So... this is really random... but I realized I never wrote a oneshot for Yahiro and Megumi! It ended... not how I expected, but I hope you guys don't mind.
Enjoy!
Megumi checked herself in her full-length mirror for the umpteenth time as she giggled and twirled in her new skirt.
Time for my date with Yahiro… I wish~ she inwardly sang as she went downstairs, grabbing her purse. She checked her watch.
'1:45 PM'. Plenty of time for her to get to the café where she met Yahiro every Saturday at 2.
Megumi wasn't sure why it was, but ever Saiga Yahiro actually agreed (well, sort of) to meet with her on that Saturday at 2:00, the two had met there ever since. It was somewhat of an unspoken tradition between the two of them. Megumi still wasn't sure why he was willing to meet with her, but still… she couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach upon seeing the lavender-haired man.
Megumi entered the café, eagerly looking around and happily slid into the usual table she shared with Yahiro.
Good… she was the first to come, same as always. She checked her watch.
3…2…1…
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Megumi smiled brightly at him, holding up her eraser board.
\It's okay, I just got here./
Ahh… this makes me so happy… it feels like we're really a couple… and he's run all the way here so I wouldn't wait…
"Sorry, did you wait long?"
"Oh, no, I just got here."
"Oh, good... I was afraid to keep you waiting..."
Megumi blinked at his impeccable designer clothes and expensive shoes.
Well, okay, maybe he wouldn't run, but still…
"Oi…"
Megumi's head shot up.
"Eh?"
"Haven't you been listening?" Yahiro raised an eyebrow, and then pulled a mock pained face. "Is that how you treat the man that you love so much?"
Megumi immediately turned crimson.
You despicable…!
Yahiro ordered the green tea bun, as Megumi requested the sweet potato cake. She smiled at him cheerfully as he boredly returned the gaze.
"Oi… how's your singing coming along?"
Her eyes widened and she smiled happily.
\Another producer came to listen to me today! He said I had some real talent!/
"Ehh… so Megumi is actually getting out in the real world of singing, huh?" Yahiro grinned at her, his bangs falling into his eyes and Megumi tried, in vain, to ignore the little 'flip-flop' her heart did.
"Where do you practice?"
Megumi smiled at him cheerfully.
\The park!/
"The park…?" Yahiro raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you just use a recording studio?"
"…"
Yahiro winced as he suddenly remembered the various times Megumi entered a recording studio… and then was promptly thrown out.
"Well… what do the people think?"
\I go at night, so no one hears!/
"Idiot," he snapped at her. "The park's dangerous at night. Why would you go then?"
\Yahiro…/ her eyes widened. \Are you worried about me?/
He smirked. "Of course…"
Megumi's heart pounded furiously.
"…who else would I get to make fun of every Saturday?"
Megumi immediately puffed out her cheeks in indignation.
You… despicable… boy! Why… am I in love with you?
"Anyways, if you're going to sing in the park… just be careful, okay?" he refused to look at her and tried to look nonchalant, but Megumi knew enough.
Megumi nodded, smiling.
Yahiro is worried about me…
The two began to eat the pastries that had come to them and Megumi felt a warm happiness that didn't come from the sweet potato cake.
Megumi smiled happily as Akira poured her a cup of tea.
"Ehhh, Megumi-chan, your smile is so bright today!" Akira shielded her eyes. "What's going on?"
"I bet it had something to do with Yahiro!" Tadashi grinned obnoxiously.
"WHY DOES THAT MORON ALWAYS HAVE TO BE BROUGHT UP!?"
Megumi winced as Tadashi flew to the ceiling of the greenhouse, then fell to the ground with a resounding 'crash'.
"Jun-kunnnnnnnnn!"
Jun braced himself just as his girlfriend launched herself on her 'prince'. Ushikubo Sakura pouted as she hugged Jun firmly.
"Mouuu, Yahiro that meanie…"
Megumi turned her attention to Sakura when she heard her crush's name.
"Ne, Jun-kunnnnn," Sakura looked up at her boyfriend with puppy-dog eyes. "Could you go and beat up Yahiro for me?"
"…"
You could probably beat him up better than Jun could… was the general thought of everyone in the greenhouse.
"Why? What's wrong with Yahiro-kun?" Hikari asked curiously. Sakura shrugged.
"Ever since Saturday, he's been acting like a complete grouch!"
Megumi backed away quickly, biting her lip.
Saturday…? Did… Did I do something wrong? Is Yahiro mad at me?
…he couldn't be, Megumi reassured herself. I didn't do anything particularly offensive. Right?
Friday rolled around, and Megumi was now completely convinced Yahiro must be furious. Usually throughout the week, she would text him various things, like "Make sure you eat your meals properly!" , or "It will rain today, so make sure to leave the house with an umbrella!".
To that he would respond with a message like "I hope you remember you have to diet", or "If you speak at all this week, I will draw on your face, little girl". This week, however, there was no such message, even when she sent him her worried messages slightly more than usual.
Finally, there was one message she had received, late Friday evening. Megumi read it… then felt her eyes go wide with shock.
'Sender: Y. Saiga'
'Don't come to the café tomorrow. I won't be there.'
Megumi bowed her head… then clenched her fist.
Megumi stomped out of her house the next day, not bothering to check her reflection a million times this time. She was so angry, she couldn't even think.
How dare Saiga Yahiro tell her to not come? It was a tradition between the two of them! Two, as in an agreement! Why did he get to say whether she went or not? What if she was in the mood for a milkshake? Well, she would go and darn well get it!
Saiga Yahiro had some nerve, telling her to not come! It wasn't like he was the only reason she went!
She stomped to the café at 2 on the dot, fury welling in her like a fire. She would have a nice time without him! Maybe some nice, good-looking, undespicable guy would see her and talk to her and she could invite him to eat with her and… and…
Megumi froze in her tracks, right in front of the entrance, when she saw a familiar head of pink hair in their usual spot. His back was to her, but she would recognize that shade of color and that designer jacket from anywhere. But that wasn't what shocked her the most.
What shocked her was the gorgeous, busty giggling woman who was sitting across from Yahiro. The woman was smiling at him… and then… Megumi watched as Yahiro put his hand on top of hers.
Megumi felt something strange inside herself, sort of like the feeling one got when they heard a piano keyboard being clanged on, the chord not matching at all. So… So Yahiro was into older women…
And they were sitting at their table. The table where Megumi first waited for him on their first 'date'. The table where she and Yahiro met every Saturday.
Suddenly, the woman, who had been speaking, seemed to notice Megumi near the entrance. She grinned and said something to Yahiro, then indicated towards Megumi. Yahiro whirled around, eyes wide. Megumi opened her mouth to yell at him…
…but then she looked at him, really looked, and the words died on her tongue. His deep violet eyes were staring at her, and she felt her stomach drop as a cold, hard truth sank in.
…why am I trying to fool myself? Yahiro and I aren't dating. In fact, he's welcome to be here with whoever he wants.
Why should I care?
I care….
I care because…
…
…because…
…I care because I'm still in love with him.
…
…
…
…and he is never, ever going to feel the same way.
Yahiro gaped at her, open-mouthed, then finally hissed out, "Idiot!", snapping Megumi out of her thoughts.
"I told you not to come!" he snapped. Megumi felt that same cold, sinking feeling in her stomach.
Is Yahiro… embarrassed of me? Did I ruin his chances with this beautiful woman?
She apologetically backed away, and Yahiro suddenly noticed the tears in her eyes.
"O- Oi…"
"I- I'm sorry!" she managed to squeak out, then ran out as fast as she could.
How strange… she mused as she ran home. Everything looks different blurry.
She forced herself not to let her tears overflow too much until she reached home… then she slammed the front door, ran up to her room, collapsed on her bed, and cried.
Yahiro turned to the woman in frustration.
"Aunt Saeko…" he gritted his teeth. "Do. You. Mind?"
"Ehhhhhh, Yahiro-kun!" his aunt giggled. "I was right! You do have a crush on that girl!"
"No, I don't!" he protested, then glared at her. "Now lift your hand!"
"Maaaaaake me," Aunt Saeko stuck her tongue out, then flicked a long strand of auburn hair over her shoulder. Yahiro growled and grabbed her hand again, trying to force his aunt to take her hand off of a certain object on the table. Finally…
"Ahhh, Yahiro, you bully, you could have let me have my fun," Saeko pouted as Yahiro snatched up the picture of Megumi his aunt had swiped from his wallet and had been holding prisoner under her palm.
"Aunt Saeko, for the last time, go home," he snapped. Saeko began to mock sob, throwing her head into her arms.
"Yahiro's so mean!" she bawled. "When I'm in such a horrible situation!"
"You and your fiancée fight every two weeks!" he shouted. "And you always stay at someone else's place! So why does it have to be mine!?"
"Well, Yahiro… it's not like you have a girlfriend who'd feel jealous of me, neeeeeee?" his aunt giggled coquettishly. "After all, I'm so young-looking, all of Yahiro's friends must mistake me as his girlfriend sometimes!"
"…what are you talking about, you're only a few years younger than Mother."
Saeko immediately slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shh! Brat, that's supposed to be a secret. I'm in my 20s, not middle-aged!"
"Well, it doesn't matter how old you are, because you act 16!" Yahiro roared. "Do you know how long it took to clean up your mess yesterday? I can't believe you tried to sneak alcohol to minors! That's the fourth time I bailed you out of jail this week!"
"Awww, did I distract Yahiro-kun from texting his girlfriiiiend?" Saeko said in a singsong voice. Yahiro lowered his head.
"That's not my girlfriend."
"I know."
Yahiro looked up. "How…?"
"If that was your girlfriend, she would have come up and pushed me away," Saeko couldn't help a laugh. "You didn't see it, but that girl's got some fire. She was practically spitting when she came in here. So who is she? Ex? Admirer? Stalker?"
"A… She's a… friend," Yahiro finally ended lamely. Saeko raised an eyebrow.
"Ehh… Yahiro, you're the kind who keeps his friend's pictures in his wallet? How… dedicated of you."
"…she's in love with me," he admitted. Saeko shrugged.
"And you like her back. What's the problem?"
"I… I don't know if I can like her back."
Saeko's eyes darkened. "With your kind of household… I'm not surprised you don't know feelings all that well."
"I don't know why she even puts up with me in the first place," Yahiro shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. Saeko rolled her eyes.
"It's because she cares about you, idiot."
"Anyways… it's… it's fine. She likes me for now. I… I'll just hold onto this moment. It's fine… like this. It's fine."
Saeko raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," Yahiro snapped back immediately. Saeko shrugged.
"If you sayyyyyy so," she stood, then picked up her expensive purse. "Thanks for letting me tag along, Yahiro-kunnnnnn."
"What are you talking about, you kept telling me you were going to come to this, no matter what, all week," he retorted. "I had to tell Megumi to not come or else you'd scare her off, and she still came, the idiot…"
Saeko shook her head as she released a sigh. "Sometimes, I wonder if Chitose got all the brains in the family."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Saeko smiled blandly at him. "Yahiro. I want you to think about it. You just told that girl she shouldn't have come."
"…and…?"
"Sit here, put yourself in Megumi's shoes, and then you should probably chase after her."
With that, the ex-supermodel walked out the door, looking as carefree as usual, leaving Saiga Yahiro to sit at the table, glaring at her drink.
What is she talking about?
Over the week, Yahiro began to see what his aunt meant. Normally, Megumi would send him those little messages that (he would dare never admit it out loud), made him feel that annoyance of secret pleasure, knowing that someone was out there worrying about him. But this week…
Megumi hadn't sent him anything. Normally, he only sent messages in response to hers, but she hadn't sent anything, and he was starting to get somewhat worried.
…but not about her. I'm just worried because she's probably mad, which probably means she'll use her voice, the idiot…
…which means I'm worried.
Yahiro sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, then flipped open his wallet. It was a picture from a few months ago; after one of their Saturdays, Megumi had dragged him to take one of those stupid couple shots at the park. She giggled when the photographer called them "an interesting couple". The stupid girl probably didn't even realize that wasn't a compliment…
…but knowing Yamamoto Megumi, she wasn't happy about that. She was happy because the photographer had called them a "couple".
What was it about him that made her like him so much? He just had to wonder. Akira, the only one who bothered to see the real him, had rejected him harshly. Megumi had seen the real him, the weak, despicable him… if anything, she saw a worse side than what Akira had seen. So why didn't she just throw him away too?
…it's because she cares about you, idiot.
His aunt's scathing voice rang in his mind, and suddenly, Yahiro felt very alone.
He had always been looking behind, looking for a woman who didn't want him that he hadn't bothered to face forward, to see someone handing him her heart.
I will give this to Yahiro… Megumi's loving expression flashed into his mind, her hands outstretched with the Happiness Stone. So that he can give it to the person he likes.
Yahiro suddenly remembered Megumi's expression last Saturday, of hurt and shock, before she had turn on her heel and fled.
And then it sank in.
"Dammit, Aunt Saeko!" he bellowed as he grabbed his phone.
Megumi gulped as she heard her phone ring with the specific ringtone that implied she had a message from Yahiro. She hoped it wouldn't be something about meeting tomorrow. She couldn't face Yahiro and that gorgeous woman again. She had looked up the woman (admittedly using some of Ryuu's resources and investigation team), and found out she was apparently an ex-supermodel: Kanda Saeko.
Well… how was she supposed to compete with that?
'Sender: Y. Saiga'
'Hey, crybaby. I saw you on Saturday, so don't pretend you didn't come that day. I bet your face is all swollen and ugly now from all that crying, huh? Don't forget to practice your singing, or else you'll get worse and I'll have to draw on your face again. The man you love so much will be looking forward to hearing you sing next time.'
Megumi's jaw dropped. Not only did he insult her, he kept insinuating that stupid 'man you love so much' running gag!
You despicable guy!
She stuck her tongue out at the screen with the message before closing her phone and tried to get some sleep, ignoring that weird, burning ache in her chest.
Sender: Y. Saiga
'Oi, you're never late. Where are you?'
Sender: Y. Saiga
'I'm here already, and you aren't. Is this really how you're going to treat the man you love?'
Sender: Y. Saiga
'Oi, idiot, are you coming today or not?'
Sender: Y. Saiga
'Megumi… where are you? Are you okay?'
Sender: Y. Saiga
'Megumi, please come. I lied to you about last week, but I wanted to explain today.'
Sender: Y. Saiga
'Megumi, you've never missed our Saturday. What's wrong?'
Sender: Y. Saiga
'Megumi, if you don't respond in 10 minutes, I'll assume you were kidnapped, and I'll have to send out my investigation team to find you.'
A few minutes later, Yahiro's phone rang. He felt his heart leap momentarily, but then realized it wasn't the ringtone set for Megumi.
"Hello?" he said dully. He heard an exasperated sigh on the other end.
"Yahiro," Sakura said clearly. "Megumi told Jun to tell me to tell you that she's just fine, so don't bother sending out the team."
Yahiro unclenched his jaw. "Well, you tell Jun to tell her that I'm going to wait here until she comes."
There was silence on the other end, until…
"Why do you care so much?" Sakura asked finally. "It's not like you two are an actual couple."
Yahiro had to pause for that one.
"Because…" he finally muttered, voice lowered. "…that stupid idiot worries me."
"Worrying about her isn't going to cut it, Yahiro," Sakura retaliated. "You can't worry about her, then take ex-supermodels on dates."
"That's my aunt, that's my aunt!" he roared, then quieted when he saw the weird looks he was getting from people in the café. "I know she might think I'm despicable, but I would never date my own aunt!"
"…your aunt is Kanda Saeko?"
"Unfortunately…" he muttered. There was silence on the other end, until...
"…oh my gosh, could you get me an autograph?!" Sakura squealed. "I loved her Lior edition in the spring catalog of-"
"Sakura!" he snapped. She cleared her throat.
"Oh… right, sorry, not a good time."
"Anyways… I just want Megumi here," he said tiredly. There was a pause.
"Why?" Sakura asked bluntly. "It's not like she's your girlfriend."
"Can't I still be worried about my friend?" he bit at her. Sakura smiled, an act Yahiro couldn't see.
"Yes, you can. But… friends don't meet every week at the same café, have the same table, then run out crying when they see the person with someone else."
Yahiro felt his throat stick, but he quickly cleared it. "Well… I want her to tell me that, then."
"…she's practicing her singing."
And with that, Sakura hung up. Yahiro just glared at the phone.
Singing? How is that…?
And then it hit him. He mentally thanked Sakura before he ran out of the café.
Megumi was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was almost no one at the park when she arrived around 4. There were some children with their pets, but they were across the field, so it should be fine. Megumi cleared her throat, and began to do some vocal exercises.
"Oi!"
Megumi's eyes widened as she turned around to face a very furious, dripping with sweat, Saiga Yahiro. Her eyes held disbelief as they looked at his sweat-soaked designer clothes and his scuffed expensive Italian shoes.
I guess… Yahiro can run too.
"Where have you been?!" he snapped. "This is the first time you've been late!"
"…wait here."
"Huh?!"
Megumi smiled and opened her phone, showing him the text he had sent yesterday.
\I will sing for you./
Yahiro just stood, dumb with shock, as Megumi walked up the stairs, same as last time. She took a deep breath, and soon, the melody that the two of them knew by heart, soared out.
Yahiro simply watched her, forgetting his bedraggled appearance. Sometimes, the sheer power and smoothness of Megumi's voice shocked him to the point of wishing… he actually wished...
A tiny part of him wished, deep down, he hadn't met Akira. If he hadn't, would he have accepted Megumi as a normal contender for his feelings, and gone out with her, like a normal man and a normal woman?
But… this song…
Yahiro's brow furrowed. Why did it sound so sad? The answer came when he saw: Megumi was crying again, but her voice didn't change. The tears only emphasized the desperation in her voice as she sang even louder. Finally, the song came to a close, and Megumi slowly walked down the stairs to meet him.
"What are you-?"
\Yahiro…/
She took her board and began to scrawl something.
"That woman was my aunt."
Megumi immediately paused, looking up in surprise.
"She's… She's my mother's younger sister," he muttered. "My mother was originally a Kanda."
Megumi blinked… then smiled happily.
\I am happy to know this, then./
"…then why are you still crying, silly girl?" he murmured, unable to tear his eyes away from the moisture-filled pools of amber. Megumi smiled at him again, but this time, her smile looked more broken.
\I am crying because I love Yahiro so much./
Yahiro took a step back, trying to register the words. "Wh-?"
\I love Yahiro. Yahiro has been despicable, but I still want to see Yahiro smile and feel loved and never get hurt./
"…why are you telling me this?"
Megumi's smile faltered even more.
\Because I am trying to say… that I know that it is not me who can give Yahiro his smile and love and protection./
"And why not?" he said rather forcefully. Megumi lowered her board and shook her head.
\I have loved Yahiro for this long. We have met every week… and soon, it will hurt too much./
"What hurts?" he asked immediately. "Just tell me, and I'll-"
"Yahiro…" her voice came out, soft and sad and trembling. He froze.
"I can't keep doing this," she whispered. "I feel too happy when I'm with you… so it hurts more when it's over."
"We're not going to stop meeting over something that stupid, are we?" he forced out a laugh. "Come on, Megumi… what's wrong with meeting like this?"
"…I want to be Yahiro's one and only person," she looked up in determination. "But… if I can't… meeting you hurts too much."
Yahiro found himself unable to say anything, and Megumi bowed her head, before raising it, a smile on her face.
"…Megumi…?"
"Well… I'm… I should be getting home," she managed to choke out.
I was right… I'm a bad liar. Trying to smile with tears on your face isn't very deceptive.
"G- Good bye," she murmured, and began to run away, past him, away from this spot of painful memories. She suddenly paused, and clenched her fists.
Just… one last time.
"Yahiro!"
Yahiro turned… to see Megumi, tears trailing down her face, a cheerful smile still shining through.
"I hope you had fun today!" she cried out, before she whirled around and continued to run. It was only after Yahiro realized that she was gone did he kick himself into gear and run right after her.
Megumi reached the edge of the park, before someone grabbed her shoulder from behind. She let out a shriek and began to struggle.
"Stop, stop!" Yahiro yelled, holding on to her shoulder. "It's me, geez!"
"Wh- What are you doing?!" Megumi was thankful her back was to him, so that he couldn't see his face.
"Well, isn't that sort of rude?" he smirked. "You give me such a blunt confession, don't even wait for my response, and then just run away?"
"…you don't love me," Megumi said simply. "That's all the confession I need."
"…you're wrong."
Megumi immediately stiffened. "P- Please don't."
"Don't what…?" he murmured, his lips nearing her ear.
"Please don't… give me false hope," she whispered. "I can get over you, Yahiro. I will. You don't need to worry about me."
"I don't want you to get over me," he interrupted. "I… Didn't it ever occur to you why I kept meeting you every week?"
"…"
Yahiro hesitated, but slowly slid his arms around her small frame.
"Your feelings made you go that café, made you wait there until I came, made you put up with my teasing and my jokes… why didn't it occur to you that I felt the same way?"
"Because… you… you don't…"
"Look, Megumi…"
He gently turned her around so that they were face to face. Her tears had dried, but the expression on her face was so heartbroken, he had to swallow first. He wanted to stroke her cheek, to make the pain go away.
"Megumi…" he sighed. "Don't get me wrong. My feelings for you are the same as yours are for me."
"…then why-?"
"I don't dislike you… I just dislike relationships."
Megumi tilted her head.
"I don't… I'm afraid, okay?" he finally admitted. "I don't know what could happen if we're in a relationship. Too many things… end up badly for me. If we entered a relationship, and grew tired of it, and broke up… we… we'd never be the same again, would we? Exes don't meet every week at the same time at the same place."
"…you… you love me too?"
Yahiro stared at the happily blushing Megumi, tears of another reason starting to leak in her eyes.
"Oi," he said in annoyance. "Is that all you heard?"
Megumi smiled up at him. "Yes. That's all I need to hear."
"What…?"
"My feelings for Yahiro… and Yahiro's feelings for me… are the same," she whispered. "That is all that matters to me."
He couldn't help a smile. So he didn't like obligatory relationships. It was okay…she didn't mind. So long as their feelings were real… and then he suddenly noticed.
"Oi," he repeated in annoyance. "That's enough talking. Use your board."
Megumi blinked, then took out her board and began to scrawl on it. She flipped it over, and Yahiro's eyes widened. Megumi blushed as she hid behind the board.
\Then… does today count as the day Yahiro told me his feelings?/
"Hmm... I don't actually remember telling you outright that I loved you."
Megumi's eyes widened, then began to scrawl, shyly hiding behind the board again.
\How about today counts as the day Yahiro reciprocated my feelings?/
"Idiot, I reciprocated a while back, you just never noticed," he muttered, cheeks pink. Megumi quickly erased and scrawled again. She hid behind the board, but Yahiro never read it. She let out an "Eh?" of surprise as the board was swiftly pushed down and the taste of spearmint lightly tickled her lips.
"There, okay?" he said in an annoyed voice, unable to hide the blush. "We can just count today as the day I took Yamamoto Megumi's first kiss."
Megumi smiled at him and took his hand.
"And… the day we first held hands," she giggled. He 'tch'ed at her.
"Don't speak, use the board," he said almost automatically, as the two of them left the park.
Yes… this was a day of firsts. And hopefully, there would be many other more firsts to come.