True Friendship is Never Serene

Chapter 2
True Friendship is Never Serene
 

The Following Day

A knock on the bedroom door caused two bodies to stir amongst the strewn sheets. Fumbling around in the darkness, Tsukino struggled to release himself from his friend's vice grip. This happened every time he happened to share a bed with the slightly younger man. It had been happening for so long that he couldn't even remember a time when it was something weird.

"I'm going to knock once more and then I'm coming in. I won't even care if you're naked." The familiarness of the unique voice on the other side of the bedroom door caused Tsukino to jolt up and subsequently wake Kurosawa from his coma.

"Shi-Ri Chan?" The room owner called out hoarsely, still half asleep.

Like she had promised, 'Shi-Ri Chan' opened the door and peered into the darkness without a care that two men could be indecent.  "You call me 'round then you don't even have the sense to get up and wait to greet me properly."

Shi-Ri was actually Shibata Rin, one of their fellow classmates and one half of the female duo which had belonged to the Ghost Hunters club. She was an odd one alright. Almost as odd as the other one. And from what Tsukino and Kurosawa could see through their eye dust and the shadows, she hadn't changed much. She was a statuesque Japanese-American beauty whom was nearly the same height as Kurosawa, only this time around, the woman had a wealth of flaming red hair and her chest was larger than the last time they had met. Tsukino made a point to ogle despite the unclear view.

"Are you gonna sit there all day, or are you going to make me some breakfast?"

"Shi-Ri Chan!" Kurosawa lunged out of his pit and at the female who was just as blunt as she was during high school.

Unfazed by the full body contact from the man in just his underwear, clinging to her like some kind of hyperactive lima, Shibata patted him on the head and then looked at the other man who was staring at her. "Long time no see, Short-ass."

Tsukino's expression of amazement turned into a sour pout. "Get out while I put some pants on."

"Don't tell me you're still shy?" The redhead mocked her old acquaintance.

"Please don't fight." Kurosawa looked between the pair and then took the newest guest by her arm. "I'll make you something now. Come on." He gave her a slight tug, directing her out of the room before a full on brawl could start. Again…

Some moments later and the trio were now sat at the small family dining table enjoying French toast and fresh tea, courtesy of the resident pretty-boy. Taking a break from the mountain of food, Tsukino cleared his throat and spoke to the female. "I didn't think you'd actually come back here."

Choosing the homemade breakfast over politeness, Shibata continued to shovel toast into her mouth. "Why's that?" She asked as she chewed.

The initial surprise of the woman's legendary appetite disappeared as Tsukino's train of thought progressed. "Well, it's just that after everything..."

"We all lost him. Some people are just more stuck in their bitterness than others."

"Hi-Ka Senpai?" Kurosawa cut in.

"Let's not think about the past right now." Finally finishing what was on her plate, Shibata wiped her mouth with a napkin and then sat back. "I came not just because you asked me, but I have something I can get from this as well."

Frowning, Tsukino mumbled. "Think about yourself, why don't you?"

"Unlike you, I have responsibilities, so I will." The redhead told it like it was.

"Like?"

"None of your business. Do you want my help or not?" She glared at her ex-classmate, awaiting the reply she already knew.

Putting down his cup, Kurosawa patted their air to lower the tension. "Can you two give it a rest? What are we going to do about the Seniors? Hi-Ka Senpai flat out said no."

Taking a sip of her tea, Shibata nodded. "I know. That's why I told Taka."

Tsukino's face dropped at the thought. "What did you tell her?"

Tying her hair up into a high ponytail, the woman hummed. "I told her what you told me and that Kaede said no. She replied with only one thing, 'Leave it to me'."

"What do you think she'll do?"

"Drag him back if she needs to." Shibata shrugged, not really interested in wondering about what was probably going to be a replay of old times.

Kurosawa looked sad at the thought. "Is that right though? We haven't all been in the same place for eight years and their first meeting after all that time could turn out to be a fight."

"You worry too much, Yuki." She gave him a motivational slap on the shoulder.

"I hate to agree, but she's right." The shortest munched on the last of his breakfast with a scowl. "Perhaps a punch or two will wipe that smug look off his pretty-boy face."

Raising an eyebrow in surprise that she'd been agreed with, by Tsukino of all people, Shibata rolled her neck. "There's something else I'm right about too."

"And that is?"

"You remember that dingy, hippy coffee shop in town that we used to hang around in?" The female sat up after flailing around in her seat.

"Yeah, it's still there."

"I know. I passed it on my way here."

"What about it?"

Collecting the used pots, the female redhead headed for the sink. "We should go there for lunch."

"Why there of all places?"

Glancing back over her shoulder and giving Tsukino a glare telling him to come and dry the dishes, the woman noted a fact from the past. "Because that's where Taka and Kae will be when they get here. It was Taka's favourite place besides our old clubhouse."

Mumbling sceptically as he shuffled over to the sink, Tsukino grabbed a tea towel and waited to be passed the freshly washed pots. "You think she remembers that?"

Giving an unreadable grin, the redhead bumped her shoulder with her friend's. "Trust me."

“I’d rather not…”
 

The afternoon sun was at its highest point, but the harsh rays couldn't fully manage to break past the drawn blinds of the humid office. The single worker in said office hunched over his desk, scribbling out paperwork as a desk fan buzzed away in a futile attempt to do its job as the radio played at a low volume. Himura Kaede, now a man of the law, sat by himself as he had done since he started his shift at 6am that morning. He was so into finishing his work that he didn't even notice a guest lingering by the entrance. That, or he just didn't care about her.

The female, a tall blonde, stood in the doorway in silence for a few moments before deciding to speak. "Why are you here?" Her tone was stern, the timbre of her voice even harsher but it held no malice.

"This is where I work," He replied, not bothering to look up, his jet black hair partially covering his forehead as he intently filled out the paperwork in front of him. “which is more than can be said for you, Kujo.”

Unimpressed by the obviousness of the man’s reply, the addressed rolled her neck, causing it to crack before returning her line of sight to her company. "You know what I mean. Why haven't you responded to Yuki's message?"

"I did respond. I declined." Still, the man refused to look at the woman he hadn’t seen in eight years.

Examining the man in front of her with a scrutinizing gaze, she could tell he hadn’t changed much in terms of the icy, uptight aura he radiated. She recalled the teen version: the slender body and the sceptical frown, his introverted disposition around those outside of their little group, and the regal air which enveloped him like the expensive traditional-wear he was forced to dress in while he was at his family estate…That damned cropped hime-cut he sported for a good few years which made him look like a teen heir from a period drama. Given, he was the teen heir of a wealthy family, but that wasn’t the point.

No matter what year he was in, all of the female students would fawn over him and coo as he passed. Even the teachers loved him, and it wasn’t uncommon for strangers to stop in the street to look at him. He had always had a beautiful face, even when he was frowning. It would quickly get annoying when hordes of their peers would shadow their group, squealing and giggling like schoo-Well, they were school children. But, as Kujo absorbed the physical change of the boy who was now a man, she was sure those same small-town girls would lose their minds if they saw him now.

Broad shoulders filling out the powder blue shirt and obsidian locks fashioned in a trendy cut, the man looked as if he was about to take part in a photoshoot despite him merely working at a desk. Eyes fixed on whatever was so important, he paused his writing. “What is it?”

Smile dancing on her lips, the blonde knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle her just staring at him in silence for too long; he had always had an issue with people paying him attention. Straightening up, she nodded to herself. "I'm just glad to see you haven't lost your good looks.” Taking a small cardboard carton from the breast pocket of her leather vest, she plucked a cigarette from it and waved her hand. “That uniform is really great."

The comment caused Himura to glance up. Scowling at the female threatening to smoke in a prohibited area, a police station, thin brows creased slightly. "Why would you say that?"  

Shrugging, the full figured woman dowsed in grey leggings and an oversized top that was on the verge of impersonating an unfastened straight jacket advanced for the workstation. "I just thought I'd get it off my chest now. Y'know, before you start thinking I'm like you,” Putting her palms on the edge of the scattered papers, she rested her weight with a smirk. “all domesticated and shit."

"Excuse me?" His brow quirked with the same-old flat exasperation in his voice.

"Eh~ Why are you acting so shocked?" Humming in a sing-song voice, she prolonged a blink. Straightening up only to turn around the chair facing him, the woman plopped down on it back-to-front and sparked the end of her vice. Pulling a deep breath of smoke into her lungs, she lounged forward.  Folding her arms on the chair back, the blonde rested her chin on top as she kept her attention on her company.

His sharp eyes narrowed as he watched the female staring at him. "It's not something a normal person would come out and say."

"You should know by now I'm not normal."

Placing down his pen, Himura took a deep breath. Grabbing the ashtray from under his desk, he slid it towards the female. "Yeah, after what you said about what happened that July, I got it."

Feeling as if she’d been punched in the gut, the blonde tensed and furrowed her brows. "What?"

"What?" He repeated, confused about her reaction.

 

Updated: 8th April 2018 - 21:16