-To the Party-
"Fuyuumi-san . . . you look awfully pretty today," Takano remarked as she looked up in surprise. Shoko's cheeks darkened a little, and she clutched her bag to her chest, resisting the urge to run back upstairs and adjust her hair or change her clothes for the fifth time.
"Um, ah, thank you, Takano-san," she mumbled. She was already feeling nervous, and she hadn't even left the house. This did not bode well.
"Where are you going, again?"
"T-to a party, for Kaho-chan . . . remember? I went t-to get her a gift on Wednesday."
"Oh, I see . . . Right, tell Tsukimori-san I said thank you for seeing you home that night. You probably told him not to, so I'm glad he insisted."
"Er . . ." Shoko looked away uncomfortably. Takano glanced at her wryly.
"Thought so. Well, you do look lovely," she said again warmly. "It's a good thing your mother isn't here," she added, smiling a little.
Shoko resisted a shudder. If Mother were here, she would have taken this opportunity to play dress up with Shoko, who would end up refusing to leave the house out of shame. What was acceptable for one of Mother's parties was not acceptable for one of Shoko's.
Not that Shoko really knew what was and wasn't good for this sort of thing. She never went to this sort of thing.
Hence her nervousness.
"Um . . . d-do you really think this is o-okay?" She looked down at her clothes, a light blue cap-sleeved blouse and a knee length navy skirt with matching low heeled mary janes. She was torn between feeling overdressed and wondering if she looked boring.
Takano set down the dishtowel she was holding and looked at Shoko.
"You look great, Fuyuumi-san. Don't worry. Just have fun today, okay?"
Shoko fidgeted with the pleats on her skirt once more and sighed.
"A-alright . . . if you s-say so. Um, I better go pick up the c-cakes, I don't know how l-long that'll take . . ."
Takano nodded.
"Are you walking, or is Usaki-san driving you?" Usaki was the Fuyuumis' driver, a twenty something girl who's quirks and enthusiasm had appealed to Shoko's parents. Shoko both admired and feared her.
"Usaki-san is, I'd be afraid of b-being late if I walked."
"Okay, then . . . I hope everything goes well. Don't forget to thank Tsukimori-san," she said with a knowing smile. Shoko wondered what exactly she knew that Shoko didn't.
"Um . . . I w-will. 'Bye, Takano-san!" Shoko waved, and went out the door.
Usaki was already waiting with the car. She grinned widely when she spotted Shoko.
"Fuyuumi-san! You look gorgeous. What's his name?" she asked, winking.
Shoko turned red. Usaki had that ability.
"Um, w-what? I . . . there's a p-party, with all of the p-people from the concours," she responded, walking toward the door Usaki had opened for her. "But we need to s-stop at this cake shop f-first to pick up the cakes."
"Oh, darn. So there's no boy?"
Shoko avoided her gaze as she slid into the back seat.
"N-not at all."
There was a long pause.
"Huh. I see. Well - do you know where the cake shop is, or shall I look it up? I'm sorry, I'm unfamiliar with some of the cafes."
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Cupids Arrow
किशोर उपन्यासShoko Fuyuumi is not an idiot - but maybe she'd like to be. Shoko used to know who she was, but Len is turning her into a stranger to herself, forcing her to make sense of her feelings as well as herself, as if an arrow was shot at her from above. D...
