The Collection - Chapter 8
It was Wednesday and Akane made her way to the park. She didn’t know why she was going. Yamashita hadn’t been going to the office and she’d been having lunch alone. She really missed her talks, and silences, with Yamashita. Even the girl with the guitar was absent. She sat on what she thought of “their seat.” It was stupid, she knew. They’d only had done that for 2 weeks. She sat there nibbling her lunch.
“Hey.”
Akane looked up and she opened her eyes wide and she was sure that probably her jaw had dropped to her knees.
“Yamashita-san.” She said with a smile. “I thought you said you wouldn’t be coming.”
“Yeah. Well, since it’s your last week, I couldn’t just not come, could I, Kurogawa-san?” He said with a smile, that smile that made you forget even your name.
She saw him take out his lunch and they sat eating in a comfortable silence. He didn’t say anything about the girl.
“The only thing missing is the music.” Yamashita stopped eating, nodded and started eating again.
“I wonder what happened.”
Yamashita, swallowed and looked straight ahead. It took him a few seconds to answer. “Probably she just went to another park. I had never seen her here before, had you?”
“No. You are probably right. So, how was that project? Did you finish it?”
“It went well. It’s not finished. It’s more of a hobby that a project. I can’t describe it.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to. I’m just glad you came, I missed our conversations.”
Yamashita smiled again. “Me too. I’m working from home today but I felt like seeing you. I like our conversations too. I missed talking to you.” He said looking at the floor.
Ok, her heart was beating so fast because she must have developed a heart condition, NOT because of what he said.
They both smiled. He with that devastating shy smile and she probably smiling like an idiot.
Lusting after your gay soon to be ex-boss was not a good idea, so she decided to change the subject.
“They are throwing me a farewell party this Friday.”
“The people in the office really like you.”
“They really like beer and parties. This is a good excuse as any.” She said with a laugh.
He laughed too and said: “There is that. But they really do like you.”
“Maybe you’d like to come.” When he hesitated, she added: “You don’t have to. I understand if you have something else to do, or you don’t feel like. I was just…” Yamashita stopped her babbling.
“It’s just that I don’t feel comfortable at parties. Don’t really like closed places with a lot of people. But I’ll try,” and then he looked up, set his big dark blue eyes on her and with a sideway smile he said: “I don’t want to miss your farewell party.” He went back to his lunch and she forgot how to breathe. She must have remembered how at some point because when they said good bye later she was still alive.
On the way back to the office she kept thinking: “Just friends. He is gay, he is gay, he is g…”
Yamashita got out if the shower and grabbed a towel. He dried himself and then rubbed his hair energetically with it. He got out of the bathroom and grabbed his black jeans.
It had been a while since he had been looking forward to a party or any get together. He always made an effort with some of the after office gatherings because he had to, but it was always a hard task. He talked to people and tried to be polite but he didn’t like it. It was hard to know what to say and he often just smiled and nodded but it was different with Kurogawa-san. She was easy to talk to, she asked questions but didn’t press, she just listened to whatever he wanted to say and she was fine with what he didn’t want to say and he thought that even their silences were comfortable. Yeah, he didn’t want to miss her goodbye party. At the very least he wanted to say goodbye and thank her for their lunches together.
He finished putting on his jeans and walked to his closet. He chose one of the dark red shirts and put it on. He left his bedroom and walked into the room that had his home theatre. He turned on the TV and immediately he could see them on the screen. Blue was lying on the bed on her side. She always crumpled her dress, but it’s okay, he could always change it later. Purple was pacing and Green was sitting on the bed, they were talking. Yellow and pink were sitting back to back even through the wall. Pink has fit in perfectly, he knew she would but he was still a little surprised. They were okay and they would be fine until he got back. He button up his shirt, and left the room to grab his jacket and his wallet. He grabbed his keys and left the house.
It was the end of her last day and Akane was sad to leave. It hadn’t been a long time but she had come to really liking working with these people. They had immediately welcomed her and after all the part time jobs she’d had, she knew how rare that was. And of course she would miss her lunch breaks with Yamashita-san.
He hadn’t gone to the office. She was so disappointed that she didn’t even feel like going to the after office party anymore. Of course she had to go, she was the excuse.
“Are you ready?” said Makoto. Akane nodded and headed to the door.
They all walked a few blocks to the bar, sat at a table and ordered some food and beer.
She was sitting next to Kimura-san. He was Yamashita-san’s business partner. He was a really handsome man and his personality was much more open than Yamashita-san’s. That was why he handled the employees she supposed.
When Yamashita-san wasn’t around, women tended to flock around him. It was rather silly, if not embarrassing. Makoto was sitting at the other side of him. She had decided -and came to terms with it- that Yamashita-san was gay, so she had set her sight on Kimura-san. She was going to get a hot boyfriend or husband no matter what, apparently.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Akane heard Kimura say. “He actually came.”
Akane looked up and saw Yamashita coming towards the table. He was wearing black jeans and a dark red shirt that fitted him perfectly; the first 3 buttons were left unbuttoned showing his long neck. He had taken off his jacket and he was carrying it in his right hand. He looked good enough to eat.
He felt uncomfortable already. Everybody was looking at him and he just managed to plaster his usual smile, the one he used to cover the awkwardness. He said hello to everybody and pretended they didn’t look so shocked. He sat down and looked at Akane.
“Hello.” She said and smiled at him. That smile, Yamashita noticed, turned her from somewhat plain to pretty. Yamashita nodded in response. Then he noticed Kimura. He was looking at him and Yamashita could actually see his brain working. From him he looked surreptitiously at Akane and then back to him. It didn’t matter, whatever he concluded would be wrong. There was nothing between the two of them. For whatever reason, he had never felt more than a little affection for people; he had enough with his collection now. Akane was nice and smart and he felt comfortable with her, which was rare, but she was still “people” and people never understood him. But she had been nice to him without expecting anything and had helped him get Pink, even if she had been unaware of that fact. A couple, not that he thought of them as a couple… but a couple eating lunch together was far less suspicious than a man sitting in the park alone every day, that’s what he’d been thinking about the day she’d bumped into him.
They spent a couple of hours eating and drinking. Akane and Yamashita didn’t have opportunity to talk, which was a pity, they both thought.
They all decided to go to a karaoke and as they were starting to leave Akane realized she had left her wallet and cell phone in the office.
“Don’t worry, you can go back and get it, it’s only a few blocks and then you can meet us at the karaoke place.” said Kimura.
“I’ll go with you. The building’s empty, it’s probably not a good idea for you to go alone.” said Hiroshi.
“Actually,” interrupted Kimura. “Yamashita-kun, are you going to the office on Monday?”
“What? Uhm, no. I was thinking I would work from home next week as well.”
“I see. Well there are some papers on my desk that I really need you to sign. Would you mind going with Kurogawa-san and sign them? It would really help me out.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“Great, see you at the karaoke place.” Then Kimura got close to Yamashita and whispered: “No need to hurry though.”
Yamashita and Akane were walking down the street. She had felt awkward at the pub and wasn’t sure she wanted to go to the karaoke place and she was pretty sure Yamashita-san felt the same way. But of course they had to come back; it wouldn’t do for the both of them to just disappear together. Probably they wouldn’t think of anyway, though. Nobody seemed to believe Yamashita was interested in her as more than a lunch companion, which was true but bothered her a little. Well, maybe Kimura-san would think something of it. He had seemed to be very interested in them at the pub.
They got to the apartment building and Yamashita opened the doors. It was an old building which they had restored to set up the office, so there were no other businesses there. Akane was glad she wasn’t alone, with only a few lights on and completely empty, the building did look a little scary.
They called the elevator and got in.
“I’m glad you came. Thank you.” said Akane. “I know you don’t usually come to this sort of things.”
“It’s okay. I was having fun.”
“Liar.” Akane said with a smile.
“Was it that obvious?”
“Only to the keen observer.”
“And…”
At that moment the elevator stopped but they hadn’t arrived at the 3rd floor. Yamashita pressed some of the buttons but nothing happened.
“Can we call someone from here?” Akane asked.
“No, we don’t have a 24 hour service.” Yamashita said and started patting his pockets. He didn’t have his cell phone. That’s when the lights went out. They were trapped in the elevator; it was Friday so no one would go until Monday. God, his dolls, he couldn’t leave them for a whole weekend. What if something happened? What if one of them got hurt? Or there was a fire? Oh, god. This was his fault, something bad was gonna happen and it was all his fault. Another mistake, why did he always have to make mistakes?
Yamashita was starting to hyperventilate. Obviously, he was having a panic attack. Akane got closer slowly and carefully put a hand on his back.
“Yamashita-san,” she said in the most soothing voice she could master. “It’s okay. We’ll get out” The emergency lights kicked in. It was still dark but at least she could see a little. Yamashita turned around and in the dim light she could see the despair in his eyes.
“It’ll be my fault, my fault, my mistake.” Yep, panic attack, he wasn’t making any sense.
“What is your fault?” she asked.
Yamashita closed his eyes and shook his head; then he crouched and started rocking slightly back and forth. She crouched next to him and said.
“None of this is your fault.”
“I know, but if I’m not back…” then as If catching himself, he stopped talking.
“Okay then, whatever you have to do or wherever you have to be, it won’t be your fault. You couldn’t predict this; it’s not your fault.” She put her hand on his back and started moving it in circles. He started to calm down.
“They’ll come and get us” said Akane when he started breathing a little more easily. “They are expecting us at the karaoke place when we don’t show up they’ll come looking for us.”
“Right, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Said Akane and started to get up but Yamashita grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
“Would you mind sitting next to me for a while.” He said looking up at her. With that lost puppy face she would have said no to very little.
“Sure” she said and sat back down next to him. He scooted closer to her and said:
“Tell me something, anything.” When Akane frowned, he added: “It would take my mind off… things. Please?”
Again, that lost puppy face. Akane started talking and told him every funny thing that had happened to her and, being so clumsy and a general mess, there were many.
After who knows how long and after making him laugh, they were silent. Yamashita looked at her, serious again and said:
“Thank you”
“You are welcome.” She answered and looked at him. They stared at each other and something in the atmosphere changed. Yamashita got closer until she could feel his breath on her face. His eyes went to her lips and she had to take a deep breath. He got closer…
“Yamashita-san, Kurogawa-san!” It was Hiroshi’s voice.
They stayed still, without even breathing.
“Yamashita-kun.” Kimura shouted.
Yamashita closed his eyes and looked down.
“In here.” He said and got up. He extended his hand to her and helped her up.
“We are getting you out in a moment.” Kimura said. A moment later the doors opened. Yamashita helped her out and then got out himself.
“After an hour, Hiroshi-san here insisted we came down to see if you were ok. Oh here, Yamashita-kun, I found your phone on the floor of the pub, you must have dropped it.”
“Thank you, Kimura.” He grabbed the phone and said: “I think I’m going home. I don’t really feel like going to a karaoke place. Kurogawa-san, are you ok?”
Akane was surprised, since they had been rescued from the elevator he hadn’t even looked at her.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Ok, then I’ll be going.” He nodded in their general direction and left.
Akane was so confused. Wasn’t he supposed to be gay? But he had been about to kiss her in the elevator and she had had to suppressed a curse when she had herd Hiroshi. It was probably the fact that she had helped him through his attack. That’s why he had been so awkward afterwards. Yeah that was it. She would stop thinking about it… as if she could.
What had he been doing? If Kimura and Hiroshi hadn’t shown up he would have made a huge mistake. HE would have kissed her, and then what? He couldn’t start anything with her. He had the tendency of saying too much when he was alone with her. No, he wouldn’t see her again, he wouldn’t think about her anymore… as if he could.
CH01 - CH02 - CH03 - CH04 - CH05 - CH06 - CH07 - - CH09 - CH10 - CH11 - CH12 - CH13 - CH14 (Final)
I'm going to make the chapters a little longer from now on. She is pretty much done with the fic and I want you guys to read it because it gets soooo interesting towards the end!