Chapter 146: Ch.33 What My Love Means (5/5)

 

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6:45 PM

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Once I entered, dark lights led me through an empty corridor.

“She has to be in here…”

I followed the staff only signs and was met with the black-haired beauty, sitting on the wall…holding her chest.

 

 

“Taylor-sensei?!”

“Oh?! Nakagawa-san! Eh…”

“Are you okay?”

“I-I didn’t wake up this morning expecting to be on stage…in front of millions. A-And not only that…I’d be able to see Sophia-san. Y-You really did a lot for me!”

Her eyes were spinning, I felt so bad for her right now. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off her nervousness.

“But yeah, just getting cold feet. Ah, the staff members told me to wait here until 7:00 PM. That’s going to be when they bring me and…Sophia-san up.”

I nodded.

"Do you know where the staff is holding Sophia-san?”

“Yes…she’s on the other side. I guess they want me to enter from the left and my…Sophia to come in from the right.”

I touched her shoulder, doing my best to comfort her.

“Listen, you seem worried.”

“…I am. I’m…I’m terrified right now. What am I going to say to her?”

I closed my eyes and spoke what was on my heart.

“Taylor-sensei…You need to tell her what your love means to you. I…told her to do the same with you.”

“…You’re right.”

“Taylor Linda!”

Like a lightning bolt, her scream captured my attention as I turned to see…the pink-haired detective behind me. With her fist clenched and a face mirroring a demon she glared at us. Taylor-sensei stood off the wall and faced her now from the other side of the corridor. I had no idea how she could have got it here without a badge like the one Taylor-sensei and I had.

“Simpson Eleanor…”

She stood tall now as she faced her friend. Her eyes were fierce as they glared at one another.

 

 

“How did you get in here?”

I questioned. In response, she held up a badge similar to the one I had.

“There’s a list of sponsors and each sponsor receives backstage access like Saitou-san. Shiva is one of the sponsors, meaning their mother sent me mine.”

I clicked my tongue. Seems she had all bases covered in the end. With her arms crossed, Simpson-san approached with fierce anger.

“Your tails have been messaging me about you ditching them. To think you had the nerve to come way out here, Linda. You know your parents are going to punish you for this.”

“Eleanor…”

I stepped in, crying out to the iron detective.

“Simpson-san, don’t you get it by now? Keeping these two away from each other is only hurting them!”

I had to explain my views as calmly as I could. So, I calmed my mind and looked back at her.

"Aren't you supposed to be her friend, Simpson-san?”

“Nakagawa-san, shut up!”

 

 

She blasted back, catching me off guard. Angered, Simpson-san lashed out at us.

“Everyone needs to shut up! You both act like your actions won’t hurt anyone else! I’m so sick of everyone else stepping over me…not taking my feelings into account.”

Taylor-sensei spat hot air to the side as if belittling her words.

“Oh please, you need to shut the hell up, Eleanor.”

 

 

As if her words were ice, Simpson-san froze as she turned to her.

“Linda?”

The beauty approached. Now clad in the latest fashion she clenched her fist as her bright eyes glared at her…friend.

“For years I sat around…docile like a little dove that was wounded. I let everyone else look down on me like garbage. Perhaps I could have stepped forward and told them “no”…but I didn’t. I admit now…that I’m to blame too.”

Taylor-sensei pushed her foot forward, cutting closer to Simpson-san.

“But…my friend…my best friend brushed my pains aside. You even outwardly went to my parents when you caught me with Sophia…without thinking about me!”

“No, you’re wrong!”

Simpson-san cried, trembling as she approached.

“You have that all wrong! I-I did that to protect you two!”

“Bullshit!”

Nothing was going to be resolved without listening to Simpson-san too. I stepped in and tapped the nurse on the shoulder.

“Wait, Linda…”

Now she turned to me like her enemy. I wasn’t expecting her glare, but I stood my ground.

“What do you have to say, Simpson-san?”

Even she glared at me with contempt. But if things were going to be settled, everyone needed to get their feelings in order.

“It’s because I needed to separate you two, Linda…”

“Sophia and me?!”

“No, you fool…I needed you to be separated from my brother! I put in so much effort to do that!”

“You…tried to separate me from Spencer?”

Confused, she tilted her head. She was still on the defensive as she crossed her arms and cut her feet forward. Like a soldier, she wasn’t breaking her formation.

"I had already asked your parents to separate you two by sending you to college. That was my idea to begin with. But it was you…who was too stubborn to leave him!"

Linda bit down on her teeth and gnashed at her.

“Don’t give me that bullshit! You never told me anything!”

“Because I was afraid that you’d tell Spencer. If he found out that his sister was actively trying to remove you from his life…he would have taken the rest of my savings from me. So, I…went behind your back to try and organize a way to get you both apart.”

“Are you saying you couldn’t trust me, Eleanor?”

“Yes! That’s just what I’m saying. You were so mind-controlled by him. No matter what I would have said…you’d just turn back to him.”

 

 

She sighed.

“Everything was already set up for the vacation trip. And then that night…when I witnessed the two of you kissing…you were destroying everything I worked for. I was afraid this would come out…my brother would retaliate against me…so the only thought that went through my mind was to…”

She closed her eyes as she confessed.

“Separate you two…so nobody would know about this affair between the both of you. Have your parents keep it from everyone…so Spencer would never find out that I kept it from him.”

Tears were raining down her cheek now.

"You don't understand Linda…how much you mean to me…and how weak I feel when I'm around you because of my body. You're always having to support me...and I hated that growing up.

Calmy, she took a deep breath to gather her composure. 

"For the first time, I was…going to save you instead of you always saving me…and you messed it all up!”

Taylor-sensei’s lips pursed bitterly.

“So, in the end…it was always about the money, Eleanor?”

Rightfully so, her lips curled in disgust.

“Huh? W-What are you saying, Linda?”

The detective backed up slightly, surprised by the sudden assault.

“You heard me. The only reason why you didn’t tell me your actions…was because you were afraid of what you’d lose. The reason why you originally kept me apart from Sophia…was because Spencer held your money. The reason why you’re doing this today…is because my family holds your money now.”

“…No, that’s not…”

Simpson-san covered her mouth. Her eyes widened. Her selfless act was exposed... 

“And because of that selfishness…”

Taylor-sensei ripped off her wig, causing her bright hair to flow down her back. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she tossed the black hair wig disguise against the wall. With force, she removed her fake glasses and threw them on the floor. They clinked against the ground revealing the true Taylor-sensei.

 

“For your selfishness, I hope you lose everything, Eleanor!”

 

 

Taylor-sensei coughed as if the words she spoke were destroying her insides.

“To think I still considered you my friend. I hate you so much!”

 

 

Coldly she walked.  Like a shard of ice passing in a windstorm, she turned around and kicked the dust back to her. There wasn't a hint of remorse or acceptance in her. Taylor-sensei said she'd hurt anyone to love Sophia…and she proved that today.

For a moment, Simpson-san brought out her phone. I assumed she was going to call her team to apprehend Linda.

“Simpson-san…”

I questioned but she didn’t respond. She stood there shaking, her head down to the ground. She lifted her phone to her ear. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

“…D-Did you find her?”

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She paused. I could see her swallow as those shameful tears littered her face.

“…Well, keep looking.”

She commanded as she hung up the phone.

“…Did you lie to them, Simpson-san?”

“…She’s right…Nakagawa-san.”

She confessed with her head in her palms.

"I've always seen myself as the hero for her…the one who saved her from my brother…and was actively trying to make her see how wrong her feelings were. That Sophia didn't deserve a strange life as she wanted.”

She looked at me with hateful eyes. That’s the only way I could interpret it.

“But that wasn’t true, was it Madoka-san? I’ve been so scared that I’d be tossed away one day. I…I want to live…but it’s hard…and I selfishly disregarded my friend’s feelings…for myself.”

How I wanted to console her…but now wasn’t the time for that. I think she needed this reflection. So, I stood firm as I listened.

“What…do I do?”

She looked at me, defeated. How it twisted my heart knowing that all she wanted is a life she could live independently with. It’s not her fault that she was born the way she is. She’s constantly struggling…

“If you truly want to support your friend…then I think today is the day to do that.”

I bowed.

“I thought of any way possible not to hurt you during this…but I’m only one person. I…I couldn’t think of a way to do it…and I’m sorry, Simpson-san.”

I cried.

“But…I don’t think you understood the level of pain these two were in…and…and I decided…”

 

“That I’m willing to hurt you…for the sake of saving them! I’m…so sorry.”

 

My feelings were honest. Despite the music in the background playing my favorite STARS tune, this moment was equally sad, depressing…

“No…this is the moment I was always afraid of…”

She moaned.

“The day when my two friends…relationship will change with me. I…can’t go back to saying I’m their friend but continue working against them…can I?”

She sorrowfully approached the stage from the side. Taylor-sensei was already being guided there. Even if she wanted to stop her, it was too late. So, I decided to leave her there as I made my way back to my friends and family.

 

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7:15 PM

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In the dazzling lights, the second guest appeared. It took a while before she came, and nobody knew why but us. On the big screen, she was breathtaking. With her wig gone, her vibrant sun-like hair sparked across the stage as she made it to the middle. But not only her… the first winner was just as remarkable as she stood on stage, waiting for the grand finale.

“Congratulations!”

The leader of STARS, Sara, cried out as she approached. She took Taylor-san’s hand and walked her to the center of the stage. Awkwardly, Taylor-sensei and Sophia-san stood side by side…the closest they’ve been in a long time. The scene is simple, STARS are supposed to sing a number with them in the middle. All they had to do was clap and enjoy the show… And they did just that, watching the fantastic show around them. Neither of them was moving any closer to each other though.

“What are they doing?”

I silently complained. Our group of girls was getting anxious as we watched the two stars of the show sit like stones…Now wasn’t the time to mess up. Taylor-sensei was the last person I expected to get stage fright, but she was nervous beforehand…

“Oh no…”

Those words fell from my lips. I began to tremble…thinking about how all of this might fail when…the lights suddenly shut off…and my body began to crumble with fear. It seemed as though they were having…technical difficulties.

“Is that a power outage?”

Mari-san questioned. I couldn't see anything, even the people in front of me were nothing but black space. Everything went dark as the emergency lights turned on…for a moment all the excitement died down as the crowd began to question what was going on.

“Do you really think Simpson-san had the power to shut this place down, Onee-chan?!”

Hana-chan’s fears were justified. Knowing how big the Conway’s were…I wouldn't put it past them to think that they'd even do something like this.

When suddenly…

Like a match was lit in the darkroom, everything exploded when all the lights popped on in an instant. I couldn't tell what happened…I had no idea what it was but all I knew is that our chance was finally back. It…was finally back.

Sophia…The one I didn’t expect…Rushed to one of the STARS members. She stole Aoi-chan’s mic and ran back to the center. With all her might she screamed.

“I…” 

Her voice peaked in the mic, but she had our attention. Even the members of STARS were shocked as they panicked to get the mic back.

 

 

“CONWAY SOPHIA…”

“AM IN LOVE WITH YOU, TAYLOR LINDA!”

 

 

She tossed the mic to the side, approached the shaken dove, and put her hands on her cheeks.

We couldn’t tell if she said anything else to her but gently, she approached and placed her lips on Linda. On the big screen, Taylor-sensei's face was full of surprise…as her eyes gently fell and accepted this public statement of raw emotion. Those words couldn’t be covered. Even the cast on stage was confused, but as fast as that happened, they pulled the two away and continued to pick up their dance. However, the crowd started chanting as they all jumped, believing it was part of the show.

 

 

“SOPHIE-CHAN, LINDA-CHAN! SOPHIE-CHAN, LINDA-CHAN!”

 

It was too late. The crowd had their phones raised, recording everything. This was the finale they didn’t expect, a powerful confession of love in a show full of emotions and passions.

Drunk off the idol music, they were given the limelight. It didn’t matter that they were two girls doing this…just the fire of the night and how wonderfully beautiful they looked together caused the room of thousands to jump with their cameras, phones, and recorders in their hands. The big-screen adored them as the cameras fixated on the two. They came back together slowly. Holding hands with their faces red, they looked away from one another only adding to their cuteness.

They were…sensational.

“Look, Onee-chan! The screens.”

Even the screens were giving them the attention they needed. No, the world was giving them this attention, and nobody could take it away from them. As the crowd screamed their names, I did the same…we all did the same.

“Let them know who is on stage, everyone!”

I commanded as we cried to the heavens. Even Mari-san and Risa-san were helping out.

 

“Conway Sophia! Taylor Linda! Conway Sophia! Taylor Linda!”

Eventually, the people next to us started cheering for them by full names. It was intoxicating. Before we knew it, the entire section was chanting in sync. I wasn't sure how far it went in the stadium, but the fact of the matter was…

 

 

Nobody could drown out their names. With all the footage, live audience, and excitement…

Taylor-sensei held the person she loved in her arms. Sophia-san didn't resist, she accepted it for now. How it felt like a dream, seeing the two of them shine on stage as they became the focus of the concert.

They drew the narrative, and it was only a matter of time that the media will ask…

Who are Conway Sophia and Taylor Linda?

 

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“Where are they?”

Yuko-chan asked as we waited outside the concert hall. They were nowhere to be found. After the event, both of them were rushed away into the back room, and we haven’t heard a word from them. I tried to contact them via messages and calls but nothing…

“Wow, guys…check out the news!”

Sora-chan prompted us all to do just that. On the front page was the ending to the STARS concert. Outlets took the story already and ran with it.

The ghost smiled and timidly spoke.

“Their full names are up there too.”

Mari-san scoffed.

"Geez, don't even give people time to breathe before they descend on them like vultures. Listen to this one…"

The fox coughed, clearing her throat.

“Daughters of European Politicians, The Conway’s, Crash Japanese STARS Concert with Love Confession to One Another.”

“A little wordy but at least everyone got the idea.”

Mari-san giggled while giving her daughter a hi-five.

“Everyone…”

Our group turned to Simpson-san who approached us. Her body language wasn't as high-spirited as she normally was.

“Where are they?”

I accused as I approached.

“Right now, they are having a…long chat with their mother in the main office upstairs.”

Mari-san put her finger to her mouth.

“I wouldn’t worry about them…with everything out in the open, they wouldn’t try to do anything to them. It’s probably more of a scolding, telling them what they caused.”

Surprisingly, Simpson-san nodded in agreement.

“You’re right, Koda-san. That’s just what she’s doing. She’ll likely release them to me, and I’ll take them home personally…I’ll have to sneak them out because the paparazzi is getting out of hand.”

I turned and looked outside. There were a bunch of broadcasters, news outlets, and journalists outside. They were still waiting for their chance to chat with the love-struck couple who lit up the night with their love. I couldn't help but smirk, thinking what we wanted to accomplish actually happened.

But then she turned to me and pierced me with her gaze.

“But the reason why I’m here…isn’t because of that.”

 

“Then, why are you here?”

I asked the question that made the hair on my neck stand up. Reluctantly, she confessed… 

“I’m here because Conway Karen wants to meet you personally, Nakagawa Madoka-san. She said that she wants to meet the girl who ruined everything.”

 

 

 

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