章 41: Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
Ranko leaned back in her chair, exhaling deeply. She was well and truly exhausted. It was one thing to alternate between singing and her waitress duties, but four hours of performance was draining and fulfilling in equal but overwhelming measure. Her four adopted sisters, Kaito and Akane sat around the eight-top round table sharing stories and highlights of the evening.
The barroom, which had been packed to bursting with people just two hours before, was empty save for the seven of them. The tables had been restored to their proper places, the floor swept and most of the bartop wiped down. Everyone had pitched in to put the place back to rights after the party, even Kaito and Akane. Only Hana had been missing, but she was doing something even more important. A mountain of glassware was stacked on the side of the bar closest to the dishwasher, waiting for its droning to cease so another load could be run through it. It would probably take three or four loads to get all of them, but there was always the morning to finish it.
Mei looked around at her exhausted companions. Maybe it'll be the afternoon when we finish it instead, she thought with an intimidated sigh.
The conversations around the table ceased when the saloon doors opened and Hana emerged. After a few moments, Yui broke the silence. "Well, mama, how'd we do?"
Hana held up a solar-powered digital calculator with a figure displayed on its little cerulean LCD screen. "We were hoping we'd bring in half of what we needed tonight. We're only about 90,000 yen from having it all! You girls were absolutely incredible tonight, all of you! I am so proud of you all! And thank you for your help too, Kaito and Akane."
Izumi looked to her fiance, who nodded with a smile, and Izumi stood up. "Actually, mama?" She reached into her pocket, pulling out a large wad of bills. "Kaito and I would like to finish it off for you."
Hana blinked in shock. "Izzi, honey, you don't have to do that! You've got the wedding, and…"
Izumi waved her off with her empty left hand. "I think we can live with a couple fewer floral arrangements if it means we can take this off your shoulders."
Kaito grinned, standing and putting his arm behind his future wife's back. "Call it a dowry."
A tear ran down Hana's cheek as she stepped forward, putting one of her arms around each of them. "Thank you both, truly."
Izumi squeezed her tightly. "No, mama. Thank you. For everything."
The embrace ended and Hana updated the total on her calculator. "Well, it looks like I've got bills to pay tomorrow!" The table erupted in cheers and clapping.
Ayako grinned and raised her pint glass. "The Phoenix rises again!" The rest of the bar's occupants raised their glasses as well, clinking them together over the table.
Ranko stood, picking up her green Santa hat from the table and her heels from the floor, stretching with a yawn. "I don't know about you all, but I'm beat. I think it's bedtime for me. Akane, are you staying?"
The black-haired girl nodded. "If you don't mind. The buses aren't running until morning, and I told Dad I'd be out all night." She wondered how his dinner with the mayor was going.
Ranko smiled. "Of course I don't mind. C'mon, you."
As Akane stood, Izumi raised her martini glass again. "To the star of the Phoenix!" A series of whoops came from the table, and the sound of glasses clinking could be heard as Ranko turned with a warm, if exhausted, smile.
"Good night, everybody." She made for the stairs, following Akane.
When both of them were behind the front door of her little apartment, Ranko dropped her shoes at the doorstep, sitting on her bed. "Hopefully getting out of this getup doesn't take as long as getting into it did."
Akane giggled. "Usually not. I'll help you if you want."
Ranko blushed deeply. "Well, Akane… I…"
It was Akane's turn to be flustered. "I, ah… I didn't mean it like that, you big dummy!"
Ranko gave a quiet, almost disappointed "Hm." and turned to her mirror with a shrug, smiling up into the reflection of Akane's eyes from behind her.
"Hey, Ran… Ranko? Can I… ask you something?"
Ranko started to unzip her dress, but quickly stopped when she realized Akane hadn't continued, and that there was a timidity in her voice. She patted the bed next to her with a smile. "Of course." Something about hearing Akane call her by her new name lifted her spirits, as if it were a way of the old life she knew finally submitting to be replaced by the new.
Akane walked closer with a temerity usually reserved for the dentist, her hands clasped in front of her waist. She slowly sat down a half-meter or so from Ranko, smoothing the pink duvet cover with her hands nervously. "Did you plan to bring me on stage tonight from the beginning?"
Ranko shook her head with a tinkling sound, having left her hair braided and her earrings on in order to give Akane her undivided attention. "I added it just before I went on stage. I hope it's okay. I was really just trying to play around with you, and the crowd freaking loved you. I'm sorry if it upset you."
Akane grinned impishly and looked down at her hands, blushing. "Oh, no. It didn't upset me. Surprised me, for sure."
She swallowed hard. She had one more question to ask, and she wasn't sure what answer she hoped for. "And what about, you know, what you said before the song? About me?"
Ranko nodded emphatically. "I meant every word. I should have said those things to you a long time ago, Akane. I've had a lot of time to think about the way I treated you when I lived with you. I was a jerk and I didn't know how mean some of the things I said really were at the time. You deserved better. You deserve better."
Akane nodded, scooting a little closer to her. "Thank you, but you don't need to apologize." She swallowed hard. "Ranma was a jerk sometimes, it's true." Her hand slid across the duvet cover until it rested on Ranko's, being careful not to put too much pressure on her injured knuckles. "But Ranma's not here right now, is he?"
Ranko blushed a deeper shade of red than her hair. "I… I suppose not." She looked up from their joined hands to meet Akane's gaze. "Akane, what are y…"
Akane cut her off by leaning over their clasped hands, planting a tentative kiss on her cheek.
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