The place was dark and cold; it was as if darkness took over the earth but there was this constant colours lighting up, not one by one, but at the same time.
Buritsu! Buritsu! Buritsu!
They called as they waved their glow sticks, waiting for the event to start. On the other hand, four girls were waiting backstage, waiting for the signal of the stage assistant. When that signal was made for standby, the four girls took hold of their microphones and as soon as they were in their positions, a familiar sound boomed out to the crowd. At the peak of the song, the four girls went out on stage and performed with all of their might. This was the last of the series of events for the promotion of Deltaδ Ace! and Blitz.
Chapter 16
The place was dark and cold; it was as if darkness took over the earth but there was this constant colours lighting up, not one by one, but at the same time.
Buritsu! Buritsu! Buritsu!
They called as they waved their glow sticks, waiting for the event to start. On the other hand, four girls were waiting backstage, waiting for the signal of the stage assistant. When that signal was made for standby, the four girls took hold of their microphones and as soon as they were in their positions, a familiar sound boomed out to the crowd. At the peak of the song, the four girls went out on stage and performed with all of their might. This was the last of the series of events for the promotion of Deltaδ Ace! and Blitz.
At the end of the show, a feast for the group was prepared by their producers and all of Hello!Project Kids were invited. It is sad that the ones on America can’t come. Someone was wishing they would come.
“Saki? Are you ready to go?” Miya, whom was waiting by the door asked.
“Oh! Yeah. I’ll be out in a sec. You can go ahead.” The older girl, Saki, answered while she was fixing her bag.
“Okay. I’ll wait for you at the lobby.” Miyabi said as she closed the dressing room door.
Saki was nearly finished on placing her things on her bag when her phone suddenly rang a familiar tone. Knowing the familiar ringtone, she slowly took her phone out of her bag and as soon as she looked unto the screen, her usual worry grew. This was the fifth time the girl called her. This was the fifth for this week. She couldn’t take it anymore.
She waited until the ringing ceased before placing her phone back in her bag and all the few other things in her bag; zipping it closed, before walking out of the dressing room and into the hallway. From the end of the corridor, she could see a glimpse of Miya. She got excited as she thought she’ll go together with Miya to the party, but as she grew nearer, she couldn’t help but wonder why Miya was partly laughing. She was talking to someone, but whom?
When the eager Saki walked out of the corridor and finally saw the whole picture, her heart sank. She knew the girl who called her earlier would find Miya easily.
“C’mon Miya. You’ll get to see Captain in the party anyway. Let’s go together.”
“… I can’t. We already agreed on going together.”
Saki’s sunken heart had lifter halfway as she heard Miya declined Risako’s offer. She was about to walk towards them when the persistent youngest girl spoke.
“Please Miya?”
“I’m sorry Risako. I’m going with Saki.”
“But you promised me first! Don’t you remember?”
Saki got confused when Risako mentioned about a promise. She thought of a time when Miya could have spent time with the girl so she can say that. Looking at Miya from a few feet away, she suspected that it could have happened earlier this week, although she couldn’t remember any day that Miya spent some time with Risako.
“Risako…” she heard Miyabi started. “That was a long time ago.”
“But I was still first.” The youngest girl insisted.
“But… Rii… Please understand. I -”
“It’s okay.” Saki suddenly said as she finally walked towards the two.
“S-Saki…” Miya was surprised by the oldest girl’s appearance.
Saki looked at Risako with a slight smile before looking at Miya. “It’s fine Miya. You can go with Risako instead.”
“But… Saki -”
“It’s okay.”
“… But I promised you first.”
Saki shook her head, “It doesn’t matter who was first, Miya.”
Miya looked at the older girl in defeat. She wanted to spend the night with Saki. She promised her a week ago; in that rainy night where she got so worried when Saki left that night to meet up with her parents. It was when she saw Saki as silent and empty like the time she told her about her relationship with Risako, a year ago.
She finally found the new light in her life. Now that she had found it, she feared it will be lost again.
“Don’t worry, Miya. I’ll still see you in the party.” Saki finally said before bidding both Miya and Risako goodbye. Miya couldn’t do anything. She wanted to stop her but the thought of Risako there, she couldn’t. Maybe she is still a little hang-over over her but, it really weighed her decision tonight. She finally looked at Risako with a smile, “Let’s go.” The younger girl returned her smile and they walked together, hand in hand, to the venue.
Saki decided to go back to Miya’s house first as she wanted to leave all her unnecessary stuff behind. She made her way towards the venue but as she was nearly out of Miya’s subdivision, she felt her phone vibrated. She continued on walking as she opened the message. As she read it, she stopped and read the message over and over again. She wanted to believe it was not true but there was no proof it didn’t. She closed the message and continued to the venue in a hurry, as she tried to stop herself from thinking about it. “It’s not true…” She kept on whispering to herself.
When she finally reached the venue, all the guests were so focused at the front and Saki was forced to stay on where she was. People filled the area with mostly excited, but some, surprised, faces.
“Tonight, unexpected news filled this hall and we are really happy to hear the real story from these lovely ladies.”
Saki was curious of this news and so she made her way to the front but as she did, she only saw something she didn’t want to see.
“So you two, was it true that the two of you started dating again?”
“I wouldn’t say it as dating…” the older girl answered, as if she was worried.
“We started hanging out again when Blitz started these promotion events.”
“Wow! That was just a week ago! Say Miyabi-san, how did you fit your date in your busy schedule?”
“It’s not a date. Risako just comes to the venue of our event then we just eat or I walk her home. We won’t be dating soon.”
“Is that so? But we think things are starting beautifully again. Are you sure you’re not going to ask Risako to be your girlfriend anytime soon?”
“N -”
“We decided to take it slow this time. We don’t want to jump right into that relationship.”
“Really now, Risako? But just seeing you guys walk, hand-in-hand, in here, really looked like you’re already a pair.”
“Well, no…”
“Not yet, but I sure hope we’ll be soon.”
Miyabi looked at the girl clinging beside her with a confused and disturbed look. She didn’t thought Risako would lie like this in front of everyone in H!P. They didn’t even talk about dating or even getting back together. Yes everyone knew about them when they were still together, but who even told everyone about their break-up? Only five of them knew; Megumi, Mai, Risako, Saki and herself. Who could have told the whole H!P board and members?
“What are you talking about Risako?” Miyabi asked in a whisper as Risako was smiling at the crowd.
“What do you mean?” She whispered back and looked back at the crowd and finally saw a glimpse of the vulnerable Captain.
“Say, just to prove to everyone that you guys are into that path again, why don’t we see a kiss?”
Miyabi was surprised, “What? Why?”
“So it will be a charm.” The MC stated before making the crowd cheer for a kiss.
“Wait… This -”
“C’mon Miya, it’s just a slight kiss.” Risako whispered to her before glancing back to the crowd where Saki stood.
“No Risako, I can’t. Saki might be at the crowd.” Miya answered her before looking at the crowd, unable to see Saki, who was just in front of them.
At that time, Risako knew she would need to do something to get Miya to kiss her in front of Saki. She could see Miya still looking intently for Saki at the crowd. She called on to her and when Miya looked her way, she kissed her on the lips. It took a long 7 seconds kiss and when she parted from Miya and glanced at the crowd again, the vulnerable Captain was nowhere to be seen.
As the crowd applauded and cheered for the two, Saki was already out the doors of the venue and was running back towards Miyabi’s house, but before she could even reach the house, her phone vibrated and the caller’s timing was perfect. She stopped and answered the call.
“Hello? Saki?” The caller at the other end started.
“… M-Momo.” Saki answered with a smile on her face. She was already crying and she knew Momo would sense it with her tone.
“Saki? Are you okay? Why are you crying?”
Saki just shook her head and took a deep breath, holding her tears off, “It’s nothing Momo.” She paused for a little, quickly wiped her damp eyes and cheek before answering again. “I… I just miss you Momo.”
“I miss you too Saki… but is that really why you’re crying? Do you want me to come back sooner?” The girl at the other end asked with worry ringing all over her voice.
“N…” Saki started, trying to clear her mind and just tell Momo to not come back earlier, but the picture of Miyabi kissing Risako in front of her earlier wouldn’t let her be at peace.
“Saki? Hello? I’m really getting worried. Did something happen? I -”
With all her mind has set her to say, she opened her mouth and said, “I want you to come back…”
“What? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that well Saki?” With the muffled voice of the older girl earlier, Saki cleared her throat first before telling Momo, “I… I want you to come back… now.”
Momo was silent for a second before telling the other girl on the phone that she will come back by tomorrow morning, earlier than the rest.
Finally, she had told Momo to come home. She couldn’t take it anymore. She knew… She knew it would be impossible. And because of Risako telling her she wants Miya back and she’ll do anything to have her again, it looked like, she’ll really get her back. Saki is now, giving up.
Saki finally reached the house. It seemed Miyabi was still at the party. As she entered, she didn’t waste any second on packing her things and walking out the door with it. She didn’t leave any sign of her leaving the place. She was using Miyabi’s extra pair of slippers in the house so it was natural to see two slippers by the door. She left the cabinet doors closed so Miyabi won’t suspect anything. She didn’t leave anything, except her phone on one of Miyabi’s side desks. She didn’t know she had left it. She was too eager to leave. She just wanted to get out of there.
Before she left, she made a phone call, using Miyabi’s house phone to her aunt. She told her she was going to stay for a while with her. As her aunt agreed, she then made her way out of the door and out to the bus stop.
On the other hand, Miyabi was already on a bus towards the bus stop near her subdivision. She was going the other way and she actually left the party earlier than the rest. She felt there was something wrong. When her bus passed the empty bus stop at the other side of the road, where only a girl was sitting with two bags with her, Miyabi didn’t see the girl until another bus stopped near it. When she saw the girl, a part of her said it looked like Saki but she didn’t want to believe that Saki would think of leaving her without saying goodbye.
When she got home, she firstly looked at the slippers and there were two of them there. She thought maybe Saki went back to the party. She continued to walk inside and everything was the same as how they left it before they went to the event that morning. She continued upstairs and the lights were all closed, just how normal it would be if no one was in the house. She opened the lights and went into her room. The room was clean. The room was clean, just how they left them. She looked around and everything was there, except Saki’s bags. It was supposed to be at the other end of the room but it was not there. Miyabi suddenly went into panic. She firstly looked at the bathroom but no one was there. She then hurriedly looked at the cabinets where Saki placed her things and as she opened them, they were empty. She looked around the house, hoping Saki was still there and hadn’t left yet, but as she looked, the thought of Saki not there anymore made her want to cry. She stopped near the stairs and took her phone. She called Saki’s number and it went ringing. She wanted her to pick up but nothing. She dialled her number again and it continued on ringing. That was when he heard the ringtone of Saki’s phone. She followed the sound and led her to her own room. There, she saw Saki’s phone on top of one of her bed’s side desks, lying there and cold. She knew then, she knew that Saki had left for a while now. She knew Saki had left her without saying goodbye. She knew all these, but she didn’t know where she would find her.
“What… What could have made her leave without saying goodbye?” She asked herself as she sat on the bed, starring at the older girls’ phone. “Why?” She asked once again, trying to find her answers from the silence. She kept looking for the answer and when she did, she looked at her mirror, staring blankly on her own face before throwing her own phone unto it; breaking the mirror into differently shaped shards.
“Could she have seen the kiss?” She asked herself as she stood up and walked out of the house. “She had seen it… there is no other explanation for her sudden leave.” She told herself as she took a cab to Saki’s house. She knocked on the door and was hoping she was there. When Saki’s brother opened the door, he told her she was not there and they hadn’t heard on where she could be. Saki’s brother insisted that they would contact Miya when they get a word from her. Miya thanked him before going back to her rented cab to drive her back to her house.
When she finally was in her room again, she didn’t open any lights of her home, she didn’t even bother taking off her shoes, but she went straight to her bed and laid there, staring at Saki’s phone for the rest of the night, until she finally dozed off to sleep.