Scapegoat (Chapter 10/END)

[inDeceit]

An A/U Fiction. This is the first time in my life writing a fic apart from school essays and actually showing it. So.. God I'm a nervous-wreck right now >_< Never was good at english.

Hmm, don't really feel like revealing the pairings yet until I start on Chapter 1. If I start on chapter 1..that is. I think I've dropped a couple of remote hints on who's the main characters.. if it's considered hints. Coincidentally, it started raining while I worked on the story o.o

Well, here goes nothing.

Prologue

Drenched and covered in a blood-stained shirt, a young lady not even in her twenties yet ran frantically through a construction site as torrents of rain fell violently. Gunshots could be heard from a distance accompanied by a dozen or more men yelling. Every shot that echoed through the site made the girl’s heart jolt, but there wasn’t time to stop and thank the Gods for their horrible aiming. Running straight into an alley with a dead end, and a little less than 5 seconds to make her next move, she noticed a large dumpster by the corner.

“Can’t believe I’m doing this!” She cursed and instantly dove into the sea of damp thrash after taking in a deep breath. Finding her way to the bottom of the container, she prayed that her pursuers weren’t smart enough to search the dumpster thoroughly.

“I’m going to skin that scrawny brat alive when I get my hands on her!” A man from around the corner growled as he and his lackeys hurried towards the alleyway.

Meanwhile, in a friendly neighborhood not far from the dumpster…

BANG!

“Was that a gunshot?” A woman, this time looking less like a convict stopped in her tracks. She tilted her transparent umbrella slightly and looked up at the gloomy skies. “Nah, probably just thunder..”

Shaking off the droplets of water from her umbrella, she made her way up to her small apartment. She hung her umbrella by the door handle and proceeded into the main room. She reached for the remote and turned on the television.

<i>“And now for the weather.”</i>

“Rain, rain and more rain.” The woman lowered the volume and spoke for the caster instead. As mentioned, it had been raining for a total of three days, making today the third. The streets were often flooded in the mornings lately until the skies decided to clear in the afternoon only to start darkening again an hour later.

“Working seems like a chore these days.” She groaned and prepared to take a shower. Baths never did worked for her as she tends to space out and faint in the bathtub until someone in the household finds her. However, drowning to death in one’s own bathroom wasn’t a wise choice now that she’s moved out and began living all by her lonesome.

After washing away her fatigue in the shower, she prepared for bed and dreaded another morning of waddling through the flooded streets.

[Estrea]

Yoohoo Yuki~ <3 Came to support you here.

Interesting prologue. I'm guessing the below-20, so-called "scrawny brat" might be Reina. But that's just a random guess. I can't figure out who's the second one because I'm not too certain who is lazy (Miki or Yossi?!), dislikes rain, and can space out in the bath tub all at once.

Interesting, looking forward to more.

[inDeceit]

Yay! Thanks!

Hehe, none of them actually.. o.o But I'll eventually add the rest of the girls when I think of a role for them though. Hopefully.
Think of brat as a nickname I just added scrawny due to the circumstances of the story.
As for spacing out.. I got that idea from a flets video awhile back. Then again, I can't remember if it was spacing out or something else.

[Estrea]

Hah, I knew it, it HAD to be Takagaki. Brat eh? Gaki-san! And spacing out? Who else but Aichan, second only to Kaorin for the spaceyness! XDDD

...plus it's your favorite pairing. >_> XDDD

[inDeceit]

  Damn right it is.

Plus i just had a scene in my head that seriously needed Gaki-san's reactions and someone spacing out :3 Who else but Ai-chan to fit that role XDD

[Estrea]

Hoho, sounds good to me. I <3 Takagaki anyway. Do write faster, I'm impatient.

[inDeceit]

=O I'm a slow writer though But I think I'll complete chapter 1 before bed..

screw work!   

[redux]

Good to see a new face trying out here, although the fan-boy in me is disappointed that it isn't Reina I'm sure you'll think of a good roloe for her right? Right?! Just kidding, but yeah please continue I'd like to see how this pans out.

[inDeceit]

I'll try! I like Reina too. But I haven't detailed the roles of the others yet because I typed it on impulse while mentally chanting TakaGaki >_>

I was actually thinking of putting her as one of the badass antagonist (in a good way), but again, I'm not sure yet.

Chapter 1

The men separated into two groups. The first continued combing the rest of the site and the second searched the current alleyway. It was too dark to see clearly but the men weren’t about to give their prey any chance of escaping. Eyeing the dumpster suspiciously, a buffed man motioned for his lackey to inspect the container. A lanky young man nodded his head and tightened his grip on a metal rod he picked up from the ground. Quietly opening the container, he started penetrating the pile of thrash with the rod.

At the bottom of the dumpster, said prey was a nervous wreck. She tried to remain as still as possible, but the lack of air was killing her.. Literally. Any moment now, she’d probably start twitching. A sudden hard stab by the man nearly went through her as well but was an inch off target, cutting her paled face instead. <i>Ouch! F’king bastards..</i> She was about to start off a string of curses mentally but was cut short by some yelling and footsteps seemingly getting softer.

“She went that way!” Another gunshot went off. “Damn! You need to work on your aiming!” And all went silent within seconds. Even the rain weakened into a mere drizzle.

She waited another 10minutes before scrambling out of the dumpster. The coast was clear and she quickly slumped down against the wall. She winced at the impact against her weakened body. Her face was scarred, her body sore and a bullet grazed the side of the stomach during the chase earlier. Taking a much needed breather, she knew that she was safe.. For now. She was cold, tired and her wounds were likely to be infected in the morning but her eyelids grew heavy, her mind in a whirl. Gradually, her body gave up the fight to stay conscious and went limp as she blacks out.

The next morning!

Within a rather crappy apartment building, sunlight crept through a small opening between the curtains, arousing a beautiful young woman with bed hair from her slumber. To add, an alarm clock went off right after. Irritated, she pawed at the alarm only to knock it off the nightstand but it did the trick of shutting it off so it’s all good. She crawled out of her bed reluctantly, slightly dazed for a while before dragging herself into the bathroom for her daily ritual.

It was already 8.10AM when she came out casually dressed. 5 minutes left to being late, she took her belongings and an umbrella and hurried out of the building. To her surprise, the streets were dry save for a few puddles here and there despite last night’s torrents. Shrugging this sudden ‘miracle’ off, she couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious about the change in weather. But no matter, at least she didn’t have to get her jeans and shoes wet today.

--------

“TAKAHASHI!” came a shrilled yell. It was the first greeting she got the instant she set foot into the café. Meeting eye to eye with a middle aged lady,  the young woman currently addressed as Takahashi quickly ducked into the locker room before her manager could start lecturing her about punctuality. Well, she can’t hide forever. She’ll have to use the separate washroom outside eventually, and either that or her manager would personally haul her out. There’s no knowing what her Yakuza incarnate of an employer can and would do to her when she’s pissed off. Finally emerging from the changing room, her manager ordered her to clear the thrash from last night. Obeying orders like a good employee, she carried the load into the back alley.

“Thrash my ass. These are heavier than gold bars!” She approached the dumpster but stopped abruptly at the sight before her. The bag she once held escaped her grip and nearly landed on her foot. There was a slight delay before she started panicking. Right before her lay a battered body of a girl propped up against the wall. The unconscious body had flakes of dried blood trailing down her cheek and even managed to stain the collar of her shirt. The lower half of the shirt was completely stained brown and there were light bruises on her arms. Instinctively, Takahashi neared the girl with the hope of finding her alive. The girl definitely smelled a little funky, but that wasn’t important now. She stared at the other’s facial features for a few seconds, figuring that she would have been really pretty without the dirt and scars on her face and the slight pout she had while unconscious was quite adorable. She had a calm and tranquil expression too.

<i>Well, at least she died peacefully…</i> Mental kick. She shakes the negative thought out of her head and pondered over how she should check whether the other’s still alive. Try to listen for her heartbeat? No, that’s difficult with the crowd outside. Feel for a pulse? Nope, don’t know where the pulses are. Feel for her heartbeat? Takahashi blushed at the thought of where her hand would have to be and slapped herself lightly. The most logical method would be to see if she was still breathing then. Immediately, she raised her hand and attempted to feel for any air being exhaled from the other’s nostrils. Yet before she could even stretch her arm far enough to reach the other, an icy cold hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. On contra to what one would normally hear in a horror movie whenever the antagonist strikes, a low and rather manly scream emitted from the alley.

----

Back in the café.

“Did a large animal just die?” The manager wondered out loud. The rest of the staff just shrugged at the ridiculous statement and returned to their chores. A customer who was equally curious about the noise stopped what he was doing for a moment and thought for a while, “But the nearest zoo’s miles away..”

“Probably just some accident by the construction site, forget about it.” Another customer chipped in, and that started a whole debate regarding the scream's origin.

----

Takahashi’s scream was cut short when another hand slapped weakly against her opened mouth. The injured girl gave her a weak but threatening glare as a way of saying ‘Shut Up’. Getting the message, Takahashi quickly closed her mouth. She could see that the younger was beat red in the face, frowning and panting. Allowing her motherly instincts to take over, she realized these were symptoms of having a fever. She placed her forehead against the other only to feel an immense wave of heat. “Oh my god!” She exclaimed, “You’re heating up really bad!” She continued, even if the feverish girl weren’t listening at all. The young waitress panicked again, not knowing what exactly to do anymore.

“I can’t possible leave her out here to combust! Call the hospital? Though usually in movies someone in this state normally would rather die than be hospitalized...” She thought quickly, reasoning with herself using similar scenarios seen on film. “I should at least bring her some place safer. But where?" She thought long and hard until the most obvious answer hit her like a brick wall. "Of course! Now...should I be a good Samaritan and nurse her back to health myself, or face that shrewd manager for the rest of the day?” Without further thinking, Takahashi quickly stood up and ran back into the café. She grabbed the nearest colleague she saw and pulled him to the side.

“Hey, tell the manager I’ve to take the rest of the day off. Urgent stuff. Please?” She pleaded, but only to be pushed into giving a detailed reason for her absence. “What do you mean ‘what sort of stuff’? Alright, fine. My grandma’s trapped in the washroom and can’t get out. She might develope claustrophobia or even die from prolonged confinement.” She answered without flinching. Brutally giving herself a mental kick for such an absurd excuse and indirectly cursing her own grandmother, Takahashi hurried back to the alley again before her colleague said anything else. Outside, she found the girl unconscious again.

Unable to carry the girl by herself, she ‘borrowed’ a wheelbarrow from the construction site and with some difficulty, managed to have the other lying decently in it. Ignoring the looks from passersby, Takahashi pushed the wheelbarrow and body back to her apartment.

-------

Almost4AM and I'm finally done.
This chapter sorta disappoints me, but then again.. that's just me never being satisfied with myself >_> Hope you guys like it though..

[redux]

I'm always disappointed whenever I start writing new stuff as I think it's pretty hard to get into at first. Keep at it though and you should start to enjoy it a little more I reckon. I enjoyed reading anyways, the highlight definately being Ai's manly screams, comedy gold.

[JFC]

Sounds interesting so far.

Yet before she could even stretch her arm far enough to reach the other, an icy cold hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. On contra to what one would normally hear in a horror movie whenever the antagonist strikes, a low and rather manly scream emitted from the alley.

Unable to carry the girl by herself, she ‘borrowed’ a wheelbarrow from the construction site and with some difficulty, managed to have the other lying decently in it. Ignoring the looks from passersby, Takahashi pushed the wheelbarrow and body back to her apartment.

Aichan pushing a sleeping Risa in a wheelbarrow? KAWAII!

[Estrea]

^I agree with JFC. That was adorable.

I LOLed at the part with the manly scream. -snickers- Yay for contradicting images.

So, Risa gets beat up by a bunch of scary men who are obviously not shy about trying to cause grievous bodily harm. That's not good, what was she involved in? o_o;

And Aichan, the waitress? XDD With a horrible boss. >_> Fun times. Wonder what Ai and Risa will say to each other when Risa wakes up. XDD

Looking forward to the next~ no pressure, this time you can take your time.

[inDeceit]

Glad you all liked that part I'm experimenting my sense of humour in this fic. Never did humour before in a story 

This chapter was HARD! I hope Risa's encounter before passing out made at least some sense..

Chapter 2

The duo finally made it back to the apartment in one piece, Takahashi panting like she’d just completed a marathon.

On the way home, they had stopped by a Family Mart with Takahashi conveniently (and absent-mindedly) parking her wheelbarrow beside the entrance and went in to pick up some first aid materials and lunch. Having no clue whatsoever regarding first aid, she wasted 20 minutes standing in front of the rack until a staff member suggested she pick up a first aid kit instead of individual contents. Satisfied with her purchases, she went outside and discovered a crowd by the side of the entrance. Apparently, the unconscious girl in a cart had become a street attraction within the last few minutes without her knowledge. Flustered by the attention, Takahashi threw the kit on top of the other girl and fled the scene as quickly as her short legs could carry her, surprisingly the crowd.

Well, now that they’re finally inside the sad excuse of an apartment, Takahashi laid the younger girl on her bed before entering the bathroom to retrieve two wet towel and a pail. One she soaked in water and had it neatly folded before resting it on the girl’s forehead. The other was intended for cleaning. Apologizing to the sleeping body, she took a pair of scissors and started snipping at the other’s shirt due to the fact that it had stubbornly attached itself to the girl like a second skin. She then peeled the ruined shirt off and carefully began wiping off the dirt and blood from the nearly bare torso. Finally done cleaning up, a flushed Takahashi released a deep breath she had been holding in unconsciously all these while.

<i>What do I do now?</i> She sat down by the pail and glanced at the carrier by the doorway with the first aid kit inside then back at her guest. She eventually got up to fetch the kit. Browsing through the contents, she took the cotton gauze and read the instructions. <i>Is this even in Japanese? Better call grandma least I kill the poor girl.</i> With that, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number.

In the meantime, someone was dreaming.

<i>Half past ten at a random rich man’s residence. The lights were dimmed but it wasn’t difficult to catch a glimpse of a sudden passing shadow. On the other side of the mansion, someone else was also being sneaky. The guards patrolling the courtyard had left to swap their shift as scheduled. Taking this chance, a feminine figure leaped down from the top of the wall that surrounded the mansion but lost her footing and landed on a rose bush.

“Ou-!“ She quickly covered her mouth, eyes larger than golf balls as she looked around cautiously. Thankfully, no one heard her. The girl dusted away the grass and thorns that got stuck to her jeans and put her boys cap back on. If her eyes could get any wider, it would after she had taken a good look at the building. “No way!” She exclaimed in a whisper. The mansion was similar to those in Europe centuries ago, grand yet intimidating all at once. Smirking to herself, she carefully crept towards the building in search of an entrance.

After a long stealthy search, she had managed to find her way into a bedroom within the mansion furnished with antiques. Jackpot! An expensive looking gold watch lying innocently on a dresser caught her attention almost immediately with its glimmer. Yet before she had the chance to even touch it let alone pocket the watch, an alarm went off throughout the premises. Shocked out of her life, she abandoned the watch and ran for it.  All this time assuming that she’s been discovered until yells of ‘Assassin! The head’s been murdered! Find the culprit!’ echoed down the corridors.

“Murder?! Shit, I’ve done nothing!” An ultimate expression of shock flashed across her face while she kept running, adrenaline and fear rushing through her body.

Fleeing for her dear life, the young thief hasn’t been watching where she was going and knocked into a man coming from the opposite direction. She would’ve gotten up instantly and continued running towards an exit if it wasn’t for the man’s incredible height and disturbingly disfigured facial features that stunned her. But before she knew it, the man smirked and had pushed her hard towards the direction that his pursuers were coming from, escaping with his blood stained weapon in the girl’s possession.

What remained were a desperate struggle, gunshots and a long chase in the rain before everything turned dark for what seemed like an eternity. A low-pitched laughter began filling the void then, followed by an unexpected sharp pain...</i>

----

“So I apply pressure to a wound to stop it from bleeding?” Takahashi questioned into the receiver while her other hand unconsciously pressed against the comatosed girl’s stomach wound as if to make a point. “But she’s not even bleeding anymore!” She cried out, applying even more pressure to the word out of frustration before raising her hand in defeat when her grandmother retorted.

Just moments ago, the young woman had been having a first aid crash course from her grandmother over the phone. Most of which were useless for the current situation she had to handle. After some senseless arguments over the phone and flipping of instruction booklets, she was finally given a suitable method. She then took out the required materials from the kit and thanked her grandmother.

“Oh! By the way, did anything happened earlier?”  She asked, unable to resist being a little superstitious.
“None in particular.. Though I did get trapped in the washroom before you called. That was a little unexpected. Why dear?” Replied the old lady on the other line.
“Uhmm.. It’s nothing important! Take care! I’ll see you soon.” She spoke quickly and hung up. Coughing away the guilt and embarrassment into her fist, Takahashi turned back to the materials laid out on the table and repeated the directions to using them in her mind.

Completely focused on her task, she did not notice the shuffling of bed sheets behind her.

---------

I've been thinking of making this a TakaGaki-centric fic instead of including other MM girls prominently. It's sorta easier on me since I may not be able to handle multiple characters and end up screwing the rest of the fic, being new to writing and all. I will do seperate fics for the rest eventually though, but not now >_> Sorry!

[redux]

Hey carry on with the way it's going if it suits you better. I'll be honest and say that I would prefer to see other Momosu girls featuring in this but if it's harder to incorporate then there's no need to force the issue. Everything's going fine as it is so keep up the good work.

[Estrea]

So, Risa's a petty thief that's been mistaken for a murderer. Gee.

Anyway, funny how Aichan is like so....blur. It amuses me, it does.

It's alright if you don't feel up to including more characters. Just keep working on them and include people only if necessary and if you think you can handle it. No sense pushing yourself too far for your first fanfic. ^_^ Good luck and keep going!

[JFC]

On the way home, they had stopped by a Family Mart with Takahashi conveniently (and absent-mindedly) parking her wheelbarrow beside the entrance and went in to pick up some first aid materials and lunch. Having no clue whatsoever regarding first aid, she wasted 20 minutes standing in front of the rack until a staff member suggested she pick up a first aid kit instead of individual contents. Satisfied with her purchases, she went outside and discovered a crowd by the side of the entrance. Apparently, the unconscious girl in a cart had become a street attraction within the last few minutes without her knowledge. Flustered by the attention, Takahashi threw the kit on top of the other girl and fled the scene as quickly as her short legs could carry her, surprisingly the crowd.

Woudln't be surprised if Aichan said "Oh shit!" when she came out and saw that crowd around Risa.


So Risa's a cat-burgler? Or was that just in her dream?

[inDeceit]

Flash back in a dream actually. I feel like I need to revise the chapters.. again.

Anyway, Chapter 3! Been playing too much of phoenix wright and the nonsense got longer than I expected.
Probably messed up even if the chapter was kinda fun to write.

Chapter 3

<i>Am I dead?</i> She looked up at the white ceiling.

<i>Can dead people feel? It’s kind of hot in here..</i> She tried to move.

<i>…</i>

“Oh my god, am I topless?!” She suddenly shot up from the bed screaming, staring down at her bare body. “Oh shit! I AM!” At least she still had her bra on. But that wasn’t the point. Panicking, she began feeling around her torso hoping that she was just hallucinating being topless.

Shocked by the outcry, Takahashi involuntarily threw the bandages up in the air and screamed as well. She grabbed at her chest and spun around, panting hard. “Y-you’re awake!”

The half naked girl responded by hurling the nearest object she could lay her hands on at the other – in this case, a large pink penguin plushie. However, her aim was horrible. “PERVERT! What did you do to me?!” She backed up against the wall and pulled a blanket up to her chin.

“P-Pervert?” The accused stuttered, more dumbfounded than offended. Then, she got flustered again. “I din’ do n’thin! Who ya callin’ a pervert? Ya was lyin’ in ‘e dumps unconscious an’ I-“

“Stop.. STOP!” The girl had her eyes shut tight as she yelled. She fell back on the bed and buried her forehead against the pillow. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying!”

“Excuse me?” Takahashi stared at the girl in agony.

“I said, speak standard Japanese woman!” She snapped, staring back at the older.

“But I was!” came an offended reply.

“No you weren’t.”

“Yes I was.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

This went on for.. quite a while.

“Admit it! You have an accent!” The younger girl now sat upright on the bed, completely forgetting about her missing shirt.

“You have no proof!” Takahashi argued.

“Hold it! Proof?! I am the proof! I heard it!”

“OBJECTION! You have no alibi!” The accused pointed at her guest.

The girl gasped, then slammed her hands against the mattress. “Objection overruled! There’s no one else here but us!”

Neither really knew what the other was saying anymore, but they did secretly enjoy the courtroom drama.

Not wanting to admit defeat, Takahashi let out a ‘humph!’ and turned her back on the other. “Brat..” she muttered while picking up the bandages she dropped earlier. Meanwhile, the other girl laid back on the bed. Her fever had yet to subside but she just couldn’t resist proving her point. Now her head felt like they were buried under a ton of bricks. Holding the damp cloth to her forehead for comfort, she turned to her new caretaker.

“Who are you anyway?” She questioned warily, not wanting to start another argument until her fever breaks. Takahashi glanced back for a split second and released another humph.

“I’d tell you only if you would stop accusing me..”

The girl pondered over the condition seriously and nodded. “Fair enough.”

“Takahashi Ai.” The older answered almost immediately. “You?”

“…” She was hesitant to give an answer, but Ai seemed harmless enough. “Risa.”

“Just.. Risa?” Ai finally turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.   

“Don’t push it.” She frowned.

Remembering that she’s yet to patch up Risa’s injuries, Ai got up with her first aid kit and moved to settle on the bed. Instinctively, Risa shifted away from the older girl.

“I’m not going to violate you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Ai spoke while busily applying antiseptic onto cotton, not noticing the exposed look on the other.

“But I’m sure there’ll be lots of- PAIN!” Risa’s scream could’ve raised the dead even in broad daylight. Blinking away her tears, Risa gritted her teeth and glared at Ai whom had a piece of soaked cotton wool pressed against her bullet wound.

“What?” She looked down at the tearing girl innocently. <i>That’s payback, you brat.</i>

Ai continued trying to aid her. “Would you just stay still and let me bandage your wounds?!” 

“But it huuuurts!” the injured girl whined.

“So you’d rather let your stomach and face rot away, eh?” Horrified by the visuals of her body decaying, Risa puffed up her cheeks and turned away. Ai smirked and took it as a sign to go ahead.


An hour or two passed and Risa finally had her wounds disinfected, now covered in sloppily tied bandages. She was also given a nice clean shirt to cover her assets with. The clock ticked by painfully slow as Ai and Risa sat on the bed in silence. All they’ve been doing ever since the latter woke up was bicker. Neither was willing to give in and would make a come back with every chance they got. Eventually, they did grow tired and settled to just giving each other dirty looks and hard glares.

Being the first to finally surrender to this ‘childish game’ for the sake of her sanity, Ai sighed. “Uhm.. How’re you feeling now?” She asked quietly- a little reluctant even.

Risa turned around, surprised by her sudden mild attitude. No point being spiteful anymore though. “Better, I guess. Headache’s terrible though.”

“Must have been caused by the fever. I wonder if it’s gone..” Without saying another word, Ai closed the gap between them and held a firm grip on the other’s shoulder before touching their foreheads together. It was a little hard to tell the temperature with the cold sweat that suddenly broke out on the younger girl though.

“H-hey! Don’t you have a thermometer or something?” Risa cried, trying to look everywhere but at the face directly in front of her.. at such a close proximity. She decided to shut her eyes in the end. <i>But it’s kinda tempting to look… I think I saw a beauty mark? I wonder how it’ll feel- Oh My GOD! What am I thinking?! Shut up brain! Go do something brainy and leave me alone! Uhh, I’m feeling faint already..”</i> Just as she was about to come close to blacking out once more, Ai moved away in time.

“Yeah, an anal thermometer. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want that though.”  Ai answered with a straight face, and she was right. Risa gulped the moment she heard ‘anal’. It was definitely worse than her mind having a mind of its’ own, if that made any sense at all.

“Anyway, you’re still kind of hot.”

“Why, thank you.” Risa managed a grin, earning herself a glare from Ai.

“You know what I mean. Take these and get some rest.” Ai continued, tossing a packet of painkillers at the younger girl and a bottle of water from her mini fridge.

“Why are you being so nice to me? I’m not going to pay you for the services, just so you know.” Risa asked while examining the contents in the packet. She then took out two pills and swallowed it as instructed.

“No idea.” She replied simply and shrugged. Frankly, she wasn't sure why she decided to help this stranger anymore. She didn't really know why she brought her home instead of a hospital when it clearly didn't concern her. Nor did she know why she still felt concerned after having to put up with the girl’s childishness. She could’ve just stormed off and leave the brat to fend for herself. Perhaps she just wanted to get out of work, or she was being a Good Samaritan after all. Perhaps she felt sorry for the girl, or it was out of impulse. Could’ve been all of the above. Maybe there’s something more to it even. Now that she considered the situation with a sense of rationality, she realized that she didn’t have a straight answer for her new acquaintance.

“Oh! I forgot to mention. The pills tend to… … Cause drowsiness.” When Ai turned back, Risa had already fallen asleep again with a light frown on her face. She couldn’t help but let out a smile, finding the girl’s sleeping face to be anything but bratty. Angelic even, if she didn't frown so much. Unconsciously, she brushed a finger against the sleeping girl's eyebrow and the frown faded away immediately.

“Somehow.. I get the feeling that.. she’s not really like that. I wonder..”

 

[JFC]

The whole bit with Risa waking up and the consequent spaz session between her and Aichan is all sorts of funny and winz. Especially:

“OBJECTION! You have no alibi!” The accused pointed at her guest.

The girl gasped, then slammed her hands against the mattress. “Objection overruled! There’s no one else here but us!”

Ai continued trying to aid her. “Would you just stay still and let me bandage your wounds?!”

“But it huuuurts!” the injured girl whined.

Awwwwwwwwww...  So cute...

“H-hey! Don’t you have a thermometer or something?” Risa cried, trying to look everywhere but at the face directly in front of her.. at such a close proximity. She decided to shut her eyes in the end. But it’s kinda tempting to look… I think I saw a beauty mark? I wonder how it’ll feel- Oh My GOD! What am I thinking?! Shut up brain! Go do something brainy and leave me alone! Uhh, I’m feeling faint already..” Just as she was about to come close to blacking out once more, Ai moved away in time.

Risa's brain going a mile a minute. 

“Yeah, an anal thermometer. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want that though.”  Ai answered with a straight face, and she was right. Risa gulped the moment she heard ‘anal’. It was definitely worse than her mind having a mind of its’ own, if that made any sense at all.

“Anyway, you’re still kind of hot.”

“Why, thank you.” Risa managed a grin, earning herself a glare from Ai.

“Oh! I forgot to mention. The pills tend to… … Cause drowsiness.” When Ai turned back, Risa had already fallen asleep again with a light frown on her face. She couldn’t help but let out a smile, finding the girl’s sleeping face to be anything but bratty. Angelic even, if she didn't frown so much. Unconsciously, she brushed a finger against the sleeping girl's eyebrow and the frown faded away immediately.

[Yuuyami]

Awww! This is so adorable :B Ai and Risa are in my top five favorite relationships <3

Anywho, I wonder what someone like Risa was doing with gangs, huh? o_o' I expect weird involvement now xD Also, I'm intrigued with Ai's inevitable involvement with Risa too... I was a slightly surprised when Risa already began to feel the hots for Ai, since I pictured Ai as the more perverted of the two rather than Risa xD. Anywho, looking forward to your future chapters, love!

Now for the ceremonial gift!

-gives you a hard hat to protect yourself from writer's blocks-

<3

[katatsumuri]

You're good!  Didn't know Takahashi can be this funny.