Here is the third chapter of my ongoing fanfic. Enjoy.
03.
A year had passed since the confrontation in the dance studio that truly broke apart Morning Musume. Eleven months since all the girls had been together. Even after the fight they were forced to prepare and perform for one last concert. The fans that attended that concert reacted in two very different manners: one group cheered and tried to make their memories of Morning Musume end on a high note, the other acted a bit more violently.
Ai walked down the street – her feet leading her home. Her mind was locked on the moment Risa walked out of the room. Her small hands were stuffed in her brown jacket, trying to avoid the bite of the wind. A white confetti of snow fell softly to the ground, as if the world were celebrating the upcoming New Year. Ai was in no mood for celebration.
Another audition down…probably another rejection.
A sigh escaped her lips. Her long brown hair blew in the wind. Her ears were red, the color now flushing into her cheeks. As she walked with her eyes to the ground the smell of ramen floated past her nose and she found herself standing in front of her favorite ramen stall close to home. On a whim she decided to indulge her stomach and slid into the warmth of the small ramen restaurant. She stared at the menu intently, for she was next in line – that is until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Ai spun around and came face-to-face with one of the last people she expected to see, but one who had been in her mind for quite some time.
“Hello Ai-chan.” The girl bowed formally.
“Kame…Eri?” the former leader’s eyes bulged, an audible gasp escaping her lungs.
“Would you mind having dinner with me? I would like to talk to you…so fortunate I felt in the mood for ramen.” The turtle girl laughed nervously, running her hand through her black hair, pushing the right side behind her ear.
“I would love to Er…Kame-chan.”
The younger girl smiled and bowed for a second time, her hair falling past her chin as she stood upright once more.
The two reached the counter, Ai refusing to let Eri pay for their food, and they found a seat in the corner of the restaurant – as far away from the counter as they could get.
“So… Kame-chan? What is it you would like to talk to me about after all this time?”
Ai winced as her words came out colder than intended. She noticed Eri cringe a bit before trying to smile again.
“First… I want to say that I miss you. So does Gaki-san.” Eri mumbled.
Ai perked up at the mention of her friend.
Former friend.
“Oh she does, does she?... I’m sorry Kame-chan… I hope my reactions are understandable.”
“Ai-chan…please… “ Eri looked at her ramen and sighed before looking directly at her former leader.
“I came here without Risa knowing.”
Ai’s brows furrowed at the turtle’s use of the former subleader’s given name. Eri continued.
“She misses you…I know she does. She mumbles your name when she sleeps.”
Ai’s brows furrowed a bit deeper at this statement.
“I can try to convince her to talk to you … to let you two talk it out?”
“You can try Kame-chan…not sure if she’ll listen.” The last look Risa gave her still haunted Ai. It was not a look of contempt, but one of complete emotional devastation.
The two slurped their less than hot ramen for a while before the ice was broken again.
“So Kame-chan… how are you? What have you done with your life so far?”
Eri smiled.
“Risa and I moved in together. Figured it be better to be roomies. I’ve been going to school, music production and performance. I figured I could use what I knew…turned out I knew nothing.” Eri laughed, much more calmly than she used to.
“Risa’s also in school, specializing in vocals.”
“Putting her talents to good use I see…” Ai smiled slightly, sitting back from her now empty ramen bowl.
“Hai… that she is… oh crap…I’d better run…Risa might get suspicious if I’m too late.” Eri jumped up from her chair after looking at her watch.
“Ok Kame-chan. I’m glad I ran into you. We need to do this again sometime.”
“Yes we do. May I?” Eri opened her arms. Ai nodded and accepted the turtle’s embrace. Eri hugged her former leader with all the feeling a year of separation will bring. She said her goodbyes before disappearing into the whiteness.
Dammit….it’s become a blizzard…
Ai pulled her jacket tighter around her, shoved her hands back into her pockets before barreling back out into the snow. Her pace quickened as she rounded the corner and her apartment complex came into view. She unlocked the door and made her way up to the fourteenth floor via the elevator.
After entering her apartment she slid her shoes off and hung her damp coat on the coat hook near the door.
“Tadaima!”
“Welcome home Ai-chan.” Lin paused to look up from the guitar in her lap. “How was the audition?”
“It went well… I guess.” The lack of energy in her voice told the younger girl all she needed to know.
“I ran into Eri…”
“EHHHHH?!” Lin jumped out of her seat, laying the guitar down before doing so.
“Yeah…I ran into her at the ramen stall down the street. I think it was accidentally on purpose.”
“Oh?”
Ai began to recount the story to her roommate.
********
Winter gave way to the blossoms of spring. Eri had met with Ai and Lin twice a month since that first meeting. Ai told Eri that she and Lin had teamed up to sing in various music contests. Lin would play guitar and sing with Ai. During one of the later meetings Eri offered to use her newly acquired music production knowledge to help the two create a demo CD. It was Lin’s idea to use this new demo CD for Eri to broach the subject of Ai with Risa.
“What are we listening to?” Risa asked the turtle as Eri walked back from the CD player.
“Oh…some new project I’m working on …just wanting another opinion.”
“Oh…ok.”
Risa looked up from the food she was preparing to pay attention to the new music. The soft strums of a guitar flowed from the speakers…then the voice started. Risa’s eyebrows furrowed as the vocalist expertly constructed the melody of the song.
Something is familiar though…that voice…
“Who did you say was part of this project?”
“I didn’t.” Eri replied, a bit too quickly.
“Kame, do you think we could see the band live?” Risa asked quietly, her mind still dwelling on the vocals of the song.
“I’ll have to find out when they play live again, is that ok?”
“Sure.” Risa replied, her mind still elsewhere.
“I’m going to bed now Gaki-san.” Kame walked into her bedroom and closed the door.
*FLASHBACK*
“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.”
Risa stared at her leader kneeling on the floor and bowing before her.
I can’t be mad at her...but…didn’t she throw us away?
A part of her wanted to go to Ai right then, but her stubbornness prevented an instant reconciliation….
*End Flashback*
That was the last time she saw Ai, not counting the farewell concert. Risa still felt sorry for the fan reaction towards Ai… the violent crowd had been…well…violent. The look on Ai’s face had almost destroyed the former subleader.
Wait… why am I?...That’s it! It was Ai-chan!!!!!
Risa restarted the CD, and as the song began to play once more, her eyes filled with the tears she had held back…
Ai-chan…I miss you…
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