Somewhere Only We Know

Chapter Six

"So, what kind of music do you listen to these days, Mei?"

Mei is sat inside Yuzu's car, a space blue Porsche 718 Spyder. She's offered to give her a lift to her 3pm investors' meeting. They are negotiating their way through Tokyo's busy back streets.

"People decide that for me most of the time, so I don't remember anything special in particular. Are you sure you know how to drive?"

Mei is tightly clutching the sides of her seat as her internal organs might have been rearranged due to Yuzu's chaotic driving. Randomly stepping on the brakes here and there. But at least it's distracting her from the uneasiness she feels being this close to her high school sweetheart for the first time in years. Cocooned inside the cozy, deep blue interiors of Yuzu's car, at the very least the sudden brakes are shaking off thoughts of what could have been.

Yuzu giggles, "Relax, Mei. I am the girl who got you in time to see off Dad on a bicycle." She winks.

Oh my God, stop it. Mei can't sit still. She loves how Yuzu is so carefree, one hand on the wheel, and the other one holding the takeaway coffee she deemed gross. She loves how Yuzu can instantly demote her into a normal person, even expecting a music preference. She's so unabashedly real, and she isn't trying to impress her like the suitors that went after her when she filed for divorce who mainly just want control of Aihara stock. She feels so safe around Yuzu. She hasn't felt this secure for years.

"Here, listen to this song, the lyrics are so good. And the lead guitar is strong."

I can't get used to this. None of this is mine.

"Hey Yuzu, what route are you taking? This isn't going to Shimbashi."

"We're just taking a shortcut, it's 2.30. I need to get you there at 3, right? Queen Mei can't be late." Yuzu grins and lightly dances to the beat of the song she just switched to.

Mei has faced many dangerously calculating executives in the financial district, and she has come out of it with a better deal every time. But with this girl, she just can't scrape a win.

She instantly recognises the trees and the area they are driving at.

"Yuzu, this isn't going to Shimbashi."

"This is going to Aihara Academy." Mei's heart is thumping.

"Right," smiles Yuzu.

"Yuzu, I'm sorry but I need to be in that meeting. That meeting cannot proceed without me. I can't suddenly change schedules like this. It's important that it pushes through because today Aihara just lost billions in stock."

"What are you planning to do?" Mei is exasperated.

Yuzu stops the car in the nearby train station parking lot. She takes a look at Mei while unlocking the door to her side. She steps out of the car and walks around the back to her ex-girlfriend's door. She opens it and slowly got down on her haunches. Yuzu reaches out to hold Mei's hand.

She lets out a deep sigh and thoughtfully looks at the formidable business tycoon. "We'll never run out of work to do, Mei. You will never run out of investors to talk to. While this– this is just one free afternoon."

"Who knows, we might never have this again."

"I want to see Aihara Academy. With you. I want to see how you have progressed it as Chairman. To see your dream come true. Come, walk with me to school, please?"

Was it even my dream?

Mei groaned and looked at Yuzu in disbelief, aware of the more pressing issues. The billions of stock needed to be recouped. The still unresolved expansion project. The targets they needed to hit this quarter. Not to mention her tousled hair, rearranged organs, coffee-spattered self. And here she is, about to spend an afternoon with a person she's completely powerless with. A dream that will never be hers. Wait, what is she even thinking. Great, just great. Mei shuts her eyes to regain control of her thoughts.

"Yuzu, I'm not one of the actors or supermodels you can just decide to fool around with one afternoon on your leave–"

Yuzu's hand tightened around Mei's, its warmth slowly easing the tension. "Right. You aren't one of them. That's why I am here, on my one free afternoon in the whole of this year."

"Please, Mei."

Mei sighs. She's lost the negotiation. She's just relieved that the business district doesn't know there exist a human who holds so much power over her decision-making. Or else business proposals for Aihara will be presented through Yuzu.

"I-I just need to make a few calls to my staff." Mei exhales deeply and feels beaten.

Yuzu smiles. She squeezes Mei's hand before letting it go. She stands up and looks up at the soft blue afternoon sky of the city. A cool breeze with a familiar, leafy green scent ruffles up her hair. After the mix-ups of this morning, she realised she's just happy to be in this place again. She hears Mei's firm and polite voice giving out instructions to her staff and it made her realise how far they've come.

"Alright then, Yuzu, let's go." Within a quarter of an hour, Mei is finally out of the car and is standing next to Yuzu.

They walk the tree-lined street to their school quietly. Around them, there's a flurry of tangerine and yellow leaves. Yuzu looks at Mei's bow back high-heeled pumps and sees the feet which used to be covered in neat socks and the shiny, block-heeled loafers. She thought those days would never end. She then glances up at Mei, the soft glow of the 4pm sun on her cheeks. Despite the tired eyes and a few premature lines here and there, she's still so unaffectedly beautiful.

Thirteen years is more than enough to be able to look at her again in deep appreciation and without any negative, childish emotion. And did it feel so good. She hugs Mei's arm as she rested her head on the tycoon's shoulder.

"Hey! Yuzu!" Mei protests.

"What? You're not Seitokaichou anymore." Yuzu is beaming.

"Mei-mei, are you scared Momokino-san will see us and realise we're dating?"