Chapter Five

The door opened with a loud creek, cancelling out my plan of grabbing a change of clothes and my sketch book and darting to the nearby coffee shop. I sighed quietly and toed off my Doc Martins, kicking them into a pile in the corner with the rest of the shoes. Once I rounded the corner Yumi burst out of the bedroom and tackled me with a hug. “ADRI-CHAN! I WAS SO WORRIED! I’D THOUGHT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED!” she sobbed, clinging on to me.

I hesitantly hugged back, awkwardly patting her back as she squeezed the life out of me. Once she had let go, we plopped down on the little couch in the corner. She leaned against the side and gave me a questioning look. “So whose house were you at,” she asked with a bright smile.

Hesitating, I searched my head for a name, but I hadn’t really made any friends at school in the 3 years I had been there. The only person I could say slipped out of my mouth. “Umm Hachirou,” I mumbled, mentally kicking myself because this was going to raise a wave of questions.

She stopped for a second and stared wide-eyed. Her lips slowly moved into a gigantic grin. “You and Hachirou, eh?” she chuckled.

My face felt hot, as I fumbled to come up with something to say, that she had the wrong idea, anything! “It’s not like that!” I shouted, covering my face with my hands. “I had just bumped into him after work and we played video games until late, so I decided to crash at his place! Nothing more, nothing less!”

She frowned for a second, but started smiling again soon after. “Whatever you say, Adrianna. Whatever you say.”

She sauntered away giggling, leaving me face in hands, getting caught up in my lie. I quickly texted Hachirou the lie, so that he was in on it. I didn’t want Yumi to find out who I really was with...

҉҉҉

               The next couple days had passed slowly. Classes then work, classes then work, classes then work. The cycle was driving me off the wall. Every time Hachirou and I would hang out; Yumi would be watching and waiting for any sign that we were together. And when we would be hanging out in a group, Yumi would leave us alone for long amounts of time. She was pushing us to be together and Hachirou didn’t seem opposed to that idea. He was a great person, but he was just missing that one thing that didn’t make me attracted to him. I wasn’t quite sure of what it was, but I knew I would recognize it when I saw it.

               Straining to see over the pile of text books in my hands, I knew the stairs were coming up, but I couldn’t seem to find them. Taking another step, I placed my foot down on air. The books tumbled out of my hands and skidded down the steps. A hand was wrapped around my waist to stop me from falling down the stairs. The person pulled me towards them and away from the stairs; they slowly released me and stepped back. Turning around to bow and thank them, my eyes met Hachirou’s hazel eyes. “Hey Hachirou, thanks for stopping me from toppling down the stairs like my books.”

He grinned slightly and nodded, “Last thing I would want is for you to fall down the stairs and hurt yourself,” he frowned.

“Last thing I would want too,” I mumbled as I rubbed the side of my face awkwardly.

He shifted his weight from foot to foot for a second, all while looking intently at the ground at our feet. His eyes flickered up to my face and stared at me for a second. “So what was that lie all about?” he asked after a moment of silence had passed.

I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket and glanced at it. “Oh sorry! I’m going to be late for class!”

Without another glance at Hachirou, I ran down the stairs, picking up my abandoned books on the way, and jogged to my next class.

҉҉҉

Sprawled out on the floor of the living room, I was circled in text books and papers. Highlighter at the ready, I started studying different forms of animation for my test next week. My abandoned phone that lay on the kitchen table sprang to life as I got an alert for an incoming call. I sighed while ninja-stepping around all the loose papers on the ground. Without checking who it was I brought the phone up to my ear and said Hello.

“Hey Adrianna, it’s Tsuzuku.”

Straightening up quickly from my slouchy posture in surprise I glanced into Yumi and I’s shared bedroom, making sure she wasn’t listening, from there I could see the bathroom door closed, so I assumed she was in the shower. “Adrianna?” he repeated.

“Ah sorry! What are you up too?” I asked.

He chuckled, “You seem like a bit of a scatter brain tonight. I’m just working on lyrics to a new song, and I thought why not invite Adrianna to my next Tokyo live? So I was wondering if you can come? It’s next Thursday and you can bring Yumi too, and afterwards we could go out drinking, if you want?”

I hesitated, “I would love to go, but how am I suppose to tell Yumi I got the tickets? I haven’t told her we’ve exchanged contact information and she doesn’t know I stayed the night at your house.”

His voice became less enthusiastic, “Oh well. That’s fine I guess, I just really wanted you to be there,” he mumbled.

My heart dropped a little at the tone of his voice, I could feel the guilt he was piling on unintentionally. “Well, I guess I would be considered a bad friend to you and Yumi if I didn’t go to support you and pass up tickets to Yumi’s favourite band.”

I could almost feel him grinning through the phone. “So you’ll go then?”

I nodded, and then realized I was talking to him on the phone and said yes.

“Awesome!” his mood brightened in an instant. “I’ll mail the passes to you then, so you can watch backstage.”

After telling him my address, I hung up and slouched back on the couch. Yumi skipped out of our room and fell into the couch beside me. Her hair was wrapped up in a towel and she was wearing floral pjs and slippers. She propped her feet up on my lap and leaned back. “So who were you talking to?” she asked.

I froze, “Why do you want to know? Were you listening?”

She frowned, “I’m just curious! Geez…”

“Sorry, I’m just kind of stressed out today…” I sighed while rubbing my face. “Are you doing anything on Thursday?”

“No, why?”

“It’s a surprise, so keep that day free!”

“Ahhh you know I hate surprises! Just tell me!” she laughed

“No way! I want you to be totally surprised!”

҉҉҉

The passes had arrived in the mail a few days earlier, they were know safely tucked away under my futon for Thursday. I also didn’t want Yumi to know yet, even though it was the day before. I was back in the college, hand aching as I wrote the test for one of my animation classes. I had already been writing it for an hour and my hand felt as if it was going to fall off. I was not excited for exam time. After I had finished I walked out of the room stretching. From school I walked to the café and started my afternoon shift.

A couple hours had passed and it was now about 2:00 pm which was the slow time. I walked around the café polishing tables and helping the very few customers that were there. The little bell on the door dinged as a person walked in. I turned and bowed at them, greeting them to the café. When I raised my head I met contact blue eyes. “Hey Adrianna, I didn’t know you worked here?”

I grinned at Tsuzuku, “I’ve worked here for a long time, ever since I moved to Japan, since it’s close to my school. What brings you to Harajuku?” I asked as I led him over to a table to take his seat.

“Just meeting some friends,” he smiled.

Since the café was slow, I spent an hour talking to Tsuzuku while he ate.

“Favourite GazettE song?” he asked, his face stuffed with a burger.

I laughed at the ridiculous look on his face, “Definitely My Devil on the Bed!”

“Ohhh, little girl likes a song,” he taunted me.

I glared at him and playfully shoved his shoulder.

“So you’re going to my concert tomorrow right?”

I nodded and grinned, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

I got home a little after nine to Yumi humming as she made supper. I greeted her and slipped into our bedroom. I pulled out the little backstage passes that Tsuzuku had sent me and brought them out to the kitchen behind my back. “Close your eyes,” I said smiling.

She gave me a confused look, then complied. I set the passes in her outstretched hands and told her to open her eyes. There was a moment of silence as she examined them. A shriek broke the silence as realization sunk in. “HOW’D YOU GET ME BACKSTAGE PASSES? OHMYGOD I’M SO EXCITED!” she screamed, dancing around the kitchen.

“I have my ways.”

She enveloped me in a hug, saying Thank you over and over.