Debussy's Claire de Lune playing in the middle of the night had awaken Bridgette from her chasing-the-rainbow-macarons dream. She checked her phone to see who's calling her in such a very bad timing, as she assumed that sleep is impossible after what had happened.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Yo imouto! Genki?" A male voice came out of her receiver, asking her how she is.
"Oniichan?" Bridgette groggily answered as she recognised his brother's voice.
"Yeah. Ore da."
"Oniichan?"
"Uh, Yui?"
"Oniichan?"
"Oi, daijoubu ka?" Heiji can't help asking her if she's fine, as she keeps on calling him.
"ONIICHAAAN! AITAI YO!"
Heiji laughed. It's been a while since he last talked to her, surely he missed his little sister. "Ore mo. I missed you, too."
"Hey, are you nuts? Do you know what time is it in Japan? You should've call me sooner or later-"
"Wakatta yo. Wari na. I just wanted to hear your voice." Heiji explained, making Bridgette smile. "So, how's life?"
"It's fantastic! I've got lots of friends now! People here are so nice as always. How about you? Where are you?"
"Luxemburg. Hectic trainings."
"Oh, so you're really giving up your sumo wrestler dream?" Bridgette asked. That question might've earn her a smack in her head had her brother was near her.
"I've never dreamt of becoming a sumo, baka."
Bridgette glanced beside her table. She saw the box of Ladurée in it, and the idea of asking her brother came into her mind. "Ne, Oniichan."
"Hmm?"
"When you fight with a girl, what do you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you just say sorry, or you give her something, say food? Or flowers?"
Heiji stayed silent for half a minute before he laughed at her. Bridgette just muttered some little swear words for him making fun at her.
"Well, usually I just say sorry. But if that girl is special to me, I buy her something to compensate with it." he explained. "Why? Fought with some guys?"
"Uh, no." Bridgette said, feeling lucky he can't see her blushing.
"Is it Shinchan?"
"Uh, no, definitely not him. We haven't seen each other."
"I see. Hey, I've got to go. I just checked if you're doing okay. Catch up with you later." Heiji said, going back to his training. "Take care Yui."
"Thanks Niichan. You, too. I love you."
"I love you, too. Gotta go. Bye!" Bridgette turned off her phone and lay her back on her bed.
"Special, huh?" she mused. "There's no way my sleep will be peaceful tonight."
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆
Aki was a bit down that morning. He's not in the mood to wake up early; he's thinking of calling in sick, taking a day off from weariness in the school.
Bridgette will wait for me.
It's almost six in the morning and he's still down on his bed. This morning is quite unusual- he's always up by 5am, making sure that he'll be at school by half past six. It's his first time to miss his waking schedule.
She will be waiting, and I don't want her to. I must call her.
Anxious, Aki reached for his spectacles, wore it, and grabbed his mobile phone. He's searching his contacts for her name when an incoming call flashed into his screen.
"Talk about coincidence," Aki smiled, pressing the answer button. "Hullo?"
"Aki san!" Bridgette's voice rang over the line. Hearing her voice is enough for him to get up that morning.
"Hey, calm down. Good morning."
"Uh, yeah, good morning. Aki san! I just woke up! I will be late, so please go ahead of me!"
Aki can't help but laugh. Talked about coincidence.
"Ne, don't laugh at me. My brother called me late last night, and I didn't got myself a proper sleep." she said. Aki was half hoping that she at least blushes when she said that. "I don't want you to wait so-"
"I'm still in bed."
"Pardon?"
Aki laughed again. "I'm still in bed. Hey, wanna go out instead?"
★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
Ren was looking around the classroom for a sign of Bridgette. He wasn't been able to spend some time with her yesterday, now she's missing school. He slammed his face on his desk.
"Just where the hell are you? You're making me crazy, you know that?" he said, talking to her chair. Shuu and Haru were just looking at him.
"He's in love with her, huh?" Haru said while taking a bite from his brunch. "I just don't understand him. I don't get how Tsukishiro made him so stupid like that." Shuu answered. He sat down next to Haru and grabbed a tempura from his bento.
"Women are dangerous."
"Nah, they're troublesome." Shuu commented. And they just continued to watch Ren conversing with Bridgette's chair.
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆
Bridgette was waiting for Aki right in front of the Shinjuku station. She still couldn't believe that she said yes to his crazy idea.
"Hey, wanna go out?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not in the mood to go to school today. Let's meet in the train station and enjoy our day."
"Sure."
Bridgette tapped her forehead. "Baka atashi!" She understand that this is a date, but she can't go back now after she stupidly say yes.
Of course he won't be there. We're skipping school, so it's impossible for that dumbass to come along.
"Bridgette! Omatase!" Aki said, breathing heavily after he rushed to her. Bridgette stared at him. "Have you been waiting?"
Tssch! I looked so eager because I was here earlier.
"No, I've just arrived."
"Sorry. Let's go?" Aki said, pulling her by her hand. Blood rushed up to Bridgette's head, her cheek capillaries exploding. She stared at him while they were practically running towards the bus.
"What is this all about?" she asked when they're finally seated in the vehicle. Aki grinned at her. "This?" he asked.
"Yes, this. You are the president of the student government, yet you're the one who suggest that we skip our classes."
Aki laughed at her. His very friendly aura makes her face redden a little more. "Sorry," he muttered. "I just want a break, that's all. Besides, I woke up late, too."
"Then why include me in your not-so-good-example plan?"
"It won't be fun doing this alone, ne?" Aki look outside the bus window. "I just want a day off with you."
★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
Aki and Bridgette arrived at Dogenzaka and wandered at Shibuya 109. He was holding her hand since they took off the bus. She wasn't sure about it, thinking it will be rude to pull her hands out.
"Aki san? Where are we going?"
"Uhm, I thought you would love to go on shopping?"
Bridgette couldn't help herself from giving him a pokerface. Really? You're so clueless for a guy!
"I don't do shopping that much."
"Oh, so what would you like to do then? It'll be a waste since were here at Maryuku." Aki smiled at her. He would look much better if he didn't have that spectacles, no?
A large crowd was assembling by the podium at the centre of the mall, which piqued her curiousity. "Looks like some press conference is going on in there." Aki commented. "Here, hold my hand." He said, face red hot.
"Huh?"
"Uh, ano, eto, there's a very large crowd in here. I don't want to lose you... while we're here in the crowd."
Bridgette stared at him, reluctantly holding his hand. He smiled at her, gripped her hand a little tighter, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't let go, okay?"
They submerged themselves into the sea of unknown faces. Bridgette stopped when he heard a familiar voice speaking in the microphone. She looked around to see who's being interviewed.
"Kirishima kun, do you have a girlfriend right now?" the interviewer asked XYZ's frontman, Kirishima Shinji.
"Shinchan..."
"You alright, Bridgette?" Aki asked, looking back at her when she suddenly made the stop. "You okay?"
"Aki san, can we make it to the crowd?"
"Uh, why?"
"I wanted to see them, you know, XYZ..."
"Oh! I didn't know that-"
"I'm a fan? Yes. I'm their fan. A big fan. Can we please squeeze into the crowd, like now?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆
Takashi Hamasaki was looking into the large crowd. He never expected that their presscon will take almost the entire podium itself. We're really famous, eh?
Like his sister Aimi, Takashi is so fond of going into much of the social gatherings. He's the exact opposite of Yuusuke, who would rather shut himself into his room, writing songs and playing the guitar. He often wonder on how he can still keep an outstanding performance despite being socially inept.
The reporter's question to Shinji makes him wanna laugh out loud. He never expected a straight love question from him, much more to hear a playful answer from a serious Shinji.
"Kirishima kun, do you have a girlfriend right now?"
Now Shinchan, show me some guts and answer this question!
Shinji gave the reporter a friendly smile. "I don't have a girlfriend right now," he started. "I have to stay focus in my career and..."
Kisama, you're playing safe! Takashi grinned at his answer. Something caught his eyes on the left wing of the podium, staring intently at them. Takashi blinked his eyes, trying to recognize the figure who's now smiling at him.
"Yui..." Takashi whispered. He couldn't believe his eyes. "She's in Japan?"
Shinji, not hearing what Takashi said, continued answering.
"I promised someone that I will wait for her to comeback here in Japan-"
"Shin, it's Yui!" Takashi whispered to Shinji as the girl was disappearing the crowd. Shinji frantically scanned the faces before him, but couldn't find a girl that looks like Yui.
"She's in London, right?" Shinji asked, ignoring the reporters who's asking what's the matter. "Ai chan would've told you if she's in Japan right now."
"Yeah, right." he answered, thinking about what he just saw.
Maybe it wasn't Yui. Not with a black hair. Not with another guy beside her.
★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
Aki was confused on why Bridgette suddenly wanted to barge into the crowd only to get out of it after a few minutes of viewing the band. She didn't seem to have the air of a fangirl, screaming around like crazy with every movement of lips those guys made.
I wonder who among them did she likes the most.
"Let's go home, Aki san." Bridgette said, adding to his surprise. "But we just got here," he mused.
"I thought you like those guys. Why not stay a little?" He asked her. He noticed that her face is so red that he can't help thinking that she really like that band.
"Aki san, please don't let anyone know that we're here together."
"But why? You're not enjoying my company?"
"I just don't want to hurt someone."
"How about me? Don't you care if I would get hurt?" Bridgette stared at him, dumbfounded. He then came close to her and hugged her. "Bridgette, please. Stay with me..."
"I want to go home."
♩ ♪ ♬ ♪ ♩ A/N ♩ ♪ ♬ ♪ ♩
I didn't made the cover. Thank you.
That's how Aki looked like after his apparent reject? Can anyone relate in?
Hey, thanks for the read once again. Happy kid here! Arigatou!♡
And yes, it's Valentines tomorrow! Gonna give chocolates to someone? Happy Valentines to all!