Title: Between the Lines (Chapter Seven)
Characters: Mia, Mia’s mom, Sayu
Rating: PG
Warning(s): None, really
Note:.
Hehe I wrote this and typed it all in one day. It’s kinda short, but I think the next chapter MAY be longer. Who knows, though. Next update will be Shout Out Towards Tomorrow Chapter 5 :D

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Papa,

            Lately I’ve been working hard at the restaurant. Tonight, something interesting happened. The restaurant cleared out for some famous guests. Can you guess who? Surely not, but it was the famous young man I told you about before, Sakurai Sho. He is actually in a group boy band of five people, all of who came to the restaurant. Jiro-san, my employer, told me that I was to be their waitress.

            When I came face to face with these men, I did not no what to do. They did not know that I know that they are famous. They talked to me so easily as well. I think that they were concerned for Sho-san. I do not want to cause him trouble, so I will stay out of his way for the most part. And I do not have any intentions of telling Sayu-chan about this encounter. Only god knows what her reaction would be.

            This family is good to me, Papa. I am sure I will be able to find my own place to stay within the next two weeks. My friend Kousuke-san has been helping me search for places to stay. I may even wind up in his building if there is vacancy when I apply. It is only a ten minute walk from Kei University and a 20 minute walk to the restaurant.

            I will be sure to visit the Iitaka’s again and again. They have been so kind and I don’t know how I could ever repay them.

            Kousuke-san, too. He has helped me find a job and now a place to stay. I am surrounded by kind people.

            Papa, after you left, life was hard. Somehow, even though I am an adult, life is getting easier and more fun. I doubt you are worrying about me, but if you are please stop. Worry about mother. I must call her now.

            5-20-08 Mia~

 

            Mia sighed, clicking her pen closed. She leaned back in the desk chair, flipping the pen around between her fingers. Truthfully, she didn’t know why she wrote to her father instead of in a journal, to her journal. It wasn’t like she could ever get to send the letters to her father, let alone see him again.

            She dropped the pen on the table and pulled her cell phone out of its charger. Se dialed her mother’s number hoping she would pick up. On the third ring, someone answered in a tired voice. “Hello?”

            “Mom?” Mia asked excitedly. It has been a week since she’d been in contact with her mother. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?” It had also been a while since she’d talked in English.

            “Mia? Is that my Mia?”

            Mia giggled. “Yes, mom. Did I wake you up?” Sometimes she needed to ask a question more than once before her mom answered it.

            “No, no. Not really. My darling, you finally called! How have you been? What’s been going on with your job? And that Japanese boy you work with. K something or other. How are things going with him?”

            “Slow down, mom. First tell me about your week then I’ll continue with mine.”

            “Fine, fine. Well, same as usual. I miss you dearly, but Hanna has been keeping me company. We go out for lunch sometimes. Pooch here misses you too. Maybe even more than I do.” She chuckled and Mia imagined her mother leaning down and petting her lab, Pooch. She missed him a lot.

            “You’re not forgetting to feed him, are you mom?”

            “Me?” Her mother asked, offended. “Never! I would never forget to feed your dog! But you should come visit us soon. We’re getting lonely.”

            Mia could see her mom pouting and closed her eyes, smiling. She missed them, too. “I’ll come when I get a chance, I promise.”

            “Good, you better. You don’t break your promises, hon. So, tell me what happened this week.”

           Mia took a deep breath. Her mother never interrupted her when she spoke, unlike other people she had met recently. She told her of her week and of her visits to Keio, of looking for a place to live and of what happened that day. When she got to the part about Sho and his band mates, finishing, her mother replied right away.

            “Oh, that famous Keio boy? You saw him again?”

            “Yes, mom.”

            “Is he still handsome? What about his friends?”

            Mia laughed. “It’s his band mates, mom.” She hesitated before saying, “They are very, very handsome. You could always just look up ‘Arashi’ online.”

            “Well, be careful baby. Two boys is a lot to handle. Well I gotta get to work! Today is a day Hanna decided not to come and a work day. And I still need to pay for the house. Love you, Mia.”

            “Love you too, mom,” Mia said. Her mom was always scatter-brained. She looked at the phone in her hand, missing her mom and dog, jumping when Sayuri burst into her room.

            “Mia-nee, Mia-nee!! Guess what?!” She was breathing hard, eyes wide and cheeks pink with excitement.

            “What’s the matter, Sayu-chan? You surprised me!”

            “I…” she started, catching her breath. “I just got tickets to see Arashi in Nagoya Dome!! Mia-nee, I’m going to see them!” Tears clouded her eyes and she started to bawl.

            Mia was surprised by the tears, but she understood a little. The girl was going to see her idols for the first time. She stood and hugged the young, crying fan. “There, there. You must be happy.”

            “I am… I am b-but… I need someone to come with me. Okaa-san is too busy on the 31st…”

            Mia sighed, looking at her calendar. She knew what Sayu wanted, and that was someone to take her to see her boys. The 31st was on a Saturday and it was so soon, such short notice. But she wanted to go. “I’ll talk to my boss,” she told Sayu, patting her back. “But don’t get your hopes up too high just yet.”