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 5
“Your notebook?” Reiko felt shellshocked, staring back at Kaoto, as though she’d reveal to be someone else inside a Hanabusa Kaoto costume. When she’d suspected of Yuno and then Ari, her mind kept doing the recalculations to understand all that had happened better, but now it went blank. Gave out an error message.
“There are some stars on the cover? I hope I don’t have to repeat what’s written inside, you understand why.”
That wasn’t a name she’d have in her list of suspects. She’d never have thought Kaoto fit the profile she’d drawn. Hanabusa Kaoto, the same insecure girl who…
“Actually, I just write whatever I’m thinking, so I’m not even sure I could repeat, even if I’d survive it, and I wouldn’t.” Kaoto’s face was red, and her lips curved in an unsure smile. “But I could show you my handwriting. Would you let me have it back then?”
Still not in full function, the back of Reiko’s mind brought back her own voice asking Ari if she could give the notebook’s owner a hug. Right now, however, Reiko’s legs didn’t accept commands. “It’s in my house, is it okay if I pick it up during our next break?”
“It’s not that big a deal, Reiko-san! I can wait until tomorrow.” Kaoto waved her hands, still exuding embarrassment.
“I wish I could say I didn’t read, but…”
“I get it, who wouldn’t read it?” She forced a laugh.
“I didn’t read everything, I swear. But I thought they were just reference notes from the rehearsals, and then…”
Reiko’s face must have made it patent that the little she’d read had been enough, for Kaoto only grew less comfortable.
“I’m so sorry!” Reiko bowed to her. “I…”
Rejecting someone felt like a scene from a manga or from the days gone by of her high school. In either case, it felt foreign to her, but also the only answer she could offer. A million excuses for not accepting Kaoto’s feelings popped up—she was too busy, she was focusing on her career, the theater didn’t condone romantic relationships, she didn’t know her enough. Nevertheless, too much had happened since she threw similar words on Ari, she’d changed. She had a proper reason now, and Kaoto deserved her honesty. That was the way to compensate her for all the mess that could have been solved less painfully.
Keeping her head down, her back curved, Reiko explained, “I already like someone else, so…”
“I know.” Kaoto was nodding when Reiko looked back. “I’ve written tens of pages about that, to be honest. Eventually, I also wrote about how I cheer for you two.”
“T-thank you?”
Kaoto nodded again and turned back to return to the rehearsal room.
The relief spreading through Reiko’s body reminded her of the other matter. “Hey,” she called out, “will you come to me? When you need anything?”
“I’m not sure what part of the notebook you mean, but of course I will!” Kaoto beamed. “I know I can count on you, Reiko-san.” Before she left, she added, “And I’ll keep on cheering for you two!”
Left alone, Reiko covered her face with her hands. It felt wet but now she could only laugh.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
As expected, Ari had avoided her the whole day. Reiko also noticed Yuno and other juniors surrounding her in a more protective barrier than usual. This time it wasn’t her imagining things and freaking out on her own—they’d all seen it. But how much did they know? Reiko’s chest felt tight, even though Kaoto had removed a lot of the burden, it was still hard to breathe.
She was in love with Ari. And she had provoked possibly the biggest embarrassment a Takarasienne could suffer— being dragged and screamed at by a senior after already being an upperclassman and in front of all her juniors. Ari should be pissed at her and not just running away.
Ha! What a great candidate to be Ari’s girlfriend, huh? Reiko had just realized her feelings, so this was the first time she considered her chances. Which was nil. She’d dug so deep, she couldn’t even get out of this one.
“What the hell happened today?” Eri asked the next break. “You know what I told you last week? I didn’t mean for you to do that to Ari. Not cool.”
“You were here?”
“Nope, but I saw the video, though there are still some stories exaggerating it.”
Reiko’s head dropped in desolation. “Video?” she asked with strained voice. “How much did they get?”
“You looked like the bad guy in a shoujo manga, ready to go kabedon,” she banged a hand against the other to imitate the don part “and that’s not cool at all in real life.”
“Did they get the rest, what we talked in the other room?”
“They tried, but Ari’s douki and the 99th got there first, so none of the videos got close enough to get more than one or two sentences.”
She should be relieved at that, but she was stuck on the other part. “Videos!”
Everyone looked at her, reacting to the shout. And then pretended they hadn’t, because they had all seen the videos already. The videos!
“And them?” Reiko asked through the hands hiding her face. “What story did they tell?”
“They’re on Ari’s side—”
“Oh no…” Reiko whined over Eri’s reply.
“Chill down. That means they wouldn’t spread it. I’m serious, I’m one of her best friends and I didn’t get the full account.”
She released the sigh she’d held in anxiety. “For real?”
“Why would I dare come here? You look super scary. Not as much as in the video, but that long face now and that video so vivid in my mind… Only curiosity would make me this brave.”
“Was I that bad?”
“Super not cool, I told you. Now spill it, what went wrong since last week?”
Reiko was about to tell her everything, but she noticed it still wasn’t right to discuss Kaoto’s situation. “Is it okay if I skip a part that is really important but that I can’t go into details?”
Raising her eyebrows, Eri slapped Reiko’s shoulder lightly. “Spill it!”
“Well, something happened, and we had to solve this thing together, because it involved someone else.”
“So you had to kiss for that and finally realized the hots you feel for one another?” Eri stopped laughing after noticing Reiko’s expression. “You kissed!?”
“Not so loud!” Reiko reprimanded, aware of how the others again looked and then pretended they hadn’t. “And where did that come from? We didn’t kiss!”
“It was a joke, obviously based on the romantic tension anyone can feel between you, but just a joke. Geez.”
“Romantic what? Eri, please. I’m serious here!”
“Seriously red. And you looked super guilty when I mentioned the kissing part, which was an obvious joke.”
“It wasn’t that part.” She wished Eri’s romcom had happened.
Looking strangely appeased, Eri nodded. Had she really understood? That Reiko had indeed found out about her feelings for Ari? “What happened with the mission, anyway?”
“Nothing, it was like we hit a wall and got stuck since last week. Then I get here today and thought Ari had told Odachin everything.”
“Kazama Yuno, of all people!” Eri made a dramatic face, like she was in one of those classic Takarazuka plays.
But that was proof she’d really understood. “Do you think everyone assumed I had a jealous outburst? Because I maybe had one.” She hid her face again. “How will I ever apologize to Ari and make sense?”
“But what happened in that room? Don’t stop when we’re finally where I wanted to know?”
Apparently, the jealousy part was only new to Reiko. She sighed in disappointed in herself but indulged. “I found out Odachin already knew about the… mission. And that Ari knew more about it than she’d let me know.”
“So, you were super angry?”
Reiko shook her head. “I was just confused because she kept crying and repeating she couldn’t tell me. Odachin was also throwing any lie she could come up with, but they were too much even for me to believe.”
“What now?”
“I’ll give her space and wait until she’s feeling better.”
Eri responded with a look of disapproval.
“You think I should talk to her?” Reiko asked incredulous. “You didn’t see how much she cried, you…”
“I know you’re feeling bad, she knows too. But does she know why?”
Reiko gulped.
“She was the one who kept stuff from you,” Eri continued, “but look where that got you two. I know you’re a coward, so you won’t get through junior shield.”
“It’s not just that I’m a coward—”
Eri shushed her. “I’m intervening one last time; stop being so stubborn. I’ll make sure no one there invites Ari to sleep over or invites themselves there. Instead of being the bully who can’t express their feelings to the person they like, you be the hero in this romance and make the grand gesture we all want before the happy ending.”
“This isn’t a rom—”
Eri shushed her again and got to her feet. “Come up with the grand gesture while I take care of the rest.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Grand gesture… That wasn’t something Reiko understood much about. And parading in Ari’s apartment with a big band while provoking a rain of rose petals would only succeed in freaking her out. Not counting the chances of Reiko having a heart attack from the anxiety that spectacle would trigger. Extravagant demonstrations in real life tended to result in forced answers, they were almost bullying people into agreeing with stuff they shouldn’t or wouldn’t. It wasn’t how she wanted to win Ari’s forgiveness, though there was little she wouldn’t give in exchange for it.
As it was, no roses or bands, her hands were liquefying in sweat while she waited for Ari to open her door. Reaching her door and finding her home was so down on her long to-do list since the talk with Eri that Reiko felt like she could already call it a day. The truth, however, was that the actual battle started now. With Ari opening the door and finding her there.
“Reiko-san?” She eyed the numerous bags. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Can I?” With her hands not only too busy but too shaky, Reiko was only able to nod toward inside.
Normally, asking permission to go in would only be habit, but she knew it wasn’t the case now. Not after what she’d put Ari through that morning. And as predicted, Ari gazed off. For the first time since they met, she was considering saying no to a request coming from Reiko.
To be continued
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