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 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 (end)
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 5
But what had she just done?
Upon the sound of Manato closing the door, Fuuto drowned in her pillows, asphyxiating briefly but for as long as she was capable of holding her breath. Her lungs burning, she resurfaced for air and then let her head crash again against the pillows.
Imai...
"I'm leaving her," he had told her days before, over the phone. She hadn't seen him ever since the night in the restaurant. His work kept him too busy, as usual; no excuses for a quick trip west had come up. And that was what he chose to tell her? "I can't do this anymore. After seeing you so happy with Maa-sama, I knew just couldn't deprive you of that. This world doesn't have only us, and we both miss sharing our happiness with other people."
She had gone silent digesting everything. "Do that, and we're over."
Didn't he know they only existed because of the safety his left-hand ring brought her? It wasn't a fetish of having another woman's man. She just saw pressure would crush her the moment he became free to apply for a second marriage.
She didn't even wait for his arguments before adding, "I'm continuing in Takarazuka for too many years still. And I don't want to allow anything to change my mind. Much less anyone. I'm not leaving, period."
Despite his chorus of promises those weren't his intentions, she knew better. Or at least, she had thought so. Until now, with Manato's touch lingering on her lips. She hadn't been ready for everything that came crashing against her that night... albeit having allowed and even provoked it all herself.
Back when Akira had kissed her… There was something, to which she hadn't ever given any thought until Manato brought it up...
Oh.
Fuuto stood on her feet again, ignoring the dizziness as blood adjusted to the sudden movement. She searched everywhere for her phone and then remembered she had left it back on the low table. Running to the living room, she made the list of people she had to contact A.S.A.P. With whom she had to sort everything out before she could have any night's sleep.
Not bothering to waste time changing from her comfortable indoor clothes, she hurried out of her house. She was still putting on her coat while walking to her elevating, unaware of the cold air in the corridor.
---
"I'd offer you something but it's a little too late for pleasantries, no?" It was the first thing Akira said when she opened the door to Fuuto. She then opened way for her to enter the house, and crossed her arms.
"And I'd really like to give you this year's Otome but I was in a hurry." Fuuto removed her shoes but didn't bother to take the guest slippers, stomping inside toward the living room. "You know, so you notice you are still below me, and owe me, your upperclassman, at the very least, not acting rude."
Promptly, Akira snorted and shrugged soon after. "So, why the urgency? When I left my bath and saw more than 15 missed calls, I thought the terrorists had attacked the theater or something."
"I had to tell it to your face in hopes you'll listen this one time: stop moving pawns on your chess game and just gotalk to P-chan."
"What?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"I called her tonight, and did what you wanted. I told her all my reasons not to accept her back then. The real ones. I also had to explain you had been playing with Maa-san and me, and that was why I was intervening today. So you'd better either call her too or you're done."
Akira's complexion went white. "Now she thinks I'm crazy?"
In fact, Mayu had felt something closer to flattery for knowing Akira was that crazy about her. Fuuto wondered if both her friends were deranged but kept the note to herself. Otherwise, Akira wouldn't have her punishment, tormenting over what Mayu was thinking until she just grew a pair and finally allowed a heart-to-heart.
"So I think you should do it now," Fuuto finally answered.
Sitting on her couch, her eyes still lost somewhere else, Akira mumbled something so low she had to repeat it to be heard, "And what are you gonna do? You must have a resolution yourself if you stormed in here like this."
"I first wanted to confirm if you knew about the man I was seeing. At that time you kissed me. Did you?"
Akira nodded without hesitation. "I had checked your phone for something else once, and found his messages to you. Took a note of the name, did an online search and all."
"Just like that?" Fuuto couldn't contain a nervous giggle. She had already been caught much before Manato in such a simple manner. "And then you kissed me... I thought it had been out of spite, because I had done that with P-chan. I thought that was your way of being pissed with me." Her chest felt tighter, as all pieces came into place. She thought she had completed the puzzle but now she saw how not everything was correctly joined. "I need to go... Good luck with P-chan."
She left without waiting for Akira to tell her further about what had become so evident from the kiss a year before. She should have taken it seriously, then. One of the many things she had forced herself not to...
"You should go for P-chan!" Akira had insisted at the time, soon after doing the dammed test. "I don't get this excuse, 'I like men'. Isn't that you're just afraid to see it? P-chan is the best you can have, I assure you." She listed the many qualities, and none were any lie.
So certain that had been some desperate attempt plus a prank plus a punishment, Fuuto heard it all thinking of how she already had all that and more with Imai. What a funny coincidence that Akira would suggest she do what she had already been doing for years, she had laughed to herself then. Today, as she called Imai, she concluded Akira understood even more about her than Fuuto herself.
She had to apologize to him, set everything straight. And that would be just so hard...
---
More than a week had passed before Manato heard from Fuuto again. After the tears she had seen, she was even supposed to feel lucky. But once you realize how you really feel, the urge to be with that person every living day is excruciating.
In addition to her dismay, Fuuto's message had sounded borderline frantic. "Asuka-san, I really need to talk to you about the other night. Please, answer me." Even though she did comply—one full day later of going crazy in her own mind—, Fuuto had insisted on meeting in person. Worse, at Manato’s house at that time of the night. To think she had replied so late in hopes Fuuto would only read it the morning after...
What had gone wrong was surely an incorrect question, for everything seemed to be out of place. She had been in her best behavior, earnestly willing to be the good friend. Only to lose it. One drunk night had sufficed in redirecting their friendship down the drain.
The kiss... Akira's test had obviously failed. Manato thought she had felt Daimon react positively, even passionately. But those tears... She first considered the possibility of them being tears of joy but rapidly discarded it. She saw the desperation in Fuuto's eyes. There was no way to fool herself. She had caused Fuuto a terrible experience, at the very least.
And now what? Her hands grew colder just from wondering what was about to happen. But she did have a chance, right? Or Fuuto wouldn't want to "talk". She'd merely ignore Manato. Or even throw her a cold glance every time they passed each other by. You don't waste time on someone you hate.
So she only had to find that small, small door and smash it open, back to her friend's side.
As if on cue, her doorbell rang. Her legs felt heavy as she went to open the door for Fuuto. Her insides itched, watching almost silently her guest take off her boots and take the slippers. Could she really do it? Was that really her only plan? She wished she could come up with anything less suicidal.
"I'll make us tea, wait here," she said, gesturing for the couch. Manato couldn't even look straight at Fuuto at that point. Or remember what she was doing with the electric kettle in her hand.
Tea, right.
She needed to put water there. Except she already had and now it overflew.
Come on, Asuka! Get a grip!
She clicked her tongue and turned on the kettle. Now the tea. She hadn't asked which Fuuto would prefer so she went for her matcha powder. Go for the traditional when in doubt. Finally, she had two cups of tea and still no backbone whatsoever. She fought the dizziness and carried the tray to the living room.
"Thank you, Maa-san," Fuuto started saying, and seemed about to say more.
But Manato interrupted. She noticed a topic would be the escape route she would take in a second, away from her earlier resolution.
She put down the tray on her coffee table and turned to Fuuto. She took a deep, deep breath, and shouted "I'm in love with you!" at the top of her lungs. Perhaps the exaggeration had been because the only times she remembered saying anything close to that had been on a stage, but most probably because she had lost all control. She had actually just relinquished it all.
Looking aghast, Fuuto had her hand stretched to accept her cup. She swallowed twice and then blinked. Her lips didn't even quiver so dazed she looked at Manato.
"C'mon, why all the surprise?" Manato rolled her eyes. "You have no right to be surprised, no way. First, I'm all pissed that you had a boyfriend. Then I try to steal you from him, and I kiss you... I can't even say his name with a straight face because in my head he'll always be the bastard Man with the Ring." She broke into a fit of laughter. "Wait, this is all wrong." She was really unable to control anything about herself that night. "I wasn't supposed to be telling you off!" With one hand massaging her head, she took a seat in the sofa only to notice she was now right next to Fuuto. Rashly, she slid to the farthest side, muttering "Sorry" in a quiet voice.
Not a second later, she noticed the cold touch on her hand, now holding it tight. "No, you really are supposed to be angry with me,” Fuuto said. “For what I did after we kissed the other day. And for how I never explained it properly. And for so much, you have no idea of how long this list goes, Maa-san."
But Manato could only focus on their hands together. She had almost drawn hers back, before she remembered it hadn't been her who provoked that. So what was she to do? "Did you hear what I said before?" she asked weakly.
"And are you? Angry with me?"
"Of course, not! I'm just frustrated at myself. For how I let things go, Aya-chan." The sound of her voice lowered with each word. "I'm losing you, and I don't want our friendship to change like this. I have no idea what to do now. Please, help me..."
"Maa-san..." Fuuto gazed absently at their hands; they were still together but only by a loose grip. "You don't want to... our friendship...?"
Manato's hand fell free on the couch.
Fuuto bit her lower lip. "Why would you say that, then? How can that not change it all?"
"I tried so hard all of the other ways, I only had this one last resort. Explaining to you everything, leaving it all in your hands. Begging that you understand just how much our friendship means to me. Please... be like you were to P-chan. Remember?"
To Manato's despair, Fuuto's frown grew deeper. "P-chan? But... what about me?"
What did she mean? Manato recoiled sensing something very wrong from the other's tone.
"You don't want our friendship to change but what about me? This is nothing like Mayo. What am I to do hearing all this, if I like you back?"
Manato had been ready to go back to the top, to explain why she had mentioned Mayu. The last part, however, not only caught her off guard. It plainly made no sense. "P-pardon... I th-think I misheard you..." And yet, her mind was drawing happy endings scenarios and drives along the coast. No. No sense. No. Sense. At. All.
"I mean, now you said that, I want our friendship to change." Fuuto smiled wryly. "I want this to change all the way, and never ever go back! I love you, Maa-san."
No sense. She wasn't going to answer anything because... because—her mind couldn't process anymore.
"That I don't see why we have to remain friends if you like me back. I really, really love you." Fuuto's eyes were brimming with tears.
And Manato's mind was empty.
"Please, think again, Maa-san. I love you, too. And you said you like me. And our friendship can only change for the best, I promise yo—"
She was interrupted by Manato's loud guffaw. "I got, I got it." She calmed herself down and slid back to Fuuto's side for a kiss on her smooth, warm but quivering lips.
"Why did you let me go on if you—" Fuuto was again interrupted by another kiss, deeper than the previous.
Manato grinned, brushing her fingers over the lips she had just parted from. "You could also have said it before, you know?"
Closing her eyes, Fuuto defended herself, "I wish I knew this all before. I had no idea... I hadn't noticed it at all. Not even after Akira tried to point it out to me last year. And then, after we kissed, it all dawned in me. That’s why I had to take some time..."
"What I meant is that, when you texted me, you could have written it as a PS." Manato put her fingers through Fuuto's hair, admiring the light change as she rustled through it. "Or when I opened the door, you could have said that instead of ojama shimasu." She pulled her body closer. "Or you could have just hugged me like you wanted to break my bones." Accordingly, she herself hugged Fuuto’s small body. "You know, those exaggerated types you see on TV, that the couple even falls behind from the impact." Using all her strength, she pushed Fuuto down with her own body, until they were lying together. "And finally..." She lowered her face until their noses were about to touch, and waited for Fuuto to close her eyes again. Manato flicked her forehead.
"Ouch!" Fuuto complained docilely, flinching but not moving away from her position.
She chuckled. "See, a kiss would really have been better than that. So I didn't have to go a second longer thinking our friendship—"
It was Fuuto's turn to stop her. She pulled Manato to her and joined their lips, probing them with her mouth. "Let's just put a hold on using that word for a while. I think I've heard friendship enough for a lifetime."
"Can't agree more."
THE END!
Anita, 23/09/2016
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