finally viewed two men following her girlfriend into the living room. One had a familiar face; he was a middle-aged man, perhaps in his thirties, with black hair and an average build. He wore glasses that certainly made him look sharp but something about him seemed quite gentle. The other man had an unfamiliar face; he was definitely older, forties, with bits of gray hair. He was shorter than the other man, but no shorter than Reina of course, and had slight wrinkles creasing his aged face. His tightly pursed lips showed determination and stubbornness, very much like Reina, yet his eyes carried some sort of weariness.
“You have a guest,” the older man said, eyeing the turtle curiously.
“She’s my friend,” Reina said smoothly, gliding to Eri’s side. “We met through a mutual friend.”
“Hajimemashite,” the turtle said, bowing. “Kamei Eri desu.”
“Kaneda Tetsuya desu,” the younger man said, also bowing. “We’ve met before, haven’t we? Please excuse me for my rudeness back then.”
“Oh no, no trouble at all, really,” Eri said quickly, smiling awkwardly. “Please… uh… sit down.”
How does Reina do this? It’s so hard to lie with a straight face… As Eri’s eyes met with President Tanaka’s, she braced up for some kind of dirty look or a glaring contest. However, his tired gaze remained unwavered as he gave an acknowledging nod to the turtle. Somehow, this man didn’t seem so terribly strict and frightening as Eri had imagined.
As the two men sat down on the couch, side by side, Reina and Eri mimicked their action, sitting directly across from them. Reina positioned herself to sit not too close to Eri, but not too far either; she would let their knees touch just the slightest bit. It didn’t leave the turtle cold by Reina’s surprisingly polished acting skills, but also didn’t leave any room for their company to doubt their supposed relationship.
“Did you want something to drink, Otou-san?” Reina asked, still keeping a very composed face. “Or Kaneda?”
“No thank you, Ojou-sama,” the President’s subordinate replied. “Perhaps Shachou would like some water?”
“Yes, please,” the older man nodded.
“I’ll be right back,” Reina said, standing up. As the kitten slipped out of the living room, Eri caught the president staring at her again, with curiosity. The turtle gave a small smile as her gaze rolled around everywhere, not sure where to focus on.
“You are my daughter’s friend?” President Tanaka asked again in a low voice.
“Yes, I am,” Eri nodded quickly, straightening her back.
“… How close are you with my daughter?”
“
Very close,” Eri answered. “Closer than any other friend, I believe.”
Closer than you’ll ever know… “… Just friends?” Eri’s body stiffened as her senses went on full alert at the question. Reina’s father’s gaze was still scrutinizing her, trying to dig into her mind. Yet, there wasn’t much force behind his interrogation.
“Of course,” Eri assured, trying to keep her voice as even as possible. “We’re just good friends.”
“Hm.”
Eri examined her girlfriend’s father’s expression as he did the same with hers. He seemed to believe her words but Eri could tell that he was still unsure. Perhaps he thought it strange for Reina to have a friend at all—a normal friend, who was most definitely not a yankii.
Just then, Reina glided back into the living room and gently placed a glass of ice water down in front of her father. As she reclaimed her seat next to her lover, the president took a small sip from the cup.
“… How’s school?” the old man questioned, taking on a casual tone.
“It’s good,” Reina answered quietly. “I’m staying out of trouble.”
“I’ve noticed,” the father nodded, as he tried to think of another question before the awkward silence can take over. “You’ve… grown older.”
“So have you.”
“… Have you visited your mother recently?
“You know I go every year, Otou-san,” Reina sighed. “If I may ask, why are you here in Tokyo?”
Silenced ensued after the direct question, before the President’s right-hand man broke it with a cough. Eri eyed her girlfriend and the president back and forth nervously, expecting fireballs to blast out any second. The president fixed his eyes upon his daughter before taking another drink from his glass and clearing his throat.
“… I won’t hesitate anymore, then,” the man said seriously. “I’m here to take you back to Fukuoka.”
“… What?” Reina breathed, her eyes widening.
“You’re going to move back to Fukuoka,” Tanaka Shachou repeated. “I’m planning on selling this house afterwards, so pack your things quickly. I’m here to notify your school, too. I’ll be back in three days to pick you up.”
With that, the president got up from the sofa, followed by his shadow man. Eri blinked furiously, still not fully registering what just happened. Reina’s father was here, in Tokyo. He and Reina had an awkward, but nevertheless casual conversation. And suddenly, out of nowhere, he asked her to move back to Fukuoka.
No. He did not ask her. This wasn’t a request—it was an order. Reina’s father was demanding his daughter move back to Fukuoka, for reasons unknown. He had completely caught Reina off-guard, as Eri could very much tell by her exhaling sharply beside her.
“I’m not going.”
The two men stopped short of taking a step out of the living room, before they slowly turned around again. The younger man sighed as he shot a very apologetic look to the kitten, as though he had expected this kind of reaction. The president, however, did not seem as gentle anymore. The weariness was no longer in his eyes—only the stern, authoritarian gaze.
“What did you say?”
“I’m not going, Otou-san,” Reina repeated, getting to her feet to properly face her father. “I can’t go. I may have been born in Fukuoka, but my home is in Tokyo now. I won’t leave.”
“You have no choice,” the Shachou said gruffly, his eyes unwavering. “I’m selling this house as soon as we get back to Fukuoka. So pack.”
“I still won’t go back to Fukuoka,” Reina said firmly, raising her voice. “Otou-san, I have a life here. I go to school like a normal girl, I have friends… I can’t leave all that behind.”
“Listen to your father, Tanaka Reina,” the president growled, calling his daughter’s name for the first time in three years. “This is for your own good.”
“You sent me to
Tokyo for my own good,” Reina argued back, fully engaging in the dispute. “For
our good. And now you’re just going to pull me out of my own life again? Especially now, when it’s a life I love and appreciate? You can’t do that, Otou-san.”
“Watch your tongue, Reina!” the father shouted. “I can do that, and I will. And you will obey me.” His eyes were now half-filled with anger. But the other half… Eri still couldn’t quite grasp what I was.
“Why do you want me back in Fukuoka?” Reina asked, still in disbelief. “We separated so that we could breathe in our own space, didn’t we? Why are you trying to make it difficult for the both of us again?”
“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!” Tanaka Shachou roared. “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT, AFTER WHAT YOU DID…!”
Reina’s soft gasp triggered another silence, apart from the older man’s heavy breathing. Eri stood up hesitantly, as though she was getting ready to catch her girlfriend should she collapse or faint. Reina’s entire body was trembling from the shock of hearing her father’s thoughts outright in such a way. Her eyes were wide as they stared at her angry father. As her mind slowly returned to earth, Reina let out a deep breath and fisted her hands.
“… You’re right,” she said softly, blinking away the teardrops forming in the corner of her eyes. “After what I did, I have no rights at all. I know I
killed Mama, I
murdered the love of your life, I get it! But you know what?” She paused for a while as she quickly wiped away the stream of tears on her cheek. “… Mama would’ve wanted me to live this kind of life. Happily, without causing anyone else trouble. So I’m going to stay here and live that life, Otou-san.”
“… I won’t take this kind of nonsense, Reina,” the father growled angrily. “You will obey my words!”
“I don’t want to fight with you, Otou-san,” Reina said quickly, briskly dashing forward to take her father’s hands. “But you have to understand, I really love it here. I love my school, my friends… You have to understand!”
“I will be back in three days.”
“I won’t go back to Fukuoka with you, Otou-san!”
“YOU WILL SHOW ME RESPECT!”
A clear sound of skin hitting skin rang out. Eri gasped in shock, her body freezing in place. Her only desire was to rush over to her girlfriend, who had her head turned to side after the hit. Her cheeks were starting to turn red where her father had striked her, and the tears flowing down from her eyes did not conceal the color change. Kaneda stood frozen, also taken aback by his boss’s reaction to his daughter’s disobedience. The president himself stood still, breathing heavily, yet Eri could finally identify what was in his eyes besides anger—fear.
“Three days,” the father said in a low voice.
“… I can’t go,” Reina whispered, as her voice hitched multiple times from the crying.
As a spark of rage lit up on the man’s face once more, he raised his hands unconsciously for another strike. But after he swung his arms, he realized that he had hit the wrong target. Reina lifted her head, curious as to why she didn’t feel the pain the second time around, and found herself facing a familiar back. Eri breathed slowly as her cheeks started to sting from the after shock. Her arms were open, as though to shield her girlfriend; she had made a promise to Reina that she would protect her in her time of need, and she aimed to keep it.
“Please leave,” Eri said softly, looking up at the man who had just slapped her with steady eyes. “I’m begging you.”
The president’s shocked expression quickly got concealed as he turned his eyes to his daughter behind Eri. Kaneda wasn’t as professional this time around, as he could not hide his mixture of emotions comprising of confusion, astonishment, and worry.
“… Three days,” the president repeated.
He quickly turned to leave as his subordinate tailed him. Eri could hear the front door opening and slamming shut just as quickly. The sound of the car starting up could be felt as the window panes shuddered again from the car door closing. The roar of the engine then started to drift away from the house. When silence returned to the room, Eri whirled around to embrace her girlfriend tightly. Reina’s rigid muscles relaxed in in her lover’s arms.
“Are you okay?” Eri asked hurriedly, cupping her girlfriend’s cheek in her hands. “Does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt…” Reina mumbled, rubbing her eyes to get rid of the tears to no avail. “It doesn’t hurt… at all…”
She pulled herself closer to her lover again, hugging her. She then sobbed quietly into Eri’s shoulder, being careful not to cry out loud. Eri stroked her girlfriend’s back, murmuring words of comfort to her. She sniffed a couple times, trying to stop herself from crying out of guilt.
She had kept her promise to Reina in protecting her. However, she had failed to keep her word in promising everything was going to be okay.
** ** **
“Please excuse my rudeness, Shachou… but I believe you went too far back in Reina ojou-sama’s place.”
“You don’t need to tell me anything, Kaneda.”
The company president leaned back into his seat as he watched the Tokyo scenary pass by out his car window. His hand was still stinging from hitting his daughter and that other girl. If the attacker was still hurting… how much pain were the victims still enduring?
Suddenly, the old man broke out into a rough cough, alarming his subordinate and driver to bring their attention to him. Tanaka Shachou covered his mouth as he coughed repeatedly, before catching his breath slowly again.
“Shachou!” Kaneda called in a panicked voice. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, fine,” the president said hoarsely. “I’m still fine, Kaneda…”
Calmly, he took out a bulk of things from the inner pocket of his suit and placed it next to him. He picked out his handkerchief from the small bundle and wiped his mouth as well as his palm, dotted with blood. The man quickly folded his handkerchief the other way to conceal the red spots and proceeded to place everything in his suit pocket again.
He stopped for a moment when he came to his wallet, and instead decided to open it. Inside was a small picture, dating back to ten years ago. There was a man and woman seated side by side with a little girl standing between them in front of a black background. The woman and the girl were smiling brightly towards the camera. The man’s lips were crooked, as though he had made an awkward attempt to smile. The president slowly stroked the picture as he sighed.
I can’t let this go on. I will bring her back… even if it’s the last thing I do.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm bringing angsty back.
Topic: Chigatte mo Iin da yo! ~Mainly TanaKame, TakaGaki~ [FINALE - Ch. 93 - (1/30)] (Read 409240 times)