Bab 150: Chapter Sixteen: A Hair's Breadth
"17 years…" Chitose thought. "I've known this girl for 17 years of my life. I've watched her grow up, seen her do things a kid her age shouldn't be doing, and practically raised her myself for a while now… But never in my life have I ever seen Chi look this flustered."
"Let's see, I need this, and this. Oh, and this shirt! Probably this skirt too! Oh, but if we go out, I might want this one instead… And make-up, I need make-up. But which set should I bring? This one is good for night, but I don't know if we'll be out late. Oh, but this one is nice for highlighting features. Ah, and what about lipstick? Does Mi-chan like brighter or darker colors? I'm really not sure… I'll just bring a bunch of them. Oh, and I can't forget snacks either! Should I make something? Oh, but she might make something herself…"
Leaning on the doorway, Chitose snickered. "Y'know it's just one night, right Chi?" "I-I know that!" Chiyo exclaimed as she continued to rush around her room like a tornado. "But this is a big deal sis! Mi-chan invited me to sleep at her place! To sleep there! With her! Alone!" "Chill out girl," Chitose said. "It's not like you're sleeping sleeping together." "Well, yeah, but…" Chiyo finally slowed down.
"Mi-chan… lately she's been… I don't know, different, I guess." "Different how?" Chitose asked. "Like, she keeps letting me come over and walk with her to school. Sometimes we even hold hands too. And at lunch, she sits real close to me. And lately, it kinda feels like she's been nicer… Now this sleepover…" "Ya make it sound like it's a bad thing," Chitose said. "No, of course it isn't!" Chiyo cried. "But… is this really okay? Is Mi-chan just being a better friend, or… is she like, actually gettin' closer to me?"
Suddenly, Chiyo felt a bop on her head. Standing next to her was Chitose. "Don't start doubtin' everything now," she said. "Chi, the two of you have been through a lot already, so I get ya wantin' to be skeptical." Chitose put her hands on her little sister's shoulders. "But this time, just embrace it. It ain't over 'til that girl says so, right?" "Right…" Chiyo said. Really, she wanted to believe in her sister's words, but if past experience had taught her anything, it was that getting her hopes up would only lead to disaster. "But it's so hard not to when Mi-chan's the one takin' action…" she thought.
"Finish getting packed," Chitose said kindly. "And pack for ONE night, Chi. Mi-chan doesn't need ya movin' in." "Hey, that doesn't sound so bad," Chiyo commented. "Not until you're 18!" Chitose called as she walked away. Though, as she did, she had a thought. "Well, it's not like I could really stop her if she did move in with Mi-chan tomorrow."
Finally, after about another hour of picking and choosing what to bring, Chiyo brought out a suitcase and a small bag. "C'mon, Chi, ain't that still too much?" Chitose commented. "No way!" Chiyo protested. "I brought it down to the gal essentials y'know? It wasn't easy!" "I'm pretty sure you've got more than just essentials in there, but whatever," Chitose said with a shrug. "C'mon, I'll take ya to Mi-chan's place."
So the two Wakabayashi sisters got in the car and made the brief drive over to the older-looking apartment complex. "Hey, Chi. Tell Mi-chan to come out here. I wanna talk to her real quick." "Huh? About what?" Chiyo asked. "'Bout you. I'm gonna tell her all your weaknesses!" Chitose teased. "If ya do, I'm gonna put up pics of deer all over the house!" Chiyo declared. "Don't you dare fill our home with those evil things!" Chitose yelled back. "Seriously, why are ya even scared of 'em? They're cute," Chiyo said. "Ya wouldn't think that if ya got kicked in the head by one as a kid," Chitose said darkly. "I'll never forgive Nara!" "I don't think it's Nara's fault…" Chiyo muttered.
"...What are you two doing?" Michi asked, suddenly appearing next to the car. "M-Mi-chan?!" Chiyo exclaimed in surprise. "Why're you out here?" "I was wondering if you were running late, so I kept checking- I mean, I just happened to look outside and saw your car!" Michi said, failing at covering her real reason. "Aw, were ya worried about me Mi-chan?" Chiyo teased. "As if!" Michi shot back, though the fact that she looked away with faintly pink cheeks suggested otherwise.
"Chi, go take your stuff in," Chitose said. "Hey, that's my place!" Michi shouted. "You can't just tell someone to put stuff in there!" "Mi-chan, being unreasonably stubborn ain't very cute, y'know?" Chitose said. "I-I'm not trying to be cute!" Michi yelled back. However, before she could leave, Chitose stopped her. "Mi-chan. Come over here."
Chiyo was hesitant to leave them alone, but she decided to listen to her sister and head inside. As she did, Michi listened to what Chitose had to say. "So, the thing is, Chi's been lookin' a little stressed out lately," she said. "She's told me about some of the stuff happenin' at school, but I get the feeling she's not tellin' me everything." Chitose leaned in a little over her rolled down window. "As her big sis, it's my job to worry 'bout her, y'know? Considering the history between you two, I gotta say, I'm kinda wonderin' if I should let you two be alone." Then, Chitose got to her real question.
"I can trust you with her, right?"
This was not a question of wondering if the two girls would or would not get up to anything. This was a question purely of concern, wondering if Chiyo, the girl who was more sensitive than she let on, would be okay being with a girl that had hurt her a few times in the past already. It was true they had made up, and Chitose knew Chiyo and Michi were getting along better than they ever had, but…
"Because if you hurt her-"
"I won't."
Michi didn't hesitate to cut Chitose off. "I care about Chiyo. I promise. I won't make the same mistake again." Hearing that, Chitose smiled. "Then be gentle with her, 'kay?" "What does that mean?" Michi asked, but Chitose just laughed and shrugged. "You'll understand someday, I guess." And then with that, Chitose drove off, leaving behind a confused Michi.
"What'd you and Chitose talk about?" Chiyo asked, having returned from carrying up her stuff. Michi looked at her, unsure of how to respond at first. "...She was just telling me all about your weaknesses," Michi teased. "Ah! Did you hear her say that?!" Chiyo exclaimed. In reality, Michi hadn't at all, but in an effort to tease Chiyo a little more, she just smirked, said "Who knows?" and stuck out her tongue before heading toward the stairs. "Hey, c'mon Mi-chan, tell me what she saidddd!" Chiyo yelled after her.
*****
After getting inside, the two of them calmed down. "So, what're we gonna do?" Chiyo asked. "I hadn't really thought about that," Michi said. "After all, I only invited you a few hours ago." "That's true," Chiyo said. "Oh, I know!" "What?" Michi asked. "You could like, finally show me your closet!" Chiyo said excitedly. "Absolutely not!" Michi shouted defiantly. "Mi-chan, I don't get why you're so stubborn about this," Chiyo said. "Every time I ask, ya always say no. I've seen everything else in your apartment, so why not the closet?" "Because I said so!" Michi said with a huff. "Ya got some sexy panties in there or something?" Chiyo asked bluntly. "O-Of course I don't own something like that!" Michi shouted. "I'm not you!" "Y'know, I'm actually wearing a pair right now," Chiyo said in a luring tone. "Eh? W-Wait, no, who cares!" Michi exclaimed, getting flustered.
"You're distracted!" Chiyo suddenly yelled, dashing to Michi's bedroom. "Ah, no!" Michi said, chasing after her. "Chiyo, stop! Don't!" But, unable to get the gal to stop, Chiyo reached the closet and flung the doors open.
"Huh? What's the big deal, Mi-chan? All I see are normal… clothes…" As Chiyo looked here and there, her eyes drifted to one side of the closet. On the small amount of exposed wall, uncovered by clothes, there was a singular picture. It was framed in a thin, black frame, and it was hanging neatly by itself. Chiyo stared at it in silence, unsure of what to think.
It was a picture of her in her dress, guitar in hand, singing on stage at the cultural festival.
"M-Mi-chan…" Chiyo uttered. "Before you say anything, it's not creepy, okay?!" Michi shouted. "There are plenty of people with pictures of their friends! I just didn't want to put it out on display, so I put it somewhere more private, that's all! B-But it's not like I'm just staring at it like some creep, okay?! I just thought it'd be a waste to leave it sitting in some box! And I only bought it because-"
Pausing in her rapid-fire explanation, Michi turned to look at Chiyo. Her eyes widened. To her surprise, as Chiyo looked at the photo, tears began falling from her eyes. "C-Chiyo, what's wrong?" Michi said, quickly switching gears. "You kept it…" Chiyo said quietly. "The moment I sang that song… You kept it close to you…" "...yeah…" Michi said, barely audible. "I bought it because-"
"I'm so happy," Chiyo said, her voice getting quieter before quickly regaining her usual composure. "Oh, but like, I guess this is kinda running the mood, huh? Sorry! Let's do somethin' fun now, 'kay?" Then Chiyo wiped the tears from her eyes and face and went out to the living room to try to figure out what they should do next. But, instead of following her, Michi walked back over to where Chiyo had been standing.
She stared at the picture in front of her. In truth, she had a reason for buying it. Part of her didn't really understand why she wanted it, but at the very least, this reason seemed to be enough reason alone to make the purchase.
Never before had Michi thought Chiyo shined so brilliantly as she had on that stage. Each word she sang had caused a thousand emotions to rush through Michi, each note had painted a scene, and the girl herself was like nothing Michi had ever seen. At that moment, she really thought Chiyo belonged nowhere except on that stage. So when it came to that picture of her, Michi had the very least wanted to remember that moment, even if she understood nothing else.
Gently, she brought her hand up to the glass on the frame and placed her fingers on it. "She really… did look pretty that day…" she thought.
"Hey Mi-chan, ya comin' out here or what? If you're still sulking about me finding that pic, don't worry about it! I'm not mad, and I promise I'll make it up to ya!" Chiyo said from the other room. Hearing that, Michi smiled to herself. "I didn't want her to see this, but she said it made her happy… What a weird girl…" Then she closed the closet doors and headed out to rejoin Chiyo.
*****
"So, what should we do now?" Chiyo asked, though as soon as she asked that, her stomach growled. "Ahahaha!" she laughed. "I guess food is next, huh?" "I guess so," Michi said. "It is a little late though, and I don't really have many ingredients to cook anything." "Huh? Aren't you usually fully stocked Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked. "I was, until SOMEBODY started eating all my food!" Michi said, pointing to Chiyo. "Oops," the gal said playfully. "Hey, then how about we go get some stuff to make something?" "Are any of the stores still open?" Michi asked. Chiyo nodded. "One's open later than everyone else for just this moment!"
It was decided they'd go get some ingredients, but then the problem was how to bring everything back. "It's kinda a far walk from here huh?" Chiyo said. "Do ya usually like, just carry all your bags yourself all the way back or somethin' Mi-chan?" In response, Michi sighed. "No… I'll have to call my driver." "Driver?" Chiyo repeated, but then she remembered. "Oh, right! You have someone who drives you places! I totes forgot." "I'm not surprised," Michi said. "I try to use him as little as possible. Not only does it really stand out, but he'll ask me questions about stuff and report back to my parents. It's a pain."
However, with no better option available, Michi called for the man. "He says he'll be here in a few minutes," she said, hanging up the phone. "He doesn't like, just sit around and wait for ya to call, does he?" Chiyo asked. "No, he does other jobs and stuff," Michi said. "I've never really asked for specifics though. I'd prefer to know as little as possible considering he works for my parents."
Chiyo was tempted to ask more about Michi's mother and father, but the way she said the word "parents" with such disdain made her think twice. "And I'd hate to ruin the mood again…" she thought. So instead, the two girls waited, and sure enough, only a few minutes later, the driver arrived.
Getting downstairs, the man, someone who appeared a little rough around the edges and perhaps in his mid-50s or so, waved kindly to Michi. But, as soon as he saw Chiyo, his hand dropped. Reaching the man, he opened the back door of the black car, allowing Chiyo to go in first. Before Michi could join her, she was stopped. "I appreciate you calling on me," he said. "And I don't wish to infringe upon your social life, but… are you sure you want to be hanging around a girl like that?" Making a motion toward the inside of the car, the man seemed to be concerned. "I know you don't like to hear this, but you must also think of your parents' reputation."
"Hardly anybody even knows those two nobodies outside of where we used to live," Michi scoffed. "They're not some elite duo. They're just good with money. Don't act like I come from some grand, rich family." "Even so, the company you keep-" "Is my business, not yours, and certainly not my parents'," Michi said, cutting the man off. "So don't go running off to them to report every little detail." Then, as she began to get in the car, she added one last thing. "It's not like they really care anyways…"
Once inside, Michi sighed. "Is everything okay?" Chiyo asked. Michi looked over at her, then looked away out the window. "I guess it's a little better now…" she muttered, but it was too quiet for Chiyo to hear. Then the engine started, and after a less than ten minute drive, they arrived at the store.
It was getting late, but not so late that no one was out. Entering the building, the bright white lights highlighted all of the shelves and aisles, along with the few other customers milling about. Michi went over to grab a cart, but as she pushed it over to Chiyo, she noticed the gal was trying quite hard to hold in loud laughter.
"What?" Michi asked, annoyed because she had a feeling she knew what was so funny. "Y-You're…" Chiyo struggled to say. "You're barely *snort* t-taller than… pfft, haha… the cart… hahahaha!" "Oh shut up!" Michi yelled. "I can see over it, so what's the problem?" "I-It's… heehee… not a problem… oh God, I can't, this is like, totally hilarious!"
Chiyo was bent over in laughter, much to Michi's irritation. "Would you stop laughing like an idiot already?!" Michi shouted. "S-Sorry, Mi-chan," Chiyo said, trying her best to recover. "Honestly… you don't see me making fun of that huge chest of yours," Michi huffed. "What's there to make fun of?" Chiyo asked. "I'm pretty proud of these things, y'know." She held them up with her hands, causing Michi to get bothered for a whole different reason. "W-Would you knock that off?! We're in public!" Michi yelled. "So it's fine if we're in private?" Chiyo teased. "No!" Michi declared, then began to stomp off with the cart ahead of her, causing Chiyo to start laughing again.
The two went through the aisles, and fortunately, the longer they went, the more Michi seemed to calm down as she got distracted by the many possibilities of what she could make for dinner tonight. Though eventually, she seemed to settle on one idea, as she began picking out specific things.
"So what are we making?" Chiyo asked. "Chinese sounded good, so I thought lo mein might be nice," Michi answered. "Lo mein?" Chiyo said. "Can't that like, take a while?" "It'll go faster with two people, don't you think?" Michi asked back. "We're cooking together?" Chiyo asked, a little surprised at Michi's implication. However, it seemed that she hadn't realized what she said herself until it was pointed out to her. "I-It's not like it'll really be together! I just need you to help with some things!"
The two girls continued getting the ingredients they needed, along with picking up a few other items they thought they might need. Once they were finished, they paid and headed back outside, loaded the groceries into the car, and made their way back.
Upon arrival, the driver offered to help carry the bags, but Michi staunchly refused. "Just go," she said. Luckily, there weren't many bags anyways, so it was easy enough for two people to carry all of them. Though once the driver and his car were out of sight, Michi sighed. "I dread what's going to come next," she thought. But, instead of dwelling on it, she did her best to focus on the task at hand.
Although, all that really did was shift her feelings in a different direction. "Cooking with Chiyo…" she thought. It wasn't as if it had never happened before. With the two of them being together so often in the mornings now, sometimes they were both making something at the same time. "I'm pretty sure this is the first time we'll be working on the same thing though…" Michi thought, finding herself getting a little anxious.
Finally arriving back in the kitchen, the two girls took out all the items they'd need to make their dinner. "Alright," Michi said. "I'll handle the pans and noodles. Can you take care of the vegetables, Chiyo?" "No prob!" Chiyo said happily. Grabbing a white apron, Chiyo tied it in the back. Put on over her low-cut, faded yellow long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans with a lot of sparkle, the gal looked like some kind of stylish housewife. Her hair was still tied up in its usual side, high style ponytail, and Chiyo's favorite hoop earrings were on display like always, but somehow, everything felt different to Michi.
She watched as Chiyo grabbed a knife, then an onion and started prepping it. All the while, she hummed a tune Michi wasn't familiar with. Putting everything together, Michi thought Chiyo seemed very domestic at that moment. An odd thing to see of a gyaru, certainly, but still a sight that Michi found she enjoyed.
"Mi-chan, if ya keep starin' like that, you'll put a hole through me," Chiyo joked as she chopped away. "I-I wasn't staring!" Michi said quickly, turning away to focus on her own tasks. "Geez, what am I doing?" she thought, chastising herself. "All we're doing is cooking! There's no reason for me to get so flustered or distracted!"
Although, there was one thing Michi was curious about. "What's that song you're humming?" Michi asked. "O-Oh, uh," Chiyo said, sounding caught off-guard. "It's um… one of mine, actually… Just a little tune I thought up the other day. It doesn't like, have lyrics or anything, but I liked the way the notes came together, so I just kinda… yeah…" "It sounds nice," Michi said easily. "You should make it into a full song." Now it was Chiyo's turn to be a little flustered, not expecting such a response from Michi. "Y-Yeah, maybe I will…"
Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of boiling water, sizzling veggies and an aroma of various ingredients. "It all smells so good," Chiyo said pleasantly. "It's not even put together yet," Michi said, though she did agree that it all smelled appetizing. Not much later, the time did come to put everything together, creating a delicious display of lo mein.
Grabbing what they both wanted, Michi and Chiyo took their plates to the table, gave their thanks, and each tried a bite. "Mmm!" Chiyo exclaimed. "I knew this would be totes amazing!" "Yeah, it came out pretty good, didn't it?" Michi agreed. "Maybe it's because we made it together," Chiyo said as she took another bite. "I-I'm pretty sure the number of people working on a dish doesn't affect the flavor," Michi said.
Admittedly, Michi did think the taste was better somehow. "But there's no way it's because I made it with Chiyo," she thought. "I mean, that wouldn't make something better… would it?" She thought that, but then she started thinking back on all of her recent mornings. They were livelier because Chiyo was around, but Michi didn't think that was a bad thing. Breakfast always seemed more enjoyable too, and lunch was the same. "...." Michi had no idea what to think of that.
There was no denying that her life as a whole had improved because of Chiyo. Without her, there was no telling just how things would've turned out for Michi if she had been alone. But that was more of an overall perspective. Did it really apply to the little details too? Was Chiyo's presence enough to affect even the taste of food?
There was no way to know, and Michi was almost afraid to pursue that line of thought any further. So instead, she continued eating, doing her best to make conversation with Chiyo in an effort to distract herself. By the time they both finished, the entirety of the lo mein was gone.
"Guess we were both pretty hungry," Chiyo said. "Too bad we didn't have any left over." "You're usually only here in the mornings anyways," Michi said. "What were you planning to do with it, have it for breakfast?" "I could've taken some home with me and shared it with Chitose," Chiyo pointed out. Michi shrugged. "It's probably better fresh anyways." "Then we'll have to make it again sometime, won't we?" Chiyo said happily. "I-If I feel like it…" Michi mumbled, beginning to clean up.
Unfortunately, just as she started, Michi heard her phone ringing. Being in the kitchen, she looked behind her at where the device was, sitting on the couch. "Hey Mi-chan, you gonna answer that?" Chiyo asked. "...No," Michi eventually answered. She didn't even have to look to know who it was. "I don't want to talk to them," she thought. "Then again, they'll probably keep calling until I answer…" So, quite reluctantly, Michi shut off the water at the sink, went to her phone, and answered it.
"What do you want?" was the first thing she said, a little to Chiyo's surprise. But not knowing who it was, all Chiyo could do was listen one-sidedly.
"Can't I call to talk to my daughter?" a man asked on the other end. "Oh, did you make time for me? How much do I have, a few seconds?" Michi replied sarcastically. "I'd hate to take precious time away from your beloved." "Michi, you know we care-" "Save it," the girl spat, cutting her father off. "Just tell me what you're calling me for."
"...We got a call from your driver. He said you're spending time with the wrong people?"
"I'd say the wrong people are the ones I'm talking to right now."
"Can't you just answer the question?"
"Who I spend my time with is none of yours or his business."
"Well, as your parent-"
"More like acquaintance who happened to spare a little time and money for a child."
"...As your parent, I do care about the company my daughter keeps."
"She's better company than you."
"Haaah… Maybe I should've had your mother call instead…"
"Why bother? Isn't her head still in the clouds for you?"
"Michi, stop making us out to be the villains! Is it so wrong for us to be in love?!"
"...Go rot in a love hotel for all I care."
"Mi-"
And with that, Michi hung up, tossing her phone back on the couch. "Mi-chan, you okay?" Chiyo asked tentatively. "I'm fine," she said, though she hardly sounded fine. Then Chiyo stood up from where she had been sitting, and walked over to Michi with her arms outstretched. "C'mere," she beckoned. "Huh? Why?" Michi asked, suspicious. "They say hugs make a person feel better," Chiyo said. "So c'mere." "I said I'm fine," Michi said, but Chiyo continued to stand with her arms raised. "...fine…"
Michi walked straight into Chiyo's embrace, the gal's arms wrapping around her completely. "See? Feels better, right?" Chiyo said. "Your boobs are crushing my face," Michi said, muffled by Chiyo. "Whoops," Chiyo said, letting up on the pressure a little, but not letting go.
For a moment, they stood in silence. "...Do you wanna talk about it?" Chiyo asked. "...I don't know…" Michi muttered. "Who was on the phone? Your parents?" Chiyo asked. "Yeah…" Michi said. "If you wanna talk, I'll listen," Chiyo offered. The two of them separated, and Michi looked up at Chiyo. She thought back on that one fateful afternoon they spent in the hallway at school, with Chiyo telling her all about her past. "She told me everything…" Michi thought. "So I guess… I can tell her about me…"
Michi had never really talked much about her family situation to anyone, usually only giving vague answers or snarky remarks that stopped people from inquiring further. But with Chiyo right in front of her, and a weight sitting on her chest, Michi began to feel like talking might actually make her feel better. So without a word, she pulled Chiyo along until they were both seated on the couch.
"So, um, the thing is," she sputtered. "You see, my parents, they… ugh, how do I put this?" "Just take your time, Mi-chan," Chiyo said kindly. "I'm not going anywhere." "R-Right…" Michi said. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, Michi began to tell Chiyo about her past.
"My parents met in college. According to them, they hit it off instantly. They even told me it was fate. My father, he was an economics major, and my mother was studying history. The two of them ran into each other at some discussion about the economical history of some past civilization, and my dad asked her out on the spot. From there, they started spending all their time together."
"Did they tell you all that?" Chiyo asked. Michi nodded. "Yeah, they love telling stories about their love life. Especially the beginning."
"But anyways," Michi continued. "Fast forward about five years, and my mom got pregnant with me. Apparently it wasn't planned, but they were sure they could raise a child just fine. By this point, both of them had built up successful careers, working in tandem at a company they joined and boosting the stock of it tenfold through economic strategy and studying past trends. Honestly, the details are kind of over my head, and I didn't really care a whole lot when they told me this, so I don't know much else."
"So they had stable careers, good reputations and now a kid on the way. They were like some ideal role model for any person hoping to have a good life, if that was their aspiration. And achieving all of that in a big city like Fukuoka just made it all the more impressive, I guess. I remember walking around downtown with my parents and people recognizing them as business geniuses or something."
"You lived in Fukuoka?" Chiyo asked. "Yeah, it was a while before I moved here," Michi said. "Though I wish I could've done so sooner." "Huh? Why?" Chiyo asked. "Ya like Iwanai that much?" "No," Michi said. "It's more like I wanted to run away."
"As I got older, I began to realize that my parents didn't really care that much about me. Not in a cold-hearted sort of way. More like… I don't know, it's hard to describe. I think the best way to put it is that they loved each other more than they could ever love their own child. Which is backwards, right? It's supposed to be the other way around, but not with them."
"How could you tell something like that?" Chiyo asked. "It was the way they reacted to me," Michi answered. "If I showed them I got a perfect score on a test, they'd say good job with hardly any enthusiasm. Meanwhile, my mother could suggest a place for a date, and they'd both be over the moon. It was always that way with them. I won an award, it was a shrug. My dad says some interesting fact, it's the most interesting thing in the world to my mom."
"After a while, I just got sick of it. I was tired of being treated like I was just their child in name only. At first, I tried ignoring them, but I quickly realized that had little effect. Three weeks went by once and we probably only exchanged one sentence." "Wait, then who was taking care of you?" Chiyo asked. "Weren't ya just a kid then?" "We had caretakers come through for dinner and they'd also occasionally clean up," Michi said. "Honestly, I don't think I can remember a single time my parents did something personal for me beyond the age of six or so."
"What about this apartment?" Chiyo asked. "Ah…" Michi let out. "Well… eventually, my parents started to notice how unhappy I was." "So they bought you an apartment?" Chiyo asked. Michi smiled, but it was out of unease more than anything. "Not exactly…" she said. "They asked me about it, so I told them that I was annoyed with their behavior. They then told me that they just really loved each other, and that sometimes it was hard to divide up their time between them, work and me. That was bad enough to hear as a child, but what was worse was what I heard later."
"One night, I got up to get some water, and I saw that my parents' light was still on. I could hear them talking and was curious, so I eavesdropped a little. I remember… I heard my mother say that she hated how I was acting lately. Apparently… I was 'ruining their fun love life' for them in the apartment. And my father agreed. He didn't even try to protest."
"After that, I told them I wanted to move out, and I refused to give them an explanation. But, since they were so ready to get rid of me, they agreed without much resistance." "So how did you pick Iwanai?" Chiyo asked. "A business card," Michi answered. "I saw some on the table, and one of the places listed on it was Iwanai. Being just a kid, and not wanting to pick somewhere like Tokyo or Kyoto since I had lived in a big city all my life, I chose somewhere I had never heard of."
"So my parents set me up here, gave me an allowance and still do each month, and every now and then they call to try to act like they actually care. And that's it. That's my story, more or less."
Chiyo was silent. Really, she had no idea what to say. She wanted to comfort Michi, but she didn't seem sad so much as she was angry. And even then, it was more like a long-standing anger rather than a boiling rage, so it was hard to tell if Chiyo even could make Michi feel better. In the end, the best she could come up with was saying, "Your parents kinda suck."
"Pfft! Haha, yeah, they do, don't they?" Michi laughed. "I was expecting you to be more emotional about it, but that was pretty blunt!" "Sorry, I just like, really don't know what else to say," Chiyo admitted. "Guess we both have crappy pasts." "Ah… yeah, right, I guess we do…" Michi agreed, though she hated that she felt like she had brought up some of Chiyo's past pain.
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you all of that," Michi said regretfully. "I probably made you remember some stuff you didn't want to remember…" "It's fine Mi-chan," Chiyo said gently. "That was a long time ago now." "But it still hurts, doesn't it?" Michi asked. "Well… yeah, it does," Chiyo said. "But it's not so bad anymore now that I've told someone."
"Wait, had you not told anyone before me?" Michi asked. "Mmm, well, I told Jas-chin, considerin' we're kindred spirits and all," Chiyo explained. "But I don't think I ever told Haru-chi the whole story, and I don't know how much Jas-chin has told her either. So outside of Jas-chin and my big sis, you're the only other one."
Michi wasn't entirely shocked. She knew that when it came to deeply personal stuff, Chiyo tended to either hide her true feelings or avoid the subject entirely. But still, to find out she was one of only a few to know her past… that meant that Chiyo put a lot of trust in her, didn't it? "But back then, we still didn't know each other that well… so why?" Michi wondered.
"Why would you tell me all that stuff about yourself when you barely knew me?" Michi asked. "Huh? Whaddya mean?" Chiyo asked. "I mean that day, when you told me about what happened to you," Michi said. "We hadn't known each other for long, and we definitely weren't close, so why trust me with something like that?" "Hmm," Chiyo hummed. "Maybe I just knew you'd understand."
"That doesn't make any sense…" Michi mumbled, although she did kind of get what Chiyo was saying. But then abruptly, Chiyo stood up. "Alright!" she exclaimed. "Things got pretty serious there, so let's do something to lighten the mood!" "Eh? L-Like what?" Michi asked, completely caught off-guard. "Strip poker?" Chiyo suggested. "Who would want to do that?!" Michi shouted. "So like, this one time, me and these three other guys-" Chiyo began, but Michi jumped up and clapped her hands over Chiyo's mouth. "I do NOT need to hear that story!"
"I'm just kiddin' Mi-chan," Chiyo said, pulling the hands off her mouth. "But a game does sound like fun." "I don't really have any board games or anything though," Michi said. "Got a deck of cards?" Chiyo asked. "Um, maybe somewhere?" Michi said uncertainly. "If we had pocky, we could play the pocky game," Chiyo said suggestively. "M-Maybe a game is a bad idea," Michi said.
In the end, no cards were found either. "Mi-chan, your apartment's kinda boring," Chiyo said flatly. "Well sorry for being boring," Michi huffed. "Not you, just your apartment," Chiyo said. "You're pretty entertaining, Mi-chan." "That doesn't sound like a compliment," Michi sighed. "But what are we going to do? It's still a little early to be going to bed, and-"
"A bath!" Chiyo suddenly exclaimed. "W-We are not taking a bath together! Absolutely not! No way!" Michi immediately refused. "It hurts to see you refuse so strongly," Chiyo said. "But that's not what I meant." "Huh? Then what?" Michi asked. Chiyo smiled. "We could each take a bath, and then afterwards I could dry your hair and try different styles with it!"
"But why do that after a bath?" Michi asked. "It's not like I tie up my hair before going to sleep or anything." "I know, but it'd be fun," Chiyo said. "Your hair is so long and pretty, Mi-chan. I wanna play with it, especially when it's all silky!" "D-Don't say things like that!" Michi yelled. "Hm? Like what?" Chiyo teased. "You know what you said!" Michi cried.
Despite her protests, Michi did end up taking a bath (and then Chiyo after her), then sat on the floor in the living room, with Chiyo sitting behind her, placing Michi between her legs. "D-Do I really have to sit like this?" Michi asked, feeling awkward. "It's fine," Chiyo said sweetly. "This position is the best for doing another girl's hair." "Do you do this often?" Michi asked. "Nope," Chiyo said. "Chitose used to let me when we were little, but her hair's too short now, and Jas-chin and Haru-chi don't really let me touch theirs." "Suddenly I feel like letting you do this is a bad idea," Michi mumbled.
Gently, Chiyo dried Michi's hair, then ran her hands through the golden yellow hair sheet that fell to the floor. "Your hair really is long," Chiyo said. "It reminds me of Izumi-senpai's." "No one has hair as long as hers," Michi said, remembering the upperclassman with blue hair as long as her body. "Well, I still like your hair better though," Chiyo said softly, causing some heat to rise in Michi's cheeks.
First, Chiyo had some fun. She tried doing Michi's hair up in braided circles, making her look kind of like an anime character. She tried a beehive too, and even just a basic ponytail. "Have you had your fun yet?" Michi asked, beginning to get tired of being treated like a plaything. "Hang on," Chiyo said, undoing her most recent one. "I have one more I wanna try." "Fine, but it's the last one," Michi sighed.
Taking up a bundle in each hand, Chiyo began to weave and intertwine them together. She repeated the pattern over and over, working her way down the length until finally, she tied it off with a simple band. "There," she said. After each new style, Michi had gotten up to look in the mirror in her bathroom, and this time was no different. Making her way there, she stopped when she arrived.
"A braid?" she said. She had a feeling that's what Chiyo had been doing, but seeing it on herself was still unexpected somehow. "You like it?" Chiyo asked, coming up behind her. "I don't know…" Michi said. "Braids aren't really my style…" "I know," Chiyo said. "But you do look cute like that." "N-Not really…" Michi managed to say.
To save herself, she looked at the time and saw that it was approaching midnight. "Wow, it's really gotten late," she said. "Think we should go to bed?" "Probs, yeah," Chiyo said, letting out a yawn. Then she pulled the tie out of her own hair, letting it fall down past her shoulders. The auburn color cascading down made Michi think of autumn leaves, in part thanks to the highlights of gold here and there. Michi had already seen it once before when Chiyo had gotten out of the bath, but the gal had re-tied it because she had wanted it out of the way while she messed with Michi's hair.
But even with it being the second time that night, Michi couldn't get over just how perfect the colors suited Chiyo. And with her hair down, it gave Chiyo a whole different feel. "It's like she's more relaxed or something," Michi thought.
While she was thinking, Chiyo had gone to the bedroom, which was where she had put her stuff. After her bath, Chiyo had just put on the same clothes because she hadn't been sure if they were going to do anything else or not. Now that it was time for bed, she changed into her pajamas, a loose, pink top that exposed her stomach and a pair of pants that looked quite soft and were the same shade of pink as her shirt.
As for Michi, she had on an actual set of pajamas, ones that were white with patterns of cats on them. "Cute pajamas, Mi-chan," Chiyo said with a smirk as the girl walked in. "Yeah, they are cute, aren't they?" Michi said with surprising confidence. Apparently, she was fond of them, which only made Chiyo happier to see. "Her flustered reactions are fun, but seeing Mi-chan like this is nice too," the gal thought.
Those feelings quickly faded though as the topic of sleeping arrangements came up. "Ya got any spare blankets Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked. "Spare blankets?" Michi asked. "Yeah," Chiyo said. "I'll need one for the couch." "Huh? You're not sleeping on the couch," Michi stated. "O-Oh," Chiyo said. "Well, the floor works too, I guess… Didn't think ya'd be this unreasonable…" "Not the floor either, stupid," Michi said. Chiyo stared at her. "If not the couch… or the floor…"
"I-Isn't it obvious? We'll just… s-share the bed…"
"...Are ya sure, Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked, her eyes wide. "It's too big for me by myself anyways!" Michi said loudly in an effort to hide her embarrassment. "So yes, I'm sure. Just stay on your side of the bed, and it'll be fine." "My side…" Chiyo said, though with her tone, it was hard for Michi to tell whether that made Chiyo happy or sad. Regardless, the two soon turned off the lights, then got into bed.
Just as Michi had said, the bed itself did have a decent amount of width, so both of them could fit comfortably on it. But comfort was the last thing on either of their minds as they laid next to each other, hearts pounding.
"W-Why is my heart beating so hard?" Michi wondered. "It's just Chiyo. It's not like I have to be nervous about her pouncing on me or anything…"
"Mi-chan is so close," Chiyo thought. "Being in a situation like this… it's so hard to hold back… But if I try anything, our current relationship…"
The two of them laid in silence, the only sounds being the little clicks and thumps typical of an apartment, and the beating of their hearts up against the walls of their chests. However, for as tense as the situation felt for both of them, they both soon began to settle in, and as those initial feelings wore off, a sense of comfort began to take over. Both Chiyo and Michi started to feel sleepy, and their eyes fluttered, but before they could both find rest, Michi said something.
"Hey, Chiyo," she said, starting to be half-asleep. "Can you… sing for me?" "...huh?" Chiyo said, now back to being fully awake. She turned around, and to her surprise, Michi was closer than she had been, bringing them nearly nose to nose. And yet, Michi didn't react, perhaps because of her drowsiness. At least, that was how it appeared.
It was true Michi had been drifting off when she made her request, but as soon as she did, she was wide awake again. But, in an effort to avoid any teasing from Chiyo, she was doing her best to fake being tired. "Ugh, why did I just ask that?" she groaned internally. Although, her complaints fell flat even to her, because really, Michi did want to hear Chiyo sing.
Ever since the cultural festival, Michi had been unable to get that voice out of her head. The lightness of it, the passion, the flow as it sent the notes dancing into one's ears… it was a sound Michi could never forget. She wanted to hear more of it. In fact, a part of her had been wanting to make this very request for quite some time now, but there just never seemed to be a right moment. Now, with the two of them alone together, when no one else could interrupt, Michi could finally have one of her desires fulfilled.
"What should I sing?" Chiyo whispered. "One of… your songs…" Michi replied. "One of mine?" Chiyo repeated. Michi slowly nodded, her only response. "Hmm… okay, I think I know which one," the gal said. Then, with her mouth so near to Michi's ear, she hummed a few notes, then began to sing.
"Alone, alone, alone… nowhere to call home, home, home…"
"Wanderin' 'round these street. lights. tryin' to keep. out of sight…"
""Cause it's past curfew, but I don't know what to dooo…"
"Then I saw you, and you saw me,
and we stared at each other so awk-ward-ly."
"Tryin' to figure out what we should say,
Eventually, I went with hey, and you…"
"You asked me…"
"Do you believe in destiny? Because it might be, for you and meee."
"If you think, it can be, then take my hand, and come with me."
"I promise I'll show you all kinds of things, and we can be all we need."
"So do you believe in destiny?"
"...That's about all I've got for that one," Chiyo said sheepishly. "That's fine…" Michi said, barely audible. She had her face buried so Chiyo couldn't see her, and for good reason. While she didn't know what those lyrics meant to Chiyo, Michi felt like they somehow had to do with her. Like how Chiyo had metaphorically (and sometimes literally) taken Michi's hand and shown her more than she ever imagined. Or how sometimes it really did feel like Chiyo was all she needed. "Destiny…" Michi repeated in her head, getting even more flustered.
"G'night, Mi-chan," Chiyo whispered, sounding satisfied. Then she rolled over, and within a few minutes, the gal was fast asleep. Hearing her steady, rhythmic breathing, Michi slowly sat up. She stared at Chiyo and was grateful for the darkness, because even she could tell her face had a very complicated expression on it.
"Why…" she thought. "Why do you always… it's always… you…" Without thinking about it, Michi's hand reached up. "You're always in my thoughts… you're always hanging around me… you've changed me so much I can hardly remember the past me… it's like a distant dream… or maybe nightmare… I don't know anymore… I just don't know…"
Her hand gently landed on Chiyo's cheek, cupping it. "Chiyo…" she thought. "Chiyo… Chiyo… Chiyo…" Her mind filled with only the gal's name as she caressed her face. "Can you tell me? Do you know what's going on? Why my heart beats so fast when I'm with you? Why when you call out to me, I'm so happy? Why every morning when you come by, every day immediately feels better? Please, tell me… Tell me, why…"
"Why do you stir up so many feelings inside of me?"
The uncertainty, confusion, joy, sadness, wonder and desire all threatened to overwhelm Michi. Her hand ran down Chiyo's cheek, moving up to her shoulder before lifting away. Then, it came back down, brushing a lock of Chiyo's hair out of the way. Moving down lower, Michi bent until she had brought her lips close to Chiyo's cheek. "Please…" she thought. "Answer me…"
Then her lips landed on the soft skin, staying there for a second or two before finally pulling away. After sitting back up fully, it hit Michi what she had just done. Immediately, her hands clapped over on her mouth. "W-W-W-W-What did I just do?!" she screamed inside. "Oh God, did I really just…?!" Quickly, she flopped down onto the bed and yanked the covers up over her head. "No, no, no, no, no!" she cried to herself. "Just what am I doing?! And to Chiyo… while she's asleep… W-Well, then again, she's kissed me on the cheek, so it's only fair! Yeah, that's it, i-it's just payback!"
Michi had silence in her mind for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, right…" Even she couldn't believe such a paltry excuse. And knowing that, the side that knew, the side that understood exactly what was going on, grew a little bit louder that night.
*****
The next morning, the room remained dark, the only difference from nighttime being the thin slits of light filtering in through the closed blinds. With a little groan and a stir, a figure rose up from the bed. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, then stared blankly at her surroundings. "Oh, right," Chiyo thought. "I spent the night at Mi-chan's place…"
Looking down, she saw the girl laying just as close to her as she had been last night. "So cute," Chiyo thought with a giggle. She took a moment to watch Michi's sleeping face, which looked so peaceful. Although, the longer she watched, the more other things began to stir within Chiyo. "I-I should probably stop," she thought.
But she didn't. In this moment, all Chiyo found herself wanting to do was to stay in the exact spot she was in. "It may not be the same as I imagined, but… I woke up with Mi-chan," she thought. "That's like a dream come true…" Chiyo was more than happy with her current situation. It was enough, she told herself. This was plenty. Being able to be this close had been something she thought had been unattainable. There was no need to be greedy.
And yet…
"...It's not enough…" she thought quietly, deep in a part of her mind that she tried to keep under control at all times. "Mi-chan…" she thought. "Mi-chan… Mi-chan… Michi…" Reaching out, she brushed the girl's hair away, revealing a small and soft cheek.
"I know it's asking a lot," she thought, slowly bending down. "I know I'm being selfish. But can you…" She got even closer. "Give me…" Closer still. "A little more…?" Then, she placed a kiss on Michi's cheek. "Please…"
An earnest question from each of them. A kiss that the other knew nothing about. And feelings threatening to pour over the edge like a waterfall. This was Michi's complexity for Chiyo. This was Chiyo's love for Michi. The two girls, so close and yet so far, could only meet within a hair's breadth of the other's heart.
End of Chapter Sixteen.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone