@KirikomoriHime: mehehe~ i'm glad you like the 9th gen combo, it just came to me
@kawaii beam: lol~ arigatou~ maybe it's sayu, maybe it's not?
@mochi.rini: ehehe... and party, Risa shall
@xxkaori-kittyxx: lol i'm trying to make Aika more attractive!!!
@risa_ai: lol you'll see~
@rndmnwierd: mayyyyybeeeee
@Shiawase_Honoo: lol i'm glad it got some laughs
@sakura_drop_: lol mayyyyybeeeee (srsly, that's how i'm gona answer everyone)
@Nichiyoubi: yay for new computer!!! lol but it's fairy GODmother, not grandmother...
@XxRoByNxX78: we'll see, we'll see~
@xyukie56: again.... we'll see~
@Tian_Yuan: lol well, a lot of the comments are all hopes/speculations, so feel free to put yours
Thank you so much for all the comments~ weeeeeeee
So many speculations and guesses! I'm so glad it got everyone thinking
Again though, if you want to know the corresponding roles from the MoMusu girls to the Romeo and Juliet/Cinderella characters, you can always check the trailers again and kinda figure it out
Oh, and just for the sake of clearing things up: The 9th gen are basically like all the forest animals that help cinderella... yup.
This next chapter will be flipping from one POV to another because these scenes are all happening pretty much simultaneously. it'll be interesting, i think~
hope you enjoy~
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Chapter 4 - "And The Ball Began" Black… black… black… Why is everything black? Tanaka Reina clicked her tongue as she made an unsatisfied expression. She was sitting by the bar of Club Romeo, observing the people on the dance floor. Or rather, she was observing the clothes that the people were wearing more than their actual appearance… and she was not impressed. Most of the clubbers had chosen to wear a black dress or a black blouse or a black skirt, whether it was coal black, gray black, sparkly black… everything was black. Of course, Reina herself was wearing black as well, but she had done so with the purpose of blending in. For the rest of the people, whose purpose was probably to party and possibly hook up with someone, wearing black and following the status quo was unacceptable. Some people had indeed chosen to wear a bit more color, such as navy blue and dark green, but their fashion was rather horrid for the fashionista to even set her eyes upon it.
True, black was quite classy. It was one of Reina’s many philosophies that black was always the new black, and black was always in. However, black could never survive on its own. It needed another color, some sort of accent, in order to make it work. And so far, not many people in the club had succeeded in doing that.
Reina took a sip of her drink from the tall glass in her hand and licked her lips a little. Maybe she could add another bit to the article for the Bijou Fashions magazine. She had originally planned on reporting on current day club fashion, but four full pages filled with pictures of black dresses just would not do. So perhaps she could add in an “after story”, on how to improve one’s club fashion. She could already feel her fingers tingling in excitement at possible ideas of new designs. She was thinking red, pink, blue, purple… anything but black.
Well, there’s pretty much nothing to see here anymore… Reina remembered her secretary’s words, telling her not to be afraid to enjoy herself while she’s at the party. However, the CEO would not have it; she was here to work, not to get drunk and dance. She had to stick to her strict schedule. Plus, she still had those unfinished data to analyze back in her office…
The young businesswoman put her drink down on the counter and tipped the employee at the bar generously. She carefully tucked her curly hair behind her ears and was about to get up from the tall chair when something caught her eyes. In the midst of various gradients of black, there was a young woman wearing a white blouse, moving her body modestly in the crowd. Her friend in front of her seemed a bit more energetic about dancing, but this lady was rather composed, with a calm smile constructed perfectly on her face. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman in the world, yet something about the way she carried herself was alluring. And that smile…
Slowly, Reina sat back down in her chair and watched the woman she had set her eyes upon. Perhaps she would stay a little longer at the club… purely for the sake of working, of course.
** ** **
How annoying… Must everyone be so desperate and clingy? Sayumi gulped down the last of her drink as she leaned over the counter, her chin balanced on her hand. It wasn’t uncommon for her to be hit on by both men and women, but the challengers seemed to be a bit more persistent tonight. Either that, or Sayumi was just a bit more irritable at the moment. There was nothing more she wanted to do at the moment than to leave this place and go back home. But she knew she couldn’t do that quite yet. After all, she had come out in order to keep her sister home; if she left the party now, it was very possible for Ai to still come to the club. The night was still young.
Sighing, the black-haired beauty checked her cell phone again. Only ten-thirty… She had to last until about midnight, at least. That way, she could say she came to the club with the purpose of partying, and not just to prevent her stepsister from going out. So Sayumi breathed out slowly, closing her eyes, as she gathered her patience.
Just a little longer… I’ll hold out just a little bit longer…** ** **
“Eri… Are you sure I look okay?!”
Ai yelled over the loud music that was booming through the speakers. She and her friend had just entered the club and was about to step in and join the crowd when Ai had stopped walking to tug on her shirt again and fix her hair. Eri rolled her eyes.
“For the hundredth time, Ai-chan, you like
fine,” Eri reassured. “And I don’t mean
just fine, but seriously, you look
fi~ne.”
The turtle stretched the last word and snapped her fingers, looking up and down at the older woman as if to check her out. Ai revealed a weak smile, still not exactly comforted by her friend’s words. It had been a long time since she was last in a club, and she hadn’t gone too often during her college years in the first place. Her mature outfit felt unfamiliar to her skin and the makeup on her face felt like a mask. She felt completely different from her usual self.
“But really, Ai-chan,” Eri grinned, “you look gorgeous right now. You should dress up like this more often.”
“Yup, that’s gonna happen when I start my job as a janitor,” Ai laughed. “But… I guess I should thank you, Eri. I have to admit, it does feel good to just have a night out like this. I feel… confident.”
“As well as you should,” the turtle nodded, smiling proudly. “No one can say no to your pretty face tonight. You can have anyone in this club: just pick someone.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not here to hook up,” Ai said, receiving a small pout from her friend. “I’m just here to have fun with my best friend. Are we cool with that?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Eri giggled. “But first things first: I think it’s a good idea to look for Sayu first.”
“Look for Sayu?!” Ai screeched, her eyes popping wide open. “Are you crazy?! Sh-she can’t find me here!”
“Calm down, Ai-chan!” Eri yelled back. “I said
look for Sayu, not
meet Sayu! We should track her down, figure out where she is, and plan our moves accordingly so that we won’t accidently cross paths with her!”
“… Sounds like a military plan,” Ai mumbled, “but I guess I understand what you mean.”
“Good,” Eri smiled. “Let’s just figure out where she is, and then walk the opposite direction.”
Then, Ai swallowed hard as her eyes fixed at a point over Eri’s shoulder. “Um… I think we should start walking towards our right.”
“Why?”
“Because… I see Sayu on the left, sitting at the bar…?”
Eri whipped around and spotted her friend’s stepsister, seated on a tall chair. She was staring at her cell phone as she took a small sip from her drink, before sighing and flipping her hair. Eri could even see a couple of women eyeing the black-haired beauty from across the room. Sayumi was quite the evil little bunny indeed, but the turtle had to admit that she was undoubtedly an eye-catcher and had always been the cute one.
“Okay, okay, okay,” Eri said quickly, facing her slightly-panicked friend again. “The best plan, I think, is to blend in with the crowd. So my advice: go on the dance floor. If you’re amongst a lot of other people, it’ll be more difficult to spot you or recognize you. I’ll dance around the edges of the dance floor so I can keep an eye on Sayu for a while, and then I’ll come find you. Okay?”
“Un!”
Ai nodded frantically before she did as her friend instructed her. She quickly threw herself onto the dance floor and blended in amongst the clubbers. As she started to dance modestly while keeping her back towards the direction of the bar where her stepsister was, she looked around and acknowledged the many other women who were dancing around her. Most had a decent amount of makeup on, slightly sweaty from dancing, even a little drunk, and wore tight dresses.
She could not help but think that they all looked the same.
** ** **
She could not help but think that they all looked the same.
Risa wrinkled her eyebrows a little as she scanned the faces of the clubbers, noticing that everybody was a little bit on the drunk or high side. Even Aika, whom the bean had made sure stayed clean throughout the night, seemed a bit too hyped up. The girl was dancing energetically, not hesitating to occasionally dance with strangers that she had just merely bumped into. Risa also continuously moved her body back and forth in tiny motions so that she could stay on the dance floor in order to keep an eye on her younger friend.
“Gaki-san!”
Risa jumped with a start as she stopped spacing out and spotted Aika standing in front of her. Her face was red and she was sweating quite a bit. Risa would’ve thought that the girl was sick if it wasn’t for the huge satisfied grin spread across her lips.
“Gaki-san, why aren’t you dancing?” she asked, breathing hard.
“I am dancing, Aika,” Risa smiled. “Just… not excessively.”
“What you’ve been doing doesn’t count as dancing!” the younger girl shot back. “Nee, nee, it’s really hot so I’m going to go to the bathroom and wash up a little, okay? After that, we’re going to dance together!”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Risa asked, slightly worried about her overly-hyper friend.
“It’s okay, don’t worry!” Aika replied happily. “Wait right here, okay? I’ll be right back!”
The bean watched her friend disappear into the crowd and out of the dancing area. Sighing, Risa continued to sway her body back and forth a little more. A young woman bumped into her a little and started to make a move on her, trying to catch her attention. She wasn’t bad-looking, but her breath smelled like a mixture of smoke and hard liquor. So, Risa just laughed nervously and quickly moved away from the stranger.
Deciding that maybe being left alone amidst a group of high clubbers wasn’t such a good idea, the bean started to slowly move out of the crowd as well. She would sit at the bar and wait for Aika there.
But as she was about to navigate her way out of the clubbers, something caught her attention. Risa narrowed her eyes a little before she slowly opened them widely in slight surprise. There was a woman, standing a couple feet away from her, staring back at her with a similar expression. She had short brown hair and wore a black-and-red outfit with long boots. Risa had never seen her before, but something was different about her. It was like there was a spark before her eyes and all her surroundings slowed down.
It was just her and this woman on the dance floor.
** ** **
It was just her and this woman on the dance floor.
Ai blinked a couple times as her eyes focused on the woman, gazing back at her. It was by pure coincidence that she had turned her head towards that direction and spotted this woman and noticed that there was something different about her than the others. Yes, it helped that she was wearing a white blouse amongst the many black outfits, but that wasn’t what caught Ai’s attention. It wasn’t even her beauty or the certain flashiness to her. It was just… her. Her being there, and how her head turned towards Ai at the exact same moment Ai turned towards her, was what prevented the older girl from taking her eyes off of this person.
Unconsciously, Ai started to walk towards the woman, maneuvering her way through the other dancers. A part of her mind screamed at her to stop, that this was unusual for her and that they shouldn’t meet. Some sort of danger crept up on Ai’s spine. But for some reason, Ai couldn’t stop her legs from moving. It felt like natural attraction, like magnets, that carried her now. The other woman did not move away either, and kept her eyes set on Ai.
Soon, the two ladies stood right in front of each other, barely giving room to breathe, as they stared into each other’s eyes, expressionless. Ai knew that this would normally be an incredibly awkward situation, yet she didn’t feel at all uneasy. It seemed that the other party felt no such discomforts either, since she stared right back with certain boldness. Everything was so… natural. Like it was meant to be.
“Alright, ladies!” The DJ’s booming voice brought both women back to reality as they flinched a little. “Everyone grab a partner now. Let’s dance into the night! Party up!”
The fast beat of a club mix burst out of the speakers as everyone in the club cheered. The clubbers continued to dance with their respective partners, whether they were actually going out or whether they had just met that night.
Ai quickly looked at the beautiful woman in front of her again, who was now looking away to the side a little as though she was contemplating what to do next. Deciding to seize the chance, Ai silently offered her hand to the woman in an invitation to dance. The curly-haired woman looked at the hand and looked up at Ai with a slightly surprised expression. But her eyes soon relaxed into what seemed like trust and curiosity as she gently placed her hand in Ai’s.
Smiling a little, as if to reassure her or to show relief, Ai spun the woman around once, before she gently touched her shoulder and took a lap around her. The woman seemed a little taken aback at the sudden action but she made no indication of displeasure. Slowly, Ai let her body fall victim to the beat of the music, swaying her hips side to side while putting her arms up, as if to coerce the other woman into joining her. The curly-haired woman seemed to hesitate a little, but soon naturally fell into the rhythm of Ai’s movements and started to dance along.
Ai smiled even more with joy, happy that her beautiful partner had decided to join her. The woman moved only modestly at first; but as Ai’s motions got faster and fiercer, the woman also made an effort to keep up. Soon, a smile appeared on the woman’s face as well, as Ai could visibly tell that she was enjoying her company. Even when Ai put her hand on the woman’s shoulders, arms, or waist, there was no bad reaction; the woman moved accordingly to Ai’s actions. Feeling bold, Ai went behind the woman and while pressing her chest against her back with her hands on her waist, she did a couple waves and breathed into her ear. She heard a soft gasp from her partner, but something unexpected happened. Instead of being completely taken of guard, the woman turned the tables on Ai as she leaned back against her and raised her hand up to gently stroke Ai’s hair. She even took Ai’s hand and dragged it down from her waist to her bare thigh. Now it was Ai’s turn to gasp as she was stunned to receive such a reaction. Yet, this audacious part of the woman made her even more charming and attractive.
No words were exchanged. Yet, Ai could tell that this was no ordinary encounter.
** ** **
Black… black… black… purple. Hallelujah. Reina let out a low groan as she hung her head down. But she quickly sat up straight again, like a proper businesswoman, and continued to observe the many clubbers. She was getting tired of taking mental notes on the same style of fashion over and over again. She had more than enough data to work with at this point. But for some reason, she just couldn’t get herself to leave.
Why are you even here anymore, Reina? The kitten put her glass to her lips again but she found it empty. That was her third glass for the night. It wasn’t hard liquor so Reina didn’t feel quite tipsy yet, but she wasn’t completely sober either. If she just made up her mind, she felt that she could probably do one of those things a drunk person would do, one of those things that causes a certain embarrassment that would haunt her and stay with her for the rest of her life.
Do what you want, Reina! A certain voice echoed in the kitten’s mind. Reina lifted her head a little and blinked at the revelation. She then bit down on her lips and fisted her hand. She had made up her mind. The reason for her staying at the club until now was obvious. It was because of that woman, the woman who she couldn’t get out of her head. She didn’t know what this feeling was, or why the face of this woman lingered in her mind, but she didn’t care. Reina knew she had to find this woman. She would find her and then maybe, just maybe, she’d be able to discover the reason for this attraction.
The fashionista stood up and started to walk around a little, keeping her eyes open for the white blouse, the black skirt, and the curly brown hair. She even went to the dance floor and walked around the edge to search for this person, but she had no success. Everywhere she looked, she was unable to find the woman she longed for.
It was like she was no longer fated to be with the woman, like she had lost her chance.
** ** **
Sayumi continuously tapped her fingers against the counter, chewing on her lip. She was starting to feel uneasy for some reason. She obviously no longer wished to stay in the club, yet she knew she couldn’t go home. It wasn’t time yet.
But sitting at the bar by herself, slowly sipping drinks, wasn’t exactly all that fun either. At least she could forget her worries if she danced, even if there were annoying people who kept on trying to hit on her.
Deciding that nothing was worse than sitting still and doing nothing, Sayumi got up from her chair and turned towards the dance floor. But when she took a couple steps forward, somebody jumped out in front of her and blocked her way. The bunny gasped, startled by the interruption. The person in front of her flashed a smile.
“Sayu!” she greeted happily. “Funny seeing you here! What a… coincidence!”
“… Eri?” Sayumi raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”
“To party, of course!” Eri said quickly. “It’s Ladies Night!”
“You’re here alone?” Sayumi questioned, not exactly clear as to what was going on.
“Y-yeah!” Eri laughed nervously. “Sayu, you’re not here with anybody either, right?”
“Of course I’m here with somebody!” the bunny retorted back, her cheeks blushing a little at the white lie. “They just… had to leave early.”
“Sou ka…”
Eri grinned, able to see through the obvious lie that the bunny had told. But she wasn’t surprised by it. It was natural for someone as high and proud as Sayumi to deny the fact that she was in a club by herself, like a loner.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” the black-haired girl huffed, “I’m going to go dance.”
“You can’t do that!” the turtle blurted out, side-stepping to block the bunny’s way. “Ano… I mean… w-why do you want to go dance?”
“… Because this is a club, Eri,” Sayumi said slowly, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “That’s what people do in a club: dance.”
“B-b-but you don’t want to dance right now!” Eri laughed nervously. “I mean, this is such a terrible song!”
“No, it’s n—”
“Hey, how about I buy you a drink?” the turtle offered. “Come on, come on, have a drink with me! I haven’t seen you in a while either!” She took the bunny’s hand and started to drag her towards the bar.
“I saw you a couple days ago at Tresor,” Sayumi replied coldly, trying to resist Eri’s strength. “And I already had a drink!”
“Well, you can have some more!” Eri insisted. She pushed Sayumi down onto a chair and took the seat beside her. “Pick! Pick! It’s on me.”
The bunny wrinkled her eyebrows in slight confusion again before she sighed and let it go. At least she had some sort of company now. And it wasn’t someone who had tried to hit on her. It was Kamei Eri. She could live with that.
As the bunny started to contemplate the menu, Eri quickly looked back at the group of dancers and back at the girl beside her. While she made sure Sayumi did not turn around again, Eri noted in the back of her mind that the song was nearing its end.
** ** **
The song neared its end.
Risa breathed hard as she stood still amongst the loud cheer of the clubbers around her. The DJ yelled something again to get the crowd pumped up but she couldn’t make out the words. The only thing she was aware of was how close the face of the short-haired woman was to hers. The woman gazed into her eyes, unwavering, and was also letting puffs of air out relentlessly from dancing.
Risa opened her mouth a little to say something but no words came out. But something in the other woman changed as she started to lean forward. Risa froze as she noticed that something in the woman’s eyes had changed, as though she was taking action subconsciously. Their lips were so close to each others, enough to feel each other’s warmth.
But before they met, the next song blasted out of the speakers, causing both women to jump back in shock. Risa blinked a little as she blushed, realizing what was about to happen that didn’t. The other woman seemed to come back to her senses as well; she gasped and quickly covered her mouth. Shooting an apologetic look at the bean, she turned and started to leave.
No, don’t leave! On an impulse, Risa dashed forward and grabbed the woman’s hand to stop her. The woman turned around with a surprised look on her face. Risa clenched her teeth, determined to hold on to this person. She did not know what the burning feeling in her chest was, but she knew it was there and it was strong. She couldn’t let such an encounter end like this. She had to know this person.
Silently, Risa turned and pulled the woman along with her through the dancers. The older woman seemed to be taken aback but she did not protest. Together, the two women escaped the dance floor and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. Looking for a quiet place without any people would not be easy, but Risa had to continue searching.
She could not let go of this person’s hand, no matter what.
** ** **
Aika quickly pushed through the crowd, looking all around her in search for her friend. She called out her name while knowing it would not do any good. The music was just too loud, and too many people were laughing and cheering.
The girl stopped in the middle of the dance floor and sighed. She let out a frustrated groan and clenched her fists. During that short moment she was in the restroom, during that one song, Risa had disappeared.
It was as though Aika was not meant to find her at the moment.
** ** **
No one could interrupt them now.
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So. couple of questions answered here~
If you're still confused about the corresponding characters, sparknote Romeo and Juliet/Cinderella, try to figure it out again, and then if it's REALLY driving you crazy, then ask
Topic: Juliet and Cinderella ~ [UPDATE - Chapter 22 - (10/28)] (Read 104252 times)