Chapter 23
Reality has a nasty habit of twisting our expectations out of shape.
"But you don't have to worry, brother-in-law. Sis says she knows you'd rather not see her, so she's only bringing along."
Listening to Hojo Suzune's bright, chirping voice on the phone, Shiratori Seiya fell into a heavy silence.
"Brother-in-law? You still there?"
Catching the hesitation, Suzune's excitent cooled.
"Yeah, I'm here."
"...Do you not want to co to Tokyo, brother-in-law...?"
Her voice turned small and wounded; even through the speaker Seiya could picture the tears trembling on her lashes.
In truth, he'd built up immunity. Suzune had pulled the sa "instant-noodle crocodile tears" stunt more tis than he could count.
When no answer ca, she seed to hit on another idea.
"If you don't believe , I'll let Sis talk to you."
Without waiting for a yes or no, she shoved the phone at the girl beside her.
"Hello? Seiya."
Hojo Shione's voice slid through the handset, soft enough to stroke his eardrums.
"Hey."
"Sorry to bother you. Rehearsals are eating alive and the agency's got running in circles... I can't get away, so I'll have to ask you to look after Suzune for her birthday in Tokyo."
"...All right. Got it."
There wasn't much else he could say, yet the question gnawed at him: How had Shione agreed?
He knew Suzune had a crush on him—Shione knew it even better. When they were still dating, Shione had bristled at every clingy hug her sister gave him, curling up against his chest to vent in whispers. She'd begged him—sotis outright, sotis sideways—to keep Suzune at arm's length. More than once the usually mild-tempered Shione had exploded at her sister for draping herself over him like a scarf, only to lose the shouting match, then collapse against him later like a wounded kitten, asking him to stroke her hair until she stopped crying.
Two days ago she'd clung to him as if she couldn't bear to let go; now she was giving Suzune permission to spend a week with him in Tokyo. None of it made sense.
Seiya had banked on Shione refusing outright, so he'd blithely made the request. Instead, the plan had flipped on its head. He couldn't figure out what she was playing at.
Sensing his silence, Shione asked, "Seiya, can I ask you sothing?"
"I might not answer."
"Sigh... you've changed. Do all n turn cold after a break-up?"
She let out a deliberately mournful sigh, then pressed her lips together. "We're still friends, right?"
"...."
"I've co to terms with it. Like you said—two people can love each other and still not make it to the end. Happiness isn't the only reason we're alive. If I can't be happy, at least I can help soone else be. So... I hope you and whover you choose will be happy, Seiya."
She paused, voice softening further.
"But no matter what, I'll never forget the ti we had. I'll carry every expectation you ever had for and keep chasing my dream—so please, watch from the audience. That will be my happiness, Seiya."
Listening to her pour her heart out, Seiya drew a slow breath and released both the air and the questions tangled inside it.
"I will."
"Mm..."
After a thoughtful silence, Shione added, "Oh, right. I passed your ssage to Miss Aoki. She said there's still so copyright issue she needs you to sort out—asked you to contact her as soon as you can."
"Copyright? Didn't we sign the contract already?"
"I don't know the details; she didn't tell ."
"All right. I'll call her."
"Good night, then."
Click.
Shione hung up before Seiya could reply.
"...?"
Suzune spun around, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Eh?!"
Incredulous, she sputtered, "Why'd you hang up?!"
Shione set the phone on the coffee table and turned a gentle smile on her sister. "Everything that needed saying was said. Seiya agreed to show you around Tokyo."
"But I wasn't finished!"
Suzune scrunched her face, trembling with frustration. She'd sat through the syrupy speech, stomach churning, just so she could grab the phone again and plan their Tokyo itinerary. Instead, Shione had hogged the last word and cut the call.
Keeping all the dessert to yourself, huh?
Shione, unruffled, studied her sister from head to toe. Suzune stood only 155 cm, but the Hojo beauty genes had done their work: the delicate oval face, cherry lips, naturally flirtatious eyes. Her bust was smaller than Shione's but still "manageable." Shione guessed Seiya could likely circle one with a single hand.
But what really drew male attention, Shione decided, were her legs—straight, slender, almost luminescent under the light, faint blue veins visible beneath translucent skin. Combined with her petite fra, they triggered every protective instinct boys claid to have.
"White, slim, young"—that about sumd it up.
Shione gave an approving nod.
Under the scrutiny, Suzune felt ants crawling over her skin. She pressed her knees together. "What are you looking at?"
Shione lifted her gaze to et Suzune's moist eyes. "Save your words for when you see him. But first, Suzune, you have to promise sothing—otherwise I'm not taking you to Tokyo."
Suzune's eyelid twitched. She clicked her tongue. "Did your mouth migrate to your butt?"
---
Beep-beep-beep...
After ending the call with Shione, Seiya locked the car, went upstairs, and once everything was settled, dialed Aoki Yayoi.
"Hello? This is Aoki Yayoi—who's calling, please?"
The voice on the line sounded exhausted.
"Miss Aoki, it's Shiratori Seiya."
Two seconds of silence, then Aoki's delight burst through—quickly reined in.
"A-sensei?"
When Seiya had first debuted, he used the pen na "Friend A" to stay anonymous. Aoki knew his real na, yet out of professional respect she still called him "A-sensei." Seiya always found it awkward and had asked her to drop the "Friend."
"It's ."
"I heard from Hojo Shione that there's still so unfinished copyright business on my end?"
"Eh?"
The firm yes Shiratori Seiya expected didn't co. Aoki Yayoi's voice lifted in surprise. "No, A-sensei, your old contract's fine. I'm calling about the copyright on your two newest songs."
"My newest songs?"
Seiya narrowed his eyes; sothing clicked in his mind.
"Yes—'On the Back of the Silver Dragon' and 'Snow Flower'..."
A beat of silence. "Um... didn't Miss Hojo ntion any of this to you?"
...
Seiya said nothing.
Those two tracks were the ones he'd tucked into the break-up letter he gave Hojo Shione after they split. Out of guilt, he'd written that she could have full lyric and composition rights.
Apparently she hadn't taken the gift at face value.
Yet if she'd refused the gesture, why route him through Aoki?
After a mont he asked, "What exactly did Hojo Shione tell you? Did she say she wants to perform them?"
The question caught Yayoi off guard. "Aren't those songs reserved for Miss Hojo alone?"
"I an—when she showed them to you, what did she say?"
Yayoi found his manner odd today, as if he and Shione had never discussed a thing. Still, professional habit took over. She closed her eyes, replaying the conversation.
"She said sothing like, 'I can perform these at the concert as long as the agency has the rights.'"
"I see."
"About the contract, A-sensei—"
"I'll co by your office tomorrow morning and we'll hamr out the details."
"Understood. One more thing—Miss Hojo ntioned you're not planning to write any more songs. Is that true?"
"More or less."
"Ah..."
Yayoi drew the syllable out, thinking. After a pause she said, "Would you let us use that angle?"
"Use it how?"
"Miss Hojo's concert is coming up. She's always sung your work. If we bill it as your farewell piece, the buzz could be huge. It'd benefit both of you..."
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