Chapter 20: Confusion Somehow Yume managed to set her conflicted feelings for Mikhail aside as they began rehearsing for the show in earnest. As it was, she barely had time to eat or sleep, much less brood on her romantic woes. May and Mia had them on the ice eight hours a day, learning the choreography -- which Mia seemed to change daily -- and when they weren’t practicing, there were costume fittings, press events, and cast meetings to attend. Yume was grateful for the distractions but was happy when Sunday came around, giving them the day off. She had plans to spend the day with her friends, going to see the new romantic comedy Zoe and Becca were dying to see in celebration of their last performance of The Little Mermaid the previous night, but just before Yume left to meet the others, she received a call from Mia. “I’m so sorry, Yume,” the director said. “There was a mix-up with the photographer’s schedule. Yuri thought he was supposed to come on Wednesday, but he’s here today. He’s booked solid for the rest of the month, so if we don’t do this now, we won’t have any photographs to use for the posters and flyers. Would you mind? I know it’s your day off, but it won’t take more than an hour or two.” Yume had no choice but to agree. Afterwards, she called Zoe, who was disappointed to hear that she wouldn’t be able to come with them to the movies. “We can always go to a later showing,” she said. “What time will be you finished?” “But you already bought advance tickets,” Yume reminded her. “You shouldn’t let those go to waste. Just give mine to somebody else. I don’t mind.” She wasn’t in the mood to watch a romantic movie, anyway. “If you say so, but who should I give it to?” Dominique was probably out of the question… “What about Jason? I bet Clarissa would like that,” Yume suggested after a brief pause. A week after her birthday, Clarissa was still mortified about what had happened between them at the club, even though Jason had just laughed it off and teased her for drinking too much. Perhaps going to the movies together would give her a second chance to make a good impression. “Make sure they sit together.” Zoe laughed. “Since when have you become a matchmaker? Okay, I‘ll ask him, but I‘m not sure if he‘ll want to go. It is a chick flick, after all.” “It’s worth a shot.” When Yume arrived at her dressing room, one of her costumes was already hanging on the back of the door, waiting for her. She quickly changed into it and began applying her make-up. Mia had told her to meet the photographer at the rink. He was already working when she showed up, snapping photos of Mikhail, whose costume of pale blue and white contrasted sharply with the fiery reds, oranges, and yellows of Yume’s. Mia was also there, along with Kalos, Yuri, and May, sitting in the stands. “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Yume,” Mia said, walking over to greet her. “I hope we didn’t ruin your plans for the day.” She shrugged. “It was nothing important. So, what do you need me to do?” “Nothing at the moment. When Tony finishes with Mikhail, he’ll take some solo shots of you, then a few of the both of you together. Like I said, it shouldn‘t take too long. Tony is very efficient at what he does.” “Oh.” Yume smoothed down the ruffles of her skirt, trying to calm her sudden outbreak of nerves. After all, what was there to be nervous about? It was just a photo shoot. She’d done plenty of them in Japan, mostly advertisements for her skating sponsors and photo spreads for sports magazines. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,“ Mia said, picking up on her jitters. “I think he’s almost done taking the solo shots of Mikhail, so you should probably go ahead and put on your skates.” “Right.” Grateful to have something productive to do, Yume sat down on one of the benches and laced up her skates. She ended up having to retie them twice after messing up the first time. By the time she finished, Mikhail was skating off the ice, having completed his photo session. He passed right by her without saying a word and took on the other end of the bench, as far away from her as possible. Ignoring him as well, Yume stood back up and joined the photographer on the ice. “Miss Naegino, I presume?” he said, skating over to shake her hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Tony Milano, but feel free to just call me Tony. Are you ready to get started?” “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Yume said after taking in a deep breath. “Great. If you will just step over in front of that canvas…” Her session went by in a blur. Though she was a bit stiff at first, Tony had a way with getting his models to loosen up, cracking horrible, punny jokes as his camera snapped away. After awhile, Yume forgot the camera was even there. Even if she was no supermodel according to Fool, it was fun to pretend, at least for a little while. “You know, you have a really great smile, Yume,” Tony said upon viewing some of the photos on his digital camera after they had finished. “These pictures are fantastic. The camera loves you!” “Um, thanks,” Yume said, blushing as she pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m glad they turned out okay.” While Tony and a couple of his assistants set up for the final session, Yume skated around the rink and tried to keep out of their way. It was then that she became aware of the fact that Mikhail was standing at boards. Though he quickly glanced down at his watch to check the time when he saw her looking his way, there was no doubt that he had been watching her. Yume let out a sigh. It wasn’t the first time she had caught Mikhail staring at her during the past week, and she really wished he would stop. It just served to confuse her even more. Did he like her or not? His words said one thing, but his actions seemed to hint at another, and she didn’t know what to believe anymore. Fool’s silly prediction hadn’t helped matters, either -- not that she believed a word of it anyway. “Hey, Mikhail, Yume, we’re ready for the last set!” Tony shouted, waving them over. “Get over here!” The both of them joined the photographer at the center of the ice, where Tony began working on their poses. “Lessee… Mikhail, you stand over here, and Yume, you stand next to him. No, a little closer. Just a bit more -- you’re supposed to be lovers, not strangers, for crying out loud! Okay, that’s good. Now, Yume, I want you to turn slightly toward Mikhail and rest your head on his shoulder, but keep your face mostly facing forward.” Yume did as she was told, trying to ignore the butterflies she suddenly felt fluttering in the pit of her stomach. “L-Like this?” “Yeah, that’s great. Now, just place your palm over his heart, and Mikhail, why don’t you wrap your arm around Yume’s waist?” Mikhail took Tony’s suggestion, resting his hand upon her hip in an intimate manner that reminded Yume of when they had left the nightclub together a week ago. Startled by the sensation, she forgot Tony’s instructions and had to ask him to repeat what he had said. “Sorry,” she apologized, moving her hand where Tony wanted it. “I guess I’m still a little nervous.” “No prob.” She wasn’t the only one nervous, though. Through the fabric of Mikhail’s silk shirt, she felt his heart pounding like a jackhammer. Yume glanced up at him, surprised, yet his face was calm and impassive, the very picture of an Ice Prince. “Yume, put your head back down,” Tony said, bringing up his camera to take the pictures. “Oh, right, sorry!” For the rest of the shoot, Yume did her best to get in the mindset of Seraphina, pretending that Mikhail was Prince Frost. Imagining them as different people made it easier for her to deal with the increasingly more romantic poses Tony asked them to perform, including the final one where Seraphina had to kiss Frost on the cheek. As she rose up on her toe-picks and brushed her lips against his face, Yume could have sworn she heard Mikhail suck in a sharp breath. “Okay, that’s a wrap. Good work, you two.” The second Tony declared they were done, Mikhail skated off without saying a word. Over the past week, Yume had grown accustomed to him leaving practice as soon as May dismissed them, so she wasn’t that surprised. She stayed long enough to view some of the pictures on Tony’s high-tech digital camera -- they had turned out great -- then changed out of her costume and headed back to her dorm room. Since there were no practices that day and her friends were all at the movies, Yume wondered what she should with her unexpected free time. Maybe she would go over to Sora’s house and play with Hana for a little while. She hadn’t spent much time with her niece since moving to Cape Mary, and Sora and Ken would probably be grateful if she took her off their hands for a couple of hours. She was just about to call and ask if they minded if she came over when somebody knocked on the door. It was Marion, the dorm manager. “Hey, Yume, there’s a visitor waiting for you in the lobby,” she informed her. “A visitor? For me?” Yume wasn’t expecting anybody. Her parents weren’t due to return until opening day of the show, and she didn’t really know anyone else in the area who wasn’t affiliated with Kaleido Stage in some way. Joining Marion outside, she closed the door behind her. “Who is it?” Marion shrugged. “Never seen him before. He looks Japanese though. He said his name was something like…Hero Massa?” “Hiromasa?” Yume’s eyes widened. “Hiromasa Mihara?” “Yeah, I think that was it.” “Thanks, Marion. I’ll go find him.” What is Hiromasa doing here at Kaleido Stage? Yume wondered as she headed down to the lobby. They had casually kept in touch with each other since she moved to America -- the occasional text message or e-mail here and there as they were both very busy -- but he never mentioned any upcoming plans to come visit her. She found him sitting on a couch, flipping through a magazine somebody had left behind. “Mihara-kun?” Smiling when he saw her, Hiromasa set down the magazine and stood up from the couch. “Konnichiwa, Naegino-san.” “I can’t believe it’s really you!” she exclaimed, giving him a friendly hug. “What are you doing in Cape Mary?” “It’s summer break, so I thought I should keep my promise to come see you perform at Kaleido Stage. I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise.” “Oh.” Yume sighed. “I really wish you had called me first.” “Why? You don’t like surprises?” She shook her head. “No, I love them, and you certainly did surprise me,” she assured him. “It’s just that opening night for the show isn’t until the end of this month. I’m so sorry, Mihara-kun. You came all this way…” “Oh, I see.” He frowned, obviously disappointed by the news. “I must have gotten the dates mixed up. I thought you said June 29th in your e-mail.” “No, it’s July 29th. It’s still wonderful to see you again, though,” Yume said, attempting to cheer him up. “How long are you staying?” “Well, I was planning to stay until Wednesday…” “You’re not anymore?” “Do you want me to stay?” Hiromasa asked, his cheeks lightly flushed as he scratched the side of his nose. “I mean, since I won’t be able to see you perform on stage?” “Of course I want you to stay. Even if the show isn’t open yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out.” Yume clapped her hands together, getting a great idea. “In fact, it’s just around lunchtime. Let me go back to my room and change, then we can go out to eat. My treat.” The sides of Hiromasa’s mouth curved back up into a small smile. “I’d like that.” “Okay, I’ll be back in ten minutes, tops.” ***** Back in her dorm room, Yume frantically searched through her closet for something to wear. Her yellow polka-dot sundress seemed suitable enough for a lunch date, so she began changing out of her shorts and T-shirt, forgetting for the moment about Fool’s presence until she heard a low whistle coming from behind her. Rolling her eyes, Yume threw her discarded T-shirt at him, which knocked him down to the floor. “I don’t have time to deal with your perverseness right now, Fool,” she said, pulling down the hem of her dress just as Fool managed to find his way out from underneath the T-shirt. “Is that anyway to treat the Spirit of the Stage?” he asked, sighing, although he seemed to forget all about it when he saw what she was wearing. “Oh, you’re looking unusually pretty. Big plans?” Normally, Yume might have smacked him for the backhanded compliment, but she was too happy about Hiromasa’s surprise visit to care. “Thanks.” She released her hair from her customary ponytail and began running a brush through it. “A skater friend of mine just arrived from Japan. I’m taking him out for lunch.” “Oh, a boyfriend? Then I’m coming, too.” “No, you’re not.” She stared at Fool’s reflection in the mirror, suspicious. “Why do you even want to come anyway?” “Because he might just be your fated partner.” “What are you talking about, Fool? I already have a partner, in case you’ve forgotten -- Mikhail.” Although she wondered if they could really be considered true partners, the way things currently were between them… “Perhaps.” “And what is that supposed to mean?” “Well, Mikhail can’t see me, can he?” “No, but nobody else can see you either,” she pointed out. “Maybe this guy can.” “I doubt it.” Yume reached for the bottle of perfume her mother gave her for her last birthday and spritzed some of the floral scent on her neck and wrist. “Hiromasa doesn’t skate much anymore. He helped me learn a few pairs’ maneuvers before the audition, but he’s in college now, focusing on his studies.” “Still, he’s a skater, so I have to check him out.” “No, you do not, and you will not,” she reiterated as she dug the necklace Hiromasa had given her out of her jewelry box. If not even the Olympic champion could see Fool, she doubted Hiromasa would have any better luck. “Here, make yourself useful for once. Help me put this necklace on.” Yume pulled her hair to the side, allowing Fool to close the tricky clasp. “Done,” he said once he finished, unable to resist taking a sniff. “Mmm, you smell nice, just like when you take a bubble ba-- AHH!” “Pervert!” After tossing Fool into one of her drawers, Yume hurried back down to the lobby to meet with Hiromasa. “Ready to go, Mihara-kun?” she asked, coming up behind him and tapping him on the shoulder. Hiromasa nodded, his eyes widening when he turned around and saw her. “Wow, Naegino-san, you look…cute,” he said. Yume blushed at the compliment as he looked down at his own clothes in concern. He was wearing a pair of khaki pants and a polo shirt. “Am I dressed up enough?” “You’re fine. Come on, let’s get a cab.” ***** Ten minutes later, they arrived at one of Yume’s favorite Cape Mary restaurants, a seafood place on the beach. Though they hadn’t made a reservation beforehand, the restaurant wasn’t crowded, so they got a table right away. It was located outside on the veranda, giving them a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. After ordering their drinks, Yume opened her menu and took a brief glance over the selections, even though she already knew what she wanted to order. “The shrimp here is amazing,” she told Hiromasa. “Every time onee-chan and I come here, I always get the shrimp platter. What do you want, Mihara-kun?” Hiromasa stared down at his own menu, his lips moving silently as he translated the English menu into Japanese. Fortunately, pictures were provided for most of the choices, giving him clues to the less familiar words. “Well, the salmon looks good,” he said after a few moments, “but so does the tuna. Which would recommend?” “I had the tuna once. It was good, but not as good as the shrimp. My brother- in-law loves the salmon, though.” “Then I’ll go with the salmon,” he decided, setting down his menu just as the waitress returned with their drinks to take their food order. An awkward silence fell over the two of them once she left. They had never spent much time together off the ice in a social setting, so Yume was at a loss as to what to say. She nervously began fiddling with the skate-shaped pendant, which caught Hiromasa’s eye. “Hey, isn’t that necklace I gave you before you left Japan?” Yume smiled and nodded, pleased he remembered. “It is. I don’t get the chance to wear it much, but it’s my favorite piece of jewelry.” “I’m glad you like it.” “So, um, how are you liking college so far?” she asked, changing subjects. “It’s great,” he said. “The classes are interesting, and I joined the Skating Club on campus, so that’s a lot of fun.” “You’re skating again?” He hadn’t mentioned that in any of his e-mails. “Just for fun. After you left, I contacted my former partner to see if she was interested in resuming our skating, but she lost interest in the sport during our break, so now I just skate by myself.” “That’s a shame. About your partner, I mean.” Hiromasa shrugged, not looking too disappointed. “It’s fine. We were never top -level competitors anyway, so it’s no big loss. I’m happy just to skate recreationally.” “You never considered going pro?” “I like skating, but I never intended to make it my career,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m majoring in psychology, and I hoping one day to become a sports psychologist, so at least I can stay involved in the sport that way.” “In that case, I may just have to hire you one day,” Yume joked, letting out a weak chuckle. “What do you mean?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” Looking down at her glass of tea, she let out a sigh. Though she had experienced a boost of confidence after defeating Dominique in the Triple Axel Showdown, now that rehearsals for the show were in full swing, she wondered if she really was good enough to play the lead role. It didn’t help matters that she and Mikhail were having some difficulties perfecting their side-by-side triple axels, which Mia insisted on adding to the production. “I just get discouraged sometimes, that’s all. Playing the lead is a lot of pressure, especially in my first show. It’s kind of nerve-wrecking.” “That’s perfectly natural, but you’re a fantastic skater, Naegino-san. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” “Thanks.” She gave him a grateful smile. “I appreciate you saying so.” “I really mean it,” he said, looking her directly in the eyes. “I’m not just saying that. I’ve thought you were something special ever since the first time I saw you skate.” Yume’s cheeks burned under the intensity of his stare, and they grew even hotter when Hiromasa reached across the table for her hand. “Mihara-kun?” “I was really happy when your coach suggested I help you train for your audition,” he said. “The truth is, I’d been wanting to meet you for a while. I sometimes saw you around the rink, but I… Well, I guess I was too shy to approach you.” Wait, was it just her imagination, or was Hiromasa attempting to confess to her? Was he the second love interest Fool predicted would appear? Yume pulled her hand away, feeling a bit uncomfortable with where the conversation seemed to be heading. Fortunately, the waitress chose that moment to return with their order, setting their plates in front of them. They each said the customary Japanese blessing, then started to eat. They stuck to lighter subjects for the rest of the meal. Yume told him stories about her life at Kaleido Stage and her new friends -- carefully avoiding the topic of Mikhail, who she had no desire to discuss, whenever possible -- while Hiromasa talked some more about his college courses and the campus skating club. Despite the earlier awkwardness, by the end of the meal, they were behaving like old friends, and Yume wondered if she really had just misread Hiromasa’s previous intentions. Stupid Fool, she thought as they left the restaurant. His idiotic prediction is making me think crazy things. Of course Hiromasa isn’t in love with me! Since Yume didn’t have any other plans for the day, afterwards she took him on a tour of the city. They visited Marine Land and the park, then spent an hour skating at the public rink, where she showed off her newly mastered triple axel. Hiromasa was duly impressed. “Wow, that was incredible, Naegino-san!” he said, applauding when she performed a perfect landing. She grinned. “Thanks.” After a while, though, Hiromasa’s jet lag caught up to him so they decided to finally call it a day. “You know, you should come watch our practice tomorrow, Mihara- kun,” Yume suggested as they waited for the cab to take him back to his hotel. Since Kaleido Stage wasn’t far from the rink, she had decided to walk back on her own. “We’re having a group practice, so even if you can’t stay for the opening of the show, you can at least see a few of our numbers. I must warn you, though, they’re still a little on the rough side. We only started learning them a week ago.” “Is that okay? I won’t be in the way?” “No, of course not.” “If it’s really not a problem, then I would love to come,” Hiromasa said just as his cab pulled up in front of the rink. “Great. Practice starts at 9 o’clock in the morning, so I’ll see you then!” ***** Back at Kaleido Stage, it was nearing dinnertime, so Yume headed straight to the cafeteria. Her friends had returned from the movies and were already gathered at their usual table. “Hey, guys, how was the movie?” Yume asked, taking the empty seat between Zoe and Pilar. “Wonderful,” Clarissa said in a dreamy voice, causing Pilar to roll her eyes. “She’s been like that ever since we left the theater, and all because Jason sat next to her during the movie. You‘d think he had confessed his love to her or something the way she‘s been acting.” Zoe giggled. “I think your plan was a success, Yume.” “What plan?” “I just suggested that Zoe give my ticket to Jason, that’s all,” she said. “I thought it would make Clarissa happy.” “Well, I’ll say it did.” Turning her attention to Yume, Pilar asked, “By the way, where have you been all day? And why are you so dressed up? That wasn’t for the photo shoot, was it?” “A friend of mine from Japan came for a surprise visit. We went out for lunch, then did a little sight-seeing.” “A friend? As in, a boyfriend?” “Well, yes, Hiromasa is a boy, but it’s not like that,” Yume said, knowing exactly what was going through Pilar’s mind. “We’re just friends. He was the one who helped me with my pairs skating when I decided I wanted to audition for Kaleido Stage.” “So you two aren’t dating?” She sighed in disappointment. “How boring.” Yume ignored her. “Anyway, I invited him to come watch our group practice tomorrow, so you can meet him then.” Pilar’s interest in Hiromasa piqued again. “Is he cute? Wait, more importantly, is he straight?” “Heterosexuality is now more important than looks?” Clarissa teased, finally breaking away from her post-Jason euphoria. “Hey, I’ve been burned too many times from crushing on hot gay guys. Next time I fall for someone, I’m making sure he bats for my team,” she said. “So? Gay or straight?” “I think Hiromasa is straight…” Yume said. “You only think?” “Well, to be honest, I don’t really know him that well. We only skated together for a short time, and we never really hung out outside of the rink.” “But if he’s come all this way just to see you, Yume, I think there’s a strong possibility he might like you as more than just a friend,” Becca pointed out, reminding Yume of that one confusing moment during lunch. “I don’t think many guys would do that for a girl they only casually know.” “Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the last scene in the movie we saw,” Clarissa said. “You know, when the woman‘s ex-boyfriend flew all the way to Paris after she moved there for her new job and told her that he didn‘t care where they lived, as long as they were together?” “Oh, I loved that part!” Elizaveta said. “It was so romantic!” “I know, wasn’t it?” The two of them let out a dreamy sigh in perfect unison. “Do you guys really think it might be like that?” Yume asked, blushing a little at the idea. Now that she thought about it more, Hiromasa traveling halfway around the world just to see her was a bit much when they barely knew each other. Maybe Becca had a point. Pilar frowned. “So you do like him after all.” “I never said that.” “Then you don’t.” “I never said that either,” Yume said in a softer voice, not sure what she thought Hiromasa. “Gah! You’re driving me crazy, chica! I’m not the type to go after another woman’s man, so make up your mind already!” “If you and Hiromasa hit it off, I won’t stand in your way,” she promised. After all, it wasn’t fair to declare Hiromasa off-limits when she wasn’t even sure if she liked him that way. “Really?” “Hiromasa is free to date whoever he likes. I have no claim on him.” “You’re the best, Yume!” Pilar said, giving Yume a hug. “Now, is this guy cute?” “Pilar!” everybody exclaimed in unison. DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn't belong to me.