In a white room with some greenery, a moss sofa was in the middle with a mocha coffee table. Sitting in the sofa was a woman wearing a white dress. Her raven black hair was flowing down straight, making her skin looks whiter than usual.
Sitting straight with her hands clasped in her lap. From the moments she sits down she has never let her eyes out from the basket on top of the table in front of her. The only sound that could be hear in that room was the movement of the clocks hand behind her. Maybe because of her nervousness or excitement she didn’t realize that 20 minutes have passed.
The door opened and a women wearing a dark gray suit come in and she was shocked at what she saw. She left the woman in a room alone to take a call and what she get when coming back was a beauty in white looking at a basket with a cold lifeless eyes. The atmosphere was gloomy with a tint of eerie. If she didn’t know who the woman is she would have think that what she saw was a ghost. Resisting the urge to close the door and walk away she asked.
“What are you doing?”
The woman voice snaps the woman out from her mind. Her gaze was shift to the door. Unfortunately her eyes was still cold and lifeless sending a chill down the woman’s spine.
The other’s reaction makes the woman confuse. She wonders if the other was sick.
“Are you okay Reika-san? You don’t look well. Do you want to rest for a bit?”
Anyone that hear the voice could know that the woman was worried, completely doesn’t match her pair of eyes. Hearing the woman tone for some reason irritated Touno Reika. Returning to her composed appearance, she closed the door and said.
“I’ll return that exact words to you Arata-sensei. Do you want to scare everyone that step foot to this room? Do you even know how you look like, seriously. Four years and I still couldn’t handle that. I’ll prostrate in front of the person that could handle that on daily bases.”
“Hii… ”
Saying that while walking to the woman she took out a compact mirror from her pocket and shoved it to the woman’s face. Seeing her reflection in the mirror startled even the woman herself. The woman was Minadzuki Sayori or ‘Arata Kai’ that came for the radio session with her editor.
“Haah… ”
Sighing at the woman Reika looks at the clock indicating that it’s 01.50 p.m. and began to thinks that today will be a long day.
Sayori took the mirror from Reika. Seeing her own eyes staring back at her creep her out. Thinking that she’s been like this from an outsider’s perception since sitting in the room she began feeling depressed.
The depressing pressure was too much for Reika to take. Looking at the clock then her wrist watch both showing 5 minutes before the appointed time, Reika quickly tried to cheer her up or at least make it so she looks normal to other people.
“Stop being depressed, you’re going to meet your ideal man soon. Just fix that eyes of yours and give him your sweet signature smile at him. That’ll pass.”
“Yea… I’ll do that.”
With a sound argument from Reika, Sayori tried to fix her expression. The door suddenly opened. Two men walk into the room startling both of the women inside the room. Both women immediately look to the door. They didn’t recognize the man in front but when they look at the man behind. For Reika it was unfortunate how she come to recognize that man, but to Sayori it is natural to spot the guy anywhere she could saw him. Mostly posters, CD cover, or videos where he appear.
With her ideal man in front of her, Sayori could not resist staring at him. Yamazaki Aoi was right in front of her, in the flesh. When meeting her idol, she would be thrilled with excitement. That’s what Sayori had always imagine when she would meet him. But when she saw the man in the flesh. Her pupils get wider and it feels hot around her eyes. It feels like something was stuck in her throat. Her heart beats faster like she was just from a marathon. Her nervousness shoots higher than before. A weird feeling was sprouting inside her chest.
She tasted this feeling only once in her life. Never would she thought that she could feel this again. When she realized who this feeling was directed to, she think to herself ‘What a hard battle I had picked for myself’. Sayori really wanted to sympathize to herself.
“Excuse me, sorry to make you wait. We’re here for… !!!”
“Ah…”
The man was saying something when he suddenly stop. His pale face give everything away. The man behind him has a shock face. Reika had a bad feeling. She looks at the ghost like Sayori and almost panicked. She started to brain storm excuse that could pass in this situation. Just before that happened.
“Good afternoon, it is okay we did not wait that long.”
A sweet smile was replacing the previous scary expression. It was so fast and natural that made almost everyone in the room think that the vengeful ghost was all an illusion. Since she always seen this Reika knows that it wasn’t an illusion, more like a scam for her. Just by general knowledge everyone would know that the man in front was a manager, and even he fell for the scam.
Reika always thought that Sayori could became an actress if she ever wanted to change career. If there ever going to be an offer for Sayori to act on screen or cameo even, than Reika wouldn’t need twice to think to agree.
“Good afternoon, I’m from Kiku Publishing Company and Arata Kai sensei’s editor, Touno Reika. We are looking forward to work together on today’s radio show.”
Following Sayori, Reika quick-wittedly introduce herself. She extend her name card to the stoned manager.
“Minoru-san.”
An androgynous voice could be heard. It snapped the man from his paralyze state.
“Eh, ah, yes. That’s right, this is my card. I’m Yamazaki Aoi’s manager, Yoshida Minoru. We’re also looking forward working with sensei.”
His pale face change in an instant from a relived to a panic one. Minoru quickly exchange Reika’s card with his own. It’s easy to know what he was thinking of.
“It’s nice to meet you Yoshida-san, Yamazaki-san. I am the writer known as Arata Kai, I’m looking forward to working with you.”
With a graceful bow Sayori introduce herself.
‘Yamazaki-san?!’
Reika was shocked at how Sayori addressed Aoi. With the longtime of associating with Sayori she never heard her ever calling him that.
She looks so composed that Reika almost thought that she was someone else. No fan could stay still and not squealing when meeting their idol, especially fans with a creepy way of admiring like Sayori. But with who knows from where will power did Sayori keep herself in check.
Aoi gave a reply to Sayori’s introduction. He bowed and with a smile he said.
“Just Aoi will be fine, and it is nice meeting you too sensei. We’re all looking forward to be working with you.”
“Chuckle… I’m really happy but unfortunately I can’t do that to my senior, so I’ll just call you Aoi-san if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I don’t mind it at all.”
A normal reply that was covering her ulterior motives. Reika was impressed at how Sayori made this short conversation to her advantage. In less than five minutes she managed to effortlessly convince a person she met for the first time with more experience in the entertainment world and someone who is older than her to let her call him with the way she always do.
“Oh, everyone’s already here.”
A voice came from the door and everyone turn to look at the source.
♢♢♢
Yamazaki Aoi and Yoshida Minoru walks through the radio studio corridor. Minoru told Aoi that they’re going to introduce themselves to the novelist and editor first.
“The novelist and her editor are probably already waiting for us for some time now, so let’s head to the guest waiting room first to introduce ourselves.”
“Ok.”
Aoi nodded at Minoru’s words and they went to the meeting room.
Walking down the corridor while looking at the room number at the wall. Finding the right room, Minoru looks at his watch indicating 01.55 P.M. sighing that they’re early by five minutes. No one certainly expect that they will be delayed when going out from the office.
Ecstatic that they manage to arrive early, Minoru forgot to knock the door. He opened the door and entered the room followed by Aoi. Just as he was going too notified the person inside he was left speechless, and so is Aoi.
“Excuse me, sorry to make you wait. We’re here for… !!!”
“Ah…”
There are two women inside the room, but both Minoru and Aoi’s attention are drawn to the woman in white that is sitting on the sofa. More like they’re drawn by her aura. Something about her made it so that they can’t turn away from her. Unfortunately her eyes are a sight to behold.
Minoru felt petrified. Even though he’s seen a lot of people in the entertainment industries this was the first time he felt like this when a person was involved. Maybe the shock was too much his thought began to wonder in a different direction.
‘This is the room that was used for meeting Arata Kai sensei. There’s never been any problem every time we used it. This room, no, this building also never suffers any sorts of accident before. So the only definite answer for what’s in front of me is a person. That’s a real person right? If isn’t than it could only be that. If it’s that, than this means that the entire time we’ve been using a room that was inhibited by that. But why is it showing itself now? If it’s showed earlier than maybe the staff would have called an exorcist from a shrine. No, more like didn’t they already purified this land before began building the studio. Then what is that doing here then. It makes no sense.’
Aoi felt his something cold is running down his spine for a second when his gaze meets the woman in white’s eyes. It was only a second before he put it at the back of his head. He was surprised when the woman talks and showed a smile. The woman next to her also gave a great follow up and her card.
“Good afternoon, it is okay we did not wait that long.”
“Good afternoon, I’m from Kiku Publishing Company and Arata Kai sensei’s editor, Touno Reika. We are looking forward to work together on today’s radio show.”
Both Aoi and Minoru was surprised by the change in the woman’s aura when she smiled. Minoru didn’t move for some time, so Aoi help to remind him.
“Minoru-san.”
Minoru was so relief that everything that he was thinking of was wrong. Realizing that he was being rude, he quickly gave his introduction and card.
“Eh, ah, yes. That’s right, this is my card. I’m Yamazaki Aoi’s manager, Yoshida Minoru. We’re also looking forward working with sensei.”
Knowing that his manager was thinking something that was bordering rude to the other party, Aoi was smiling wryly. The other party herself seem to know but was turning a blind eye to this and gave them her self-introduction a graceful bow.
“It’s nice to meet you Yoshida-san, Yamazaki-san. I am the writer known as Arata Kai, I’m looking forward to working with you.”
The way she spoke made her seem approachable. Interacting with her will be much easier since she’s also his fan, so being a bit nice seem to be fine for him.
“Just Aoi will be fine, and it is nice meeting you too sensei. We’re all looking forward to be working with you.”
“Chuckle… I’m really happy but unfortunately I can’t do that to my senior, so I’ll just call you Aoi-san if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, I don’t mind it at all.”
As the host of today event Aoi felt relief that their guest was a person that could read the mood and know how to read the mood. Mostly he felt relief for his personal space and safety. The last thing that he wants is someone that’s mistaking their relationship or getting a stalker.
Just as they were talking, a voice came from behind them. Everyone turn their heads to the source.
“Oh, everyone’s already here.”
A man was standing at the door with a wide grin. He close the door then walk to them and introduce himself.
“Hello, my name is Nomura Takeru. I’m the radio’s producer, we’re looking forward to work with Arata-sensei today.”
“We are also looking forward to it.”
The editor, Reika answered while the author, Sayori just bowed and silently stand there.
All five of them sat down and began briefing about today’s radio routine. Since Sayori will be a guest for half of the radio time, she will also participate in the radio’s corner. They only need to fill in the blanks with some small talk and some songs that the already picked. The question and answer session until the promotion for the book are mostly handled by Reika and Takeru. Aoi only talks when he want to put in some idea for the Q&A session and songs he wanted to play. The entire time Sayori never talk. It was already way pass the time to get lunch. So once she talks everyone focus on her.
“Um, excuse me.”
Amatuer Writer 