ANWow, it’s been a while. I was hoping I’d have been finished by last year, but couldn’t make it. These past three months I wanted to write so much, but I’ve been so caught up with robotics that I literally did not have the time. Finished build season last month, finished first competition last week, finally it’s spring break! And you know what else? It has been 2 years since I joined the AKB fandom! Being an AKB fan has changed my life in so many ways. If I never found out about them, I never would’ve been a fanfic writer. Writing fics is my way of giving back to the fandom who has provided me with so much info, gifs, edits, translations/subs, and other fics. Yeah… The fans are the real MVP’s.
Sorry for the long note. I’m sure you guys are tired of waiting on me. Just note that this chapter is somewhat like a filler but its longer and does has its part in this story. Seriously though, its really long. Also why it took me a while to write. Like 12k+ words so try not to hurry through it or you’ll overwhelm yourself.
Alright now, hope you enjoy.
Linked10. Living
Acchan’s POV~10:05am~Today was day 4. We were back at the island, having arrived just earlier this morning. We accomplished a lot on our trip, collecting two pieces. So today, we're going to be taking a break. Get some needed rest, and have fun. There's a lot to do here at the museum. I want to show Takamina as much as I can.
Currently, we were catching an early lunch at the food court while studying a tourist map of the island.
"Does it matter where we go?" Mayu asks.
"Nope, we just need to figure out all the places we're going today so we can come up with a route and schedule. I don't know if we'll be able to get to them all today." I explain to them.
"Psh, we don't need a schedule! Let's just go wherever and have fun!" Yuko exclaims.
"Says the girl who always follows a schedule." I mutter, rolling my eyes.
"But that's for work! This is different."
"Fine, we'll do it your way. See how it goes." I sigh.
"So then how are we doing this? Are we getting to pick the place or...?" Mayu trails off.
"Let's let Takamina choose." I suggest. The three of us look to the smaller girl at the end of the table who was busy enjoying her lunch.
She notices us staring at her. "What?" She asks, still chewing her food.
We laugh. Yuko pushes the map to Takamina.
"Where do you want to go?" She smiles, asking her.
Takamina surveys the map, swallowing her food before she replies.
"What's this place?" She points to the triangles on the map.
"Those are the pyramid exhibits." Mayu explains. "You'd probably like it there."
"Hmmm, ok! Let's go there!" She decides quickly. It doesn't take her long to finish her remaining meal. I throw away her trash for her as she goes to turn in the dishes she used.
"Wait!" I hear a cry.
I turn around to see Miichan running up to us out of breath.
"Glad I caught up with you guys before you all left." She huffs, half smiling. Yuko jumps on her back, shocking Miichan.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood to carry you??" Yeah, she looks tired, but it doesn't seem like Yuko really cares.
"But you're carrying me anyways." She grins, her arms wrapped around Miichan's neck.
Miichan sighs, letting Yuko do what she wants. Well, Yuko usually always gets her way no matter who it is.
"So how was the secret mission?" She asks.
"Success!" Yuko yells into her ear. "We got two, so two more to go then Bakamina is here to stay." Yuko grins, proudly.
"Did Mariko say anything?" I ask.
"She didn't notice anything, did she?" Mayu questions.
"Nope! She just thought you all were still down there doing your jobs. There were a few close calls though. She tried to go down there once, so I had to distract her which was probably one of the worst times in my life." Her brow creases as she recalls it.
Yuko hops off her back. "What happened?" She asks.
"She made me—" Miichan shivers. "She made me dress up as an idol. She knows how much I hate those kind of artists and their bubble gum pop music. I even had to dance and sing for her! I wanted to die!"
Yuko and Mayu burst out laughing.
"It's not funny!" Miichan yells at them.
"Sure it is." Yuko pats her back. "Does she have pictures?" Yuko and Mayu laugh even harder.
Miichan rolls her eyes. "I hope not." She mutters.
I feel a tug on my arm. "What's an idol?" Takamina asks me.
I suddenly get the mental image of Takamina performing as an idol. Wah, she'd be so cute!
Oh, I need to answer her. "An idol is a performer, like an entertainer. Idols sing, dance, and do several kinds of variety." I explain.
"And gravure! You can't forget that! It's most important!" Yuko butts in, grinning.
Miichan groans earning Yuko's attention. Her eyes glint, narrowing.
"She didn't make you do gravure too, did she?" Yuko advances on her.
Miichan takes some steps back. She hesitates. "No." She says indignantly.
"Ah! You hesitated! No way, she did!" Yuko turns to Mayu.
"Pay up." She smirks to the younger girl.
Frowning, Mayu hands Yuko a wad of cash.
"W-w-wa-wait! What is this?!" Miichan asks in disbelief.
"Huh? Oh, Mayu-chan and I made a bet earlier on what Mariko would make you do while we were gone. As you can see, I won." Yuko smiles, smug.
"Who's Mariko?" Takamina ask me. "Do I get to meet her?"
We all turn silent, sweat dropping.
"Ehehe.." Yuko lets out a nervous laugh. "Probably not, but if you ever do, refer to her as Mariko-sama. It might make things easier." For Takamina, maybe. I don't know about us though.
"Souka.."
"Yeah... so let's go now, guys." Yuko hurries us so we can move off this topic.
We head to the elevator only to find it taped off.
"What is this??" Yuko demands.
Mayu finds a notice on the wall beside it. She reads it aloud. "Out of order." She frowns.
"I am not taking the stairs." Miichan groans, still a bit tired from running.
"No worries, this isn't the only elevator." I nod to Yuko and turn to leave when Mayu stops us.
"Don't bother, it looks like all the elevators are out too but due to maintenance. They'll be open again later in the afternoon though." Mayu indicates to the notice, her arms folded.
"All?? Are you serious?" Miichan and Yuko complain.
“Do you know how many floors there are to this building?? We’re lucky we’re only on floor 7!” Miichan exclaims.
Mayu nods. "Who the hell came up with this schedule, like really? Today? And all of them at the same time?" She shakes her head.
"Stairs it is then." I say. Everyone heaves a collective sigh. We all reluctantly head for the staircase.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On ground floor, we gather at the entrance.
"Ok!" For the midget, today I will be your
personal tour guide! Free of charge!" Yuko exclaims, emphasizing the word personal. I elbow her, catching her eyes. We exchange silent conversation, before she rolls her eyes, groaning.
"Lighten up, you know me. I got this." She mutters. Yuko turns to our small group, pulling out her phone.
"So let's see what we have here today..." She scrolls through her phone, typing swiftly.
"Looks like we'll be taking almost a full-museum tour, hitting up most locations on the island. As Acchan previously mentioned, it will be impossible to get through everything in one day, but I'll see what I can do. As time is of the essence, we probably will only be going to some of the major places. Keep in mind though, the point is that this is supposed to be fun, especially for Takamina. We want to show her a good time here, and everything she's missing out on. Since I'm the guide, I'll do my best not to bore you. Although, not like I will anyways." Yuko cracks a smile.
"Everyone good to go? Any questions?" No one says anything. "No? Good! So as Takamina suggested, first stop will be pyramid square. Let's go!" Yuko enthusiastically takes the lead, and with a reassuring smile to Takamina, we follow after her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~10:39am~A lot of time will be lost if we walk, so we ended up borrowing a security cart. I drove while Yuko proceeded to tell Takamina more about the island. Takamina was seated between Yuko and I, while Mayu and Miichan sat in the back. I silently listen as I drive on the wide pathway. At the moment, Yuko was explaining the museum's history.
"This museum originally started out as a tourist attraction—well...it still is." Yuko laughs. "I mean in the beginning, the museum was still small. Before it was built, Mariko-sama coined the idea of there being just one museum, a real spectacle you wouldn't find anywhere else. She started her project on this island which was originally her private vacation island.
Pillar Peak is the foundation, where it all started. It wasn't always that tall, you know. In its place used to be her vacation home, but she gave it up and had it remade into what it is now." Yuko shakes her head. "Before, I never understood why she would give up those things for this kind of place. But if she hadn't, I wouldn't have been here today and I wouldn't have met Acchan, Mayu-chan, Miichan, or you, Bakamina." Yuko smiles.
"This place has really come along way. You heard, right? This is the New World Cluster Museum. A museum is supposed to hold art and history, right? But as you can see, this island holds much more than that. Mariko-sama may have started it as a simple museum, but she didn't want people to get bored, leave, and not return as often. She wanted people to always have something to do, to always have a reason to return here. The pyramids, the libraries, the aquarium, the globe, all the floors on Pillar Peak, and more, you'll see that there's so much you can do here that you can't anywhere else. That's why it's impossible to see and do everything in one day. Even two or three, possibly a week, we can't get to everything and properly enjoy them. That's how much she's invested in this "museum." You'd also think she'd change the name since the actual museum is now just a part of it, but she won't. It means a lot to her." Yuko was staring up at Pillar Peak from her seat.
I hear Takamina point out to Yuko, "You admire her."
Yuko turns her head to her, surprised. "Nah, she's always so strict when I see her. Uptight stick, she usually threatens to fire me if I do something wrong." Yuko rolls her eyes. "I guess we get along alright though...when she's not in work mode. Hm.. In a way, I do respect her. She's powerful...yeah, I guess I admire that part of her. She's worked hard to get where she is now. I'd like to be that kind of person one day."
"As if you can." Mayu scoffs from behind. I hear Miichan try to stifle a laugh.
I smile as Yuko turns around to them. She hits both their heads. They both cry out.
"I can dream! Don't you guys have dreams?" Yuko questions, frowning.
"I wish for fame and fortune as a successful and highly acclaimed doctor." Mayu states immediately.
"My dream is to make discoveries, as I'm kind of already doing. Though, I do want to make a scientific breakthrough that will change the world." Miichan says.
"I know you can do it." Yuko smiles to Miichan. She looks to Mayu, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck there, buddy."
Mayu frowns. "What's that supposed to mean? That's not encouraging at all!" Yuko only winks in return.
"Do you have a dream?" I hear Takamina ask me as we near the pyramids.
"Acchan doesn't have any dreams, so don't bother." Yuko waves her hand dismissively.
"You don't? Is that good or bad?" Takamina asks, concerned.
I briefly glance at her before I face the sidewalk. "It's not bad, but don't listen to Yuko. She doesn't know what she's talking about. I do have a dream."
"Since when??" Yuko questions.
"What is it?" Miichan asks me.
"It's a secret." I smile.
"Awh! But that's no fun! Come on, Ac—"
"We're here!" I abruptly announce, shifting the cart into park along the edge of the sidewalk.
"Tch." I hear Yuko as she gets out of the cart. We all hop out too.
"Sugoi..." Takamina looks around, her head turning slowly.
"This is Pyramid Square. There are five pyramids as you can see. The four large ones around this area here are all connected at their corners, forming a square hence the name 'Pyramid Square.' The smaller one in the center is the newest, recently built last year. It's not opened though so we can't go in there at this time."
"So huge." Takamina mumbles still looking at the pyramids wonderingly.
"Well? Which one do you want to see first?" Yuko asks, quickly checking her watch.
"It doesn't matter. I just want to see."
Yuko rolls her eyes, "Thanks for making my job harder than it already is... Ok! We'll go in order, clockwise. Egyptian first!" Yuko leads us towards the one of the great pyramids.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Egyptian"This is just a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It would take practically hours if we were to walk around it if you wanted to, so we're just going to step inside here." Yuko holds out her arm to indicate the entranceway of the pyramid.
"Into the tomb we shall go! Maybe we'll come across some booby traps. You think you're ready Takamina?" Yuko looks down on the shorter girl.
Takamina was quickly reading through the pyramids pamphlet guide that Mayu gave her for reference. She glances up at Yuko before looking into the dark entrance. She gulps nervously. "You say that...but it's not dangerous right?
"It depends on the person if it is or not. Sooooo are we going inside or what?" She asks impatiently.
Takamina takes a deep breath. "Okay, why not." She musters up a brave face before Yuko laughs, pushing her through the entrance first. I hear Takamina cry out, "W-wait! Why am I going first?? I change my mind! I don't want to go inside after all! Yuko!" She screams.
Yuko's laugh echoes as they disappear inside. "No worries, Bakamina. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Nooooo!"
The rest of us follow closely behind them. Mayu shines a flashlight, pointing it towards the front. Yuko and Takamina are illuminated. Takamina was on the ground, holding on to Yuko's leg so she couldn't move.
"Geez! I get it, get off me!" Yuko tries to shake the smaller girl off her leg. She turns to Mayu, the flashlight's light beaming into her face. "Oi! Turn that off! The torches are gonna come on in a second."
A moment later, the tomb is washed in fiery light as artificial torches are lit along the walls. Mayu shuts off the flashlight, putting it away.
"Look, it's not bad in here alright?" Yuko tries to assure Takamina. The shorter girl had let go of her leg and was already standing again. I guess the extra light helps.
"Come on, we're not through here yet. We're just getting started!" Yuko links her arms with Takamina's and drags her forward.
After walking for several minutes of walking through the tomb, I let out a tired yawn.
"Acchan!" I hear Miichan call me.
"Huh?" I turn my head as I walk and find myself walking through a large spider web. "EhhhaahhHHHHHHHHH!!" I scream, my arms flailing wildly to remove it. I'm an archaeologist, but I hate webs! The fact completely slipped my mind that there would be any here. Even if it's only artificial. I continue screaming, my body internally disgusted at the sticky feeling.
"Watch out!" I hear Mayu warn before I could comprehend the wall in front of me. I run into it, face first, and crash on the ground on my knees.
"Itai!" Next time, let's not let Takamina pick the place. I rub my head, next patting around my body for any remaining webs. My body shivers. I'm starting to not like this place.
"Be careful. Are you okay?" Miichan helps me stand up while Mayu surveys me. She holds up a thumb.
"You're good." She states. Thanks.
"Where's Yuko and Takamina?" I look around for the two but don't see them.
"Must have went ahead. Better catch up." Miichan suggests. I nod my head.
A few minutes later, we're still walking and still no sign of them. Are we going the right way? It's not really a maze here, most everything is one way. The point of the tomb is to get to the treasure located deep in the center. Easy, right? No.
Mayu suddenly freezes, slowly turning her head to us. She has an 'I'm so sorry' expression'. We look to the ground to her feet to see one foot lower than the other. Oh no. A rumbling is heard behind and we all reluctantly look behind us. A large boulder was hurtling towards us.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The three of us scream and high-tail it as fast as we can.
"We're dead! We're so dead!" Miichan screams.
"I'M SORRY!" The doctor wails as she pushes her legs to the limit.
With tears in my eyes, I let out laughter.
"It's not real! It's not real!" I scream. "It's completely paper mache, but why are we still running!" I find it too hilarious. Although it's artificial, we don't want to get run over by it.
Up ahead, we spot the two midgets. They hear us and turn around.
"What did you do?!" Yuko screams, eyes bulging out. She pushes Takamina forward and they both start running as we reach them. They lead us.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK?! I SET OFF A BOOBY TRAP!" Mayu shouts. The boulder was still barreling right behind us.
"WHAT?! THERE ARE NO BOOBY TRAPS!" Yuko screams at the top of her lungs. "I LIED!" She screams again.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" We all scream as we run for our lives through the pyramid. We were coming up on a corner. Yes! We can escape it there!
The five of us push ourselves with all our might, barely turning into the new tunnel. The boulder smashes against the wall with a loud thud. We all crash into the ground, breathing heavily.
"What the heck..." Mayu breathes.
Miichan lies on her back, arms spread out. "What...was that?"
"I thought you said it wasn't dangerous?" Takamina asks tiredly as she leans against the wall.
"It's not! Of course there shouldn't be booby traps. Otherwise we would be getting sued for endangering people." Yuko explains, wiping sweat off her brow. "It's supposed to be an attraction. People see what it's like inside the pyramid and find their way to the center for the treasure. Once they make it, they're rewarded with candy. That's the treasure. It's especially for the kids who visit, so this place is supposed to be child-friendly otherwise SAFE. What the heck is going on? I led a tour here just the other week."
"It does seem like there's been a lot of changes and maintenance going on around here recently. Looks like Mariko-sama forgot to give us notice." Mayu comments.
"I swear, that woman.." Miichan mutters.
"She wouldn't make make it dangerous though. She knows better than that." I say.
"That's right. Of course she wouldn't, but you can bet it's also just the kind of thing she would do."
Yuko has a point. If it's Mariko-sama, she would probably do something like this after museum hours or when the island is closed, in which it was yesterday. The museum is closed to people on Mondays, because really, who's going to get up on a Monday. Not Mariko-sama. But she could have done something...
"I want to get out of here." Takamina tells me. "It's not fun."
I glare at Yuko.
"Hey, she picked this place not me." She mutters.
"Are we going to get to the other pyramids?" Miichan asks. Takamina is alarmed for a moment. I shake my head.
"I don't think so. Just in case we run into something like this again, you know?"
"Ah yeah, I'm tired of running anyways. I want to go sit back on that cart." Miichan grins.
I smile at Takamina. "It's okay. Once we get to the center, it'll be easy to get out."
"Where are we?" I ask Yuko.
Yuko looks around. "Umm... Somewhere... But almost there. We just have to keep following the tunnel. We'll get there soon. I'd say maybe ten, fifteen minutes?" She shrugs.
We all tiredly get up and keep walking.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Better?" I ask Takamina as we exit the pyramid.
She had a handful of candy in her hands. She grins, nodding. "Yes!"
After finding the center, we were all amazed at the treasure trove of candy. Usually there's just a large sarcophagus filled to the brim, but the room was literally filled with candy everywhere. Just imagine, instead of a room overflowing with gold and the like, it was all sorts of candy. Takamina reacted the most to it though. Her eyes sparkled as if all she just went through was forgotten and all the sweets just made up for it. Considering her reaction, I bet she loved Haruna's candy shop. I smile, just picturing it.
Takamina had taken her fill, and we gladly helped ourselves a bit too. Afterwards, we moved on to the exit that was just on the other side of the room. Then again, we were at the center of the pyramid right? Yea, but the door just led to a single, long hallway that led outside. Pretty simple, because who's going to want to find their way out after getting rewarded. No one's got time for that. It's like Halloween. Escape the tricks, take your treats, and leave.
"So we're done here, right? We don't need to see the other pyramids?" Yuko asks for confirmation. The Mayan and Aztec pyramids would actually be interesting to check out though. Too bad Takamina doesn't seem interested in them. She's had enough from the Egyptian one already. I don't want to risk running into trouble in the other pyramids anyways. But I don't want to leave here just yet.
"I kind of wanted to go see the butterfly conservatory." I say. It's amazing in there, I really want Takamina to see it.
"I want to see it too while it's still open. They're going to close the conservatory soon due to the cold weather, so we should check it out while we still can." Mayu suggests.
"What is it?" Takamina asks.
"Another pyramid." I say. Takamina widens her eyes. "No." I quickly say. "This one is different from the others. You'll like it."
"You always say that."
"Say what?"
"That I'll like this, or I'll like that. How do you know? What if you're wrong?"
I smile. "What's not to like? You'll find here that there's a lot you will find yourself enjoying. More than you know, the likes will weigh over the dislikes. And I won't be wrong."
"Why?"
"Because I can tell. Once getting to know you, it's not hard to see what will interest you."
"Hm?" Takamina tilts her head. "What interests me? You don't know that."
"I don't? And why not?" I ask, amused.
"Because then—" she stops herself. I look at her confused. Then? She shakes her head. "Nevermind, I get it." She smiles. Um, sure?
"Ok, then let's go then. Let's see what you think about this pyramid." I lead Takamina over to the others as they headed to the glass pyramid on the other side of pyramid square.
Butterfly"Why does this one look different from the others?" Takamina asks me, taking notice of the glass compared to the brick ones.
"Hm... Think of it like a giant greenhouse. Inside, we keep plenty of vegetation for the butterflies. The glass allows more than enough sunshine in to maintain the plants as well as a suitable temperature for the butterflies to live in. Although, since it's starting to get cold, the thermostat will be put into use more. But just look. Don't you think it's a lot better like this?"
Takamina nods her head slowly as we enter the glass structure, and into the lobby.
Before we enter inside the main exhibit, Yuko gives us a quick prep speech.
"Just a quick warning, if you're not good with insects then it would be in your best interests to not enter. True story, I've seen people cry after entering. The amount of butterflies can be overwhelming, maybe intimidating to some. But if you can handle it, then you'll be amazed. It's really something."
Yuko glances at each of us, waiting for our confirmation. Her hand is on the door knob. When she sees no objection, she grins widely before opening the door. She lets us enter through without a word.
I smile at the sight before us. Thousands of butterflies were fluttering about the large room. Each one was unique, and many different species were making a scene. A very beautiful scene. Their bright colors filled the room and I couldn't help but hold my hands out, hoping at least one would rest on me.
Takamina follows what I'm doing, and walks along the pathway. A small monarch butterfly lands on her held out finger. She stares at it quietly, appreciating its beauty. After a moment, it flies away. Takamina chuckles softly and turns her head to me. She smiles and points to my head. I hadn't noticed it, but an anise swallowtail had perched on my head. I watched it fly away into the garden of flowers.
I hear a laugh. I turn around to Yuko who was swarmed with butterflies around her. She had a camera with her and was trying to snap pictures when one landed on top of her lens. Now multiple were surrounding her, not allowing her to capture them.
"There! That one!" Miichan shouts and I find her and Mayu chasing a particular butterfly. They had small butterfly nets in their hand and looked very determined to catch it.
"What are they doing??" Takamina asks almost alarmingly.
"What does it look like?" I say. "They're trying to catch some." I shrug.
"But..but why? That's bad, right? Are they going to hurt them?" She asks me.
"No, they'll let them go right after." I explain.
Takamina purses her lips, eyeing the two in their little game. She starts to continue down the path, watching the other butterflies as they flutter by. I follow her.
"Sooo..." I try to start up a conversation. "What do you think? Like what you see?"
Takamina laughs, "Yes, you could say that." I catch her eye. "They're very beautiful. It's really wonderful here. I'm glad I could see this."
"Yeah, and there's a lot more to see. I told you, remember?"
"I remember. You said that you would show me." Takamina recalls, smiling.
"Yep and that's just what we're doing. There'll be a lot, but do you think you can keep up with everything?"
She gives me a wry smile. "The real question is, can you keep up with me?"
I nudge her shoulder, smiling. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"There are things I want to show you too." She tells me before backtracking to meet back with the others.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1:02pm"Are we going to eat lunch yet? I'm hungry." Mayu states.
"Hold on. We're gonna visit one more place first before we eat." Yuko says. Mayu groans.
"Oh come on, we just ate almost two hours ago. You can wait a bit longer." Miichan tries to persuade the younger girl.
"Hmph! Acchan, where are you taking us?" Mayu whines.
"I don't know. I'm just driving. Ask tour guide-san."
Mayu stares hard at Yuko. Yuko rolls her eyes. "Fine. We'll go eat."
"Yatta!" Mayu cheers.
Yuko whispers to Takamina who then passes on a message to me. Heh, alright. At the next intersection, I turn right heading towards the mountain.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"No way. No way I am doing that." Mayu backs up towards the cart. "You said we were going to eat!"
"We are. We're going to a themed restaurant, but in order to get there we have to do a little climbing."
"I know what a restaurant is, but what's a themed restaurant?" Takamina asks.
"You're asking the wrong question, did you hear her? She said we have to freaking rock climb if we want to eat. Why in the world do we have to do that? Why aren't we taking the lift to get up there?" The restaurant was at least 25 feet above us on a ledge, half embedded into the mountain.
"Mayu, you've been rock climbing before. This should be nothing." I say. "And Takamina, just think of it like this. We're going to be eating at the Rainforest Cafe. What do you think the theme of the restaurant is?"
"Oh! I get it now. A rainforest, right?"
"Right! Good girl!" Yuko grins, patting her on her head.
"She's not a dog!" I scold her.
"I regret nothing." She smiles, sticking her tongue out at me. She turns to Mayu. "The reason we're doing this is so Takamina can gain some experience."
"Hey, Acchan and I haven't rock climbed too." Miichan says.
"I wasn't done speaking yet. Apparently, if you scale the mountain to get there, they let you eat whatever you want for free!"
"Seriously?!" I widen my eyes.
"Why would I lie about free food?"
"What are we waiting for!" Mayu was already at the base of the mountain, slipping on the prepared gear. She changed her mind fast. We laugh, catching up to her.
Yuko helps Takamina put on the harness and attaches the rope. I watch and do the same. Of course they wouldn't be having potential customers climb without a harness. That's why there's already harnesses and climbing gear ready.
Yuko rests her hands on some rocks. She turns her head to us as we ready ourselves.
"It's simple. One hand after the other. Feet follow. Understand?" We all nod.
"There's only one rule you absolutely have to follow." She pauses. "Don't fall."
We blink.
"And that's it! See you at the top!" Yuko begins her ascent.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“She makes it look so easy!” I grit my teeth as I haul my body over the rock face. I stretch out my hand, setting it down cautiously before I boost myself up. Miichan struggles beside me. She side glances me.
“Yuko? Well, yeah. She’s done this before.” We both continue scaling the mountain side.
A couple minutes later, we both freeze as Takamina passes us. She keeps up a steady pace. It’s like she knows just what to do. She doesn’t hesitate where she places her hands, and her footing is firm.
“And her? You think she’s done this before too?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Come on, guys! You’re halfway there!” Yuko calls down to us. She just reached the top. She looks over the ledge to us. “Would it be alright if I went ahead?”
“Not without me!” Mayu shouts as she reaches the top. Yuko helps pull her up.
“We’ll save you a seat!” You’ll be fine, just don’t take too long!” Mayu yells. We blink. They’re really ditching us here?!
“Oi! Chot--Ah!” I lose my footing and fall before I realize it.
“Acchan!” Miichan cries.
I shut my eyes. Ah...so this is how I’ll die. No, that’s not what I’m really thinking. My mind is a blur. My thoughts are racing through my head. I’m internally screaming. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. This is not happening! There’s so much I have yet to do! I haven’t killed Yuko for this yet, and Takamina oh god. Takamina. I don’t even know if she’ll still be here at the end of the week. Will they be able to collect them all without me? If I die, will I see Takamina in the afterlife? That’s even worse to think. Maybe I won’t die. Hopefully, I’ll just be horribly injured. At least I’d be alive. How am I even still thinking? Why haven’t I hit the ground yet?
I open my eyes. I wasn’t falling. I was hanging, looking down on the Earth. I look up. Takamina was holding on to my wrist. She had a relieved smile on her face. How…? She lightly swings me to the face of the mountain. When I can hold on by myself, I look up at her.
“But you were just up there… I saw you. You were past us. How were-- How?” I’m confused. I feel like an idiot, I forgot to say the most important thing.
“Thank you…” I mumble.
She smiles, satisfied. “I climbed back down below you sometime while you were paying attention to Yuko. It was strange. I had a feeling this would happen. I’m glad I was right. Not like that though! It’s not like I was glad that you fell… I’m just glad I was able to catch you.”
“Smooth Takamina, smooth.” Miichan comments, lowering herself a few feet towards us. “Not to burst your bubble though, but Acchan was perfectly safe. I admit for a minute there, I was scared, but there was really nothing to worry about. The harness would have caught her, but you just had to create a big scene out of it.” Up behind her, I notice Yuko and Mayu sitting at the top observing us with bags of popcorn in their hands.
“Hey!” Yuko snaps at Miichan. “You ruined it! It was starting to get good!”
Mayu nods beside her. “Heck, it was just starting actually.”
Takamina, Miichan, and I continue climbing to the top. I think I’ve had enough of this for one lifetime.
“Weren’t you guys saving us a seat??” What are you doing here? And before I forget... “ I grab Yuko’s neck. lightly strangling her. It’s not like I’m really trying to injure her. I’m just showing her how much I hate how carefree she can be about just anything.
When I let go, she starts rubbing her neck irritatingly.
“What was that for? I got us a reservation. We didn’t need to save our seats in the first place. Mayu and I only went ahead so we could get some snacks. Yuko offers her popcorn to me.
“Really?” These two are unbelievable. I grab Yuko’s popcorn and throw it over the mountain.
“Nooo!” Yuko cries out, reaching for nothing. “How could you? What did my popcorn ever do to you?”
I roll my eyes. “Can’t you take things seriously for once? It’s always one thing after another with you.”
“Hmph! Come on, Takamina! Let’s leave Boring-san alone.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2:16pmYou know, I have a feeling that this is what we always do. It's like we eat more than do other things. I frown. It's not like I don't like food, who doesn't? But if we keep spending time eating, we won't be able to get to all the other places we need to go to. I sigh, looking down at my plate.
"Eh?" For some reason, my plate was empty. I look up, glaring at my so called friends.
"Oi. Who took my meal?" I ask threateningly.
Across from me, Takamina pointed immediately at Yuko while Yuko pointed back at her. "She did it!" They both accuse.
"That's what you get for not paying attention." Mayu comments leisurely.
"You should've eaten faster." Miichan says, popping some shrimp in her mouth.
"Why didn't you guys stop them?" I smile irritably at them.
"E-eh? S-sorry, I'll make sure they pay for it." Mayu says quickly.
"No, I'll make sure." I turn my head back to the two who instantly freeze.
"Ah, look the dessert is here." I smile innocently at them as a waiter sets down a sparkling volcano. It was a specialty of this restaurant. It's a chocolate brownie volcano with vanilla and chocolate ice cream scoops, chocolate and caramel sauce and whipped cream. A small sparkler was added to the top to give it a more volcano like effect.
Yuko and Takamina gulp, their eyes glued to the mouth watering dessert. They grab their spoons and reach out for it. I slap their hands away.
"Nope, you two can't have any."
"You can't tell us what to do!" Yuko yells and scoops some ice cream. I immediately kick her leg under the table causing her to flinch back and spill her ice cream. She gasps and looks at me like she couldn't believe I just did that. Takamina looks at me and shrinks back, not wanting to try what Yuko just did.
"It's mine now, Yuko." I smile.
"Hey Acchan...can we have any? We didn't eat any of your food." Miichan asks shyly with Mayu nodding and pleading behind her.
I think for a minute. "Sure, why not. It's a better punishment if those two watch all of us eat it rather than me eating it by myself. I doubt I would be able to finish it anyways." I admit.
"Yes! Thanks!" Miichan and Mayu high five each other before sticking their tongues out at Yuko and Takamina who frown sadly at them.
The three of us laugh as we eat up the delicious dessert.
"Oh, this is so goooood." Miichan moans, eating most of the ice cream just to spite them.
I giggle. I take some brownie and put it in my mouth, slowing chewing on it. I savor the taste affectionately.
"Jealous, Yuko?" Mayu smirks as she eats another brownie topped with whipped cream. "Mmmm, so sweet."
Yuko looks at us as if she's so done with us. "You guys sound like you're having sex. Takamina, cover your eyes." She commands the shorter girl.
We stop eating and take a glance at the squirrel. We look back at each other and our food, and finally burst out laughing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
3:04pmFloor 3 of Pillar Peak, we arrive at the dinosaur exhibit. Inside, we find enormous foot tracks that are embedded on the floor through the entrance. Takamina is very surprised by them. She scurries to them looking very curiously at them. She sets her foot over one, the footprint monstrously larger than hers by comparison.
"What is this?" She questions. "Is this from an animal?" She darts her eyes about nervously.
"Well as we told you earlier, we're now in the dinosaur exhibit. What you see is just a footprint of a tyrannosaurus rex. We'll be seeing one in a bit." I explain.
Takamina widens her eyes and backs away. She turns and runs to Yuko, pushing the slightly taller girl in front of her as we go forward through the short hall.
Yuko laughs, "There's nothing to be afraid of. It won't bite...maybe."
I shoot her a glare. "Don't tell her that!"
"Is...it a monster? Is um..a dinosaur a monster?" Takamina asks.
"It's cooler than a monster!" Miichan yells.
I laugh, "Yeah, you could say that. It's better than a monster. The difference between them though is that dinosaurs were real."
"Were?"
We enter into the main exhibit and are greeted by the standing structure of a tyrannosaurus rex. Takamina is taken aback by the intimidating beast and hides behind me.
"Hey it's okay, it's just a skeleton." I assure her.
"Yeah, see? It's not alive." Miichan walks up to the skeleton, lightly tapping a finger on the t-rex's foot.
Takamina comes out slowly behind me. She goes towards the t-rex, eyeing its large teeth cautiously.
"This...used to be here? This thing was alive?" Takamina asks almost horrified by the thought. I know, if they were still around today then we probably wouldn't be here now.
"Along with the other dinosaurs you see around here, yes. They were alive millions of years ago, but are now extinct." I explain.
Takamina widens her eyes. She walks around the exhibit, seemingly fascinated by the other ancient creatures, now just bone.
"Can we leave?" She suddenly asks.
"But we just got here?" Mayu says.
“It's weird. Being around something that's already dead. Like you're supposed to bury the dead right? So even if its amazing to have these around, it feels wrong to have these standing here.”
We all exchange glances. It’s expected that Takamina would have different perspectives than us seeing she’s from another time. What do we say to that though? I don't exactly have an answer for her.
Mayu shrugs. "It's just the way it is."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
4:10pm"Finally! Look look look! Here's where I work! This is the art gallery! What do you think?" Yuko bounces excitedly for Takamina's reply.
"I thought you were a tour guide?" The shorter girl asks.
"I am! I give tours around the museum on the side, but my main career is here at the art gallery. I love guiding people here to the different painting exhibits, and educating them on the importance of art and photography." Yuko speaks proudly.
"They're really interesting." Takamina comments as we walk by several famous paintings.
"Aren't they amazing?" Yuko smiles as her eyes scan over some of Picasso's work.
"Un. I can tell there's different feelings behind each one." Takamina nods appreciatively.
"Yeah. The artists who created them expressed themselves in their work. Each one is saying something different. It's a matter of the viewer though to interpret the message from their own perspective. Their paintings speak to people." Yuko says, admiringly.
"Do you have a favorite?" Mayu asks Takamina.
"Ah! Yeah, here!" Takamina walks across the room. The rest of us follow eagerly, particularly Yuko.
"This one." Takamina indicates to the famous painting, The Scream.
"Why?" We all ask at the same time.
Takamina shrugs. "I don’t know the context, but it catches my attention. Like what am I doing here, what's happening, what's going to happen, I don't understand, that kind of thing. It's like it's saying it doesn’t know what it’s doing. Ah, yeah, kinda like that."
"Interesting." Yuko nods, thoughtfully. She smiles, "Here, I want to show you something cool. Let's see if you can understand it."
Yuko takes us into another room. It's completely empty besides several empty frames on the walls. Oh, this room. I fold my arms.
"So, what do you think?" She asks Takamina.
Takamina scratches her head. "Am I missing something?"
"No, this is the famous Invisible Art exhibit. A lot of people actually come to see it. Though, they can't really "see" it if you know what I mean." Yuko explains, chuckling.
"Uso! There's really art here??" Takamina looks at the empty frames.
I shake my head. "Don't be fooled by it. There's no way to make something invisible so it's really a hoax."
"But it brings in tons of cash." Mayu laughs.
"How do you know?" Yuko argues. "I believe it's there. Why would Mariko-sama put in fake paintings in her exhibit? She wouldn't!"
"I agree with Yuko. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there."
Yuko pats Takamina's back. "This is why she's my favorite. And the rest of you..." Yuko sticks her tongue out at us.
"Hey Yuko! What's this room??" Miichan calls, standing in front of another door.
"Ah, that's the children's room. So they don't get bored here. You can go inside." She encourages.
Miichan opens the door and I peek in from behind. Oh yeah, I forgot about this room. Unlike the empty room we were just in, this one was larger and way too colorful. It was originally white, but there's just paint everywhere now. In the center of the room sat multiple trays of fresh paint, and a fountain sink to wash hands.
"This is cute!" Miichan says scanning the wall. She notes the small fingerprints of the various kids who scribbled and painted on it.
"Normally, kids get in trouble for scrawling all over walls, but here they can doodle or paint all they want. There's plenty of space for all of it." Yuko grins. "Takamina, you wanna try?"
Takamina nods shy, but seems excited to try it out. Yuko offers the trays and tells her she could just place her hands in them. They don't use paint brushes, because there's no fun in it.
Takamina picks two colors, pink and yellow. She was about to place her hand in the trays when she hesitates. She looks at Yuko.
"You first."
"Sure, I've done this a million times anyways."
Yuko soaks her hands, one becomes blue and the other green. She was about to place them on the wall, when she suddenly turns around to Takamina. Before she can react, Yuko places her hands on Takamina's cheeks leaving her handprints on them. She laughs, backing away from her.
"So it's like that, but make sure you do it on the wall!" She keeps laughing.
Takamina, initially shocked by the feeling of paint on her skin, recovers quickly. She hurries over to the paint trays and places her hands over the pink and yellow paint.
She gasps. "It feels cold!"
"You get used to it." Yuko smiles.
"I get it." Takamina smiles deviously, and charges for Yuko.
"Ah ah ah, you can't catch me!" Yuko laughs, running around the room.
Takamina runs with her hands stretched out trying to catch Yuko. Yuko runs towards me and I move to get out of her way but she smirks and keeps running to my direction. What is she doing?!
I hold up my arms as a shield thinking she might crash into me, but at the last possible second she turns away. Immediately right behind her was Takamina who tries to stop before she gets to me. It was too late.
She runs into me with her hands extended. I scream pushing her away from me. I blush furiously. Yuko was laughing.
"Nice aim, Takamina! That's how you do it!" She claps her hands. Mayu and Miichan by this time were laughing too.
My shirt now had paint on it, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was where. She had accidentally grabbed my boob, her other hand landing on my stomach fortunately though. It was still embarrassing.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Takamina consistently bows, apologizing repeatedly. She keeps her eyes away from me, a worried look across her face.
"No no, it's okay stop bowing. I know it wasn't your fault." I shoot daggers at Yuko.
"Gomen gomen. It's fun though." She winks.
"Don't mess with me, Yuko." I frown.
"Hai hai, I'll try not to."
"Really?"
"Really." She smiles.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
5:26pm"Uwaaa~ Look at all the fishies!" Takamina cries out in delight as we look through the glass. Just beyond it was hundreds of schools of fish that I couldn't place a name to. But yeah, there were many.
"Hey Takamina, what type of fish do you like?" Yuko asks grinning. "If I had to, I'd say my favorites are mackerel and saury."
"Yuko, you're awful! What if Takamina doesn't eat fish?" Mayu questions.
"Both of you, why are you going on about food? This is an aquarium, we're not at a seafood restaurant." I say.
"I eat them, but I don't know." Takamina comments, replying to Mayu's question. "I don't know their names, and I've never seen this many so clearly. If I tried to open my eyes underwater, everything would look blurry. I knew there were animals under the water, but I never knew there were so many. It's...mysterious. That's the word, right?"
"Hehhhhh, so this is your first time seeing something like this?" Yuko asks.
Takamina takes a step back. "Yeah..."
"Have you been to a beach before?"
I elbow Yuko. "Itai!" She cries out.
"Don't get any ideas." I glare at her.
"Hey, I was just curious."
"Guys!" I hear Miichan call across the room. "Look at the otters!" She grins waving at us to come over,
Before Takamina has the chance to answer Yuko, I lead our small group over. If Takamina hasn't been to a beach before, knowing Yuko she'd find some way for us to go to one. Even with this cold weather, she'd probably persuade Miichan to let us borrow Mariko's jet again just so we could go somewhere warmer. Ugh. I definitely do not want to go to a beach. Not because of these stupid excuses I keep making up, but because I don't want to have to wear a bikini...in front of Takamina. I shake my head, frowning. What am I thinking? We're not going to one, period.
"Kawaii!" All our eyes are glued to the floating otter as it holds a small shell in its paws.
Takamina is mesmerized by its cuteness. "Uwaaa isn't it adorable!" She smiles wide at it. "I'm going to take some photos." She gets out her phone fumbling on it. So she's already figured out how to work the camera? Not surprising, since Yuko didn't leave much for her to figure out on it.
"Did it turn out well?" I ask.
"Yep! Great!" She briefly shows me. I smile. It's nice seeing her so happy.
After that, we head on to the penguin exhibit and then later stop by a vendor for some food. Takamina gets melonpan, munching on it quietly while looking around.
"Found you!" We hear a voice call out to us. A tall, slim figure was approaching, her hair put up in a ponytail. She was wearing the employee's uniform for the aquarium. So she's working today huh. No wonder we came here.
"Yuki!" Mayu's eyes widen as a smile smears across her face, displaying her excitement. She suddenly remembers us and coughs, "Ahm I mean, er good to see you again. I didn't know you'd be working today." She blatantly lies. Yuko, Miichan, and I all exchange glances.
"How are you doing, Yukirin?" I smile, asking.
"Better, now that you guys are here!" She says excitedly.
Miichan leans over to Yuko. "She means better now that Mayu's here." She whispers, laughing softly.
"Who's this?" Yukirin asks us about Takamina. She looks down on her, staring at her for a moment. Takamina stares back too. Yukirin pats Takamina's head. "She's so small! So cute!"
I notice Mayu pouting behind her.
"I feel you. Why does everyone seem to like Takamina? NyanNyan and then Yukirin too." I hear Yuko mutter beside Mayu. I thought I heard her mention me, but I'm sure I'm just hearing things.
"My name is Takahashi Minami, but everyone calls me Takamina." Takamina introduces herself.
Yukirin smiles. "Nice to meet you, Takamina. I'm Kashiwagi Yuki, or Yukirin. You new here to the island? I haven't seen you around before."
"Yes, she is. We've been showing her around today." I say.
"Oh, well perfect timing! The dolphin show is going to start soon here at 6. Why don't you come watch? I'll have to go prepare here in a few minutes, but I can show you to some great seats."
"You'd do that?" Mayu asks excitedly, hugging Yukirin's arm.
Yukirin laughs, "Call it a special treat since all of you came today. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Come, follow me." She takes Mayu's hand as they head towards the dolphin show.
We laugh as we follow not Yukirin, but Mayu and Yukirin.
"Mayu's so cute. She should be like this more often." Yuko whispers.
"Are they a thing yet?" Miichan asks.
"It's certainly heading in that direction." I laugh.
"They're holding hands." Takamina comments to us.
"Yeah, it's cute isn't it?" Yuko says, grinning.
"But...they're holding hands..." Takamina repeats. "In front of us.." Her brows furrow, showing her confusion.
"Yeah, Mayu probably wouldn't normally do that in front of us, but since Yukirin wants to.." She trails off, laughing.
Takamina continues to furrow her brows, eyeing the couple, particularly their intertwined hands.
"What is it about it?" I ask, since it seems she can't get it out of her mind. Does she have something against it? Is there something wrong with it?
Takamina shakes her head, half smiling. "No, it's nothing. Just thinking things. It's okay though."
Why do I feel like it's deja vu. She said something like this before. It's bothering me.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"These are the best seats?!" Yukirin had led us to the very front, otherwise know as the splash zone.
"Well yeah, it's fun getting wet."
"How would you know?" Yuko questions.
Yukirin smiles, "I've experienced it, duh."
"That's not all she's experienced." Yuko whispers to me and Miichan.
"Yuko, stop talking." Mayu puts a hand on her shoulder.
"Man, you guys don't know how to take jokes." She sighs. "I'm just playing."
"Keep it up, you'll be playing by yourself." She snaps.
"Got it." She grumbles, taking a seat. Yukirin leaves to attend to her job. The rest of us take our seats, waiting for the show to start.
A few minutes later, the show starts and we watch as Yukirin appears on one side of the pool. She greets the crowd calls for the dolphins. A few seconds later, three fins emerge from the water as the dolphins make a beeline to her. Yukirin nods, reaching down to a bucket of fish. One by one she throws them out, each dolphin jumping out of the water to catch one respectively. We clap our hands, but it was too soon. One dolphin had landed back into the water right near us, splashing buckets over us when it was only just the beginning. Yukirin makes a slight wave to us, smiling innocently.
Yuko spits out water, “Black.”
~ ~ ~
After several more splashes, we felt completely done and all got up to leave before it was over. Mayu mutters as we go up the stairs, bad-mouthing Yukirin.
“She did this on purpose. I know its the splash zone, but she kept making them go towards us on purpose.” She shakes her head.
“It was fun though, watching the show I mean.” Takamina comments.
“Way to think positive.” Yuko pats her back.
We dry up in the restroom and Mayu brings us some towels.
“Thanks.” We each take a towel. “Where’d you get them?”
“I borrowed them from the employee’s locker room. Nothing really.”
We all silently agree with her actions.
“Are we leaving our clothes on?” I ask.
“Mine aren’t that wet.” Takamina says. “They’ll dry after a while.”
“I think we should change whether regardless. I don’t want anyone getting sick on me.” Mayu states.
“Hai~” We all answer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
6:43pm"Mitsuketa!" I smile, tagging Takamina before she could run away.
"Mou! Acchan, that was too fast." The shorter girl pouts.
"It's not my fault you're bad at this game." I laugh as I lead her back to base.
We were playing hide and seek in the libraries, or well inside three of them. I said this before, but there are seven libraries on the island. Just last week, I was at Mythos Library up on the mountain. The rest are scattered down on the island. Three of them are connected together in a large building with three sections. From an aerial view, it looks like the letter I. That's where we are. Inside, it holds the Research, Reading, and Children's Library. Not surprising, I found Takamina in the Children's library behind a large stack of books she piled up. Not very discrete, really.
Base is at the center of the building where we all started out. Originally, we were touring through but somehow ended up playing this game instead. This place is perfect for it. Rows and rows of books, a maze for the clueless, so why not?
We gave a brief lesson to Takamina on the rules and had Yukirin be the it person. Before we had left the aquarium, she asked if she could join us since her shift had ended. Yukirin gave us a minute before her search began and before I could even settle into my hiding place, she found me. So I was it now.
"Instead, come help me find the others." I suggest to Takamina. She's happy to since it means she won't be standing around waiting for everyone to be found.
We wander through the libraries through the rows of books. Luckily, I have Takamina as another pair of eyes so it should take a lot less time to find the others.
“Hello?” Takamina calls, looking for any of the others.
“Shhh! You’re not supposed to say anything or you’ll end up giving us away.” I whisper to her. “And they’re not going to come out just because you’re calling them.” I shake my head. “Why do you think it’s called Hide and Seek?”
“Ohh, naruhodo. It makes a lot more sense now.” Takamina can be so helpless sometimes.
“Okay, I got it. Do you have your phone on you?”
“Yes, why?”
“Good. We’ll split up since there’s two more libraries to check. Since I’m the it person, text me if you find anyone. Make sure they don’t notice you though or they’ll run and hide somewhere else.”
She nods her head. “Ok, where do you want me to go?”
I have a feeling Miichan might be in Research, so I’ll check there. You go to Reading. Got it?”
“Un.”
We split up and I head over to the southern section of the building which housed the Research Library. If anything, Miichan has to be over here. I quietly move through the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of her hiding somewhere. I peer over to other shelves, my face just in between the books. Ah, there! I spot a head barely above a shelf. I got you now! I race over there ready to tag her before she runs. When I turn the corner to the row of books, I bump into the wrong person.
“Whoa, this is a library you know? What’s up, Acchan?”
“Sayaka! Gomen! What are you doing here?”
“Work, unfortunately. Brushing up on some materials today and tomorrow as well. So tell me, why were you running?”
“Sorry again, I didn’t mean to disrupt you. I’m kinda in the middle of...something. By any chance, you didn’t happen to see Miichan around here, have you?”
She narrows her eyes at me, I look away. I couldn’t just tell her I was playing a game of hide and seek. Sayaka takes things seriously, she wouldn’t like that we’re messing around in a library of all things. And if she found out that Yuko was here as well, she would definitely start scolding her or all of us. Maybe even report us to Mariko-sama. That must definitely not happen. She might not, but since it’s Sayaka I’m not going to take any chances.
“No, I haven’t seen her. So she’s here too?”
“Yeah, I lost her and I need to find her.” It is the truth.
“Hm.. try calling her cell. She usually keeps her phone on right?”
I take out my phone, browsing through my contacts. She’s not going to keep her phone on in the middle of a quiet game. I try calling her as Sayaka is watching me. This isn’t going to work.
A phone suddenly sounds off in the library, and my head turns to its direction. No way!
“I think I found her now! Thanks!” I tell Sayaka before running off towards where the ringing was coming from before it stopped.
“Any time, and stop running!” She calls before getting shushed by a nearby librarian.
“Blasted phone, why won’t it shut up?!” I hear Miichan whisper furiously as she tries to turn it off. She used to use Apple, but then switched to Android. She hasn’t figured out everything yet. Lucky me.
I sneak up behind her and tackle her to the ground.
“Got you!” I say and start tickling her because I’m mean.
“Ahahaha! Stop! Ahahaha! Acchan! Wahahaha!” She laughs. I let up on her before the librarian decides to come over to our commotion.
Miichan groans, lying on the floor tired. “What’d you do that for? I don’t recall playing football.”
“I needed a good laugh.” I grin at her.
“Haha, very funny.” She gets up, punching my shoulder lightly.
“Am I the first you’ve found?”
“No, you’re good. I got Takamina first.”
“Of course you did.”
“All that’s left is Mayu, Yukirin, and Yuko.”
“Ha. Good luck finding Yuko.”
“Why?”
“She’s really good at hiding. Must be because she’s small.”
“But I found Takamina, and she’s smaller.”
“Takamina has no experience in this game, that’s it. Where is she now?”
“I sent her to the Reading Library. She should be-- ah! That must be her.” I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and take it. I scan over the text.
“Greaaaat.” I roll my eyes, starting to head over there.
“What happened?” Miichan asks.
“Takamina. She found Mayu and Yukirin, but they spotted her and ran. Takamina followed them, but she can’t reach them now.”
“What do you mean?”
We make it to the northern section of the building to the Reading Library. We look around for Takamina, and possibly Mayu and Yukirin. Eventually, we come across all of them, but not how we’d expect.
Mayu and Yukirin were laughing, sitting on top of a tall bookshelf. Takamina was pouting because she couldn’t reach them.
“Acchaaaaaaaan.” She complains when she sees me. “You’re supposed to tag them when you find them right? Can you reach them though? I wanted to get them so you could, but…” she frowns.
I look up at the two, enjoying themselves. “Hey, that’s cheating!” I call to them. “How’d you two get up there anyways?” I ask right after.
“There’s a ladder on the other side of the shelf. Bakamina can do a lot of things, but she can’t even notice it.” Mayu laughs lightly.
We over to the other side of the shelf and sure enough, there was a ladder. Takamina looks away sheepishly. “I didn’t know…” she mumbles, pouting.
“Ok, you two that’s enough. Get down now.” I tell them. “Or do I have to go up there?”
“Whether we go down or not, you still got us. So you come up here.” Mayu smirks.
“Making me do more work.” I groan. “Nevermind then, I’m going to go look for Yuko.”
“You’ll never find her.” Mayu calls.
“Need a hint?” Yukirin smiles deviously.
I raise an eyebrow. “Depends… Are you helping Yuko or helping me?”
“Do you want it or not?”
“Fine fine, what is it?”
“Where is the last place anyone would think to look for her?” she asks.
I put a hand on my head. “Give me a minute to think.”
The women’s gravure magazines? No, that’s the first place everyone looks.
The art history books in the Research Library? No, she wouldn’t hide there.
Tch. Where would she be? I look to Takamina.
“Hey, what would be the one place you wouldn’t hide at.” I ask her.
“Huh? Oh, that would um be base then, wouldn’t it? That’s where “it” counts so I wouldn’t hide there.” She shakes her head.
I slap myself. “Oh duh! Of course she’d be there.” Dang it, I mutter under my breath as I hurry to base which was the front desk at the center of the library. I quietly but quickly scan the area. No sign of her. Of course its not that easy. I make my way behind the desk and look under it.
“Found you!” I tag the last person.
“Took you long enough. I started to feel claustrophobic under here.” Yuko comes out from under the desk and stretches her arms. “Next time, find me first. It gets so boring always being the last found.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
8:48pm"Sugoi!" Takamina's eyes widen as she bears an awestruck smile across her face.
At the moment, we were touring the world records museum located above the food court. The museum takes up a total of three floors, housing objects such as the world's largest rubber band ball to the smallest hand made paper crane which I believe you need a magnifying glass to properly see it.
"Banzai!" Yuko screams as she jumps into the world's largest ball pit. This is what we really came for.
"Just jump right in! I promise you won't drown!" Yuko grins to Takamina.
Takamina bends down at the edge of the pit. She picks up one of the colorful balls, tossing it in the air back inside. She smiles, reaching in to pick up another one. As she reaches in, Miichan's jumps out from nowhere and pulls Takamina in.
"Kyaaa—" Takamina's scream is quickly cut off by the sound of her laughter as she, Yuko, and Miichan start throwing balls at each other while "swimming" around.
I start to laugh when I'm suddenly pushed into the pit.
"Oi!" I stand amidst the balls, looking up at Mayu as she jumped in after me.
"Yuko told me to!" She sticks her tongue out as she throws a blue ball at my face, hitting my nose.
I gasp and throw one back but she dodges, hiding under the mass piles of plastic balls. I wade or somehow make my way to where she was only to find her nowhere. I wait for her to come out, but soon hear her on the other side of the pit. Dang her! I'm about to head over to her when Yuko jumps out bringing me under as if to drown me.
"Death by plastic balls!" She cries.
I push her away only to go under again as my feet are pulled out from under me. When I'm able to resurface, I notice Yuko and Takamina ready with balls in their hands. I quickly react going back under bfore they could hit me.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Acchan, look!" Yuko calls, putting on a show for all of us. She had placed multiple balls inside her shirt.
"Look at all my oppai!" She jokes, laughing. One slips out of her shirt. Miichan and I howl with laughter.
"Miss, you lost a boob." Mayu grins as she returns it to Yuko. Yuko pushes it back to her.
"No, you keep it. You need it more than me." We die, laughing as Mayu throws the ball in Yuko's face.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ready?" Mayu asks as we proceed with the chicken fight. She acts as ref as we play. Takamina sits on my shoulders as Yuko sits on Miichan's.
We stare down each other waiting for Mayu's signal.
There's a moment of silence.
"Go!"
"Ahhhh!" Both sides scream as we take each other head on.
I move through the pit as fast as I can. It's hard enough moving by myself, but with Takamina on my shoulders it's a bit more of a challenge. I have to make sure I don't step on a ball or somehow lose my balance.
Both pairs reach each other. Miichan and I clasp hands, pushing against each other in an attempt to get the other off balance. Above us, Takamina and Yuko were grasping each other's arms trying to pull the other off.
While I fend off against Miichan, I feel my balance start to shift weighing to my left. Yabai! I yell and hold onto Takamina, my hands on her thighs. She tries to balance herself but with nothing to hold onto, its difficult. I pull onto her so she leans back and we regain balance.
As I pulled her forward, Takamina uses that force to her advantage and knocks herself into Yuko. We push them back.
"Acchan!" Takamina shouts.
"I know!" I yell back and start handing balls to Takamina one by one.
She starts throwing them swiftly at Yuko and Miichan who were trying to defend themselves.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Miichan calls.
"Mayu!" Yuko shouts at our ref.
Mayu was busy playing with Yukirin on the other side of the pit.
"Argghhhh!" Yuko screams as she and Miichan try to make a break for us. They bravely take the hits head on as we don't let up on them.
They get closer and closer to us. It's now or never.
"Takamina!" I shout, charging for the pair.
"We got this!" She shouts.
"Ahhhhh!" We all scream.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ok, I'm done." Yuko mutters as we leave the world records museum. We wait for the elevator to come up. "First basketball, and now the chicken fight. Why can't I win?" Yuko grumbles.
"Maybe you just need to team up with Takamina. Then you two would probably be an unbeatable pair." I say.
"No, that wouldn't work if I'm trying to beat her!"
"But you did beat her back in Tokyo. Well, it was more like a one-sided fight." Mayu comments.
"That's why it doesn't count." The elevator doors open and we step inside. "Mou whatever. Let's just go now. Where next?" Yuko's hand pauses before the elevator buttons.
"Are you guys going anywhere next? It's already late, it's past 11 already." Yukirin says.
Yuko sighs, "Already?" She presses the button to ground floor.
We step off at the bottom.
"Um Yuko, wrong floor. Shouldn't we be getting back to our rooms?" Mayu asks.
"Wait, just one more place. It won't take long, really." She pleads.
"But all that's here on this floor is check-in and the gif—" Mayu stops herself. Yuko nods as if telling her to go on.
"The gift shop, really?" She deadpans.
"I have every tour end at the gift shop, why should this be any different?" She smiles, grabbing Takamina's arm. "Come on!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
11:15pmWe enter the small shop, looking through the souvenirs. Nothing much really interest me, I’ve seen everything here before.
“Acchan, over here! Look!” Takamina calls me to her.
“What is it?”
“This is so cool! It changes colors!” She hold up her hand, showing me a ring on her finger.
“Oh, that’s a mood ring. It changes colors based on your mood. You see how it’s purple right now? That means you’re happy.”
Takamina smiles. “I am.”
“Ah, it’s changing colors again.” I point to the ring. It changes to green.
“What does that color mean?” Takamina asks.
“Um… I can’t say. I don’t really know them all, gomen.” I lie. I glance at Takamina. What does this mean, Takamina? Are you?
“Oh, it’s okay. Why don’t you try it on?” Takamina lends me the ring. I reluctantly put it on.
We watch as the color changes yellow. “Do you know what that means?” Takamina asks. Yuko comes up from behind her taking a look.
“It means she’s nervous.” She gives me a sly smile. I frown at her and take the ring off.
“No, this ring must be faulty.” I place it back on the display shelf. I push Yuko away from Takamina before she says anything else that’s ridiculous.
“Oh look, there’s some cell phone straps.” I lead Takamina to the other side of the gift shop. I turn my head to see Yuko waving innocently behind us as we go across the room. She better just stay put.
“These are pretty.” Takamina looks through the cell phone straps. I just watch behind her.
“Ne, Acchan. Can I have one?”
“Sure, that’s why we’re here. Which one do you want?”
“Hmm… I’m still looking.”
“Oh, um… Here’s some cash. It shouldn’t be much to buy it. I’ll wait for you outside.” I smile.
“Ok, don’t leave though. Okay?”
“I won’t. I’ll be just outside.”
She smiles. “Thanks.”
Outside, I’m waiting against the wall beside the gift shop. Mayu and Yukirin come out of the shop and stand beside me.
“They’re still not done?” I ask them.
“Almost. They’re all just checking out at the register.”
“Did they get a lot? Last I checked, there wasn’t a long line.” I ask.
They shrug.
Yuko skips out, followed by Miichan and Takamina.
“Finally.” I breathe out.
Takamina comes over to me with a small bag in her hand. She rummages through it and takes out a cell phone strap.
“Aw, this is cute.” I smile, looking at the small metal ribbon charm at the end. The ribbon had a heart at the very center. I nodded. It suits her.
She hands it to me.
“Eh?”
“This one’s for you. I got one too. They’re a pair.” Takamina smiles wide. She waits for me to accept it.
I stare at her. “T-thank you.” She didn’t have to.
She watches me.
“What?” I look at her.
“Aren’t you going to put it on?”
“Now?”
She nods her head quickly.
I smile. “Why not.” I take out my phone and attach the small strap. She takes out hers and shows me beside mine. They were matching.
Takamina grins.
“Not bad.” I nudge her. “Thanks again.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
11:45pmWe stood in the hallway on the dorm floor. We were in the midst of making a tough decision.
“Where is Takamina sleeping tonight?” Miichan asks.
“She can’t stay with me.” Miichan says. “My room is a mess. Hey Yuko, would you like to clean it sometime?”
“Ha, no. I’ll pass. I clean NyanNyan’s room only.” She smiles.
“Fine, you guys go ahead and decide then. I’m going to sleep. See you tomorrow.” Miichan waves before walking down the hall to her room.
“We can have her switch around. She can stay in my room first. I don’t mind.” Mayu suggests.
“I see. I’m going to sleep too. It was nice meeting you, Takamina. I’ll see you guys around. Goodnight, Mayu.” Yukirin smiles at Mayu before stalking off to her own room. Mayu looks after her longingly.
“I want Bakamina in my room tomorrow then!” Yuko announces. “Acchan, you can have her the night after.”
“Is this arrangement okay with you, Takamina?” I ask.
“I get good places to sleep, so it’s perfect.”
“Alright, let’s go. It’s been a long day. Goodnight, guys.” Mayu starts walking to her room. Takamina follows after her. She stops and turns around.
“Goodnight, Yuko! Goodnight, Acchan!” She smiles and turns back around and hurries after Mayu into her room.
“What are you up to?” I ask Yuko wondering why she seems so excited to have Takamina in her room tomorrow night.
“Nothing really.” Yuko smiles slyly. “Sleep tight, Acchan.” She goes into her room through the door behind her.
“She’s going to be the death of me.” I mutter, shaking my head. I walk to my room, entering through the door.
I look at my room. Simple, tidy, and neat. Empty. I walk over to my closet and hang my coat. I throw my clothes into the laundry basket and change into my pj’s. My body feels so heavy now. We did so much today. It’s as if a sugar rush had ended. I plop onto my bed and turn over into the covers. What should we do tomorrow? I feel like I just want to sleep in. Ah, I’ll just talk to the others tomorrow. I set my alarm for tomorrow and place my phone at the tableside. I stare at the strap hanging off it. Takamina… What are we going to do?
I look at the clock as it strikes midnight. Another day has ended.
= = = = =
ANSooooooo I don’t really know when the next update will be, but there should be 3 maybe 4 more chapters left. I already have the outlines for them done, it’s just a matter of writing them out haha. Come next week, I’ll be back in robotics practice for next competition so I won’t have any time write until everything’s over. This fic will probably be like T3C where I finish during the summer. Yeah. I have to finish by the end of the summer. Haha, I don’t plan on writing this during college. Then I’ll have zero time. Nope, probably only one shots from then on too. Just saying I guess. Alright guys, til next update!
Topic: oKei's OS Collection (AtsuMina) (Read 17950 times)