Year of the Idol

Chapter FOUR

The final school bell signaled the end of the day. Nami hadn't been able to focus on any of the lessons for the rest of the day. All of her thoughts were preoccupied by the simple fact that maybe she wouldn't be so alone at Kaibara High School. Consumed in her thoughts, she was already outside of the building and descending the stairs.

"See you tomorrow!" Momiji interrupted, his hand curling around Namiko's. They stood at the base of the steps, locking eyes. She felt a blush creep across her face as Momiji smiled at her. He was so kind to her, even though he barely knew her.

"Yeah, I can't wait! See ya!" She said in return, waving at both Momiji and Hatsuharu as they exited the school grounds. Nami was waiting off to the side of the steps for Tohru. Checking her phone, she realized she had an unopened text message from Tohru. It read: "Do you know how to make mirin glazed salmon for dinner? It's Kyo's favorite!"

Nami felt the heat rise in her face once again, giggling at the message. She was an incredible cook and mirin glazed salmon happened to be her mom's favorite dish as well. Just as Nami was about to respond, she felt Tohru tap her on the shoulder. She was alone but looking as cheerful as if she was with her friends.

"Ready to walk to the store?" Tohru asked, all smiles as she adjusted her bookbag on her back. "We'll probably get back before Kyo and Yuki, but that means we can have the meal ready for them! Did you see my text about the salmon dish?"

"Yes! Also, that sounds like a lovely plan," Nami grinned, nodding as she followed Tohru off the school's property.

The walk to the grocery store was full of laughter. It felt good to talk to someone else besides her sister for once. She loved Akami, but sometimes she was as stubborn as their mother. She assumed it was just the army blood that made them both so fierce.

"So your sister is in the army just like your mom was?" Tohru asked, eyes wide. She didn't know anyone else who was in the army.

"Yup, and my mother is always pestering me about joining the army after high school too. I already told her I don't want to join though. That didn't go over well with any of my family members..." Nami finished quietly. She could feel her chest ache.

"I'm so sorry... I bet it's really tough coming from a family like that. I'm sure Yuki or Kyo could relate better than me, but I'm always here to listen if you need an ear!" Tohru reassured her, a warm smile gracing her features. As they rounded a corner, only a few blocks from the grocery store, Tohru pointed at a specialty fish restaurant. "That's the place we went for Kyo's birthday last year. He got mirin glazed salmon there and said it was the best thing he's ever eaten!"

"Hopefully having a chef for a father will come in handy tonight then!" Namiko joked, cracking her fingers in emphasis.

"Do you want to be a chef?" Tohru asked, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm a decent cook but I've never considered pursuing culinary school. I just had to learn how to cook for myself at an early age because my mom was a really bad cook. I bet you're even better though if you've cooked with your dad!"

"Oh, please, don't flatter me," Namiko giggled. "I'd say I'm a pretty good cook though. My dad seems to think so, also!"

They entered the doors of the supermarket, making a beeline for the fish. They picked out three large cuts of salmon. As they went about grabbing other ingredients from the various aisles, Tohru mentioned something that caught Namiko off guard.

"When you were in America did you ever have a job?" Tohru looked at Nami curiously as the question stopped the ginger haired girl in her tracks.

"Uhm, well," Namiko started. She didn't know how to tell someone, especially a new friend of hers, about her past in America. At least, not this portion of her past. "Yeah... Yes. Yes, I had a job in America."

"What was it? Did you work as a line cook at your dad's restaurant?" Tohru giddily pried, wanting to know more even though Nami seemed reluctant.

"Let's just say it wasn't a normal job." Nami grabbed fresh thyme from the produce shelf, sniffing it before placing it in her reusable tote bag. She always kept an extra in her bookbag since she usually went grocery shopping after school for her family.

"Were you a secret agent? Or an undercover cop? Or maybe a farmer? You said you were really into gardening!" Tohru listed off as many unconventional jobs she could think of. Interrupting her, Nami laughed, seeming exhausted.

"No, no. None of that. I wish it was that cool, but nope. If I tell you, do you promise to keep it between us?" Nami met Tohru eye to eye. "Please, just between us. I don't really want this getting out."

"Of course! I'm fantastic at keeping secrets. You can always count on me!" Tohru's eyes sparkled. Namiko's trust was obviously enough to make her shine with dependability.

"Well..." Nami trailed off, looking past Tohru, as if she was recalling a deep memory. In a low voice, she continued with, "I was an actress. I've been in a lot of big movies and two super popular TV shows. That's part of the reason we moved to America, since I got my first big gig when I was about four. I lied to everyone when I said I was only in America for three years. I was actually in America for 13 years."

"WHAT?" Tohru yelped, her eyes growing three times their size. She immediately covered her mouth, trying to hide her excitement and shock. Some people looked at them, but most minded their own business.

In a much softer voice, Tohru murmured, "Why wouldn't you want everyone to know that? That's so incredibly cool!"

"Well, I really just want to live a normal life. My entire life has been auditions and remembering lines and dealing with bratty actors and... It's been a pain in the ass, all of that actor stuff." Namiko bluntly spoke. She shrugged as Tohru tried to contain her excitement. They went to check out and Nami could feel Tohru buzzing next to her throughout the entire transaction.

"It's not that big of a deal," Nami followed up once they were outside of the store. "I just want a normal life. Being an actress meant I was away from my family all the time and I didn't have a lot of friends because I was always onto the next thing. Nobody really wants to get to know you if they're an actor and if they're not, they only want to be friends with you for your fame and fortune."

Nami looked up at the sky and realized it looked like it was going to storm.

"We better hurry up and get home!" Tohru echoed Nami's exact thoughts. The two of them continued their walk with light conversation. Nami felt confident that Tohru wouldn't say anything about her past. Maybe one day she would bring it up in greater detail, but for now, she felt happy that Tohru seemed to like her for her, not her weird upbringing.