Dein Weg ist Mein Weg

Chapter 8: The Usual

"What did you tell them?"

A sudden sense of panic gripped Yukari as the Maho Nishizumi, her idol, glared at her. Her eyes almost seemed to pierce her skin, so intent was her vitriol. Had she overstepped? Had she done something wrong in letting Miss Takebe and Miss Isuzu know who she was?

"I-I-I..." she stammered, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. She bowed again in an attempt to hide them. "I'm sorry! I only told them what was publicly known. I would never gossip!" She felt someone hold her hand, and looking up, she saw Miss Isuzu standing beside her

"You can't blame her for talking about your career as a tanker Maho," she said with a slightly defiant but still calm tone, raising her voice just slightly. "It doesn't matter what happened. She's free to talk about whatever she wishes."

"That's right!" Miss Takebe concurred and took Yukari's other hand in her own. "She already said she's sorry, and she hasn't said anything disagreeable ever since we met her."

"I wasn't talking to you," Maho growled, before turning back to the empty glass before her on the counter. "I was talking to her. Did it not cross your mind for a second that I prefer not being known?"

"I-I-I..."

"You don't have a right to not be known Maho." Hana took a step in front of the girl as she interrupted, shielding her from Maho's gaze. "Yukari is a huge fan of you, and was just excited to meet you. We asked her who you were, so she is nothing but innocent in this."

"But why didn't you tell us Maho? You're a hero!" Saori also took a step forward, hiding Yukari completely behind the two of them. "You saved those girls' lives that day!" Maho didn't respond. She just looked away and stared blankly into nothingness. "You...you did save them right? Right?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Maho closed the hand she had resting on the counter into a fist. "I've told you I don't want to talk about my past. And you said I didn't have to." She turned back to face the trio. "So what changed? You find out I'm famous, and suddenly my right to privacy is gone?"

"O-of course not!" Saori protested. "Of course you don't have to talk about anything you don't want. We just thought..."

"Thought what?! That just because you call yourselves my friends that you get to know everything about me?"

"We just thought that if we got to know each other, then..." Hana took a step forward as she spoke, but Maho just broke her off.

"I told you! I told you both why I don't want to get to know people! Or have you forgotten?!" She got off her chair, and steadied herself against the bar, managing to keep her balance. "Everything I care about crumples away! Everyone I care about keeps getting hurt or worse! And I'm tired of it! So just leave me alone!"

"But..."

"There is no 'but'! I'm done! First I lose my friends, then my sister, and then..." The arm she was using to steady herself gave way, not being able to hold her weight any longer, and she collapsed on the floor, tears streaming. "So just... just... go away. I don't want to lose anyone else..." Between the tears she could see the three girls slowly come closer. "I SAID GO AWAY!!!"

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! How did you get in here?!" The door flew open and crashed into the wall beside it. Another voice bellowed into the bar, and Hana, Saori and Yukari turned to face it. Maho recognized it as Ogin's, and looking up she saw both her and her brunette subordinate standing in the open doorway. "Did you let them in Adrianna?! Huh?!" Ogin snarled to the girl standing guard. Leaning in closer, Ogin reached into Adrianna's pocket and produced the envelope of money Yukari had bribed her with. "That's how little you respect me?!" You let them in for some cash from a filthy topsider?" A wicked smile spread across Ogin's face, as if she was almost impressed by the insubordination. It quickly disappeared however, as she struck the girl square in the stomach. "You disappoint me, you snot-nosed sea slug!" Ogin spat at the floor beside where the guard was lying doubled over from lack of air, and turned her attention to the bar.