Rebel Redux: The Royal Flush

4/20/16

Yuki Amamiya

Shiho Suzui’s house

Early Evening

The afternoon went by with Yuki, Shiho, and Ann engaging in a group study session. Despite being an athlete, Yuki found Shiho to be well on top of her studies, so much so that it seemed that practice didn’t hinder her study habits nor her above-average marks. Of course, much could be said about Ann; even in this timeline, it seems that Ann still held her academics in middling regard, much like the other Ann Takamaki she once knew, the bubbly girl with a severe sweet tooth and a top-notch sense of fashion.

Yuki found that Shiho had been managing to keep up with her studies even while being cooped up in her house, counting down the days until she either went back to Shujin or transferred to a different school. She had originally thought that she would have needed to help Shiho but it seems that Shiho could take care of her academics given good notes, so she focused on tutoring Ann. Of course, Ann’s study habits left a lot to be desired; but by the end of that day’s tutoring session, Yuki felt they had made progress. Granted, it wasn’t much, but if Ann and Yuki went on tutoring sessions on the days during and after they deal with Kamoshida, Yuki felt confident that they could save Ann’s lackluster grades and class ranking.

Shiho was the first to notice the sun setting. “Oh, it’s been that long? Want to call it a day, Yuki-san, Ann?”

Yuki held up a hand. “Okay, that just felt too weird. Just call me by my first name, no honorifics. Even if I was an idol, I always felt weirded out by the use of honorifics. I mean… I know that I lived a different life back then compared to everyone else, but... it just felt off.” She then remembered something. “Oh! Before I forget, I need you guys to keep it a secret that I’m an idol, or rather a former idol.”

Shiho put her hands to her lips and zipped it. “My lips are sealed. Ann’s too, I imagine she’d be scared of what you or I would do to her.”

Ann swats Shiho’s arm. “You don’t scare me. Yuki… on the other hand…” She shudders. “I’ve seen enough to know I shouldn’t mess with her. Who else knows?”

Yuki thinks. “Ryuji and Principal Kobayakawa, only because they’re authority figures. I guess you can say Miss Kawakami also knows, considering she was in the room when I first came to look at the school.”

Ann nods. “I don’t know what to say. I guess we should feel honored that you chose to tell us that, even if it slipped out of your mouth.”

Yuki shrugs. “I felt comfortable.”

Shiho gets up. “I’m going to check if my parents are home yet.” She exits the room.

Ann leans in. “So, about that girl’s night… are we still doing that?”

Yuki whispers back. “Depends. I have to call my guardian. What about you?”

Ann leans back out. “I’m so envious of you…”

Yuki raises an eyebrow. “What for? I’m technically a transfer student, maybe even a boarding student if you consider that I moved to Tokyo for school.”

Ann sighs. “Still, you have a guardian who’s there for you, who cares about you. When I go home, I only have “servants” looking after me, more so a housekeeper.”

Yuki stifles a gasp. “So you are rich!?”

Ann corrects her. “I prefer the term 'lavishly comfortable.'” She smirks at the complex vocabulary she used. “Anyways, my mom’s a fashion designer; dad’s CEO of a fashion line. They always are on the go, attending various Fashion Weeks across the world. The only times I get to see them is if they’re attending Fashion Week here in Japan, or in Korea, or even in China or Taiwan, and only for a few days. Then they’re off. So I don’t have anyone to call home to, besides letting my housekeeper know that I’m staying the night at Shiho’s place.” She sounds wistful. “I wish my parents could be here to celebrate Hatsumode with me, or even Tanabata, or even Hanabi season.”

Yuki made a time-out sign. “Okay, whoa. I thought we were going to order food, have a movie night. I never said anything about staying the entire night. What about school? Night clothes?”

Ann dismisses it. “We can always pop by early in the morning to get a change of clothes. Alternatively, we can drop by our places and pack a night bag.” Her voice lowers. “You’ve noticed Shiho’s mood, right? I’ve been over a couple of times, and her parents aren’t usually home on the days I’m over. I don’t imagine they hate me, but I have a sneaking suspicion… that Shiho has only understated her relationships with her parents, and that it’s much worse.”

Yuki sighs. “Still, I have to talk with my guardian. Where do you live, Ann, by the way?”

Ann leans over. “Harajuku. My parents figured that Harajuku, being the fashion capital of Tokyo, would be a perfect place to put roots in Japan. Of course, it’s a very short detour to Shujin, so…”

Yuki nods. “Anyway, I’ll be back. I gotta step outside to make a call to my guardian. It’s a confidential call.”

Yuki gets up and exits the room. She walks down the stairs to find Shiho in the kitchen getting a glass of water.  “Shiho, gotta step outside for a sec. Ann’s asking me if I wanted to stay over, and she clearly wants to, but I have to call my guardian. I’m sure he’s expecting me to get back before dark.”

Shiho nods. “Sure. I’m sorry about Ann, by the way. She can be rather… insensitive of others in that way.”

Yuki shakes her head. “I’m okay with it.”

Yuki extends her hand to twist the doorknob.

Shiho then speaks. “Yuki, how’s your relationship with your parents? With your guardian even?” 

Yuki could hear Shiho shakily breathing. Best not to upset her or anything. She decided to use the memories she’d been given to concoct a truthful answer. She answered simply, “I actually don’t know. Since I was an idol for a while now, it made my normal life vastly different. Of course, it also affected my relations with my parents. They knew that I wanted to follow in my sister’s footsteps, and they were really supportive, but sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't taken the idol recruiters up on their offer. Maybe I’d be even closer with my parents; still, I’d say that my parents and I are on good speaking terms with one another.” Yuki sheepishly laughs. “As for my guardian, I’ve only known him for about a week and a half now, but from what I’ve seen so far, he’s a nice person.”

She could only hear Shiho exhale. “I… envy you, Amamiya-san. I wish I could have as good a relationship with my parents like you do. I even envy Ann; even though her parents are abroad most of the year, at least they call home to check up on her, or at least what she said.”

Yuki didn’t know how to respond. Shiho continues. “I feel my parents are not on the same wavelength as me. I can’t quite explain it, but it’s not like what other people in school would say about their own parents… it’s like my parents don’t even concern themselves with me.”

Yuki asks, “Shiho, you’ve been saying a lot about your parents, but they still had you and they’re willing to put up with this. Are you sure that they don’t… love you?”

Shiho spat, “If they cared about me, they’d have seen the signs.” Shiho calmed herself down. “Sorry… I have to take an antidepressant; my therapist told me to regulate my emotions and to take one if I.”

Yuki winces as she waves a hand. “Sorry, Shiho. I didn’t mean to make you mad. I’ll be back after a quick call.” She exits the house, pulls out her phone, and dials Sojiro’s phone. Sojiro had given her his number on the first day of school.

Three rings in, Sojiro picks up. “Yes… oh, it’s you, Amamiya-san. It’s getting late; shouldn’t you be heading back to Yongen right about now..”

Yuki sighs. “Sorry, Sojiro. Actually, I wanted to ask you if I could stay over at a friend’s place, Miss Shiho Suzui. She goes to Shujin, or rather she was until recently when an accident occurred.”

Sojiro’s voice came through. “I’m glad that you’re making friends here, but I did promise your parents that I’d look after you while you’re here. That being said, you’re at the age where I can trust you to make decisions. So… convince me why I should.”

Yuki winces. “You see... I can’t make an excuse without going into the topic of my friend’s situation. She’s been in… a tough situation recently. Besides, she has… a complicated relationship with her parents.”

She could swear Sojiro raised his eyebrow if she was speaking in front of him. “Complicated, eh? I get it, you want to look out for her. But isn’t her parents home?”

Yuki is silent, thinking. “No, not right now. My friend Ann, who is also a friend of Shiho, says whenever she came by that Shiho’s parents weren’t home when she came over, and even on sleepovers they never came home.”

Sojiro sighs on his end. “I can tell you have more to say.”

Yuki takes a deep breath. “I’ve also talked to Shiho, and I believe that her parents not being home is more so a recurring event so much that it seems to happen almost regularly. Shiho… also seems to believe her parents don’t have her best interests at heart.”

Sojiro is silent for a bit before he speaks up. “And I’m guessing whatever else you want to say, you can’t because it’d be infringing on her privacy.”

Yuki nods. “That’s right; I want to help her and everything, Sojiro. At the rate this is going, Shiho’s only to get hurt, again. It’ll only result in a massive fight with her parents, which results in nothing good. It’s just a trainwreck waiting to happen.” She sighs. “The thing is, Sojiro, even if I step in, I don’t have the clout or authority to handle the backlash. Her parents and possibly even Shiho herself will only see it as me stepping out-of-bounds. On the other hand, the fact that Shiho is telling me willingly this is that maybe she feels this is the end and that she does want my help.”

The quiet din of the phone connection is apparent as Sojiro listened. “You’re… a good person, Amamiya-san. However, there are times when you can’t step indirectly, so you have to work indirectly, understand? You can come back to my place to pack a night bag. I’m not sure whether I’ll be awake or in LeBlanc if you come back in the morning to get fresh clothes.” Sojiro mutters. “Now that I remember, you said again. What happened… never mind, I don’t want to know anyway. Given everything you just described, it’s astonishing to see her this talkative.”

Yuki waves it off. “Of course. I’ll be back in a bit. Should I drop by LeBlanc for the keys?”

Sojiro affirms. “Yes, drop by LeBlanc first. I locked the house and I can’t leave the cafe, so I need you to get the keys.”

Yuki thanked Sojiro and hung up. She went back inside. Shiho wasn’t in the kitchen. She went upstairs. “Shiho?”

Ann calls out. “Over here!”

Yuki rushes to the bathroom to see Shiho retching into a toilet, Ann holding back her hair. “What happened?”

Ann sighs. “I think her medication didn’t sit well with her. That or she didn’t eat anything the entire day. Anyways, what did your guardian say?”

Yuki points out the window. “He told me to go pack a night bag. He’s okay with me staying the entire night, but…” She points at Shiho. “Is Shiho going to be okay?”

Ann waves her off. “She’ll be fine. My place is like a ten to fifteen-minute walk away, and I don’t have to worry about my housekeeper getting angry at me for staying over. Anyway, I’m sure you live farther than I do. Get going! We’ll switch once you get back.”

Yuki nods. “I’m off then. Hold the fort then. Maybe order some food for takeout. I’ll be back in an hour tops.”

She rushed out of the house and took off towards the nearest station. She took the Yamanote Line to Shibuya and then transferred to the Den-en-Toshi Line. Once she got back to Yongen-Jaya, she rushed back to LeBlanc.

Sojiro was there, smoking a cigarette, with no customers. It really is a shame to see LeBlanc so empty. “Sojiro, I’m back.”

Yuki sees the keys tossed at her and barely catches it. “Here are the keys. Take your time, but make sure to lock up behind you and come back here to give the keys back.”

Yuki salutes. “Yes, Sakura-san!” She rushes out and to Sojiro’s house. She opens the gate, but strangely, the door was already open, not left ajar but not locked. That’s strange; come to think of it, back then when me and the others went to look for Futaba the door was also unlocked; is Sojiro always this careless no matter the timeline? She closed the door behind her and walked up the stairs. Futaba seemed to still be in her room; as much as Yuki would love to see whether Futaba is out or not, she’ll have to take a pass on it.

She walks to her room, remembers to bring another duffel bag, and begins to pack a set of nightclothes, and another uniform set, along with a lingerie set. (Yuki, by now, has gotten more used to the idea of needing a set of specific undergarments for her specific womanly… characteristics, but still… she found the whole situation she got put into a bit jarring).

She slips on her duffel bag and steps out of her room. Just then, Futaba’s door opens.

Futaba Sakura, the little orange gremlin, steps outside, rubbing her eyes. “Sojiro…? You’re back early… a little too early, but..." Her stomach growls. "I want curry, I hunger!”

Yuki puts up a hand. “Hi, Futaba!”

Futaba stops in her tracks, fumbling for her glasses. She slaps them on. Her face pales, and she slowly steps back. “Hiiiiii… Bye!!! Who are you? I’m not ready for this!” She slams her door and locks it from within, the clicking of the locks loud and sharp.

Yuki sighs. “So much for breaking Futaba out of her shell sooner rather than later.” She rushes back to LeBlanc, making full sure to lock the door properly.

Yuki enters LeBlanc and sets the keys on the table. “Thanks, Sojiro. However, the door wasn’t locked. Also... I saw Futaba, but she ran back inside her room.”

Sojiro scratched his head. “I guess I’ve forgotten to lock the doors sometimes. A byproduct of my forgetfulness at times. Anyways, you should get back. It’s getting dark.” Sojiro muses. "Futaba... it must have been a shock for her."

Yuki nods. “I’ll be heading out. I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.”

Yuki rushes back to the train platform, retracing her steps to Shiho’s house. She buzzes them to let her in and finds Ann and Shiho on the couch, watching TV.

Ann is the first to notice. “You’re back, huh. We’ve decided to postpone ordering until I get back. Maybe we’ll even go out to eat. Shiho’s mom left her with a stack of money for dinner, not that you or I don’t ourselves have stipends. You do have money, right?”

Yuki nods. “Parents left me with a bunch of money. Must be the profits from when I was an idol, along with a little extra thrown in.”

Ann gets up. “I guess I’m off; you were back quicker than I thought; I guess the trains are emptier, not that I need to take the train.” She walks up to Yuki and leans into her. “Watch Shiho, kay. I don’t know what happened, but it seems like what we talked about earlier brought up some bad memories.” She leans back out and heads to the door.

Ann waves. “I’ll be back, ladies!”

Yuki gives her a look of utter disbelief as she literally skips out the door. Yuki puts her duffel bag down and sits down on the couch.

Shiho sighs. “You’re back. Ann has been talking with me this whole time, but I felt that she was hiding something from me.”

Yuki internally recoils and sighs. Ann had always been a bad actor, but surely Shiho hadn’t figured out…

Shiho turns to Yuki. “Yuki, you can tell me right. Ann was cheerily trying to deny it, but I… I know that you guys are up to something. Sakamoto-kun too.”

Yuki is completely in shock: how could she tell? Yuki thought she had the perfect poker face and alibi, but how…?

“You guys don’t want Kamoshida to get away with what he’s done? Just what are you guys thinking of doing?”