Connected Hearts

Chapter 13

The day arrived for Mei to finally meet her father and his fiancee. She felt slightly nervous inside Himeko's car and fidgeted her fingers
"Do you...really want to go? I mean I can tell him that you don't feel well" Himeko said
"No. I'm fine" Mei said
"You sure?" Himeko asked. Mei smiled at Himeko and held her hand
"Himeko...it's okay" Mei said
"Okay. If you say so" Himeko said
"It's just going out for dinner. I'm sure everything will be fine. I won't be alone since I'll see my new stepsister. She's apparently the same age as me so we might bond well" Mei said
"Oh that's good but remember that you can call me if anything happens" Himeko said
"Okay" Mei said. Once the ride was over, Mei got to her destination and stepped out of the car. She felt slightly nervous and took a deep breathe
"I hope you have fun" Himeko said
"I'll see you later, Himeko" Mei said and walked inside the restaurant. She stopped by the entrance and met up with the waitress
"Welcome. You must be Miss Mei Aihara, right?" The waitress asked
"O-oh uhm yes" Mei said
"Please come this way" The waitress said, guiding Mei inside. Mei followed the waitress to the table where she saw her father along with a rather familiar face
"Here's your table" The waitress said
"Thanks" Mei said
"You're still waiting on one more person right?" The waitress asked
"That's correct" Ume said
"Okay" The waitress said, walking away. Mei stood still by the table and Sho got up from his seat
"A-ah hi Mei" Sho said nervously. Mei tensed up a bit and held her hand out
"Hi sens-uhm. Father..." Mei said and Sho held her hand
"It's nice to see you, Mei. Ah uhm...right. Ahem! Mei, I'd like you to meet Ume" Sho said
"Hello Mei. It's a pleasure to meet you" Ume said as she got up to greet Mei with a hug
"O-oh uhm...yes. I'm pleased to meet you too" Mei said
"You look stunning" Ume said pulling away
"Thank you, ma'am" Mei said
"I'm really glad you're here, Mei. It's been...a while. Heh you've grown so much" Sho said
"Yeah..." Mei said
"I heard that you went abroad. You must've had lots of fun" Sho said
"Mm...well sort of. It was mostly work..." Mei said
"But you had a break from work, right?" Sho asked
"Grandfather knew when it was time to take breaks. It's fine" Mei said
"Good" Sho said
"Oh Yuzu you're finally here" Ume said as she got up from her seat to greet her daughter
"Hi mom" Yuzu said as she went to hug her mom. Mei tensed up in her seat, unable to turn to look at the woman behind her. She took a deep breath to calm herself down
"I was getting worried about you" Ume said
"Sorry there was a bit of traffic on my way here and I didn't want to be seen by my fans" Yuzu said as she removed her hat and sunglasses before putting them in her bag
"Hi Yuzu. It's nice to see you again" Sho said
"Hey Sho. How was your trip?" Yuzu asked
"We had a great time" Sho said
"That's good to know. Thanks for taking good care of my mom. Hm? Oh hey you must be Sho's daughter" Yuzu said
"Oh right. This is my daughter Mei" Sho said
"Hey Mei. I'm Yuzu" Yuzu said, holding her hand out. Mei trembled slightly as she reached out to hold her hand
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuz-"
"Aww look at how cute my little sister is!" Yuzu said as she hugged her which surprised Mei
BA-THUMP!
"U-uhm...y-yeah" Mei said
"Yuzu is a really sweet girl. She's very friendly" Ume said
"Y-yeah I can tell. L-let go of me" Mei said
"Ah I'm sorry. My bad, Mei" Yuzu said pulling away and smiled warmly
"I-it's alright..." Mei said
"I didn't keep you guys waiting too long right?" Yuzu asked
"No, you're good" Sho said
"Awesome. Let's start ordering" Yuzu said as she took a seat next to Mei
"Yes. I'm getting hungry" Ume said. Mei grabbed the menu and paused feeling something grab onto her thigh. She looked down seeing Yuzu's hand and tried to push her away
"Ah something wrong, Mei?" Yuzu asked wearing an innocent expression
"It's...nothing" Mei said
"Oh okay" Yuzu said as she smiled. Mei tried to pull her hand away but Yuzu slid her hand upwards heading to her area
Wh-what the hell is she doing?
"What were you guys talking about?" Yuzu asked
"Oh Mei was going to talk about her trip in America" Sho said
"Right. You said that she was studying abroad. How was it, Mei?" Yuzu asked, squeezing her inner thigh. Mei flinched a bit and grabbed Yuzu's wrist
"I-it was nice" Mei said
...I have to get out of here
During the reunion, Yuzu kept bothering Mei by touching her thigh. Mei struggled to keep a straight expression while having a conversation with her family
"Mei, is everything okay?" Sho asked
"M-mhh...uhm yes. I-I think I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back" Mei said getting up from her seat and left in a rush
"Hm? Uhm...okay" Sho said
"Are you okay, Sho?" Ume asked
"Y-yeah...it's just that...I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I mean I thought Mei would reject my invitation. Didn't expect her to actually show up...and I think she still feels uncomfortable around me. I shouldn't have suddenly invited her. She felt forced to be here..." Sho said
"I'll see what I can do" Yuzu said getting up
"What? Yuzu wait" Ume said
"Relax. I'll just talk with her" Yuzu said, walking to the restroom. In the bathroom, Mei was busy on the phone speaking with her close friend
"You need me there right now?" Himeko asked
"Unless you're busy then I can call a-"
"Nonsense! I'll be there right away" Himeko said
"Thank you. I'll see you later, Himeko" Mei said and hung up. She sighed deeply and stepped out of the bathroom stall. All the sudden the door opened revealing the blonde standing by the door
"It's been a while..." Yuzu said as she stepped inside the bathroom. Mei tensed up for a bit and walked to the sink to wash her hands
"...yeah" Mei said. Yuzu looked at her and took a few steps close to her. Mei felt her heart beating loudly as she started to get nervous
"So you're just going to pretend like nothing happened?" Yuzu asked and Mei grabbed the paper towel without saying a word. Yuzu gritted her teeth and reached out grabbing her wrist
"Hey!" Mei said
"Seven years, Mei. Seven fucking years...since you left me. Do you have any idea what the hell I felt when I heard you left? Couldn't you at least tell me you were leaving?" Yuzu asked and Mei pulled her hand away
"Don't touch me" Mei said and walked pass her. Suddenly she felt a strong grip as Yuzu grabbed her pulling her back towards her
"Let g-mm!" Mei's eyes widened as Yuzu kissed her. She grabbed onto her shoulders trying to pull away and Yuzu bit down on her bottom lip
"Mmm!" Mei pulled away covering her mouth and Yuzu licked her lips
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Mei said
"Don't try to run away from me or else I'll chase right after you. You remember that, right?" Yuzu said and Mei only glared at her while blood dripped down her lip
"...let's see if you can run away from me this time, little sister" Yuzu giggled. Mei stepped away trying to get to the door but Yuzu stopped her
"Stop it!" Mei said
"Let me help you" Yuzu said
"Help with wh-mm!" Mei shut her mouth as Yuzu licked her lips
SLAP!
"Ouch..." Yuzu said letting go of Mei allowing her the opportunity to get out of the bathroom. Yuzu stood in the bathroom and touched her stinging cheek
"Damnit...I didn't think she'd reject me like that. Oh and Nene you can step out now" Yuzu said looking over at one of the bathroom stalls. The door opened revealing the smaller girl looking at her
"U-uhm Yuzu! Hey! Uhm h-how'd you know it was me?" Nene asked
"Your keychain fell" Yuzu said
"Oh! Did didn't know it fell" Nene said picking it up
"Why are you here anyways?" Yuzu asked
"I-I uhm...well Hana invited me" Nene said
"That's great. Hey, did you happen to hear anything interesting from her?" Yuzu asked
"Oh uhm...she only said that she needed someone to pick her up right away. She was talking on the phone with someone named Himeko" Nene said
"Is she leaving now?" Yuzu asked
"She plans to" Nene said
"Ah shit...I can't let this opportunity slide" Yuzu said as she rushed out of the bathroom. She caught Mei grabbing her bag wanting to leave while Sho seemed worried for her
"Wait Mei your lip" Sho said
"It's fine. I-I accidentally tore a piece of skin. Look, I really need to go. It was nice meeting you and your fiancee. I had a great time but I can't stay any longer" Mei said
"B-but uhm-well...alright. Just...I-I'd like to see you again. Maybe hang out some other time" Sho said
"...I'll think about it" Mei said
"Hm? Leaving already?" Yuzu asked as she approached the table
"Yes" Mei said
"I can give you a ride" Yuzu said
"No thanks. I'm good. Thank you for everything. It was a nice dinner" Mei said and walked away in a rush
"Mei wait!" Yuzu said following her
"Yuzu hold on" Ume said. Yuzu chased after Mei out of the restaurant and caught up to her
"Mei!" Yuzu said
"Leave me alone" Mei said but Yuzu grabbed her wrist
"I just want to talk with you! Why are you trying to avoid me!?" Yuzu asked
"Lower your voice" Mei said as she started noticing the people around them
"Can't you give me an explanation? I need to know what happened? Is it your grandfather? The Academy? I'll support you and help you if you just stay with me" Yuzu said
"Enough! I don't want to talk about it!" Mei said and winced in pain feeling a burning sensation on her wrist
I-it's burning?!
"You're still in love with me just like I'm in love with-"
"Shut up!" Mei exclaimed and caused an electric spark causing Yuzu to pull away. Yuzu winced in pain feeling the stinging sensation on her hand and trembled
The fuck was that now?!
A car pulled up and Mei immediately rushed towards the car door opening it. Yuzu was about to get her but one of Himeko's guards stopped her
"H-huh? Hey!" Yuzu said
"Stop it, Yuzu" Himeko said
"I-I just need to talk with-"
"Stop. She doesn't want to speak with you right now. Please give her some space" Himeko said
"But I-" Yuzu looked at her surroundings, noticing the people and gritted her teeth. She sighed deeply and stepped back
"Sorry...my bad" Yuzu said and Himeko closed the door. The guard went back to the car and they left. Yuzu looked at her arm rubbing it gently remembering the sensation
Just...what was that?
"Yuzuko!" Ume said and Yuzu tensed up
"M-mom?" Yuzu asked
"We need to discuss something important. At home okay?" Ume said with a serious tone
"...y-yeah" Yuzu said
Shit...why the hell didn't she fucking accept me? Seems like Mei wants to do this the hard way...

"Meimei! Are you okay? She didn't do anything to you right?" Himeko asked
"I'm fine, Himeko" Mei said
"I'm relieved I got there right away. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that she was going to be there. I thought you two needed to speak with each other but I didn't consider how you'd feel about this. I know you're not ready yet to-"
"Himeko..." Mei said and looked at her which told her to be quiet
"I-I understand. Eh? Wait your lip" Himeko said
"I'm okay. I...I accidentally bit too hard on it" Mei said
"Once I see her again I'll be giving her a piece of my mind..." Himeko said
"It's not necessary" Mei said
"No. It will be necessary. She needs to understand your boundaries. Besides...you're going to see her often" Himeko said
"What?" Mei asked
"You'll be seeing her during your last year of college. She's going at the same one as us" Himeko said
"Huh? Wait...she is?" Mei asked
"I'm sorry for not letting you know right away and hiding all this from-"
"How did Yuzu get accepted? Isn't that college prestigious and hard to get accepted?" Mei asked
"W-well I mean Yuzu has studied quite a lot. Her scores on her exams were great too. She even got to the top ten" Himeko said
"...impressive" Mei mumbled
"I sort of...told her which college you'll be in so she went ahead and enrolled in it. It's not a surprise that she got in. Her grades were outstanding. At least you won't be alone since you'll have me by your side" Himeko said
"Thanks Himeko but I think I'll be fine" Mei said and touched her wrist where she felt the burning sensation
"Did she hurt you?" Himeko asked
"No. It's nothing" Mei said
What in the world happened back there?
Meanwhile back at home, Yuzu was sitting with her mother in the living room. Ume looked at her daughter and sighed deeply
"Yuzuko, did you know that she was his daughter?" Ume asked. Yuzu looked to the side and nodded
"...yes" Yuzu said
"You set me up with him to be able to get in touch with her?" Ume asked
"It was the only way. I mean I didn't expect her to come back that soon" Yuzu said
"...you're still in love with her?" Ume asked
"...I've tried, okay? I've done everything to forget her. I went out with several girls to get my mind off of her. Nothing worked. I inherited the company hoping that all the responsibilities and work I had would help get rid of her. But she still shows up everywhere and even in my dreams. I can't forget her no matter how hard I try...and I don't think I'll ever be able to forget her. Sorry for setting you up with him but...I had to see her again somehow" Yuzu said
"Does he know you're after her?" Ume asked
"No...he doesn't" Yuzu said
"I'm guessing you have made plans on getting her back right?" Ume asked
"Mom...she's my soulmate. Call me crazy but...ever since I was a kid I saw this red thread on my pinkie. At first I was confused until I learned about the red strong of fate..." Yuzu said
"...I-I see. Well...uhm...you know I care about you and that I love you. So...I guess I don't have any other choice but to believe you" Ume said
"Wh-what? Really?" Yuzu asked as her face lit up
"But I don't want you to cause any problems. I'm not sure what happened in the bathroom back there but I'm guessing it didn't end well" Ume said
"A-ah...yeah. It sort of didn't..." Yuzu said smiling nervously
"I'll support you as long as you don't make any rash decisions" Ume said
"Yes! I promise!" Yuzu said
"Good. Also make sure to let her have some space. I can tell you're eager to see her again and you're probably thinking about a chance to see her again. Calm down. You can't rush things" Ume said
"We were dating back then. She still has feelings for me" Yuzu said
"That may be true but you also need to consider how she feels and what situation she is in. I understand you felt hurt when she left you and she probably felt the same way. Why not start out as friends again? I'm sure that'll help make a progress in your relationship" Ume said
"Well...you're right. But it means I'll have to be patient about this..." Yuzu groaned and Ume hugged her
"You've got this. I will do my best to help in any way I can but...please don't do anything that'll be problematic" Ume said
"I know. Don't worry I'll listen" Yuzu said
Depends on how Mei behaves...
"Well I wish you good luck and let's keep this a secret from him" Ume said
"Thanks mom. You're the best" Yuzu said
"Also be careful being out in public and try not to cause a scene. Remember what caused your separation. Now it'll be a bit difficult since you've gotten popular and have a reputation. That goes for Mei too. Sho has mentioned things about his daughter inheriting the Aihara Academy. Both of you need to watch out for the paparazzi" Ume said
"I've handled several scandals before. I'm sure I'll be able to easily get rid of anything" Yuzu said
"Still though. You have to be careful. Not only will those rumors affect you but it'll affect Mei too" Ume said
"I promise that I won't do anything stupid and that I'll be very careful in public" Yuzu said
And I'll make sure to get rid of every obstacle. We won't be separated this time, Mei.