Riko
Interlude ~Riko Sakurauchi~
Small hands tied thick, long red hair into a high ponytail. Gazing into a vanity mirror, the young Japanese girl saw how sad she looked. Bags hung beneath amber irises, and a general worn expression adorned her pretty face. Shaking her head, Riko stood up and slipped on her pink bunny slippers, shuffling into the main room of her tiny apartment. Glancing over to the small clock on the wall, it read 9:00.
"I should make breakfast…" The female mumbled, maneuvering slowly to the even tinier kitchen. She took out some fish from the refrigerator and began to heat it up on a pan. She then took some broth and put it in a large pan, chopping up some tofu, seaweed, spring onions and then tossing them into the pot. She added some miso paste and dashi, making her famous miso soup. After searing the fish, she put each one on two small plates, coating them in some sauce and adding some spring onions to them as well. She chopped up some hard boiled eggs and put them on an even smaller plate, and then cutting up some tomatoes (despite her distain towards them) and putting them on their own plate, respectively. When the soup was ready, she put some in two small bowls and began to set the tiny dining room table. One side had a plate of fish, bowl of miso soup, plate of eggs, a tiny bowl of rice, and a glass of water; while the other had a plate of fish, bowl of miso soup, plate of tomatoes, a tiny bowl of rice, and a glass of tea. Riko was never really a "chef" growing up, but she eventually had to learn.
She walked back over to the bedroom and poked her head in the doorway, letting out a quiet:
"Maki…breakfast is ready." A loud groan came from underneath the white blanket, but Maki eventually sat up, scratching her head and trudging to the food. Riko clutched onto her robe tightly, slightly irked by not hearing a 'good morning' or 'thank you' for the food she just made for her. Shaking her head, Riko walked over to the food and sat down, seeing the other already stuffing her face with the food. Slowly beginning to eat, Riko and Maki sat in an uncomfortable silence, until she attempted to start a conversation with her.
"So…how was work last night?"
"Fine."
"Did anything happen?"
"Same old, same old."
"Uh…" Riko's voice trailed off, looking over to the side and forgetting to eat her own food. Why was Maki like this? They used to be so close, bonding over music and literature, but ever since the death of someone from Otonokizaka, Maki had changed…she had become a shell of herself. "Crap! I'm gonna be late!" Maki yelped, quickly rushing into their bedroom and changing into a black pantsuit with a white lab coat. Running a brush through her hair, the redhead grabbed her purse and threw her brush on the floor.
"Love you, bye!" Maki gave a small kiss on Riko's head as she ran out of the apartment, leaving Riko alone again.
Sighing, the young girl finished her breakfast that now seemed to have no taste. Getting up, Riko walked to the bedroom and began to change into some lounge wear. She felt tears well in her eyes, yet she refused to let them fall. This will pass, Maki is just grieving. Going to the vanity mirror, she pulled the drawer to find her normal white hair clip, but instead found a pink envelope with 'Maki' written on the back. What was this?
Riko wanted to open it, but was worried that she would be invading Maki's privacy. She went to close the drawer and ignore the letter, but felt something pull at her heart. 'Open it, Riko' her anxiety nagged at her, nagging so much she couldn't ignore it. Taking the envelope, she opened it to find a wad of papers stuffed inside. Opening the first page of the letter, Riko's chest tightened as she read. What? Maki said she didn't know Nico! Maki said the death of her classmate meant nothing to her, but these letters showed otherwise. Dark red brows knit as she continued to read, throwing each page to the side when she was finished. Was this… was this why Maki was so distant? Was Nico… someone she loved? It was ten years since Maki was in high school… Maki was Riko's now…right? Nico… shouldn't matter… Tears streamed from Riko's amber irises when she read, hands tightly gripping onto the pages. What…was this? When she read the last letter, the young Japanese girl let the paper fall on the floor, burying her face in her hands. Why was she so upset? Nico is dead now…but…she's trapped feeling like her girlfriend is gone along with Nico. Shaking her head, Riko stood up, wiping her tears and rushing to a dresser drawer, finding a pink envelope and paper. Finding a black pen, the angry, hurt, emotional female began to write.
Dear Riko,
Hello, this might be awkward, but this is me from the future. I know you're in a new school now, and this is weird for you to read, but I need you to listen. 10 years from now, a girl named Nico Yazawa will have committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. She is a friend of your future girlfriend, Maki Nishikino. Riko, I love Maki more than anything. I have sacrificed and will sacrifice anything to keep her…please, try to go back to Otonokizaka and meet Maki, try and get her to talk to you…steal her attention away from Nico. I know it is so selfish of me to want Nico out of the picture, but Maki is obsessing over Nico now…please just get Maki to pay attention to you…and let Nico save herself.
I'll write more later…please, Riko…save your relationship.
-Riko