A few minutes
after they finished the last exam her idiot brother came up with
another of his harebrained questions.
It was brain-dead
to the extent he immediately regressed from 'brother' or even 'bro'
to 'idiot brother' in seconds. In what alternative universe would she
be able to solve the love problems of her best friend, the fifty year
old supermodel with men clinging to her like grapes. The one who
decided to cut off the man who must have been the love of her life,
and who was Noriko's first love as well.
“But
I promised I'd ask you.”
And that makes
it better exactly how? Noriko
stared at her idiot bro. Did we really have the same
parents? “Fine, you asked.”
Ryu's
face lit up enough for Noriko to glare at him.
“You're
on your own with this one. She hands him crap chocolate and he
returns a million yen ring?”
Ryu
nodded.
“And
how did you expect me to talk them out of that kind of monumental
idiocy? Moron, is it contagious?”
That
he nodded again didn't make things any better.
You really
thought I could? Gods! “Ryu,
they're beyond help. They're so disgustingly stupid I feel ashamed I
fell in love with one of them. So should you.”
She
had to keep her voice down. Ryu was still Ryu, girlfriend or not.
When anyone spoke with him people tended to eavesdrop. The midget
sister equipped with an
up and rising model as boyfriend didn't make it any more discreet.
Thinking
of Nao soured her mood some more. He worked more than could be
accounted to Kuri's well paid prison. Her
amazingly paid prison. Noriko guessed Kuri alone made more than
Urufu's company, and the way
Urufu worked the last month
money kept pouring in.
Broken and
rich. Is money really worth all that?
But money wasn't part of it. Noriko knew that. Working to death as a
means to escape the trap they built of themselves, to pretend they
didn't notice how much they each hurt the one they loved the most.
If
that was becoming adult, then Noriko would stay a child for the rest
of her life.
“You're
silent, sis.”
Noriko
fidgeted a bit. Sorry, forgot you were here.
“Follow me!”
She
led her idiot brother down the stairs, en route their lockers and
through the entrance. Not until she reached the line of sakura trees,
which already showed signs of breaking out in beauty, did she stop.
“Master
of morons, I'll help. OK?”
Ryu
nodded. He even knocked a fist to his head like an elementary
schooler. “How...”
“Silent!
Contagious. It's contagious!”
Ryu
stayed silent, and Noriko could afford enjoying spring some more
while they waited for Kuri to show up. Her car already stood waiting,
but it didn't worry Noriko as much now as earlier. A phone-call to
Sato-sensei and car, thugs and Kuri each vanished in different
directions. After Noriko found that out she didn't care, and neither
did Kuri.
Then
the midday sun shone from the entrance, and soon thereafter a halo of
golden hair floated above school-yard gravel. As
had been the routine since she dumped Urufu, Kuri came with a
reinvigorated fan-club tailing her steps. Even the number of
confessions increased.
“Idiot
bro, last chance. Do you really want me to got through with this?”
He
nodded.
Sorry Kuri,
but this will hurt.
Noriko
waited for her best friend to leave the school yard before the
ambush.
“Kuri,
Ryu here asked me why he fell in love with you.”
Kuri's
face clouded over.
“Had
to tell him I can't understand why.”
For
once an angry glimmer lit in Kuri's eyes, but it died as soon as it
awoke.
“Shut
it Wakayama...”
She
didn't have time to allow Kuri's fan-club to get involved. “I mean,
wasn't
all that much there to
love after all.”
A
gust of wind ran along the street. Noriko heard it rustle branches
above her, she heard Kuri take two steps and stand absolutely still,
she heard fan-club members gasp for breath, and she heard strangely
running steps from the school yard. Kyoko? Why are you
running?
“Don't
do it! Noriko, stop!”
I have to move
in for the kill. “Kuri, if you
don't love him, then just throw away that toy.” I'm not
doing this for you Ryu. This is for Kuri.
But her idiot bro knew that. It was why he asked her in the first
place. Noriko was aware of that. He was the catalyst and she the
mover.
“Toy?”
one of the boys wondered.
“Noriko,
I couldn't.” An ember of life lit
in Kuri's eyes.
Yes, please,
we want you back. Yell at me, scream and hate me, but come alive!
“Back
when I wanted him you never let go.” That was grossly unfair and
untrue, but Noriko couldn't afford being nice. “Now when he only
looks your way you dump him by the road.”
Kuri
didn't say anything,
but her silence spoke of anguish.
“Keeping
that ring of his for the money?”
The
gust of wind ran it's course and made a left turn at the end of the
street. Kuri took another step forward and the fan-club growled with
anger.
“Sis,
there's no one like you. Thank you!” her idiot brother whispered.
“Noriko,
how low do you think...”
Got you!
“To any depth. There's no stopping you from sinking even deeper.”
And now I kill her.
“You even made money when Kyoko got stabbed.”
Kuri
looked as if Noriko had slapped her.
“What
happened to the Kuri who came first to Urufu's hospital but last to
Kyoko's. How little is your best friend worth?” I can't
make you two work again, but I can give you a clean break.
Noriko looked at Kyoko who had stayed silent during the assault. I'm
sorry for dragging you into this, Kyoko, but this is my last gift to
Kuri and Urufu.
“Why
would...”
“To
smash what you broke. Kuri, it's broken. Don't try to mend it! Now
off you go to the job you love so much.”
With
Kyoko's hand in hers Noriko watched Kuri get into her car. Ryu stood
behind them
and made sure none in Kuri's fan-club tried to
attack Noriko.
“She'll
hate me, but this is the best I can do,” Noriko said to Kyoko. It
hurt.
“I'll
explain 'some day'.”
Some day. I
just lost one of my two best friends, and I have to wait for 'some
day'. I didn't want this.
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