Unfaithful
For the first time in her life, Riho felt like being young was not such a good thing after all.
She tried, really. This was about her future, and she felt like she had to be involved. It was not like she lacked effort or will. It was just that these things were totally incomprehensible, and her eyes had pretty much begun to glaze over after the first paragraph.
Contracts. Always such a pain to read, regardless of age. The latter fact of which she would learn only about ten years down the road. But at the tender age of twelve, our favourite little girl could only stare wide-eyed at this glimpse into the adult world.
Though legalese alone do not an adult maketh, but nevertheless, Riho was very impressed by how her Mama was handling things. Naturally, as her parent, Ai had come along to handle the paperwork and other niceties involving the contractual obligations of her daughter with regards to the company.
Given ample coaching and warnings from a veteran of the industry (Makoto), Ai knew what to do, or more importantly, what not to do. This was about her daughter. Ai was not going to be some kind of wilting flower or a doormat. Though it might be somewhat unladylike to be so, she had thus far been almost aggressively domineering in the negotiations, trying to make sure that Riho had the best deal possible.
The better part of the morning and early afternoon was spent hammering out the final details. Given how the company was willing to train and groom Riho into a star, they had suggested that she move to Tokyo instead of remaining in their hometown in the countryside. Of course, they would provide the necessary stipend for the mother and daughter to live modestly in the city.
Ai had wrangled for a good long while on what defined 'necessary'. Through sheer tenacity, she had managed to secure a decent stipend, with certain conditions attached, naturally. All in all, Ai thought she did pretty well on that deal. Riho seemed to think so as well, even though she couldn't possibly know any better.
Then there was the matter of transferring schools. The company had offered to help speed through the formalities and enroll Riho in a school near to their offices. Ai had agreed on that. The question of school had weighed heavily on her mind, but this arrangement suited her perfectly. She did not want Riho to have an incomplete education, even if she did well in this industry. It simply would not do for her to grow up as an uneducated ninny.
Riho had fallen asleep in her lap about midway through the negotiations. Ai couldn't blame her. They had taken a sleeper train to reach Tokyo in the early morning for this meeting. Riho had not slept particularly well, so it was perfectly natural to be lulled to sleep by a conversation that held so much for her yet meant so little at the same time.
There were so many things to do, and Ai felt a little intimidated by them, even as she was energized by the thought of keeping so many details in her head. She always enjoyed a challenge, and this would be a new phase in both their lives. Riho had seemed excited after waking up to see her Mama finalizing the last details on the contract.
The handshake sealed the contract just as surely as the signature on it did. They stood, with the manager towered over Ai by more than a head, but she stood no less proudly. Riho, at her side, seemed smaller even than her Mama, but she too was poised and brimming with excitement.
"I look forward to working with you, Takahashi-san. And you too, Riho-chan." He had a calm, professional sort of smile. It was impersonal yet managing to be friendly. It was the kind of smile that reassured people without getting too involved. Ai liked the look of that. Working with professionals always made her feel better.
"My daughter will be in your care. I look forward to it as well." Ai was no less diplomatic. Beside her, Riho was just as politely formal. If nothing else, Ai had always been very precise about courtesy, drilling social etiquette into her daugher from a young age.
They left the meeting room, though the nice manager begged their leave to deal with the paperwork not long after. So mother and daughter were left alone, with Riho looking all around at the various doors leading off the dreary grey hallways with avid fascination.
Ai, on the other hand, couldn't wait to get out of the building. Now that her official engagement was done, she wanted to leave before getting into trouble.
Unfortunately, it was not quite to be.
"Mama! That's Michishige-san!" Riho gawked happily. Well, she was not actually too surprised by the appearance of the (self-proclaimed) ichiban kawaii woman, but Riho was still kind of in awe of the woman's celebrity status.
The mere mention of her name seemed sufficient to draw the attention of one Michishige Sayumi. She was not for nothing one of the more narcissistic people in an industry dedicated to the worship of personality and self. Her impeccable self-awareness and omni-sense of her surroundings had served her well in her years in this unforgiving industry.
So, on hearing her name, she had turned. She saw Riho. And her thoughts exploded into a kaleidescopic whirlpool of joy. If forced to put into words the summary of her ecstatic internal outburst, it could perhaps be put so:
Kawaii! OMG! She's here! Must pounce!
Outwardly though, she merely flashed her most photogenic smile, the wattage of which could probably power a small town in Hokkaido through a long winter. It was amazing that no one in the general vicinity was blinded. Well, her companion was wearing shades, which might have shielded her from the effect. Though, judging from that surly scowl, the slight figure next to her was blatantly unimpressed.
Riho grinned and ducked her head in an approximation of a bow from distance, since Sayumi was basically on the other end of the hallway and it would be weird for her to bow properly. Ai, on the other hand, twitched at the sight of the two members of PLAY that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Of all the times in the world for them to show up!
"Let's go, Riho." Ai managed to keep her voice even, though it was a little tight. Riho turned to her with a curious expression.
"But Mama, Michishige-san is already coming over..."
Ai looked up. Crap, she really was. Sayumi was not bouncing, not literally. She was not quite running, but not quite walking. There was definite spring to her step. If there was any word to describe how she was moving, there could only be one. She pranced.
Behind her, Tanaka Reina did not follow her. Instead, she turned on her heel and stalked off. She did not prance. Ai breathed a little easier when the ball of scowl-shine vanished. However, that did not erase the worry lines from her face. Because of a certain someone still prancing over.
How a 26-going-on-27 year old woman could prance and pull it off was completely beyond the 30-in-6-months Ai, but she was pretty sure that running right now would be a tad too late. Not to mention deadly suspicious.
She managed to smile when the taller woman flounced to a stop before them. She even managed to make it look genuine. It might have been 10 years since she last acted formally, but Ai had hardly forgotten how it was to slip into another role. In a way, she had spent most of her life pretending to be someone else.
"Ah, Riho-chan is it? I heard you were joining us at the agency!" Sayumi enthused happily, reaching out to shake Riho's hand in congratulations. The tiny little girl returned the gesture nervously, her smile just a little fixed. She looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. It was not every day that a celebrity actually remembers your name because she saw you at an audition, and even less common for them to take an interest in you.
Still, she handled herself well. Bowing a little shakily (Ai had to subtly pull her back to keep her from tripping on her own feet), Riho stood straight and smiled winningly.
"Hai. From now on I'll be in your care! Pleased to meet you!"
Sayumi flushed and muttered something that sounded like 'socutemusthave' under her breath, though she hid that moment with another flash of her pearly whites. Her attention then drifted over to the nonchalant Ai, who was trying valiantly to fade into the wallpaper without moving an inch away from her daughter. She might even have succeeded had she actually elected to leave her daughter to her fate. Unfortunately, being a good mother and staying exactly she was meant that she would have to deal with this interloper.
"Ah, and this is...?" Sayumi tilted her head cutely, trying to get a read on Ai. Ai resisted the urge to mirror the scowl she had seen just earlier. She also resisted the urge to steal the mirror she knew Sayu always had on her. Checking for wrinkles was not a vain action, damnit. Was it so bad to not want to look old?
"Your sister, maybe?" Sayumi tried. She had a look of vague confusion on her face, as if trying to place a name and location to a familiar face. Ai wanted to turn away. To laugh or cry, she wasn't sure. Maybe both. That sounded good.
"Nope!" Riho clung to Ai's arm happily. "This is my Mama!" She sounded so very proud.
Ai wanted to cry. She wasn't sure why.
"Your mama? But she looks so young!" Sayumi looked justifiably flabbergasted. There was now a dawning expression of suspicion mixed in with a generous amount of misgiving.
"That's because Mama is young!" Riho looked like a kitten that had gotten both the canary and the cream. In tandem. Her beaming smile was probably no less than the one Sayumi had flashed earlier. Yet hers was so very innocent, and probably all the more terrible for it.
"Well." Sayumi smiled, if a little awkwardly. She bowed quickly.
"I'm Michishige Sayumi. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Ai smiled tightly. There was no real way to get out of this. She would only hope that the years of being a single mother had put enough wear and tear on her to let her pass unnoticed. Or maybe her short hair would do the trick. Personally, she was surprised it had gone on for as long as it had.
"I'm Takahashi Ai. Pleased to meet you too."
There was a very noticeable flinch at her name. Ai's smile remained fixed, though now a great deal more wan. Fortunately, Sayu was a consummate professional and recovered from her moment of shock in double-time, pasting on a serviceable smile.
"It is my pleasure too, Takahashi...san."
Sayu then turned to smile just as falsely to the still unaware Riho.
"Riho-chan, do you want to see Reina too? I noticed you put PLAY as your favourite group on your info sheet, and since you've already met me..."
"Is that really ok?" Riho looked boggled by the idea. Sayumi smiled benignly.
"Of course!" She glanced over her shoulder. "Reina's probably in the third door on the left after the right corner. That's kind of a rest lounge for us. You can go in and talk to her if you like."
"But..." Riho looked uncertain, then glanced over at Ai. Ai's jaw was clenched tightly, but she managed a warm look for her daughter.
"Go ahead if you want to." There was a strange kind of wistfulness in her expression as she turned back to level a stare at the evil bunny before her. Sayumi was not quite smirking, but it was definitely there if you knew what to look for.
"Then..." Riho bowed again, more smoothly this time. "I'll be going!" She skidded off a few feet, then paused. "I'll be right back, Mama!"
Sayumi was watching with an amused expression at the display. Ai had mixed feelings about the whole situation. She knew that Sayu had done that just to get Riho out of the way. There was no doubt that the woman had remembered. Ai could only hope that this encounter wouldn't be too painful.
"So, imagine seeing you here, Takahashi-senpai."
Ai swallowed. That had all the venom of a scorpion and the chill of winter. So her vicious little bunny had grown fangs and claws in addition to her painfully sharp wit. This could not bode well.
To her credit, Ai didn't even back down or flinch, despite her discomfort at the situation. Staring Sayu straight back in the eye, her voice was even as she replied.
"It's been a while, Sayu."
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So. Tired. Must wake up early.
*crawls into bed*