[Day: Friday, April 22nd. Time: 8:00 p.m.] [Weather: By now it's snowing outside. Never mind that it's almost May. It just is. Live with it.] [After the assault on the drug lord HQ, Kyon got everyone rooms at a nice hotel in Osaka. That's where you are now. Kaede's stuck rooming with Satoshi, but luckily for him Satoshi went out for some reason.] [The room is a two-bed standard hotelish thing. Meaning it comes with a TV, a phone, a dresser and night desk, a small table with two chairs, two lamps, shampoo, towels, tissues... you get the idea.] [Whether any of the half-naked girls will wind up in Kaede's room by the end of this mini is still up in the air.] [Start!] * Kaede 's laying with his back on the bed at the moment, staring at the ceiling. If he was actually trying to get to sleep, it looks like he's been relatively unsuccessful. And it also looks like he's been doing it for some time now since Satoshi left the room. [And it was the last thing he ever did, because just then a katamari rolled up the hotel :(] [Or maybe not yet.] ( But hey, Sho warned you it was coming! ) (This Katamari is made of... angst?) ( It could probably roll up the angst! ) * Kaede lets out a long breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes tight before sitting up on the bed. He pulls out his phone and flips through it slowly, staring intently at the speed-dial numbers before he comes to Akemi's name. After hesitating for a while, he pushes the call button. [And before long, he gets an answer. "Herro! Shiraishi Akemi here!"] * Kaede puts to phone hesitantly up to his ear and waits for the reply after a long pause. "H-hello. Akemi? It's me..." ["It's you?"] Yeah. You know. Kaede. ["I know, I know. What's up?"] I-I guess I just wanted to see how you're doing. Um. How are you? ["Aww, really? That's sweet. Usually you don't call unless you're worried about something."] * Kaede chuckles. "Am I that transparent?" ["Maybe a little."] * Kaede sighs and flops down on the bed, hand on his forehead for a second before taking off his glasses. "Figures. I try so hard to hide myself and it leaks out anyways..." ["That's a good thing. You shouldn't be trying to hide who you are."] But...I wouldn't have called anyone else, I don't think. * Kaede chuckles nervously. "That's the funny thing, don't you think?" ["What, that you called me?"] No. I mean yes. I mean no. I mean--I don't know... (Wow, Kaede's actually cute here. I haven't seen him this unsure in ages.) (Heh.) * Kaede pinches his nose again, squinting. "You ever...have you ever felt like you were losing yourself, Shiraishi-san?" ["Hmmmm? How do you mean?"] Just what I said. ["Well, no. I've always been right where I am, so how could I lose me?"] * Kaede sits up, looking slightly irritated, only slightly coming through in his voice. "Now I know you're not that dense..." [Akemi giggles. "Hey, I asked!"] Yeah, but... ["But I think I know what you're getting at. Everyone feels that way sometimes though, don't they?"] * Kaede snorts and flumps on his bed again. "We're not just 'anyone,' Shiraishi- san. No matter how much we try to be..." Have--have you heard anything about a prophecy? ["Yeah, I'm an upcoming model and you're my manager. That makes us special!"] * Kaede blinks. "I'm...I'm a..." He stops himself for a moment, pausing, then starts in with a fit of giggles and snickers. It soon grows into an almost hysterical laugh. ["Prophecy? Is this some religious thing? I don't do religion well..."] * Kaede doesn't seem to hear her, just keeps on laughing. And half-choking. [Akemi doesn't seem to mind.] * Kaede wipes his eyes, hanging his head a little. It seems that he's taking a lot of effort to hold the phone to his ear now. "It's--it's not that important. Really. Forget I said anything." ["Hmmm? Ok, if you're sure."] I am... Um, about what Haruko said. At the shop? You remember? ["Nope! I forgot"] Uh...about...me being happier...if I got laid...you know... ...do I really come across like that? [There's a bit of a pause, then: "Oh my!"] * Kaede says softly first. "No..." Then a lot louder. "No no! Not that. I mean, I...uh..." He lets out a long sigh. "I'm really no good at this, am I?" [Akemi giggles.] What I'm saying...uh...is do you wanna go out later? I mean not as a manager and client but... [Akemi snickers. "Dinner, a movie, and maybe getting laid?"] * Kaede sounds like he's choking back tears on the other end. "I mean...I know, I'm not...I mean..." ["It's the glasses, isn't it?"] * Kaede swallows it. "No." ["Oh. Really? I used to wear glasses."] It's...a lot of stuff. ( Why can't you just say the world's going to end and you don't want to go out as a virgin? ) (Because that's not what he means. :P) ( Did that line work in independence day?) (I can't remember.) ["Hmmm... well, maybe you can tell me about it over dinner, then."] * Kaede takes in a deep breath. "Maybe. There is...something else. But i don't want you to think I'm using you..." ["What's that?"] * Kaede hesitates for a second. "We may need to get into the Tower Reversed again. I don't want you to push yourself..." [There's a bit of a pause. "Oh."] Yeah... That's...not really why I called you. ["Well, I don't mind if it's important.... It is important, right?"] * Kaede closes his eyes. "Very. Akemi. Thank you. For everything." ["You're welcome!"] You have a good night. ["G'night!"] (You have the most awesomely funny while at the same time poignant minis Rowyn.) (Also, Akemi rocks.) (It's because Kaede's at his funniest when he's being his most serious.) * Kaede hangs up the phone and looks at it for a moment. After a bit, he starts to flip through the numbers and comes to Remi's. He stairs at it for a moment, his finger hovering near the call button for a second before he sighs and tosses his phone into the corner, flopping on his bed. "I'm such a coward." * Kaede tries to get some sleep. [Mini End!]