By: Cecile Li
Chapter Five The Evil Cat that Nearly Compromised EverythingHe waited in the cold café. These days, he found himself liking the cold. When it was cold, he wouldn't have to think. In the cold, he wouldn't think of her…
So Rui was with Makino now. No surprise, he tried to convince himself. Hadn't he wanted that? Wasn't that why he broke up with Makino? Makino would be happy now, he thought. Without him and the drama and problems he brought, Makino would finally have the simple life she wanted.
He looked out the glass window. Rui and Sakurako were walking toward the café now. Just as he was going look back at his hands, he saw a tiny dog wandering the streets of New York. Then he thought of that perfect day he had spent with Makino, going to the pet store, getting the free tickets to the ball game…Makino actually catching the ball…
Stop it. He sternly told himself. It's over. Makino's with Rui now. And he 'had' Regina.
It had been easy to use Regina to forget Makino. She was so annoying but she really was beautiful and a good assistant. She was moving to Hanazawa Industries. He felt a bit bad for Regina, with her dead sister and crazy father. It must have been hard to grow up like that. She deserved the good luck she was getting.
"Domyouji!" He heard a girlish voice call. He turned his head away from the dog and to face Sakurako and Rui. He let his mind slip to the useless chatter his friends brought. But his heart always stayed on her.
Makino waited in the cold alley. When Domyouji came out of that stupid café made of glass (do you know how many families could live for a year on that stupid glass?), she would walk to him and accidentally bump into him. She would then apologize profusely and walk away.
Makino thought that plan was stupid, but Sakurako had reprimanded her sharply when she said so, and said that her plan would make Domyouji crawl on his knees for forgiveness in the end. Makino gave up arguing when she saw the fly swatter in Sakurako's hand.
But then she saw the outfit Sakurako laid out for her. No wonder Sakurako refused to let her see before she left! Sakurako had laid out a short tank top with a cherry on it and a short white skirt. She placed pink Mary Janes next to it with a note saying, "Wear it, Makino-sempai! 3, Sakurako". The moment Makino saw that getup, she wanted to light it on fire. Horrified, but short on time, she donned the short tank top with the skirt, but quickly pulled a white shoulder shrug on, and put on a pair of white tights with polka dots. So far no unfortunate soul had stopped her and asked how much for a night, because then she'd be inclined to smack them.
She tugged the shoulder shrug impatiently. How long did it take to drink a cup of tea?
Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw a cat caught in a tree. Two little girls were standing under the tree, one near tears. No one was bothering to help them.
Makino looked back at the café. They were still drinking tea and talking. Surely it wouldn't take long to get the cat out.
With that thought in mind, Makino dashed out of the alley.
"Thank you for treating us to tea, Domyouji-san." Sakurako said to Domyouji, looking down modestly. Just because she was plotting to get Domyouji and Makino back together didn't mean she couldn't look at him, right? Or stalk him…or-----
Rui's elbow hit her in the side, interrupting her thoughts. Just as she was about to slap him with her gloved hand, she realized what that meant. Laughing nervously, she smiled at Domyouji and Rui. "Let's go, shall we?"
Domyouji nodded disinterestedly, following Rui out of their booth. Still smiling tensely, Sakurako opened the café door and scanned New York for a certain black-haired, blue-eyed Japanese girl walking in front of the Crystal Flute Cafe. When she didn't find one, she backed out of the doorway, into Rui.
"She isn't here." She whispered tersely to Rui out of the corner of her mouth.
"What did you say, Sakurako?" Rui said in a normal volume, oblivious to her secrecy.
As Domyouji began to notice Sakurako, she quickly smiled again and said, "Nothing!" but didn't move.
Domyouji sighed, irritated. He pushed past Sakurako and began walking out of the café. Sakurako and Rui quickly followed, but no Makino bumped into them. Sakurako prayed in her head that Makino would somehow fly out of the sky and drop on Domyouji, anything! Anything to save her brilliant plan that Makino messed up.
"Hold on! Almost there!" The three heard above them, the speaker talking in Japanese. "Got her!" The voice exclaimed triumphantly. As the three looked up, they noticed two legs covered with tights dangling above them. "Ow! Ow! Stop it, you stupid cat. Stop it! Oh no! I'm faaaaaaaaaaaaallllliiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg!" Then the owner of the legs fell onto Domyouji's perfectly curly head.
Okay, so maybe rescuing the cat was taking a long time, Makino admitted to herself, but drinking tea was an art where you sipped slowly and talked with your guests. It would take ages to drink tea with Domyouji. Besides, she was almost there.
"Hold on!" She told the girls, her eyes intent on the fat white cat. "Almost there!" She reached out and grabbed at the cat. She missed, but tried again. Yes! "Got her!" She exclaimed, excited. Now, she could go back to waiting in the alley. She held the cat in her arms and slowly eased down the tree branch, only, this cat wasn't docile at all and did not like being held so close to an utter stranger wearing a tank top with a cherry on it. The once so sweet looking cat began scratching the bejesus out of her. "Ow! Ow! Stop it, you stupid cat. Stop it!" Makino swatted the cat angrily, but the cat scratched her again and tried to bite her. Makino loosened her grip on the tree and angrily swatted the cat again. Then she felt herself falling. "Oh no! I'm faaaaaaaaaaaaallllliiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg!"
She let go of the evil cat and prepared to break some bones. But as she landed on the soft ground, she flexed her arms and legs. Nope, nothing broken. Maybe there was earth under the tree and she fell on it? As she stood and checked, she realized, definitely not. She had just landed on an extremely pissed off Domyouji Tsukasa.
Makino laughed nervously, patting her hair down, completely forgetting about the fat white cat. "I'm so sorry." She apologized in Japanese. "I didn't know you were there. But thank you for breaking my fall, or else I would've definitely broken some bones."
As Domyouji straightened slowly, his face still hidden, Makino felt a tiny bit of fear. Tiny, but still there. "Stupid woman!" He spat at her, dusting off his jacket. "How dare you fall on me!"
Makino's face heated. Standing upright and no longer apologetic, she snorted in disdain. "And who are you? Are you the president? Are you God? Don't act like you're so important! It was just a mistake! From the way you're acting, you'd think I killed someone or something!"
Domyouji stared at her, just as angry. "I'm Domyouji Tsukasa, heir of the Domyouji corporation! And I am going to sue your ass!"
Makino stared back. "Go to hell! You're just a stupid rich boy!"
As Domyouji prepared to insult her again, something inside him clicked. Stupid rich boy? Makino used to call him that. Makino…
Domyouji closed his mouth and peered closely at her. Makino didn't have black hair and sure as hell didn't have blue eyes, but still, there was something familiar about her.
Makino drew back. Did she slip up? OF COURSE SHE DID! She freakin' picked a fight with Domyouji! She quickly bowed and apologized again. Then she took off, running as fast as she could.
A/N: Hahaha….Sorry I didn't update for so long. I was just….lazy. Okay, I admit it, I am so freakin' lazy….that's why I haven't updated in so long. I'll try to get off my lazy ass and update this within the next month…but don't get your hopes up.
Since replying to reviews in the chapters is prohibited, I'll just reply through the reviews.
Thank you for reading this! Reviews are my anti-drug. :D
-CL