Chapter 127: Ch.30 Saving Them (2/4)

 

 

When I got in my room, the entire day finally started to settle in as I got undressed. A lot happened. My date with Risa-san was nothing short of amazing and not only that…

As I lied in bed, I thought about it…

Right now, I had the key to get Sophia-san and her stepsister together. Next week was going to be the concert…Now I had to decide how I was going to go about this. So, I took out my phone and called her…it was getting late and it only occurred to me after I clicked her name. A small pit in my stomach caught me as I began pacing around. Now that I thought about it…I didn’t know what I wanted to say. When the dial tone stopped, a raspy voice echoed in my ear tenderly.

“M-Madoka-san? Why are you calling so late?”

 

 

For some reason I imagined a weak…well, that wasn't the right word, maybe the timid version of Sophia-san. The only nightwear I remembered her in was the yellow one from our sleeping party so that automatically popped in my head.

“Hey, Sophia-san…ah, how was your day?”

“…You called me this late to ask about my day?”

Noticeably, I was being suspicious.

“What are you…my girlfriend or something, Madoka-san?”

She chuckled, and I did too. However, her voice felt a bit warm as she said this. For a moment we waited there until she coughed, breaking the silence.

“Sorry…was that a poor joke?”

“Hehe…no, I’m just trying to gather my thoughts.”

I clenched my hands and tried to speak; my voice peaked for a moment, but I pushed it out.

“I might have a way to get you and Taylor-sensei together. You know…so you can chat?”

I could hear her adjusting herself on her bed. The ominous feeling of what was going through her head caused my body to tense in fear. After a long, drawn-out sigh, she spoke up.

“…You shouldn’t worry about something like that… The last thing I need is for you to get caught...trying to help me.”

I shook my head as I lied down.

“To be honest…I’ve been thinking about you since that night we had our chat. You’ve…been on my mind for a while now, Sophia-san.”

“T-Thinking about me? That’s a bad way to put it, Madoka-san.”

 

 

I laugh, nervously.

“Yeah, I did that on purpose…well, I wanted to be honest.”

I closed my eyes and expressed myself.

“I just want you both to be free…to understand each other, you know? And the only way that would be possible…is if you can talk to each other freely.”

My feet kicked about as I started my true feelings.

“…That’s sweet, Madoka-san. But…I don’t think you properly understand the level of how far my parents are willing to go to keep us apart, do you?”

As if we both were on the other side of the wall, I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed over my stomach as a way to feel closer to her.

“I have an idea.”

She groaned.

“My sister is under constant watch by the staff at school. When she leaves, she has a public escort that follows her around too.”

“She does?”

“Yes, it’s only reasonable knowing who she is. They don’t interfere with her daily life, but they do watch her movements. Thankfully, they are pretty hands-off with her."

This added a new layer to everything. She’d have to get away from her tail if I was going to make this happen, wouldn’t she? That was something I never considered because, of course, I never knew.

“Not only that, Madoka-san. They are asked to contact Eleanor if she does “ditch” her tail. So, if you try and get her away…Eleanor will know that she’s missing.”

That could single-handedly ruin the entire thing. If Simpson-san becomes suspicious, she could not allow Sophia-san to come with us to the concert. Simpson-san…held all the cards to destroy this plan.

“I see…”

“Do you get it now? I believe it’s best we just forget the entire thing and let all this run its course.”

She whispered.

“And…I don’t want you getting too deeply involved. My parents…aren’t against removing someone they deem as a threat to them, you know?”

She groaned.

“I mean…you are on Eleanor’s watch list already.”

My heart sank thinking about it. I did put myself in more of an open light because of my closeness with Sophia-san. Despite how she sounded when she dropped me off, she has only one job, and that’s to keep those two away from one another and make sure Sophia-san doesn’t have contact with the wrong kind of people.

Meaning I, in a way, ousted myself by doing too much last time I was over.

“I see…”

“So, it’s best if you don’t think about it. Just knowing what I’m going through is enough…to give me the strength to go on, Madoka-san.”

Her words were honest…tender…even ladylike. At times, Sophia-san’s girly side would perk out and capture my chest. It…made me want to be stronger to help protect her. And that’s why I needed to convince her…because she had this honesty that needed to be protected.

“I understand that…but Sophia-san…wouldn’t you like to tell Taylor-sensei your true feelings?”

She paused. I could hear her roll around for a moment. Instead of waiting for her to respond, I pushed forward.

“Don’t you want to tell her what your love means to her, Sophia-san?”

I could hear her sit up on her bed now. For a moment she waited before responding…

“I just…don’t want you to be involved anymore in this, Madoka-san.”

"I know…but I want to help Taylor-sensei…she's really suffering too right now, Sophia-san. I…couldn't live with myself if she continued on like this."

“…”

She hesitated again. After a long-winded exhale, she opened up.

“You…better not get in trouble because of this…”

Her acceptance lit up my mood. I wanted to jump around the room and scream with excitement, but I’m sure I’d disturb mom and Mari-san downstairs.

“What’s your plan, Madoka-san?”

Finally, she sounded as if she was on my side. That's just what I needed to make sure this worked.

“And promise me…you won’t get caught.”

She moaned. Of course, I couldn’t promise something like that. This is the first time I did something like this. But to ease her mind I nodded.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Your best…better be good enough, Madoka-san...I don’t want to lose you as my friend...”

She pouted, so I changed the subject quickly.

“I’ll need you in the loop…but I don’t think I want to tell Taylor-sensei until she gets to the concert. It might be best to keep her out of the broad picture.”

She waited for a moment. I heard her breath before she spoke.

“What do you mean? You…don’t want Linda to be involved in what’s going on?”

I nodded, a tad guiltily.

"Well…I don't want anyone who is watching her catch on. So I think that might be best if everything happens to her organically.”

I admitted.

“I don’t want her tails to know where she is going. I have to think about a way to make this airtight. She shouldn’t know what’s going on until she’s right where we need her to be.”

“I get that…”

Sophia sounded less confident now. That’s the last thing I needed from her when she was the main player in my plan.

“Sophia-san…you’ll have to be as honest as you can be when the time comes. This all hinges on you being able to express yourself.”

“Be honest how…you mean to tell her what I mean by…my love?"

She waited for a moment before exhaling.

“What’s your plan, Madoka-san? Start from the beginning.”

Now fully on board, I gained that much more confidence. My eyes closed as I voiced my plans.

“…I’m going to try to get you both to be together in front of everyone.”

“In front of everyone? What the hell does that mean?”

I curled my feet and held my legs in my arms.

“You see…ah…you know that STARS’ concert is in around a week?”

“…What about it?”

“Well…if you get the winning tickets…you’ll be able to go on stage and meet the stars cast during their final act…”

“Oh, hell no! There’s no way I can do something like that!”

Rightfully so, she exploded when I explained my idea. I wanted her to meet her sister on stage…and express their feelings publicly. In this case…I needed her to actually make them look like a couple though. That would mean…

“You and Taylor-sensei will…have to look like a couple on stage though.”

She popped with her voice like a robot spewing gears around the room.

“A-And how do you expect us to look like that?”

Regrettably, I confessed.

“Ah…I don’t know…what would a couple do to show their love publicly?”

“You want me to kiss Linda in front of the world?! What the hell’s your problem?!”

 

 

She screamed for good reason. I found myself pacing around the room now in a panic. She was panicking, and so was I. So, I calmed my heart and reached out to her.

“Just listen to me, Sophia-san.”

“Why the heck should I?! You’re telling me to show the world that I’m with Linda. That I like Linda in that way?! That’s just not true! I don’t like Linda like that, Madoka-san…I’ve told you this over and over again!”

Her words were shooting like bullets at me. Luckily, I wasn’t in the same room, so I wasn’t hit with her shotgun words.

“I know…but it isn’t that Sophia-san. This isn’t about you two being together. I talked with Mari-san…”

“You told Koda Mari-san about this?!”

For good reason, she was upset. So, I made my voice as sweet as I could…I needed to calm her down…show her that all I was doing was my way of caring for her.

 

“Sophia…Sophia~ listen to me…”

“Nngg…what?”

“Please calm down…and let me speak, okay?”

 

 

 

Gently, I explained to her about my chat with Mari-san. How she was more politically versed than me, and how she helped me conclude what to do. For the first time, she calmed down and listened to me.

“What we need to do is establish to everyone that you two…are unbreakable.”

She paused for a moment.

“That sounds like…making a dream for Linda.”

“Then when all the excitement dies down…your parents will have to make a choice…and Linda will have a voice.”

By doing this, Linda will finally have a voice to express herself if her parents choose to retaliate. She can use the social platform to show the world how her family is keeping them apart…but hopefully it never comes to that.

“The purpose of this…is to let you both have the privacy to chat. That way…you can tell Linda what your love truly means.”

The line went silent for a bit. I was nervous…and I’m sure she was too. Finally, a timid voice came out from the other side.

“I understand that…but my feelings need to be in order. Not only am I going to finally…be able to tell her how I feel. But…But…”

She groaned.

“I’m going to shatter her fairytale, Madoka-san.”

“Sophia-san…Hey…I’m here for you.”

“…I know. You always have been.”

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She exhaled.

“I get what you’re trying to do. You…want my parents to be put in a position where…they can’t separate us, don’t you?”

“That’s the idea. After it’s in the open and all the media blows up about you two…there wouldn’t be a reason for them to keep you apart.”

“…Yeah, and we can have all the time we need to chat. But we can’t do that with our parents hawking over us. You want…to remove that.”

I could hear her voice shake as she confessed.

“You know… I wouldn’t even think about pushing myself like this if it was anyone else who suggested this. B-But because it’s you… I’m willing to try, Madoka-san...”

“Sophia-san…”

“You’re giving me a chance, and I need to take it. So…I will do it.”

She calmed down as I heard her fall flat on her bed. She rolled around for a moment. As if she found a nice spot to be in, she said something…

“I’ll do this… but I want you to know something…”

“Oh, what is it?”

 

“That this doesn’t represent my feelings. Because my feelings have changed…”

“I know…”

“No, you don’t.  My feelings have…slowly changed and…I want you to know it, Madoka-san.”

 

 

My face lit up as I started understanding her words. Could it be that Sophia-san was saying that…her feelings are...

“I’m…doing this for Linda's sake. That’s all.”

“Yeah…I...I think I understand, Sophia-san.”

We lied on the bed as I looked at the ceiling.

“I hope this works out…for everyone.”

“…Are you thinking about Eleanor?”

“Yeah…I couldn’t think of a way that she wouldn’t be affected.”

She grumbled.

“You shouldn’t worry about that. If anything does happen to her…I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she won’t be punished.”

The idea caused my heart to throb. Thinking that Sophia-san will fight for Simpson-san…showed me how close they must have become. Even though she actively fights against her…Sophia-san still loves her.

“Thank you, Sophia-san.”

“No…thank you, Madoka-san. So…we can’t get complacent. The sooner we break this, the sooner…Linda will understand what love means to me.”

This is their chance at a new beginning. I won’t say it’s impossible for Sophia to ever feel this way for Linda…but what needs to be established is their feelings today and their freedom to love who they want to love.

“Well, I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Sophia-san.”

“Yeah…see you.”

 

Her voice sounded so sweet now. As if she had a bit of hope in her chest, she smoothly spoke to me.

“Night, Madoka-san. You really are…special to me.”

 

She hung up. How I… wanted to hold her for being so cute. But she’d probably punch me in the face for it, though. But right now wouldn’t be the time for her to hide her true feelings. Sophia-san would have to do the one thing she wasn’t good at…and that was expressing her true feelings. Not only to Taylor-sensei… but the world. I… was certainly putting a lot of weight on them.

Next, I called my other partner… I wouldn’t be able to do this alone. So, I needed to make sure someone else was on the same page. After a little bit of time, she answered.

“Mae-chan.”

“Mado-chan?! It’s a little late. What are you doing up?”

 

 

I looked at the clock, and it was getting later into the night, nearly midnight. I felt even more guilty as I continued.

"You see…I think I've found a way to help Sophia-san…but I'll need your help too. Honestly, this isn't something I can do alone, and I'm starting to realize that."

On the other side of the phone, I could hear her get up from her bed and sit up. It made me feel all the more guilty knowing that Mae-chan was standing up for my sake.

“If it’s to help out Sophia-san…then certainly, I’m all ears.”

"Thanks, Mae-chan."

“No, you don’t need to thank me. Remember, she was my friend before she knew you…”

She sighed as if she was shaking off weight on her shoulders.

“She has been hurting for far too long. And…knowing that we can do something to help her and Taylor-sensei…”

I could only imagine the devilish smile she was making. I could hear the rebellious tone in her voice. I’ve known Mae-chan for long enough to feel that edge of uprising poking out from her.

“I’d do anything to help. So, what’s the plan?”

Systematically, I explained the plan…to have both of them on stage, pouring their feelings to one another. The idea was just that, to make sure as many people as possible could see them.

“So…you want to make the scandal come to light? That’s…pretty massive, Madoka-san.”

I rubbed my toes together anxiously now.

“Yeah….and I won’t lie, it’s a little scary…knowing that I have the chance to make something like this happen… But…”

I pursed my lips.

“I…don’t want these two to hurt any longer. And if that’s my selfish side coming back with vengeance, then so be it.”

I knew I was putting my neck on the line for them. I could feel how unruly I was being, but instead of pouting and kicking about to get my way, I wanted to channel this and push forward. Me being a bit more…determined could change things, then so be it…

“Mae-chan, I know the kind of person I am.”

I confessed.

“I’m spoiled still…I’m constantly being unruly at times…but I do want to change. I don’t want to be coddled by anyone. I…want to make a difference.”

My emotions were starting to expand, grow larger than I could have ever imagined.

“I don’t like being the crying child. And…even though I act this way…everything in me wants to change. Hearing that Sophia-san and Taylor-sensei are suffering like this…”

I clenched my fist, coming into who I wanted to be.

“I want to support them…and take their pains away. Just like they did with me. I want to help them change…”

“Madoka-san…”

She moaned.

“You’re…not going back to who you used to be, are you?”

I shook my head with determination now.

“I hope not. Listen…I’ve made a lot of wrong choices. I’m starting to see that since I… confessed to Mari-san.”

I lifted my head, looking at the ceiling. But I didn’t stop there. In my head, my eyes were seeing the larger picture.

“But this…I’ve contemplated over it for a while now, and I feel that this is the right step. And I’m willing to take the backlash from Sophia-san’s family if this goes sideways.”

"…Well, I have no intention of leaving you alone. I think everyone is in support of your choice. So, if someone tries to attack you, Madoka-san, they’ll have to go through me first.”

“Mae-chan…”

“So, what’s the plan again?”

I closed my eyes and confessed.

“Well…I went on a date with someone today…it was Saitou Risa-san, Mari-san’s boss, and Saitou Saya-san’s older sister…”

I explained what happened. How she wooed me, how she told me she was planning to give me and her front seat tickets. How…my true gift was being the two on stage at the end of the STARS concert.

“We’re going to make sure their family can’t harm them…”

“Yes, by exposing their feelings to the crowd. If we can have them become such big icons of the night, they wouldn't possibly think of doing anything to them."

She hopped around.

“I get it. It’s not about them being together at all. It’s more about them having the chance to be alone after.”

I nodded, but Mae-chan couldn’t see that.

“Yeah, this is only to make them on the front page. It’s the aftermath that will give them the chance to…finally confess their true feelings for one another.”

“Even though…Sophia-san doesn’t feel the same?”

“Especially because of that, Mae. They need this time to understand what love means in their hearts. I’m… expecting Taylor-sensei to be destroyed over this… but…”

I groaned.

“But if they want to stop hurting, to move on from all this…this is the only way I can think of it.”

She snickered. I was a bit taken aback as she spoke up.

 

 

“Wow, you’re super corny… and I love it.”

“Shut up, Mae-chan.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be beside you 100% of the way. So, who's all going with us to the concert?”

 

“It’s going to be me, you, Hana-chan, Sophia-san, Yuko-chan, and Sora-chan, and Risa-san will be coming later on.”

She huffed.

“And I take it Simpson Eleanor-san will be the person taking us?”

“I assume that would be the case, yeah…”

“If Taylor-sensei came on her own, she’d risked being caught, wouldn’t she? How are we going to get her to get on stage if her tails will likely alert Simpson-san.”

I paced around the room and thought about it. 

“She’ll need to come, incognito. I’ll have to think of a way for her to get there…without being tailed.”

“Maybe someone can drive her?”

“I thought about that, but they’d just tail whatever car she gets in. Sophia-san mentioned this…It’s going to be a big problem…”

“Then maybe…they won’t be able to tail her if they don’t know what car she went in right?”

As if someone hit me upside the head and knocked a new idea while doing so, it was starting to click.

“Yeah…why don’t we make it so she’ll come to a spot, thinking it’s a meeting for her and Sophia-san, Mado-chan?”

Everything was coming together now. How I’ll pull off the impossible. How a high school girl could make this difference in their friend's life…And I knew how this would end…

“Yeah…I like that idea.”

My friend began to chuckle again. Sounds like Mae-chan was enjoying this more than me.

“Well, we have time to figure things out. So don’t feel like we have to put everything together tonight. Get some rest, it’s late, Madoka-chan.”

“Oh…yeah, you’re right, Mae.”

“See you tomorrow, kay?”

“Yeah…see you tomorrow, Mae.”

She hung up. So, I put my phone on the charger and thought about everything as I looked at the ceiling. How my friends could be happy…if everything works out.

 

But the person inside me told me…

That I’ll have to be emotionally stronger…

Because if what I believe will happen in the end happens…

Taylor-sensei will need me to get through her pains.

 

 

 

 

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