Public Relations
By Gabi-hime
Part Two of Three
By Gabi-hime
(pinkfluffynet@yahoo.com)
Spoilers: The end of Angelic Layer TV.
Pairing: Misaki/Oujirou
Rating: PG-13 for implied silliness XD
Synopsis: A humor/romance piece in three parts. Misaki thought that she knew Oujirou pretty well, until she found out about his doujinshi habit, that is. Part two of three. Enter Tamayo-chan and her unique brand of advice.
Chapter 2
Tamayochan's Excellent Advice
She had dealt with it. She'd had the thing for over two hours now and she had come to terms with it. She still was not comfortable with it, but she could now stand to look at it. At least, that's what Suzuhara Misaki kept telling herself.
She was lying face down on her bed, hiding underneath a pillow. The document in question was lying in the center of the rug in front of her bed. Although she was currently attempting to convince herself that she was now on top of things, every time she peeped over the pillow to look at the small paperbound book she found herself blushing scarlet with the implications of this "Adult Only" publication.
There had to be a logical explanation for why Oujirou had adult only books. Scratch that. There had to be a logical explanation for why Oujirou had such a book that was not the one that immediately popped into her mind every time she looked at it. Anything else would be just, just, just scandalous!
Tamayo had been no great help in coming up with a viable alternative reason either. When Misaki had called her up not only for her opinion but just from sheer need to tell someone about her discovery Tamayo had burst out laughing and informed Misaki in no uncertain terms that she was coming over to gawk at the thing.
Misaki thought Tamayo was taking this situation far too lightly, but then again she wasn't the one featured in various private and unknowable situations and positions readily available to any member of the general public with five hundred yen in their pocket in convenient book form. The gentleman who was continually reminding Tamayo of his assured interest and commitment did not own one of these doujinshi either, nor had he left one of them at her house accidentally.
It was somehow different when one considered one's personal attachment to the situation, not that Misaki would wish this situation on anyone. Standing where she was, she had difficulty seeing the humor inherent in this given situation. If it had perhaps been the plot of some silly shounen manga, she might have been able to exercise enough frame of reference to giggle at it, but as it was, it simply mortified her.
Well, at least she knew that no matter how hilarious Tamayo found the situation, the girl was aware of just how it embarrassed and distressed it made Misaki and would keep it to herself, outside of a few cryptic jokes in the presence of others. Besides, Misaki needed to get someone's opinion on the matter. She had to tell someone else or else she felt like she'd explode and somehow she felt the matter was a little too adult for Hatako-chan. The little girl might be quite cool on the surface, but in the end she was still only five years old and thus not likely to be able to offer many experienced based opinions on the matter (not that Tamayo was bursting at the seams with forbidden information – they were, after all, still twelve years old).
So Tamayo it was, for better or for worse. She couldn't exactly share it with her mother, after all. It was about . . . naughtiness . . . and boys . . . and her in specific . . . and just not the sort of thing she wanted to discuss with her newfound mother. She was apparently quite used to the idea of doujinshi about her personal life and Misaki had to assume that included the, the, the naughty ones.
"So there it is. You know, the doujinshi," Tamayo's voice came unexpectedly from the doorway, and Misaki sat up and then turned to face her, hugging the pillow she'd been using earlier as a ward against actually seeing the doujinshi that Tamayo was so excitedly and glibly referring to to her chest as if it were a security blanket, so that only her eyes were visible over the crest of it.
Tamayo marched straight over to where the doujinshi lay on the rug and then flopped unceremoniously beside it, further explaining her sudden appearance as she studied the doujinshi as if it were a rare artifact, being careful not to touch it lest she damage it, "Misakichi's mother let me in. I got here as fast as I could. So, have you opened it yet?"
"Opened it?!" what Misaki had intended as an indignant exclamation came out as a scandalized squeak, "Of course I haven't opened it. Why would I want to open it?!"
Tamayo was nonplussed. She folded her hands in front of her and then leaned forward and spoke as if she didn't understand Misaki's question since the answer was so obvious, "To see what's inside. Duh, Misakichi."
Misaki went white, and her response came out quite muffled, since her immediate reaction to Tamayo's response was to bury her face in the pillow, "I don't want to see what's inside."
"Sure you do," Tamayo assured her and there was a rustling of plastic that brought Misaki's face out of the pillow immediately. Tamayo was holding the doujinshi above her head so that the light picked up the seamline of the plastic wrapping. Misaki let out another scandalized squeak and Tamayo turned to regard her, a conspiratorial smile on her face, "Come on Misakichi, you don't have to pretend with me. This is Tamayo-chan. I promise I won't tell anyone your dirty secret. You do want to see what's inside, don't you?"
Misaki buried her face in the pillow again and then after a long, long stretch of tense silence her voice came muffled and miserable, "Yes."
"I knew it!" Tamayo crowed, waving the doujinshi over her head like it was some sort of strange trophy.
"But you can't open it!" she amended quickly, peeping up from the pillow.
Tamayo was somewhat put out, "Why?"
"Because then Oujirou-san would know that I looked at it when I gave it back to him," Misaki looked positively green at this prospect.
"Give it back to him?" Tamayo seemed puzzled.
"Well it is his, isn't it?" Misaki answered quietly, the distress in her voice plain.
Tamayo rocked back on her heels, "Miiiiiiiiiiiisakichiiiiii," she prodded concernedly, suddenly distracted from the prospect of gawking at naughty things, "What's bothering you so much?"
"It belongs to Oujirou-san," it was Misaki's turn to sound as if she were explaining something perfectly obvious.
"So?" asked Tamayo, crossing her arms, again not following, "Even if you're going to give it back to him, what's wrong with him having it in the first place? It's not like you found out his secret hobby was buying doujinshi of himself with other girls, or with, I dunno, Icchan-san. That's the kind of thing that would bother me. Besides, didn't you say on the phone that he said that he only bought them to keep his fans happy?"
"But -- " Misaki attempted to rise to defend her position but Tamayo waved her off.
"Listen, if it really bothers you so much then what you haveta do is actually talk to Mihara-san about it. It's not going to make you feel any better if you just give it back and then brood over it. If it bothers you, then ask him about it."
"But --"
"You want to know, right?" persisted Tamayo.
"Yes . . ." came Misaki's reluctant concession.
"Well, the best way I know to find out about something is to ask about it," she concluded frankly, nodding to finalize her point.
Before Misaki had a chance to respond to Tamayo's logical plan of action, a long warbling call was heard through the house.
"Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisaki-chaaaaan?"
The voice was unmistakable. The girls glanced at each other and Tamayo shoved the doujinshi at Misaki, who in turn shoved it under her bag, underneath a text book, her journal, a manga tankubon, a back of pencils and a little bag of clothes for Hikaru. If she'd had time she would have liked to wrap it up tightly in nondescript paper and then simply mail it back to Oujirou from an anonymous address just so she wouldn't have to deal with it any more. Wizard and Princess. She choked.
Unfortunately for her she only had time to shove it to the bottom of her backpack before the warbling call came again, this time closer.
"Coming, Icchan-san!" she called back before he slithered into her room and wondered why the two of them were sitting and staring at each other an empty piece of rug.
She and Tamayo found him in the living room, his back to both of them, Ogata standing to one side, laden down with two heavy cases. Somehow he still managed a wave by shifting both of the cases to one hand and almost falling over from the lopsided load.
"Hello, girls," he called pleasantly, and at his voice Icchan turned around and crossed his arms in front of him, adjusting his glasses so they caught the gleam from a nearby lamp.
"So, Misaki-chan, are you ready to go on our Super Fun Fun Adventure?"
Misaki had no idea what he was talking about. If she were not so used to Icchan's bizarre behavior then her mouth might have fallen open. Instead she just laughed nervously and desperately hoped this didn't have anything to do with the doujinshi.
"What, Icchan-san?"
Icchan raised an eyebrow, "Our Super Fun Fun Adventure to Kobe," he seemed to consider her blank stare for a moment and then turned to Ogata, "You did remember to tell Misaki about the Super Fun Fun Adventure, didn't you, Ogata-kun?"
Ogata paled, "Well, chief, I had so much stuff to organize for the Kobe operation that I didn't have time to get over here, but Oujirou-kun mentioned that he was coming over here and he said that he'd tell Misaki-chan."
"You left it up to him? No wonder she doesn't know," Icchan flailed about, "Baatsu game: roll in this pool full of live slugs!"
From somewhere behind him, where she had no idea, Icchan managed to produce a child's plastic swimming pool filled to capacity with wiggling slugs. Ogata resignedly sat the cases down by his feet and prepared to roll in the tub o' slugs.
Tamayo looked sideways at Icchan and then finally managed to ask, "Where did you get that?"
"Brazil," he answered matter-of-factly, "They're Brazilian flesh eating slugs."
Ogata shrieked like a little girl because he had just settled himself in the tub o' slugs when Icchan imparted this revelation.
"Just joking!" Icchan laughed heartily and Ogata looked as if he were going to faint. Icchan stopped laughing abruptly and turned to Misaki, "We're going to Kobe for a Super Fun Fun Adventure. I'm taking you there to run you through some exercises with Hikaru so we can monitor them in the new facility there. And then we're going to the amusement park. And then we're going to have ice cream. It's going to be a party," he assured her, "But if we're going to go we need to go now or we'll be late for dinner. Can you pack an overnight bag fast?"
Misaki blinked and then nodded. She remembered Icchan asking her if she'd cooperate in something like this a few weeks ago but never imagined that it would come up so soon.
"We'll be back late tomorrow night. Hurry and pack, Misaki-chan. I'll go tell Shuuko."
Misaki nodded silently, her head swirling with the situation. Tamayo helped her pack a change of clothes and her pajamas and then nearly fell over laughing when Misaki almost charged off without Hikaru. By the time the two girls got back to the living room Ogata had apparently finished his punishment, because the tub o' slugs was mysteriously gone. Misaki glanced at Tamayo and the other girl simply shrugged. There was really no telling.
Icchan fluttered in a few moments later, apparently with the Suzuhara Shuuko seal of approval for the mysterious Super Fun Fun Adventure. He hustled Misaki and Ogata out the door even as Tamayo yelled a good luck cheer after them and gave Misaki a thumbs up while winking.
Oh yes. The doujinshi. She blanched. It was still in her backpack, which she was currently wearing. In all the rush she'd completely forgotten to take it out. Well, she couldn't exactly hide it away inconspicuously now, not with Icchan ushering her out the door. She was just going to have to . . . keep it with her.
She brooded about the doujinshi all the way to the train station. Ogata drove them and Icchan complained about his driving the entire way, to which Ogata only responded, "But Chief, you can't drive at all!"
This earned Ogata a baatsu game of having two entire lemons stuffed into his mouth the entire rest of the way to the station.
Misaki didn't actually come out of her trance until they were well on their way to Kobe on the late train. Icchan had disappeared off some place, probably to restock on his baatsu game equipment, which she had to assume was running low.
After he left, Misaki abruptly asked, "Ogata-san, have you ever seen any of the Angelic Layer doujinshi?"
He nodded a little glumly, "Yes, Oujirou-kun showed a few of them to me."
Misaki leaned over, sensing the unhappiness in his tone, "What's wrong, Ogata-san?"
He sighed heavily, "There are never any about the people in the Angelic Layer company, except for a few about Mihara-chief. I told Oujirou-kun if he ever say any of them with me that he should buy them up and I'd pay him back for them but he hasn't had any luck so far."
"You want to be in a doujinshi?" Misaki couldn't help her voice squeaking in surprise.
He nodded again, "Of course, I think it'd be wonderful, don't you?"
Misaki laughed nervously and agreed with him. Obviously she was going to get no good advice on the matter from Ogata with the old "You see, my friend found this doujinshi . . ." ploy. Oh well, she supposed it was a little much to hope for.
She remained mostly silent for the rest of the ride, brooding about the significance of such a publication in the hands of the . . . of the . . . well, in Oujirou's hands, anyway.
The car ride after the train ride was much like the one from her home to the train station, although Ogata managed to avoid a baatsu game on this round, although it was only narrowly. Misaki didn't notice that they hadn't driven to a facility until they got out of the car and she realized that they were standing in front of a nice apartment building. When she queried, Ogata answered.
"The trials aren't until tomorrow morning. We're spending the night here first and then starting bright and early. At least that's what Mihara-chief says. I think he's fibbing. Just between you and me, he doesn't like to wake up early."
"I heard you! BAATSU GAME!" Icchan ordered, "Run up the stairs and beat us to the thirteenth floor!"
Ogata paled again but obediently started to put down the luggage so he could sprint up the stairs.
"While carrying the luggage!" Icchan added.
Ogata looked suitably distressed and moaned, "But Chieeef!"
"No buts! Get going or you'll be doing it with an octopus in your pants!"
This was apparently enough motivation for Ogata, who took off without further admonishment. Icchan and Misaki took the much less exciting but much more comfortable elevator. Misaki was not surprised that Ogata had not managed to beat them to the top floor of the building but Icchan seemed to have forgotten that he'd ordered Ogata to sprint up the stairs in the first place and sauntered over to the second door on the left with Misaki at his heels, shy in such a strange place.
Icchan produced a key and unlocked the door just as Ogata burst through the doors to the emergency stairwell. Icchan once again ignored him, and simply motioned for Misaki to follow him in. She did and he gestured for her to sit in the rather empty living room while he went off into the back of the apartment.
"Okaa-san, we're here!" she heard him warbling and wiggling around in the back.
She stopped cold. Okaa-san. Icchan's Okaa-san. That meant Oujirou's Okaa-san. That mean she was sitting in the front room of Oujirou's house. Oujirou's house. That meant Oujirou's bedroom was nearby. Oujirou's . . .
For the second time that day, Misaki nearly fainted.
To be continued . . .
In the exciting finale XD. I know you're all on the edge of your seats XD.
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