uuhhhhhhhhh... Is wear I could do better but I'm just not.
Is it good?
Chapter 14 Part 1"Welcome to Japan."
Haruka was welcomed back to her home by the flight attended as she exited the plane. She was dead excited to return home that the minute she stepped off the plane she felt her heart beat rapidly, not realizing how much she missed home. She pulled her only luggage behind her as she saw her father in front of her looking back to rush her out of the jet bridge that connected the plane to the terminal.
Once in the busy airport, her father kept rushing to the get his extra bag at the luggage carousal. They had to brush past many people, but once there they watched bags go round and round and neither one was her fathers. She leaned against her luggage tired and bored now. Haruka, wanted to leave and sleep after her long flight, apart from that she wanted to get out of the crowded building, somewhat nervous to be spotted by some paparazzi.
She looked up at her dad while she leaned on her rolling bag and watched as his eyes never came off the conveyer belt. Turning to see where his eyes fixated, she didn't see a single bag on the conveyer belt as it kept going.
"Dad." She called out, but he stood still, watching it go, waiting for his precious bag.
Haruka sighed when he ignored her and she began to watch the people around, sinking into the fast atmosphere, feeling her heart race again. She watched as people were rushing to catch their flights, families greeting each other, and even lovers running into each other's arms and lip locking after a long time from what Haruka saw. She smiled like a fool as she watched the couple, her cheeks turning a slight pink from watching them make out in the middle of the airport.
Just as the couple broke their session, they pulled away and Haruka watched the the young lady drag her boyfriend or husband away, and to her surprise she caught someone just a little farther from where the couple originally stood and her heart skipped a beat.
Time was slowing down, almost to a stop while her eyes fixated on her. on Yui. She watched her walking towards her, flowers in hand and a smile on her face.
Haruka stood watching, even when she felt like sprinting into her arms wanting to kiss her just like the couple. But, her legs didn't want to move, no matter how hard she tried. She could only ball her hands into fists and wait for her to come and sweep her off her feet. But now, Yui was closer, feet away, inches away, and now she halted right in front of Haruka with the biggest smile that could light up her whole world.
"Paru, I've missed you." Yui said in almost a whisper.
Haruka held back her tears as she looked into Yui's glistening eyes, ready to pull her into a kiss to feel her lips again and fall in love with her all over again.
She felt her heart beginning to race again, everything had stopped, time froze, and it was quiet. Just as she reached her arms up to wrap around Yui's neck, her eye caught someone standing beside the two.
"Haruka."
She turned and found Sayaka with the sweetest smile and flowers in her hand as well.
"I've missed you." She said.
Haruka's happiness washed away as she turned to look at Yui and back at Sayaka, wondering why the two were here. Now.
"You picked me remember." She heard Yui speak up, turning to see her fighting back her tears.
"But you couldn't let go of me, remember..." Sayaka said and Haruka turned to her as well, the sweet smile gone.
Haruka didn't know what to do, she only looked back and forth, listening to the two saying, pick me, pick me. She wanted to get away from the two, but again she was frozen in her spot as the two began to argue. She panicked, trying to tell them to keep quiet that 'they' will see her. But at that moment, 'they' appeared.
A flash blinded her for a minute and she turned around to find almost everyone in the airport holding a camera and a pen with notepad. They surrounded her asking questions, pushing to take a picture of her and holding out the newspaper of her recent scandal.
"Is it true your baby is dead?" She heard from a random man standing with a small recorder in hand.
Haruka felt the pressure, it was becoming harder to breath being surrounded by all of these people and Yui and Sayaka in both ears, shouting and arguing. She wanted to get away, she wanted everyone to be quiet, she wanted to shout at the top of her lungs, but just as she was about to she felt someone grab her by the arms and pull her into a hug.
"Wake up." She heard. "It's only a nightmare, Haruka. Shhh, please wake up."
Haruka woke up, gasping for air. She scanned the room once her eyes were open and found she was in her bedroom. She felt the arms wrapped around her and a hand soothing her back. Quickly, she wrapped her arms and cried on her friends shoulder.
"Shhh, it's okay. I'm here." Miyuki repeated, calming the girl.
-
After quitting her job, Yui decided not to mention it to Rie, especially if she were to ask her why and all Yui would come up with would be Haruka, and she didn't want Rie to keep thinking she was hung up on her still.
Instead, she would keep it from her and move on to something she's planned on doing since she was younger; writing a book. Yui had begun writing some story while she was with Haruka, but when everything happened, Yui stopped writing and locked away her file, never wanting to write again. Now, with not much sleep, she sat in her bedroom with her laptop open on her desk and the file on her display. She reached for hot cup of coffee she had brewed minutes ago and read over where she had left off, recalling the love story she had written. She remembered it being happy and cliche, that she now made herself cringe. But rereading it over and over, she realized she could make a few changes, finish it by the end of the month and hopefully get it published by next year, if she had a shot.
Placing the mug down, her hands gently laid on the keyboard of her laptop and began typing away. Words flowing out and losing herself as she wrote. It was one thing Yui enjoyed about writing or reading, a feeling she hadn't had in a long time, which was getting lost in her own world, away from every little problem she's had the last few months after Haruka.
Just as she continued typing away, her phone broke her from her world and her hands slowly died down on smashing every key. Looking over she grabbed her phone and saw Rie's name pop up on the screen.
"Hello." Yui picked up.
"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch today?" Rie asked.
"Uh... Sure. Just make sure to call me, I may be busy writing something." Yui explained. She knew how lost she would get in her world, remembering when Haruka always had to bring her back by running her hands down her back and back up to wrap around her shoulders, having to plant a kiss over her cheek.
"Okay... I'll call you." Rie replied. "What are you writing?" She was curious to know.
Yui leaned back on her chair and shrugged, "it's a story. I'll tell you about it when I finish it. How's that sound?"
Rie smiled, "alright."
"Okay. Call me later."
The two hung up and Yui returned to writing, again being lost in her world and her thoughts about anyone or anything gone from her mind, only word after word popping up as her fingers hit the keyboard rapidly.
-
Once Haruka settled down after her dream, Miyuki left her to get ready for work. Her friend had asked her if she wanted her to stay home from work and Haruka told her she would be okay, that she was going to see Yuko, since she had an appointment.
Miyuki finished getting dressed and putting her make up on. While Haruka got ready for her appointment, Miyuki went to check on her boss. She had given up her room for him and she would bunk with Haruka. Miyuki didn't mind; one, she had a chance to be warm and cozy in bed with someone, and two, it was pretty common for her to share a bed with Haruka after months of living together.
Just as she knocked at the door and announced she would go in, she opened the door and found the room was empty, bed made and all. She shut the door and gave a quick look around the apartment living room and kitchen.
"Is he still asleep?" Haruka came out the bedroom asking once she found Miyuki looking curiously around.
Miyuki shook her head, "No, he isn't here."
Haruka gave a small shrug and she walked to the couch to put her socks on. "He probably left to work already."
Miyuki's eyes widened, "that means I'm late!" She cried.
Haruka chuckled. "You'll be fine. Anyways, I'm ready." She stood from the couch and headed towards the door, passing Miyuki.
"You sure you will be okay today?" Miyuki asked as she followed behind her.
They made it to the door and Haruka grabbed her backpack and bent down to put her shoes on while Miyuki did the same and grabbed her keys.
"Yeah, I'll get a taxi and come home. Maybe I'll do a little shopping before I head back to Japan." Haruka said, finishing up tying her shoes.
"I don't mean about that." Miyuki sighed.
Haruka stood back up and looked at a her concerned friend. "I'll be fine. It isn't like I never had a nightmare." She gave her a small smile for assurance she was fine.
"I know," Miyuki sighed, "I'm just worried."
"Don't be." Haruka placed her hand over Miyuki's arm. "Now, let's go or we will both be late."
"I'm already late." Miyuki rolled her eyes and the two headed out.
Miyuki dropped Haruka off for her appointment with Yuko and she headed to work, hoping her boss didn't start without her.
Just as Haruka walked into the small building, she was greeted by the young woman in the front desk. Going up to her, she began to speak to her in French and explained to her she wouldn't need anymore appointments.
"What is this I hear, no more appointments?"
Haruka heard from behind her. She found Yuko with some files in hand and walked up to the front desk and handed the folders to the young woman exchanging a few words in French, then she turned to Haruka.
"I need to speak to you." Haruka said.
"Well, that's what you come for." Yuko gave her toothy smile. "Come in." She gestured for Haruka to follow her to her office.
It felt like she had been away from her office for a long while instead of about two days, and in that short while however, she already had a scandal come up and her father in Paris to take her back home. Haruka went straight to her usual seat on the couch across Yuko and sat on the cold black leather couch, her leg crossing over her other leg.
Yuko took her usual seat as well, pen and notepad on the table. "So," she crossed her leg as well, "you don't want to schedule anymore appointments?"
Haruka slightly shook her head. "It's not that I don't want to, it's..." Haruka looked away.
"Im that bad at my job?" Yuko said jokingly but Haruka didn't hear it that way.
"No, no, no, it's not that at all! You've been great. You've helped me with so much and i am forever thankful." Haruka quickly explained. "I'm leaving Paris... I'm going home to Japan, that's why I've canceled any other appointments and didn't want to schedule anymore."
Yuko gave a small smile. "I see. Does it have to do with the scandal?"
Haruka was surprised Yuko knew about that. "How did you know?" She asked.
"Haruna, she saw it. Well, she has this new app that gives her the news from Japan and she told me."
"Haruna knows?" Haruka looked down, disappointed one of her closest friends knew everything. She would've rather told her in person.
"She wants to see you. Asked me to look for you and take you back to our place to have dinner. The three of us." Yuko said.
Haruka looked back up, "really?"
Yuko gave her a nod.
"Look for me?" Haruka tilted her head, questioning why she would look for her.
"Haruna asked me to look for you and she knows I'll do what I can for her." Yuko grinned.
"And if you did have to actually look for me?" She curiously asked.
"I have my connections." Yuko kept her grin. "Now, how about we get started." She reached for her pen and pad and Haruka decided not to ask any other questions, she just cleared her throat, sat up, and began her session with Yuko.
-
Miyuki arrived to work, rushing to the building, into the elevators and up to her office on the highest floor of the company. Just, as she arrived her secretary jumped out in front of her before she reached her office, letting out a yelp.
"Can you not do that!" She said through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But, there's a meeting starting in five minutes and Mr. Shimazaki is in your office."
Miyuki caught the flushed cheeks the man had, he seemed flustered as he spoke. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yeah..." He cleared his throat.
Miyuki decided to ignore him and make her way into her office. Grabbing the door handle to open the door, she stopped looking back at the guy, watching him stare at her and quickly look away and walk back to his desk. She turned back, opened the door, and walked in to find her boss sitting on the small couch she had in the big office.
"Good your here." He said, getting up and fixing his suit like always. "You're secretary is such a kind man, however, he seemed to like me." He chuckled.
Miyuki had rushed to her desk, but slowed when she heard him say what he said, realizing now that her secretary had been crushing over the boss. She quietly chuckled to herself and got to her seat.
"I want to see the progress you've done here. Show me the designs, hand me the paperwork, all the fun stuff." He stood over Miyuki's desk, across from her and she quickly took out what he asked for. Miyuki was always well prepared.
Placing folders and packets on the desk, the man sat and grabbed the first file on the top.
"Those are the young candidates for fashion week, Haruka picked them out." Miyuki explained.
The man looked over them and saw his daughter definitely picked the good ones. Closing the file he grabbed another with a packet in it.
"That is-" Miyuki didn't have a chance to speak since her boss lifted a hand up to stop her from talking. Quickly looking over the number of sales and money he was making.
"I'll go over them." He closed the file and placed it back on the small stack, looking back up at, Miyuki. "Let's go see these designs and workers. Fashion week is coming up and I need to know if everything is perfect."
"Sure." Miyuki smiled, getting up from her seat. She was nervous, even though she knew her boss somewhat personally, she still worried. What if she lacked in picking the right designers or designs, what if she actually didn't do what her boss had expected from her.
-
It took about eight calls to get Yui to pick up and remind her they had a a lunch date. Rie, never thought Yui was serious about the whole getting lost in her writing thing, but now she knew it was true. Rie decided to meet her in a small cafe type restaurant near her work, that way she wouldn't be late going back to work after her lunch break, but Yui wasn't showing up.
Rie kept looking at her phone and checking the time, even the waitress stopped by asking her if she'd like to order now. Looking up at the young lady she shook her head.
"Not yet."
"Call me, when you're ready." The waitress smiled and moved on to attend other customers.
Rie was growing tired of waiting for, Yui. She picked up her phone to call her again and check where her girlfriend is.
"Hey, Rie."
She looked up to find Sayaka with a sandwich and a cup of coffee in hand.
"Hi." She smiled weakly. Rie, hadn't spoken to Sayaka since the day she overheard her and Yui arguing, she had only seen her pass by in work here and there but the two haven't spoken or worked together. Another reason was she had heard Sayaka was looking over the company while her boss was gone, so, that was keeping the girl busy.
"Are you having lunch by yourself?" Sayaka asked.
Rie shook her head. "Yui... Is suppose to join me, but she hasn't showed up." She quickly glanced to the door hoping she would appear. But nothing. She sighed.
"Well, later, can you come by my office. I'd like to talk to you."
Rie looked up, "we can talk now, if you'd like."
Sayaka raised her brows, "are you sure? If, Yui shows up-"
"That's okay. I don't think she will." Rie said, then gestured Sayaka to sit.
Sayaka hesitated, she didn't want to have, Yui appear and be upset with her again.
"Please."
She looked at Rie, and placed her to-go cup and sandwich down on the table and she sat across the small round table from her. She saw Rie raise her arm, calling out to the waitress. Quickly, the waitress from before appeared.
"Ready to order?" She asked with her pen and pad out.
Rie nodded and gave her order. The young lady smiled and told her her food would be out shortly.
Turning back to Sayaka, Rie asked, "what did you want to talk about?"
Sayaka cleared her throat. "Ah, about the other day..." Sayaka sat up on her chair, her hands placed on the table. "I'm sorry, for what you overheard. I didn't mean for you to know about Yui's previous affair, from the look of it she hadn't told you and I didn't want to be the one revealing it."
Rie looked down at the table, "We spoke, so, it's all better now." She looked up with a half-hearted smile.
"Really?" Sayaka asked.
Rie nodded. "Yeah."
"Still, I wanted to apologize."
"Don't." Rie shook her head. "I don't think you should apologize."
Sayaka was surprised by her response.
"I don't think, Yui, would have ever said anything to me about her previous relationship if I hadn't overheard the two of you." She continued. "Yui... Never speaks about certain things. I sometimes feel as if she closes herself off from me, trying to keep a certain distance."
Sayaka furrowed, she expected the couple to be very happy and in love, from what she's witnessed. "I thought you two were fine?"
"We've been together for a couple months and I'm still trying to get to know her, and with what I've recently learned... I don't know if I can continue to be with her." She revealed.
Sayaka was in awe, she didn't know what to say now.
Rie looked up after a moment of silence, "Don't tell her I told you this."
Sayaka lightly shook her head, "I won't, but don't you think you should talk to her?"
"I'm scared to do so..."
Just then, the girl they spoke about appeared in the cafe, rushing to the table where Sayaka and Rie sat.
"What is she doing here?" She stood beside Rie and glared at Sayaka.
"I'm just leaving." Sayaka stood from her chair. She didn't want a whole scene to start in such a public place.
"We were talking, Yui." Rie told her, placing her hand on Yui's arm.
"Listen," Sayaka took a step towards Yui. "Can we talk? Not here, but this weekend at my place?"
Yui took a step back. "No."
"Please-"
"Yui, talk to her-"
"No!" Yui harshly replied, "why are you picking her side."
"I'm not." Rie stood up, she wanted to calm her, but she's never handle something like this, she's never seen Yui this upset.
"Sayaka, just leave." Yui turned back to Sayaka.
"Yui." Rie pulled on her arm and she turned.
"What?" She sharply asked.
Rie backed away a bit and quickly Sayaka took a hold of Yuis arm and dragged her out leaving what she had bought for lunch and Rie, who plopped back down on her chair ignoring the people around her watching.
-
Miyuki kept turning over to watch each face reaction, Shimazaki had for the designs they displayed for him, each designer explaining the fabric, stitch, color, every detail Miyuki couldn't care less for. All, Miyuki wanted to know was if everything was perfect, but from her boss's face expression, it wasn't showing much.
"Thank you." He smiled at the designers who presented their work, designers he had picked personally, but they didn't know that. The man loved his job, this was his passion and he made sure he had the best passionate people. "They all look fantastic and I am a hundred percent sure they will be the talk of fashion week." He told the workers which they were happy about. "I'll leave you all to get back to work, I didn't mean to surprise you all. It's all fantastic." He said.
He then turned with Miyuki following behind. Once they stepped out of the work room, they made their way back to the elevators.
"Are you sure they are perfect?" Miyuki asked as she hugged her small agenda book.
The man chuckled, looking down at the short girl. "Miyuki, they are perfect, stop worrying."
"It's just, I can usually tell when you like them and you didn't seem to show much expression in there." She said.
They stopped in front of the elevators and the man pushed the button, both waiting for the elevator. "Miyuki, I've seen the designs already, weeks before. I wanted to see them in person." He reached into his pocket and took out a small mint candy. "Mint?" He asked Miyuki.
She declined. "Then were you even paying attention to them?"
"I was, but," There was a ding, and the elevator doors opened. People came pouring out leaving the elevator empty. The two walked in, Shimazki popping the unwrapped mint in his mouth. "I thought it would keep my mind occupied."
"From?" Miyuki asked, turning to him as the doors closed and the the elevator began to ascend.
"My daughter. I'm not sure if she will be able to take over the company."
"What?" Miyuki's eyes widened. "But she- the company is being left to her, isn't it?"
"This isn't what makes her happy. I want my daughter to be happy and I've failed to do so. Maybe, the company is just a burden." He sucked on the candy a bit and continued, "I may just pass on the company to you or Sayaka." Just then the doors opened and the man walked out with Miyuki being left standing in the elevator in shock.
-
Haruka never expected her session to turn out so... Emotional. Right from the moment Yuko asked her to begin, Haruka wasn't sure where to begin. But it hit her when she remembered her nightmare and started off there. She explained to Yuko, about Yui and Sayaka in each ear fighting for her to pick, and told her about the paparazzi attacking her with flashing lights and questions. Just recalling the memory with great detail, she remembered the emotions she had felt and began to cry again.
The night she saw her scandal, the article written about her, she cried, but while she had laid in bed awake with Miyuki, stroking her hair, calming her and trying to get her to sleep, Haruka had decided; she decided she wasn't going to cry anymore, she was going to try and be strong again, she didn't want fall like she has plenty of times throughout the months she's been in France. Haruka, wanted to end it all and go back to how she use to be: a strong young woman with a career that she was only focused on.
However the minute, Yuko got her talking, she broke. She hated herself for it, she just wanted to go back to her old self.
"When you came in I was surprised to see you looked fine." Yuko was saying as she finished writing something.
"I tried to keep it together but I couldn't hold back." She chuckled. "I shouldn't let things like that hit me so much, especially since I'm taking over my father company. I don't think this will be my last scandal. My dads protected me for this long, I don't think he can keep it up my whole life." Haruka explained as she wiped her runny nose with a tissue Yuko had given her.
"Why do you think things like that shouldn't affect you?" Yuko asked.
"Because, I'm going to own a million dollar company, a fashion lifestyle, and deal with much more worse than scandals. If my father could do it, I should too. I should be able to keep a straight face and move on, but I've let this affect me for this long. I was never like this. The moment my mother left, I told myself the same thing I did two nights ago, stop crying and move on, and I did. I was doing fine, going to school, keeping a distance from people, no friends, mostly because of the world I was living; Fashion models, shows, parties, meeting well known people, it was a rich lifestyle. My father was the one telling me how to act, what to say, and to stop crying and move on..." As she repeated her fathers words, she faded into thought. Recalling the night with her mother and father arguing, in the same hotel she was living at now. She heard the two going at each other, shouting and throwing pillows, vases, and the hotel phone. Haruka watched them from outside the bedroom, when her mother walked out without acknowledging her, she walked past her with tears in her eyes and right out the door. Haruka, a kid, didn't understand, only that her parents made each other hurt. She slid down the wall, sitting on the floor and hugged her knees, crying. Her father heard her and rushed to her, Haruka couldn't even look at him, she shut her eyes and cried, trembling in her fathers arms as he tried to calm her, stop crying and move on. And ever since then, it was just the two of them.
"This is the first time you've mentioned your mother." Yuko disrupted her thoughts. "Tell me about her."
Haruka shrugged. "Not much to say but she left."
"When you were a kid?"
Haruka gave a nod. "Why are we about to talk about her."
"Because you mentioned her." Yuko plainly said.
"Yeah, but... I don't want to talk about her."
"Why?"
"She isn't part of my life."
"The moment you walked in here, you e told me about what happens to you months ago and it's been the same thing haunting you, but have you ever thought maybe this also has to do with your mother leaving? Also, you never really spoken to me about losing your baby, every time we begin it ends with Yui and Sayaka." Yuko explained in such a serious tone. "I want to dig a little deeper, know Haruka from when she was a kid 'til now."
Haruka shook her head lightly, she didn't want to go digging the past, she wanted to keep that away from this. "I'd rather not talk about that and as for losing my baby... It still hurts. I don't want to dig deeper."
"Alright." Yuko said, placing the notepad down, she looked at the small clock on her table. "Time is up."
Haruka, now felt like progress from getting better and t to getting worse.
"I know we ended this a bit off, but I want you to continue seeing someone. If you don't want to do that, you can call me whenever you want, even if the time is different, I'll pick up." Yuko explained.
"That sounds good." Haruka quietly said.
The two stood up from their seats and Yuko walked Haruka to the door. She placed a hand on Harukas arm stopping her from walking out and she said, "I know you want to deal with everything quickly, but take your time, the only reason I asked about your past is because I wanted you to have something to think about."
"That's all you make me do." Haruka said.
Yuko smiled. "I hope I'll see you for dinner on Friday."
Haruka gave her a nod and left, feeling with so much in her thoughts, now.