Transition And Restart

When Ryu came home far too early from his date with Ai-chan Noriko got worried . She thought of cornering him, but there was something in his face that made her stop . Instead she sent a message to Ai-chan and asked if the girls could meet up . After that she sent one to Kyoko as well .

"Only three of us, or maybe that is three of us again . " Messaging Kuri was pointless . She worked and worked and worked .

After some delay they decided to meet at the Haven . Ai-chan could make it in almost no time at all, which just served to worry Noriko even more .

"What happened today?"

She got into her coat, pulled on her best boots and left the house silently so as not to call Ryu"s attention to her .

On her hands she wore thin leather gloves, a White Day gift from Nao that taught her a lot about his absolute eye for what suited her . They hugged her fingers, but she"d have been a lot happier if it was Nao doing the hugging . He spent the break working almost as hard as Kuri .

The road to the station took its usual ten minutes, and just three stops later she left . In theory she could have walked to the café; it was just a little too long for comfort . Well, unless you were Urufu, but that maniac walked or cycled just about everywhere .
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Thinking of Urufu soured her mood a little . He still hadn"t been found .

From station to haven a mere five minutes, and when she got inside James pointed her to the table where Ai-chan sat waiting . Kyoko still hadn"t made it there .

Noriko ordered some black tea and a sliver of a cake and walked to the table . When she was almost there Ai-chan turned to greet her .

"G.o.ds! What happened today?"

With eyes ringed red in a way no make-up could hide Ai-chan gave her a weak smile . "Hi Wakayamsan . "

"Always forget you"re not part of the club . Not even our school . Still call my brother Ryu-kun?" "h.e.l.lo, thanks for coming on such short notice . " Noriko took a chair and sat down .

Ai-chan sniffled and smiled again . "Don"t thank me . I could need someone to talk with right now, and you"ve always been a good friend . "

"What happened?" No point in avoiding the topic now . Ai-chan had as much as invited her .

"I broke up with Ryu-kun . "

"Oh dear!" "Did he cheat on you?" Despite being the first words to come to her mouth Noriko didn"t believe them even as she spoke .

"No!" For the first time Ai-chan displayed anger rather than heart break . "You have a wonderful brother . He"d never cheat on me!"
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"OK, so then why?"

"I love him, and I can feel he loves me back . He"s honest and good and kind . "

"Don"t tell me this is a repeat of Kuri and Urufu!" "Why, then why did you break up?" Noriko sipped some tea while she waited for Ai-chan"s answer . She must have known the question would come, but maybe an answer didn"t come easy anyway .

Biting her lower lip, Ai-chan looked like she had problems deciding whether to tell or not . "Dad," she said eventually . "It"s dad . "

"But for the love of all G.o.ds! What"s with adults and breaking couples up?" So it was a repeat after all . "Who broke up?"

Noriko immediately regretted that question . No sobbing, but Ai-chan"s face tore open in a silent display of desperate hurt . One tear ran all the way down to her chin and dropped into her tea cup .

"I did . I called him out and broke up with him . " She wiped her face with the back of her hand . "But I still love him! Am I a bad girl?"

No, she really wasn"t . Too abrasive by far for Noriko"s tastes, but despite that still a sweet girl . "I think Ryu likes you still," Noriko said . There had been that look in his face when he came back home . No, he really still did have feelings for her .

Over the door the bell chimed, and Kyoko came inside . Noriko saw her turning her head, searching for them both until James gave her a helping hand .

She ordered something and walked between tables and chairs to join them . When she came closer she made a big "O" with her mouth . Noriko guessed she had discovered Ai-chan"s swollen face .

"Is it Ryu? I"ll kick him between his legs if he hurt you!"

And Ai-chan broke down again . This time her sobs carried all over the café .

"I don"t think my idiot bro is at fault this time," Noriko said silently . So much easier if it had been his wrongdoing . "I think," she continued and took a bite of her cake . She barely noticed the taste . "I think this is more of the fallout from what we did earlier . "

Kyoko nodded and sat down . As a supporting person she was much more sensible than Noriko, the latter noted when Kyoko buried Ai-chan"s face in a bear hug . "So, so . Just cry . "

A bit ashamed she had lost out in humanity, Noriko took one of Ai-chan"s hands in her own . She patted it, unsure what people usually did in situations like these . When Kuri crashed in their old clubroom she had given her a blanket, but she spent that afternoon listening to Kuri crying her heart out from a safe distance . "Maybe it"s not just a western thing to touch your friends when they"re hurting . "

Maybe she suffered from some emotional flaw . Noriko couldn"t remember breaking down . Not really . She had hurt when Urufu rejected her and chose Kuri instead, but breaking down? "No . I always thought only weak people did . " But Urufu was one of the strongest she knew, and Yukio had told her his friend crashed into a sobbing wreck late Valentine"s night .

"Maybe I"m the one who needs changing . " Noriko patted Ai-chan"s hand . Clumsily, but she kept on patting it hoping it offered at least a glimmer of comfort .