Falling
Author: Anita
Fandom: Takarazuka RPF
Characters: Tsukishiro Kanato / Akatsuki Chisei, Kazama Yuno, Umino Mitsuki
Genre: yuri, romance
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Chisei thinks she's finally found the one for her in
Kazama Yuno. Yuno, despite their year-long relationship, started
displaying worried over Chisei's tightness with Tsukishiro Kanato. But
it's normal to message one of your best friends nonstop, right? To make
it worse, the two are to spend month apart when Chisei and Yuno find a
confession Kanato wrote in the past, and Yuno is convinced Chisei was
the intended recipient. How can Chisei prove to Yuno she's imagining
things and maintain both her girlfriend and her friend who's also a girl
when it's no secret she considers Kanato the most beautiful woman ever?
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Falling
Chapter 5
Dinner had been delightful, as expected. For some moments, Ari had even forgotten it was supposed to be a date simulation and just enjoyed hearing Reiko’s stories about her top star debut. She was the closest in Ari’s circle to get so far in the hierarchy, so everything was new. And spending time with a dear friend couldn’t ever be something bad, even if the idea of it before going inside the Fukuoka Tower had sounded uncomfortable.
Maybe Reiko had also forgotten their reason to be there? Right when Ari was almost certain she had, Reiko made sure to cover all the expenses. “Nonsense that I’d make you pay,” she’d said while pulling the black hardcover in which the bill had arrived.
“Weren’t we just catching up? You’re not bringing Umi-san here or anything. I count this as a pause, in other words, it doesn’t count.”
Reiko shook her head with a smile. A smug one. She’d just closed the too many bills inside.
“You’ll at least wait for the change, right? This is still Japan, Casanova…”
She chuckled.
They had only had a glass of wine each, just enough so the wind outside didn’t feel as chilly as when going in. The walk was still pleasant to burn all the food. There was just so much in the meal course Reiko had chosen…
“I wish we could do this more…” Reiko commented as the sea breeze enveloped them.
Before entering the tower, it hadn’t seemed so obvious, but up there they’d felt like they were in the middle of the ocean. The beach was a mere three-minute walk from the exit, and they had to go there to test it if worked as a romantic spot or as the background to a zombie movie.
Reiko’s words had sounded off. Do what more? More catchups in expensive restaurants? More pseudodating, acting as the stand-in for her future girlfriend? At the same time this had been the best night in very long, reality kept Ari in check whenever she started forgetting her place.
“I’ve been wondering what I did wrong before,” Reiko said, not showing to be bothered by the lack of response.
“I know what you’re doing now.” Ari waited for the other’s confused look and laughed. “I’m not Umi-san.”
“You’re still upset about the restaurant?”
“It is awkward. Even as your kakyuusei, this was a lot.” But Ari didn’t want to go there anymore, because she’d already been feeling left behind in that friendship. The moment things worked with Reiko and Umino, it would be official. Maybe… her mood was so bad because she felt that night as some kind of goodbye. Or was she being dramatic?
“It wasn’t that expensive. I swear. I’d totally take you again for your birthday. If it hadn’t passed already.” Something crossed Reiko’s mind and clouded her expression. “And if Odachin didn’t mind.”
She would, she definitely would. Unless the weird phase had already cleared away by her next birthday, which Ari hoped it did. But for that year, the hating Reiko campaign had already been at full force. Sighing away her thoughts of her girlfriend, Ari admired the beach to the left. This wasn’t the best pick for a first date; it was basically empty, and the alcohol had already disappeared from her system, so she felt cold notwithstanding how tense that talk was making her. She also flinched imagining what Reiko and Umino would be doing in such an isolated location with the perfect excuse to warm up one another.
“Next year, Umi-san will definitely mind us two alone in a romantic spot.” Ari giggled and hoped the forcedness wasn’t so obvious. “Anyhow…” Her voice was too loud, so she cleared her throat. “Try to relax more, but also remember you should act less like you’re two friends.”
Reiko rubbed her chin. “You mean, I should kiss her?”
While Ari had meant something like that, a bad taste filled her mouth that she’d have to talk about it with Reiko. It was unpleasant. However, she had to push back the sensation, or they’d never have that opening again.
“That too,” Ari said. “But also, you know… create a special atmosphere.”
“Isn’t a dinner like that special?”
“Not enough you wouldn’t mind doing it with your friend. I’m saying, you should try to flirt with her. Give her more signs she can also go ahead.”
Reiko hid her face in her hands. “I can’t,” came her muffled voice.
Just then maybe, all the awkwardness had been worth it, because that was the cutest expression ever. If only she could take a picture. Freeze that moment. But also, it made no sense that a walking goddess like Reiko would be so shy about flirting. That woman would be unstoppable if she realized the power she had. While hoping she never did, Ari also didn’t want Reiko to underestimate herself.
She slowly held each of Reiko’s hands and pulled them away from her blushing face. And immediately forgot whatever they were doing there. Her eyes boggled out. Her lips parted in a gasp. Her cheeks growing redder.
“Are you…” Reiko started saying and paused, looking back at Ari, studying her face, eyes unfocused and then focusing again. “That technique is good.” She laughed and took a step back, unlinking their hands. She looked away in embarrassment and brushed a hand through her hair.
“What…” Ari mumbled but was also feeling too weird to insist. Whatever had Reiko misunderstood would probably be worse if she tried to explain, because Ari’s heart was still trying to knock out of her from seeing Reiko from so close. “I was going to say that, of course you can do it.” It was safer to pretend that never happened. “And you have the advantage here. Umi-san is agreeing to go out with you, she’s no stranger you met in a bar.”
“In a bar, we’d have the liquor. And I wouldn’t have to meet this stranger the next day for rehearsals.”
“Well, I can’t make her quit the theater,” Ari joked. “But we can indeed get some drinks, and you can try it.” And they could get so drunk, nothing will matter anymore.
“I’m not coming on to strangers!” Reiko exasperated. When Ari didn’t rebuke, she scratched her ears for a moment and continued, “I know I asked for your help, and I keep not following your advice, but… that’s too much.”
“It’s easier when it’s with the woman you want to see smile or get red or just excited to hear what you say. That’s what flirts are for, right? They break the ice, set the tone you need. Like, this is not just two friends playing around, we’re up to something.”
Reiko’s pace had slowed down as she considered those words. Her eyes had wandered to the sea for the first time that night, from what Ari could tell, and stayed there. Had that speech been that inspirational? It was just the definition of flirting, no?
“Or we can just drink until we fall asleep? It wouldn’t be a first for us” Ari tried, because that silence was making her nervous. “You’re growing pale and it’s scaring me.”
Reiko turned back to her, eyes fixed on hers. “Do you have a map?”
Map? If she meant to find a bar on a map… Good luck with that. And, despite the trees covering the view on their right, they hadn’t walked for that long anyone would forget the way back. Also, who walked with maps when they had smartphones? Moreover, Reiko was the type to decorate every step of a date, she’d know her way back to the hotel blindfolded.
“What do you…” Ari could barely hear her thoughts with Reiko still staring. “Why a map?” she managed to get out.
“Because I got lost,” she explained without averting her eyes.
“We’re minutes from the tower, don’t worry.” Ari turned to the way back. She’d been thinking Reiko was going all the way to the Hilton Hotel, and they probably had a bar inside, but if it wasn’t the case, they could find one around the tower all the same.
Reiko held her wrist and stopped her. “I meant that I got lost and…” she sounded flushed, seemed to be running out of breath. “And… you know… Um… I messed this up.” She looked to their feet. But she hadn’t let go of Ari’s wrist yet, and so they remained for another moment. “I need a better line.”
“That… was a line? Like a pickup line?”
“You still didn’t get it, did you?” Reiko was still staring downward, her shoulders slumped.
Ari giggled. “Nope, not even now.”
“It’s like, lost because I was watching you, so I needed a map...” Her voice got lower with each syllable. “I’m the worst!”
“You did make me laugh, so it’s a start?”
Reiko shook her head. “I can make you laugh without dying of mortification.” But she looked more cheerful as she spoke, but she had also let go of Ari’s wrist.
“Like tickling me?”
Her eyes sparkled, and Reiko rose her hands menacingly. “Was that an invitation?”
“Good, you should keep that one.”
“Huh?”
“That line, it’s not the best because it won’t work at all times or with any person, but save it for a later date. With the right sign, it’ll get you straight to direct contact with Umi-san, you want that.”
“No way, if anyone did that to me, I’d kill them.”
“I wouldn’t mind if it were you,” Ari blurted out before rationalizing what she was saying. Unable to look at Reiko, she corrected herself, “If we were on a date, I mean! Of course… If we were flirting… on a date.”
“Oh…” Reiko raised one of her eyebrows. “Oh. Really?” And rose her hands once more. “You mean like on this date, after I passed you a line? Wasn’t that flirting on a date, you mean that, right?” She smiled devilishly.
“No!” Ari protested but couldn’t stop laughing. “Not if you can’t catch me!” She ran at full speed into the night.
“Not fair, you know you’re faster!”
To be continued...
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