You & Me - The Second Act - Final Chapters
Alright, here's the end of my story. Wow, this really took some time to get every chapter out *laughs*
Hope you like it.
Chapter fourteen
It was the night of the last show. Asako entered Osa’s dressing room. She looked sad. “Hi..” Osa looked at Asako’s reflection in the mirror
“What’s the matter with you, something’s gone wrong?” she turned around to face her.
“No, everything’s fine.. except..” Asako stopped in the middle of the small room, hesitating to speak her mind.
Osa put down the eyeliner she was just about to put on: “Go on, I’m listening.”
“After tonight.. are you.. are you going to.. leave my life again for some years?” Asako’s face looked so fearful that it almost tore Osa’s heart into pieces.
“If you want me to..” she coughed to get her voice clear and repeated, louder this time: “..if you want me to, I’ll stay forever..” There was a silence following Osa’s words.
Then Asako rushed over and threw herself into Osa’s arms. “Really?” Asako looked into Osa’s eyes, struggling to keep her tears from flowing down her face. Osa smiled at her and nodded. They stood there for a few moments just clinging to each other.
‘This would be the perfect time for a kiss..’ Asako thought, then she panicked and shoved Osa away gently. Had she really just thought that..?! How could she..? Asako turned away so she would not have to look at Osa and hid her embarressed face. Osa touched her shoulder softly.
“Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?” Osa could not imagine what she possibly did, but somehow she felt guilty.. maybe Asako had sensed what she was thinking just then?
“No, it’s me.. I had a strange thought just now that was startling me.. Never mind!” She gave Osa a fake smile, hoping she would buy it, but she did not.
“You can talk to me about everything, you know?”
“Right.”
“So?” Osa raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t let me get away with it, will you?” Asako sighed.
“Never. And the longer you wait the more embarrassing it will be.”
“Oh, just stop being so clever, okay?!” Asako snapped. “I was thinking just then that this would have been the perfect moment to kiss. So will you stop bugging me, I really do feel stupid enough by now.” She turned around, ready to leave, when Osa seized her at the ellbow.
“Don’t you wanna hear what I have to say?” the voice was calm.
“You tell me. Do I?” Asako looked down.
“Yes. But look at me first!”
She looked into Osas face, wearing a stubborn expression. “So, what did you want to say?”
Osa smiled and asked: “If you thought so.. why didn’t you just.. do it?”
“You mean... you’d have...well, ... wanted me to...?”
There came a knock at the door. “Please get ready!” someone said.
“Come to my place after the show, will you?” Osa ran her fingers softly down Asako’s arm and briefly squeezed her hand.
“Yes.”
It was the very last time they did this this show. Everyone was hyper motivated to give his or her best. The audience was really into the play. The tension that built up between actors and spectators could almost be sliced by a knife into neat pieces. Even the people backstage, who were not in the scene on stage or changing clothes that moment, stood behind the curtain to watch every action, transfixed.
This play wasn’t made to add funny lines for the last show, though some actors added some extra moves or changed them slightly, they kept very close to the original. After all, Funabashi already had let them develope their characters as they pleased, to some extent. So when Asako’s last scene came up, she completely gave herself up and was dragged into her role for one last time. She closed her eyes, being guided to the ground slowly. She felt Osa kiss her cheek before lifting her up into her arms, something she had never done before.
Asako had to fight to stay calm and not move while her character was dead. Somehow it felt so right being carried by Osa, held close, feeling her heartbeat. When Osa set her down offstage and hurried away to her last scene, Asako felt strangely left alone, and only relunctantly opened her eyes to reality again. She felt watched, even though on first look nobody even paid attention to her.
Then her gaze met some grey eyes staring at her. The woman was one of the backstage workers. Asako knew Osa had talked to a her few times in the past. One of the foreigners. Now she was gesturing for her to come over.
“You sure don’t want to miss Haruno-san’s last scene, do you?”
~*~
Chapter fifteen
They stood side by side behind the curtain.
“You two are made for each other.”
First Asako thought maybe the woman meant something completely different because her Japanese was heavily accented and not fluent at all. But when she looked into her kind face she knew that person had meant every word as she said it.
“You.. you think so?” Asako blushed and returned her gaze to the stage again.
“You belong to each other. Don’t let her leave you behind ever again, promise me?” Confused, Asako looked at her and nodded mechanically.
“What do you..?” The woman winked at her and left her side, disappearing into the blackness.
Later that night, Asako told Osa about this mysterious occurence. “Do you know her?” Asako who sat on the sofa asked.
“Who?” Osa stood at the table with her back to the sofa and looked over her shoulder for a moment.
“The blond one working backstage, I mean.”
“Hm.. yes, I do.” Osa wasn’t turning this time.
“Masa-chan? Are you actually listening to me?” Osa nodded her head slowly but kept on fumbling with something. “Well, then tell me about her!” Asako requested.
”Okay.. Just give me a moment.”
Asako leaned back and closed her eyes.
After a while Osa sat down on the sofa and Asako opened her eyes again.
“I met her in England. She was in one show with me. It was her big dream to come to Japan and work here for some time. I talked to Funabashi-san when he engaged me for the role if he could get her into the play as well, but since she is kind of big he asked her if she wanted to do some backstage work. Obviously she agreed.”
“Ah.. and why did you ask him?” Did Asako’s voice just get a jealous touch or was Osa imagining it?
“Well I wanted to return a favour since she helped me back then. Besides, I know she’s your fan.” Osa grinned
“You’re kidding.”
“Absolutely not. I was quite impressed myself when she told me.”
“Masa-chan really is a nice person.” Asako got into her childish speak again.
“You didn’t know that till now?” Osa played offended which made Asako grin.
“What were you doing over there?” Asako pointed to the table.
“Wait a moment, I’ll bring it over.” Osa stood up and walked over to the table. “Close your eyes for a while, will you?” she requested.
Asako did. She heard Osa moving around the room, the sound of matches being lit, the clicking of the light switch...
“You may look now.” Osa told her. The room was dark except for three tea candles that were lit on a plate on the table. Around them Osa had placed some dried flower petals and leaves forming the shape of a heart.
“Wow, that’s wonderful. You’re so cute!” Asako squealed.
“I’m going to get us some wine from the kitchen, okay? I’ll be right back.” Osa turned to leave the room.
“Masa-chan, wait a moment, please.” Asako had gotten to her knees, leaning over the sofa’s armrest.
Osa turned back again. “What is it?”
“Won’t you...” Asako began, took a deep breath, then she spoke as fast as she could: “...won’t you come over and kiss me already?!”
Osa moved closer to the sofa, bending her neck to meet Asako’s lips with her own. She could feel Asako’s arms going around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Warm hands moving down her spine made her shiver...
Asako stood at the large window in Osa’s bedroom, looking out onto the silent morning city bathed in a soft blue light wrapped in white dust. So winter had finally won.
“Masa-chan, what to you wish for for your birthday?”
Osa stepped behind her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Bringing her mouth close to Asako’s ear she whispered something that made Asako blush.
“If.. if you really want.. this..”
~*the End*~
Feedback is welcome.
Hope you like it.
Chapter fourteen
It was the night of the last show. Asako entered Osa’s dressing room. She looked sad. “Hi..” Osa looked at Asako’s reflection in the mirror
“What’s the matter with you, something’s gone wrong?” she turned around to face her.
“No, everything’s fine.. except..” Asako stopped in the middle of the small room, hesitating to speak her mind.
Osa put down the eyeliner she was just about to put on: “Go on, I’m listening.”
“After tonight.. are you.. are you going to.. leave my life again for some years?” Asako’s face looked so fearful that it almost tore Osa’s heart into pieces.
“If you want me to..” she coughed to get her voice clear and repeated, louder this time: “..if you want me to, I’ll stay forever..” There was a silence following Osa’s words.
Then Asako rushed over and threw herself into Osa’s arms. “Really?” Asako looked into Osa’s eyes, struggling to keep her tears from flowing down her face. Osa smiled at her and nodded. They stood there for a few moments just clinging to each other.
‘This would be the perfect time for a kiss..’ Asako thought, then she panicked and shoved Osa away gently. Had she really just thought that..?! How could she..? Asako turned away so she would not have to look at Osa and hid her embarressed face. Osa touched her shoulder softly.
“Are you alright? Did I do something wrong?” Osa could not imagine what she possibly did, but somehow she felt guilty.. maybe Asako had sensed what she was thinking just then?
“No, it’s me.. I had a strange thought just now that was startling me.. Never mind!” She gave Osa a fake smile, hoping she would buy it, but she did not.
“You can talk to me about everything, you know?”
“Right.”
“So?” Osa raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t let me get away with it, will you?” Asako sighed.
“Never. And the longer you wait the more embarrassing it will be.”
“Oh, just stop being so clever, okay?!” Asako snapped. “I was thinking just then that this would have been the perfect moment to kiss. So will you stop bugging me, I really do feel stupid enough by now.” She turned around, ready to leave, when Osa seized her at the ellbow.
“Don’t you wanna hear what I have to say?” the voice was calm.
“You tell me. Do I?” Asako looked down.
“Yes. But look at me first!”
She looked into Osas face, wearing a stubborn expression. “So, what did you want to say?”
Osa smiled and asked: “If you thought so.. why didn’t you just.. do it?”
“You mean... you’d have...well, ... wanted me to...?”
There came a knock at the door. “Please get ready!” someone said.
“Come to my place after the show, will you?” Osa ran her fingers softly down Asako’s arm and briefly squeezed her hand.
“Yes.”
It was the very last time they did this this show. Everyone was hyper motivated to give his or her best. The audience was really into the play. The tension that built up between actors and spectators could almost be sliced by a knife into neat pieces. Even the people backstage, who were not in the scene on stage or changing clothes that moment, stood behind the curtain to watch every action, transfixed.
This play wasn’t made to add funny lines for the last show, though some actors added some extra moves or changed them slightly, they kept very close to the original. After all, Funabashi already had let them develope their characters as they pleased, to some extent. So when Asako’s last scene came up, she completely gave herself up and was dragged into her role for one last time. She closed her eyes, being guided to the ground slowly. She felt Osa kiss her cheek before lifting her up into her arms, something she had never done before.
Asako had to fight to stay calm and not move while her character was dead. Somehow it felt so right being carried by Osa, held close, feeling her heartbeat. When Osa set her down offstage and hurried away to her last scene, Asako felt strangely left alone, and only relunctantly opened her eyes to reality again. She felt watched, even though on first look nobody even paid attention to her.
Then her gaze met some grey eyes staring at her. The woman was one of the backstage workers. Asako knew Osa had talked to a her few times in the past. One of the foreigners. Now she was gesturing for her to come over.
“You sure don’t want to miss Haruno-san’s last scene, do you?”
~*~
Chapter fifteen
They stood side by side behind the curtain.
“You two are made for each other.”
First Asako thought maybe the woman meant something completely different because her Japanese was heavily accented and not fluent at all. But when she looked into her kind face she knew that person had meant every word as she said it.
“You.. you think so?” Asako blushed and returned her gaze to the stage again.
“You belong to each other. Don’t let her leave you behind ever again, promise me?” Confused, Asako looked at her and nodded mechanically.
“What do you..?” The woman winked at her and left her side, disappearing into the blackness.
Later that night, Asako told Osa about this mysterious occurence. “Do you know her?” Asako who sat on the sofa asked.
“Who?” Osa stood at the table with her back to the sofa and looked over her shoulder for a moment.
“The blond one working backstage, I mean.”
“Hm.. yes, I do.” Osa wasn’t turning this time.
“Masa-chan? Are you actually listening to me?” Osa nodded her head slowly but kept on fumbling with something. “Well, then tell me about her!” Asako requested.
”Okay.. Just give me a moment.”
Asako leaned back and closed her eyes.
After a while Osa sat down on the sofa and Asako opened her eyes again.
“I met her in England. She was in one show with me. It was her big dream to come to Japan and work here for some time. I talked to Funabashi-san when he engaged me for the role if he could get her into the play as well, but since she is kind of big he asked her if she wanted to do some backstage work. Obviously she agreed.”
“Ah.. and why did you ask him?” Did Asako’s voice just get a jealous touch or was Osa imagining it?
“Well I wanted to return a favour since she helped me back then. Besides, I know she’s your fan.” Osa grinned
“You’re kidding.”
“Absolutely not. I was quite impressed myself when she told me.”
“Masa-chan really is a nice person.” Asako got into her childish speak again.
“You didn’t know that till now?” Osa played offended which made Asako grin.
“What were you doing over there?” Asako pointed to the table.
“Wait a moment, I’ll bring it over.” Osa stood up and walked over to the table. “Close your eyes for a while, will you?” she requested.
Asako did. She heard Osa moving around the room, the sound of matches being lit, the clicking of the light switch...
“You may look now.” Osa told her. The room was dark except for three tea candles that were lit on a plate on the table. Around them Osa had placed some dried flower petals and leaves forming the shape of a heart.
“Wow, that’s wonderful. You’re so cute!” Asako squealed.
“I’m going to get us some wine from the kitchen, okay? I’ll be right back.” Osa turned to leave the room.
“Masa-chan, wait a moment, please.” Asako had gotten to her knees, leaning over the sofa’s armrest.
Osa turned back again. “What is it?”
“Won’t you...” Asako began, took a deep breath, then she spoke as fast as she could: “...won’t you come over and kiss me already?!”
Osa moved closer to the sofa, bending her neck to meet Asako’s lips with her own. She could feel Asako’s arms going around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Warm hands moving down her spine made her shiver...
Asako stood at the large window in Osa’s bedroom, looking out onto the silent morning city bathed in a soft blue light wrapped in white dust. So winter had finally won.
“Masa-chan, what to you wish for for your birthday?”
Osa stepped behind her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Bringing her mouth close to Asako’s ear she whispered something that made Asako blush.
“If.. if you really want.. this..”
~*the End*~
Feedback is welcome.