A talk with an old friend

"Argh!!!That Yuya! Can't he leave me alone?" Linda frowned deeply.

She turned towards the huge dolpin that Yamapi won for her. She flopped herself on the bed, hugging the stuffed toy to herself tightly. "Ne, what do I name you?" she asked the dolphin.

"How about P-chan? Do you like it, P-chan?" she asked the dolphin.

She grinned as she moved the dolphin's head to imagine that it was as if the dolphin agreed to the name. "Ureshii! Suki dayo?" she kissed the dolphin's beak, forgetting about the fight with Yuya.

Suddenly, her handphone rang. The song, "Naniwa Iroha Bushi" filled the air. Linda's face immediately lit up. She grabbed her phone. "Chibi-chan!" she greeted happily.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" the person over the phone growled.

Linda chuckled. "What's up?" she asked.

"The sky," the person answered.

Linda sweatdropped. "Ne, it's not funny," Linda replied with a bored voice.

He roared with laughter over his cold joke. "Gomen. I am bored so I called you," he answered.

"Oh, now, I am an entertainer?" she asked.

"Yes! Now then you realize?" he teased.

Linda sighed. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked suddenly.

"Nothing," she replied, forlornly.

"I know you too well. I'll meet you tomorrow at 2pm at the usual place. The person who comes late will have to give a treat. Ja!" he replied and hung up.

Linda was used to his sudden hang up. Typical, Chibi-chan, she mused. She hugged the dolphin tightly and drifted off to sleep ignoring Yuya's knocking.

Chibi-chan was Linda's best friend when they were in middle school. When Chibi-chan moved back to Osaka, they still kept in contact till now. They relationship was so closed yet private. No one knew about them, not even Yuya or Yuki.

The next day, Linda went off to work without eating breakfast or even greeting anyone. Yuya looked up from the table and called his sister but she just ignored him. Yuya ran after her. "Nee-chan!" he grabbed her arm.

Linda glared at him. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Sorry? You are sorry? Leave me alone, Tegoshi Yuya," Linda replied coldly and left.

Yuya stared after his sister. He felt upset that his sister treated him that way. He just wanted the best for her.He walked back, feeling dejected.

Linda, on the other hand, felt something hot running down her cheeks. She wiped away the liquid and realized that she was crying. She loved her brother alot but he was just too much, trying to control her life like that. She knew her brother was trying to keep an eye on her but she just felt so suffocated and confused.

Later at 2pm, she was waiting for her friend, staring into space. "Konbanwa!" her friend greeted her but she was too absorbed in her thoughts that she did not hear him.

He shook his head. He patted her. She practically jumped in her seat. "Chibi-chan!" she exclaimed.

He chuckled as he slid into the seat opposite her. "Where are you just now? Planet M18? Met with your family down there? Ultraseven, Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna..." he trailed off.

Linda kicked him on his shin. "Itai! Ne, don't zap me with your power!" he teased again, shielding his face with his hands.

Linda glared at him. If looks could kill, he would have died on that spot. "Ok,ok. What happened?" he asked, looking serious.

Linda looked at him. "Let's order first. I want fish and chips. And you are late so, YOU are treating me today," Linda grinned.

He nodded his head in defeat. "You are terrible! You should know that I am always late because I often get held up at work," he grumbled as he called the waitress.

"Blah, blah blah. Chibi-chan, don't be so stingy, ok? You are with News and Kanjani8. And your income is so, so, much and you still grumble to treat an old friend? Fine, I'll pay my share ok? Like as if I eat a lot. Yamashita-kun is better than you," Linda retorted.

"Fine, fine. I'll treat you today. I was just joking. Why are you so short-tempered today? Are you in that time of the month?" he asked.

A whack in the head by the menu was Linda's reply to him. "I'll get the answer," he mumbled.

When their food had arrived, he asked her again. "What's wrong?" he enquired.

"It's my brother," she answered.

"Yuya?" he asked.

She nodded. "Ever since he found me, he had been on my back 24/7! Asking me where am I? Who am I with, What time I get back and etc. It's terrible! He is much worse than Mom! My life changed 360 degrees! Not only that, he even dared to control who I see and who I cannot see! Isn't that terrible?" she asked him.

He was trying not to laugh. He could not imagine the innocent-looking Yuya Tegoshi was actually a control-freak when it comes to his sister. "So desu ka. So what are you going to do to him?" he asked.

He watched as Linda took the knife and stabbed it into the fish. "What am I going to do? I'm going to kill him. Cut him up into pieces like this and dispose it all over Japan. And you can be my driver," Linda replied, cutting up the fish into small tiny pieces.

He stared at her in silence as she cut the fish up furiously. "Are you feeling better?" he asked after some time.

Linda looked up and breathed a sigh of relief. She grinned. "Yup! That irritating, annoying, control-freak squirt!He even dared to get angry when I went out with Yamashita-kun. I mean, Yuya was the one to ask him out and when Yamashita-kun accompanied me, he flared up. I really don't get him, " she said as she ate the pieces one by one.

He laughed and shook his head. "You went out with Yamapi? Do you like him?" he asked.

Linda looked thoughtful. "Hmm...Yes, I do. As a friend. No special feelings," she answered.

He raised his eyesbrows. "Linda-chan, what's wrong with you? You refused to marry Shuji Kiritani, a CEO of the multinational company selling those gadgets. He was so smitten with you ever since high school. Then now, I have a feeling that Yamapi have special feelings for you but you do not want to accept him," he pointed out.

"You can't force me to love Kiritani. I know he's handsome and is the most popular guy in school and stuff but I just can't lie to myself and force myself to marry him. As for Yamashita-kun, I do not want to get killed by girls all over the world for disappointing him," Linda explained.

He shook his head. "Are you in love with anyone?" he asked.

Linda looked at him in the eye, looking serious. "Yes, I am," she replied.

He looked surprised. "Who?" he asked.

Linda answered, "You."

He choked and stared at her, stunned. Linda took her handphone and snapped his surprised look. She laughed. He snapped. "I'm just joking! I'm not in love with you or anyone. You should see your face!" she roared with laughter.

"Linda-chan! You!" he gritted his teeth.

When he drove her back home, Linda asked him about his date. "How are things going with Leah?" she asked.

"Oh, she's great," he grinned.

Linda chuckled. "She's so beautiful. Even I am in love with her," she said.

He braked his car suddenly. "WHAT?" he asked.

Linda laughed again. "She's pretty. I like her. As in a role model. What do you think I am? Lesbian?" she asked.

"Who knows?" he retorted, getting a whack from Linda.

"Take care on the road. Good luck with Leah!" Linda smiled and got off the car.

He nodded and watched as she entered her house. He decided to have a word with Yuya the when he see him later for rehearsal.

Linda stepped into the house. No one was home. She looked at the time. It was only 9pm. Yuki had gone to work while Yuya had rehearsals. She breathed a sigh of relief because no one was there to bug her.

Linda closed the bedroom door behind her. She slid down the door. She was unable to contain her tears. She buried her face into her thighs and sobbed hard. "The reason I cannot accept Shuji and Yamashita is because of you,Nishikido Ryo. I love you," she whispered.