Violation of the Sixth
Commandment
chapter 6
by Varon
It was a mutual decision, this illicit affair they started. But of course it was.
Yes, it was wrong... but when they listened to the right, they only found... dissatisfaction. Unhappiness. Incompleteness. And so, this.
But to say they had no more care for the people around them would be a lie. They did care for them; they really didn't want to hurt them. It's not as if they entered into this relationship with revenge in mind. No, they just wanted to experience a pinch of blissfulness, even if only for a short time. If they could do that without getting caught or attracting the suspicion of their neighbors... it would be a very flawless plan.
They both agreed to talk nothing about regret or bitterness or whatever other unpleasant emotion they felt that got them into this relationship. (They wouldn't want to call it mess; it's far too early to call it one.) No conversations would be entertained about topics that would hinder them from simply relishing each other's company -- one such topic being Keiko's marriage to Ben Howard.
One downside to Yusuke and Keiko's situation was that they were forced to lay low. They had to meet at a place far from Keiko's house and school -- somewhere they wouldn't be recognized -- and they had to do it as inconspicuously as possible. While they didn't resort to extreme measures like wearing wigs and weird clothes, they still held their breath whenever an acquaintance happened to pass by, then heave a huge sigh of relief when he or she didn't notice either of them.
That was what happened for the whole first week that they were together. They were obviously struggling hard to make it work, and surprisingly, they were coping pretty well under the circumstances. Well, as they say: When there's a will, there's a way.
It was a trip down memory lane for the two of them, everyday for the last seven days. What better way to remind them of the fun they had but to do it high shool style?
Heck, it was Yusuke's bright idea. But Keiko seemed to go along with him, so all in all they had a blast.
It was Saturday that day. Or make that early evening. Every other couple would have been psyched to be spotted at the local city-park; for many, it was a place "to see and be seen".
And Yusuke, for all his brains, brought her there.
Well, more like cruised her there.
On a motorcycle. A classic, newly-furnished, Harley Davidson motorcycle.
OK, so he rented it. That didn't take the fun away, did it?
"Cool bike!" Yusuke heard one of the boys in a huddled group exclaim as he and Keiko breezed past them. For effect he tilted back the bike so the weight settled on its rear wheel, until the front wheel was about three feet from the ground. The group of boys whistled and clapped.
Obviously not.
They escaped the danger of being recognized (and of slamming their heads into a wall) by wearing dark-tinted helmets. Beneath his visor Yusuke grinned, but Keiko was about to have a heart attack.
"Don't do that!" Keiko shouted to be heard above the noise the motor created. "I'm fine with riding on level ground, but not with dirt-bike racing stunts! You haven't got the hang of driving this thing yet!" She tightened her hold on Yusuke's waist.
"Sorry," he halfheartedly apologized. He revved up the engine and the Harley gained speed. "Where do you wanna go now?"
"Anywhere but here!" she yelled.
They toured practically half of Tokyo on that motorcycle. Keiko did enjoy the ride; Yusuke was slightly taken aback at her reaction. He thought she would most definitely protest her way through their little trip on how unsafe motorcycles were and had half-expected her to tick off statistics on just how many people die on crash accidents because of recklessness. But when he got on the bike and handed her a helmet, she took it willingly and hopped on the seat behind him.
For Yusuke, though, it was a pleasant surprise -- one of those that Keiko had been giving him ever since they started going out. There had been quite a lot, and he had kept these all under file. Well, tonight was not an exception.
Keiko finally stopped feeling the wind whipping her long mane behind her as Yusuke halted in front of an unpopular restaurant, in the more secluded areas of downtown Tokyo. She removed her helmet, shaking out her auburn locks that fell down in waves, framing her face. Keying off the ignition, Yusuke put one foot down, and it reached behind the metal pipe for the stand. Propping the bike up, he made sure it was balanced correctly, then took Keiko's hand and led her inside.
"Are you sure no one we know will see us in here?" Keiko nervously asked.
"Absolutely positive." Yusuke lightly nudged her chin. "Trust me."
"Of course." Keiko's eyes twinkled merrily. "So what do they serve here?"
"Well... anything you want, and --" He pushed open the door.
Keiko's eyes were as huge as saucers as she surveyed the crowd.
"-- Billiards."
Fifteen minutes later they sat side by side, eating their hearts out on fried clam. "This is -- oomph, really good," Keiko said in between bites as she reached for another one. "How'd you ever come across this place, Yusuke?"
He shrugged his denim-jacket-clad shoulders, making Keiko realize just how broad they were. "Never been here, before... but I DO scour the area for a place where we won't be bothered by intervening variables."
She laughed. "Well, this is a nice place." She appreciated the setting; the small restaurant was something born out of the Fifties America. A jukebox was playing in one corner, while some preppily-dressed people mingled around in the pool hall. Classic pictures of vintage cars and some famous people in plastic frames -- some were laminated -- adorned the linoleum-covered walls. The lighting wasn't glaring at all; the booths basked under soft, pastel colors. There was a bar up front, serving really cool drinks, and waiters bustled all around them, trying to accomodate all of the customers' orders and demands. "Kind of has a homey appeal to it, despite the really dingy walls. And," she dropped her voice and leaned closer, "there's privacy with these really spacious booths."
Her eyelids fluttered shut as they kissed. Yusuke licked his lips when they broke apart. "You make the most delicious fried clam seem tasteless."
She pecked him on the lips. "Well, we're done here... what do you say, we shoot some pool?"
He stood up almost abruptly. "I thought you'd never ask!"
"Keiko, do you actually have the faintest idea how to use the cue stick?"
"Hey," she retorted, "at least I'm not the one tearing the felt off the board!"
"That wasn't me," he replied, "it was already torn!" Yusuke aimed for the six-ball, and cursed as he missed.
"Fine, so I'm no master in billiards." She threw down the stick and placed her hands on her hips. "At least I'm not pretending to be one!"
"Hey, babe," Yusuke set his stick down as well, but more gently than Keiko did, "who are you calling a pretender?"
Keiko sauntered over to him. "Oh, shut up," she said, placing her hands on the collar of his jacket. "Just shut up and kiss me."
He did.
"Well?" She was smiling. "Are we through for the day?"
"Yeah, what the heck." Yusuke got some bills out of his wallet and slapped it on the bartable on their way out. "It was a lame game anyway."
"Hey, ex-CUSE me for being such a lousy opponent!" She pretended to sulk.
"At least you're a cute opponent," he teased, handing Keiko her helmet. She took it without qualms. They got on the Harley, and was about to speed off into the night when Yusuke suddenly asked, "Did I make a lousy date tonight? Something tells me you didn't have as much fun as you would have wanted."
"Of course I had fun," Keiko assured him, giving him one of her brilliant smiles. "It was a lot of fun watching you struggle with the four-ball." She tried to suppress a chuckle, but it only erupted into a guffaw.
Yusuke mockingly narrowed his eyes at her, and harrumphed as he switched the engine on. "You're mean," he yelled at her face before snapping his visor shut, "but I still love you!"
With that, they were swallowed by the blackness of the night.
