Chapter 15

"Damn this photo shoot, why is it taking such a long time?" Ryo cursed under his breath, while watching Subaru and Yassu stand back to back for a photo.

"Hai, next, Nishikido-kun and Uchi-kun..."

Ryo did as he was told, sitting down in an armchair while Uchi posed behind him. He had totally forgotten to smile. The cameraman lifted his head from behind the camera, saying, "Chotto, Nishikido-kun, can you smile just a bit? You're supposed to look happy."

"Ryo-chan, whatever you need to attend to later, just put some effort into this. It'll take longer if you don't cooperate." Uchi persuaded, putting a hand on Ryo's shoulder. Ryo finally let out a forced smile.

--

"Riko-chan wa kirei yo~" Ryu praised, walking one round around Moriko. She donned a sleeveless lavender gown, yet after she had emerged from the dressing room, she made no second move to advance.

"Ri-chan, Ryu-chan, come over!" One-chan signaled excitedly. "You look beautiful! It's photo-taking time..."

"Hai~" Ryu answered, almost rushing over, but Moriko's hand shot out to hold him back. "Mm?"

"Chotto... Can you lead me there?" Moriko asked, embarrassed. Ryu looked at her questioningly, and Moriko looked at her high heels in response. Ryu laughed, holding Moriko's hand and slowly bringing her in front of the camera. Moriko watched Ryu grin happily at the camera. If only that were Ryo...

--

"Ryo-chan, why the hurry?!" Uchi asked, watching Ryo fling his outfit off, rushing about the changing room. He then continued to fly out the building, Uchi following closely behind. They crawled into a cab, and Ryo hastily directed the driver to his destination. Uchi was almost out of breath, slouching into his seat. He had given up on asking Ryo what the problem was, because he had not gotten a response since just now. But he had more or less guessed the reason. Moriko.

The whole time in the cab, Ryo was unusually quiet, his gaze fixed on the scenery whizzing by.

--

"Ah, matte, I'm going in to change again... Ryu and Moriko should be taking their own photos now, ne? I want to see the photos of you two in the album~" One-chan said, leaving Ryu and Moriko there.

Ryu was handed a bouquet of flowers and told to hand it to Moriko in the photo shot. They both smiled at the camera, like a young little couple. But before the flash went off, someone burst into the boutique, causing the bell at the door to resound through the whole studio.

"Matte yo!"

Moriko removed her hands from the flowers, staring in shock at the "intruder". When she had finally let the fact sink in, she hid behind Ryu, still unable to look at Ryo.

"Why must you marry him?" Ryo asked, pointing at Ryu.

"Chotto, it's not-"

"Eh?" Nee-chan emerged from the changing room in another gown, while Akira, Ryu's elder brother, followed behind her. "Nishikido-kun? You're looking for Hiro-chan?"

"Who called me?" Kusano called out, returning from his washroom trip.

And it suddenly dawned on Ryo that it was not Moriko who was getting married, but her elder sister instead. Realising his mistake he simply retreated quietly, half-relieved and rather embarrassed at the mistake. Moriko saw him leave, and she was immediately saddened again. Both of them didn't want to let go of their own pride. He's not going to wait for me, Moriko thought. Tears were brimming in her eyes, and she knew they could not be just blinked away. Ryu was running towards Ryo, and Moriko excused herself into the changing cubicle.

"Are you going to leave just because it's not her getting married today?!" Ryu asked after Ryo. Ryo froze in his steps, his back to Ryu. "I thought she meant more than that to you. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but won't the both of you let down your proud surface?"

Kusano appeared from behind. "Ryu-chan, go inside first?" he asked. He then walked towards Ryo.

"You don't have to scold me like he did." Ryo said before Kusano said anything. Kusano did not respond to that. Instead, he simply held out his palm. In it was the other ear stud. Ryo looked at it. What was the point?

"I think the other half is with you." Kusano said. "Without the other, she can't put it on. Even if it were something incomplete, she wouldn't forget it." He put it in Ryo's palm, then walked back into the boutique. Ryo stared at it. The memory of the harsh slap replayed in his mind. For a few moments, Ryo surveyed the door of the boutique, before he finally took that step into it again. Uchi was still inside, smiling at him knowingly.

"She's inside." Uchi informed, pointing to the changing cubicle in a corner.

Ryo stayed outside it for a very long time, simply being silent, listening to Moriko's sniffing. He could tell she was still trying to hold her crying back, not wanting anyone to hear her. "Ri-chan."

Moriko lifted her head inside the tiny changing room. She had been crouching in a corner, sniffing, her tears having ruined her makeup. She didn't want to respond to Ryo, but at the same time she knew if she wanted them to be together she had to. From the look of things, she knew they could patch up, but somehow something stopped her from believing that.

The doorknob turned. Moriko stared in alarm. She had forgotten to lock the door! Ryo towered over her, and Moriko looked back down at her knees. Ryo locked the door behind him for privacy, kneeling down beside Moriko.

"Ri-chan, I'm sor-"

"I'm sorry!" Moriko quickly said, putting a finger to Ryo's lips. "...but I am afraid of getting hurt again. I don't want to be together if we're going to suffer because of our flaws."

"I'm not letting go." Ryo stated firmly.

"You ARE." Moriko argued back, as though ordering him to back off.

"You owe me a favor." Ryo hissed, grabbing Moriko's arms and bringing her closer to him, until their faces were less than a centimeter apart. "I'm not going to count us equal until you return me my chance to be with you. It's only fair."

"You're bullying me!" Moriko complained, trying to push Ryo away. "You gave me a slap." she pointed out. "We're fair."

"...don't you love me anymore?" Ryo questioned, and Moriko stopped her struggling. "If you don't, I'll let go." And at this point, Ryo let go, but it was Moriko who started holding on to Ryo. Ryo felt her hands hold his firmly, as though he would disappear into thin air at any time.

Kusano's laughter ruined the atmosphere. "He's inside right? Haha! He thought it was Ri-chan getting married?!!" Moriko stared at the door, biting back a laugh.

"What?" Ryo demanded. Even Moriko started laughing. Annoyed, he pushed Moriko over on the floor.

"You're always doing this." Moriko said. "You like towering over me huh?"

"Tell me."

"Baka Ryo-chan, you thought I was the bride." Moriko laughed.

"I was worried for you." Ryo answered seriously. "And anyway... that guy is still the best man. He's paired up with you."

"Are? Ryo-chan is still jealous?"

"What do you think?"

"He's only like a brother."

Ryo knew that by now, but he was just being playful with her. He had not done that for some time. "Prove it."

Moriko immediately lifted herself up, brushing her lips across Ryo's. There weren't any words needed. She pulled Ryo down and they kissed again, no matter how cramped it was in the cubicle. Moriko significantly missed the taste of Ryo's lips, making the moment last longer than it should, even if Kusano was beginning to knock on the door already.

"Itai!" Moriko suddenly said, biting onto Ryo's lip by accident in the process.

"Ow, I should be the one saying it hurts!" Ryo massaged his lip.

"You're squashing me, Ryo-chan!" Moriko complained.

"What are you two doing in there???" Kusano demanded.

"Onii-chan, wait a minute! I'm coming out soon!" Moriko answered, trying to untangle herself from Ryo. "Ouch, like this I'm going to have to redo my hair and makeup! Yadda! Ryo-chan it's all your fault!"

"Why is it MY fault?" Ryo defended, lifting himself up. Moriko straightened herself, preparing to unlock the door.

--

"...Ryu-chan!" An oba-san in her late forties strolled over to Ryu, her arms outstretched. "Ah, I haven't seen you in a long time, how you've grown! Your brother is getting married today. You're 19 already; shouldn't you be up next?" The oba-san looked over to Moriko, who was beside Ryu, and Moriko looked nervously behind her back in case Ryo was somewhere close. She did not want another bout of jealousy to take over so quickly. They were just outside the ballroom where the dinner was held, welcoming the guests into the ballroom to settle down.

"Imamura obaa-chan! It's not like that. Riko-chan is like a sister to me. I only protect her from getting bullied." Ryu gave a wide grin, showing off his set of spotless white teeth.

Oba-san shook her head. "Ryu-chan is still so genki as ever! People would've thought you were only 14!"

"Oba-san, it's time to go in." Moriko gently hinted. The oba-san laughed, finally letting Moriko and Ryu off. Moriko heaved a sigh of relief.

"...you two should be up next in a couple of years' time!" The obaa-sans at the table all laughed, looking in Ryo and Moriko's direction. Moriko would have laughed at this under normal circumstances, but not when Ryo was just beside her. "Ne, Ryu-chan, have you already been dating Moriko-chan?"

Moriko finally grew too uneasy, then stopped the lively conversation. "Obaa-chan! Ryu-chan is not my boyfriend." she announced.

"Eh? Then who is your boyfriend?" An oba-chan asked excitedly, and all eyes turned to fix only on Moriko, while she just felt like dissolving under all those intense stares. Should her parents flare up at the fact that she would confess she had a boyfriend, and a supposedly dangerous one at that? She immediately looked to Kusano for help. She was too used to the fact that she need only turn to him when she needed a lifesaver. And to her surprise, Kusano did not say something along the line of Moriko not having a boyfriend. Instead...

He pulled Ryo up to a standing position, grinning. The obaa-sans turned to smile at Ryo, both in surprise and amusement at Moriko's choice. "...Domo. Nishikido Ryo desu. Yoroshiku." Ryo said in a calm manner, bowing a little.

Moriko relaxed, smiling as well.

--

Moriko made her way slowly into her hotel room. They had decided to stay at the hotel out of weariness that night. Before she closed the door behind her, someone stopped the movement, and Moriko let go of the door in shock. It was only Ryo.

"You frightened me!" Moriko said, still staring in shock.

Ryo closed the door, moving towards Moriko. He lifted Moriko's chin, but...

"Ri-chan?? Ri-chan are you there? Or are you in the bath?"

Moriko groaned. "Haiii, nii-chan, what is it?" she asked, unlocking the door.

"I took a walk to the nearest fruit stall. Kore..." He held out a plastic bag. He finally noticed Ryo inside, and gave him a I-warn-you-don't-try-anything-funny stare. Ryo looked back at him innocently.

They closed the door.

"Ichigo desu." Moriko commented.

"I can tell for myself." Ryo answered.

"You're mean!"

"Well let's see who can get the last ichigo then!"

"I shalln't lose to you. I'm an expert at ichigo."

"Words don't count."

"Well!"

...and finally one last ichigo lay in the box. But surprisingly, there wasn't a tangle of hands to snatch it up. It was left forgotten on the edge of the bed, as two figures lay beside it, one on top of the other.