Priceless Gift

Priceless Gift


"Risa, you have a phone call!"

"Hai!"

Running down the stairs from her bedroom on the second floor, Risa hopped down two steps at a time to get to the phone situated on a small table in the hallway quicker. Her hair was still wrapped in a green towel after taking a warm bath as she picked up the receiver of the telephone designed in a Victorian era theme and put the earpiece to her ear.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Gaki-san, I'm at the shopping complex near your home. I think it's the ii building... or the one next to it."

"Sayumin?"

Surprised that Sayumi was calling so early in the week of their highly anticipated vacation off work, and even more so when she said she was in Yokohama, Risa couldn't conceal the astonishment in her voice. The huge mirror hanging on the wall serving as an display ornament captured and reflected her expression for all to see.

"What are you doing in Yokohama?"

"It's Eri. She wanted to come up here saying it's been some time since she last visited. She also said there was some good shopping to do. After waiting over 40 minutes for her, I couldn't stand it anymore and called to hurry her only to realize she was still asleep. It wouldn't be possible for her to make it from Tokyo with any substantial time left for us to do anything."

The voice on the other end sounded like a deflated balloon and Risa couldn't help but feel sorry for Sayumi. Eri had a tendency to forget about the feelings of others once in a while and more often than not, the person whom she unwittingly hurt was none other than her best friend.

"Breathe Sayumin."

"Sorry, I got a little agitated. But I was wondering if you might wanna meet up. You could show me the place and tell me all about the rollercoaster...or was it the cinema, that you were gushing about on Music Fighter."

Deciding to cheer Sayumi up by teasing her to get some sort of reaction, mean (evil?) or otherwise was better than a dejected Rokkie.

"So I'm like the back-up? Plan B? Spare tyre?"

"Gaki-san~~! I came all the way from Yamaguchi. I could treat you to lunch?"

Desperate to not ruin her day by spending it alone in an unfamiliar prefecture of Japan, Sayumi tried her darnest to convince Risa to accompany her for the day. Little did she know that Risa had already planned to come out and meet her.

"Okay, okay, I'll be there in 45 minutes."

-----

She said she was around here someplace.

Looking back and forth, Risa searched for Sayumi's presence. It was a weekday and usually at this time of the day, most people were at work or in school. Hence it was supposed to be easy tracking down somebody in the mall. Especially so when spotting someone like Sayumi who wasn't exactly short or lacked in the looks department. Sayumi on most days would effortlessly make anyone do a double take. Walking along the path outside a random row of shops, Risa caught sight of a girl dressed in a white coat that reached her knees and a navy blue newsboy hat. Deciding to scare her friend by surprising her from the back, Risa crept quietly up to Sayumi and was about to pounce on her when she noticed Sayumi carefully scrutinizing a particular magazine.

"She chosed Ai-chan..."

"Boo!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!"

Surprised by the sudden appearance of Risa, Sayumi dropped the magazine she was reading face down onto a stack of various other books and magazines that were placed beneath her outstretched hands.

"You scared me."

"That was the idea. Glad to see that I accomplished that feat so easily."

"Very funny Gaki-san."

Rolling her eyes then narrowing them at Risa, Sayumi momentarily forgot about the fallen magazine. The radient smiling faces
of nine girls imprinted on the cover of the digest made Risa reach out for it. After picking it up, she realized it was the latest issue
of Kindai which had done an interview on them, Morning Musume.

"Hey that's us. I didn't know it was released already."

Flipping to the page that their feature was on, Risa completely missed the guilty look Sayumi had.

"Let's buy it."

At the counter where the salesgirl had scanned the barcode and slipped the magazine into a small brown paperbag, Risa casually asked Sayumi to pick up the tab.

"Do you happen to have small change Sayumi?"

Digging in her purse for the small zipper pouch where she kept all her coins, Sayumi grumbled loud enough for Risa to hear.

"Why am I paying for something you're buying?"

Taking the paperbag with one hand and putting the other through Sayumi's arm, Risa pulled her towards the exit in search of a nice venue for lunch.

"Because I'm getting it for you silly. You seemed like you wanted it."

Gulping at Risa's statement, Sayumi pretended not to hear it and instead made a show out of craning her neck and looking for a desirable restaurant to rest her feet.

-----

After the food they had ordered came, the two girls spread out the napkin on their laps and picked up their cutlery. They were just about to tuck in when Risa asked.

"So who picked Ai-chan?"

The clank of metal meeting porcelain resonanted throughout the quiet restaurant and a few curious faces looked in their direction to see what the commotion was about. Picking up the shiny fork and knife and resting them mindfully on her plate, Sayumi looked up at Risa.

"You know?"

"Well, I kinda guessed. It's about Kame isn't it?"

And so the next hour or so was spent with Sayumi letting out all her buried grouses at being forgotten by the turtle or being left out when she ran off with Jun Jun or Reina. Risa knew deep inside, Sayumi probably resented her too since she did spend quite a lot of time with Eri as well. However, Sayumi didn't mention her name and Risa was thankful for her thoughtfulness. The atmosphere could get awkward if she did.

"I wish... I just wish she would notice me more. "

"Sayumin..."

Risa didn't know what to say to make Sayumi feel better. It wouldn't really help if she said things will work out. Or that Eri didn't mean it and you are still Eri's best friend. Risa knew the only thing Sayumi would want to hear was that she was the only one in Eri's heart. But Risa couldn't. She was in no position to make decisions for Eri. Heck, she couldn't even settle her own life properly.

"Why didn't you pick anyone Gaki-san? I thought you would surely choose Ai-chan."

Risa jerked her head up the moment she heard Ai's name being mentioned. It was like a natural reflex action for her. This time though, she seemed to crack something.

"Ow, my neck."

"Are you okay? It's just like you to act all clumsy and highly strung when it concerns leader."

Having gone back to making use of her utensils, Sayumi was slicing at her piece of medium rare steak.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh sure you do. I think it's pretty obvious what you feel for Ai-chan."

"She's a friend okay, my best friend."

Looking down at her own steak with her hair falling over her face, Risa didn't want to look Sayumi in the eye. She knew that if she did, all resolve to say something that was the opposite of what she truly felt would crumble.

"Don't lie to yourself Gaki-san, tell Ai-chan if you really like her."

"And? And what? Do you think she would like me back? I rather say none of the members than choose Ai and have her not choose me back. I know she picked Tanakacchi."

Her outburst startled Sayumi and the flood of emotions that were running through Risa at that moment transformed into tears that now flowed freely down her cheeks. It was terrible having to lie. It's a hundred times worse when it meant lying about someone you loved.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

"Forget it. Let's just continue with the meal."

"How did you..."

As if forgetting about the dangerous boundary she had overstepped just earlier, Sayumi asked another sensitive question.

"...know she chose Reina?"

Sighing as she sank tiredly back into her seat, Risa finally lifted her head.

"Did you have to ask Sayu?"

"I get it. If you don't wanna say..."

"Fine, I'll tell you. I guess it doesn't matter now."

"Koharu went around asking who everyone picked. I kinda overheard Ai-chan and her speaking."

"Ah I see."

There was a long pause as an uncomfortable silence rested upon them. There wasn't even the noise of dishes and cutlery to distract each other as neither girl was eating. It remained like this for some time untill Sayumi decided to speak again.

"If only the one I liked was you Gaki-san."

-----

Stepping out of the restaurant, we were greeted by a strong gust of wind. The weather seemed to change for the worse within the short two hours we were inside the warm restaurant. Grabbing onto my arm, Sayumi snuggled up close to me and led me in a random direction so we could aimlessly kill time till it was dinner. Such were the life of idols on off days. Shopping and eating.

"If we're still unattached by the time we're 30, would you be my girlfriend Gaki-san?"

Out of the blue, Sayumi posed the question as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Her walking didn't skip a beat and neither did she turn to look at me. For a second, I wondered if I was hearing things. The possibility of this happening swirled around in my head. Would I someday see Sayumi as something else other than a close friend or team mate? Could she ever take the place of Ai-chan in my heart? Would I even allow that?

Raising my free hand up to Sayumi's face, I gingerly brushed away the strands of her hair that were blown messy by the erratic wind. We shared a moment and in the depths of her deep ebony eyes, I saw an unmistakable longing. The strong yearning to be loved and appreciated. There was no denying that Sayumi was gorgeous. She had a kind heart and was fiercely loyal and reliable despite everything that had been said about her evil side. It's just that it would take some time, a lengthy time for Ai to be replaced. Afterall, I did love her for almost seven years. I believed it was the same for Sayumi as well. It would take a lot before she could let anyone else into her heart after Kame.

"I might not be able to give you what Kame can, but I will always be here. It's a promise."

"Thank you, Gaki-san."

The genuine and touched smile that appeared on Sayumi's face seemed to light up with the Christmas lights that illuminated the shopping mall's central square. Linking our hands together and entwining our fingers, we stood to watch the light show that was arranged as a celebration to mark the approaching Christmas season.

Maybe when we're 30 Sayumin.


Friendship is a priceless gift that can never be bought, sold or forgotten,
but so is the ability to love somebody, no matter how much pain it brings.