Author: Anita
Fandom: Takarazuka RPF
Characters: Tsukishiro Kanato / Akatsuki Chisei
Genre: yuri, romance
Rating: PG
Status: complete
Summary: One night, Reiko finds a diary with the inner thoughts of someone in her troupe, and she wants to return it, but Ari stops her from leaving it in the lost-and-found and they decide to look for the owner together.
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
Chapter 2
After that talk, she really needed to hear another opinion, and Ari seemed overly distracted that day. The notebook called her to action, “Why don’t you just go in the middle of the troupe and ask whom I belong to?” That was a fitting question, and it scratched the back of her head.
“What’s the matter?”
She turned in the chair, from where she’d intended to observe the rehearsal but failed, to find the many expressions lines on Umino Mitsuki’s face.
“Hey, Eri-chan. I didn’t see you coming,” Reiko greeted her, suppressing the scare she’d just received. Eri had just been out there in the middle, singing with Ryou but materialized by her side.
“That’s why I’m wondering what’s bitten you,” she answered with a giggle. “Jealous?”
Reiko looked back puzzled.
Holding a smile, Eri motioned for where Ari was probably telling Kazama Yuno some new comedy routine, taking it from how she moved her arms. “You won’t stop staring at Arinko.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know I was this obvious.” When she noticed what Eri had meant, she felt blood run up her entire head, but skip the inside of her brain. “Why would you imply that?”
Eri giggled again. “For a moment there I thought you were finally admitting that bromance you two have going is just a façade for the real thing.”
“C’mon…” She waved in the air, as though dispersing Eri’s suggestion.
“But what’s up with you two? It’s almost time to go home and I haven’t seen you talk even once today. It’s unprecedented.”
“It was super busy. This is the first time I got to sit for more than five minutes outside the breaks.” Reiko knew that wouldn’t have stopped the two from exchanging words even from distance. Moreover, they had surely talked enough during the first break that morning. But how could she explain it without mentioning the diary? And in doing so, bring up another argument over reading it, and she’d soon be friendless. Eri was a curious person, despite being more mature than Ari.
“And Ari is over there, telling jokes to some junior instead of you,” Eri continued.
“It really isn’t like that.”
She did that thing people do when they don’t see any need to argue but fake agreeing. This succeeded in forcing Reiko to at least share with Eri something of what she’d been dueling on.
Reiko moved in the chair again but couldn’t find a comfortable enough position. “What would you do if you found out someone, but you don’t know who, has a crush on you?”
“Try to find out who it is, obviously.” She didn’t even blink.
“Yeah, but you didn’t find out in a legitimate way.” This was harder to remove context than she’d foreseen. “You happened to learn it, but you shouldn’t have.”
“It does concern you, right?”
Reiko was sure she’d agree with not reading someone else’s diary. How could they just skip that part?
“Reiko-san?”
“Sorry.” She pressed her eyes shut for a beat. “Consider it’s not a possibility to find out. The thing is, would you do anything about it or just pretend you don’t know? Also consider you don’t intend to have any relationships.”
“I’m not sure there’s anything to answer if you don’t want my advice where you’re really stuck in this problem.” Eri clicked her tongue. “Okay, you’ve already decided not to do anything, but you’re assuming you don’t like that person back. How would you know?”
“Because I don’t want any relationships! Why is it so hard for you guys get it? You know my schedule even better than I, where would I fit someone else?”
“Guys suck, huh?” Eri joked, but she changed to a more serious expression upon the Reiko’s confusion. “Did you and Arinko fight? Just go and talk to her. You really don’t want to tell me more about what you found out, and hey, you have millions in love with that dimple. Some girl with a crush isn’t what’s giving you that face.”
“That’s cold. We’ve gotta be emotionally responsible for—”
“That is only for when you really know anything. For now, there’s nothing you do know. A girl has a crush on you?” She gasped. “I know at least four, and I didn’t even include your bromancer.” She motioned for Ari again, who now had her back to them but was still chatting with Yuno.
“Four? Who?” What if one was the notebook’s owner?
“This isn’t a legitimate way of knowing, is it?” And there were her words turned against her.
“It does concern me,” she said, doing the same.
But Eri just snickered and patted her shoulder. “My final advice then is, ask Arinko for help. The one you wanted from the beginning.”
Reiko wondered how she could approach Ari so soon. Although she was usually more comfortable around juniors than seniors, it was harder to invade their bubble. And then what? She couldn’t say anything with Yuno right next. She’d wait until the next day, after giving it all a better thought. She also wanted to recalculate here and there after Eri’s advice. Maybe Ari wasn’t entirely wrong earlier.
“Hey! Arinko!” Eri raised her hand and waved wildly, despite Reiko having just decided against it. “Come here.”
“What are you doing? I’ll talk to her, but not now!”
“Oh sorry, too late.” She didn’t look the very least contrite as she stood up to greet Ari. “Reiko-san wanted to talk, so I’ll leave you two to it.”
Reiko stretched her hand to detain Eri, but missed the target and just grasped air. So now she had to face Ari, who did little to hide her discomfort. “Hey…” She greeted Ari, gulping in the awkwardness. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.” She nodded toward Yuno, now talking with Reika Haru.
“Eri-san just pulled a prank, right?” She rehearsed leaving after a bitter laugh.
“Tonight,” Reiko said bluntly before Ari was out of hearing range. “Could you help me? With the notebook?”
A rosy tone spread through Ari’s cheeks. “Are you sure? You seemed to have it all figured out already. You didn’t even put it in the lost-and-found so I couldn’t read it.”
“You went back?” Reiko regretted sounding so admonishing.
Ari shook her entire body, before anything else. “I saw you go back without going inside. And you didn’t go that way again.”
She’d been observing her? The thought made Reiko’s face ticklish. “So,” she said to change the topic, “can we gather tonight?”
“Of course!” Ari beamed. “Come to my place and I’ll feed you something nice.” Then she added quickly, “As an apology for… you know. I was too moody this morning.”
But had moody been any novelty? Amid arguing earlier Reiko had noted how Ari could be intense now and then. In fact, acting apologetic like now was the thing out of place. But if that could get her some good food, far from her calling anyone out.
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
“Great, it’s a date!” Ari exclaimed, retreating to her citadel of juniors.
To be continued
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