Aikatsu/Aikatsu Stars| I Never Liked You

Chapter 10

        "It's finally over! We're free" Subaru said running and twirling Yume in the air.
"Little miss Aine can have her stupid show, I'm done with Kumiko." Yume said.
"Kumiko made all the characters girls.  I can imagine how many shippers are gonna stay for that." Yume laughed. "Too many people wanted us to be together, that's the only way they'd tune in."
"We should be together." She said with a laugh. "She absolutely hated us for flirting." 
         "That's her problem!" Subaru said. 
         "She has a lot of problems."
         "We should have a party to celebrate, our newfound freedom to date," Ako said.
         "We're officially the relationship pact.  Tonight we make the big announcement." Yume said.
         "So we're official?" Subaru asked.  Yume laughed.
         "Oh heck ya!" Yume said with a wink. Subaru wrapped his arms around Yume tight.
        Subaru's lips curved into a smirk.  "And if Kumiko complains, we'll kiss in front of her."
         "We could kiss now. We have no contract to say otherwise." She said.
       Subaru shook his head. "Not in public though.  "Etiquette is everything." He said, giving one last squeeze before pulling away. Yume took hold as his hand as the two lovebirds started walking down the street.
"Oh! So I heard of this new tea house down the street! We should check it out....."

      "Hey Naoto, do you think this looks okay?" Ichigo asked, coming out in a red sundress. It was long and had an underlying seductive appeal. Naoto slightly cringed, he didn't like Ichigo showing herself off that way, it didn't suit her.
"Do you have anything in pink? Or yellow maybe?"
"I have a sundress in dark blue, but just so my Mum would stop worrying about me. She doesn't really like my bad-girl persona."
"I mean, neither do I.  It's not you."
       "What do you mean?"
       "It just doesn't suit you.  I'm not implying who you are is exactly what you're avoiding to be, but don't be something you're not to avoid being the person you avoid being." Ichigo looked down and looked back up.
       "I appreciate what you're saying, but I think I'm okay with how things are." She said, grabbing her purse. 
       The two went over to the bar. It was a swim-up bar and there were two ladies in the background, wearing mermaid tails and taking photos with other tourists.
       Ichigo took off her red dress, revealing her black lace-up deep v-neck full piece with an open back.  Naoto's stomach slightly turned.  It certainly wasn't the first time he'd seen Ichigo wear something provocative, yet each time he saw it, he felt slightly sick.
        "Can I get a shot of vodka?" Ichigo asked. The bartender nodded.
        "Anything for you sir?" He asked.
        "Just some water," Naoto said.
        "Ice or no ice?"
       "Ice please"
       "Alright.  Anything else I can do for you?"
       "No it's good, thank you." The bartender went to gather the drinks and came back with their drinks before tending other customers.

      "Thank you for taking me here.  I never realized how much I needed a break from Japan until now."
      "Me too.  All the press can get exhausting."
      "Yeah."

      Ichigo and Naoto stood side by side, gazing at the moon's reflection on the water together in solitude. The waves crashed against the rocks and sand in a soothing melody. 
       "So when will you just be you?" Naoto asked.
       Ichigo looked at him and shrugged.  "Isn't what I do now being me?"
       Naoto shook his head.  "Your whole act looks forced.  What do you truly like? How do you truly want to look?"
       "I don't know.  I just do what I do to avoid seeing myself as the girl I was on the show."
       "I just don't truly understand.  Why?"
       "I always admired the girls who looked tough.  I don't know why, I just did.  I guess I wanted to change who I was because I don't really like who I was becoming."
       "Well, you weren't the nicest, but what does that have to do with being girly?"
       "I felt under so much pressure to be exclusively the good girl for so many years. Now that I don't have to anymore, doesn't it make sense to want to figure myself out for myself?"
       "But now you're forcing yourself to be someone again."
       Ichigo gave a relenting shrug.  "I guess you're not wrong, but I wouldn't know how to be anything but what I'm being now."
       "Well I'm not one to be impulsive, but how about you stop forcing your interest and make decisions on mannerisms and appearance from what you're feeling, not what you think suits an image." 
       "I could try that I suppose."
       "Maybe we could go shopping tomorrow, so you could pick out things you actually like."
       Ichigo began to laugh a bit.
       "What's so funny?"
       "You know, it's just funny that you actually convinced me to leave my facade."
       "Well glad I could help?"
       Ichigo hugged Naoto tight as the waves crashed against their feet.  He was slightly flustered from having her so close, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her.