Alisa's fingers brush hers when they walk.
Alisa calls Miwa from Russia. She says Lev ditched her and the Photoshoot and eloped with Yaku (they're on a couple's cruise), and that she's never really been anywhere completely by herself before. She says she hates her new stylist and that she misses Miwa.
Miwa's surprised; she never thought of their friendship in terms of missing each other, and convinces herself that Alisa saying it because she is alone and that they're just work friends and nothing more (even if she wants it to be) but then, she realizes she misses Alisa about a minute after the phrase tumbles out of her mouth: I miss you too.
It's two am in Tokyo and 8 o'clock in Moscow. Tucked against her pillow, Miwa listens to the sounds of Alisa having her dinner.
The first thing you learn when you're dating Haiba Alisa is that she's a free spirit, can never be tied down and when she's looking at you she's thinking of someone else. It's the one clause, the thing you give up to get her. You won't be first.
Miwa figures she just won't ever date Alisa then.
In the days until Alisa comes back Miwa doesn't sleep, does two a.m. laundries, expects another call and gets none, runs out of milk, washes dishes, cleans the apartment, grabs breakfast with Tobio and later ends up cutting Tobio's bangs too short. She looks at her appointments for the day and Alisa is never on them.
She doesn't think about Alisa, about her pale skin, red lips, soft beautiful ash blonde hair, how nice it would be to run her fingers through the curls, to touch it and style it in numerous ways. Thinking about Alisa is what resulted in the tragedy that is Tobio's hair. It never seems to get her anywhere good.
Alisa comes back earlier than expected, blowing off her Agency's invite to attend Black Tie events, and parties in Moscow and showing up at Miwa's on New Year's Eve. Her cheeks are flushed and her hair's too long; she looks messy and exhausted, and nothing like the Supermodel that Miwa has gotten to know. She launches into stories about Lev eloping with Yaku about how she is happy for her little brother and that she's sort of mad that levyochka got married before her.
She cups her mug of hot chocolate in both hands, absorbing the warmth, and she's happier than Miwa has ever seen her. The sun comes up before she's done, light filling the room, and Alisa yawns, throwing herself onto the couch beside Miwa. She eyes the time on the iPad Miwa's left open which displays a To-do list and asks, finally, "What have you been up to?"
Waiting, Miwa thinks but she says something else, smiles quick and brief.