A few days after their night at the amusement park, the senshi was suddenly busy with their schedules. Makoto had just received a new shipment of flowers and a set of orders for an upcoming wedding event. Her customer was a regular who was aware of Makoto’s cooking and had also asked the poor girl to help cater the reception. Ami, as usual, continued her set of hourly shifts at the hospital, while Usagi was thrilled with having Mamoru return from his business trip. Minako, on the other hand, had returned to her penthouse, later having her schedule filled with photo shoots, interviews, and recording sessions. Rei had things to settle with at the shrine, with an addition to guiding some of the younger miko in training. She had little time to think about the idol. However, when the days felt slow, Minako would linger in her mind and Rei could not help but wonder how the idol was doing.
“Minako! Your photo shoots are not progressing. You need to smile more, give more spirit, show Aino Minako pop idol! What’s the matter?” asked her manager.
They were inside her dressing room, and Minako was fiddling with a brush as she looked at the mirror towards her manager’s reflection.
“I’m just a little worn out, that’s all. I thought that when I came back to Tokyo, things would simmer down a bit. I thought I came back to take a break.”
“Hai hai hai. It will all start to settle after this photoshoot, but you still have to give it your all until then. Ganbatte Minako! Understand? ”
“Hai,” Minako sighed as her manager closed the door behind him. She was now alone in the room and her thoughts lingered back to Rei.
“I would never hate you Minako. Never.”
Then what was the problem? Why couldn’t they see eye to eye? Sure, they had their quarrels in the past, and each always had to have the last word. However, as those years passed, Minako had grown fond of Rei’s company and was sure of the fact that the fondness was reciprocated with the miko too. Minako sighed once more and buried her face in her folded arms.
Meanwhile at Makoto’s flower shop, Ami had taken the time to drop by during her lunch break. It just so happened that Usagi was inside the shop as well, chatting with Makoto while helping with some flower arrangements.
“I just thought I could help, since Makoto sounded distraught on the phone,” said Usagi when Ami had asked what she was doing.
“Asumi-san even asked me to help with catering. Can you believe that?? Surprisingly, Usagi has not wreaked havoc in the shop yet. Anyway, how are things at the hospital? Hectic?”
Ami sighed as she sat on a nearby chair, “Indeed. Patients keep coming in. Today was actually slow for a while, and thank goodness it was during my break. Any word from Rei or Minako?”
“Well, Minako is busy being an idol of course, while Rei has the shrine to maintain and manage,” replied Usagi.
“So they haven’t spoken to each other yet since that night, huh?” asked Ami.
“No. They’re both being silly about it. Sometimes I just want to lock both of them in a room to work things out,” replied Makoto.
Usagi suddenly had a smirk on her face and allowed her mind to drift away, that she accidentally poked herself with the needle and screamed in agony.
Rei was seated inside the meditation room, exhaling to relieve her stress.
“Why Rei? Did I do something to make you hate me?”
Minako’s words echoed throughout Rei’s mind. THe miko took a deep sig and tried to push her thoughts about Minako away. Meanwhile, a younger miko had peeked into the room, and quietly walked inside.
“H-Hino-sensei?” she stammered.
Rei opened her eyes and sighed as she turned towards the younger girl.
“Yes Rikka, what is it?”
“Um…er…there’s a phone call for you. She says her name is Mizuno Ami?”
Rei nodded and got up from her spot, “Arigatou Rikka, I’ll take it from here. You’re dismissed.”
Rikka bowed and hastily made her way outside while Rei walked towards the office.
“Ami-chan? What's wrong?” she asked.
“Do I have to call only when there's problem?” asked Ami as she chuckled a bit, “I was just wondering if you are free later today.”
“Me? Well, actually I am for the first time in days. You called at the right time.”
“Oh good. I was hoping if you could meet me at Crown Karaoke. I’ll be getting off work in a few minutes. Meet me there at seven?”
“Sure.” Rei hung up the phone and looked at the clock that hung from the wall. It was already six thirty. The miko made her way into her room in order to change into her civilian clothes.
Minako was in the back seat of the car looking out the window. The day had been long after straining herself to show good attitude during the photoshoot. After hours under the heated lights, she had trudged back into the dressing room and sank into the couch. Her phone started ringing and it was Usagi on the other line. She had informed the idol of meeting her at Crown Karaoke, but had not specified why. Knowing Usagi, it was probably to help her with the new songs that had been released, or to even sneak in a free performance from the idol.
When they finally reached the area, Minako got out of the car and passed through the doors where she saw Makoto and Motoki at the counter. She greeted them with a smile and asked if Usagi was already inside the room.
“Oh. Yeah, just go inside she’s there,” replied Makoto.
“I’m surprised she’s actually on time.”
“Well, with her being you number one fan.”
Minako slowly opened the door and heard a familiar voice greet her.
“It’s about time! You know how I feel about tardi–”
Rei turned around once she heard the door click open, only to find Minako standing at the top of the stairs. The door slammed behind the idol, and she turned around in an attempt to pry it open.
“Hey! Open up!” she exclaimed.
Rei heard Makoto and Usagi’s voice reply from the other side, “Nope! Not until you two settle things!”
"That's really immature, you guys! Open up!"
Minako pounded on the door a few times and finally turned back to Rei, who was glaring at her with her arms folded. Her hearbeat was pounding furiously against her chest, and the idol was not sure if it was because of fear, or nervousness, or even anger. She just knew that this was the first time seeing Rei since that incident at Hikawa Shrine.
“Looks like I have no choice,” said Minako as she made her way downstairs and settled in her familiar chair. Rei was seated on the couch, arms crossed as she looked away from the idol. However, the miko was really trying to take long deep breaths in order calm herself down.
“Rei–”
“I don’t want to argue,” interrupted the miko.
“Argue? Is that what you always think about when we have a conversation? You’re the one who even starts it!”
“Me? I’m the one to starts it?! You instigate my impatience by merely pretending everything is alright, which it’s not!”
"What are you talking about?! Ever since we both came back here, you've been trying to avoid me! How can I not pretend that everything is alright. I'm trying my best to see what's left of this friendship and if it's even worth saving, but all you've been doing is pushing it away."
Meanwhile, Usagi and Makoto had their ears glued to the other side of the door. Motoki shook his head upon seeing the two girls oddly pressed against the wall.
“You know, that it's really weird seeing two grown women pressing their ears against a blank wall.”
Makoto glared at Motoki, “We can still hear them, despite the disappearance of the door.”
“Shh,” hushed Usagi, “It doesn’t sound good in there.”
“Oh yeah sure!” exclaimed Minako as she began to imitate Rei’s voice, “I would never hate you Minako. Never. Because it sure feels like you do Rei.”
The miko was now staring at Minako, slightly amazed by how well her imitation was. Shaking her head, she glared back at the idol and then sighed.
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then what?! What’s the problem?”
“I…I just…” Rei sighed, “That silly grin you tend to carry whenever you’re victorious upon making me feel awkward makes me really angry. I especially hate how you tried to make me wear that stupid cap at the park, or your stubbornness and bossy attitude. I hate… I hate how you make me feel all time and how you're looking at me right now. Because everytime…everytime…” the miko could not finish her sentence.
“Everytime…” asked Minako. Her attention was now fully focused the miko.
Rei sighed, “Everytime I think about you, I can't think straight at all. I don't know if it's because I'm angry or... ”
Minako looked at Rei. There was silence and nothing but silence that stood between the two girls. For the first time, the idol was at a loss for words. She didn’t know what to say to Rei, because her emotions had begun to intertwine with hers and it was difficult to sense what she was feeling at the moment.
“That day…when you died, I was distraught,” intervened the miko.
“Rei..I”
“Let me finish. I didn’t know what to do. I never felt so alone at that moment, and then to feel your surge of power during my last moment of earth before Usagi restored it…gave me a sense strength when I fought. And nothing could explain the relief I felt when I saw you again after we were restored. And when we fought again during the time of Usagi’s wedding, I felt myself giving you my strength. I was so happy to see you again. But you left in a hurry, without bothering to at least stay here for a while.”
“But –”
“You had the tour, I know. But you left so soon, unannounced. You felt hurt that day when I avoided you at the airport?! How do you think I felt when you left Tokyo without even saying goodbye?”
Minako stood before Rei, not as the pop idol but as her friend who suddenly saw everything that Rei had been hiding for nearly two years.
“What the hell am I saying? I should go, this is ridiculous,” Rei immediately grabbed her things and walked passed the idol and up the stairs. She opened the door that was no longer being held shut and disappeared behind it, leaving Minako to soak up what she had just said to her.
“Rei...” said Usagi as the miko walked passed them.
“Don't...just don't,” she replied. As Rei quickly walked out of Crown Karaoke, she bumped past Ami, who had just arrived. Without a single word, the miko glared at the doctor and then started to run away. She just wanted to go home and forget this ever happened.
"What happened? I just bumped into Rei and she looked like she wanted to kill me." asked the doctor as she walked inside.
"Yeah, it didn't go as well as we thought it would," answered Makoto.
"I know. Why do those two have to be so stubborn, sometimes it just get-"
"Hush Usagi," interruped Makoto as she covered Usagi's mouth. She had noticed that the door to the room was opening once more, and Minako had slowly walked out of it. She did not look pleased, and quietly walked by the girls.
"Minako..." said Usagi.
"I don't want to talk about it," sighed Minako.
"But aren't you going to run after Rei?" asked Makoto.
"That's all she's been doing since we saw each other again. I'm tired of chasing after her. I'm going to home."
Minako got into her car and it drove away. She was hurting inside, but Minako was exhausted from everything. From working countless hours, from trying to regain a friendship she thought was worth saving, from everything. Maybe it wasn't a good idea coming back to Tokyo. It just wasn't the right time afterall. What do you want from me Rei? thought the idol as she looked outside the window and up towards the sky.
Finally walking, Rei could not help but kick one of the cans that stood in her way. Baka! Baka, why did you just say those things? The miko sighed and then glanced up at the sky, flashing back to a memory.
“Promise me you’ll keep in contact?” asked Minako.
“Always,” replied the miko.
“Meet me at Crown tomorrow,” said Minako.
“You never showed up. I waited there, only to find out that you had already left Tokyo,” said Rei against the empty sky. She felt tears stream down her face. Was it anger she felt? Was that why she was crying? She kicked the can once more. It wasn’t anger at all. For the first time since she had left for Kyoto, Rei finally let herself go and allowed herself to feel the pain she had kept inside for so long.
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