| Fan Fiction |
by mari
“I really am a moron.”
Mao gave her one of her classic raised eyebrows. “Oh relax! You aren’t the first woman to sleep with a man she hardly knows, and you won’t be the last.”
Erika sat down in Mao’s small, posh apartment, head rested against the smooth wooden table, as her best friend served her omocha. The scene was familiar enough, as one of many manifestations. Countless times Erika had run to Mao with her various irritations and mistakes, spilling her secrets and frustrations for her advice.
“I’m just so embarrassed. I’ve never done anything like that before,” she said, burying her face. “I can’t believe I’m such a loose person. A girl puts on a pretty dress and she thinks she can do whatever she wants.”
Mao snorted. “What nonsense. You’re making yourself out like some harlot woman. Well here’s a newsflash for you. It’s the twenty first century.” She paused. “I’ve done even worse than you.”
Erika, despite herself, was curious, though carefully she kept her tone from being too interested. “What do you mean?”
“I slept with a married man,” she said quietly.
Erika was shocked. “Maji desu ka? You never told me.”
Mao shifted uncomfortable, then scowled. “It’s not something I wanted to remember. It was after I broke up with Shun. I didn’t know he was married at the time, but I was being very stupid and I pretty much went for anybody half good looking back then. So you see, everyone messes up sometimes.”
Erika drooped down again, eyes facing a pot of flowers. “I just feel unsettled. Like I’m some sort of entertainment. Why did he sleep with me? Because he could?”
Mao shrugged. “Because he’s male I suppose. Why do you need a reason? He thought you looked sexy.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve never done it before, have you? Slept with someone just because you wanted to get laid.”
Erika blushed. “No,” she admitted. “This was the first time, if you can call it that.” She made a face, tracing a heart in the condensation from her tea. “I shouldn’t have bought that silly dress.”
“Blaming the dress are you?” Mao said rolling her eyes. “The dress was lovely, you were just being reckless you.”
Erika blinked. “Reckless? How am I reckless?”
“Alright maybe reckless isn’t the word. Impetuous then. You’ve always been. When we were children it was always you diving headfirst into trouble. And then you slept with Nino recently too! And then ran away to Tokyo,” Mao accused superiorly.
Erika’s eyes widened. “Now there’s a hypocritical statement if I ever heard one. If I’m impetuous, what are you? Stealing beer when we were sixteen. Applying for JAL after you saw their uniforms in a JAL flight attendant calendar. And when we were eighteen suggesting that me and Kazu have sex since we were still virgins. Oh I know,” Erika said airily over Mao’s outraged protest, “you always deny it, but I remember you saying it.”
For a moment they were both too furious with each other to say another word, then after a few seconds of silence, they both burst into giggles.
“Ok so maybe we both have our faults,” Mao amended a bit sheepishly. Seeing that Erika still seemed troubled, she asked with sudden patience, “What is it, Erichan?”
“It’s just…Kazuchan,” Erika said, closing her eyes.
Mao raised her eyebrows. “I thought you guys are just friends.”
Erika hesitated. Wasn’t that true? “There’s a difference between saying that we’re not officially together and saying it is ok to sleep with other people.”
“True,” Mao said. “You haven’t technically done anything wrong, but you think Nino would be upset?”
“If it were Nino in my place, I would be insanely jealous,” Erika admitted. “Still,” she said after a moment’s pause, “It was only a one night stand. It’s not like I fell in love with someone else. That would be the ultimate crime.”
In a decidedly brighter mood, Erika left Mao’s apartment determined to put the incident behind her. She had a very busy week in any case. Ohno senpai had her and Ryochan working very hard wedging clay, preparing glazes in his particular preference, and heating the kiln. He not only completed his sculpture of Mao (which was an absolutely stunning piece her face floating and morphing to become a masquerade mask held by her delicate gloved hand, while rose petals flew from her mouth and floated in a bizarre frieze about the disembodied arm), but several other pieces. In an offhand voice that totally understated the work it would involve, Ohno mentioned that he had an exhibit planned in a week. Thus she hardly had time to worry about sleeping properly, let alone her moral conduct.
Erika did; however, call Nino. It had been quite a while since they last spoke and she missed him dreadfully. She also wanted to reduce her lingering guilt for what felt like betrayal, though they technically weren’t a couple.
When she heard his voice, just his usual cheerful “moushi moush,” she felt something move inside her.
“Kazuchan,” she said, wiping away her tears impatiently. She laughed. “Kazuchan, Eri desu.”
They talked on the phone until late into the evening. Erika regaled him with tales of her work and Ohno senpai’s curious personality, as well as Maki’s relationship with Kame, which Nino heard with quite a bit of amusement. He had an elder brother’s fondness for Makichan. In turn he filled her in on her father’s health, how he tended to spend evenings in the village café in her absence. Erika laughed. “As long as it’s decaf coffee he’s drinking.”
At last she sighed, looked at the clock on by her bed, and sighed again. “I should go now Kazuchan. I have another crazy day tomorrow.” She paused, a smile on her lips. “But I miss you.”
She could almost feel his smile through her phone, miles away. “I miss you too. As always.”
As always.
Word Bank
Maji desu ka:like saying no way! really??
moushi moush: hello hello, what you say when you answer the phone
****yeah it's short, sorry 'bout that but there's another little one too***********