4 X 7 Dreams

Act 2, Scene 11

It's been about a month since the night spent with Hana and Violet. Krist takes another sip of his drink as Yui talks about a deal she's thinking about making with a producer. "It'd be good for you," are the words that make Krist set down his drink and close his eyes.

"The last time you said something was good for me the ramifications made me feel like—," he opens his eyes to see Yui staring at him. Krist leans forward to take his drink once again. "You get what I mean. You can say it, P'Yui. You care only for my career, not me." He leans back in his chair. It feels good to get the words out, even if he's pretty much stating the obvious.

"And if I do?" Yui counters. "I'm your manager, not your mother."

"Still pretty close, though," Krist remarks. "And if it matters so little to you, then please, say it." He brings his cup to his lips as Yui studies him. After taking a drink, he lifts a brow. "You aren't planning to say anything?" he queries.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Yui admits. "I tried to be a good manager to you, to also be something like a mother. Only recently have you tried driving this stake in between us. I just don't know—"

Krist sits down his drink to hold out a hand. "Five months," he declares. "You drove a stake between us five months ago."

"I ruined this?" Yui asks, scooting her chair forward.

Krist slaps his hand down on the table, palm stinging from the action. "Yes! You ruined it when you didn't say outright that you knew! You ruined it when you brought Hana into things! You ruined it when you did everything you could to keep me and him apart!" His face feels hot from the anger in him, that anger simmering into something like rage in his stomach. "All of this is your fault!"

"No!" Yui argues, and the two are drawing attention now—perhaps this wasn't the best place to start a fight. It's too late, however, both of them growing steadily more furious at the other. "You ruined it when you couldn't keep reality from fiction! You ruined it the second you thought it'd be okay to be with him! That was all on you, Krist!"

People are most definitely looking over at them, and Krist worries that he sees a cellphone in the midst, but, honestly, after what he's been through and after what he's learnt, he doesn't think he cares anymore. If anything, this is all the better for him.

"Maybe it was, then!" Krist agrees. His brows furrow and his lips purse as he tries to think of something to say. Finally, he has it: "But I didn't confuse reality for fiction! And I never thought it was okay to be with him!" Something that feels like humiliation runs down his spine, but he swallows down any fear that comes with his next words: "At least... not until now." He wipes at his eyes, at the tears that are there, but not quite spilling yet. "I'm sorry, P'Yui. I can't do this anymore. The deal you made with Hana is up. She gave me the okay." He lets out a breath before looking directly at the woman. "It was never going to work out anyway. Not when I have...," he sets enough money to pay for his side of the meal on the table, "other preferences."

There's not any cheering, but there's no gasping or camera flashes either, so Krist thinks it's okay. He leaves the restaurant with his head held high and one mission in mind.

The only question left is whether he'll succeed in his mission or not.