Here is chapter 2 everyone!
02.
Morning Musume to Disband. That was the headline that started it all. The beginning of the end. As Takahashi Ai read the line her face took on a whitewashed pallor.
Oh shit…
“What is wrong Ai-chan?”
Ai looked up from her seat at the hospital bed next to her.
“Oh Lin-chan! You’re awake. How are you? Do you need anything?”
“Don’t change the subject, Leader-san.”
Ai cringed at the use of her official title by the younger member, but she acquiesced and showed Lin the headline. She noticed a similar reaction on the other girl’s face.
“Ano…Ai-chan?”
“Yes Lin-chan?”
“Did you read beyond the headline?”
“…no…I didn’t.”
“You should.” Lin said softly as she sat up in the bed.
…The decision to disband was brought before management on behalf of the other members by the leader, Takahashi Ai….
Oh shit….oh shit….o shit!
“Is it true Ai-chan?” The younger girl sniffed a bit and watched Ai’s face for any sign.
“Not a word.” Ai summoned the courage to look the girl in the eyes.
“I went to management to ask for a hiatus, so that we could all rest…and so…you could have time to get better Lin-chan.”
The older girl watched the younger’s face for the contempt she was sure would come.
“I believe you, Ai-chan. Arigatou for your concern about me…” the younger mumbled the last part.
“Li…” Ai began, but her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket.
Oh shit…
Ai was now worried about the reaction of the other members because she wasn’t around to explain. She cringed as she opened her phone.
From: Risa
Ai. We need to talk. Meet at the dance studio. Everyone will be there.
Oh shit….oh shit…..
“Lin-chan… I’m going to go talk to the doctor.”
“Ok Ai-chan.” She replied as Ai walked out of the room. Ai stopped as the door closed and faced the wall. She laid her head on the wall before walking to the nurses’ station located at the middle of the floor.
“Ma’am, when can Lin go home? She’s the girl in room 405.”
“Hold on one second.” The woman typed away at the computer. “Ok…the doctor just needs to check her out to assess her condition.”
“Great! When can the doctor come?”
“She’s on rounds…so within the hour I would guess.”
“Thank you ma’am!” Ai walked back to Lin’s room, typing a response to Risa.
******
From: Ai
I’ll be there as soon as the doctor lets Lin out. Should be an hour until then, so expect me around 3:00PM. I have a lot to explain to all of you.
Damn right she does!
Risa sat alone in the dark dancing studio. She messaged the other members about the meeting time, making sure to tell Kamei the time was 30 minutes earlier than it was.
Morning Musume…ending…
Tears came to her eyes and she held her head in her hands as if trying to force her emotions back into check.
******
Reina was angry. The scrapes on her hand and the hole in the wall in her room could vouch for that. To keep from punching everyone she saw she kept her face down, hidden under a baseball hat and her hoodie.
******
Risa looked up from the floor when she heard the door open. To her surprise the first one to the meeting was Morning Musume’s turtle, Kamei Eri. Eri looked as bewildered and disheveled as Risa felt.
“Gaki-san.” Her voice held none of its usual energy. She shuffled over and slumped down beside the other half of GakiKame.
“Hey Kame-chan.”
Risa sighed and laid her head on Kame’s shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re here… I hate being alone.”
Time passed between the two friends quietly until the other 5 girls began to wander in. First was Reina, who blew into the room like a typhoon and sat down in the far corner. Next came Koharu, looking more out of it than usual. She meandered her way toward the duo before sitting down next to her Sub-leader. The next member was Sayumi, followed closely by Junjun and Aika. Sayu sat on Kame’s right, while Jun and Aika were the only ones to brave the wrath of Hurricane Reina.
After the members sat Risa spoke up, assuming the tone of Sub-leader.
“Now everyone, we have to listen to Ai-chan’s explanation. There must be some misunderstanding.”
How can I say that? I don’t even believe what I say…
“God dammit! I’m going to punch her!” Reina growled from her corner, Aika trying to hold back the girl she called her sister.
“Reina! Shut up! We must hear her out!” Risa snapped back at the yankii member.
“Don’t tell me to shut up.” The younger girl spat.
“Please calm down aneki.” The soft words of the youngest member drenched the flames that had sprung between the two.
Thank you Mittsi.
No more words were spoken for fear that the tension would start another war of words.
******
“Now, remember Lin-chan, no one is mad with you. It is me they will want to yell at…so please don’t try to defend me. Let’s hope they listen to my words.”
Ai looked to Lin for confirmation before walking through the door into the dance studio.
Oh shit….
“Takahashi Ai! I’m going to kill you!!!” Reina yelled from the far corner, and she looked as if she would have if Jun had not held her back.
“Reina!” Risa yelled at the girl before turning on the leader.
“Ai…why did you do this?!”
Tears were in her eyes already, her love for Morning Musume shining through them.
“Risa, I would never make a decision like this without you all being there with me. You know that. You know me. I only asked that we have a bit of time to rest. I know we are all tired, so I thought it would be best for the group.”
“I thought I knew you Takahashi Ai. You never asked what we wanted – you were too blinded by your own wants and…” She looks at Lin. “…by your worry for your beloved kouhai.”
Risa’s eyes were cold. Most in the room gasped at the accusation. A certain yankii still struggled to escape from the grip of Junjun.
“Risa, don’t you dare bring her into this. Be angry with me, not her!”
“Fine Leader.” The venom in the last word would have been enough to drop an elephant, but Ai stood firm.
“You never think of others once you’ve made up your mind! Did you really think about what we wanted!” Risa continued, her voice almost faltering.
“Risa, please listen to me. I did not do this. Do you honestly think that if I had wanted to disband Morning Musume – that I would have stayed around here and faced you?!”
Ai fell to her knees, Risa’s eyes opened widely. Ai continued.
“Risa. I don’t want to fight with any of you… I love you all too much. You are my family – not just my members…please believe me.” She bowed before the startled subleader.
Risa began to walk towards the door, stopping to look back at the bowed leader once before leaving. The other members followed. First Eri, then Sayu and Koharu, then Aika and Junjun – who still held Reina, that is until she walked past Ai. Reina ran over to Ai and flipped her out of her bow. The sound of fist on face filled the room. Reina tried to punch Ai once more, but Lin had thrown herself in front of the leader.
“You would protect her!” Reina spat as she climbed up, straightened her clothes and followed Jun out of the room.
“Ai-chan, are you ok?” Lin asked helping the older girl into a sitting position.
“Yes Lin-chan… I deserved that…”
All of the calm Ai had fell away and tears began to flow from her eyes. She cried out and fell into Lin’s arms. Both girls sobbed in the middle of the dark dance studio…both for the same reason. They had lost their family….
Morning Musume is gone…
My family is no more…
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