Yowamushi Pedal/弱虫ペダル 1. One

**Prelude**

On Jinpachi's 19th birthday, he opened his mailbox and found nothing from England. Of course, he went out with his ex-teammates that night for a nice meal. At the end of the night, he had been handed a present from each member – each one a wrapped headband, each one more terrifyingly ugly than the last, but Jinpachi was always gracious.

But no packages arrived for him in the weeks after his birthday either. He hadn't heard from Maki-chan in over a month… but, that wouldn't affect him. No… no, it wouldn't. It just meant that he had to train harder to be able to climb with Maki-chan again!

On Jinpachi's 20th birthday, he didn't even look. He knew his mailbox was empty.

* * *

**_Promises_**

* * *

**One**

_Five Years Later - September_

_New York Spring/Summer Fashion Week_

The hustle and bustle in the dressing room was where Jinpachi felt most at home. A flower hairpiece in his mouth, he worked tirelessly at the model's long tresses. He talked around the clip to his colleague, who carefully worked on the model at the seat next to his. "No, no, no, Carmen," he critiqued. He quickly finished his model's hair and tapped her on the shoulder. She stood, the Valentino gown flowing behind her as she moved to line up to go out onto the runwat. "Like _this._" Toudou pinned the hair deftly, finishing the look.

"Such a perfectionist," Carmen sighed. "How is it that you do these things so quickly?"

Toudou laughed loudly, getting a sharp look from the stage manager. "It's a gift, I suppose."

They moved on to the next models, undoing their previous work to create a new look to go out in minutes.

Toudou was one of the greatest runway hairstylists in the world. He had worked tirelessly for five years, building up his career from the ground up. He was proud of his achievements; he had worked for some of the greatest fashion houses in the world. He was paid well, too. Jinpachi liked making others beautiful with his own hands. He was good at make-up as well, but hair was his true calling. Everyone knew that. Head designers knew that they had to book him months out to work on their shows, to consult on how their models should look during fashion's biggest nights of the year.

Backstage was always a whirlwind; this show was no different. Jinpachi let out a sigh when his hands left the last model's head. _Finally done, _he thought.

Carmen let out a long sigh beside him, before giving him a smile. "Going to the after party tonight?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling broadly. He loved parties, even if he was left half-dead the week after NYFW was over.

After they had helped clean up backstage, Jinpachi and Carmen left the venue. Toudou was dressed in a navy blue suit. His hair did not have its signature headband; even he knew that it would not be proper for where he was going. Carmen was dressed in a cute black dress, her blonde hair flowing down her back. They had been friends since Toudou's first show, when Toudou had helped Carmen in a bind involving a faulty hair straightener. They became business partners, as Carmen handled the business side of their partnership, Toudou handled the art, and they both worked side-by-side on models' hair in the green rooms of countless runways.

The early fall air was cool as they stepped out on the sidewalk. As support members, they were able to slide past the press that surrounded the models and head designers. Carmen hailed a cab and they got in the back seat. Carmen took out her compact while Jinpachi looked at his phone. There were several texts: three from some of his New York friends, two from his mother, and one from Shinkai. Shinkai's message had a picture attachment; it pictured a grumpy looking Arakita with one of Usakichi's descendants. It read: "Doesn't he look cute holding Usako? When are you coming back to Japan to see this little guy?"

Jinpachi laughed before texting back: "Who's the little guy, the bunny or Arakita?"

He didn't answer when he was coming home. Jinpachi didn't like going home, not when every hill reminded him of his teenage delusions.

They pulled up outside of the bar where the after party was taking place. Toudou showed his I.D. to the bouncer and they went inside. The music was not loud; this early stage of the party was more of a networking opportunity and a cocktail party than a rave. Toudou and Clara each took a glass of wine from a passing server before standing next to a tall table. They watched the fashionable and the famous socialize, talking softly amongst themselves. The two would have to branch out at some point, but they wanted a moment to breathe after the show.

A few moments passed, before they heard a voice behind them. "Mr. Toudou? Ms. Bronson?" The two hairstylists turned to see a small Japanese woman in a black suit and sensible pumps. Her hair was pinned back with a hairclip away from her face. She spoke with a thick accent. Toudou thought that she looked somehow familiar – something about her sharp features.

"Yes?" Carmen responded.

The woman smiled in relief. "Congratulations on your show tonight," she said, fumbling over the words slightly.

Toudou smiled at her. "Would you like to just speak Japanese?" he asked, speaking his first language. "Carmen-chan knows it."

Carmen laughed. "He forced me to learn it," she replied in Japanese.

He pouted at her, "You made me learn French."

"We're in fashion, Jinpachi. Tell me that it isn't useful."

Toudou scowled at her.

The woman smiled and bowed slightly, back shaking slightly with laughter. "Thank you," she said. "I really appreciate it. I'm afraid my English is still not very good."

"Don't worry about it," Toudou replied.

The woman took a card holder from her pocket and gave them both her card. "My name is Fujioka Chika," she said. "I am here representing Maison des Anges."

Carmen's eyes widened in recognition. Maison des Anges was one of the most famous fashion houses in the world. Located in Paris, it had recently climbed its way above Chanel and Dior to become the most prestigious French fashion house.

Fujioka continued, "I am here representing the head designer of Maison des Anges. He has been watching the two of you for some time and is impressed with your work. He would love it if you were our head hairstylists for our Paris Fall/Winter show in late January."

Carmen and Toudou looked at each other for a moment. Then, Chika replied, "We don't have anything scheduled for Paris yet, so we will keep you in mind. We will be sure to get back to you about your offer as soon as possible."

Fujioka bowed again and thanked them before leaving.

Toudou turned to Carmen. "We're going to do it," he said.

Carmen frowned. "It's appealing, but we don't even have a money offer from them. Chanel has been very generous…"

"But we haven't accepted it," Toudou interjected. "We can change our minds."

"I don't know…" Carmen said.

"Come on," Toudou whined. "I love their designs and you know about the possible unveiling!"

Maison des Anges was also well-known for the fact that their designers never had their names attached to their works; it prevented them from getting affected by fame. However, there had been a lot of talk about how the designers were going to be unveiled at the next show. The most mysterious of all was the head designer, who it was rumored even most of the workers at Maison des Anges had never seen.

"Please," Toudou pleaded, looking at Carmen searchingly.

She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Okay, fine. We can do it."

Toudou cheered, hugging her tightly.

"How come I have a feeling I'm going to regret this?" But that was still to be decided.


	2. Two

**Two**

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

* * *

Carmen watched Toudou out of the corner of her eye as they walked down the street to Maison des Anges's headquarters in Paris. Toudou carried with him a large bag which held a portfolio, a sketch book, and some pencils. Today was their first meeting with Maison des Anges's designers for their Fall/Winter show and Toudou was vibrating with excitement. It was a strange sight, seeing a man practically bounce in a fashionable dark blue suit next to a woman who wore a tan trench coat with a black business dress underneath it, with nude pumps and a black leather Hermes bag.

Carmen took a final sip from her coffee cup before tossing it into a waste bin, her red lipstick still adorning the lid. "You need to calm down a little before you go in there, Toudou," Carmen said. "The meeting's going to be mostly about our contract. You won't see the designs until the end of the meeting, if then, and…"

Toudou interjected, mimicking her, "'…and even then it's unlikely I'll get to design anything or really look at them at length.'" Toudou laughed at her sour expression. "I _know, _Carmen," he smiled. "But can you really blame me for being excited?"

They reached the tall office building that housed the design studios of Maison des Anges. She looked at the rotating door, "I can't really. You do need to calm down though." After they emerged from the rotating door and had been led to an empty meeting room by a receptionist, Carmen eyed Toudou suspiciously. "Do I even want to know how many cups of coffee you had this morning?"

Toudou squawked in dismay, "I had _none _this morning. I'll have you know that I rarely overindulge in caffeine. It's so bad for you in large quantities. I mostly drink tea, as you well know, and only save coffee for special occaisions."

Carmen looked up at the ceiling and swore in her native Spanish, before looking at Toudou. "That's somehow even scarier. Did you bike then, this morning? You need _something _to burn off that energy of yours."

"I did," Toudou replied, "but there are no hills, so I really can't do my best, and it's so boring." Though he hadn't gone pro, Toudou had continued biking. He entered amateur road races in his free time, as hard as free time was to find these days. Carmen looked at Toudou for another long moment. Toudou continued, "Listen, I barely have to speak during the first half of this meeting as most of it is boring contract stuff. I'll be quiet and try to rein it in. Honestly, Carmen, you don't have to mother me…"

It was at that moment that Fujioka and two other men in business suits walked into the meeting room. Toudou and Carmen stood. After some quick introductions, they settled down to business and hammered out their contract. It was a very good one, comparable to what they would have gotten from Chanel. After Toudou and Carmen signed off on it, the other two business men left the room leaving Carmen and Jinpachi alone with Fujioka.

"I didn't know you were such a big wig in the company, Ms. Fujioka," Carmen said, as they left the conference room.

"Please, call me Chika," Fujioka said. "I'm not really… I'm just in charge of recruiting talent and handling day-to-day operations. My father appointed me after I proved myself in another company of his. He's the real man in charge. Also, I'm not in charge of the creative elements; my older brother is the head designer here." Toudou noted Chika's wedding ring that shone bright on her hand.

Chika opened the door to a large room filled with people at tables, talking over designs and looking at fabric swatches. "This is the design studio," she said, turning to face them. "You'll probably do some work in here. The head designer's office is attached to this room, and I want to introduce you to him."

They went to the far end of the room, to a door. Chika knocked on the door and a man's voice said, "Come in."

Chika opened the door and the women went in first. Toudou walked in through the doorway and froze in his tracks. Facing away from the door was a man with a silhouette that was so familiar to him; long limbs, a thin frame. He had short, light brown hair, but his figure made Toudou breathless. Eyes wide, Toudou watched as the man turned to his visitors.

"Hello, my name is Ren Makishima, head designer here, at Maison des Anges," the man smiled. He had familiar long features too. "Pleased to meet you."

Toudou was frozen as Carmen introduced herself. It was only through sheer force of will and age that Jinpachi was able to make himself move. He stepped forward, putting out his right hand.

"My name is Jinpachi Toudou," Toudou managed to say, mouth dry. "Pleased to meet you too."

Ren's eyes flickered in recognition as he shook Toudou's cold hand. Carmen looked on; she knew they should have stayed with Chanel.


	3. Three and Four

**Three**

* * *

Later that night, Toudou sat in front of his laptop, curled up on his couch. He ate from a carton of ice cream that Carmen had fetched for him down the street. He took big bites, sucking on the spoon after each one to clean it before going into the carton again. He didn't care about nutrition, not at a time like this. Tissues surrounded him; he had had a good cry about it again. He didn't think it was possible for him to cry about it again, but he had. When the Skype call finally came from Shinkai, he picked up on the first ring.

When Shinkai saw his face, he sighed, "What happened, Toudou?"

"The head designer at Maison des Anges is Maki-chan's brother, Shinkai," Toudou said, eating another bite of ice cream.

Shinkai's eyes widened. Apparently, he had not expected to hear those words. "I… see," he said slowly.

Toudou stabbed at the ice cream. "He recognized my name and was super awkward for the rest of our first meeting."

"It could have gone worse, then?" Shinkai asked. Toudou gave him a withering stare. "Or not?"

Toudou scowled and ate another bite. "It meant that I – I couldn't ask him about Maki-chan." Shinkai opened his mouth, but Toudou spoke over him. "Not that I care or anything," he sniffed.

Shinkai's eyes filled with something akin to pity, but then a loud voice called from behind him, "I'm home!"

Shinkai's eyes lit up and he turned, "Welcome home, Yasutomo."

A few seconds later, Arakita entered the room. "Hah?" he said, seeing Toudou on the computer screen. "What's with the pouting, Shitty Headbands?"

Toudou sniffed in reply, shoving a large spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. Shinkai pressed a kiss to Arakita's cheek before answering, "The head designer at the new fashion house he's working at is Makishima's older brother."

Arakita scowled, "What, so you're crying over your Christmas tree again?"

Toudou frowned, "I'm not crying."

"Damn sure looks like you are," Arakita griped.

Shinkai shot Arakita a look and he fell silent. Shinkai said, "The way I see it is that you need to talk to Makishima's brother and try to get some answers. Then, you can try to work with him peacefully."

"I know," Toudou said. "I just don't want to bring back the past."

* * *

**Four**

* * *

Toudou made a point of getting to the office the next morning, even though he did not have to go in at all that day. His outfit was as polished as he could make it; he spent hours ironing his favorite suit and shining his best dress shoes. Jinpachi even wore his lucky headband. This headband was rarely worn; it was too special for that. He had worn it when he had finished his final one-on-one climb against Maki-chan on the first day of the Interhigh.

He walked briskly through the empty design studio, walking towards Ren's office door. He clenched a fist and knocked on it three times. When Ren said to come in, Toudou took a deep breath and entered, face as neutral as he could make it.

Ren sighed when he saw him, collapsing into his desk chair. "Please, take a seat," he said. "I was wondering when I would see you."

Toudou took a seat across the desk from Ren, back straight with nerves. Ren took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Mr. Makishima, I'm not sure if you know this, but I knew your brother…"

"Yes, yes," Ren said. "I know you know Yuusuke. And, please, drop the 'Mr.'"

Toudou swallowed heavily, trying to push down the bile that rose from his stomach. He had never been this nervous.

"Well, you see, we fell out of contact about six years ago," Toudou said, quickly. He noticed that the grip that Ren had on the arm of his chair tightened at the mention of six years ago, but Toudou disregarded it. "I just wanted to know… what happened to him. I think I understand that Maki-chan doesn't… doesn't want to talk to me, but I need to know _why. _I've been carrying this question around with me for the last six years and I need to know. I just do."

Ren looked down for a moment, thinking. When he looked back up, Toudou barely recognized him. He was no longer a tired head designer, but a frustrated brother. Toudou didn't know who that look was directed towards.

"I am sorry, Toudou," Ren said, "but I can't tell you that. If Yuusuke doesn't want you to know, then I have to respect that. Even if I think you have every right to know."

It was at that moment that Toudou knew that Ren knew more than he let on. "Please," he said. "He just stopped returning my letters, my phone calls, my everything… and I don't even know why."

Ren looked away, a gesture so familiar to Toudou it made him want to cry. "I'm sorry."

The two sat in complete silence for several long moments. Then, Toudou stood, the sound of his chair rattling back nearly deafening. "I… see," he said. "Well, I hope that we can work well together in a professional capacity, Ren."

Ren nodded regretfully. "I hope so too."

Toudou turned to leave when there was a knock at the door. Ren cleared his throat before calling, "Come in."

The door opened.

"Ma… Maki-chan." The name fell from Toudou's lips.


	4. Five

**Five**

* * *

That afternoon, Toudou sat on a bench on the bank of the Seine. He barely saw the bright Fall afternoon surrounding him. He was blind to everything. Then, he felt a hot coffee cup against his back. He jumped, squawking, and turned to see Carmen. Her mouth was pressed into an unimpressed line.

"So, you finally saw him," she said.

Toudou nodded, taking a long swig of the coffee. It burned his throat. Toudou hated that Maki-chan's sudden reappearance could do this to him. "Yeah," he croaked.

"So, what happened?" Carmen asked, sitting next to him.

Slowly, Toudou answered, as if in a daze, "I couldn't do anything…. I just ran away."

Carmen sighed. "Jinpachi…" she started.

"He was using cane, Carmen," Toudou blurted out.

* * *

Earlier that morning, Makishima stood in the doorway of his brother's office. He looked much the same as he had six years ago; Maki-chan still had freakishly long limbs, long green and red hair, and long features. Everything about Maki-chan was long…

"Yuusuke," Ren said, startled. Toudou heard him rise behind him. But he paid little attention to Maki-chan's older brother. His eyes had fallen on the long wooden cane that Maki-chan leaned on. His knuckles were white on the cane, as he stared at Toudou with shock and… was that longing?

_No, _Toudou thought, slamming the door on that thought.

"Toudou," Yuusuke blinked, shocked.

Toudou bowed slightly at Yuusuke, before quickly running from the room.

* * *

Carmen sighed, "Wow…"

"I know," Toudou said. "I don't even know what to think." He leaned back on the bench looking up at the bright blue sky, the same sky under which he had raced with Maki-chan.

"You know," Carmen said. "You've never really told me about him…. I know you two have history. That's obvious."

"Yeah," Toudou chuckled, a mere shadow of his usual loud laugh. "We have some history all right." He straightened and looked at Carmen. "Did you want me to tell you?"

"Only if you want to," Carmen shrugged.

Toudou sighed and leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees. "We were eternal rivals in high school. Maki-chan's an amazing climber…. We were pretty much equals back then. I won our last contest at the Interhigh our last year. He pushed me further than anyone I've ever met." He paused taking a sip of his coffee. "Our last year, we became friends of a sort. I was… well, I was incessant. I called and texted him constantly. But, I know that he liked me anyway…. At least, that's what I have to think. Then, he went off to London for university. We talked all the time, but things didn't really get started until I visited him for two weeks in March…"


	5. Six

**Six**

* * *

_Six Years Previous – March_

_London, United Kingdom_

* * *

When Toudou saw Yuusuke standing beside the baggage claim in Heathrow Airport, he broke into a run. Toudou tackled him, his arms wrapping around him. Makishima stumbled back, barely staying on his feet. Toudou babbled "Maki-chan" over and over again, not even noticing the few stares that they were getting. When Toudou finally released Makishima, he studied him long and hard. He looked much the same as he had only a few months previous when he had left Japan for London.

"What?" Makishima said, looking away.

Toudou laughed. "Just seeing if you've changed, Maki-chan." He smiled. "I certainly have."

"What? No, you haven't," Makishima said, staring at him.

"Rude!" Toudou shot back.

"And, anyway," Makishima continued, "we Skype almost every night…. You would've been able to tell from that."

But Toudou could see how Makishima had changed, though the most important things hadn't at all. After all, Toudou still loved Maki-chan, though he wasn't quite sure how to say it. Loving Makishima was like reaching the precipice of a mountain on a beautiful spring morning. Being the first person to see the horizon was wonderful, but it was even better to have someone next to you, pushing you higher as you reached it. That was what Maki-chan was to Toudou, what he always had been.

Toudou swallowed hard as they reached the cab that would take them both to Maki-chan's apartment. The flat had once been Maki-chan's brother's home in London, but he was currently in Paris. So Toudou and Makishima had the place to themselves.

"Do you want to race while you're here, Toudou?" Makishima asked, looking at Toudou out of the corner of his eyes. Toudou could tell that Maki-chan was just trying not to seem too eager.

"Of course, Maki-chan!" Toudou grinned widely. "We have to stay in shape…. You better have stayed on top of your training!"

"Sho…" Maki-chan said, looking away. "Of course I have. You nag me about it enough."

"I do not nag!" Toudou shrieked loudly enough that the usually unflappable cab driver looked back at them. "I'm merely concerned since all you do is eat fatty western food now, Maki-chan." When Makishima did not answer, Toudou said, "Maki-chan!"

"Yes, yes," Makishima sighed. "At any rate, you can borrow a bike from my university's biking club."

Toudou nodded. "Sounds good, Maki-chan." The two of them discussed the hills that they could race on all the way to Makishima's apartment.

The first few days of Toudou's visit were filled with races and tension. Toudou thought that he was not the only one who felt the electricity between himself and Yuusuke. Toudou's English abilities were not yet at the level that he would enjoy in his later years, but he knew from Makishima's blush when his teammate asked him a question that he was probably asking if they were dating. At least in Britain people actually discussed such things openly. He knew that it was difficult for Shinkai and Arakita; neither one of them had told anyone outside of their close friends that they were dating. He knew from Arakita's pinched expressions when girls hit on Shinkai – but, of course, Arakita couldn't say anything – that it burned. Shinkai, ever the romantic, often complained that he couldn't do the things he wished he could with Arakita that he would be able to with a girl. "Not that I would ever date anyone else," Shinkai would say hurriedly. "But… well, I'd like to be able to kiss him in public and not worry. Be able to say to people that we're dating. Tell everyone who would listen. I wanna marry him someday." Shinkai would get a very faraway look in his eyes then.

Toudou knew it was far from easy anywhere, but it just seemed so impossible. Even if he confessed, there was no guarantee that Maki-chan wouldn't hate him. Though he knew that Maki-chan was almost definitely not straight, he also knew that it was unlikely that he was his type. Things rarely went so perfectly for him, even if he pretended they did.

They were racing up a hill in the countryside four days into Toudou's visit when it happened. When they reached the top of the hill, Maki-chan just centimeters ahead of him, Jinpachi looked over at Yuusuke. Behind Yuusuke the sun was setting into the rolling hills of the British countryside, lighting Yuusuke from behind in bright orange light. The wind was blowing softly, making Yuusuke's hair dance behind him even more than usual. Toudou was breathless when he saw him, heat flooding his cheeks.

The rivals rolled to a stop on top of the hill, looking at the land beyond. It was still late winter…. It would be a long time until summer came again. Yet, at that moment, Jinpachi felt like it was a beautiful summer day in August….

"…Toudou?" Yuusuke said, looking concerned beside him. They had both gotten off of their bikes. "Hey, are you all right?"

Jinpachi let go of his borrowed bike, letting it clatter to the ground beside him. Then, before Yuusuke could ask what was going on, Jinpachi moved toward Maki-chan, pressing his lips against Yuusuke's own.

The kiss was far from spectacular, objectively, but kisses were rarely a matter of logic. To Jinpachi, the world had stopped spinning and no distance seemed too far. He was kissing the boy he loved and…

…for a long moment Yuusuke was motionless against him. Then, he shifted as well, placing his arms around Jinpachi's waist and moving his lips against Jinpachi's. Toudou smiled into the kiss. Really, it was all the promise he needed.

The next week and a half was like a dream. Jinpachi and Yuusuke spent it either in bed or on their bikes. Jinpachi knew it was one of the best periods of his life. The night before he left, Jinpachi laid in bed with Yuusuke, limbs tangled under the sheets. Jinpachi was still breathless from an orgasm that had left him trembling, holding Yuusuke closer than he ever had. Jinpachi looked up at his new lover, a soft smile on his face. He was quieter in the aftermath than he was at any other time. Any pretenses broke down completely and left him soft and pliant. Yuusuke was still curled around him, as if protecting him from the outside world that would invade all too soon.

"Hey, Maki-chan?" Jinpachi asked.

"Yeah, Toudou?"

"I'll be waiting for you in Japan when you come back," Jinpachi promised. He yawned, eyes slowly closing. Yuusuke pressed a kiss on the top Jinpachi's head in response. Jinpachi let out a satisfied sigh, before burrowing his head into Makishima's chest. He closed his eyes.

As Jinpachi drifted off to sleep, he murmured, "I love you, Yuusuke."

Toudou didn't realize until much later that he had never heard Maki-chan's response.

* * *

Makishima dropped off the map a month later. Everything had been going fine, and then… nothing.

Toudou waited and waited and waited.

A year passed… and when Toudou got the opportunity to train under one of the finest hair stylists in the world in America, he took it.

As he took off from Narita airport, he watched Japan disappearing behind him. As he flew over the Pacific Ocean, he leaned back and closed his eyes. _Well, _he thought, _I could hardly wait forever. Part of growing up is that you have to let go of things._

He did not wipe away the tears on his cheeks and ignored the feeling that he was leaving something behind.


	6. Seven

**Seven**

* * *

_In the Present_

_Paris_

* * *

"…well, when I finished my training after a year, I met you, and you know the rest, Carmen," Toudou finished. Toudou had watched his clenched hands and the green grass on the ground as he spoke. Carmen hadn't interrupted Toudou the entire time that he told his story, her blue eyes watching him.

"Fuck," she swore. "He's a bastard."

"Yeah," Toudou almost laughed. "But he was _my _bastard."

They sat in silence for a long moment. Then, Carmen said, "You should talk to him…. Find out why he acted the way he did."

"I'm not sure I can," Toudou said. "I'm not even sure that I _want _to."

"Your friend is right, Mr. Toudou," a voice said from behind them. They turned to see Chika, standing behind the bench, her hand holding a dog's leash. At her feet stood a tiny dachshund puppy. She was not dressed in her typical suits, instead she was in a sweater and a pair of blue jeans. "You need to talk to my brother."

"What are you doing here?" Toudou blurted out, forgetting politeness in surprise.

"Walking my dog," Chika said. "My husband and I live nearby."

"Never mind that," Carmen interrupted. "Maki-chan's your brother?"

Chika looked away. Toudou reluctantly recognized the gesture; it was the same one Makishima had when he was trying to pretend that he wasn't amused. "Well, yes," she said. "Though I call him Yuu-chan instead of Maki-chan. He's my little brother." She paused for a moment, then said, "But, Toudou-san, you need to talk to my little brother. He has his reasons for falling out of touch…good ones."

Toudou bit his lip, before continuing, "I'm not sure that I can…. I honestly don't even want to see him ever again."

Chika sighed, before continuing, "That is also understandable, I suppose." Then, Chika seemed to transform back into her professional self. "You will be able to complete the job with Maison des Anges? Or will we have to find a new hair designer?"

"Of course I will," Toudou said, eyebrows raising. "I can still be professional."

"Wait a minute," Carmen said. "Will Toudou have to work with Makishima?"

Chika nodded. "Yuusuke's designs are the centerpoint of this show. At the end of this show, he will be unveiled as the head designer of Maison des Anges."

"But, wait, isn't Ren Makishima the head designer?" Carmen interrupted.

Chika stiffened, her face tensing until she was nearly unrecognizable. She said, her voice cold and professional, "Ms. Bronson, as you and Mr. Toudou are contract workers, you are not privy to the workings of the internal hierarchy of Maison des Anges. For that matter, I cannot divulge the reasons for this change, as it is the business of my brothers and my late father." She softened slightly, before smiling slightly and saying, "Please take into consideration everything that I have said, Toudou. See you on Monday." Then she turned and left, her puppy bounding ahead of her.

* * *

Monday morning dawned bright and early after the eventful weekend. Toudou and Carmen arrived early for their meeting with Maison des Anges's design staff. They would periodically sit in on the meetings so that they could see the designs and think about potential looks they could do for the show. It was obvious to anyone who saw him that Toudou was nervous. He was twitchy and distracted, nearly spilling his morning cup of tea down the front of his suit.

Everything changed when he walked into the conference room.

Although few others could tell, Carmen knew that Toudou was acting differently. To most people, he seemed to be acting very professionally, the image of a man who had managed to climb to the top of his industry at a very young age. However, after working with Toudou for the last few years, Carmen could recognize when Toudou was holding back. There was no light in his eyes. Normally, Toudou was friendly. Here, in the conference room, he wasn't – he was cold and stiff, the line of his back unbending. She frowned at Toudou when no one was looking.

Despite Toudou's emotional distance, the meeting went very well. Packing up their things, the two hair stylists were the last to leave the room.

However, it was clear when they left the room that Carmen was not the only person who noticed Jinpachi's demeanor in the meeting.

"Toudou," Yuusuke Makishima said. "Can we talk?" Makishima leaned on his cane heavily. He had waited for Toudou to leave the conference room

"I don't see what we have to talk about, Makishima," Toudou replied, mouth curled in a professional, but distant, smile.

"Toudou, please," Makishima said, eyes growing desperate. Carmen, though she hated what Makishima had done to her best friend, felt pity for the man. There had to be some reason for why he had left.

Carmen hadn't believed that it was possible, but Toudou stiffened further. He shut his eyes for a long moment, before opening them. They blazed with anger and hurt, but they did not meet Makishima's.

"Makishima, I am only going to say this once…. I am uninterested in hearing anything you have to say for yourself," Toudou started.

_Liar, _Carmen thought. She wanted to evaporate into the wall, but she could not leave. The two men blocked her way.

"…please," Makishima repeated. "I just… I need to explain why."

"I will finish my contract with Maison des Anges," Toudou continued as if he could not hear him. "I will be the definition of professionalism." Finally, Jinpachi's eyes met Yuusuke's. Makishima swallowed deeply. "Then, I do hope that our paths will not meet again, Maki…Makishima." Toudou's voice skipped over the old nickname. He clenched his fists before walking past Makishima. Carmen followed him, nodding at Makishima. He seemed not to see her. His eyes were on the ground, his hand trembling on his cane.

Toudou practically ran from office building, Carmen following behind him. It wasn't until Toudou got back to his apartment that he allowed himself to break down. He threw himself on his bed and sobbed into pillows that he wished smelled like the man he once knew.


End file.

Yowamushi Pedal/弱虫ペダル, Drama, Romance