Saiyuu no Ryokou: The Continuing Adventures of Yuriko
The Story So Far: Yuriko is still getting the hang of having a personal assistant, after her first
brief but memorably bad experience. She's getting used to the idea. There's a lot to be done, and time is
running short. The pressure is building as the tour deadline looms
Volume 4, Issue 12
"Once Again From the Top"
"So, yes on the fundraiser for disabled children, but no on the one for veterans,
right?"
"Right. And yes on the art thing if we can fit it in."
Nami nodded, chewing lightly on the pen tip as she thought. "But doesn't that mean
you'll have to cancel the magazine interview?"
Yuriko made a disgusted noise. "I forgot about that. What magazine is it
for?" She turned away from the window of her car and looked over to the daybook the
young woman held open on her lap.
"Mystique."
"That's the women's magazine? I really think I should do that...I don't get
interviewed by them often." In fact, Yuriko was almost always frozen
out of mainstream women's media coverage. While she was wildly popular with young people's
magazines, those with music, actor or idol interests, gay and lesbian publications and
men's media, the assumption was that married women were not her target audience. As Yuriko
well knew from looking out at her audience and based on her fan letters, that was a wildly
inaccurate assumption...but getting the publishing companies to understand had always been
difficult.
Nami chewed on the pen thoughtfully, some more. "How about we arrange the
interview at the opening? Or wait...before it, we can give them time on the way
there."
Yuriko nodded. "That's a good idea - it'll give them an opening about how busy I
am, and maybe they'll mention the artist whose show it is." The artist was Midori's
sister Ritsuko, of course, whose work was being shown at a second gallery in town. Yuriko
smiled. It wasn't a coincidence...she was fairly close with the gallery owner and it
hadn't been hard to get her to agree to a show of such a popular young artist.
"Nami-san, do you like ceramics?"
Her assistant's attention was far away, and with some difficulty she pulled herself
back to the present and managed to focus on the question.
"Actually, um, no, not really," Nami looked embarrassed. "It all looks
like pots and cups and things to me."
Yuriko chuckled at that. "What kind of hobbies do you have?"
"When I was in school I played guitar." The young woman answered. "But
since then I've let it go. Now when I have any free time, I go to the park, or I
read."
"One day, I'd like to hear you play," Yuriko said kindly.
Nami just blushed hotly at the idea of performing for such a famous singer.
"Okay, that's tomorrow. What's next?"
"Wednesday you have rehearsal in the morning - the new singing coach is coming
in." When Yuriko nodded in acknowledgement, she continued, "And in the afternoon
there's final fittings, and then....dress rehearsals begin on Thursday."
Panic washed over Yuriko in a way that she had never felt before. Dress rehearsal. The
first of several, she knew, and there were still a few weeks to go before the first show
at the Dome, but still.... *Dress Rehersal.*
"Are you all right?" Nami's voice held concern, but she was obviously unsure
what would be an appropriate action.
Yuriko forced herself to smile reassuringly, "I'm fine."
"You went really pale. I was a little worried there for a second."
Yuriko turned to really look at her new assistant for a moment. The sun was lowering in
the west and when it passed through buildings, it brought out the red highlights in the
young woman's short hair. She realized with a start that Nami was only a year or two
younger than she was. For a moment, Yuriko envied the other woman, then felt foolish for
doing so.
Yuriko replied as honestly as she could manage. "I'm just a little terrified,
that's all. The idea that we're already up to dress rehearsal...I know we'll have a few of
the rehearsal shows before the actual tour, but still...the idea that I'm about to head
out on a six-month tour around the world...it's overwhelming."
"I don't know how you do it." Nami let out a low breath. "If I were in
your shoes, I'd be a nervous wreck."
"I am," Yuriko confided. "But I'm an actress, as well as a singer."
She smiled bitterly. "Sometimes the "go"ing part of "the show much go
on" takes a lot more acting than you'd expect." She thought back to a particular
day not even a year ago, when her world exploded at the news of her parent's deaths. The
show had gone on then and now too, no matter how she felt, it would go on.
"You know," Nami's voice was quiet, "when I heard that I was being asked
to be the assistant for you, I was a little worried. You hear rumors, you know..."
Yuriko laughed despite herself, "No, tell me - what kind of rumors?" She held
up a hand, ticking off a few of the most common. "Well, of course I'd hit on you
immediately, and I'd probably be a class-A self-absorbed freak." Rocking her head
back and forth sideways, Yuriko stared at her second finger. "Well, okay - I
didn't hit on you, anyway." Yuriko squelched the memory of the debacle with her
first assistant. There was no way this serious young woman would turn out to be anything
like that. No way. None.
Hand over her mouth girlishly, Nami laughed at the idol. "I wasn't really worried
about that. The last person I assisted never even learned my name. She kept calling me
'Nishizawa.' She used to call me at 3AM, or on my days off, to make me do chores that
could have waited until the next day - or forever, really." Nami turned towards
Yuriko, her face serious. "I don't want you to think that I'm lazy," she said
quickly. "I'm a good worker and a hard worker and I'll do anything you need."
"Within reason?" Yuriko asked.
"Even not within reason, but..." Nami took a deep breath.
Yuriko interrupted smoothly, "I'll never forget that you're a human, if you never
forget that I am, either. So if I'm unreasonable or childish, or peevish, its only because
I'm having a day. If I have too many days like that in a row, feel free to leave."
Yuriko patted the assistant's arm gently.
"I don't think I'll have to do that." Nami shook her head. "You're the
most..." she paused, shook her head again. Bowing where she sat, she said, "I
look forward to working with you. Please take care of me."
Yuriko, quite seriously, bowed in return. "Me too."
***
Midori entered the apartment with her arms full of bags. She placed them in the foyer,
removed her shoes, took two of the bags and looked up as a loud noise broke through the
silence.
"Ow! Dammit." Yuriko's voice was immediately chastened. "Sorry."
There was a giggle, then a soft, "Let me do it." Midori watched as a young
woman with hennaed hair stood up from the living room sofa and walked over to Yuriko in the kitchen.
"I'm home," Midori called out pointedly.
Yuriko looked up quickly and smiled at the writer happily. "Welcome home!"
She came out from the kitchen area, carrying a bag of ground coffee. Kissing Midori
lightly on the cheek, she set the coffee down, took the bags from the writer, glanced in
them as much as she could without opening one and asked, "New dress?"
"Yes." Midori shot her a questioning look, which the blonde completely failed
to pick up on.
"Yuriko-san," the redhead called from the kitchen. "How many cups?"
"Would you like some coffee? Mariko has deigned to give me her recipe and I am
attempting to make a cup that does not taste like swill." Yuriko asked her lover.
"Love one, thanks." Midori tried again to signal an interest in the third
occupant of the apartment, but Yuriko had already left the room to drop the bags in their
bedroom.
Coming out, she said, "I expect a fashion show later." Then she returned to
the kitchen and Midori could hear the sound of cups and saucers being plinked around.
Midori shrugged and took the other bags into the bedroom. "I also bought myself
some new shoes and a bag to match the dress."
"How nice," Yuriko said, walking over to the table with a plate full of
sweets.
"And I found something for you, as well. Adele had this magnificent dress in ivory
- I think it would look amazing on you. It was completely Victorian. You'd look like a
statue in it." She came out of the bedroom and seated herself on the sofa. "I
told her that you'd come in to see it tomorrow. Can you make it?"
"Let me check." Yuriko turned her head towards the kitchen. "Can I make
it tomorrow?"
There was the sound of pages flipping and a soft, "mmmm." "Only if you
get in first thing in the morning."
Yuriko turned back to Midori with a nod. "I'll let her know that I'll be in in the
morning." Midori once again looked pointedly at her lover, then at the kitchen, but
for a third time received no response. She sat back on the sofa, waiting for the joke to
play itself out.
"Let me get the coffee. Sit there and relax." Yuriko was in the kitchen for a
few moments, Midori could hear the sound of liquid being poured, and the clink of
utensils.
When she returned, the singer was accompanied by the redhead, who took her place on the
sofa, while Yuriko sat in the big chair across the table.
"So, how was your day?" Yuri asked, after pouring coffee for the three of
them.
"Yuri!" Midori said, then added, "Okay, you win - who is she?"
"How long was it?" the singer turned to the redhead who checked her watch.
"Ten minutes, thirteen seconds."
Yuriko snapped her fingers. "You win. I didn't think you'd make ten
minutes." The first half was spoken to the young woman, the second to Midori, who was
torn between indignance and amusement at being the subject of a bet.
"And what did whom win?" Midori asked pointedly.
Yuriko stood and walked around the table, The redhead also stood, which prompted the
writer to stand, as well.
"This is my new personal assistant, Nishioka Nami."
Midori's well-shaped eyebrows lifted. "Personal assistant?"
She waited until the introductions and greetings were completed, after which she
addressed Nami. "And the first task she assigned you was to time me?"
"Not the first," Yuriko replied haughtily. "She's already made phone
calls, organized my schedule and..."
"And made coffee," Nami supplied helpfully.
"And made me coffee." Yuriko agreed with satisfaction. "All in all, a
good beginning, I think."
To Be Continued
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