Friendship Crisis
Author: Anita
Fandom: Takarazuka
Characters/Pairings: Asaka Manato / Nozomi Fuuto
Genres: yuri, romance
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: adultery
Summary: Manato finds her best friend Fuuto in the middle of
Kyoto, holding the arm of a married man. She can’t come in terms with
her feelings. No matter how hard she tries, their friendship hangs in
the balance.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
Notes: Story written for the Girl Power Week 2016, a fic event promoted by the OA Fanfics Community.
This
is all fiction, all coincidences are nothing more than so. I don’t earn
anything from it. Of course nothing here ever happened. Please do
consider they are all characters.
Chapter 2
End of September 2016
Akira's relieved grin along with an empty wine bottle, and another halfway there, should have been the sign for Manato to just greet Mayu and give any excuse to go home. Nonetheless, her talk with Akira a week before had been replaying in her head, disturbing her thoughts. Her instincts had ever since been redirected to saving her friendship with Fuuto.
She sat for more than thirty minutes, after already arriving a little late as she had warned Akira she would, when invited. Still, no other guests. Just the three girls and the now three bottles of wine.
"It really can't be that every single person is late..." Akira said again the moment Manato checked her watch. Again. "I'm so sorry, P-chan. I made sure to contact everyone in person, I swear."
Everyone but Soragumi's top star, whom had been entrusted to a closer friend. Or so Akira had thought when asking Fuuto. Manato snickered at the remembrance of Akira's flustered apology, who had regretted the decision and sent a message.
It had read nothing but strange to Manato. "What party?" she replied the same moment. She didn't feel offended. Perhaps a little hurt that Akira wouldn't feel close enough to call her to a party but she was getting used to the changes the long feathers brought.
"Daimon-san never told you?" Akira then forwarded the address and the time for Ootori Mayu's gathering, repeating the apologies. Fuuto had been the one in charge of doing that and, even though this incident could have been blamed on the crazy schedule a nibante had to follow, Manato felt the same bitterness in her mouth as in Kyoto.
Did Akira know anything about the Man with the Ring? Since Manato left the troupe, that trio had become inseparable but Fuuto was now in Yukigumi and Mayu, retired. Were they now as not-close as Manato felt from Fuuto since that afternoon?
The moment she ended her conversation with Akira, she wanted to call Fuuto and clean that weird air between the two. But the reasons not to contact her before remained unaltered; she still couldn't decide how she felt about the event. Even after so long, she hadn't found the proper reaction to your best friend having a secret affair with a married man. Not a single, not even one that sounded in character, or at least didn't sound like a maniacal controlling bitch.
Now, as her eyes followed Akira excuse herself from their table and go outside with her cell phone, she knew her hope to mend things via friendly dinner had gone to the gutter.
She heard Mayu sigh, pouring for them the last of the bottle. The girl really had gone out of her way to look like an otokoyaku, and yet her face screamed otherwise. The opposite from Kyoto Fuuto, Manato concluded with a grim. There was something about otokoyaku’s that even the have-been members lacked. Might be the shape of the eyebrows, the muscles in the arms, the deep, dark spots below their eyes... Whatever it was, Fuuto paraded it for all to see, even while burying herself into a man's arm. So easy, Manato could have spotted her from miles away.
Leave it, Manato. Time to give up hope and let others have fun. "You know... you should be direct and just tell me to get the hell out of your date," she offered rolling her eyes.
Mayu chuckled. "Akira-san would chase after you, and superglue you to that chair. You know how she is."
Of course, they sure knew one another well. Too many years seeing the same old faces every single minute of the day.
Oh. That was it! Manato could just ask Mayu. "Now you mention...” she started. “Aya-chan is dating someone, no? Probably the reason she decided to finally set you two up."
This time, Mayu almost choked on the appetizer she had been carelessly putting in her mouth. "Daimon-san? Hell would freeze before she lost focus over that, no?” She laughed harder. “And now things are really going her way, she'd equal getting a boyfriend to suicide. Let's not even get started on how she'd find the time."
And as Manato remained speechless at that misguided certainty, Akira returned a million times angrier than when she had left. She hit phone against the table and dismantled into the chair. "Can you believe everyone got a message cancelling because P-chan here couldn't make it?"
Mayu looked puzzled. "What? But I posted on my Instagram a selfie with the station name and all!"
"You can thank Daimon for that. Miss Nozomi Fuuto was very diligent in not forgetting a soul and thus leaving us hanging here."
Both turned their eyes to Manato. She cackled louder and louder before rising to her feet and depositing a five-thousand-yen bill on the table. "Have fun with your evening, ladies," was all she said. She had no time to waste explaining, and couldn't ignore any more signs.
---
Fuuto had to explain all her plot to Imai after Akira's anger overflew from her phone and he couldn't pretend not to hear. "I didn't know you had other plans..." he said apologetically after she had hung up.
"Akira is simply too in love with Mayo to make a move, and I really don't get why," she finished the narration after detailing how she had timed her messages to every guest. She had to choose a time they wouldn't be able to let Akira know no one was coming but still early enough no one would already be on their way.
As Imai embraced Fuuto from behind, he said, "It's hard to imagine that Akira acting so cute." Right, Fuuto often forgot she wasn't just talking about their friends' lives but also about other takarasiennes', whom Imai happened to follow closely.
Although she had never been able to personally introduce everyone, their whole affair started from his then mild interest in the musicals. After they met during an informal omiai arranged by her family with a friend of Imai's, Fuuto would get him tickets in exchange for feedback on her performances, and have DVD's and later even magazines sent to him. They talked more and more and more and more. When the friendship had reached its peak and turned into a full-fledged affair, one of their favorite programs for their limited time together was to watch the DVD's or recorded Sky Stage shows she brought from home.
When her eyes fluttered almost shut, she heard the ringtone from her phone again.
"Seems like they're not as happy as you planned," Imai said amused, turning on the bedside light and picking her mobile device for her. "You'd better just book them a room the next time. And lock them in there without communication with the outside. I know that's not a Sumire-Code-sanctioned plot but you never watch any movies?"
Accepting the phone, Fuuto clicked her tongue at him and was about to swipe the screen to accept Akira's call. But her eyes caught sight of the familiar and still unexpected caller ID. Her mind couldn't work for as long as it had taken Imai to notice her frozen figure.
"Ayako? What's the matter?"
Still returning to herself, she felt him leaning over her shoulder. "Maa-sama! It's the Maa-sama!" he said too excitedly.
Fuuto resented his tone but couldn't resist finding it cute how he still acted like a fanboy. It was true that, aside from Kyoto and occasional phone calls she got, he had barely ever been in direct contact with any takarasienne. He was too shy to mingle with the female fans during irimachi or demachi, and she had never been able to get him any tickets for ochakai, as an unrelated man showing up for the seat would have been the reddest flag. There had been this or that close moment but, aside from her, any ‘sienne was still a ‘sienne no matter how much he had heard about her friends' real far-from-glamorous lives.
When Manato had caught them, Imai was all over the place, making plans for a double date—he'd find her the best guy or girl or whatever it took to fish Manato. As Fuuto never got to clear things out, he had to accept waiting. A sudden call was probably a sign for him to resume the big scheme.
"Ayako?" Imai called her with a wary tone.
She shuddered, still unable to turn away from the screen. "I can't answer."
"Isn't that the chance you'd been waiting?"
Waiting? More like running as fast as she could from it. Fuuto sighed with relief when her phone light went out. Manato had finally given up after probably two or three attempts. She read the noticed. Yes, three missed calls.
"She saw your ring, Imai-san. And I never really sat down to explain. I mean, we're all grown-ups and I shouldn't have to give excuses for my life. Still, friendship is supposed to be more than two independent beings being on their own, right?"
He chuckled. "Not sure if that's defense or prosecution speaking."
"The thing is that I can't lie to her. Even if I tried, she'd know. What do I do...?" she asked when noticed Manato calling once again.
Imai picked the device and shook it. "It's simple, you either pick it up or you put it on ignore." He returned it to her hand raising his eyebrows. "So?"
"Damn..." she said under her breath as she swiped to accept the call. “Hello?" Her voice came out so weak, Manato kept saying back "Hello, hello?" The many sounds from people wherever she was didn't help, either.
"Hello!" Fuuto repeated, her voice hadn't sounded so shrilly since she had been in elementary school
"Where are you? Let's meet," Manato sounded adamant in contrast. And all too clear despite the ambient sound behind her.
"I... can't. You see... I-I... I'm busy."
"You weren't supposed to be when today was P-chan's party. Akira-chan did check everyone's schedule."
Fuuto couldn't breathe for a moment. "Party? T-that was canceled because... How did you—?"
"Unfortunately for me, you see... Akira did invite me, and I did barge right into their date.” She paused. “So my train is arriving at NishiKita now. I'd love to know how to get to wherever that man took you tonight before I catch the wrong train."
"What? But..." Fuuto looked to Imai, as if he had ready the best way to get rid of Manato.
The call was suddenly silent against her ear, barring the noise she now understood to come from the train. Closing her eyes, she could even imagine Manato standing at the side of the composition. What face was she making? Was she also imagining Fuuto embracing Imai at that moment? Fuuto shrank to herself.
"Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station, Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station," she heard the operator say over the speaker. Did Manato walk to door to get down?
She noticed Imai stand up from the bed and gather her clothes for her. "Go there," he said with a gentle smile.
Nodding, Fuuto turned her attention back to the phone and said with urgency, "D-don't leave the train. Go to Umeda and meet me by the ticket barrier. I'll be there." She was already getting back into her dress, wondering how to put on the wig in such short notice. But the phone was still silent. "Maa-san?"
"We'll talk when I arrive, okay?" she finally answered. But what was that emotion in her tone? How did people could always tell it in novels? At the moment, Manato could sound tired as well as angry but even amused. Why not victorious? She did get Fuuto to leave Imai for the night, giving him a hurried kiss as she put on her sandals and fixed the fake long hair she couldn't get used to.
The call had ended even before she could say okay back to Manato. Still, a step toward conciliation had been taken, right? She could feel lighter already, right?
"I'm going now, sorry," she told Imai and ran past the door.
"Tell Maa-sama I'm a big fan!"
Nope. Not a chance in hell. But she showed her a positive sign with her finger and called the elevator.
To be continued…
Next Chapter (to become available)
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