Yoshi (extras) (08)

(2007.01.03 Sun Plaza)

Perhaps Risa hadn’t known the soon-to-be leader had stepped into the backstage gakuya, or she would have stopped whatever she was discussing with Kamei. And perhaps Kamei hadn’t noticed Miki too, or she would have stopped Risa from talking on and on. Not that Miki was really interested in what her juniors or those idle people clotting the corridor way were chatting about. It had to be that: the topic of the day and for the days to come. However when she heard her name being mentioned, her ears pricked...

「不思議ね？」
「うん、びっくりしました。」
「でも、ちょっとだめですよね？藤本さんの顔」
「あれ？」
「笑ちゃった。。。」
「ほんとう？」
「うん、見ちゃった。」

Miki cursed under her breath. She seriously considered going up to the oblivious pair to slap some sense into their shallow brains. She knew the moment when she smiled that people would misinterpret her. Just that she didn’t expect it coming first from her comrades.

“I bet Yoshizawa-san had gotten upset when she saw the replay backstage,” Risa said matter-of-factly.

“Really, I didn’t notice that,” Kamei said.

“Of course you didn’t. Did you notice her missing the minute she got off-stage and only got back when it’s her turn to perform?”

Miki cursed again. Risa sure was observant. Thinking of it now, Miki realized she hadn’t seen much of Yossi during backstage too. Could Yossi have gone hiding? Seeking a moment of peace from questions that are bound to be thrown at her wherever she goes? This is why Miki sometimes thinks People are a nuisance. Don’t they know that ‘Graduation’ means graduation? The one word says it all.

“Maybe she didn’t want to be disturbed? You know how people will be rushing to her asking this and that?” Kamei argued.

Risa was losing patience. “You don’t get it, do you? Let me ask you. What happens if you told the news of your graduation and Sayumi was all smiles?”

Miki cursed again. This time loud and clear. The slamming of the door was no quiet affair either. She just wanted to make sure she was heard before she strode out of the room.

“Brats!!! I knew it way before they do.” Miki cursed inwardly. As she stormed down the corridor, Risa’s words began to make some sense. It was true that Yossi wasn’t quite herself during the concert. And now that the concert had ended, Miki had yet to see the troubled leader. And therein lies the question: where could Yossi be now when everyone else was packing and getting ready to leave?

Miki needed no searching as Yossi suddenly appeared from the corner. She stood and watched as Yossi, who was looking back skeptically, approached with wide strides.

“You’re ready to go?” Yossi asked.

Miki pulled Yossi to a stop just as the latter was about to walk past. “Just where did you go?”

“Talk later, can? The bus is waiting.”


******

After settling down, Yossi quickly noticed the unusual seating in the bus. Only she and Miki were occupying the back row while the others had squeezed themselves in the front few rows, leaving a somewhat awkward gap in-between. And she wondered what could have caused the sudden arrangement?

“Now, just what did you do?” she asked Miki.

Miki shrugged. She sure knew what Yossi was talking about and she wasn’t the least bothered. On the contrary, she kind of appreciated the privacy. It gave her the opportunity to get the question off her chest and increased the chances of her getting an answer. As the bus roared to life to begin its slow journey back to the hotel, she cleared her throat. “Well, you looked ok this morning…”

“Ya,” Yossi said as she continued to look out of the window from behind the half-drawn curtains.

Miki got pissed. She never liked Yossi’s curt replies.

“But after the concert, you don’t look good. NO,” Miki corrected. “During the concert and right now.”

Yossi didn’t say a thing nor moved an inch and Miki was convinced her leader was upset with her.

“Was it because I was smiling when you’re making your announcement?”

Yossi turned to look at Miki who was sitting on the other side of the bus. And when she finally understood what Miki was driving at, she laughed. It caused the others to turn back and look. And all of a sudden, Miki felt very silly to have believed Risa. She cast an angry eye in front and was more chafed when she couldn’t find her target.

“No,” Yossi said. “You should have known me well enough that I don’t care for such things.”

Miki grunted. “That’s why! Man… that girl is such a… Arghh!!!”

Yossi laughed again. “What did you hear this time?” she said as she turned back to look outside. There weren’t many people on the streets and Yossi wondered where everybody had gone. What happened to the city that never sleeps?

“Bleh~ it’s not important anymore. But you can’t blame me, you are behaving weird.”

“Like?”

“Getting yourself lost?”

Yossi sighed. Why did Miki have to remind her?

“I was with her.”

Miki looked up and cocked her eyebrows. If she wanted to know what was going on, she definitely needed to know more than what she had just heard. She returned a look that told Yossi to continue with whatever she was trying to say in the first place.

“The stubborn girl... She’s so sick. You know she’s sick right? I told her not to perform. The staff told her not to perform. She was excused. Well, you know she was excused right? Everybody knows… I tried to talk to her, but she just wouldn’t listen…”

As Yossi babbled on and on, Miki could hear no more, and suddenly 'kicking Yossi in the ass' had become a very tempting notion…