*Takeshita street is somewhere in Harajuku, Shibuya. Or so wikipedia told me.
Akaya staggered into the bus and exhaled in relief as he found an empty seat. He plopped down almost immediately and stared at the window, trying with every ounce of energy in his body to not look at his watch. He could see Satsuki pouncing on him when he arrive late and he grimaced at the thought. She wouldn’t do that to me, he reasoned. She’s far too sensible for that even if she used to glared daggers and smacked him when he was a few times late in the past.
That was before, he thought reassuringly. He could make a couple of excuses if she was angry…
He felt his cellphone vibrated in his pocket first. His ringtone followed, playing the theme song of an advertisement he’d liked. Akaya gulped and tried to smiled, wishing it was Satsuki calling him and not his former buchou. He could handle Satsuki’s reaction but the older man…He quickly pressed the talk button, dreading the outbreak his old school friend would triggered.
“Akaya,” he heard Satsuki’s faint voice. The bus noisy atmosphere had drowned her voice and Akaya muttered another hello. Satsuki too, raised her voice, making it sound as if she was practically yelling. “HONESTLY AKAYA,” he held the phone a tad inch away. “WHERE ARE YOU? You are VERY late,” she said severely.
He could picture her, standing against a wall, a hand rested on her hips while her free one held the phone. She was probably tapping her feet, Akaya thought. She’s the one that had the tendency to let her anger visibly known. Her eyes would narrow, like a cat, and scanned things throughout-ly while her hand slowly curled into a fist.
Akaya had handled Sanada-fukubuchou, Yukimura-buchou, his mother, his older sister and not to mention Marco. So what should he be scared of? He can handle this! He cleared his throat, attempting to made himself sound guilty.
“Um, I woke up late,” he said sheepishly. He opted for being innocent, truthful and radiating in his boyish-ness charm (or whatever it is that People magazine dubbed him). The WTA organizer and his sister fell for it once so he might as well have a go.
He was greeted with a screech-like tone. “You WHAT? Do you know HOW late you are?” Seiichi-san and all are already here!”
Shit, buchou’s there. He was probably plotting someway of drilling discipline into him again just like old times…Akaya gulped. “Relax, I’m already in the bus. I’ll be there soon,” he scowled when he heard Satsuki grunted. Boy, that lady was all pleasant and that a couple of days ago. And here he was thinking she had matured… He glanced out the window. “It’s four stops from here.”
“FOUR stops?” He flinched at the intensity of heat in her voice. A few passengers gave him questioning looks and Akaya heard silence at the other line. A long sigh was heard and Satsuki muttering, a drop of volume in her voice, “Yes, Seiichi-san. I’ll try.” Akaya stifled a laugh, imagining Yukimura scolding his cousin in his quiet manner.
“You better be quick,” Satsuki threatened. “It’s the traffic okay?” she inquired and Akaya dreaded to think what she will act if it wasn’t. Luckily it was not bad and Akaya manage a smile. “Yeah, it’s okay.”
Another sigh and Satsuki asked again, a tone of suspicion presented, “Why don’t you drive? It’ll be faster that way.”
Akaya laughed curtly. “No I can’t. If I could, I wouldn’t be taking a bus, right?”
“You do have a car right? If I wasn’t mistaken, some company gave it to you a year ago,” she said accusingly.
“It’s missing a license,” he grinned. Satsuki groaned and he heard a sound of a lap. Did she just smack her forehead?
“You are unbelievable.” A sigh was heard again. “Be here quick, KIRIHARA.”
“Um, okay,” he replied.
*
“Where is he,” Satsuki said, staring accusingly at the clock. 15 minutes had passed since she had called Akaya but still, he was nowhere in sight. Yukimura’s secretary had offered that maybe the traffic had made a turn for the worse and Satsuki snarled quietly, as if cursing.
Yukimura had left for another meeting. He was not to attend the meeting for her CM but had come down to offer her luck and to meet his kouhai. But unfortunately, he was late and Yukimura apologized and asked if he could be excuse. Satsuki felt embarrassed but her cousin smiled. “Take it easy, Satsuki,” he said soothingly. “It is Akaya.”
True, it was Akaya—the stubborn and late bird person she had knew through her school years but still, she thought. He could have changed for the better in the period of time they had not met; she angrily conjured and swept a lock away from her face. That man, she thought. How could he even manage to gain the top ten in these years! He must have a heck of a manager; she thought angrily and sipped her coffee.
Her phone rang and Satsuki sighed, thinking it was Akaya. “Finally,” she muttered, “He’s here!” She picked up the phone and answered quickly, “So are you here?”
“No, unfortunately, I’m not, Yukimura,” a familiar voice told her and she felt blood drained from her face. “A-Atobe-san! I’ve mistaken you for someone, I’m sorry.”
“An, apology accepted. I want to catch up to what you have progressed. Though, who is it you could mistake ore-sama as?” Satsuki toyed her hair uncomfortably; she couldn’t tell her boss their model was late, could she? But then again, it was Atobe. He probably already knew it and was making her think the otherwise. She took a deep breath and replied, as calmly as she can, “Kirihara Akaya.”
“Oh? Isn’t he already there, Yukimura?” he asked, it was indeed, curiosity in his voice. Satsuki cleared her throat, “Not really. He’s on the way?” she tried.
Atobe was quiet and Satsuki felt a sense of coldness. What was he thinking? she thought worriedly. “Why is that now?”
Better out with it, she said to herself. She mustered her courage and spoke, quietly, “He woke up late.” The moment she said it she thought how Atobe would thought of her. He’ll probably think she’s incapable and she added, hurriedly, “But he’s on the way, Atobe-san! Don’t worry; the meeting will go on smoothly.”
“He never changed,” Atobe said, a hint of a smirk in his voice. “So he’s on the way now, is it? Who’d picked him up?”
Silence.
“Yukimura?” Atobe asked again, “He is on the way, right?”
“Yes, yes, he is,” Satsuki answered, hating the way how the billionaire could really press on a subject. “He’s on the bus.”
“An,” Atobe said, as if humored by the situation. “I thought he had a car. I remember seeing him in one after the Davis Cup last year,” he said leisurely. “Or he didn’t bring the car over here?”
“He couldn’t actually,” Satsuki said, cursing Akaya in her head. That man had won thousands of dollars and he didn’t take up a driving license? What was the car for then, decoration? She gripped her chair. “He couldn’t drive, I mean,” Satsuki continued, “His busy schedule prevented him from having any lessons for driving.”
Atobe breathed in slowly, as if a predator waiting to pounce his prey. Oh no, Satsuki thought, he’d found an opening. “I see,” Atobe said tentatively. “And we are relying on a busy public vehicle for his transport. He is already late, to top it off, it seems.”
Oh god. He’d really found an opening, Satsuki cried silently. She waited for his words, not liking the way she was depending on his response. But a testimonial is a testimonial and Yukimura Satsuki would do anything to get only the best.
Braced yourself, Satsuki, she called herself. Whatever it is, you can handle it. She sucked in as Atobe’s voice, languid and cool, spoke through her cellphone, “Well then, why don’t you play driver? I heard you had taken classes.”
WHAT?
“I beg your pardon?” she tried, “What did you say?”
“Yukimura, I thought your hearing senses were fine as it is,” came his reply. She frowned, “No sir, I thought I had heard wrong. You wanted me to play driver?” It was true that she had taken driving lessons with Nakao, but she was planning on saving up for her dream car. “But I don’t have a car, Atobe-san.”
“You could take the company’s car,” he said matter-of-factly. “Kirihara could be your friend, but that did not alter the fact that he’s a celebrity, Yukimura.” Oh, he’d win a couple of trophies and he’s a celebrity now. God, what they were saying was true. Stars are impposible! Satsuki deepened her frown. “You’ll have to see that he gets to every CM shooting on time, Yukimura. I expect you to pick him up starting tomorrow to avoid this kind of situation,” Atobe ordered, and Satsuki closed her eyes. There were no way she could go against that order.
She blamed Akaya. Not only was she the one heading this new project, she had to organize the CM and not to mention she is a driver of a tennis player.
Yes, what a wonderful world, she thought as she heard Atobe’s line clicked.
She is so going to give Akaya a hard time. She called Akaya and waited.
*
The bus driver heard a faint ringing tone and the lad at the back of the bus groggily answered it. He scowled, so, he’s finally awake. Took him long enough. He drove on, his eye glancing back and forth between the lad and the road.
“YOU WHAT?” the man’s cellphone yelled and the man grimaced as the phone let out a loud curse. A few passengers looked at the man interestingly. The man, with messy black hair and glasses offered an apology. “I didn’t mean it, you know,” he said, his voice suddenly turned serious. “I’ll get there…I am at…um…” he looked at the window, trying to locate himself.
“Takeshita street!” a young woman replied, hopefully. She and her female companion were flushing at the sight of the man. The man smiled wanly, “Um, thank you. Hey Satsuki, I’m over in Shibuya. What? Huh? Oh—Atobe-san said that? Really, you will?”
The bus driver slowed down, preparing for a stop. “I’ll see you? Okay,” he said a tinge of confusion in his voice. He took his cap and stood up, wanting to get off. The women at the front looked disappointed as he walked out from the bus.
Funny, the bus driver thought, he had a customer once that had slept on the bus and was scolded heavily. And he looked vaguely like him…
The bus driver watched the man, standing on the bus stand sleepily and continued his work.
*
Satsuki glowered and Akaya tried to brush it off with his grin. “What are you doing in Shibuya?” she asked, eyeing him and the bags he’d carrying. Akaya looked at the packages, “Um, shopping? For you, as an apology?”
The ebony-haired woman narrowed her eyes slightly. “It better look good,” she said and unlocked the car door. Akaya slide into the back seat happily, the grin still plastered on his face.
She stared at him. “Akaya,” she let out heatedly. “I’m not your driver, you know.”
He gave a smirk, “But didn’t Atobe-san said you’ll drive me around? Technically, Satsuki-chan, you are.” He placed his arms behind his head and leant against the seat happily. Satsuki scoffed and began to drive, her head flooded with anger.
“You are impossible,” she replied. She began to regret the thought of Akaya being a change adult. Akaya’s eyes were glazed with amusement and she cursed silently. “I thought you already stated that. Are you running out of remarks, Satsuki?”
If he wasn’t a star and a model of her CM, she would have kill him right now, right here.
“Nice to work with you too,” Akaya smiled and Satsuki glared. “Whatever.”
*
The meeting had ended an hour later than she had scheduled. She didn’t care, as long as it had passed. She let out a sigh as the crew dismissed and headed to their respective posts. Today they had an ice-breaking session. She had also laid out the CM strategy and Nakayama, the CM director had looked over her script and told the crew to start filming tomorrow.
Satsuki smiled at Yukimura’s secretary, Ookawa as the older woman passed by. Ookawa was told by her cousin to try to help her and Satsuki, even though touch at Yukimura’s effort, had politely refused it. It was bad enough already that she was working under his friend for her testimonial; she could not afford to have herself in debt with him anymore. She was a grown woman; she was capable of being independent.
“Wah,” she muttered to herself tiredly. “It’s finally over, ne, Ookawa-san!” She smiled happily and took her handbag. Ookawa smiled at her, “Not really, Satsuki-chan. You still have to drive Kirihara-kun back home, remember?”
“Oh,” she said. “I’d forget.” She stretched her body lazily. Just when she thought, her job was over…She looked around the room, searching for the tennis ace. “Eh, wasn’t he here before?”
Ookawa picked up the papers on the meeting table and passed it to one of the helpers. “He’s outside, he said he had to take a call,” she said and gathered all her belongings. She gave Satsuki another smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Satsuki-chan?”
“Yes, definitely. Bye bye, Ookawa-san!” Satsuki waved at her and looked at her cellphone. Atobe had texted her, reminding her to make weekly reports and Nakao had asked her for the electronic company she had visited a month ago. Satsuki sighed and headed to the door but paused when she caught Akaya standing there.
“I’ll drive you home,” she told him and took her blazer by the door. Akaya shook his head, “I’ll pass. I have an errand to do.” He grinned and pulled down his cap an inch. “But you’ll come by tomorrow right?”
“Of course,” she glared. “You’re not going to do anything weird are you? I heard that you stardom people love adventure,” she stated accusingly. He laughed, “Nah, I’ll have that everyday. I won’t do anything strange, I swear,” he added, seeing the look Satsuki gave him. He waved at her, “Ja ne Satsuki!”
“You better be awake by the time I pick you up, Akaya!” she yelled after him and closed the door behind her.
*
Akaya stood still, staring at the ground before him. It was new to him, but it bore signs of people having played there. It was currently empty and Akaya jogged towards it and inspected the court. He tested the ground and the net.
It was already dusk when he had looked at the court throughoutly. Akaya was used to playing on professional-made courts; grass, clay, but he still remembered the sensation, the feel of hitting balls on a Sunday mornings with a few street-tennis friends. He remembered he’d met Echizen and played against him at Riverside Club, the sports club that he’d liked for the friendly people there.
He touched the gate and walked away, back to his sister’s house. His stomach had already demanded to be feed and had to read a few e-mails Marco had forwarded to him.
Akaya vaguely told himself to wake up early next morning for the CM and for practice.
TBC
chapter 8 is coming sometime...soon?
