So, I know I said I'd start my M-rated story soon, but... actually...
I'm not sure what the plot should be...
I've rewritten it several times with different plots, but... Yahiro gets so OOC, haha!
I tried writing an AU where Yahiro is a prince... I tried writing one where Yahiro pretends to make Megumi his girlfriend to ward off insane fangirls... but he gets OOC in both of them!
I'm not sure what to do, but if you like either of those ideas, or have some on your own, let me know, please! (Or better yet! Write your own fanfiction and I will review and say "Ahhh, what a lovely story~!" heehee).
So this is another idea I had, but it was just too... innocent to be M-rated. Sorry, I'll still update "For Better or For Worse", but for now, enjoy this story!
"Yahiro!"
Yahiro scowled and turned to face the girl who was running towards him excitedly through the park, skidding to a stop when she reached the waiting man. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair in disarray; the musical note charm necklace she usually kept hidden under her shirt and flown out and seemed to be bouncing along with her.
"Don't speak!" he automatically retorted to his girlfriend. Megumi held up her eraser board, smiling cheerfully.
\I got the part!/ she was bursting with happiness. \The director said I was meant for the singing role!/
"Of course," he said in satisfaction, rather affectionately. "I knew your voice was meant to win."
Megumi smiled brightly.
\Shall we go celebrate?/
"Hmm? How?" Yahiro shrugged. Megumi tilted her head, and then her eyes lit up.
\Ice cream!/
"Ehh…" he teased. "Let's go, Ant-Breeder."
She puffed her cheeks out, but quickly latched onto his arm, smiling happily as they walked down the park path.
\I just want to spend time with Yahiro!/
"O- Oi," Yahiro quickly looked around. "Let go."
Megumi pouted, but released his arm, looking rather disappointed. It was only recently did the Yamamoto songbird and the Saiga heir decide to date, but Yahiro still wished to keep the relationship a secret, which made Megumi a little…
…nervous.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Yahiro, it was just that, other than the Special A and Sakura, no one, not even Yahiro's parents, were aware that Yahiro was in a relationship. They had even intended keeping the secret from Chitose, but the younger Saiga brother had accidentally picked up the phone once in the middle of their conversations. (Of course, the conversation consisted of nothing but 'scritch-scritch', but Chitose had recognized the sound and immediately blurted out "Why is Onii-sama talking to that grandma?!".)
Still, Megumi was almost glad Chitose had found out; she didn't like this whole "sneaking around with Yahiro" feeling. Since the public assumed Yahiro was still single, a various number of women kept trying to seduce and throw themselves at the handsome, wealthy heir of Saiga Corporation, especially since Yahiro had assured the press that Megumi was just a close friend, and since he displayed little no affection for her in public, the newspapers hadn't bothered to write articles or scandals on them.
It was like she didn't exist in Yahiro's life.
Still… Megumi couldn't stop her feelings of jealousy. Women of all types had approached Yahiro, women more beautiful than her, richer than her, more slender and curvier than her, some who even resembled Akira…
Still, Megumi was determined to make it work. She had worked hard to get Yahiro to notice her, to like her and reciprocate her feelings, and she was not going to let it go to waste!
The two entered the ice cream parlor and headed for their usual booth.
Yahiro ordered their usual (one mint chocolate chip, one strawberry), and the two waited for their sundaes to appear.
\Ne, Yahiro…/
"Hmm?"
\Since tomorrow's our 1-month anniversary, what should we do?/
He swiftly pushed her board down.
"What if someone sees?" he warned in a low voice. Megumi sighed as Yahiro's eyes zeroed in her neck.
"Hey," he muttered quietly. "Your necklace. It's sticking out."
Megumi looked down at the crystal musical note charm he had given her for her birthday. When she had run in the park, apparently it had flung out from her under her shirt where she kept it hidden at all times.
\But no one would know it's from you./ she protested. \I wear things like this all the time./
"You know the deal, Megumi," he warned her in a low voice. "Everything related to me stays hidden."
She reluctantly slipped the necklace under her shirt again, heart clenching.
Yahiro… I'm tired of being your secret… are you ashamed of me?
She immediately stomped out that emotional upsurge. No… Yahiro and I love each other!
…well, maybe not love.
…actually, Yahiro didn't even say he liked me.
…I confessed and he just responded "Me too".
But that's the same! …isn't it?
The waitress soon arrived with their sundaes and placed the mint chip one in front of Yahiro, and the strawberry one in front of Megumi. The two waited for her to turn around and help someone else before they immediately traded ice creams.
Megumi couldn't help a tiny giggle. Yahiro considered it to be "unmanly" to be a fan of strawberry ice cream, and whenever they ate ice cream in public, it was their tradition to order one strawberry, and one other flavor. As Megumi loved most ice creams, she would always willingly take whichever other flavor he had ordered.
It made Megumi happy, to have little traditions like this.
…I can wait. Yahiro can't keep me a secret forever… right?
With that, she began to happily indulge in her ice cream.
"Good night, Yahiro."
He scowled. "Don't use your voice."
She couldn't help a giggle as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He faintly blushed then looked around swiftly to ensure they were alone in the neighborhood where Megumi's house was located, as if anyone would recognize him in his sunglasses and cap. Megumi sighed, head bowing. Yahiro hesitantly wrapped his arms around her.
"Megumi," he murmured softly. "I'm sorry. I know… I know this isn't easy."
\...for Yahiro, I will keep enduring the secret!/
He chuckled as he saw the determined sparkle in her eyes.
"Good night," he whispered as she slipped into her apartment. His eyes followed her as she walked calmly into the apartment complex. It was only after she was in her own bedroom did she bounce into bed and giggle with uncontrollable happiness into her pillow.
"Yahiro-sama, a package has arrived for you."
Yahiro eagerly accepted the box from the maid, and tore it open.
"Finally!" he whispered in relief. Thank goodness… he had been waiting for this specialized item for weeks, and wasn't sure if it would arrive in time, but it had just arrived before the 1-month anniversary.
He clutched it in his fist, and then grinned.
Just you watch, Yamamoto Megumi… I'm going to make you fall more for me than you already have.
He had to stop the stupid grin from emerging on his face from that thought, and went to wrap his gift.
The next morning, Megumi checked her phone, and smiled happily when she read a simple text.
'Taiyou Park. Noon. Bring bentou.'
She couldn't help a slight giggle, but immediately ran to the kitchen. She began to pull out pots and pans from the cabinets, heaping them on the counters. Jun sleepily emerged from his room, rubbing his eyes.
"Me… gumi-chan…?" he yawned. "It's 8 in the morning on a Saturday… what are you doing?"
He blearily read \Making lunch./ on Megumi's eraser board before sleepily nodding.
"Okay… I'm going back to bed…"
He plodded back to his room, shielding his eyes from the brightness and sparkles Megumi was exuding.
Yahiro climbed into his car at promptly 11:45 AM. He gave his gift a smirk as he began to pull out of the long driveway.
He never made it to the park.
Megumi checked her phone and sighed.
He's only ten minutes late… she argued to herself. He'll be here.
As if the phone read her mind, it began to jangle loudly. She swiftly answered.
"Hello?"
She expected (hoped for) a gruff "Don't speak!" on the other end of the line. What she got instead was a teary girl's voice sobbing incomprehensibly.
"Um… hello…?"
"M- Megumi-chan…"
"…Sakura-chan? Is that you?"
Sakura continued to cry, and Megumi heard the phone changing hands.
"Megumi-chan…" Jun's grim voice came over the line. "I think you should come to Tokyo Memorial Hospital. Right now."
"J- Jun… what's-?"
"Yahiro-san's been in a car accident."
...
...
...
...car...
...crash...
Yahiro?
Accident.
Car.
Hurt.
Hospital...
The bentou fell to the dirt ground as Megumi let go of the knot she had been clasping.
"Wh- What are you…?"
No. This is some horrible, cruel joke. How could…?
"Megumi-chan?"
Megumi promptly hung up and ran to the street, hand stuck out for a taxi.
She ran to the front desk of the hospital, too frazzled to take out her eraser board.
"Saiga Yahiro," she blurted out. The nurse checked the list.
"Name and identification?"
Megumi began to paw through her purse, until she heard someone shouting her name.
"It's fine," Akira said hurriedly to the woman. "She's one of us."
The nurse nodded respectfully. "Yes, Akira-sama."
"You… Is this hospital under your family, Akira?" Megumi asked as she and Akira made quick steps down the hall. Akira nodded grimly.
"The Toudou company constructed it, so we technically own this land. I was the first to hear, so I spread the news to the rest of Special A. They're on their way… there's traffic because of the accident, but they said they'd get here as soon as they could."
Megumi gave her a brief, grateful smile, before she finally allowed her quivering, fearful side show.
"…how did it…?"
Akira gave her a sidelong glance, understanding how the sentence was supposed to end.
"I asked my team to do a little research. Apparently… it was sabotage."
Megumi gasped in fright, to which Akira hastily added, "Not to Yahiro!"
"…?"
"The other car. Apparently, he was the leader of some gang that's been terrorizing the area lately. Someone cut his brakes, and he didn't know at the time, so he…" Akira trailed off, shaking her head grimly.
"How… How is…?"
Megumi couldn't even finish the next sentence. Akira sighed.
"The doctor should be out soon."
Megumi suddenly slowed as she saw Jun, holding a sobbing Sakura. It made sense… Yahiro was her best friend at school, after all.
The minute the pink-haired Ushikubo saw Megumi, she immediately flung herself on the girl.
"Yahiro will be okay," Sakura sniffed. "I just know it."
Megumi numbly nodded, still half-hoping this was some horrible surprise for the anniversary… until…
The doctor quietly exited the room.
"Doctor?!"
"How… How is he?!"
The doctor let out a deep, shaky breath.
"I think… we've avoided anything major."
"So… is he…?"
The doctor nodded. "Quite all right, from what I see."
"R- Really?!"
"Saiga-san is physically fine. He has a few scrapes and bruises from when the cars collided. He… He's a little shaken, but he's okay."
Megumi wobbled, nearly collapsing, but quickly collected herself.
\Please allow me to see him!/
The doctor hesitated. "Well, we normally only allow immediate family first."
"His parents are in France," Sakura immediately informed him. "They wouldn't come."
Akira immediately interjected. "I ask for a pardon this once."
The doctor tilted his head in confusion. "Oh… Oh, yes, that's fine, then, I suppose… it's just…"
Megumi impatiently slipped in to the room, eyes immediately darting to the emotionless boy laying on the bed. She couldn't help a sob, which Yahiro looked up at.
Before he could say anything, she immediately flung herself on him, tears soaking his shoulder.
"What did you just say?" Sakura asked, voice deathly quiet. The doctor shook his head.
"Saiga-san informed me that his parents were in Shanghai."
"… they were there six months ago," Sakura managed out with difficulty. "He knows they're in Paris now."
"…he told me they wouldn't come because they were in China," the doctor shrugged. "When we asked for other family, he said his younger brother had been sent to a business camp."
"…Chitose graduated from Seikai Business Camp four and a half months ago," Sakura swallowed. Akira and Jun tensed at what Sakura was saying.
"Then…"
Megumi smiled as she felt Yahiro bring his hand up… then promptly grab her shoulder and wrench her small, shaking body away from his.
"…well, well…"
Megumi's brow furrowed at the calm expression on Yahiro's face.
"You're that Special A girl, right? The twin."
Megumi felt herself growing cold.
\...Yahiro?/
"My, aren't you being a little forward?" Yahiro raised an eyebrow. "Calling me by my first name when we barely know each other, Yamamoto?"
The eraser board fell out of Megumi's limp hands just as the door was slammed open.
"Megumi-chan!"
Yahiro immediately released Megumi's shoulder, eyes widening. He was quick to ignore the long-haired brunette, her eyes carefully hidden from her worried friends.
"A- Akira…chan…?"
Akira approached him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked seriously. He gave her a light grin.
"So… near-death experiences are what allows me to get close to you again?"
An awkward silence filled the room.
"Yahiro," Akira said finally. "I've been… spending time with you for the past month."
"…come again?"
"I forgave you a while ago," Akira informed him. "We… You're at my family's hospital."
Yahiro could only stare in stunned silence. The room was filled with a thick, heavy tension until Megumi determinedly looked up.
\If Yahiro doesn't remember me… surely he remembers my singing!/
Yahiro's eyes widened.
"I'm injured, I'm injured!" he immediately protested. "I don't want more pain right now!"
Sakura gasped, hand covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
"Un… Unbelievable," she finally managed out, tears streaking down her cheeks. "You were the one who called to tell me how much you loved Megumi-chan's voice! You kept me up about it, Saiga Yahiro! You insisted it was beautiful and you wouldn't let me hang up until I said I believed you!"
"…this is funny and all, but I just got into a car accident, so I'd rather you all dropped the act," Yahiro said rather coldly. Akira promptly whipped out her phone.
"Look at that," she hissed. "Does it look like it's October to you right now?"
"March 1" her phone happily glared. Yahiro stared in disbelief.
"No… how…?"
"Yahiro-kun!"
Hikari dashed in, Kei right behind her.
"Kei-kun… Hikari-chan," Yahiro said in his usual sarcastic voice. "To what do I owe the honor? Oh, wait, are you also going to tell me I've missed six months of my life?"
Tadashi and Ryuu, who were behind the two, stumbled in. Apparently, they had talked with the doctor before entering, and had been told the horrible truth.
Yahiro was convinced everyone was the same as they were six months ago.
Which meant…
"M- Megumi…?" Ryuu said gently. Megumi kept her face down, hiding the turmoil swirling in her.
"So… what's changed?" Yahiro lazily leaned back on his pillow, staring at his best friend and the Special A. "And what's up with Yamamoto?"
"…"
"…"
"…why did Yahiro-kun just call Megumi 'Yamamoto'?" Hikari asked, sounding confused and nervous. Kei, who had picked up on the signals, gently led his girlfriend outside to explain.
"Jun," Ryuu said quietly. "I didn't eat lunch today. Want to go down to the cafeteria with me?"
"I'll go with you," Sakura added as Jun nodded. The three left.
"…Akira, you should probably go fill out the paperwork for Yahiro," Tadashi informed her. She nodded and was about to leave… but…
"Wait."
Akira paused, stiffening.
"I… I haven't seen you in so long," Yahiro said softly, voice pleading ever so slightly. "Can't… Can't you stay a little longer?"
Megumi felt hurt creeping up, warm and hot and thick in her eyes. Akira silently took Tadashi's hand, before turning to him.
"Yahiro… I told you I forgave you. Didn't it ever occur to you why?"
There was silence as Akira and Tadashi left, until Yahiro slowly turned his head to the remaining person in the room with him.
"You…?" he said quietly. Megumi refused to look at him.
"What… Who are you to me?" he looked at her, frowning in contemplation. However, the frown dissipated not long after, as another thought occurred to him.
"No… more importantly… how did you get Akira to forgive me?" his voice was now eager, his eyes curious.
Megumi's eyes widened, her breath catching.
"Have… Have I really been spending time with her this past month?"
Megumi's heart nearly broke as she saw the gleam in Yahiro's eyes. She hesitantly began to write, then held out her eraser board for him to read.
\She's dating Tadashi now./
He looked slightly perturbed, but shook his head.
"But… she hasn't been avoiding me."
There was no use lying for that one. Megumi slowly nodded and Yahiro's eyes lit up.
"I see…"
"…"
"…so… Yamamoto. Like I've asked. Who are you to me?"
"…I'm-"
"Don't speak!"
Even Yahiro was shocked to the extent of anger he used in telling her to not use her voice. He gazed confusedly at Megumi, the songbird's eyes wide and surprised. He quickly found a way to cover his mistake.
"I… I mean, it's weird to hear your voice," he muttered. "I almost missed death today, and I'd rather keep it at a distance."
But Megumi could tell; it had been a force of habit. Yahiro was too used to telling her to not use her voice whenever he saw her opening her mouth.
She couldn't help a smile at that. She eagerly began to write… then paused.
\I'm your girlfriend./ was written on the board, but she couldn't bring herself to show it to him. Yahiro was undeniably in love with Akira right now… was she really ready to traumatize him and tell him he was in a relationship with a girl he had no recollection of spending time with?
She took a deep breath, then erased it.
"Well?"
\...I am Yahiro's number one admirer!/
Yahiro stared… then let out a loud laugh. "Why you of all people?!"
\Because Yahiro is my hero!/
His brow crinkled. "You read too many magazine articles, Yamamoto. Haven't you heard the truth from your SA friends? I'm the bad guy, you know."
Megumi just smiled at him, shaking her head.
\Deep down… Yahiro is the kindest person I know./
He gave her a level glance. "How can you be so sure, if you're just my admirer?"
Megumi gave him a cheerful smile that easily hid the tears swimming in her eyes.
\Because Yahiro loves my voice more than I do./
With that, she tucked her eraser board under her arm and ran out just in time before the tears began to spill down her cheeks, leaving a shocked Saiga who simply stared after the enigmatic girl.
An hour later, Yahiro accepted his things from the nurse. Apparently, these were what were in the car with him at the time.
His wallet was in his jacket pocket, as expected. His license had been renewed… but other than that, everything seemed to be the same. Except…
Yahiro frowned at the small, square wrapped present.
Did I get a present from someone?
He carefully unwrapped it… and stared in confusion.
That's a really weird present…
He took out the small, plain, gold locket and opened it. A tinkling song filled the room from the miniature music box encased in the pendant.
What is this song? Yahiro shook his head. It didn't sound familiar at all.
He let out an exasperated sigh before he threw himself back on the bed, continuing to listen to the sad, sweet melody of the locket.
"Megumi-chan…"
Ryuu and Akira exchanged glances.
"Megumi, I don't know if it's a good idea to approach Yahi-"
Megumi suddenly held up her eraser board, a determined smile on her face.
\I will make Yahiro fall in love with me again!/
Special A immediately exchanged glances with each other. Megumi nodded firmly.
\I will not give up!/
"…I support Megumi-chan all the way," Sakura said strongly, coming behind Megumi.
"Sakura-chan?" Jun said in surprise. Sakura turned to him, a sad smile on her face.
"Jun-kun… I watched my best friend turn from a cold, sadistic villain to a real human being, all thanks to Megumi-chan. Without her… Yahiro only knows how to calculate and protect someone else without bothering to protect himself. Megumi… Megumi taught him how much he means to her, and because of that… he realized his own worth... and started to protect himself for her… and then protected her too."
Sakura swallowed. "Do you know what that's like? Seeing someone who you thought was a lost cause, suddenly showing signs of life?"
There was silence, until Jun nodded.
"If Sakura-chan is for it, then I am too."
"If Megumi and Jun are for it… then of course I am," Ryuu affirmed. The rest of the Special A smiled at Megumi.
"You know we're all supporting you," Kei said softly. Megumi smiled gratefully to her friends.
She thought winning Yahiro's heart had been the toughest challenge of her life.
Now… she was going to have to do it all over again.