Alluring Secret [TechiNeru]

Complications (Part 2/2)

Neru couldn't believe her eyes as she eyes the invitation she had been holding. How could they?! She thought. How could they decide her wedding date without even informing her?!

Her eyes are now fixated on Fuyuka who appears to be elated about the wedding being pushed too soon. She couldn't help but think that it was Fuyuka's doing. She and Fuyuka had agreed earlier on about getting married too early as she is not yet ready. Well, for starters, how could she be ready when she's marrying someone whom she doesn't even love?!

She now looked at her father whose eyes seems to be beaming with happiness. She wanted to tell her old man that she wants to break off the engagement. But with everything happening too fast, she is not sure how to word out with her parents. Sure enough, she had already told her parents that she's not in love with Fuyuka anymore. But she didn't thought her parents will act rashly and force the wedding earlier than what she had expected. She was supposed to be an obedient child, but this, this is too much for her. She didn't know what to do anymore. She doesn't even had an idea how to break this news to Techi.

"So, how do you like the invitation, Neru? Do you have any requests?" Fuyuka asks with a taunting smirk.

Neru's attention snapped back at her, eyes blank of emotion but she still had this bright smile on her face. That had literally caught the Saito heiress off guard. "Requests? None. If I am not mistaken, you have given these," Neru raises her copy, "out to invited guests without even consulting me. Then, you're asking me now that question?"

Her words silenced the room. A rather awkward one. No one had dared to speak up again.

"If we're already done here, then I'll take my leave." Neru again announces as she stood up and left the drawing room. None had dared to stop her in her tracks. How could they when they all knew that the girl wasn't ready for this at all.

But for Saito Fuyuka, she did what's right. She wont loose Neru this way. She can still make the girl fall for her.

******

Yurina stares at the invitation they had received earlier. She couldn't believe it herself. Neru's going to marry Fuyuka in a week's time!

"I thought she had it in her to break off the engagement with Fuu-chan." Manaka commented, clearly upset that both friends of hers will suffer from this so-called marriage.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, Mona."  Risa scolds her lover as she saw Yurina's face twitch at the words.

How could she not? Just when she thought that Neru had finally start fighting for their love, this invitation had been delivered to them. Had she given up her place in the palace for nothing? Had she given up everything she had in exchange for nothing?

Yurina was lost with what to do. She isn't even sure if she should continue to fight for the love they shared.

Yurina sat there quietly as she puts the invitation down on the coffee table in front of her. Soon enough, Risa had plopped down beside her, worry written all over her face. The latter knew how conflicted her friend is.

"Are you fine with this?" Risa asks Yurina as she gestures at the invitation.

"No. How could I be fine with this?!" Yurina suddenly outbursts, sobbing.

Risa wraps the younger girl in her arms, she herself isn't sure how to take in the news if she was in Yurina's shoes. All she could offer is a shoulder to cry on.

"I thought she'd definitely fight for us this time around. But," Yurina pauses, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, "I was totally wrong." She stood up abruptly, leaving Risa perplexed. "Was I some kind of play thing to her?" Yurina asked her friend. "Did I went through all of that for my freedom to choose whom to love for nothing." This time it was more of a statement than a question.

Manaka who is upset with all of this was about to give Yurina a piece of her mind regarding the matter at hand when Risa held her hand up to keep her thoughts to herself. The latter wouldn't want Yurina to think one-sided of the situation.

"You should talk to Neru, Techi. You need an explanation from her. Not from us." Risa tells her friend.

Yurina stays silent, her head down, her hair covering her face as she replies with her voice void of emotion, "She already did it before. It wouldn't surprise me if she did it again."

With that the young girl had gone back go her quarters. Risa and Manaka stares at each other. Both worried with their best friend.

"I'll talk to that Nagahama heiress." Manaka declares.

"I hate interfering in Techi's love life, but you're right. I need to know what really happened."

*****

"How is Techi?" It was the first question that Neru managed to ask the duo who sneaked into her room through the window. She didn't know how the two managed to do the stunt as her room was located on the second floor of the house.

"Do you think we'd be here if she's okay?" Manaka sarcastically replies to which she earns an elbow to her side from Risa.

"Actually, we didn't expect you'd be locked up here." Risa stated, "We had asked for an audience with you but was declined before we even get ourselves in the estate."

"Sorry about that. My attempt at escaping had failed, thus I had regrettably been locked up here." Neru says with a frown, a deep sigh escaping her lips.

The duo looked at each other. If what Neru says is true, then maybe, just maybe.. Neru had been trying to meet up with Techi.

"And that might be Fuuchan's doing. She had been talking in secret with my parents behind my back. Now, even I can't talk to my own parents regarding the marriage." Neru says before releasing another sigh.

"Did you try escaping through the window?" Manaka suggested yet again and this time she earned a smack to the back of her head from Risa.

"She's not like you Mona." Was Risa's stern reply to her partner.

"You mean to say us," Manaka replies sarcastically. "Even Techi was able to-" she was cut off mid sentence by Risa who stomped onto her feet.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Manaka yelps in pain as she glares at Risa who had been glaring at her, "Fine.. Fine, I'll shut up." She continues as she makes a zipping action over her lips.

"Are you implying that all of these is Saito's doing?" Risa asks Neru to which the latter responds with a nod.

"I wanted to break off the wedding engagement but things had become more complicated now," Neru starts sobbing by then, "I don't even love Fuuchan. I love Techi." Neru declares her love in front of the duo with tear-streaked face.

"Then, would you elope with her?" Mona asks sternly. Risa was about to smack her partner again if not for Neru's reply full of determination.

"Yes."

"Then, I'll bring.... No, drag Techi on your wedding date," Manaka replies, "show her the love you declared to us." And with that, Manaka drags Risa to the window where they came in from.

"I thought you were gonna smack me again or something.." Manaka tells her partner as they jumped off the window to a nearby tree branch.

"Shouldn't you be glad that I didn't?" Was Risa's retort.

It still left Manaka clueless but she thought that maybe, just maybe, what she had said was right.

******

Neru watched as the duo disappeared from her sight. She needs to thank Manaka for her sarcastic replies. The last question was more of a suggestion. And although it might sound pretty irrational and stupid, she still thinks that it is much better than ending up living a life full of regrets and resentment.

Now, she knows what to do. The only thing she hopes is Manaka will be able to bring Techi and Techi still loves her the same way.