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 | Next chapter
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 3
"Just leave him!" Manato shouted the moment she saw Fuuto by the ticket barrier. Around fifteen steps or more stood between them—or maybe less, as she went on, stomping down through the crowd at Umeda station. Where did all those people come from when it was past 10pm on a weekday?
Fuuto had a confused look, which could have been for either not understanding or not believing what she had said. Not a problem. She could repeat it now to her face, "Leave that man. Immediately."
Instead of a plain no or a laughter or anything Manato could have imagined, Fuuto just crossed the barrier and bowed deep. "I'm so so sorry, Asuka-san." She straightened her body but never lifted her eyes again. "I can't. I won't. I'm sorry," she repeated earnestly.
"You know how dangerous that is."
Fuuto shook her head. "You just came from P-chan's party, right? You simply left those two, even though it was clear how I had set them up. How is that not dangerous?"
"Nope. That's most fans' dream come true. Now, you and some dude with a wedding ring?" Manato forced a chuckle because she knew the battle was lost. Why the hell was she even doing it? She had had an entire train ride to come up with a better conversation starter, to mend things with her best friend. That was throwing everything into the fire.
"I did worry at first, when we were just friends. But now? After so long? He makes me relax and feel happy... It's worth it."
"A day at a spa is just as nice, and much cheaper than your whole career."
"Maa-san, this isn't the Johnny's." She laughed. "I'm not getting Friday'd if they don't even know who the hell I am!"
Manato didn't think she'd live to see it but that was the day Fuuto got to laugh off her worries. What was wrong with the world? Fuuto was supposed to be in the same top star line up as her next year and not losing brain matter!
"I know a spa can't really make up for a lover but..." Manato felt her face burning as she went on. "I can't offer you any more than this." She noticed Fuuto follow the movement of her hands but no realization showed on her face. Manato had to take a deep breath to be clearer. "Me. Take me instead. I do know a person can't make up for another but look, I do have my advantages. I know you so much better than him! And even if I'm busy, that guy didn't sound like he's from here, so we're even on that matter."
"Maa-san..." Fuuto still looked amused. "Stop talking crazy, okay?"
As her nails carved into her skin, Manato flinched. She hadn't even noticed having balled up her fists. And that was it. She had really been the controlling friend, she had even treated the Man with the Ring like a thing you could just upgrade. Where the heck had that offer come from? She'd be lucky if Fuuto didn't literally slap her on the face.
Desolated, if not shocked with herself, she looked back to the stairs leading up to the platform. Time to go home. Give up. No. The damage was too big; she had to apologize before running away. In the end, she should have just been unreasonable back in Kyoto, when she could have blamed her actions on the shock.
Manato looked back at Fuuto but she wasn't at the same spot anymore. She felt closer. Was that a belated slap coming? A kiss was out of the picture after being called crazy for that offer. Still, people didn't get closer for slapping, did they? Well, they didn’t kiss their friends on the mouth, either.
And that was her last thought before feeling Fuuto's warmth enveloping her in a tight hug.
"Aya...chan?"
Manato felt a heat wave spread over her body but her skin was covered in goose bumps. For a weird reason, she could only register the smell of Fuuto's shampoo and the looks people gave them as they passed by.
"I'm so sorry, Maa-san... Please. Believe me." Albeit seemingly impossible, Fuuto tightened her hold against Manato's back, and continued, "I knew I had to talk to you after Kyoto but I didn't know how. I'm so very sorry for being this stupid kakyuusei who's giving you headaches even after so long."
Hands shaking, Manato had to make an effort to stay focused enough to lift them. She was about to close the hug on her side when a familiar song sounded from afar. Fuuto jumped back and caught her phone from her small white purse.
"And he's already after you?" Manato tried to say it as lightly as her frustration allowed. Still, she was relieved that, despite her mindless fierceness from just before, Fuuto still felt like the one supposed to apologize. Straightening her back, she turned her face slightly away. "Damn, imagine when he hears what I just offered," she joked, observing Fuuto frown at the screen.
"No... it's P-chan?" she said with a question mark in the end.
"What? I should have just locked them in a room somewhere, huh?" Manato countered to hide her sigh. It was not the Man with the Ring. They could still talk more! They could still put everything back where it was all supposed to be if it weren't that darned ring!
Fuuto gave her a peculiar look before answering the call. Note to self: never use that joke again, whatever the reason for being so weirded out when you were the one who started the set-up.
---
Although she couldn't feel lighter that Manato insisted on not adjourning their talk just because of Mayu coming over, Fuuto still wondered if having a third person would do Mayu any good. She had sounded more distressed than just angry for the whole plan. Well, she'd also be angry had she known Fuuto thought of the whole thing just so she wouldn’t have to invite Manato... and not for playing the matchmaker.
"Home sweet home," she sang as she let Manato inside. "P-chan should arrive anytime. How about some tea? Maybe I should have gotten anything from the convenience store." Or maybe she could stop talking. It was just that the train ride and the walk there had both been too silent. She felt hungry to just speak out loud.
"I'll just wait for Mayo with you. I'm fine."
What was Manato thinking now as she walked around the house she'd been to too many times already? Things were really going to be okay? Fuuto couldn't ask her to accept Imai but how else to make it all fine?
Manato appeared to desire the same, at least. She wouldn't waste her time waiting otherwise.
“Argh, I still need to change,” Fuuto commented, running into her room and removing the entire getup she always used to go see Imai. Although putting the wig in place was the hardest part getting ready, removing all those rings and other trinkets without losing any was what she most hated.
Not a second after she had put on comfortable clothes, the doorbell rang and she let Mayu inside. A very dispirited Mayu she hadn't seen for over a month.
"Huh?" Mayu looked puzzled at Manato's direction, still removing the second shoe.
"So... why is the night over so soon?" Manato asked with a smile. "I left you in such good company."
Mayu returned the smile but she couldn't hold the expression for long. She dropped her shoulders and seemed to ponder for a moment. "I ran away. Though Akira-san wasn't having any fun, then. Finding out about Daimon-san's plan and seeing Maa-san escape did give us a couple of minutes worth of conversation but then..." She walked to the couch and sat there, putting her head in her hands. "Gee, I'm still feeling tipsy."
"I'll make that tea, then," Fuuto offered.
"No. Wait. Sit here, please. You two. Please, sit." Mayu motioned for the many rooms still available in the living room. "I need to talk while I can because later I'll feel too embarrassed."
For the first time since the station, Manato seemed to hesitate over being there. She only succumbed when Mayu repeated the hand gesture, waiting for them to comply.
"I hadn't realized until sitting alone in the taxi here but Maa-san mentioned something that kind of got to me."
"What? Me?" Manato shook her head, clearly unable to understand.
"I'm sure she had no intention. I mean, around the moment she said it, I thought she did. But when she left me there with Akira-san I wondered whether she really did, and—"
"Will you just say what I did?" She chuckled nervously.
"About Daimon-san seeing someone else. I thought you knew it, and that was why you were asking me."
Fuuto had to hold herself from reacting but she couldn't suppress a light choke. "Me seeing someone?" She looked sternly at Manato, who shook her head again, looking sheepish.
Understanding or not the interaction, Mayu still laughed quietly at the exchange. "She was just checking. Don't worry, Daimon-san."
And what did she mean by "don't worry"?
"So..." Mayu took a deep breath. "It all just got me back to a year ago, and I couldn't stop thinking of everything. I'm not sure why you're all so sure Akira-san and I should get together. And now, I can only see why not." She lowered her eyes to the carpet.
Fuuto felt her face burn in embarrassment. "Oh, P-chan..." One year before had probably been the lowest of her history in friendship before her current issue with Manato. And having it lose first place didn't make it less bitter.
"I'm over it. Really, I promise." Mayu nodded firmly and turned to Manato. "Oh, Maa-san. You really didn't know, did you?"
The two were now looking at a bewildered Manato. "W-what happened a year ago? Because I have put every known fact in a timeline and I still have no effing idea."
Fuuto understood her indignation. She also had felt lonely when moving to Yukigumi and having to accept many secrets she had no idea of. If it hadn't been for Imai to take her mind off stuff, the realization of losing her friends little by little might have been even harder.
"I..." Mayu's cheeks were deep red, and her eyes glazed over. "I confessed to Daimon-san. And of course, got rejected."
"What? Wha—You two?" Manato pointed directly at each. "Now you say it, I did think you were all cute together a couple of years ago." She was lost in thoughts, whatever she thought she was piecing together.
"But she rejected me, as I said," Mayu may have repeated it from seeing how troubled Fuuto was for not finding the best words not to hurt her friend again. "First, because we're both women. Second, we're good friends and couldn't jeopardize all that."
Mayu... hearing what she had said so plainly as a list... Fuuto knew there wasn't a different answer even now, and there wouldn't ever be, but she had wished the message had come across in a more delicate way. Instead, that was how that moment was remembered?
On the other side of the room, Manato also took her time to digest everything. Fuuto couldn't read her thoughts no matter how she tried. Great. The girl who has an affair with a married guy, ignores her friend's desperate plea, now was also the girl who has broken the heart of a friend in common. She had always taken pride in knowing that among the three, she was the closest to Manato. But Mayu was still dear to each of them. You don't hurt Mayu of all people. It's like kicking a puppy for following you down the street.
When she came to herself, Mayu had already narrated the whole story, including how long it had taken for things to be fixed.
"Even if I do like women, us being so far apart is already such a stretch on our friendship. I don't wanna lose Akira-san, too."
Too? Fuuto panicked wondering if she had really understood the implication. Suddenly, her eyes had fallen onto Manato. She felt in her skin how their own friendship stood on a tight rope at that moment.
"I'm making that tea now." She stood up dizzy even though she hadn't ingested a single drop of alcohol that night.
To be continued…
Next Chapter
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