Kai
Kai was wiping the tables clean when Ryou said 'great news!' and slapped a pink-coloured flyer to the table he just wiped. The paper started to soak a little as splotches of water became visible.
He raised an eyebrow at his grinning younger brother. "Ryou."
Misinterpreting what he meant, Ryou nodded emphatically and said, "I know. I saw that at the smoothie store. The one across from us. Turns out, the manager who works there are looking for musicians, and lucky for her, there's just one right here."
Baffled, Kai's brow furrowed as he tried to understand what Ryou was saying. "What are you on about?"
"The flyer on that table. Read it."
Curious, he did. The flyer looked creative and eye-catching, with appropriate icons put to emphasise the purpose of it. Although the design was a sure hit, the first thing he caught was: Attention! Vocalist, guitarist & bassist needed! Join us and let's rock the world!
It was brief but certainly delivered the message, especially to individuals who wants to realise their dreams of being on stage.
Setting the bottle of spray used to clean the table and cloth aside, he turned fully to face his brother, whose eyes were wide with excitement.
"This is great, but I don't exactly see why you're showing this to me."
Ryou raised his brow and joked, "Wow, and mum and dad always say you're the sharpest of the bunch." Then, he shook his head and said, "I know you're a damn good guitarist, so why not grab this chance and play for them?"
Now it was Kai who raised his brow, mouth quirked. "You know I have to take over this business someday, Ryou. I can't just join a band to rock the world, as ambitious as that sounds."
Ryou sighed and started to peel the stuck flyer off the table, saying, "Ambitious but not impossible. And maybe you'll take over the business but that's years to come…if you feel inclined to do it." He muttered quietly.
Then, Ryou shook his head. "Look, I'm not saying you should do it permanently. You love music and I'd just hate to see your talent go to waste." With that, his brother gave him the flyer, patted his shoulder and said, "Think about it," before he left.
The shop's bell tinkled loudly in the vacant bakery, and Kai was suddenly left with the thought of something that he buried long ago, now weighing his mind.
He glanced at the flyer again.
Ryou knew how much their parents are counting on him to take over the business – the firstborns of the Cavanaugh family always are – privilege for the family's legacy, they had said. In some ways, he didn't like how his future was decided for him, but he knew this part of tradition, to continue the business that had saved their families' lives generations ago. The values and core of it had been integrated in him since he was younger.
It also helped that he liked working and baking with his family, and he had always imagined himself being a baker and running the family's business.
To part with it felt like losing a huge part of himself.
Yet, there was an unbidden thought that came to mind, and he could also see himself…
Kai shook his head sharply.
He was a realist now, have been for quite some time and it simply wouldn't do him any good if he let himself think he could follow his dreams – his unguaranteed dreams – one which road are filled with uncertainties.
It wasn't something he wanted to risk – couldn't afford to risk. His parents were retiring in a few more years and he was their only hope to succeed the family business.
There simply was no point in entertaining the idea, despite the slow temptation within him pulling at his heart.
Having made up his mind, Kai balled the flyer in his hand and threw it in a recycle bin.
Ryou
Ryou sighed even when he reached his home. He couldn't understand why Kai would be so against playing in a band. No one ever said he would do it forever...well, if he chose to, that would be great. If not, it would be an experience.
A win-win situation. He decided to put this out of his mind for now. Dedication sure runs in his family, but so does stubbornness.
Ryou set the keys in the doorknob and turned it. His parents were at their relatives' house today and he marvelled at the idea of having the place to himself before he had to come in for his shift in the evening. Entering home, he turned around just to find his best friend, Mercy, greeting him from his couch, a jar of cookies on her lap.
"Yo." Mercy waved two fingers at him. She was staring vacantly at the TV, feeding herself the cookies when she noted Ryou's presence.
"Ah, coming home to a warm greeting from a wife. Every man's dream." He grinned, setting his bag down beside the couch.
Mercy flipped him the finger before rolling her eyes at him. "Who's your wife?"
"The cookies on your lap." He said dryly. Plopping down beside her, he said, "You're eating my cookies and watching a bad soap opera without bashing it. Has the world come to a stop?"
She shrugged, still staring at television. "I don't know. Has it?"
"The clock's still ticking so nope, tough luck there." He chuckled when he could see the corners of her lips twitching. But then, as if she caught herself, a frown marred her features. Ryou's eyebrows rose in concern "Okay, wanna tell me what's up?"
She sighed and muttered, but there was no doubt that he heard her. "You're really seeing through me, Ryou. That's becoming a problem."
"Yet you keep me around anyway."
Mercy hummed in response and munched noisily on the cookies, her brows furrowed at Ryou's remarks.
Ryou looked at his friend, noting her look of distress covered up by that ever present frown on her face. They had always bantered with each other, it was what had built their friendship at first, yet Ryou knew there was something bothering her right now. She would usually unload her thoughts to him without probing, but for some reason, she wasn't doing that.
He tried to bait her with something he knew she didn't like hearing – her middle name.
"Alright Angela," He made sure to emphasize her name with a smirk before continuing, "you can stare at the TV all you like, but I'm gonna go and take a – fuck!"
"You won't be doing any in the future if you keep saying that name, Ryousuke." Mercy's tone of voice was light but there was also a dangerous edge to it. She had deepened it when she pinched him, and Ryou knew how mean and deadly her pinches could get; they were quick and tiny but the bite was deadly.
She was pissed, though he wasn't sure if he was the reason, or there was something weighing on her mind that triggered it. He had said that countless times before, and she had reacted less indignant than this.
Ryou raised an eyebrow in puzzlement at her.
"Geez, Merce. What crawled up your ass?"
She was quiet for a moment, before finally saying, "I got kicked out of the band."
Ryou's blinked in surprise.
It was a quiet admission from her but he heard it clearly. He couldn't imagine his best friend, Mercy Park getting thrown out of the school's band, especially since she was a good musician – and one they cherished. What was it that made them do that? While he knew Mercy didn't get along with most of the students at her new school, it had never affected her and her band. If anything, he thought her band mates got along well with her, if by the few times he met with them was any indication.
He was very much surprised, baffled, and curious – all of which showed on his face. He then said, "Well, what the hell happened?"
She sighed and turned towards him. "There was this party at Casey's last Friday and everything was going well. I actually had fun and no drunk slime bag tried to hit on me with some ancient pickup lines –"
"Oh, this should be good." Ryou grinned at her. When she narrowed her eyes at him, he rushed out, "Right, continue."
"In hindsight that would probably be better rather than what happened." Mercy muttered and bit her lip in a moment of hesitation and Ryou couldn't help but blink his eyes. "Because she was telling me stuff about –"
He couldn't help but to tune her out at the moment, due to a revelation. Because of that, he missed the sudden brake on Mercy's rant, and her horrified expression.
This was Mercy, his tough best friend who wouldn't even cry when they were lost for almost eight hours in the woods during their summer camp days. But now here she was, expressing something which he knew she'd dub as 'a moment of weakness', something that he rarely saw on her. She was always confident and he wondered what was it that made her reacted this way.
Something big must have happened.
It took him a moment to realise that she wasn't speaking anymore. Instead, she looked as though a sudden realisation had struck her – frozen and looking somewhat…fearful. Her eyes seemed to be searching something. Something on his…face?
"If you seriously just had fear written all over you, then I'm really curious as to what happened. Come on, you're not gonna leave me hanging here, are you?" He grinned and tried to coax her with something he hoped was adorable – even though he wasn't sure it would be a success.
If there was anything that she did today, it was to surprise him. Where a quick and sharp retort would be ready at her lips, all she said was, "Actually, I think I am. I'm gonna go home now. Bye."
She had said that in an angry tone, though for the life of him, he had no idea if it was because of him. Before Ryou could reach for her, Mercy shot off from the couch and left his house.
He sat there feeling dumbstruck. And surprisingly dissatisfied.
Mercy wasn't one to flee.
She wasn't one to pass up opportunities to retort a witty comeback, much less eager to tell him things.
She also wasn't one to leave his place angrily when all they had been doing – well, he – had been doing was to try to get the bottom of her problem.
So, why was she doing this? What exactly was the problem?
The questions ate at him but he told himself to stick it out for a little while. After all, he knew that chasing after her would only shut him out – she was stubborn like that.
She may have succeeded in avoiding the topic, but surely she must know that Ryou was the kind of person who would get the truth out from her eventually.
The longest they kept something from each other was 24 hours.
He grinned to himself.
She would come back. She couldn't resist from telling him anything.
The only thing he wondered was how long would that be until then.
Mercy
Mercy slammed the door shut and stood in her room. She was rattled. Moving towards and sitting down on her bed, she fell on her back and felt herself bounced a little on the mattress.
Rubbing her face with her palms, she took a deep breath before sighing deeply. She couldn't believe she was about to tell Ryou what happened that Friday night. Well, she wanted to tell him what happened, but that moment before she cut the words off – she knew they were words to what really happened.
With a start, she was starting to realise now that her habit of telling him everything was beginning to bite her back.
Because this truth involved Ryou – her best friend – and there was no way she was going to tell him that. Yet, her mouth almost went off.
She went to his place to actually distract herself from what happened, her dismissal from the band and ultimately the elephant in the entire story, but when Ryou asked her with that genuine concern he always had on his face, she almost came undone.
Mercy sighed, frustrated. She felt like tearing up, screaming and hitting something, because this wasn't like her. Mercy liked knowing what she was getting into and everyone knows not to surprise her, but this was none of that.
It was like being thrown into a territory with nothing familiar to hold on to.
Her bed sheets were clutched tight in her hand. All of this wouldn't have happened if she had only avoided going to the party, was her childish thought. Yet, it wasn't as though she knew that would happen.
Her heart beat sped up at the thought of how it all came to crash and she focused on calming herself. Closing her eyes, her mind brought her back to that night, unbidden yet she couldn't do anything to stop it.
Mercy walked into the house, a party thrown by Casey's friends. Casey was one of her band mates and she was just as loud as Mercy – which would be the reason why she was the lead vocalist of their band. Now, Mercy could be the lead too, if only she had a talent for singing.
Along with Dana, her other band mate, they greeted and smiled at people who they know. Since Mercy wasn't on good terms with most of the students from school, one which she couldn't give a damn about, she slunk back with a satisfying grin on her face, watching everyone getting shit-faced drunk and making a complete fool out of themselves.
They reached the backyard where more people crowd near the pool. She thought the music were loud back in there but out here, it was deafening. It was a wonder how the authorities aren't still being alerted. People were doing somersaults into the pool, guys and girls mingled amongst themselves, platonically and intimately. There were also a bunch of people huddling around a corner by the couch, a billow of smoke surrounding them.
Mercy shook her head. She wondered why she even came in the first place considering how she was just content sleeping in. Then as if her mind had provided her the answer, she glanced at Casey talking to Dana, laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach.
Right, she thought in annoyance. Casey had wanted to come to this party, and she had made a strong case about how I didn't have anything to do, plus I owed her a favour too, blah blah blah. Well, that reminds me not to owe anyone a favour again if this was what it came down to.
She sat down, and told herself that she would leave in an hours' time. Everything felt normal, surprisingly there wasn't anyone who tried to hit on her which was a blessing, and she also managed to hold a nice conversation with some guys and girls who didn't know her at school.
Then, shit hit the fan.
It was half an hour since they came to the party when Casey, whom she knew hadn't touch a single liquor since the girl couldn't handle it, decided to put on a show. Usually, it was mildly entertaining despite tasteless, how she acted drunk and tried to hit on some guys and girls using pickup lines. Depending on the reactions, she would call off her bluff no matter how brief the prank was.
But this time, Casey should have known better than to start something with Mercy.
"Mer-cy!" Casey deepened her voice, sounding like one of those jock guys who called out to their friends in a show of masculinity.
She grinned, though it didn't reach her eyes. "What?"
Casey had been sitting across from her when she plopped down beside Mercy. Slinging an arm around her shoulder, she said loudly, "Have you ever been in love?"
Mercy scoot a little away from her, not liking how this girl could just invade her personal space. Casey knew about that, and she wasn't even drunk.
Something was up, and Mercy narrowed her eyes at her. "What are you playing at, Case? You're not even drunk."
Casey's hazel eyes widened innocently. "What, it's only a question." Then, she smiled coyly. "I bet I could make all the guys here fall for me."
Dana, who was watching the exchange amusingly interjected, eager. "Yeah, well who? You did date almost all the guys in our school, and even those from our neighbouring ones. Shit, Casey, no wonder all the girls hate you!" She laughed, as if she didn't just insulted her friend.
Casey shrugged her shoulders daintily. "They hate me 'cause they ain't me."
Mercy raised her brows in disgust. Who the hell are these two girls? How could these be her friends? This wasn't the Casey and Dana she knows. One was disgustingly delusional and another was just as insane to encourage her.
Mercy was about to say something – possibly chew her out – when Casey continued on.
"I'm so bored with all the jocks around here…hey, how about that friend of yours, Mercy?"
Mercy prayed Casey didn't just asked her who she think it was.
She tried to play it nonchalant, despite her shackles being raised and her fist gripped tightly.
"Who?"
Casey and Dana laughed. The latter was drinking, had been drinking, now that she noticed her. So, she was drunk by the way she giggled a lot when nothing was even humorous.
"Oh, come on, Mer!" Mercy winced at the way they had just shortened her name and felt anger coursing through her. She hated it whenever people tried to shorten her name to just three letters. "We met him at the smoothie store a few months ago. He's pretty cute. He's part Japanese, right? Rio something."
She had already moved away from Casey, standing up to her and didn't bother correcting how she mispronounced Ryou's name. They weren't even aware of the change in the atmosphere.
With a quiet anger brewing in her eyes, and the way she controlled herself as to not snap right away, Mercy said quietly, "Yeah, what about him?"
"He's kinda like a smarty pants, right? I like them smart. Can you set me up with him?"
That was the last straw and Mercy just couldn't hold it in anymore. She snapped, "No fucking way."
Casey dropped all pretenses of being drunk, and stood when she asked her in a dangerous tone. "What was that?"
"I said, no fucking way. He's off limits."
Dana laughed. "Oh come on, Mer –"
"Don't even finish that, Dana, or you'll regret it."
"Whoa, whoa. No need for violence, Mercy." Casey sneered at the last. "Do you like him or something?"
Mercy ignored the stirring sensation she felt within her when Casey said that, not understanding why she felt it when it was supposed to be an innocent question. She said casually, "Sure I like him, he's my best friend and I'm not gonna let you sink your dirty slutty claws on him."
By now, the music seemed so far away and everyone was staring at them, watching the spectacle. Mercy was aware of this but she couldn't bring herself to care.
"What?" She scoffed loudly, successfully drawing all attention to them. Some were snickering but others just stood there watching them like this was a soap opera. Mercy knew Casey loved attention yet this was nauseating. The girl actually thrives under confrontations. How much further can Casey push this?
"Really?" Casey sneered. "Then there shouldn't be any problem if I, well how should you say it," she pretended to mull it before stating Mercy's words, "'sink my dirty, slutty claws on him'?"
Mercy's ears felt hot yet she stood her ground, trying to opt an unaffected look. Memories and flashes which she thought she had buried long ago suddenly returned full force at Casey's words.
Couldn't she just shut the fuck up? Mercy seethed.
"There is a problem if you're going after him just to treat him like he's trash!"
The thought of Ryou meeting her friends three months ago especially Casey had brought her to a sour mood for the rest of the week. The girl was a good musician yet as a friend, she couldn't count on it. She vaguely knew what caused it but tried to press the feeling down, knowing that it was pointless to feel that way. And the way Ryou laughed and joked with them especially when they were trying to flirt with him almost killed her.
Her smart, kind and awesome…best friend…deserves someone better than her friends. If she could even call them that.
No, she backtracked, they're not my friends anymore. How the hell are we friends again? Was it because of pity?
Casey seemed to study Mercy before she said, grinning widely, "Oh. I see. Aww, everyone, look. Our very own resident badass is actually in love!" She said loudly with a grin before adding, "And she's in denial. Isn't that cute?"
Mercy's eyes widened.
In love…
Well, so fucking what? Mercy thought angrily. She was sure her scowl was set in her face.
She didn't think they would be so shallow as to laugh at that but they did. At this point, she was disgusted by all of them, especially the girl taunting her. It was in that moment too that she realised how much she missed her old school. At least she had some friends, and most importantly, she had Ryou there.
She noticed that Dana was trying to get away from the crowd, looking uncomfortable despite trying to encourage the shameless girl earlier whom she still couldn't believe was her band mate. Finally, someone who doesn't like to draw attention to herself, Mercy thought as she eyed the girl running away.
"What? Cat got your tongue? I mean, that's the only reason why you're not letting me have him, right? Or," Casey had a sly glint in her eyes. "could it be that you just don't want to share him? Is he really that good? C'mon, it's not like I'll steal him away! And you'll have plenty of time with him –"
Screw it. Enough is enough, she thought, reaching her boiling point.
Forget all the times people gave her scathing looks because of how she dressed, and that recent incident where she was being petty towards two old nasty women. She thought she could restrain herself – have been restraining herself – but she knew her patience had reached its limit. And, she was about to teach this nasty bitch a lesson to remember.
Mercy snapped.
Casey didn't see it coming and before she knew it, she was on the floor, staring wide-eyed at Mercy, all the while clutching her suddenly bleeding nose.
The crowd stilled after releasing a gasp of shock.
Above her, Mercy stood unflinchingly and when she spoke, her voice was calm yet deadly.
"Listen, you filthy slut. I don't care if you talk shit about me. But what I don't appreciate is anyone disrespecting people that matters to me, especially Ryou. So what if I'm in love? Is that so funny? It's not your business. And it's not any of your businesses either!" She shouted, eyeing all who stood witness. She didn't think on those words that came out of her mouth. It surprised her yet it also felt true. She was on a roll.
At this point, she couldn't care if there would be no hope to make friends at this school with what she's about to say. People believed rumours here in the first place, anyway. "Don't you know why I'm called Quick Fist?" Nobody called her that but as it happened, Mercy was on a roll. "You see, if you talk shit, then you get hit. By Quick Fist."
It was quiet and awkward for a moment as no one knows how to process that. Or maybe they were trying to.
It was crazy but Mercy suddenly felt like laughing at what she just said – she was still angry – yet the lie she pulled straight out of her ass at the last bit was like being doused in cold water. She herself was trying to process that but it felt refreshing to finally say her piece.
Casey reacted a little bit later, doing with the only way that guaranteed why she got the lead.
She screeched at Mercy.
"You lunatic!" She tried to put on a victimised front but Mercy heard the slight tremor in her voice. "This is it for you. You're no longer part of the band!"
Mercy's smirk almost slip off her face. She loved being in a band, even though she only played the keyboard. Still, she loved it.
But to hell with that if it meant I wouldn't have to deal with Casey anymore, she thought decidedly.
So, with a face clearly stating that she wasn't bothered, she grinned sharply.
"About time."
She left the party feeling like John Bender did at the end of The Breakfast Club, victorious and lighter than ever, and despite being kicked out of a band, which did stung, Mercy believed there are better bands out there who'd need her, who are better people. People that would appreciate her and make her feel like she belong.
She may have been free from her fake friends, but something else was starting to brew in her heart; her long since buried (or so she thought) feelings for her best friend, Ryou.
Mercy had sleepless nights after that.
"Goddamn it, Casey!" Mercy growled out loud and sat up.
She was still lying in her bed, angry at what the girl had made her eventually feel, after ignoring what lies dormant for years. If only Casey had kept her mouth shut, even if it was a guess, then Mercy wouldn't feel this way. If only she hadn't gone to Ryou's for a distraction, then she wouldn't have felt so vulnerable. It was dumb of her to think the source of her eventual problem could solve her other issue. It was also stupid of her to blame it on them when she was the one who had to go and develop feelings for her own best friend.
The guy had told her once that he wouldn't date his friends and she had taken it to heart.
It was worst because Mercy and Ryou weren't just friends, they were the best of them.
"Yeah, no way," Mercy muttered, eyes wide at the realisation of her problem.
She was familiar with knowing what she was getting into, and this wasn't it.
Despite their closeness and her irresistible urge to tell him everything that goes on in her life, this was one she couldn't let out.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, which notified her that Ryou would be starting his shift soon at the bakery.
Her heart clenched at the thought of keeping secrets from him. But I just can't.
There's no way I'm going to tell him.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Breakfast Club or its character.
A/N: What do you think about this? Constructive criticisms are much appreciated! :)510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylzx3whDBa
