JPHiP Forum
The Hello! Project Fanfics => H!P Fanfics => Topic started by: rokun on July 26, 2009, 12:29:41 PM
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Hello everyone:)
I know I have other things to update... But I had this idea after reading a certain fic and thinking about a lot of other different things... Plus I figured any writing at all might get me back to writing everything else...
Anyway, enjoy :) And I know what you're thinking... It's symbolism...
City of Angels
When they found me, I’d barely finished crying.
It wasn’t that I was a crybaby, although the others teased me all the time for being excitable and over-emotional. I can’t help that I’m not like them, even if I tried to be.
She understood though. And that’s why she tried to protect me from everything. She believed that there should be something more to our life than… our life. And for a long time, she hid me from the worst of it.
“You shouldn’t have come out tonight,” growled a crude voice in the dark of an alley. “It isn’t safe for… young girls like yourself.”
“I… I had to bring my sister home from a piano lesson. I couldn’t let her walk through here on her own.”
“We got no problem with your sister,” another of the boys said in a more youthful-sounding voice. “She can run along through here as much as she’d like, at least for a few more years.”
“I’m not letting her walk through here by herself,” the surrounded girl said in a firmer voice through clenched teeth.
“Well then, I guess we do have a problem.”
I did have a few friends who weren’t like them. She encouraged me to get to know the better-off girls at school, though around here that means growing up on Walnut Street instead of Oak Street.
Still, they had dreams. Maybe none of them could ever really make them come true, but at least most of them had a chance.
The girl sitting off in the shadows winced again, arms hugging her knees and her eyes becoming moist as she watched her sister fall to the ground after a blow to the middle, but they didn’t stop. Now that their target was closer to the ground they kicked out sharply with their filthy tennis shoes, again and again regardless of the grunts and moans of pain from their victim.
Suddenly they stopped, and the girl could now hear her sister coughing, although it was a kind of cough she had never heard before. It definitely wasn’t due to a normal sickness.
Then, as she absently wiped at her cheeks which had somehow become wet, her sister turned her head slowly to look at her.
That was my life – a life of being cared for by her since my mother never seemed to be around, friends I sometimes felt out-of-place with, and long walks to school during which we might hear nothing, dogs barking, or the crack of a gunshot a few blocks away. Usually there were at least the dogs.
Sometimes if we went a certain way I’d hear a hard and steady beat of music, and maybe even see some older kids along the street moving to it in a way I never thought was possible for anyone. Whenever this happened my friends would talk about how their brothers or sisters would sometimes get invited to learn some of those moves too, and it was a thing of pride whenever it happened. After all, it was more evidence that they had a chance.
I felt left out at times like this, ‘cause I never had cool stories like that of my sister to tell anyone.
The sole of a shoe to her cheek jerked the beaten girl’s head back around, and the silent observer thought she heard a nasty crack this time as well.
‘Why won’t they stop kicking her?’ she thought, wiping her cheeks once again. At least her sister wasn’t screaming. She’d hear screams sometimes in the night, usually while lying on her mattress but sometimes even when they were walking home like they were tonight.
Sniffing to herself, a small smile came to her face. Perhaps it might have been surprising on most people, but she was known for smiling through almost whatever came at her. This time, she was thinking that maybe the lack of screaming was something she could be proud of.
Instead of being invited to learn how to move to music, my sister usually hung out with them. I didn’t know much about them really, except that they’d always walk down the street together, in order to “keep the ‘hood clean” as they put it.
Sometimes they listened to music, but usually only when one of the older ones would bring a noisy and smelly car that they’d all cruise around in instead of their normal walking. It was always a cause for celebration when they got hold of a car. I never thought much of it, but it was almost always a different one every time.
My sister didn’t always walk or cruise with them. She had me to worry over, after all. Also, she’d tell me sometimes how she wasn’t comfortable with a lot of the things they did, but also how she had no choice and that being a part of their gang was the only way she could get by around here.
I didn’t totally understand her, but she said she was trying to find a different way for me, so that I would just maybe not have to do these things which she talked about being so uncomfortable with, yet did anyway. Most of the time I just wished I had more things about her to tell my friends so that I could sound proud too.
When the quietly sobbing girl was just about to think it would never end, the kicking stopped, and the people looming around her sister said a few last, low words before most of them turned away.
Before they all left though, one turned to the girl in the shadows of the dumpster, and the two stared at each other a moment before he took a step toward her. Her breath caught, but he came no closer.
“You look like a smart one,” he said in a soft voice, but loud enough for her to hear. “Maybe you won’t make the same mistakes as your sister.”
And with those simple words, he turned and walked away slowly after the others, leaving the girl alone in the alley with just the still shape of her sister on the ground several feet away.
Noticing that she was sniffing now that it was silent in the alley, her eyes widened in amazement that she had apparently still been crying. Trying to calm herself, she began to crawl slowly toward the motionless form, and when she arrived reached out to touch it, recoiling slightly when her fingers contacted dampness on her jacket.
“Nee-chan… Nee-chan!!” she whispered loudly and urgently, shaking her sister to get her attention. There was no response though, and she sat back on her heels to try and think what to do. However, she couldn’t seem to think at the moment.
“A… Aika…” came a hoarse voice suddenly from before her, and the battered girl stirred.
“Nee-chan!!” Aika cried in relief, but looked around anxiously a moment before returning to her companion. “Risa… Come on… Let’s go home…”
“A... Aika…” her sister repeated, and for the first time, the younger girl realized something was very wrong.
“W-what is it?” she stuttered in response, her fear increasing steadily.
“Be… a good girl…” Risa said, her voice seeming to weaken with every word. “You can… do anything you put your heart into.”
Feeling herself tear up again, but this time not caring, Aika took the hand that she felt seeking her own and squeezed it tightly. She burst out in a quick, nervous laugh. “What are you talking about? Nee-chan, come on… Let’s go home!”
“Tell…” Risa said, now seeming barely able to breathe a word, her hand’s grip weakening quickly within her little sister’s own. Aika tried to grip harder as if by just putting in the effort she’d help Risa do so as well.
“Tell… I love…”
But the faint grip against Aika’s hand lost the rest of its energy, and as her sister knelt sobbing next to her, Risa’s body slumped against the ground one final time.
When they found me, and I’d managed to embarrassedly wipe away all the tears, I had one thought as they pulled me away and out of the alley.
I now knew a story to tell about my sister.
She did her best to get by in the City with those she loved.
Now it was up to me to figure out how to do the same.
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OMG rokun!!! I love this already....even though you KILLED GAKI!!!! :shocked Why does everyone like to kill her?!?!?! :cry: Aika's super cute though~
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Why do you do this to me Rokun, WHY?
Nooo... Risa come back! Don't go into the light! Call an ambulance. D:
Hmph... city of angels... well, Risa is one now, isn't she? ;o;
I still look forward to where this is going in any case, despite the awful (awful in the sense of what happened and not quality) teaser. And yes, you do have other things to update, don't you. :P It's okay though, you can't rush genius.
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They killed Gaki! That was sort of unexpected...
But that means that Aika can get some revenge :lol:
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RISA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
:OMG: :OMG: :OMG:
And welcome back dude. ^_^
RISA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
:pleeease: :pleeease: :pleeease:
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RISAAAAAAAAAA!!! :OMG: Nooo!!! :cry: :cry:
...Why is it always her!? ;__; MUST. KNOW. WHAT. HAPPENS. NEXT. D:
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Dammit, why does Risa always die in our fics? xDDDDDD
I really like the overall sullen city mood you portray here. Hope to see it in the rest of the story <3
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Oooh, interesting and yes, welcome back! I have been trying to make a comeback as well. Nice intro despite that tragic moment. Looking forward to the rest! :D
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R-Risa's dead?! OMG yo, now I'm hooked. Like I could get out of being addicted to one of your stories.
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Crud...only the opening and someone's already dead! I have a feeling Risa wouldn't be the only one dying in this fic....even though it's probably going to be tragic, judging from the first chapter, I already feel this is going to be just as brilliant as your other fics.
“Tell… I love…”
I'm thinking it's actually "Tell...Ai"
Even though Aika here is cute, I would absolutely love some Takahashi revenge action.
Can't wait to see who the main characters will be~
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Wow, thank you ALL for reading my new story! ^_^ It's great to get so many comments, and I hope most of you keep enjoying it as the story rolls along. :)
...Obviously, most of the comments were to the untimely death of a Miss Niigaki :cry:, but that was really it for the "teaser intro" I decided on, and hopefully this first chapter will give you more to think and talk about. Oh, and I've decided to try and split up chapters after I finish a section, so things will look different than in most of my other stories... at least at first... It also means that in the coming chapters more (even significant) characters will appear, so if you're looking for someone just hang on. :)
Also, a special thank you to those I haven't seen in awhile (or AGES), like Sukoshi and e-girl! I'm glad AX has seemed to bring so many people to/back to JPHiP. :) Anyway, it looks like you're all looking forward to the next chapter, so I won't disappoint. As always and forever, enjoy~
Chapter 1
Aika Mitsui stared at what filled the assorted plates and bowls on her tray, wondering not for the first time how she was actually expected to eat things like this. Shrugging and supposing it didn’t really matter, she stuck a finger into what she thought was potatoes and licked it clean. As she was still sucking on it she looked up slowly to see a taller girl set her own tray down next to hers and sit across from her.
“You’re such a baby, sucking your thumb,” Koharu Kusumi, the girl from a year ahead of her who was supposed to be her best friend, told her as if she’d done so many times before.
“Am not,” Aika mumbled as she picked up a somewhat bent fork awkwardly to stab a sausage with it.
When she looked up again, the girl was giving her a funny look, eyes never leaving her face. “Ok what’s up? There’s never been a time I’ve told you that when you didn’t respond by giggling and telling me you might be, but at least your face wasn’t fat.”
“Nothing’s up,” Aika said simply, continuing to prod at her food, bits occasionally making it to her mouth.
Koharu bluntly reached over and knocked the bowl Aika was working on to the side of the tray, poking her wrist. “Hey, how long have I known you? I can tell if you’re lying to me as easily as if your hair fell out.”
Aika looked up finally, the previous target of her attentions having been displaced. She raised a hand to the hair hanging over her ears. “My hair…?” she asked dumbly.
Next thing she knew her head rocked to the side as her friend slapped her jaw. “Hello?” Koharu asked. “Is there anyone home in there? Geez Aika, I’m beginning to wonder if you shoulda joined Chisa and Kanna in dropping out of school.”
Aika slowly turned back to her attacker. The slap didn’t actually hurt; Koharu did it to her all the time, partly out of amazement she didn’t seem to feel any pain, but usually just out of boredom. Of course it used to hurt. But she learned rather quickly to ignore pain as minor as that. Lately some of her other friends were even catching onto the game of “Let’s slap Aika!” Especially Miyabi-chan.
“Maybe I should,” she said simply in response, and started stabbing the table with her bent fork.
“Ok now I really know something’s wrong,” Koharu responded, the serious tone returning to her voice, and now much stronger. “You’ve always thought those girls were idiots – ‘the only not stupid reason for dropping out of school is getting knocked up,’ if I remember right.” It was obvious the girl was surer she remembered right than she let on.
“I don’t know,” Aika responded dully.
After a moment of silence she looked up slowly again, seeing Koharu still staring back at her with a serious, if slightly dumb, curiosity. Of course, that’s just how her friend was. “They got my sister last night, all right?”
“What?” Koharu asked, her face screwing up slightly. “Got her? Is she all right?”
“She’s dead,” Aika responded in her simple words once again.
Koharu stared at her a minute with a blank face, before blinking and then somewhat uncertainly picking up a fork to poke at her own food. Aika dragged her bowl back in front of her and cupped it in her hands, staring into its depths.
“Hey you two!” came an alto voice from beside her, but she didn’t turn to watch as Miyabi took a seat. A small fit of giggling told her Chinami-chan was with the girl as well.
“There you guys are!” came another, but higher voice, and recognizing it as Ayacho’s, Aika knew their little lunch group was now growing by a couple more.
“What’d ya bring for lunch, Miyabi-chan?” Sayaka, one of the new arrivals, asked as she dug into a brown bag she plopped in front of her.
“Ahh, I’m sluggin’ it today, Saaya” Miyabi responded, referring to her eating the cafeteria’s lunch, which could be slimy enough that’s what it tasted like sometimes. Or perhaps people had actually found slugs in it before. No one seemed to know for sure.
“You and the two musketeers both, I see,” the brazen first-year responded, eyeing Aika and Koharu, who were quiet and involved in their eating as if the others hadn’t even arrived.
“Is it me or are they even more spazzed than usual today?” Miyabi said, leaning over to wave a hand in front of Aika’s face.
“Leave off, Natsuyaki,” Koharu said through a mouthful of food.
“Oh yeah?” the other responded, her voice taking on a sardonic warning tone. “You wanna make me?”
“Careful, Miya,” Chinami giggled, tugging at the other’s arm. “Don’t want you to start a fight and get spanked only halfway through the day.” Then the girl leaned in and whispered in the other’s ear. “That’s my job for later…” Despite her attempted detachment, Aika choked on her food upon hearing that, and noticed Miyabi color slightly as well. Likely no one but the two of them heard what Chinami had said.
“I can take her anytime,” Miyabi grumbled out loud. “And aren’t you supposed to be my supportive girlfriend in things like this?”
Aika’s two classmates were the first ones in their little group to start dating, although to her knowledge they never admitted anything officially aside from teasing such as this. None of them had even caught the two kissing, though Aika was sure it happened.
It used to be in this part of the City that girls would have kids young and maybe eventually marry the father of the third or fourth. Aika’s own mother, in fact, had her sister when she was sixteen, and in truth Aika and Risa were only half-sisters since, like many siblings around here, they had different fathers. Due to a cultural technicality, it also resulted in different family names, Risa’s happening to have been Niigaki.
These days however, with women taking more of a stand for themselves and the men only becoming less and less reliable, most of them had decided to live without men entirely, at least if and until they wanted to get knocked up, in which case there were normally plenty of willing “volunteers”. They generally let intense and real emotional attachments develop only with other women, or in their case, girls.
Miyabi and Chinami seemed to get along well enough, which was good since they had all been friends to begin with, but Aika still wasn’t sure what she thought of the whole deal. She didn’t know if she was even ready to have a crush on anyone yet…
Unfortunately, as many things had so far today, that again made her think of her sister, and this time of her last words. She’d been thinking about them ever since, not completely sure of what she was trying to tell her, but with the word she definitely did make out – “love” – she had an idea of the content of the message at least. Not that it did a whole lot of good. There were many things about her life her sister hadn’t told her… including why last night had to happen.
“Maybe if you quit being so silly and childish Miyabi-chan, she wouldn’t be embarrassed about doing so,” Ayaka teased in her perpetually half-amused and half-insecure sounding voice.
Miyabi responded by sticking her tongue out at the precocious girl, and then waved a spoon at her. “You know I won’t take any lectures from a first year.”
“Will you guys stop fighting?” Koharu asked in a long-suffering voice, her eyes browsing Aika’s face again.
For her part, Aika finally looked up from her food to see Saaya and Ayacho smiling at her from across the table. She didn’t glance in Miyabi’s direction; instead, her eye was caught by three girls passing by their table and giggling to each other. All three were in Koharu’s year, and the two had run into them from time to time. The tall one shared some of Koharu’s classes, and so they particularly knew each other relatively well.
They didn’t do much more than glance over at the six younger girls at the table though, one of the shorter ones making eye contact with Aika and continuing to giggle. Aika felt herself flush, although it wasn’t completely due to the giggling. She hid it by burying her face back into her bowl, which was now nearly empty.
“Look at the three of them,” Sayaka complained, watching as they left. “Acting like they’re all big shot.”
“They’re third years,” Chinami replied simply. “Now they’re upperclassmen they’re simply taking advantage of their—”
“…assholeness…” Miyabi interrupted.
“…age.” Chinami finished, frowning at her girlfriend.
“I… I don’t think they’re too bad,” Aika said in a small voice, speaking for the first time since the others arrived.
“Well look who woke up!” Sayaka teased.
After the momentary surprise from Aika’s outburst, and a short group stare at her until she blushed back into her food, noticing Koharu’s eyes following her the whole way, Chinami glanced over to Koharu. “Why aren’t you all cool like that? You’re the same year as them.” For the first time in a while Koharu took her eyes from Aika, narrowing them at her questioner instead.
“I hear they’ve been invited to Pine Street,” Ayaka piped up, immediately earning the attention of the other girls except for Aika and Koharu. Pine Street was where the kids went to practice dancing, and was considered one of the elite – non-violent at least – social groups to be involved with.
Chinami whistled through her teeth. “Now that’s something. Good for them. Seriously Koharu, what are you good for?”
“I saw Yajima-san out on the track one day,” Ayaka continued. “She’s actually a really good dancer!”
When she’d barely finished, Koharu suddenly jumped up from her chair, rattling her tray when she slammed her hands on the table. “That’s enough!” she almost yelled. “You guys are all stupid, fighting like this and just being rude all the time! Can’t you give it a break for even just one day?!”
“Koharu-chan…” Aika whined softly, looking up at her friend and pleading with her to sit back down.
“What’s the matter with you?” Miyabi asked in disbelief. Koharu was a little… over-energetic… at times, but rarely just blew up so seriously like this. The two first years were actually looking a bit scared, and Aika saw them cling to each others’ arms.
“We’re always like this,” Chinami protested in a less caustic voice than her girlfriend. “Why’s today so special?”
Koharu didn’t say anything in response, instead just glaring down at Aika, who was trying to make herself as small as possible, before harrumphing and stalking off, leaving her lunch which miraculously she managed to eat most of while everyone was talking. Aika rolled her eyes across her own barely eaten food before she noticed everyone was staring at her again.
“What’s her deal?” Miyabi griped as she turned to look after the runaway.
“What’s going on, Aika-chan?” Chinami asked in a soothing voice. “First you’ve been so quiet, and then she blows her top and marches off like that. Something must have happened.”
Aika stared into her bowl again. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she also didn’t want to have this drag on again either, even like it had with Koharu.
“My sister’s dead, okay?” she said, a bit curtly, and lifted her almost untouched bowl of rice before walking off as well, not looking back into the stunned silence she left behind.
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Part of this reminded me of a book I read a long time ago called "Come Lucky April", mostly the small glimpse we got into how their society works although it's only just a small similarity in how the females seemed to have grouped together. The story has this dystopian, apocalypic feel about it that feels quote oppressive but at the same time I'm super curious as to how things got that way.
Keep it up rokun! I'm enjoying this lots even though I'm sad everytime I'm reminded about Risa. >.< Wonder how many more of the girls will appear in the cast for this fic. Looking forward to it~
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OOh!! New story!! I'm excited for this one (though as always, I'm impatiently awaiting new chapters from your other stories - sorry I haven't commented on them for the last few chapters. XD)
Teaser:
OMG.... RISA!!! NYOOOO!!! For all the Miyabi fangirl that's in me (as you've noticed in my comments on your other stories) I've got a load of Risa fangirl in me too, and it's so sad that she's been killed off so early in the story. T__T
Were they just walking down a bad street, or was there a more sinister reason for Risa's death? I mean, really, it's a bit extreme to kill someone for walking through/by an alley... One of the attackers was a boy - if it was all boys, you'd think they'd have "fun" with her instead of killing her... Though I wonder about the dynamics of this city they're in. Risa was in a gang that was keeping the 'hood "clean". So, was she in the "good" gang, and the "bad" gang had some beef to take up with the poor girl who was just walking her sister home? ... Whatever the case, it's so sad that Aika had to watch it, and see her sister die.
Also, Risa was in love with someone? ... Tell who that she loves them? o_O Questions! Mystery! :O
It'll be interesting to see how Aika deals with this (though, really at this point we don't know how Aika really is in the first place, so I'm not sure how obvious any change in her behaviour might be unless we get flashbacks or something. XD), and how Risa's gang will react when they find out.
Chapter 1:
Oooh.. Loads of the youngin's are here. I spot a Miyabi!! ^_^ That makes me happy. She's got that yankii vibe from Circle of Three. I'm loving it. XD ... Hmm, Miya and Chinami? Interesting pairing from you... I immediately pictured that video of Miya and Chinami where Miya called Chinami her girlfriend and Chinami quickly waved it off.
Sorry... I'm heading off topic (Miya does that to me. XD) Anyway...
“They got my sister last night, all right?”
"They". Not just a "my sister was killed last night", but a definite group who needed no explanation for Koharu... intriguing... Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. XD We'll see.
I'm hoping shorter chapters (as you said you'd be breaking them up differently from your other fics) will mean more frequent updates.. XD
Anyway, keep up the great work, and I do hope that writing this fic helps you to get back into your other fics.
It was awesome to meet you (however briefly) at Hello! Party! ^_^ I definitely wasn't expecting it and was actually a bit starstruck 'cause I love your fics so much. XD LOL. .. I talk too much. XD
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Rokun- totally learning things here, excellent chapter. Very intriguing as to what Aika will do.
Also last but not least: YOU KILLED RISA????!!!!! :shocked
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lol@everyone being oblivious and miya starting fights
Miya and Chinami make a good couple. I hope they show up later. Also I can imagine Koha just storming off like that :lol:
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Ooo, so Aika and the deceased Risa live in the hood. I can't help imagining them in their 3 2 1 breakin out outfits XD
Somehow the tree-named streets seem a lot more peaceful suburbia-esque than violent city.
And it's nice to see a more serious Koharu for once :P I'm looking foward to the next chapter~
I wonder who those three girls are...
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Chapter 1
Aika Mitsui stared at what filled the assorted plates and bowls on her tray, wondering not for the first time how she was actually expected to eat things like this. Shrugging and supposing it didn’t really matter, she stuck a finger into what she thought was potatoes and licked it clean. As she was still sucking on it she looked up slowly to see a taller girl set her own tray down next to hers and sit across from her.
Read this and immediately thought..."cafeteria" food. :lol:
Koharu bluntly reached over and knocked the bowl Aika was working on to the side of the tray, poking her wrist. “Hey, how long have I known you? I can tell if you’re lying to me as easily as if your hair fell out.”
...
“They got my sister last night, all right?”
The way that Aika said this...this must not have been the first time that this has happened. Something tells me it's one of those things that's supposed to be "unspoken."
“What?” Koharu asked, her face screwing up slightly. “Got her? Is she all right?”
“She’s dead,” Aika responded in her simple words once again.
I'm actually somewhat surprised that Koharu didn't know. Usually when someone gets beaten to death in an alley the news will somehow find out about it and report it the next morning.
Even more surprising is that Aika still went to school the next day? :O
“Is it me or are they even more spazzed than usual today?” Miyabi said, leaning over to wave a hand in front of Aika’s face.
“Leave off, Natsuyaki,” Koharu said through a mouthful of food.
“Oh yeah?” the other responded, her voice taking on a sardonic warning tone. “You wanna make me?”
Oooooooooooooooooo they're gonna feel like such tools when they find out the truth.
“Careful, Miya,” Chinami giggled, tugging at the other’s arm. “Don’t want you to start a fight and get spanked only halfway through the day.” Then the girl leaned in and whispered in the other’s ear. “That’s my job for later…” Despite her attempted detachment, Aika choked on her food upon hearing that, and noticed Miyabi color slightly as well. Likely no one but the two of them heard what Chinami had said.
WTF...ChinaMiya?
:mon spit:
It used to be in this part of the City that girls would have kids young and maybe eventually marry the father of the third or fourth. Aika’s own mother, in fact, had her sister when she was sixteen, and in truth Aika and Risa were only half-sisters since, like many siblings around here, they had different fathers. Due to a cultural technicality, it also resulted in different family names, Risa’s happening to have been Niigaki.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.....okay, okay, okay...definitely getting a better idea of "where" (as in "what side of the tracks") they are now.
There were many things about her life her sister hadn’t told her… including why last night had to happen.
One way or the other, one can't help but get the feeling that Aika's going to find out.
She didn’t glance in Miyabi’s direction; instead, her eye was caught by three girls passing by their table and giggling to each other. All three were in Koharu’s year, and the two had run into them from time to time. The tall one shared some of Koharu’s classes, and so they particularly knew each other relatively well.
They didn’t do much more than glance over at the six younger girls at the table though, one of the shorter ones making eye contact with Aika and continuing to giggle. Aika felt herself flush, although it wasn’t completely due to the giggling. She hid it by burying her face back into her bowl, which was now nearly empty.
“Look at the three of them,” Sayaka complained, watching as they left. “Acting like they’re all big shot.”
“They’re third years,” Chinami replied simply. “Now they’re upperclassmen they’re simply taking advantage of their—”
“…assholeness…” Miyabi interrupted.
“…age.” Chinami finished, frowning at her girlfriend.
Ah yes, the high school clique.
Boy do they suck.
When she’d barely finished, Koharu suddenly jumped up from her chair, rattling her tray when she slammed her hands on the table. “That’s enough!” she almost yelled. “You guys are all stupid, fighting like this and just being rude all the time! Can’t you give it a break for even just one day?!”
“Koharu-chan…” Aika whined softly, looking up at her friend and pleading with her to sit back down.
“What’s the matter with you?” Miyabi asked in disbelief. Koharu was a little… over-energetic… at times, but rarely just blew up so seriously like this. The two first years were actually looking a bit scared, and Aika saw them cling to each others’ arms.
“We’re always like this,” Chinami protested in a less caustic voice than her girlfriend. “Why’s today so special?”
Koharu didn’t say anything in response, instead just glaring down at Aika, who was trying to make herself as small as possible, before harrumphing and stalking off, leaving her lunch which miraculously she managed to eat most of while everyone was talking. Aika rolled her eyes across her own barely eaten food before she noticed everyone was staring at her again.
“What’s her deal?” Miyabi griped as she turned to look after the runaway.
In their defense, the others girls aren't mind-readers, and like how Koharu was a little while ago, they're completely clueless about what happened and have no real reason to not go about their normal routine. Sure, given the situation, they might not currently be the that sensitive/supportive, but when they don't know...how are they supposed to be?
“What’s going on, Aika-chan?” Chinami asked in a soothing voice. “First you’ve been so quiet, and then she blows her top and marches off like that. Something must have happened.”
Aika stared into her bowl again. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she also didn’t want to have this drag on again either, even like it had with Koharu.
“My sister’s dead, okay?” she said, a bit curtly, and lifted her almost untouched bowl of rice before walking off as well, not looking back into the stunned silence she left behind.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand now they know. :(
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Wow~ This story is so....different. H!P in the ghetto~ XD And I love it. :P
Pretty interesting, all their interactions as well as the little tidbits about the culture of the area that they live in. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who is wondering about who exactly "they" are. Guys, I'm pretty sure but other than that....not so sure. Oh yeah, Chinami x Miya= :inlove: Hehe~
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Teaser hooked me, and now I'm definitely loving it. MiyaChii?! I love it, but it's rare to see nowadays. XD *sigh* Group dynamics didn't work so well when Koha found out about Aika's "problem". I still can't believe that Aika still went to school the next day! >< And now the whole group knows and... gaaaaah. T__T
*sits and waits for next chapter* :D
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Hmm, a lot going on in this chapter, in a sense. Starting to piece together how this world works.
Though, a few more chapters would help with that, hint hint nudge nudge wink wink.
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So many great comments! Thank you again! :D I'll try to make my responses a bit more in-depth this time...
Kuji: That feel you described - was that in relation to the book you read or to this story as well? :lol: If it's my story, I'm impressed you're getting that sense. :oops: More girls to come! :lol:
maize: Hello there! :D It was nice meeting you as well! Starstruck, you say? :oops: I don't know about that... I wish I had the chance to talk to you more there... though there were just so many people to see! As for your comments, thanks so much for all the detail! You know I'm a big Miya fanboy, so there's nothing wrong with the Miya-digression. :lol: I don't really plan for her to be that major a character in this story, but as you can see from that last chapter, she has a way of still stealing the stage with me. >.> And for Miya-Chii, well, I like to do maybe a bit unusual or new pairings with new stories. If I don't there'll never be a new ReinAi or MiyaSaki that somehow takes off... Plus, in this case, there was a request a good while ago (from someone I'm not sure is even here anymore...), plus I think the two fit quite well together. They seem to hang out a lot, and of course that scene where Chinami calls Miya her girlfriend is classic. :) As for "them", well, you'll see. :P
FaqU: Thanks for reading! By the way, I'm sure you may have noticed, but your story was partly an inspiration for this one. :oops: Thanks for writing it!
slasha: Yes, Koha can be prone to some dramatic (rather drama-queen) actions. ;)
GoodEngrish: Thanks for commenting on my story! :D Your comment about the street names actually started a good discussion with one of my friends, where I explained that was part of the point... the contrast... Perhaps a little subtle way of showing that how things seem at first glance may not be how they really are... And wow, you're the only one to make specific mention of those three girls. :) One of them was even identified this chapter...
JFC: All I can say is... read on! :lol:
sbk: I'm glad you are enjoying the MiyaChii-ness. 8)
SxY: Some others mentioned this too, but Aika going to school the next day... As you learn more about the culture these girls live in, it'll become more clear. The girls will likely fairly often do things here that would surprise us normally.
rndmn: You and SxY both are nudging and waiting for a next chapter? Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer then! :D
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Chapter 2
Aika finished her bowl of rice outside while sitting on the top of one of the graffitied picnic tables surrounding the small playground, which mainly included a long-unpaved basketball court missing its nets and a pole with a ball hanging on a rope from its top that you could beat around. Aika never really used any of it, although she did go to the track circling the gym sometimes.
When she was nearly finished eating, two younger girls walked up to her, one with wide eyes making her constantly look surprised. Aika almost moaned at the interruption, but did her best to just ignore the first years.
“Aika-chan!” the shorter, more confident of the two greeted, glancing occasionally to her friend as she spoke to Aika. “How are you today? I’m surprised…” She paused, looking around a bit, but still sparing a glance for her friend. “Where’s Kusumi-senpai?”
“In class, I’d imagine,” Aika responded shortly. She didn’t feel like talking to these two right now, especially by herself. When the year began Aika got to know them along with Ayacho and Saaya, but there had apparently been some rift among the four of them, and they’d seen less of the other two since. Also, whenever they did still run into them, Aika usually thought them annoying more than anything.
“Say something!” the one who had spoken whispered hoarsely to her friend, and Aika’s eyebrows reflexively rose as she wondered how the girl possibly expected her not to hear.
“E—enjoying your lunch?” the other finally squeaked out, and Aika looked out through her lashes at the wide-eyed and obviously nervous girl.
“It’s rice, Yuukarin,” Aika responded flatly, sticking the last bit into her mouth.
“Oh! Rice!” Yuuka responded, those wide eyes focused on Aika’s face as she also gave her a silly smile. “Of course. Rice is… Rice is food!”
The corners of Aika’s lips quivered as the other girl slapped her palm to her face before grabbing Yuuka’s arm and pulling her away quickly, Yuuka squeaking slightly and glancing back to Aika, not seeming ready to leave quite yet.
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” her friend hissed in a low voice. “Rice is food… I swear, if you keep saying stupid things like that, you’re never gonna…” However, Aika lost whatever else the girl would have said as the two drifted too far away.
She shrugged. “Nice talking to you too, Kanyon,” she mumbled to herself, glancing at her watch to see that she was going to be late to class herself.
Jumping down from the table, she tossed the bowl carelessly to the ground before wiping her hands together and starting off quickly back toward the school. However, she caught a glimpse of someone through the chain-link perimeter fence and slowed to a stop. She didn’t think she recognized him, but the clothes were unmistakable.
Seeing his type made anger rise up unbidden within her, and before she knew it she had changed direction and taken a step toward the school’s front gate. Glancing back once to find no one in sight between her and the building, she resumed her quick steps toward the gate, and when she reached it glanced around again before jumping over the wire gate nimbly, and not for the first time.
She caught sight of the guy she’d seen disappearing around the corner, and headed off in pursuit. She really didn’t need to follow someone to where she was going of course, but for some reason knowing she was being sneaky gave her a bit more motivation for what she’d finally decided she had to do after the night before, since it was very possible this could end just as badly for her.
She made her way for a few blocks away from the school until she came close enough for a large, worn-down house to be framed in her view. The person she was following disappeared inside, and she ducked behind one of the junky cars sitting outside it, looking in the window to see wires hanging down from below the steering wheel. She widened her eyes momentarily while realizing it must have been jacked today, since they hadn’t had time to forge a key for it and be able to hide the wires to make it at least look legit.
Creeping around the trunk, she hurried up the walkway to the door and pushed it in, her nostrils immediately assaulted by the sweet smell of weed… among other things.
Blinking so her eyes watered against the effect of the drugs in the air, she continued creeping into the foyer, a man leaning against one wall glancing down at her with a bored expression before looking back up to stare again at the opposite wall. However, Aika knew only a fool would mistake him as being oblivious… even if he was as baked as he looked.
Aika continued snaking through the front rooms of the house, ignoring those she passed who likely didn’t even register her existence, until she reached a back room which was shielded by the first closed door she came to. Reaching up to the knob, she twisted it slowly and pulled, slipping inside.
The smell was weaker here, if of course not gone. Two girls stood together just within the door, both fixing their eyes on her immediately, and one spoke up with a slow foreign accent. “Aika…?” she said in slight surprise. “What are you doing here alone?” Aika started creeping past them again, and the girl’s brows furrowed. “…And why are you sneaking around like that?”
However, Aika ignored the girl, her eyes instead on an older one that was seated on a busted sofa across from another in an easy chair. The two were laid back and talking, still focused on each other and unaware yet that Aika was there.
With her next step, Aika brought herself upright and marched straight to the object of her attention, who at nearly the last moment turned from her conversation before Aika thrust a fist at her face, knocking it to the side and nearly making her fall into the sofa.
Her abrupt action caused a rapid change in the room, as the girl her victim had been talking to jumped up and grabbed Aika by the waist, twisting her punching arm behind her so hard she thought it might break, but Aika ignored the pain as she continued glaring at the one she hoped she might have knocked out.
“What the fuck!” the girl holding her yelled, and she twisted her neck to look behind them. “What good are you morons if you’re gonna let someone walk right up here like that?!”
Aika heard the two from the door running up behind them, and the one that greeted her breathed, “But…” she said, sounding completely confused. “Tanaka-dono… that’s…”
“Reina,” the small-looking girl she'd decked to the sofa broke in. “Let her go.”
“But…” Aika’s captor protested, feeling her strength even though she wasn’t resisting.
“Please,” the other responded, sitting up once again while holding a palm to her jaw.
Aika felt the pressure on her arm loosen, and though her wrist was still held, pulled it forward, which had the effect of turning her slightly where Tanaka could see her.
“I warn you, asshole” she said. “If you try anything…” Then she finally looked properly into Aika’s face, squinted, and continued, “…Aika-chan?”
“That’s quite a hook you have there,” the seated girl said, finally looking up into Aika’s heated gaze. “I didn’t know your sister was training you.”
“She wasn’t,” Aika growled back.
At her response, the other girl frowned and stood up. As she came more into the light, Aika could see blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She took a step forward, and Aika lurched as if to meet her, but was restrained still by Tanaka. When she turned to give the girl a piece of her mind, she noticed that her face as well as the two behind them were lost in puzzlement.
Just as she noticed this, she felt a warm hand on her chin that turned her face back forward to searching eyes. “Something happened,” the girl stated as a matter of fact.
You’re damned right something happened…! Aika thought, but couldn’t open her mouth through her glare. Your stupid wars got my sister killed!
The girl continued to look into her eyes, and somehow through looking back Aika felt herself calming down despite the white-hot rage she’d just been honing. Then something clicked within her mind, and it suddenly blanked.
The other girl let go of her chin and turned slowly to retake her spot on the sofa, seeming to heave a long sigh as she did so. “Please…” she said, waving her hand to a spot next to her. “Have a seat.” Then she focused her eyes beyond Aika. “Reina, you too. Jun, Lin, don’t worry about it. There’s nothing more you can do.”
The two Chinese girls bowed slightly. “Thank you, Takahashi-dono,” they murmured, still seeming a little puzzled by what was going on.
Reina settled into her chair, her face now more pensive than confused as she gazed up at Aika, who slowly and a bit reluctantly took a seat on the sofa, making sure to leave a safe space between her and Takahashi.
“What happened?” the girl asked in a warm voice. Aika was having a hard time reconciling the gentleness across from her with the cold monster she knew as a leader of the Oak Street Families. However, with the girl’s current tone, she couldn’t think of any reason not to speak.
“We were walking home last night from my piano lesson in The Pines…” she began.
“The Pines!” Tanaka burst in. “What was she thinking?!” At a look from Takahashi though, she fell quiet, just grumbling inaudibly to herself.
“A piano lesson?” Takahashi asked. “How did it go?”
Aika’s eyes misted at the memory. “It was nice. The teacher treated me like I might be worth something. I don’t know if I’m any good, but I’d love to go aga…” Her face darkened, her eyes focusing back onto reality. “But I won’t. I’ll never go back there again.”
“I see,” Takahashi said, smiling, although Aika thought her eyes showed something completely different. “And you ran into some people on the way?”
“Yes,” Aika said, now looking directly into the other’s eyes again. “They didn’t like her for some reason. Told her she shouldn’t be there.” Her teeth clenched as she tried to resist the emotion that was trying to overcome her. After a moment, she managed to force out, “It’s all your fault!”
Takahashi looked at her, sympathy now flooding those very demonstrative eyes.
“If it wasn’t for us,” Tanaka said, now in a much calmer voice, “You would never even have found out what a piano sounds like.”
“Reina…” Takahashi said again in a soothing voice. Her eyes never left Aika’s, which despite her best efforts she felt tearing up. “That’s not what she needs to hear right now.
“Aika-chan…” she continued, scooting closer to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Even though she hated the woman when she first walked in the room, somehow she let her comfort her now… She wanted her to… “Your sister was one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. She did everything she could to protect her family… her sister… and could be very… loving… to those she cared for.”
As her own vision began to blur in her tears, she noticed what had to be tears in the others’ eyes as well. But… that couldn’t be…
She couldn’t think about it any longer as she collapsed into the tattered-sleeved arms of the other girl. She came here looking for answers and maybe a bit of violence, most of which she thought might happen to her… but instead found warm arms to receive her. She thought she was finally beginning to learn just a little more about her sister. However, she still was yet to be sure what she thought of it all.
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Ah ...
My dear Rokun...
with just a introduction has caused a ruckus ...
and emotions of their readers. :thumbsup
and only is the beginning ...
Since always the detail is so valuable in his histories...
Miya with chinami?
This is a bit unusual...
Good...
On having spoken about the city of the angels...
One can wait for a stories of any thing...
But, the first thing that I can imagine is the vandalism......
The neighborhoods ... and all that...
Poor Risa... Niigaki is in the hands of evil Rokun... :twisted:
oH... A heroine appeared...
And she is Takahashi. :thumbsup :heart:
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At first I thought Aichan was gonna be cold hearted but she turned out to be pretty nice.
I wonder what a fight between Aika and Reina/Jun/Lin would've looked like...
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Chapter 2
*NERVOUS YUUKARIN*
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...that's so cute! :wub:
Too bad circumstances make it really lousy timing for this. :(
Jumping down from the table, she tossed the bowl carelessly to the ground before wiping her hands together and starting off quickly back toward the school. However, she caught a glimpse of someone through the chain-link perimeter fence and slowed to a stop. She didn’t think she recognized the person, but the clothes were unmistakable.
Seeing the person made anger rise up unbidden within her, and before she knew it she had changed direction and taken a step toward the school’s front gate.
Uh oh. Why do I get the feeling that it's one of the kids from the previous night? :O
She caught sight of the person she’d seen disappearing around the corner, and headed off in pursuit. She really didn’t need to follow someone to where she was going of course, but for some reason knowing she was being sneaky gave her a bit more motivation for what she’d finally decided she had to do after the night before, since it was very possible this could end just as badly for her.
If my previous thought is correct, it could INDEED turning out badly for Aika...especially if the person that she's following KNOWS that Aika's there.
*AIKA IN THE DRUGGIE HOUSE*
Oooooooooooooh be careful Aika! :o
Two girls stood together just within the door, both fixing their eyes on her immediately, and one spoke up with a slow foreign accent. “Aika…?” she said in slight surprise. “What are you doing here alone?” Aika started creeping past them again, and the girl’s brows furrowed. “…And why are you sneaking around like that?”
SHIT! SOMEONE RECOGNIZED HER!
:mon scare:
With her next step, Aika brought herself upright and marched straight to the object of her attention, who at nearly the last moment turned from her conversation before Aika thrust a fist at her face, knocking it to the side and nearly making her fall into the sofa.
Her abrupt action caused a rapid change in the room, as the girl her victim had been talking to jumped up and grabbed Aika by the waist, twisting her punching arm behind her so hard she thought it might break, but Aika ignored the pain as she continued glaring at the one she hoped she might have knocked out.
“What the fuck!” the girl holding her yelled, and she twisted her neck to look behind them. “What good are you morons if you’re gonna let someone walk right up here like that?!”
Aika heard the two from the door running up behind them, and the one that greeted her breathed, “But…” she said, sounding completely confused. “Tanaka-dono… that’s…”
WTF? REINA'S THERE?!?!??
:OMG:
“That’s quite a hook you have there,” the seated girl said, finally looking up into Aika’s heated gaze. “I didn’t know your sister was training you.”
“She wasn’t,” Aika growled back.
Training Aika? Risa? For what...exactly? :?
At her response, the other girl frowned and stood up. As she came more into the light, Aika could see blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She took a step forward, and Aika lurched as if to meet her, but was restrained still by Tanaka. When she turned to give the girl a piece of her mind, she noticed that her face as well as the two behind them were lost in puzzlement.
Just as she noticed this, she felt a warm hand on her chin that turned her face back forward to searching eyes. “Something happened,” the girl stated as a matter of fact.
You’re damned right something happened…! Aika thought, but couldn’t open her mouth through her glare. Your stupid wars got my sister killed!
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh, naruhodo...I think. This group isn't the specific one that killed Risa, but they're probably in conflict (or to paraphrase Aika, "at war") with the group that did kill her. It would stand to reason then, that Risa has some connection to this particular group, and more specifically to the particular person that Aika just hit.
...
Oh shit...the other group didn't have a specific grudge against Risa herself, they just killed her because of her connection...nay...relationship with...with... :shocked
The other girl let go of her chin and turned slowly to retake her spot on the sofa, seeming to heave a long sigh as she did so. “Please…” she said, waving her hand to a spot next to her. “Have a seat.” Then she focused her eyes beyond Aika. “Reina, you too. Jun, Lin, don’t worry about it. There’s nothing more you can do.”
The two Chinese girls bowed slightly. “Thank you, Takahashi-dono,” they murmured, still seeming a little puzzled by what was going on.
*AICHAN COMFORTS AIKA*
I KNEW IT! AICHAN! The other group killed Risa because of some stupid turf war and probably also because she's important to Aichan!
:frustrated: :frustrated: :frustrated:
On a non-emo note...JunLin's there! w00t!
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Ooh gangs, drugs, fighting and the 'hood. Tough stuff. A different type of story than what I'm used to but interesting. Who are these characters I don't know, made up or part of the Eggs? I need to brush up on who's who then.
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Rokun: I am happy that you feel that mine was the inspiration for your story here but I was totally thinking 'How could mine be an inspiration of this???!!!' This is totally a new level than the stuff I've got. But it's great, I can learn something and do better, or at least try to do better, with the rest of my fic :lol:
It's so dark though!!! A war that Takahashi started???? With who??? Who is the other group???? My curiousity is up!!!!
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I'm not even sure what to comment on first. Risa was part of Ai-chan's gang? I guess that makes sense. Was Ai the one her last words were for? Is Aika going to join the gang now too? Or maybe go off alone and try to get revenge?
I'm on the edge of my seat here, waiting for another update, your stories always have me like this.
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Yay for a quick chapter!!
I can't say I was surprised that Aichan is the leader of Risa's gang. Reina, JunJun and LinLin are there too... I wonder where that puts the other 2 older members of Momusu. I feel like Koharu isn't part of the gang. Maybe she's too young, seeing as Aika also isn't in it (though that could have just been Risa trying to protect her from gang life).
Two girls stood together just within the door, both fixing their eyes on her immediately, and one spoke up with a slow foreign accent. “Aika…?” she said in slight surprise. “What are you doing here alone?” Aika started creeping past them again, and the girl’s brows furrowed. “…And why are you sneaking around like that?”
Obviously they don't know what happened to Risa yet... I guess gang related deaths aren't a huge priority for the news crews around there? Though you'd think there'd be some set up for them to keep tabs on their members...
“That’s quite a hook you have there,” the seated girl said, finally looking up into Aika’s heated gaze. “I didn’t know your sister was training you.”
“She wasn’t,” Aika growled back.
At her response, the other girl frowned and stood up.
Does Aichan know that Risa's gone just from that one statement? o_O
Poor Reina, JunJun and LinLin are all so confused...
“Aika-chan…” she continued, scooting closer to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Even though she hated the woman when she first walked in the room, somehow she let her comfort her now… She wanted her to… “Your sister was one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. She did everything she could to protect her family… her sister… and could be very… loving… to those she cared for.”
I was thinking (ie. hoping) Risa was talking about Aichan at the end of the teaser, and with what Aichan just said there, it seems like that was the case. I wonder how serious the two were and how well known their relationship was between the gangs... I can see Risa having hidden that knowledge from Aika, seeing as she seemed to keep her away from the gang stuff. But if this rival gang knew of Risa's importance to the head of the Oak Street Families... Makes you wonder if this other gang has a death wish.. XD Though, it's all speculation on what Risa and Ai's relationship was...
Can't wait for the next chapter. ^_^
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Gonna make some quick comment replies so I'm not doing it while dead tired and posting my chapter later like usual. :lol: Again, thanks everyone for reading!
M_Y: I didn't expect you to read this, but thank you for doing so. :) Your comments are always so great, and it's always wonderful to hear from you!
slasha: We've not seen many sides of Leader yet. :D As for the fight you visualized... at this point... I think it would have been somewhere along the lines of Aika having her ass thoroughly kicked...
JFC: Your comments here are quite a roller coaster. :lol: I suppose that's cool the story makes you swing so many ways. I wonder if it happens to everyone else. :) Won't say too much about the cause of Risa's death yet except that she was not targeted specifically... It's kind of a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, only... it was purposeful on her part. More glimpses of that in the next chapter I think.
e-girl: It's different? Well that's good. :) I suppose it would be different from how we normally think of H!P girls... As for the ones you don't recognize - assuming you're not talking about the Berryz/C-ute (which are very prominent in my other stories as well), the others are Eggs, though those so far only ones from Milky Way and S/mileage/SCE. So, we've had the chance to get to know them a bit... Currently I'm addicted to S/mileage's first indie release. It's seriously one of the cutest things I've ever heard/seen...
FaqU: Surely you see a bit of your story in this. :) At least part of the setting/what happens. Of course I'm (hopefully) going a bit of a different direction with it. Wouldn't wanna just copy you after all. :) Actually this story has many influences, only one of which is your story. Maybe as it rolls along I'll relate some of the others. And yet others that I wasn't even aware of seem to be making themselves known as I write more. For now I'll relate another of the influences/inspirations for this: FeverInducedMadness's Heartbeat Tempo, if anyone remembers it. I completely loved how she developed the setting for that story, and like many times when I read something I think is so great, I want to do my own spin on it. Well now a few years have passed, but here's a little taste of it...
rndmn: I'm touched by how much you talk about being into my story(s) :oops: As for your questions... I believe all should be answered to at least some extent in the coming chapter. ;)
maize: Another awesome comment! Thanks! :twothumbs However, I can't say too much about it at the moment. :lol: :P
I wonder where that puts the other 2 older members of Momusu.
Those "other 2 older members" are somewhat conspicuously absent so far, aren't they? Hmm, wonder where they could be... :mon dunno:
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And so it continues! How awesome is Aika?
Chapter 3
Aika gazed out a grimy window as the others in the room conversed quietly together. They’d been at it for a while now, with someone else from time to time entering the room to murmur something to them before heading back out again. Tanaka had pulled out a blunt she apparently carried with her and puffed on it from time to time. She’d offered it to the others, who all took it for a whiff of their own except for Takahashi, who just waved it off.
She thought about returning to school and class, but for some reason that sort of organized life seemed far away from her at the moment. This resulted in her just hanging out in the crack den while the others talked what she supposed was business. They didn’t seem to mind her there, though did glance her direction from time to time. She was sure she was a bit out of place here, but she knew that wasn’t all. She had a strong feeling the “business” they were discussing involved her in some way.
Eventually the conversation quieted and Takahashi coolly broke away from the group and strolled over to Aika, taking a moment to peer out the window herself.
“You don’t smoke,” Aika commented evenly, not glancing in the other’s direction.
“Not today,” Takahashi replied politely, and the two stood in silence another moment.
“You dug her… didn’t you?” Aika finally asked, still not looking over.
She did feel Takahashi however glance her way now, and the girl responded as subtly as she said everything else. “We were close.”
Remembering her sister’s last words, Aika felt herself torn. She now thought she understood the message, and who it was directed to, but still wasn’t sure she was prepared to convey it. The cautious, hurt and angry part of her won out again, but since she noticed Takahashi looking at her as if expecting something, she couldn’t stay silent either.
“Well I guess it only makes sense that I get to know you a bit too then, if I wasn’t the only one important in her life.”
“No one could hold a candle to you in her estimation, Aika,” the other responded, and for the first time Aika glanced over at her with a hint of disbelief. “You’re the only one she would have done anything for.”
“Is that why she died for me?” Aika replied, holding back tears that threatened to flow again.
Takahashi breathed a sigh and looked back into the window. “I know she wanted the best for you. She would do whatever it took to ensure the safety of those she felt responsible for, and never liked taking any risks.”
“If she hadn’t been with me, I could have been perfectly fine walking home myself, couldn’t I?” Aika asked, and the girl turned to her again, eyes widening almost imperceptibly.
She didn’t respond right away, but when she did it was with a resigned voice. “You heard them talking, I take it?”
“Yes,” Aika said, turning away, her jaw tightening. “If that’s true, then it’s totally my fault.” She turned to the girl again, this time grabbing the cuff of her shirt insistently. “Tell me. I need to know. Did you and my sister know I would have been safe?”
Takahashi glanced down at the fingers at her wrist, giving Aika the impression not many people touched her in that way, before looking back up into Aika’s face. “We know now.”
Clenching her jaw tighter, Aika let go of the fabric and turned back to the window once again.
“Tell me,” Takahashi asked almost curiously. “What do you intend to do now? Bash on a few more of us to see if that makes you feel better?”
Aika’s mind whirred for a minute as she considered what she’d been thinking since she jumped over the school gate and clouted her questioner in the face. However, in the end it was clear what she wanted to say.
She turned back to the gang leader. “I want to join you. Though I never knew exactly what it was, my sister did what she thought was best and right for our family and our friends. Now she’s gone, it’s my responsibility to take her place.”
The other girls across the room had been watching the conversation between the two of them, and at these words Tanaka nodded to the others, who nodded back and broke away, exiting the room. Tanaka just continued standing by herself and watching them from afar.
Takahashi lowered her eyes and seemed to consider her next words carefully. “That’s a serious thing to ask,” she said finally. “As you and I both know now, they don’t consider you a threat, and I think it’d be at least a few years before you have to worry about this. You could probably just go back to school and forget about it all, maybe even go to college and never have to deal with it. Your sister always thought high of you in that way.”
“My sister might have thought that,” Aika replied through tight lips. “But she’s gone now, and I won’t shy away from any responsibilities I might have.”
“We don’t hold you to any,” Takahashi responded evenly, looking steadily into her eyes.
“Well, I hold myself,” Aika responded. After a moment, she went further. “I’ll drop out of school and do what it takes to keep everyone who can still be there safe.”
“No,” Takahashi said, and Aika blinked before a spark of anger ignited in her stomach.
“What?” she said thinly.
“You won’t be dropping out of school.”
“But—”
“You can join us and work towards the protection you want to give, but you won’t drop out of school.” The girl sounded firm in her apparent offer.
“But how will I be able to…?” Aika asked in puzzlement. “I know girls who dropped out, younger than me even. Chisato Okai, and—”
“Their situations are different,” Takahashi told her definitively.
“I still don’t understand…” Aika continued, her annoyance rising. “Spending the day at school I won’t be able to—”
“Reina!” Takahashi suddenly yelled across the room. “Are they ready?”
Aika blinked and looked over at the addressed girl, who she noticed had been keeping an eye on the door as well as them.
“Yes,” she responded, and walked to the door to rap smartly on it.
When she stepped away, it opened to reveal LinLin from before, as well as another girl Aika wasn’t sure if she recognized. She wore a knitted white dress that seemed out of place here, and when Aika saw it she was suddenly vaguely reminded of a fourth-year she’d seen around school. The girl smiled at her, and walked up to them between Tanaka and Lin.
“This is Mano Erina,” Takahashi introduced to Aika, who gave a curt nod, still not clear what was going on. “She’s a senior at WH High, and our special contact on campus.” Aika blinked again and turned to Takahashi, who was smiling at the new arrival. “She may not look it, but she knows everything the rest of us do – more when it deals with the school and its students. Whenever we need to get hold of you, or you need to reach us about something, she’ll be your contact while at school and take care of you there.”
“But…” Aika said, her mindset still not seeming to align with what the girl was telling her.
Takahashi clutched her arm and turned her back toward the window to speak in a low voice, “Your sister always thought there should be something more for you. Are you going to let her dearest wish and everything she worked for stand for nothing?”
“…Fine,” Aika conceded after some deliberation. “Whatever you think is best to do. I’m still getting what I want, at least.”
“You know,” Takahashi advised, making sure Aika was paying her heed, “If you start out on this path there’s no going back as long as you’re here in the City. I won’t lie and say it’s not going to be dangerous. There’s a very real chance you could even get shot tomorrow walking down the street. You’re going to have to grow up and be very careful from now on if you want to fulfill that responsibility you were talking about.”
“You don’t need to tell me that,” Aika replied, staring into the other’s dark eyes. “After last night, I have no illusions of my own safety any longer, despite how many cops might have asked me what I needed when they picked us up.”
“Cops around here will mostly beat you first and maybe ask questions later anyway, so it’s good you think that way,” Takahashi responded. “And as for your protection…
“Lin, you got that piece?”
The Chinese girl reached to a belt hidden beneath her jacket, and pulled out a pistol. She gave Aika a deep look before flipping it to clutch the barrel and handing it to Aika, who took it gingerly.
“You know how to use one of these?” Takahashi asked her.
“I… I’ve seen them before,” Aika hesitated. “I think I know how they work, but never actually… used… one…”
Takahashi slapped a hand to the back of her shoulder and nodded. “We’ll give you a bit of a lesson tomorrow. Tanaka here is the best you could find for that.” Hearing her name, the girl nodded in acknowledgement over to Aika. “For now all you need to know is to keep it in a safe place and not bring it to school – between the school and your house is our turf, so you’ve nothing to worry about. Just make sure to pack it when hitting the town.”
“What…” Aika asked, trying to process all the new information she’d learned since setting foot into the ramshackle house, “What should I do now?”
“What, lost your way already?” Tanaka joked with a smirk, and Takahashi rolled her eyes at the marksman’s off-color remark. “I don’t know about this one, Ai-chan,” she continued. “Hope she doesn’t point her nine the wrong way when she gets up to face the target.”
The next sound in the room was a groan of abruptly exhaled breath as the taunting girl doubled over, clutching her gut. Aika pulled back from where she’d lunged, returning her fist to her side. “Yeah, I’d better be careful,” she said in a concerned way, “Wouldn’t wanna space out and maybe pop my instructor instead. Accidentally, of course.”
After a moment’s shock, the other two girls in the room started chuckling softly as Tanaka stumbled back to drop into her chair. “Have to admit,” LinLin snickered, “You can’t say you didn’t ask for that.”
“I see we’ve got another firebrand in our ranks,” Takahashi said while grinning, and turned her eyes to Aika. “We’ll have to watch ourselves to make sure we don’t get burned.” They shared that look for a long moment, Takahashi’s smile never fading, and the length of the contact made Aika realize it actually held very little mirth.
“Well...” she said, breaking away from the fixation she felt developing toward those eyes – she thought she understood a bit now what her sister must have seen in them – “I guess I’d better head back… to school, huh?” She lifted her own jacket to tuck the gun in the belt of her denim shorts, and turned to the door.
“Good luck,” LinLin said, reaching out to shake her hand. Despite her rough occupation, this girl’s smile did seem to hold genuine pleasure. “Getting a piece of both leader and hit girl before your first day really even began. That’s quite a start.” Aika raised an eyebrow at the girl’s descriptions of the others, and glanced over to the chair, its occupant wheezing dramatically as if she couldn’t get a breath.
“Yeah…” she breathed in-between rasps. “Great…”
Aika cocked an eye over to Takahashi and stabbed her thumb toward the chair. “Is she gonna be ok?”
The older girl resumed her own place on the sofa and gazed where Aika pointed. “Don’t worry,” she said sarcastically. “She’ll pull through.”
“Didn’t say I was worried,” Aika said smoothly, and began striding for the door, a very different manner from how she entered the room.
“Funny!” she heard a shrill voice call after her, and the Chinese girl’s giggling followed her out of the room.
-
WTF? Gaki gets killed again?! You people really love to put her through torturous stuff. Pain, suffering, death. No wonder she lost all that weight due to the stress she has to put up with in your stories. :P
And I can't believe I missed this. lol Awesome start! :mon fyeah: City of Angels... hmm.. I wonder what that could be a reference for... *looks at own city* lol
But Takahashi, a gang leader who sometimes smoke weed.... *imagines the scene* Weird, but hot at the same time. XD
And I, too, wonder where the other 2 MM members could be, but I do have a good idea... :mon dunno:
Oh yeah, How awesome is Aika?
She's 100% awesome. XD
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Lol at Aika smacking up Reina. But whew, I'm glad Ai-chan didn't let her drop out of school, Risa would prolly roll over in her grave if that happened, right? And now that you mentioned it, I noticed the two missing momusu's. Next chapter maybe?
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So we had a burnt out fuse and because it was the weekend couldn't get someone to come fix it for nearly a day and because of that I couldn't come and read rokun's fic. >.< I was pretty annoyed at that!
Anyway, I got that atmostphere/feeling from both the book and your fic as that was one of the things that felt similar. I just got the feeling of a break down of the society we know today and now there's this new one that's being shown in the story. One apparently ruled by gangs. DDD:
I love that we're getting a bit more insight into this gang that Risa was a part of. Figures that Ai is the leader but she's still pretty mysterious at this point. I hope Aika reveals more.
Well, hello Mano! I think I've only ever seen her appear in one fic before... and that was just a "cameo" via flashback. XD I wonder if we'll see more of her in this story. Keep it up, rokun!
Oh and Aika is made of win. :3
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Oh man, I didn't review chapter 2 because I was so lazy, and before I could come back to do so, you've already updated with chapter 3! -slaps self for being lazy- Eurgh...
Anyway... Do I smell a whiff of a TakaGaki? D: Why'd Gaki have to dieeee!!! T__T Interesting, though, that Aika has joined Takahashi's little band. So far, it's them, JunLin, Reina, and ManoEri... With the lack of some MM members in this troop (or what we've seen of it), I'm slightly fretting over the fact that they'd be in the "other" gang. The one that killed Risa. :cry:
Can't wait for chapter 4. :D Oh, and Aika wins. :3
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Good thing Aichan talked her out of dropping out. Gotta send a good message to the kids :lol:
Hopefully Aika doesn't end up shooting Reina at her lesson and hopefully she won't get caught with the gun.
Mano is a gang contact?! That was completely unexpected. Imagine her ordering a hit on someone.
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Hey Fen! Nice to see you here! :D And thanks for reading! After meeting you guys, it makes me a bit more embarrassed seeing you read my stuff for some reason. :lol: And I can't imagine what "reference" you might be talking about... :roll: It's not like I've been anywhere interesting lately...
To the rest of you... Thanks for continuing to read!! :D I see a couple of you mentioned Mano specifically, which kinda surprised me since she didn't really do anything in this chapter. :lol: Well... if you like seeing her... there might be more in the coming chapter to keep you entertained. :) And I'm sure Aika won't end up shooting Reina... unless the gun accidentally slips or something... ;)
Anyway, onward ho! This chapter's a bit longer, but still nothing like my usual standards. Enjoy. :)
Chapter 4
Aika leaned heavily against the chain of the fence beside the front gate to the school. The day wasn’t far from over, but she might still be able to catch a class or two. Chinami had likely become worried about her, and who knew what Miyabi would do.
It felt like she’d had eyes watching her every step the whole way to her house while she carried that gun, it feeling very heavy at her side, and even after she stowed it there to return to campus she couldn’t shake a feeling of unease. She couldn’t believe how she’d conducted herself in that crack house – she’d really punched Takahashi-dono in the face and Tanaka-dono in the stomach! That would be quite the story to brag to the others if there was the slightest chance they’d believe her. It was only after she’d left that she thought about all the people it was generally known they’d cut down in cold blood between the two of them.
She wondered if she might not have been luckier had the same happened to her instead.
There was just something about being in that place… being around all those dangerous people… alone… It gave her a sense of power, that she could hold her own there, that she could actually mean something. And what did it really mean? That was something she was doing her best not to dwell all that much on.
After hurdling the gate again, she crept along the wall to a side door, and took a peek in before opening it and stepping inside. The hallway was empty, with just the muffled sounds of classes being conducted behind closed doors at its sides. She made her way quickly toward the history class that she was fifteen minutes late for, but after turning a corner about halfway there, she found herself facing an older man in a somewhat leisurely-looking office suit.
Crap… she thought to herself, meeting the principal’s eyes.
“What are you doing loitering out in the halls during class-time?” the man asked in a disapproving manner.
“I was… I was just…” Aika stuttered, no hint of her smoothness in the midst of the crack den present any longer, “…I had to go to the bathroom.”
“I see…” the man said, looking down his nose through his glasses, and he pulled out a small notepad from his shirt pocket. “I presume you have your hall pass?” he asked, already scribbling at it.
“Um…” Aika replied, at a loss.
“Why am I not surprised?” he continued, in a very unsurprised tone. “You punks think you can get away with anything around here… Someone’s gotta teach you the limits of rules. One… detention…” he spoke as he wrote. He glanced up through his bifocals at Aika’s face again, and his eyebrows furrowed as if he just realized who he was talking to and was mildly surprised. “Miss Aika… Mitsu…”
Before he finished her name though, Aika felt an arm encircle her shoulders. She flinched, reflexively trying to pull away, but the grip held her fast.
“Why Doctor Nguyen, I was looking for you!” a girl said in a light, sweet voice from her side.
The man looked up, at first frowning at the interruption, but seemed slightly taken aback when he took in the sight before him. A smile broke out above his chiseled jaw, and he returned the greeting. “Miss Mano,” he said in what sounded a more pleasant voice than he had just used with Aika. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you, it’s ‘Mister’. I’m no Doctor yet – that dissertation still keeps slipping away from me even after all these years.”
“It’s close enough for me,” the girl said with a big, bright smile. Aika almost stared at her face. She wasn’t sure how someone dared talk in such a cute tone around here, and the smile with the white dress even made her look almost angelic.
She glanced over at Aika, her expression changing slightly to one Aika immediately took to mean ‘Stay quiet and leave this to me’, before turning the smile back on the principal. “Were you and Aika-chan here just having a little talk?” Her eyes fluttered down to the notepad the man still held in his sweaty hands, and when he looked down as well his expression seemed almost surprised at what he found.
“Yes…” he said, composing himself. “Yes we were. I found Miss Mitsui loitering in the hall when she should be in class, and was writing her a detention.”
“Was she?” Mano asked, giving a look of exaggerated, yet still authentic-looking, surprise. “Did you check for her hall pass?”
“Well I asked her for one…” the man responded, becoming a little shaken again, and he watched as Mano reached into Aika’s jacket – making her twitch a little as if she was being violated – and pulled out a small card. Aika found herself staring at it as wide-eyed as the principal.
“Here you go~” the girl said, handing him the card, and he gripped it lightly between two fingers, turning it around enough to see that it was indeed authentic.
“Very well,” he said, the shaken feeling seeming to have migrated to his core. “Carry on then.” Even though he spoke to Aika, his eyes didn’t seem to focus anywhere as he turned back down the hall. “Be sure to hurry back to your classes.”
When Mister Nguyen vanished from sight around a far corner, Aika turned a flabbergasted face to Mano, whose smile was still present, if not quite as bright as when she spoke to the principal. “Such a sweet old man, don’t you think?” she pondered, as she tucked the hall pass card into Aika’s jacket pocket. Aika was braced for the feeling of violation this time, even if she still wasn’t crazy about it. “Gets a bit cranky though if you’re out here without one of those. Best to make sure and have one with you at all times.” She caught Aika’s eyes as she finished, and Aika laid her hand to her pocket as she understood the message.
“Um…” Aika began uncertainly, “Thank you? I guess.”
“Thank me for what?” Mano replied, smiling, and she hooked her arm into Aika’s to escort her down the hall toward her classroom. Aika flushed in embarrassment when they began walking, looking anxiously around her especially when they passed the small glass-windowed doors. She wasn’t really sure what would happen if someone caught her strolling down the hall arm-in-arm with a girl dressed like a princess… even if she was a fourth-year.
She forced the girl to a stop before they reached the door to her class, and quickly said, “I’ll be fine from here,” straightening her jacket and pulling its collar back up.
“Okay then,” Mano acceded. “Take care!” And with that and a whirl of the hem of her dress, she strolled back down the hallway.
Aika found herself staring dumbfounded after the Contact for a moment, before shaking herself and slipping in the door to join her class.
She saw Miyabi in last period as usual, but the girl seemed distracted by something the whole time, and since Aika herself was quite distracted by events in the last twenty-four hours, the two barely made eye contact the whole class. Also, after the final bell, Miyabi had somehow slipped out of the classroom before Aika even left her seat, causing her to walk by herself toward the front gate. As she watched the other students filing or playing around her, she realized she was observing them from a different point-of-view than she had just yesterday or even this morning. Some she regarded easily as friends, but others she suspected if they might not be enemies.
Before she reached the door, she heard her name called from behind, and paused to wait as Koharu ran up to join her. “Hey, how are you doing?” the girl asked, laying a hand on her arm. Aika pulled back a bit remembering Mano’s rather unexpected actions earlier, and Koharu’s look of concern deepened.
“I’m sorry…” Aika replied, brushing the back of the other’s hand with her own. “I didn’t mean that.”
Koharu looked a bit skeptical, but the two headed out the door toward the gate. “Is it all right if I come over today?” she asked. “I think you could use some company.”
“Um…” Aika said, not really feeling comfortable to have someone over right now, especially with what she had hidden in her room. “I dunno…”
“C’mon!” Koharu pressed, giving her a friendly bump. “I really don’t wanna leave you alone right now.”
“I’m fine, really,” Aika responded. She caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of her eye and halted.
“What is it?” Koharu asked, looking around.
Aika looked around as well, but couldn’t see anything any longer. The girl really must just show up when you need her.
“Hey you two!” came a voice from behind them, and despite herself Aika felt her cheeks immediately flush. Hadn’t enough stuff happened today that she’d be over silly things like that??
Koharu turned to face the new arrivals, and when Aika didn’t turn along with her the other girl spun her around, making her nearly lose her balance. She gave the girl a glare until she realized what she was doing, then turned to the three girls in front of them and lowered her head to hide that damned blush.
“Mr. Yamada’s class was such a drag, wasn’t it?” the tallest, one Maimi Yajima, commented idly to Koharu. “I can’t believe they make us do something like that at the end of the day. I mean, we can’t even sleep if we don’t wanna be pointed out in front of the whole class and embarrassed! And of course that can’t happen to our reputations.”
Koharu nodded, though by her expression Aika wondered if the girl was paying attention to anything the other said. She knew Koharu for one wasn’t always concerned about upholding this “reputation” these girls kept going on about. Self-consciously, Aika glanced around again to make sure there were no more glimpses of white anywhere nearby. It was clearing out pretty well actually – most students couldn’t wait to get off the school grounds at the end of the day.
“Sorry guys,” Koharu said. “Aika-chan here has… something… going on, and we were just about to head to—”
“You wanna go hang out somewhere?” one of the shorter ones, Saki Shimizu, asked as she crouched down to tie her shoe. “We were thinking of getting a bite to eat before—”
“Oh you don’t wanna tell ‘em like that!” Maimi said, leaning down on Saki’s shoulder and making her nearly tip over. Saki deftly kept her balance though, something Aika thought expected of the Captain of WH High’s cheerleading and dance squad. The other two weren’t part of the squad though – Maimi’s position as leader of the track team kept her too busy to take on another activity, although Aika knew she was a good enough dancer she likely could have easily made the squad. As Aika noticed the look that the two shared with each other, she thought the advantage of having its Captain as her girlfriend might have helped a bit too.
Aika didn’t spend too long looking at those two, as usual having a tough time keeping her eyes off the third of their little preppy mini-gang, Momoko Tsugunaga. She didn’t have the accomplishments of the others, but was a childhood friend of Saki’s, so the two of them had always hung out together. And now, of course, since Saki and Maimi were going out, all three of them were normally inseparable.
“I mean it guys,” Koharu said, taking Aika’s arm as if to pull her away. “This really isn’t a good time.”
“Saki-chan got invited to UFO!” Momoko crowed, and Aika felt herself stuck in place by the sound of the girl’s high trill.
“Oh?” Aika asked, smiling at the girl who was now looking back at her, pleased at the interest. She did her best to ignore Koharu’s tugging on her arm.
“Take it easy, Momo,” Saki said in a calm voice. “It isn’t that big a deal.”
“Sure it is!” Maimi said, standing behind her girlfriend proudly and preening as if showing off a trophy. “You know, I hear they may be close to signing a record deal!”
“Please…” Koharu said, coughing out a laugh. She was clearly not impressed, though apparently at least resigned herself that Aika wasn’t moving. “If they did all the record deals the rumors said, they’d have gone double plat by now!”
“Hate to say it sweetheart, but the girl’s got a point,” Saki said, grinning as she finished with her shoe, but sat back on the fence behind her. Despite her words, Maimi glared at Koharu for making her look bad, and in front of her girlfriend no less.
“So anyway,” Saki continued, looking between the two before her. “As I was saying, we were gonna go grab a bite. Wanna come along?”
“I just really don’t think…” Koharu said, glancing over hesitantly at Aika.
“It’d be great to have you with us!” Momoko said cheerfully, still sharing Aika’s gaze.
Feeling her resolve leaving her, Aika was just about to agree, when the events of the day somehow came crashing back to her. “…Sorry guys,” she said, clutching at Koharu’s arm as if afraid she would fall. A part of her couldn’t believe she was turning them down… or more precisely… turning Momoko down. “We really have things to do. You have fun though. Tell us all about it tomorrow?”
Her last comment was fairly obviously directed toward Momoko, but it was Maimi who responded. The girl had seemed to lose her ire, falling back into her usual friendly disposition. “Sure. Well, we’d better get going. Don’t have much time, and don’t wanna be late!” And with that she dragged Saki up the curb and after her. Giving a shrug and a smile to Aika, Momoko followed the two as well.
As Aika and Koharu began walking side-by-side toward her house, Aika let out a very long sigh. Best to not get involved with them anyway, she thought to herself. Cause I don’t really want them getting involved with whatever it is I’ll be doing from now on. Those girls had potential. They’d be going places. Someone like her would drag them down. She glanced at Koharu, realizing as they were walking that even though she never agreed to have the girl over, that was where they were headed anyway.
“Koha-chan,” she said, pulling away slightly. “I think it’d be best if you—”
“Wait,” Koharu said, pulling Aika to a quick stop. “Do you hear something?”
Aika looked around. There was an alley that ran between two houses on their right, and the other side of the street was silent, the iron gates in front of the doors to each house all closed and locked. Then she blinked at the house to the left of the alley, recognizing it. She’d totally not been paying attention to where they were walking. That was something that’d have to change.
“I don’t hear anyth—” she began, but then a short cry came from the house where Chinami and her family lived.
“Do you think…” Koharu began, but Aika took her hand and pulled her along as she leapt up the steps.
“Chinami!!” she yelled, as the two burst into the door. As she did so, Aika felt herself missing the weapon that was stashed in the top drawer of her dresser back home.
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Ahh, I missed a few chapters!
So does Yuuka like Aika? It'll be interesting to see their future interactions.
Princess Mano working for a gang is kind of hard to imagine XD And Aika likes Momo? Not quite what I expected.
Aika joins the crack crew and gets into trouble on day 1! Maybe its better that she doesn't have her gun considering she doesn't know how to use it:
Aika: Stand back, I'm armed! *bam*
Koha: Owch! Aika, you're supposed to shoot the baddies, what's wrong with your aim?! First Risa, and now me! XD
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*reviewing as I read again* (First time was win I was still barely awake in bed at 9am... I read it on my iPod. See, I love this fic that much. I chose it over sleeping more. XP) Whoa, ninja-like Mano! XD I didn't see that coming... Hm. Aww, Koharu's being all sweet. <3 Whoa, some SakixMaimi too! :D And the third wheel Momo. Poor Momo, lol. Mittsi and Momo? .__. And... :OMG: CHINAMI!!! NO, NOT MY LITTLE CHII! THAT'S TOO EARLY. *wails* Chii... :fainted: :gyaaah: :pleeease:
Gosh darnit rokun, why is it always the people I like? T__T I wanna read the next chapter~ *is impatient like that*
Oh, and random note, the principal is Vietnamese! xD
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(... ugh. I just had to come out of lurking. Especially since this mighty interesting story has one of my favorite girls as the lead. XD)
Am I the only one who didn't freak out about Risa's death? I guess I got used to it after reading a number of stories where she's almost always the one to suffer. Seems like a lot of authors enjoy putting her in that position, lol. Poor girl. And poor Aika for losing her sister, and having to witness her death, too!
So, Aichan's a gang leader, huh? Now that's pretty hot. Seems like she was pretty close to Risa as well.
“Well I asked her for one…” the man responded, becoming a little shaken again, and he watched as Mano reached into Aika’s jacket – making her twitch a little as if she was being violated – and pulled out a small card. Aika found herself staring at it as wide-eyed as the principal.
“Such a sweet old man, don’t you think?” she pondered, as she tucked the hall pass card into Aika’s jacket pocket. Aika was braced for the feeling of violation this time, even if she still wasn’t crazy about it.
Totally reminds me of how much Aika dislikes being touched despite her reputation for being such a touchy girl. :lol:
I've been wondering about the identity of the person who made Aika blush in the first chapter, now I think I've got an idea. I thought it was Reina at first, but I seriously never expected it to be Momoko. So Aika's got the hots for her, huh? I wonder if Momoko feels the same... I'm interested in seeing more of this AikaMomo. They're such a rare pairing, but it seems like they'd make an infinitely cute couple from the pictures I've seen of them together.
… and, oh dear, Chinami! Crap. Is that why Miyabi was so distracted in class? And it sucks that Aika doesn't have her gun with her. Maybe she could just use her fist.
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Good thing Mano was there to save Aika from detention and good thing Mr/Dr Nguyen didn't find the gun. That would've sucked.
Maimi's on the track team? That's expected of "Maimi the human bullet" :lol: Captain's a cheerleader?! That's just awsome :drool: and Momo makes a great sidekick :lol:
Chinami sounds like she's in trouble. I hope Koha and Aika can make due without the gun. Maybe Aika could use her great Aichan punching skills :lol:
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Koharu's a good friend. I kinda wasn't expecting that, for some reason.
Oh noes, Chinami in trouble? :O
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Chapter 3
Aika gazed out a grimy window as the others in the room conversed quietly together.
...
She was sure she was a bit out of place here, but she knew that wasn’t all. She had a strong feeling the “business” they were discussing involved her in some way.
More likely than not, it could be this "business" that got Risa killed. :cry:
“You dug her… didn’t you?” Aika finally asked, still not looking over.
She did feel Takahashi however glance her way now, and the girl responded as subtly as she said everything else. “We were close.”
In "Aichan-speak," that definitely sounds like a "yes." :yep:
Question then is...if she and Risa were, as she put it, "close," then how is it that she's staying so calm (almost coldheartedly so) right now? One would normally expect bawling and grief and even rage at the loss of someone "close" like that.
“No one could hold a candle to you in her estimation, Aika,” the other responded, and for the first time Aika glanced over at her with a hint of disbelief. “You’re the only one she would have done anything for.”
“Is that why she died for me?” Aika replied, holding back tears that threatened to flow again.
:k-sad:
“If she hadn’t been with me, I could have been perfectly fine walking home myself, couldn’t I?” Aika asked, and the girl turned to her again, eyes widening almost imperceptibly.
She didn’t respond right away, but when she did it was with a resigned voice. “You heard them talking, I take it?”
“Yes,” Aika said, turning away, her jaw tightening. “If that’s true, then it’s totally my fault.” She turned to the girl again, this time grabbing the cuff of her shirt insistently. “Tell me. I need to know. Did you and my sister know I would have been safe?”
Takahashi glanced down at the fingers at her wrist, giving Aika the impression not many people touched her in that way, before looking back up into Aika’s face. “We know now.”
Sunnovabitch. :O
“Tell me,” Takahashi asked almost curiously. “What do you intend to do now? Bash on a few more of us to see if that makes you feel better?”
Aika’s mind whirred for a minute as she considered what she’d been thinking since she jumped over the school gate and clouted her questioner in the face. However, in the end it was clear what she wanted to say.
She turned back to the gang leader. “I want to join you. Though I never knew exactly what it was, my sister did what she thought was best and right for our family and our friends. Now she’s gone, it’s my responsibility to take her place.”
:mon wtf:
Think about this Aika. I seriously doubt that this is what Risa wanted for you. If anything, the reason why she was involved with them in the first place (other than Aichan) was so that you would not end up having to join them at all.
“I’ll drop out of school and do what it takes to keep everyone who can still be there safe.”
“No,” Takahashi said, and Aika blinked before a spark of anger ignited in her stomach.
“What?” she said thinly.
“You won’t be dropping out of school.”
“But—”
“You can join us and work towards the protection you want to give, but you won’t drop out of school.” The girl sounded firm in her apparent offer.
Good move on Aichan's part. It's pretty obvious that Aika's not going to take "no" for an answer. The least Aichan can do is make sure Aika doesn't completely throw away a potential future without "all this" by dropping out of school.
“Reina!” Takahashi suddenly yelled across the room. “Are they ready?”
Aika blinked and looked over at the addressed girl, who she noticed had been keeping an eye on the door as well as them.
Oh what now?
:dunno:
When she stepped away, it opened to reveal LinLin from before, as well as another girl Aika wasn’t sure if she recognized. She wore a knitted white dress that seemed out of place here, and when Aika saw it she was suddenly vaguely reminded of a fourth-year she’d seen around school. The girl smiled at her, and walked up to them between Tanaka and Lin.
“This is Mano Erina,” Takahashi introduced to Aika, who gave a curt nod, still not clear what was going on. “She’s a senior at WH High, and our special contact on campus.”
Holy shit they've got a "mole" for lack of a better term...and it's ManoEri?!?!? :o From the description of her outfit, I'm guessing at school she's one of the "prim" and "proper" girls...you know...the kind that would be normally be thought of as the LAST choice for joining/being a part of a gang like this.
Hmmmm...if Aichan's group has ManoEri...chances are the other group must have one of their own at the school as well. :huhuh
Takahashi clutched her arm and turned her back toward the window to speak in a low voice, “Your sister always thought there should be something more for you. Are you going to let her dearest wish and everything she worked for stand for nothing?”
“…Fine,” Aika conceded after some deliberation.
Oooooooh...guilt trip. A bit of a dirty ploy, but it worked in that Aika understands and agrees to why she should agree to not drop out. :thumbsup
“Lin, you got that piece?”
The Chinese girl reached to a belt hidden beneath her jacket, and pulled out a pistol. She gave Aika a deep look before flipping it to clutch the barrel and handing it to Aika, who took it gingerly.
“You know how to use one of these?” Takahashi asked her.
“I… I’ve seen them before,” Aika hesitated. “I think I know how they work, but never actually… used… one…”
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit...they play for keeps here. :shocked:
“What…” Aika asked, trying to process all the new information she’d learned since setting foot into the ramshackle house, “What should I do now?”
“What, lost your way already?” Tanaka joked with a smirk, and Takahashi rolled her eyes at the marksman’s off-color remark. “I don’t know about this one, Ai-chan,” she continued. “Hope she doesn’t point her nine the wrong way when she gets up to face the target.”
The next sound in the room was a groan of abruptly exhaled breath as the taunting girl doubled over, clutching her gut. Aika pulled back from where she’d lunged, returning her fist to her side. “Yeah, I’d better be careful,” she said in a concerned way, “Wouldn’t wanna space out and maybe pop my instructor instead. Accidentally, of course.”
Point...Aika. O0
Chapter 4
She couldn’t believe how she’d conducted herself in that crack house – she’d really punched Takahashi-dono in the face and Tanaka-dono in the stomach! That would be quite the story to brag to the others if there was the slightest chance they’d believe her. It was only after she’d left that she thought about all the people it was generally known they’d cut down in cold blood between the two of them.
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...it's probably better/safer for Aika if she doesn't tell anyone about this. Firstly, if people don't believe here she'll just look crazy. Secondly, if someone DOES believe her, she'll just be asking for trouble from her parents, teachers...not to mention the other group (the one that killed Risa). Aika said it herself, they had no interest in hurting her at that time. If word gets out that she's joined Aichan's gang, then Aika's just painted a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge target on her head. :o
There was just something about being in that place… being around all those dangerous people… alone… It gave her a sense of power, that she could hold her own there, that she could actually mean something.
Hopefully Aika doesn't let this whole "power" thing get to her head, lest it get her into trouble/a situation she shouldn't be in.
*AIKA BUSTED BY SCHOOL STAFF*
:doh:
*AIKA SAVED BY MANOERI*
Wow, that girl totally had him proverbially eating out of the palm of her hand. :O2
That definitely must come in handy now and then. ;D
I really want to know how she pulled off that bit with the hall pass. That was niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicely done. 8)2
Oh, and a Vietnamese principal at a Japanese school? That was different. I kept half-expecting ManoEri to turn almost tsundere-like once he'd gotten out of earshot. :sweatdrop:
She saw Miyabi in last period as usual, but the girl seemed distracted by something the whole time, and since Aika herself was quite distracted by events in the last twenty-four hours, the two barely made eye contact the whole class. Also, after the final bell, Miyabi had somehow slipped out of the classroom before Aika even left her seat, causing her to walk by herself toward the front gate.
Eh? :?
Koharu ran up to join her. “Hey, how are you doing?” the girl asked, laying a hand on her arm. Aika pulled back a bit remembering Mano’s rather unexpected actions earlier, and Koharu’s look of concern deepened.
“I’m sorry…” Aika replied, brushing the back of the other’s hand with her own. “I didn’t mean that.”
Koharu looked a bit skeptical, but the two headed out the door toward the gate. “Is it all right if I come over today?” she asked. “I think you could use some company.”
“Um…” Aika said, not really feeling comfortable to have someone over right now, especially with what she had hidden in her room. “I dunno…”
“C’mon!” Koharu pressed, giving her a friendly bump. “I really don’t wanna leave you alone right now.”
Yet another case of good intentions from a friend, but lousy timing. :(
“I’m fine, really,” Aika responded. She caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of her eye and halted.
“What is it?” Koharu asked, looking around.
Aika looked around as well, but couldn’t see anything any longer. The girl really must just show up when you need her.
Well, Aichan did say that ManoEri would help take care of her while she was at school.
“Mr. Yamada’s class was such a drag, wasn’t it?” the tallest, one Maimi Yajima, commented idly to Koharu. “I can’t believe they make us do something like that at the end of the day. I mean, we can’t even sleep if we don’t wanna be pointed out in front of the whole class and embarrassed!
I admit, as a teacher I get a slightly perverse sense of joy when I do that. :theking
*ENTER CAPTAIN, MAIMI, & MOMO*
What the...CaptainMaimi?!?
Don't think I've seen that particular shipping before.
:mon huh2:
“Saki-chan got invited to UFO!” Momoko crowed, and Aika felt herself stuck in place by the sound of the girl’s high trill.
Momo = :gmon sing:
Aika = :mon freeze:
Congrats Captain...but what's UFO? And why am I suddenly suspecting that Momo could be part of the "other" gang? ^_^;
As Aika and Koharu began walking side-by-side toward her house, Aika let out a very long sigh. Best to not get involved with them anyway, she thought to herself. Cause I don’t really want them getting involved with whatever it is I’ll be doing from now on. Those girls had potential. They’d be going places. Someone like her would drag them down.
How much you want to bet Risa thought the exact same thing about Aika? :-X
She glanced at Koharu, realizing as they were walking that even though she never agreed to have the girl over, that was where they were headed anyway.
And now Aika's in a similar position with Koharu that Risa was in with Aika. :sweatdrop:
“Koha-chan,” she said, pulling away slightly. “I think it’d be best if you—”
“Wait,” Koharu said, pulling Aika to a quick stop. “Do you hear something?”
Aika looked around. There was an alley that ran between two houses on their right, and the other side of the street was silent, the iron gates in front of the doors to each house all closed and locked. Then she blinked at the house to the left of the alley, recognizing it. She’d totally not been paying attention to where they were walking. That was something that’d have to change.
“I don’t hear anyth—” she began, but then a short cry came from the house where Chinami and her family lived.
“Do you think…” Koharu began, but Aika took her hand and pulled her along as she leapt up the steps.
“Chinami!!” she yelled, as the two burst into the door. As she did so, Aika felt herself missing the weapon that was stashed in the top drawer of her dresser back home.
Oshit, don't tell me that Chinami's being targeted now?
:mon scare:
Right now the only thing that could save this would be if Aika and Koharu walk in on ChinaMiya having some...*cough*...quality time. :grin:
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Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the wait! Been getting into games again the last few days. >.> Anyway... I want you guys to know that I read all your wonderful comments almost as soon as you posted them, and I thank you for your, uh, readership. XD Also, since it's not late yet, and especially since I didn't last time, I wanted to respond to them!
GoodEngrish: Don't worry about missing chapters. :lol: Up 'til now I'd been posting them quickly! This'll probably be more of an average wait though, so it should be easier from now on. 8) As main character, Aika will have some... interesting relationships. :lol: If you've read some of my other stories you'll know what I mean... Although, it'll be different this time too since it's Aika. Instead of, like, Reina. :P Will Yuuka be able to say something intelligent in front of her, especially without Kanon's prodding? Will Aika and Momo be able to make anything of a too-cute but perhaps star-crossed future? Stay tuned. 8) Also, Aika does need to learn to use her gun... that's why she's having lessons! As long as her instructor... er, I mean, she... can get through them alive. ;)
SxY: Whoa, that's some dedication! I don't know if I could read fics on an iPod/Phone... More Koharu sweetness (as well as her lovable ditsy-ness) in the coming chapter. :) And... what are you conveying by this: .__. ? Yes, stranger things... but then again, you know it's me, and I don't like fitting into the "normal" 'shipping mode. ;) As for your other comments... keep reading... :D
Fizzle: Wow, I de-lurked someone! :lol: Doing that is always a source of pride. :D And a great comment too!
Seriously, do people kill/torture/maim Risa all that much? :lol: Poor girl indeed... I guess I've missed some stuff around here. :P And yes, gangsta' Aichan is hot. :yep: :drool: Aika does have... interesting physical preferences. :lol: Be curious to see her interactions with people in the future, such as a gropy Princess Mano... Miya "over-friendliness" or something perhaps? We'll have to wait and see. ;)
slasha: Yeah, Saki/Maimi/Momo do have their popular in-group clique thing going on. :lol: Aika and Koharu on the other hand... well... don't. XD Hence why the interactions among all of them usually tend toward some form of awkwardness. You'll learn more about their relationships with each other as the story goes on. :)
rndmn: Koharu is... well... I'll get back to you on that. :oops:
JFC: I think I have more to say to you this time. :lol: How Aichan takes Aika's "news" of Risa's death is a somewhat complicated matter. As a leader of a street gang you get used to pain and death all around you, even of those you might get close to. Also, you tend to relationships of anyone you do let get close very carefully, knowing the kinds of things that might happen. And lastly... You be sure to never let on everything you know...
Risa definitely would not have liked seeing Aika "follow in her footsteps", so to speak. Aika knows this. Ai knows this. But as you said, there's only so much that can be done about it. There might have even been an inevitable path leading Aika here the minute that mob started beating on her sister. One thing is without a doubt though - Risa involved with the gang to protect her family (and perhaps for Ai as well) will definitely go differently than Aika involved with it for what might be called at its basest level "revenge"...
Manoeri keeps her "image" up for a reason... The walking contradiction that is her means whoever she confronts will have a hard time knowing what to expect. :) As for the hall pass thing, she does have certain useful "skills" as well. ;)
Saki/Maimi - Hey, it makes sense. From ZYX all the way to group leaders. :lol: I've seen some Saki/Maimi folks around here... :on study: And as for UFO... well... that will become very important later on. 8) Eek! I've said too much already... :mon lurk:
Also... interesting and astute hypotheses on things (meaning the comments in small print). ;)
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On we go... :)
Chapter 5
They sat in silence, barely able to look at each other in their shared shock. Aika kept her eyes constantly on her hands, which she fiddled with seemingly endlessly. Why did these things seem to keep happening suddenly? She found herself almost preferring the idea of a good shootout with the gang, because the way things were going, she’d actually get through something like that with more innocence left intact.
She glanced up at Koharu, who gave her a wide-eyed gaze back, her eyes seeming constantly fixed in that state since not long after they busted in the door of the house. Aika couldn’t blame her, though was thankful she at least was able to hold her own more easily. Maybe she’d be able to last a little while yet in this gang.
“I don’t know what to say…” Miyabi said in a forlorn voice from across from her, so contrasting with her usual bitchy attitude. Aika didn’t look up, still unable to meet the eyes of the other girl.
“Me neither,” Koharu said dully, still just staring straight ahead. “I… I’ve never seen anything like that before. If I hadn’t had Aika-chan with me…”
“Yeah,” Aika mumbled out. “Fat help I was.”
“But you were there,” Koharu insisted. “I could always rely on you to help me get through situations like that.”
“And who’s the older one here…?” Aika said, her voice taking on a hint of sardonicism. At her tone though, the other girls quieted. Aika sensed the awkwardness she revived in the room and snapped her jaw shut again herself.
The silence stretched on for another minute as the girls stayed lost in their own thoughts, until Aika just couldn’t hold back any longer and raised her eyes to look at Chinami. “It’s just so…” she began, having trouble finding the words before deciding her instinct was best, “…so gross!”
Chinami blushed, sinking back into Miyabi’s side as the other girl stroked her hair, the two of them now feeling brave enough to meet the eyes of the others.
“It’s unnatural is what it is!” Koharu almost cried out, pointing at the two of them. “There’s no reason for you to be… to be…” she said, pointing at Miyabi, who blushed. “And then you!” she said, moving her attention to Chinami who shrank even more. “You’re the sweet and innocent one!”
Finally seeming to conquer her blush, Miyabi turned the beginnings of a glare onto their older friend. “It’s not my fault you’ve never been with a girl even though you’re like a hundred!” she said accusingly. “But if you ever do manage to get one you’ll find yourself doing things like that too!”
“A hundred…?” Aika heard Koharu murmur in indignation under her breath. “I’m only a year older than you!”
“I don’t think that’s the point, Koha-chan…” Aika said, reaching over to pat her friend’s arm.
“And besides!” the girl continued. “The day I let someone do that to me will be the day I… the day I… not to mention actually doing it to someone else!”
Well… Aika thought, pondering as she watched the two embarrassed girls, though Miyabi at least seemed to quickly be getting over it. Could always count on Koharu to bring out the “best” in her. I suppose it’s what they promised… though I thought they were joking…
Koharu hadn’t overheard them earlier at lunch, or she might have handled herself better as well. If nothing else, Aika now saw why the two hadn’t seemed that concerned about her being gone earlier. She almost broke out in a smirk. Looking forward too much to their own fun they’d be having tonight.
“If I can translate for Koha-chan,” Aika said, evening her features. “It’s just… the screaming…” Her voice started becoming flat again as well, the memory not one she’d cherish either. “Was that… I mean… really necessary?”
Miyabi and Chinami exchanged looks. “Well…” Chinami said in a small voice. “It hurt…”
“Kids these days…” Koharu said, shaking her head in amazement.
Miyabi coughed. “Hundred!” Aika heard her murmur, before she hid it by coughing once again.
Suddenly Aika smiled, and she looked up at the wide-eyed faces around her. After meeting the eyes of all three, she finally said, “Thanks guys.”
“For what?” Chinami asked, confusion clouding that sweet face of hers.
“For this,” Aika said. “It’s nice to have a bit of distraction… something to make me smile.”
“What are you talking…?” Koharu began, before cutting off as her mouth formed an “O” in understanding. The others blinked between the two of them for a moment before Koharu gave them a look as if to say “Get out of your self-absorbed worlds for a minute!” Then they looked back to Aika, who saw recognition dawn on Miyabi’s face at least.
“Oh Aika…” she began. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot. I’m…” she was distracted by Chinami looking up questioningly at her, but the girl shrank back at the token glare from her girlfriend. Understanding finally dawned on her too though, and she glanced back toward Aika with a look of sympathy.
At the change in the mood around her, Aika’s smile faded and she stood up, walking toward the window to glance out at the street, watching as a man carefully unlocked the gate shielding a door on the other side before pulling it hard to clank shut behind him and disappearing into his house.
Their reaction over catching the two girls up to their “business” was a nice respite from her life for a little while, at least. Anything like that felt like an illusion to her though. She could never be close to anyone. Anyone that got close to her either got hurt, or died. Or both. Well, maybe she could have something to do with keeping that from happening to others at least now. She was almost mad at her sister for sheltering her from that, if it could maybe have prevented what ended up happening to her.
Without thinking, she slammed a fist down onto the windowsill, jarring a few flakes of sawdust loose from the frame. After a moment she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she spun around and grabbed the wrist, which happened to belong to Koharu.
The girl shied back slightly at the swift action, and actually looked a bit frightened at whatever she might be seeing in Aika’s eyes. Recognizing her friend, Aika loosened her grip slightly but did not let go. She saw Miyabi and Chinami walk up behind Koharu, both girls appraising her cautiously.
“I thought I was the only one allowed to glare like that,” Miyabi said, tightening her mouth in her attempt to defuse the tension.
“Like what?” Chinami asked, still looking into Aika’s face. “What she’s doing is much better than any glare I’ve ever seen you attempt. Faker…”
At that, Miyabi turned to her girlfriend, her jaw now tightening as well. “You know…” she said in a somewhat annoyed voice, then swiftly raised her hand and cuffed the girl smartly on the cheek.
“Ow…” Chinami said weakly, holding a hand to her face as she turned back to face her girlfriend.
“C’mon, you know you like it,” Miyabi said, ignoring the girl as she turned back to Aika.
“Stop it,” Aika said, looking into the other’s eyes.
“What?” she responded, frowning.
Aika didn’t reply herself, instead dropping Koharu’s arm between them and pushing past all three girls to make her way to the door and out to the street. Somehow she felt more comfortable out here now, and as she walked along the way toward her own house, her eyes rove all around, almost challenging someone who wasn’t supposed to be there to show themselves.
After a couple blocks she heard quick steps of someone running along behind her. “Aika!” Koharu yelled, but she didn’t look back until the girl fell in at her side, peering into her face just once before settling her eyes down to the cracked sidewalk below.
“I never said you could come to my house,” Aika said in an emotionless voice.
Koharu glanced sideways up at her again before responding, “Since when did I start listening to you?” she asked. “I am the older one, after all.”
Aika halted in her steps, a tinge of amusement at the girl’s words fighting back at her current morosity. “Koharu,” she said suddenly, in an even voice.
“Yes, Aika-chan?”
“Do you believe in me?”
She felt Koharu take her arm before responding, which caused Aika to look up into the earnest face across from her. “Of course I do, Aika-chan. What kind of silly question is that?”
Aika, still giving her an expressionless stare, pondered another moment before continuing. “I… don’t know how many people I can really trust or count on right now,” she said softly.
“You can count on me,” Koharu assured quickly, “As well as Miya and Chii of course. And I’m sure Ayacho and Saaya too…”
Aika shook her head. “I know I can trust them,” she said. “But I don’t think I could rely on them for anything, no matter what might come up.”
“If you’re mad about them forgetting like they did, you really can’t blame them, Aika-chan,” Koharu said earnestly. “I mean, when you’re into someone you’re, well, into them…”
“It’s not that,” Aika said, shaking her head. “I just… need someone I can go to and rely on right now. Someone who won’t judge me in any way, whether what kind of person I am or if they should smack me up a bit.”
Raising her eyes, she looked hard at her slightly blank-faced friend. “What do you like doing, Koha-chan?” she asked.
Koharu blinked. “What… what do you mean?”
“I mean…” Aika said, brushing strands of hair out of her eyes, a bit frustrated at not expressing herself well. “You don’t really hang out with girls from your class… Like, you don’t run with Yajima-san, or cheerlead with Shimizu-san and Momochi…”
“I just don’t like doing that kind of stuff,” Koharu responded, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“That’s what I’m asking,” Aika said. “What do you like?”
Koharu stared at her for a long moment, before pulling up Aika’s hand between them, holding it in both of hers. “I like hanging out with Aika Mitsui,” she said, seeming uncertain as to what Aika was looking for, but at least solidly confident in her words.
Aika nodded, looking Koharu directly in the eyes. “All right,” she said. Then she took a breath. “Come home with me. I have something to tell you.”
-
:on lol:
Damn, you fooled me. I thought someone raided Chinami's house or something. It's MiyaChii's fault. If one of them wasn't so effin' tense in the last chapter and if the other didn't let out that scream, I wouldn't have had assumed something terrible happened. But, y'know, I was actually kinda expecting that, lol.
And, aw, do I see KohaAika? :heart: I don't know why, but I just love the bit in the last line where Aika's like, "Come home with me." XD
Be curious to see her interactions with people in the future, such as a gropy Princess Mano... Miya "over-friendliness" or something perhaps?
Don't tell me you're gonna turn Mano into a Michishige Sayumi 2.0 on Aika. :lol:
When you mentioned Miyabi's "over-friendliness," I can't help but think of her and Aika's little convo in the latest H!P DVD Magazine. Those two touchy people, lol.
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OMG. :on lol: You totally got me! I was so worried for Chii when it was...that going on! XD!!
AWWW. KohaMittsi~ :heart: :wub:
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You had me going there for a while. I thought someone was attacking Chinami but it was just her and Miyabi fooling around. Maybe there'll be a shootout next time :lol:
Aika and Koha had a "moment". That's so cute XD Hopefully Koha will be a valuable ally in Mittsi's revenge.
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ROFL. :lol:
Miya and Chinami are getting it on huh. :lol: roffles
So Aika is going to drag Koha into the world of gangs?? *gasp!*
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Lawls, Chinami was in trouble, but the good kind. By the by, am I sensing a Koha Aika thing starting to go on? Especially with Koharu's declaration about her sex life earlier? Hoho!
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LoL I don't know, I find the part Koha/Aika interrupting Miya/Chinami very awkward :sweat: even though it never went into detail about what happened. That's good writing. hehe I like the Koha/Aika interactions, I always wonder who would make a good pair with Aika friendship or couple-wise. Count on Koha. :heart: A bit comic relief in this chapter huh? :lol:
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Hmm, I was gonna wait a bit to post more... but it's Saturday! So everyone has free time to read, right? And there aren't even any other updates! As always, comment replies first, but I think I'll keep them short this time since most of the content is similar. :)
Yes, it is all MiyaChii's fault. :D Though I think there's still reason to be worried for Chii... lol. As for the opening, yes, awkwardness is the mood around there. :lol: Thanks for the compliment btw, °e! :D As for the KohAika-ness... I see you guys seemed to like it this chapter. Well, how about a good bit more of it? :) This is one of my favorite styles of chapters to write. I hope you guys like it too!
Chapter 6
“No Koha-chan, I can’t let you get involved,” Aika said, staring at the burnished metal as she turned it carefully in hands that rested on her lap. Koharu peered out between her knees as she slumped in Aika’s bean bag chair, while Aika reclined against the wall her mattress rested against.
“I won’t let you do this by yourself!” Koharu said insistently. “You could get yourself killed or something!”
“And that’s exactly what I don’t want to happen to you,” Aika replied, looking up hard into the other’s eyes. “I’m doing this to protect those I care about so they don’t have to worry about things like this themselves.”
“That seemed to be what your sister thought too!” Koharu pressed strongly. “And then when something happened to her, since she’d kept those she cared about at a distance, there was no one there to help her!”
Aika had started moving when the girl mentioned her sister, and by the time she’d finished had only a short distance to cover before reaching Koharu and clouting her jaw, toppling her over in the unstable squishiness of thousands of beans in their rubbery encasing.
“This is not about my sister,” Aika growled, glaring down at the girl who was trying to recover from the assault.
After quickly regaining her senses, Koharu snapped her eyes back to Aika’s face. “This is all about your sister!” she almost yelled. “Your sister is the one who got involved in the first place. Your sister is the one who seemingly fell in too close with Takahashi-dono. Your sister is the one who got beat to death in front of your eyes!”
Aika felt rage flowing through her just waiting to be unleashed on the body below her, but she realized that wasn’t who it was really directed toward, and spun away, falling onto her mattress to hug her pillow tightly to her chest.
“Why are you doing this, Aika?” the continually prodding voice came from behind. “Are you doing it for everyone you claim to want to protect?” She paused a moment to let her words sink in. “Are you doing it for yourself?” After a moment Aika felt a tentative hand on the back of her shoulder. “…Are you doing it for your sister?”
Aika kept herself in her tight ball for a minute, the girl’s words resounding within her head. Finally she rolled over, looking up at the girl who now sported a slightly purpling jowl.
“I’m doing it because I can,” she said, her voice to her ears feeling soft and hard at the same time.
“I don’t know about that, Aika…” Koharu said, looking down nervously to the weapon now resting off to her side.
“Come on, Koha-chan,” Aika said, keeping her friend’s eyes captive. “You know I’ve always been quick, good in fights… It’s pretty natural, really.”
“Those skills can be used for other things too,” the girl said preachingly.
“Yeah,” Aika responded, “And we’re just so big at extracurriculars. Me and my supposed piano lessons, you and your… well… I think you get my point.”
“It’s just ‘cause we’re lazy,” the girl said, turning to make herself comfortable once again in the beany squishiness.
“And that’s exactly why I don’t want you to get involved,” Aika stated again.
Koharu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I believe I was referring to the both of us, and not just me.”
“Seriously,” Aika said, “What could you contribute other than some girly slaps to the cheek? That’s not gonna keep you alive, never mind save anybody else.”
“Are you saying I’m not good enough?” the girl said primly. “Miss Aika Mitsui, Celestial Master of the Iron Fist, with Koharu Kusumi her faithful Airhead.”
Aika looked away, not wanting to meet the other’s accusing gaze. “You’re just not the type,” she said shortly.
“And you are?!” the other snapped back.
“I do what I have to,” Aika responded, feeling the redundancy ring hollow even in her own ears.
“You have to do shit!” Koharu shot at her. At hearing the rare cursing from her friend, Aika stayed silent this time.
A few minutes passed as Aika kept reinforcing the steel armor she wrapped around herself, and Koharu tried to cool down the best she could.
“Takahashi-dono will kill you…” Aika finally said in a soft, almost desperately reasoning voice. “I know she only accepts me because I’m Risa’s sister and won’t take no for an answer, but she won’t have it if you come groveling to her too.”
“From the sound of it, what you did was far from groveling,” Koharu said expressively. “I wouldn’t intend on doing anything differently.”
Despite her words, Aika still knew how the encounter would go. Koharu would barely make it two steps into that room until her hollow skull would get smashed in, and it was more likely to be one of the Chinese girls before she even reached Takahashi or Tanaka. Hell, if Chisato were around she might even do it herself. The younger girl never thought much of Koharu.
Aika had the advantage of being known in the area since by necessity sometimes she had tailed her sister. Even then she never made it past Jun or Lin, usually just chilling with them while Risa had her always-fleeting meetings. For those not known or approved, wherever their base was at the time was a death trap, and Aika didn’t even know what weight herself being along would lend. She had no illusions of where she stood in the City.
“Give me some time,” was what she conceded finally, sitting up but still clutching her pillow tightly as she stared at the wall opposite her friend.
The other girl was silent for once, and Aika only heard the slight rustling as she positioned herself within the malleable chair.
“Where’s your mom through all this?” Koharu asked. “She’s gotta be making funeral arrangements or something.”
“She’s leaving most of it to the city,” Aika replied blandly. “She spends most of her time lately with her current boy toy, and apparently doesn’t see any reason to change her routine for this.”
Aika’s mother, although now in her thirties and not in “full bloom” as it was called it around here, was still quite attractive and popular among men and women alike. She was never one to turn down advances either, and so Aika and her sister got used to strange people coming in and out of their house at all hours. Lately she finally seemed more tempted to settle down, thus staying with someone, usually a younger guy, for longer periods of time. It also resulted in her rarely being seen at home, and so the two sisters had gotten used to relying on themselves with the money that was left behind whenever there was a chance visit.
“I’m sorry you’re having to deal with all this…” Koharu said gently, and Aika knew if she looked at the girl she’d see tenderness in her eyes as well.
“It’s ok,” she replied simply. “It’s life, isn’t it?
“There’ll be a service at the graveyard by the old church on Cedar this weekend. Since we’ve got no family here really, she’ll just be vaulted with other kids who died in similar situations.” Even though they were words she spoke, she didn’t completely believe them. Risa was anything but a kid as far as Aika was concerned, no matter her age.
“I’ll come with you,” Koharu said, and this time Aika felt a hand on her shoulder again.
Instead of shrugging it off, she reached her own behind to lay atop it. “Thanks,” she said. “That’ll be… nice.”
After reaching about the rock bottom of depressiveness in the conversation, the girls busied themselves for a while talking about school and the new movies out at the theater. Before they knew it darkness fell, and after a long look into Aika’s face, Koharu decided to phone her mom to let her know she was staying the night. Once dressed down to pajamas, the two girls began to enjoy their sleepover while setting aside any of the more serious matters. They played a few games of cards, and even had a few tries at Aika’s old gaming system, which only really worked half the time anymore.
After Aika beat the expectedly air-brained and inept girl yet again at Street Fighter, Koharu collapsed back into the bean bag chair, which they’d pulled right to the foot of the mattress so they could both play comfortably.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I couldn’t dragon punch…” she gave Aika a sideways glance, “…your grandmother.”
Aika chuckled, gratefully well-absorbed into the light mood they’d surrounded themselves with as the evening went on. “Best be careful,” she warned chidingly. “My grandmama kicked quite a few asses in her day. You’d have a fireball up in yours before you knew it I’m sure.”
“Psht…” Koharu spat dismissively. “But she’s old!” she protested, as if that settled the matter. Aika grinned as she laid back on the mattress herself, stretching after their stiff and tiring night of goofing-off.
The silence dragged on, until Koharu broke it delicately in a much different voice than she’d just used. “…D’you think I’m an old maid, Aika-chan?” she asked in a light and reservedly thoughtful tone.
Aika blinked. “What?”
“You know,” Koharu said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What the others were saying earlier. Talking about me not being able to get a girl. I mean, it’s true…”
Aika pulled herself up onto her elbows to look down her nose incredulously at her friend. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” she said, rather bluntly. “Of course you’re not an old maid. You’re seventeen!”
“That’s right,” the other responded, looking down into Aika’s eyes. “I’m seventeen. Do you know how many other seventeen-year-old virgins there are around?”
This time Aika sat herself completely up. “I’m sixteen!” she exclaimed.
“And that’s not seventeen,” Koharu retorted primly, lifting her nose as if making an irrefutable point. Then the uncertainty returned. “D’you… d’you think I’m doing something wrong?”
Well, you could put yourself out and participate in more activities and stuff… Aika thought to herself. “Of course not,” she said firmly.
Koharu lowered her eyes to Aika’s face again, and Aika noticed her eyebrows raise slightly. “And what if I even do find someone who likes me?!” she questioned, more paranoia becoming apparent. “I’ll… I’ll have to kiss them or something! And I wouldn’t know the first thing to do!”
Aika blinked, now suddenly at a real loss. “Um…” she said, trying to find something intelligent to say. “I guess you could… well... you know… just kiss them?”
Aika was almost becoming scared of those widening eyes that were fixed on her own, until she saw some sort of light bulb go on within them. “I know!” Koharu burst out excitedly. “We could practice!”
“Practice…?” Aika repeated, becoming ever more confused.
“Kissing!” Koharu said, as if she was reading the word clearly on Aika’s face.
Feeling her lips suddenly dry, Aika sucked them into her mouth to wet them slightly, and then started gnawing a little. “You… you want to practice kissing with me?”
“Yes!” Koharu said, smiling, as if this was the answer to all her problems. Aika really did wonder what got into the girl’s head sometimes. She slid herself off the beanbag chair onto the mattress, and pulled herself up until she was sitting right in front of Aika. “I mean, I know you’re not good either and stuff, but…”
Aika furrowed her eyebrows. Hey now… she wanted to say, despite the situation.
“…But if we practice, we’ll both be able to sweep girls off their feet, I’m sure of it! And you’re my best friend, so of course it won’t get weird or anything…”
“Um…” Aika said, her mind blank, but the other girl was already squeezing her eyes shut and leaning forward slightly, puckering. “Koharu…” she began, trying to think of something to deter the girl, and leaned forward to try and pull her aside so they could talk this out.
However, the other girl apparently didn’t have her eyes completely closed, because when Aika leaned forward Koharu did smoothly as well, and before she knew what was happening she felt the girl’s lips press lightly against her own.
Aika froze at the contact. However, that of course only had the effect of making said contact last longer, and it was beginning to feel a bit warm and wet before Koharu pulled away, looking into Aika’s eyes as if for a response.
“There,” she said. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?” Aika still hadn’t moved a millimeter, her eyes fixed as they stared widely into the other’s. “Well…?” Koharu asked again after a moment. “How was it?”
“Um…” Aika began again, her mind blank just as it had been for the last few minutes, but now also feeling a warm flush of what must have been intense embarrassment proceed up and down her body.
Koharu frowned. “Hmm. I think we should use our tongues. All the girls say guys are disgusting when they do it, but that other girls know actually know how to use them and so it’s the best kind of kissing. So this time just open your mouth after a second, kay?” And she leaned in once again to the still immobile second-year.
A while later the two girls stared above the knees they hugged to themselves while still sitting across from each other on Aika’s thin mattress. “Well that was… fun…?” Aika said, trying to make a sensible sentence come out of her mouth.
Koharu blinked at her a few times before admitting in a small voice, “…It got weird, didn’t it?”
“Yeah...” Aika nodded as she viewed her friend through the thickening discomfort between them.
“Well…” Koharu said slowly, “Good night!” And she dropped her knees, shifting herself to the side of the mattress before slipping under the sheet and becoming still.
Without a word, and wondering what the big deal really was with getting a girlfriend anyway, Aika reached over to flip off the lamp and slid under the sheets herself as well.
“Goodnight, Koha-chan.”
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That was icky, in a cute way. XD I just can't get over Koha's bubbly airheadedness, she's awesome. Heh, it's like those overdramatic teen dramas, having to grow up too soon yet still learning first experiences. :lol: "It's life, isn't it?" to quote Aika. :D
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:rofl:
Koharu's so straightforward. First she tells Aika that they should practice kissing, without even any slight hints of hesitation. They share a chaste kiss. THEN tongues were suddenly involved through her suggestion, lol. Despite the awkwardness of the whole situtation, I'm gonna say that Aika probably enjoyed it more than she let on. Ho, ho, ho!
KohaAika's just plain cute. :heart: (I dunno why, but I've a feeling that there's gonna be a KohaAikaMomo triangle in the future. XD)
Hell, if Chisato were around she might even do it herself. The younger girl never thought much of Koharu.
No way. Chisato was (or is) part of Aichan's gang? :O
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Haw Haw, I was laughing so hard at the kissing practice I snorted. Oh man, it's a little cliche, but I never get tired of that excuse to "do stuff" in stories. KohaAika just ratcheted up a notch on my favorite pairings list thanks. On a more serious note, is the funeral next? And just what are Aika's exact motivations for joining the gang that is basically Risa's reason for dying? Revenge? Understanding? Something else? Am I still making sense?
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First it was heated and then it was fun and then it got sexy, all in one chapter. Impressive.
I wonder if the funeral's next? Maybe there will be a shootout (I really really hope so :lol: ). But hopefully there won't be any deaths at the funeral.
Also, when is Chisato gonna show up? She's been mentioned but I wanna see her in battle :lol:
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Wow, everyone must be busy these days, eh? Only a few comments, and little activity in the rest of the forum, including no updates in the past 24 hours... So... I feel I should do so. :) First off though, comment replies to show you guys how much I love you!
°e: So glad to see you reading here still. :) And updating! We seem to be going at about the same pace too, lol. Although, you probably have a more chapters completed ahead of me in case I decide to slack off some day or week. :lol: Anyway... Icky in a cute way, eh? Not sure exactly what to make of that. XD These girls are still young and (sometimes) innocent, but they're surrounded by very adult things, and so... well... stay tuned. ;)
Fizzle: Koha's bluntness/frankness :heart: It's a bit too early to make most coupling calls yet. There's a long ways to go and a lot of things still to happen. :) If you've noticed, Aika's interacting with quite a lot of people with different agendas of their own... You never know what one of them might do in a given situation. ;)
rndmn: Y'know, it's interesting reading from someone who doesn't make much use of emoticons. :) Makes it harder sometimes to see what you're really thinking. But things like the "Haw Haw" help. :P It is cliche, isn't it? Though I've not really seen it used much here... I've not done it myself before either, but I thought it was appropriate for this story where everything is pretty raw, and people get to be pretty extreme with each other because of the nature of the place. Also Koharu... She just isn't overly sensitive a lot of the time. :lol: You're also making good enough sense to me. :) But those are all good questions... What is Aika really seeking? Not sure she really knows herself, but she might learn a bit more about it in this next chapter. Read on!
slasha: Thanks for being so loyal with your comments. :) It's always great to hear from you! And thanks for the great compliment about the chapter too. :D I try to make each chapter as good as possible for what it is. It's also interesting since I'm adopting this rather different style for me of shorter chapters, so they end up being a bit tighter episodes - without the breaks I traditionally put for so many things to happen. Both you and rndmn asked about the funeral... but hold your horses for the time being. :) If you'll remember, there's at least one more thing coming up first... ;) Also, about Chisato, I'm still introducing characters... and there's still quite a few to go. You get something close in this chapter though. ^_^
And next post... will be the update! If you wanna stay in the happy fluffy mood from the last ones, for example if you're just now reading them, you might wanna hold off on this a bit, cause things get serious again. Still, enjoy. :)
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Chapter 7
“So is this garage yours?” Aika asked, reloading her pistol while Tanaka checked out the target. As she worked, she glanced around the spacious bare interior that held only a couple of cars some mechanics worked on from time to time. Tanaka had set up their practice space in one of the empty service areas.
“Not really,” her instructor responded, peering at the corkboard wall Aika had been firing at. “It’s not a public business. We generally just use it to respray and clean the cars whenever someone finds one to bring in.” Stolen cars, of course. She should have guessed.
“Your aim’s not bad,” the girl continued, seeming uninterested in another subject. “Still, you can definitely work on your stance and positioning. You’re shooting a gun, not flipping a burger.”
“I guess I’m not sure what you mean…” Aika said, and Tanaka strode up to her once again. “Sorry, Tanaka-sensei.”
The other girl waved a hand in front of her face before sidling in behind Aika and wrapping her arms around to help position Aika’s own. “Cut it out with that ‘Tanaka-sensei’ shit,” she said. “I ain’t a teacher, and you and I are gonna be very close from now on.” As she said that last, the girl reached down and squeezed her butt, causing her to lift reflexively to the balls of her feet. “Just call me Reina,” she finished through a smirk.
“Um…” Aika stuttered as she blushed hard. “Sure, I guess. So, it’s more like this?” she asked, trying to get the girl back on the subject she was most interested in that didn’t involve feeling her up.
“You gotta act like you’re badass,” Reina responded. “Here.”
She stepped to the side, pulling her cap sideways and a pistol from her own belt she’d kept next to the chain hanging off of it. She took a sideways posture, her right foot pointing toward the target, and pointed the gun with her arm straight out and steady. She fired once, twice, three times as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her, and dropped her arm to her waist again.
She nodded toward the target. Aika glanced at it and saw three new bullet holes in the center of the head, chest and abdomen of the odd picture Reina had drawn on the cork. She had to admit, the girl looked as deadly when shooting as her reputation indicated. Aika wouldn’t like to see her face-to-face the next time she struck that pose.
She raised her own weapon again and clenched her jaw as she pointed it at the target. Badass, huh? she thought. Why would that be so hard? She managed to relax enough when she snuck into the crack den yesterday. She began to breathe slowly, and focused on the target while trying not to strain herself. She thought back to when she sucker-punched the girl, Takahashi, and even Koharu.
“You should call Ai-chan by her nick, too,” the other said as she watched Aika prepare. “We’re all pretty casual around here.”
After the girl spoke, Aika took three more shots as well, and when she lowered the gun, noticed they all hit the target, if not quite as perfectly as Reina’s had. “I’m not sure I could do that,” she said, smiling satisfied at herself. “She’s the leader, after all. Lemme get used to saying ‘Reina’ first.”
“Good shooting,” Reina said, and she walked to one of the cars to recline back against it as she continued to watch Aika. “She’s only really a leader in that she organizes things from time to time. There are others that do the same. We don’t have that kind of structure, generally only taking care of the areas we frequent on a normal routine. We don’t go lookin’ for trouble – just try our best to keep it from findin’ us.”
Aika tucked her gun in her belt as the girl seemed satisfied with her practice for the moment. Didn’t want to waste too much ammo, after all. “Well, I wish everyone else thought that way. Then I might not be here, and my sister still would be.”
Reina didn’t respond right away, adopting a softer voice when she eventually did. “You and your sister were in a place you weren’t allowed,” she said. “It was very dangerous for you to be there, and she knew it.”
“Are you telling me it was my sister’s fault she got beat to death?” Aika asked in a dangerous voice below narrowing eyes.
“No,” Reina said, lifting herself up from the car. She hooked her thumbs into her belt loops, and it took Aika just a second to realize she could draw her gun probably in the blink of an eye from that position. “I’m guessing they just intended to teach her a lesson to stay off of their turf, but someone went a bit overboard and it got out of hand.”
“So you’re saying it was an accident?”
Reina shrugged, not taking her eyes off Aika. “Those things happen when you’re dealing with so many people who can tend to be violent. Some get high off it.”
“Do you?” Aika’s voice had a definite dangerous edge to it now, but she kept herself in check as much as possible since she knew she wouldn’t survive two steps if she lunged at the girl.
“Sometimes.”
Aika turned away. “I hate you,” she spat harshly through clenched teeth.
She heard the other girl walk up slowly behind her, and felt a hand on her arm. “Look at me,” she heard her say. When Aika didn’t turn, she raised her voice. “Look at me!”
Aika turned, her eyes shooting daggers at her firing instructor.
“That anger, that hatred you’re feeling,” the girl said, now in a fervent voice of her own, “There’s hardly a citizen of this city that hasn’t felt the same at least at some point in their lives. That’s the reason nobody trusts nobody. That’s the reason you can’t walk down the road to your piano lesson. The only way you’re gonna be able to survive around here is to learn to deal with that hate. Focus it into that gun you carry at your hip. Focus it into calm and reason when you’re hit with a tough situation.”
“My sister seemed to do it that night,” Aika retorted. “Fat lot of good it did her.”
Reina pulled away as if bringing herself back to a distance from Aika. She studied Aika’s face a good while before responding. “That’s something you’ll need to ask Ai-chan about sometime. Or else figure it out yourself.”
Aika was about to demand what it was she was supposed to figure out, but a young girl burst through the door to the garage. Looking around a moment, she fixed her eyes on Reina and ran toward her. “Kanna!” Aika yelled, surprised at seeing her younger friend for the first time since she dropped out of school with Chisato.
Kanna turned and took her in a moment, giving her a brief smile before becoming serious again and looking back to Reina. “We got trouble,” she informed them. “Jun ran across some Villagers around Almond area. She’s waitin’ on backup to confront ‘em.”
Pulling her jacket tight around her, Reina nodded at the girl and glanced toward Aika, who was still staring at Kanna trying to reconcile her with the innocent but somewhat emo girl she knew from her short stint at WH High. “Hope you had enough practice with that thing, kid. Looks like we’re into the real time. You up for it?”
Reina’s voice seeming to bring her back to the situation, Aika returned a glare to the girl, but nodded sharply, her eyes straying occasionally back to Kanna. Things were continually becoming far detached from when she herself was at school just a short while ago, and a girl in a white dress had come up to tell her where to meet up for her lesson. Koharu had reluctantly kept herself from trying to stop Aika from going, while Ayacho and Saaya had just seemed confused. Aika hadn’t filled them in.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Kanna hurrying off to report to the others after giving Reina hurried directions, Aika found out their goal was just a few blocks from the garage, but since they took it all at a dead run, she felt nearly winded by the time they arrived at the mouth of an alley at Chestnut. She wondered idly why they were here instead of a block away at Almond where Kanna had at first indicated, but she quickly found out why.
Gazing a bit impressed at Reina, who hardly seemed to break a sweat, she followed as the girl signaled her into a crouch and the two crept into the shadowed alleyway.
“I know you can sneak around ‘cause of what you did at HQ yesterday, so just keep it up now as if your life depended on it, which it just might this time.” She fell back against a wall, signaling Aika to be silent now, and the two girls were able to hear an exchange of voices ahead, though they were still too far away to make anything out.
When they resumed their stealth, this time close to the wall, Reina whispered instructions once again. “Now listen to me. Don’t shoot unless I tell you to.” She looked back at Aika before continuing, “Again, that’s don’t fucking shoot unless I tell you to! You got that?” Aika gave a sharp nod. “Say ‘yes’ if you got it!”
“Yes,” Aika replied. “I got it, all right?”
Reina’s expression could have frozen a boulder. “This ain’t a damn game.”
“Okay!” Aika said firmly.
“Now, shut up from here on out.”
The two girls crawled forward, Reina gesturing with her arms where she wanted Aika to go, until they ducked behind some trash cans to watch the scene unfolding just off the sidewalk where the alley opened up into the street.
Aika recognized JunJun, who stood by herself, warily but firmly, in front of several guys and girls who kept together in a tight group. None held a weapon, but Aika didn’t believe for a second that meant they weren’t armed.
“…got just as much right walking down here as you have, uppity Mandarin bitch!” Aika caught the guy in the front saying as they arrived. He seemed to be the leader of the small group.
“Hey, I live on these streets just like you do, bro,” JunJun said evenly, but not too calmly. “We all know where the boundaries lie.”
“We was just taking a bit of a scenic detour,” the guy said, scrutinizing the Chinese girl closely. Some of the others behind him let out a few chuckles. “And besides, you think a little girl like yourself is gonna stop us?”
“No, I don’t,” JunJun said.
Then, Aika heard a dull thump from beside her, and the guy cried out and collapsed to the ground, holding a shattered ankle. Aika shot a wide-eyed gaze at Reina, who had pulled out a different gun than the one she used at the lesson, and had set the thicker-looking barrel just atop one of the boxes beside the trash can, pointed toward the group of invaders. She kept very still, not returning Aika’s gaze, so she turned back to the group, which was falling somewhat into chaos.
At the attack, the gang fell in even tighter around themselves, looking all around, but mostly into the alley and through the windows of nearby houses, obviously unsure where the silent shot had come from. Aika shrank back even further behind the can as eyes scanned the area near where she and Reina hid, hopeful the alley’s shadows were thick enough. A couple of them put hands to their waists, but JunJun stepped forward to stop them.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said. Most of the gazes snapped back to her. “I told you that you aren’t welcome here, and you’re surrounded right now by my friends who wouldn’t hesitate a second to put bullets in all your skulls, just like your ringleader’s ankle there.”
A few of the trespassers glanced around with veiled anxiety again, but it was obvious the Chinese girl demanded their attention. “What the fuck are you playin’ at here?!” the leader exclaimed from the pavement, having apparently started to deal with the pain. “We didn’t do nothin’ to you!”
“Really?” Jun said in a low voice. “Then why are we having a funeral for a friend of mine whose crime wasn’t anything more than what you’re doing right this minute?”
Aika’s chest clenched as she lost her breath, the pistol becoming unsteady as she clutched it tightly at her side.
“Hold yourself together, Aika!” she heard Reina whisper hard over to her, and her eyes darted over to see the girl now appraising her carefully.
The group had fallen back at Jun’s words, and Aika noticed a few of them looking at a couple of their members particularly. Aika didn’t recognize them of course, since everything was still dark in reality as well as in her mind, but she found herself raising her gun slowly.
“Aika!” came an insistent voice from her side again.
“I’d be quite content to let them all just open fire right now,” Jun said again, breaking the heavy silence. “But I’ll give you a chance. Turn around and run as hard as you can back to where you came from, and don’t think about taking any more scenic detours, and you might live to see tomorrow morning.”
A few of the intruders began backing away now, but the leader stared at the resolute girl before spitting at the ground as two of the others took his arms to pull him away. In a moment, the ones who could were all running at full speed, and disappeared from Aika’s sight.
Still quivering while watching the spot where they vanished, she almost jumped when she felt a hand on the one that was almost strained from clutching her pistol so tightly, but Reina wrapped her fingers securely around her own and put an arm around Aika in an attempt to calm her. She saw JunJun give a long breath of relief before glancing toward them and starting to walk their way. At that moment Aika realized the group hadn’t been surrounded at all – the girl’s “backup” had been Reina and herself only. She raised her gaze and her eyes found Reina’s.
“This is the kind of thing you’ll be dealing with every day from now on,” the girl said lightly but firmly. “I’ll ask you again, are you up for it?”
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Uwaa, that was tense. I was totally holding my breath there. Every time Risa's mentioned, I actually feel a pang for Aika and I'm amazed that you make me feel for the characters as if this is really happening. I really love this story.
BTW, I hadn't noticed that I don't tend to use emoticons before you pointed it out. I hope that I actually clarify what I mean if it becomes unclear at all. And if I don't, feel free to send me a cyber smack to remind me.
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The murderers of Risa exposed! :o
Hope they get a good lickin' later on. :tama-mad:
Reina with a silencer... OH YEAH~ :heart:
But, mmmm.. can't wait for some bittersweet takagaki. XD
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Wow that was some intense stuff! Reina shooting people with silencers, Jun confronting the gang, and Aika trying to come to terms with her sister's death.
Kanna's here! But I guess she's just a messenger girl :lol:
Nice chapter! Hopefully the Villiagers won't be bothering Aika's crew anymore.
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Gosh darnit, I keep not reviewing chapters. What laziness has gotten to me!? XD
The KohaxAika is terribly cute and.... Ho shit. Reina with a silencer... o-o Dayum. I feel terrible every time Risa is mentioned, and I don't blame Aika one bit for getting so angry/tense when it comes to her sister. >< I hope that guys get their butts kicked later. And well...WHERE'S THE TAKAGAKI?! -waits for it- xD
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Ch. 4
The meeting with Mr. Nguyen and Manoeri's appearance at school~ Your fictional version of Mano is going to get me to start liking and maybe even listening to her, isn't it? ...Well, it could happen. lol I wonder how much Mano actually does for the gang. At the very least I hope she doesn't dress in white for more gritty things if she's involved with those things. Whites are hard to clean, ya know?
Koharu's concern for Aika is really sweet. She really is the type that would worm her way into your heart even if you didn't want her to. ...homg, Captain and Maimi... and I'm not on crack! :wub: Rokun, I love yooooou! I mean, it's just a short scene but I've always wanted to see this couple happen in a fic. Maimi and Koharu don't seem to see eye to eye, do they? Koharu doesn't pay attention to her, doesn't care about reps and the embarrasses her in front of her girlfriend. ^^;
At the mention of "UFO", I have to say that my first thought is "So that's where Eri is!" and Eri is a good dancer so I wouldn't be surprised. Aika and Momo though? You never cease to surprise me. XD
Ch.5
Aika tends to be a bit mean to Koharu sometimes, it seems. Mostly because Koharu's the older one but doesn't act her age, I guess. Aika's just too badass to know that not everyone is as awesome as she is. .__.
...I'm not going to try to even guess what Miya and Chinami were doing but I'm surprised at Aika and Koharu's reactions. I'd have thought that in the type of society they live in, even if they hadn't done anything themselves that it wouldn't be anything new to them.
“A hundred…?” Aika heard Koharu murmur in indignation under her breath. “I’m only a year older than you!”
lol, that's really familiar. XD I have a friend who is just about a year younger too. Silly child. But Koharu totally missing the point and focusing on that is just hilarious... but so her.
Oh but then the mood is brought down again by Aika. But have I mentioned that Koharu's really sweet to Aika? Because she really is even though she seems to lack any sort of real goal or ambition. Her line about what she likes is to hang out with Aika made me seriously go 'Awwwwww'.
For this chapter, Koharu is the one made of win.
Ch. 6
Hm... I don't believe Aika at all when she says she's doing this because she can and not because of Risa. If she doesn't think she's lying to Koharu then she's lying to herself. Good on Koharu for calling her out on it.
Ugh but Aika's mum is horrible. She hasn't even appeared in this story and I hate her. Not even a proper funeral for Risa. T___T I mean first she's killed in the prologue and now this? *sob* Oh Risa... There better be some good memories of happier times in store for us, Rokun! D: Puh-leeeeeze?
Kissing practice? LOL. Oh Koharu, have you been watching Thirteen or maybe it was Cruel Intentions? Oh teen movies and pseudo lesbian snogging. Gotta love the impact it's had on young girls everywhere. :P Haha... Koharu's so methodical, first close-mouthed, then deep... and then good night. XD Yup, that so was awkward.
ch.7
Reina's badass! ROFL but the butt grab was so Miki-like. XD What sort of gang is this? First Mano and now Reina. lol, I totally want to see Momo or Koharu's reaction to the grabby princess around Aika now. The group dynamics of the gang sounds pretty interesting though with what Reina said about Ai's leadership and yet obviously to people looking in from the outside, Ai is most certainly the figurehead at least.
Aika's understandably touchy on the subject of Risa's death but it makes me worry for how well she can control herself in the future. I really felt it when she said to Reina, "I hate you". Such a simple line but strong at the same time. Very representative of Aika's state.
O_O Go question Ai NOW... ah, curses. An emergency but... HI KANNA! I can't believe that they're putting Aika into the thick of it so soon. D:
“…got just as much right walking down here as you have, uppity Mandarin bitch!”
Oh no he didn't! D:<
But wow, the whole backup bluff was just dangerous. I wonder if they often bluff like that or if they just didn't have the time to really surround them this time. It would be really bad if those guys ever called their bluff and back up turns out to just be two girls hidden in an alley. >.<
Risa's funeral.... T.T You just had to remind me about that this chapter. Happy flashbacks soon?
Anyway, I'm glad I finally got to catch up with all this. ^_^ Write more soon~
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°e: So glad to see you reading here still. :) And updating! We seem to be going at about the same pace too, lol. Although, you probably have a more chapters completed ahead of me in case I decide to slack off some day or week. :lol: Anyway... Icky in a cute way, eh? Not sure exactly what to make of that. XD These girls are still young and (sometimes) innocent, but they're surrounded by very adult things, and so... well... stay tuned. ;)
LoL I guess I meant sweet but too sweet that it's embarrassing XD icky...hehe
Ah, Reina is badass. Shattered ankle, ouch! >_< It could've gotten ugly if the rival group didn't fall for the surrounding backup. But phew that was intense. There's a lack of Eri in this story, will she make an appearance in the story? If so, I wonder how she's going to be. :ph43r:
Yeah I noticed we're around the same pace too. I have like 12-ish chapters done but because of my anal editing and re-editing and fear of writer's block, it probably won't be posted till next month or so. XD
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Chapter 5
Chinami blushed, sinking back into Miyabi’s side as the other girl stroked her hair, the two of them now feeling brave enough to meet the eyes of the others.
“It’s unnatural is what it is!” Koharu almost cried out, pointing at the two of them. “There’s no reason for you to be… to be…” she said, pointing at Miyabi, who blushed. “And then you!” she said, moving her attention to Chinami who shrank even more. “You’re the sweet and innocent one!”
Osnap...ChinaMiya got busted! XD
ChinaMiya = :sex:
Koharu = :OMG:
Aika = :OMG:
ChinaMiya = :OMG:
Koharu = :bleed eyes:
Aika = :bleed eyes:
XD
Suddenly Aika smiled, and she looked up at the wide-eyed faces around her. After meeting the eyes of all three, she finally said, “Thanks guys.”
“For what?” Chinami asked, confusion clouding that sweet face of hers.
“For this,” Aika said. “It’s nice to have a bit of distraction… something to make me smile.”
Oddly enough, and as awkward as the situation was, I'd have to agree with Aika here. She's been stuck in this funk of hers and she's pretty much had tunnel vision for the last little while; a "distraction" like this definitely couldn't hurt.
She could never be close to anyone. Anyone that got close to her either got hurt, or died. Or both. Well, maybe she could have something to do with keeping that from happening to others at least now. She was almost mad at her sister for sheltering her from that, if it could maybe have prevented what ended up happening to her.
It's not unexpected that Aika might feel a little resentful towards Risa like this. Finding out that you've been kept in the dark about some things that apparently seem to be quite important when you do find out about them will do that.
Without thinking, she slammed a fist down onto the windowsill, jarring a few flakes of sawdust loose from the frame. After a moment she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she spun around and grabbed the wrist, which happened to belong to Koharu.
The girl shied back slightly at the swift action, and actually looked a bit frightened at whatever she might be seeing in Aika’s eyes. Recognizing her friend, Aika loosened her grip slightly but did not let go. She saw Miyabi and Chinami walk up behind Koharu, both girls appraising her cautiously.
Ummm...remind me, Aika doesn't have the gun that Aichan gave her on her right NOW, does she? :?
“I thought I was the only one allowed to glare like that,” Miyabi said, tightening her mouth in her attempt to defuse the tension.
“Like what?” Chinami asked, still looking into Aika’s face. “What she’s doing is much better than any glare I’ve ever seen you attempt.
Oh burn. :lol:
At that, Miyabi turned to her girlfriend, her jaw now tightening as well. “You know…” she said in a somewhat annoyed voice, then swiftly raised her hand and cuffed the girl smartly on the cheek.
“Ow…” Chinami said weakly, holding a hand to her face as she turned back to face her girlfriend.
“C’mon, you know you like it,” Miyabi said, ignoring the girl as she turned back to Aika.
Ok....TMI right there. :shocked
*AIKAxKOHARU 'TRUST' CHAT*
Aika's still focused on proceeding with...whatever ends up happening. She just doesn't want to have to deal with it on her own (even if she's not able to admit it right now).
Aika nodded, looking Koharu directly in the eyes. “All right,” she said. Then she took a breath. “Come home with me. I have something to tell you.”
Oh boy...here we go. Perhaps she's looking for someone to act like her conscious for when things get really bad, seeing as how she might have to stop relying on her own in the days to come.
Chapter 6
“No Koha-chan, I can’t let you get involved,” Aika said, staring at the burnished metal as she turned it carefully in hands that rested on her lap.
Well, then she shouldn't have told her the truth. Aika opened the door on this one, she can't get mad at Koharu if she wants to step through it.
“I won’t let you do this by yourself!” Koharu said insistently. “You could get yourself killed or something!”
“And that’s exactly what I don’t want to happen to you,” Aika replied, looking up hard into the other’s eyes. “I’m doing this to protect those I care about so they don’t have to worry about things like this themselves.”
“That seemed to be what your sister thought too!” Koharu pressed strongly. “And then when something happened to her, since she’d kept those she cared about at a distance, there was no one there to help her!”
Was it a low blow? Maybe.
Is Koharu right? Possibly.
“Why are you doing this, Aika?” the continually prodding voice came from behind. “Are you doing it for everyone you claim to want to protect?” She paused a moment to let her words sink in. “Are you doing it for yourself?” After a moment Aika felt a tentative hand on the back of her shoulder. “…Are you doing it for your sister?”
Mister hammer, meet Mister nail. :yep:
It's about time someone said this to Aika...though it should have been Aichan, IMO. If there was anyone who would/should have known about Risa's wanting to keep Aika from all of that, it should have been Aichan. Consequently, one could say that if Aichan had any feelings/respect for Risa's wishes in this matter, she would have tried harder to keep Aika out of it when she came to them.
“I’m doing it because I can,” she said, her voice to her ears feeling soft and hard at the same time.
Oh fuck. She's completely avoiding the question. :smhid
“Takahashi-dono will kill you…” Aika finally said in a soft, almost desperately reasoning voice. “I know she only accepts me because I’m Risa’s sister and won’t take no for an answer, but she won’t have it if you come groveling to her too.”
“From the sound of it, what you did was far from groveling,” Koharu said expressively. “I wouldn’t intend on doing anything differently.”
Despite her words, Aika still knew how the encounter would go. Koharu would barely make it two steps into that room until her hollow skull would get smashed in, and it was more likely to be one of the Chinese girls before she even reached Takahashi or Tanaka. Hell, if Chisato were around she might even do it herself. The younger girl never thought much of Koharu.
Bet'cha Aika wishes she never opened that proverbial door now, does she? :-X
*TALK OF AIKA'S MOM*
*sigh*
Of course. :thumbdown:
“There’ll be a service at the graveyard by the old church on Cedar this weekend. Since we’ve got no family here really, she’ll just be vaulted with other kids who died in similar situations.” Even though they were words she spoke, she didn’t completely believe them. Risa was anything but a kid as far as Aika was concerned, no matter her age.
“I’ll come with you,” Koharu said, and this time Aika felt a hand on her shoulder again.
Instead of shrugging it off, she reached her own behind to lay atop it. “Thanks,” she said. “That’ll be… nice.”
:cry:
*INTROSPECTIVE KOHARU*
Awww...:(
“I’m seventeen. Do you know how many other seventeen-year-old virgins there are around?”
Hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing, you know.
“And what if I even do find someone who likes me?!” she questioned, more paranoia becoming apparent. “I’ll… I’ll have to kiss them or something! And I wouldn’t know the first thing to do!”
Aika blinked, now suddenly at a real loss. “Um…” she said, trying to find something intelligent to say. “I guess you could… well... you know… just kiss them?”
It's amazing how that tactic works as often as it does. :)
Aika was almost becoming scared of those widening eyes that were fixed on her own, until she saw some sort of light bulb go on within them. “I know!” Koharu burst out excitedly. “We could practice!”
“Practice…?” Aika repeated, becoming ever more confused.
“Kissing!” Koharu said, as if she was reading the word clearly on Aika’s face.
Koharu = :w00t:
Aika = :huhuh
And you’re my best friend, so of course it won’t get weird or anything…
Oh man...:rofl:
“Um…” Aika said, her mind blank, but the other girl was already squeezing her eyes shut and leaning forward slightly, puckering. “Koharu…” she began, trying to think of something to deter the girl, and leaned forward to try and pull her aside so they could talk this out.
However, the other girl apparently didn’t have her eyes completely closed, because when Aika leaned forward Koharu did smoothly as well, and before she knew what was happening she felt the girl’s lips press lightly against her own.
Aika froze at the contact. However, that of course only had the effect of making said contact last longer, and it was beginning to feel a bit warm and wet before Koharu pulled away, looking into Aika’s eyes as if for a response.
Eeep. :O2
Koharu frowned. “Hmm. I think we should use our tongues. All the girls say guys are disgusting when they do it, but that other girls know actually know how to use them and so it’s the best kind of kissing. So this time just open your mouth after a second, kay?” And she leaned in once again to the still immobile second-year.
A while later the two girls stared above the knees they hugged to themselves while still sitting across from each other on Aika’s thin mattress. “Well that was… fun…?” Aika said, trying to make a sensible sentence come out of her mouth.
:stunned:
Damn, I've got NOTHIN' for this.
Koharu blinked at her a few times before admitting in a small voice, “…It got weird, didn’t it?”
“Yeah...” Aika nodded as she viewed her friend through the thickening discomfort between them.
Just a tad...maybe.
:mon ko:
“Well…” Koharu said slowly, “Good night!” And she dropped her knees, shifting herself to the side of the mattress before slipping under the sheet and becoming still.
Without a word, and wondering what the big deal really was with getting a girlfriend anyway, Aika reached over to flip off the lamp and slid under the sheets herself as well.
“Goodnight, Koha-chan.”
Out of sight, out of mind?
/me hears crickets off in the distance.
Chapter 7
*AIKA 'TRAINING' WITH REINA*
A garage? Of all the places to be practicing this...a garage? I guess it helps that it's completely under the gang's control, so they don't have to worry about security or "getting caught."
LULZ at Reina groping Aika. Miki-sama wouldn't happen to be a former, dai-sempai type member in the gang, now would she? :grin:
“You should call Ai-chan by her nick, too,” the other said as she watched Aika prepare. “We’re all pretty casual around here.”
After the girl spoke, Aika took three more shots as well, and when she lowered the gun, noticed they all hit the target, if not quite as perfectly as Reina’s had. “I’m not sure I could do that,” she said, smiling satisfied at herself. “She’s the leader, after all. Lemme get used to saying ‘Reina’ first.”
“Good shooting,” Reina said, and she walked to one of the cars to recline back against it as she continued to watch Aika. “She’s only really a leader in that she organizes things from time to time. There are others that do the same. We don’t have that kind of structure, generally only taking care of the areas we frequent on a normal routine. We don’t go lookin’ for trouble – just try our best to keep it from findin’ us.”
In a way, it's good that they spread responsibility and authority as much as they do. That way, they can't really be dealt a "crippling blow" if whoever's deemed their leader is taken out. While other gangs would/could be thrown into chaos if this were to happen to them (because no one had a clue of what to do because their leaders kept all their secrets to themselves), with this (as yet still unnamed) gang it wouldn't be as hard for them as others could/should be able to pick up the slack quite easily.
“Are you telling me it was my sister’s fault she got beat to death?” Aika asked in a dangerous voice below narrowing eyes.
“No,” Reina said, lifting herself up from the car. She hooked her thumbs into her belt loops, and it took Aika just a second to realize she could draw her gun probably in the blink of an eye from that position. “I’m guessing they just intended to teach her a lesson to stay off of their turf, but someone went a bit overboard and it got out of hand.”
“So you’re saying it was an accident?”
Reina shrugged, not taking her eyes off Aika. “Those things happen when you’re dealing with so many people who can tend to be violent. Some get high off it.”
Sad...but true. :wth
“That anger, that hatred you’re feeling,” the girl said, now in a fervent voice of her own, “There’s hardly a citizen of this city that hasn’t felt the same at least at some point in their lives. That’s the reason nobody trusts nobody. That’s the reason you can’t walk down the road to your piano lesson. The only way you’re gonna be able to survive around here is to learn to deal with that hate. Focus it into that gun you carry at your hip. Focus it into calm and reason when you’re hit with a tough situation.”
The key to this little speech is the need to stay focused. Letting your emotions get the better of you in a conflict will do nothing to help you, but instead will increase the chances of something going wrong for you. You'll get distracted, less observant, sloppy...all of which can provide an opening to allow your opponent to take you out.
Aika was about to demand what it was she was supposed to figure out, but a young girl burst through the door to the garage. Looking around a moment, she fixed her eyes on Reina and ran toward her. “Kanna!” Aika yelled, surprised at seeing her younger friend for the first time since she dropped out of school with Chisato.
Kanna turned and took her in a moment, giving her a brief smile before becoming serious again and looking back to Reina. “We got trouble,” she informed them. “Jun ran across some Villagers around Almond area. She’s waitin’ on backup to confront ‘em.”
Kanna! :cow:
...
Almond!!! :yossi:
Umm...who are these "Villagers"? They the other gang? O_o
“We was just taking a bit of a scenic detour,” the guy said, scrutinizing the Chinese girl closely. Some of the others behind him let out a few chuckles. “And besides, you think a little girl like yourself is gonna stop us?”
“No, I don’t,” JunJun said.
Then, Aika heard a dull thump from beside her, and the guy cried out and collapsed to the ground, holding a shattered ankle. Aika shot a wide-eyed gaze at Reina, who had pulled out a different gun than the one she used at the lesson, and had set the thicker-looking barrel just atop one of the boxes beside the trash can, pointed toward the group of invaders.
From the description of the "dull thump" sound that Reina's weapon made, she's got a sniper rifle with a silencer on it.
That's just so badass. 8)2
“What the fuck are you playin’ at here?!” the leader exclaimed from the pavement, having apparently started to deal with the pain. “We didn’t do nothin’ to you!”
“Really?” Jun said in a low voice. “Then why are we having a funeral for a friend of mine whose crime wasn’t anything more than what you’re doing right this minute?”
Aika’s chest clenched as she lost her breath, the pistol becoming unsteady as she clutched it tightly at her side.
“Hold yourself together, Aika!” she heard Reina whisper hard over to her, and her eyes darted over to see the girl now appraising her carefully.
Oooooooooooooooooh shit! This IS the group that killed Risa?!?!?!!?
:mon wtf:
The group had fallen back at Jun’s words, and Aika noticed a few of them looking at a couple of their members particularly. Aika didn’t recognize them of course, since everything was still dark in reality as well as in her mind, but she found herself raising her gun slowly.
“Aika!” came an insistent voice from her side again.
Aika's got to remember what Reina told her and stay focused! Even though it seems like these might be the same losers that killed Risa, this is NOT the time to be poppin' skulls.
:mon scare:
“I’d be quite content to let them all just open fire right now,” Jun said again, breaking the heavy silence. “But I’ll give you a chance. Turn around and run as hard as you can back to where you came from, and don’t think about taking any more scenic detours, and you might live to see tomorrow morning.”
A few of the intruders began backing away now, but the leader stared at the resolute girl before spitting at the ground as two of the others took his arms to pull him away. In a moment, the ones who could were all running at full speed, and disappeared from Aika’s sight.
I see, they're trying to send a message to the other gang. It's like, "We don't want trouble, and we know you don't want trouble. However, we alsoknow you killed Risa for no good reason. If you're going to start trouble, rest assured that we WILL finish it."
Still quivering while watching the spot where they vanished, she almost jumped when she felt a hand on the one that was almost strained from clutching her pistol so tightly, but Reina wrapped her fingers securely around her own and put an arm around Aika in an attempt to calm her. She saw JunJun give a long breath of relief before glancing toward them and starting to walk their way. At that moment Aika realized the group hadn’t been surrounded at all – the girl’s “backup” had been Reina and herself only. She raised her gaze and her eyes found Reina’s.
“This is the kind of thing you’ll be dealing with every day from now on,” the girl said lightly but firmly. “I’ll ask you again, are you up for it?”
Aika's got to see just how serious this really is. She may be in denial right now, but at the core of it, she wants revenge for what happened to Risa. She wants the other gang to hurt like she's been hurt. The problem is, THAT's not necessarily what's best in the grand scheme of things. There are dozens, if not hundreds of people who live in this area, innocent people who have no connection to either gang and who don't deserve to live in a gang warzone. Sure, at this moment Reina had to fire a weapon at someone, but the way she did it, the way they played it out was meant to keep a fight from breaking out that would/could hurt not only themselves, but the many other innocent people who lived there.
Aika has to learn that although she's learning how to fight, she's NOT being taught to be an instigator. That's not their purpose. They're looking to put out the proverbial blaze, not start it.
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Wow and yay! A lot of great comments that time! :D Not expecting as many for the next chapter... lol. I actually ended up splitting up what I've written next, as it felt a bit long (would have been my longest chapter so far, but not by that much). I'm doing my best to stick with shorter ones as I promised. :lol: Anyway... suppose I should have expected the comments last time with Reina shooting people and all. ;) However... did nobody catch what was in the chapter title? I'm sad. :(
rndmn: I'm glad you're feeling for the characters. :) That always makes me feel as if I've done my job well! And don't worry about being misunderstood. It's quite good enough I think. :)
Fen: Hey there! :D Reina with a silencer is definitely pure win. You'd be amazed what she has up her sleeve. More on that further down. ;) And bittersweet TakaGaki?
slasha: Yay Kanna! :D She's a bit more than a messenger girl lol, but I'm not completely sure yet what all will be going on wtih her (and Chisato). Don't be too confident we've seen the last of them...
SxY: Glad to see you feeling for Aika too. :) That's part of why I like writing exclusively from one girl's point of view. You really get to see into her emotions and identify with her. Also, another TakaGaki request??? XD You people are so hopeful. :P
Kuji: Ah you caught up! And with an epic comment! @_@ Yay!
Ch 4: Mano has a rather mysterious role, as is kinda given for her position. :) We'll see what all's going on with her as time goes on... Also, I thought you'd like the Saki/Maimi. ^_^ No, you aren't on crack, but I might be! :lol: As for Maimi and Koharu... look forward to chapter 9. ;)
Ch 5: A lot of these girls seem to be mean to each other sometimes... lol... You'll see instances of it all over. It's part of the culture they live in unfortunately. Speaking of which... your comments about Koharu and Aika... In some ways the two of them have been rather sheltered from many things throughout their lives, even with some they have been exposed to just by the streets they have to walk down. But when things really get private... Risa did her best to protect and shelter Aika, and Koharu... well... she kinda shelters herself. :lol:
Ch 6: Aika's mom... yeah, people seem to be getting an impression of her already... On a lighter note, not sure if Koharu has been watching those movies, but I have. :lol: Like I said once before, it just seems to fit this story (and Koharu's character) well. ;) As for her methodical, blunt approach... well... that's Koharu. ^_^
Ch 07: Your comment about "what sort of gang is this?" made me :rofl: XD. These girls are used to dealing with things physically quite often... resulting in them... well... dealing with things physically quite often. ;) That line you quoted... remember it and what it was charged with... it's important in the context of this culture, and will come into play more later on. As for "calling the bluff", I wouldn't be so sure how it might have ended. Don't underestimate Reina. Many people have done so in the past, and are no longer around to tell the tale. ;)
...So it's TakaGaki flashbacks you guys want, huh? Well we'll see how things go. What I will say is that there will be a nice present for you all at some point. Keep your eyes open. 8)
°e: I'm sure you saw my comment about Eri in your thread. :) Even if I keep chopping my chapters up, you shouldn't have too much longer to wait...
JFC: Yay you caught up too! :D I hope it didn't overwhelm you too much. >.> Much <333 for your emoticon version of this story too. :D Your comments about how Ai should have dropped reality into Aika's lap... Aika hasn't actually seen Ai that much yet... and Ai is also rather reclusive, so even that much for Aika might just be a bit rare. Your reaction to the Koharu and Aika kissing practice is perfect. XD I think that was exactly what I was going for...
Ch 7 comments: Yep, a garage is a good tight location for a rather risky thing like an illegal shooting range. :) And XD you caught an almond reference XD. Also, :twothumbs at your comments about Aika's lessons in this chapter. She definitely wasn't only learning to shoot. Far from only that...
Okay, T minus time to next chapter. It's short and I don't think all that much happens in it, but the story continues. :) Chapter 9 will also probably be up by the end of the weekend. Enjoy. :)
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Chapter 8
“I talked with Miya and Chinami-chan. They say you’ve been quiet in classes today.”
Koharu looked up suspiciously at Aika after catching up to her as she walked to lunch. Aika only held her books to her chest and walked slowly, not looking around. She knew the girl didn’t want to come right out and ask about what happened after she left school yesterday, but she also knew that if she stayed quiet much longer, her friend would ask anyway.
“I’ve been quiet in classes all week,” Aika stated, partly in response to Koharu’s unasked question and partly not.
“It’s just not like you,” Koharu lamented. “You’re usually just as talkative as me or Chinami-chan. I feel bad that something’s obviously wrong with you.”
Aika gave her friend a sidelong glance. “Thank you for the support,” she said dryly.
“You know what I mean,” Koharu said, stepping quickly in front of Aika and making her stop, while also reaching out to grab her arm. However, after realizing what she did she let go slowly, looking somewhat awkward.
Aika looked up into her face. “There’s no need for awkwardness between us. Remember?” she asked. After waking up the previous morning the two girls had promised to treat the night before only as an experience, and otherwise to go on the same as always – as best friends.
“Sorry,” Koharu said. “I guess I need to get a girlfriend, huh?”
“The day one of you two gets a girlfriend,” a new voice said as Koharu found a hand rested on her shoulder. “Will be the day I make out with Chinami in the middle of the hall.” Koharu, after an initial jump of surprise and embarrassment, now looked up at Miyabi and raised an eyebrow.
“Now that I’d like to see.” She grinned over at Chinami, who was hanging onto Miyabi’s arm.
“You don’t mean that!” the sweet and innocent girl said, casting wide eyes on her girlfriend.
“Oh come on,” Miyabi retorted. “It’s not like you haven’t seen more already.” She leaned over to nip at her girlfriend’s neck, but at the reminder of the awkwardness from the other day, Chinami gasped and slapped at her arm. However, Miyabi just pulled back and grinned at her.
“Excuse me,” Aika said, nudging through her friends. “But I at least am hungry.”
“What’s the rush?” Miyabi asked, and Aika felt an arm around her shoulders. She reflexively tensed at the contact, especially considering who it was from. However, in the next second Koharu had draped an arm around her as well. Instead of slowing her though, the two girls pulled her fully onward toward the cafeteria.
“Uh, guys?” Aika said, clutching her books tighter to herself. “I’m glad that you love me, but…”
“Yes, we do love you,” Miyabi said.
“We love you so much, that we won’t be leaving your side for the rest of the day!” Koharu added. “You’ll be back to the old Aika before you know it!”
“But there’s not even a new Aika yet…” Aika protested as it felt like the girls dragged her along.
“Really?” Koharu asked. “Care to update us on what is new so far? I’m sure Chinami-chan is dying to know.”
“Yes!” Chinami exclaimed. Then with a look at a smirking Miyabi performed a one-eighty. “I mean, no!”
Aika glanced over at the two, never ceasing to wonder what goes on in Miyabi’s mind, but at least realizing what the girls were trying to do. “Peer pressure is what this is,” she grumbled. “You people are mean…”
“That’s why we’re your friends!” Koharu beamed, giving Aika her toothy smile.
“Well hello there,” came a voice from near one of the lockers they passed, and a girl reached out an arm to bring the four marching girls to a halt. She raised an eyebrow, while Aika just stared in surprise.
“Do I know you?” Miyabi asked, frowning at the smaller girl in a slim-fitting black and white patterned dress.
The girl continued smiling at Aika. “No reason for you to. I’m not in your class. And, well, not likely we would have run into each other.”
“What are you doing here?” Aika whispered loudly to her, pulling away from the arms of her friends to close in on the other. However, before she reached her, she jerked to a halt and looked around anxiously. “Do they need me? Where’s Mano…?” She asked the latter question hesitantly.
The other girl laughed gently. “How should I know? Probably in class. I hope so.” Then she glanced around a bit self-consciously herself. “I hate it when she pops out of nowhere.”
“You too?” Aika asked, appraising the girl carefully.
“A-hem!” Aika turned back to her friends as Miyabi cleared her throat. She also saw Koharu raising both eyebrows at her in her usual ‘Nani?!’ expression.
“Oh,” the girl next to Aika said. “We’re so rude. Care to introduce me to your… friends, Aika?”
Aika blinked, wondering why everything seemed to be falling in on her today. “Um,” she said, turning to her friends tentatively. “This is Chinami Tokunaga,” she said, and the named girl smiled brightly at the both of them. “Miyabi Natsuyaki,” she continued, nodding at Miyabi, who nodded back, scrutinizing the newcomer suspiciously. “Koharu Kusumi,” she said, Koharu still with her eyebrows high on her forehead. When she cocked her head toward Aika, she added, “My best friend…”
Then she turned to gesture to the girl next to her. “Guys, this is Qian Lin.” When blank faces met her in response, she added with a bit of a sigh, “You can call her LinLin. She’s Chinese.” The girls’ eyes widened in surprise at that, even though they’d likely suspected it from her features.
“How do you know Aika?” Miyabi asked, still looking very suspicious.
Pre-empting a potential response from the Chinese girl though, Aika asked her, “So what are you doing here?” She looked the girl up and down. “You look dressed pretty normal…” Then she noticed the open locker next to her and blinked.
“Normal?” LinLin asked, grinning at Aika. “I go to school here. There something wrong with that?”
“But…” Aika began.
“I’ve never seen you before,” Koharu broke in. “You look too old to be a first year…”
“You’re right,” LinLin nodded at her. “I’m a senior.” When the looks on the rest of their faces became even more puzzled, she followed, still grinning, “The thing is, I don’t actually come very often. I’m a senior after all, and I also have… other things to do.” She glanced toward Aika as she said that last.
“You’re in Aika-chan’s gang!” Koharu burst out.
Aika could have punched her again.
-
Haha, more MiyaChii. <3 And oh no, KOHARU! -facepalm-
-
:O Koharu! Dumbass... :smhid
The other girl laughed gently. “How should I know? Probably in class. I hope so.” Then she glanced around a bit self-consciously herself. “I hate it when she pops out of nowhere.”
“You too?” Aika asked, appraising the girl carefully.
Quoted 'cause I only like your Mano and not the real one.
-
Ohai RinRin! Whatchu doin here :lol: But seriously, I didn't expect Lin to show up. And she skips school (I'm telling on her :lol: )
But way to go Koha. She managed to ruin that secret. I wonder what will happen now.
Btw Aika should've punched her. That would've been a great ending.
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°e: I'm sure you saw my comment about Eri in your thread. :) Even if I keep chopping my chapters up, you shouldn't have too much longer to wait...
:onioncheer: hehe Looking forward to it.
As for this chapter, ah Koha :doh: Aika's like, I love you girl but sometimes I just wanna :bangchair: :lol: Linlin makes an appearance at school! and I think I'm beginning to like Mano in your story too even though I don't know anything at all about her. hehe
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All right! Here's the next chapter that I promised was coming soon. I know I'm posting it quickly, but I really didn't want to let that last one hang by itself for too long. :lol: There's a bit more to this one I think... It should add some "fun" to the episode. ;) Those of you who commented already in this short time though... THANK YOU!!! :D Even though it seems most of the talk was about bad Koha. :lol: Although... SxY: Thanks for the MiyaChii :heart:! ^___^ rndmn & °e: Funny how you guys and others are liking Mano even though she really hasn't done much of anything in this story :lol: ...yet. :P It seems to be an unintentional mission of mine to get people interested in Mano... lol. slasha & °e: Yep, LinLin appearance. :) I'm not sure how crazy people are about her, but you'll see her around here... from time to time... >.>;; And slasha: Aika punches Koharu enough as it is. :lol: I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it...
Alright, here we go!
Chapter 9
As the girls finished their lunch quietly, Aika couldn’t shake the discomfort of eyes that have been on her almost the whole time. “What is it, Miya?!” she asked, having had enough of it.
Miyabi took another bite of her food, almost ignoring Chinami who seemed to be clinging ever closer to her side. “I can’t believe you never told me you joined them,” she said as she chewed her food.
“Well I didn’t think it’d be that big a deal to you,” Aika retorted, looking back at her own food but having no appetite for it now with her soured stomach. “Besides, I didn’t want to tell anyone.” She glared at Koharu, feeling the urge to punch the girl again. Koharu quickly ducked over her own bowl.
“You told Koharu,” Miyabi replied quickly.
“That’s different,” Aika grated.
Miyabi now eyed both girls cautiously. “Y’know, you’re gonna make us start wondering about you two.”
“Wondering about what?!” both Aika and Koharu responded at the same time, and the two girls stared mortified at each other.
“Yeah… definitely something fishy there…” Miyabi continued, and Aika saw even Chinami was also scrutinizing them now, her possessiveness of Miyabi somewhat forgotten for the moment.
“Hey guys!” came a cheerful but soft voice into the awkward mood. Aika looked up to see Saki coming toward them, flanked by Maimi, but her eyes quickly went to the other short girl on her opposite side.
“…or maybe not,” Aika heard Miyabi say quietly, but she did her best to ignore the girl.
“Saki… Maimi… How are you?” Koharu said through a smile which had suddenly become forced.
“It’s Friday!” Momoko crowed, as the three girls pulled up chairs to recline into beside the others.
“Yes it is!” Chinami chimed in, smiling up at her girlfriend. “So come on!” she continued, and poked at the corner of Miyabi’s frown. “Time to be happy!”
The other glrl slapped her wrist away as if it was an annoying bee.
“We’re good, thanks,” Saki said easily. “Right, Maimi-chan?” She reached over to stroke the back of the taller girl’s hand.
“Amazing!” Maimi responded, beaming at her own girlfriend.
“…You guys are sure upbeat,” Aika said, picking at her food again.
“What’s to not be cheerful about?” Momoko asked, but Aika resisted the urge to look up at her again. “It’s Friday… It’s a long holiday weekend… And we’re going to the beach!”
That caught Aika’s attention... as well as the others’.
“The beach?” Koharu asked. By the tone of her voice, Aika imagined the girl was thinking the same as her: about the last time they had been to the beach themselves. It had been a long while. Her sister had taken them…
There was a soft cry from Maimi at her classmate’s comment, and she reached over her girlfriend to slap at Momoko’s shoulder lightly. “You keep spoiling things!” she scolded, as if in the deepest offense. Aika turned a veiled glare up at the girl. I’d be happy to show you how to really slap someone… she thought bitterly. However, Momoko just smiled brightly at the girl.
“Take it easy, Maimi-chan,” Saki said, patting at her hand. “If it were up to you, we’d never get to tell anyone anything!”
“So what’s going on at the beach?” Miyabi asked, leaning back in her chair with the effect of Chinami’s head sliding suddenly down into her lap. The girl drew back quickly though, finally letting go of her girlfriend, her face reddening in embarrassment. Miyabi smirked at her, reaching over to pinch low at her side to make the girl convulse at the sensitivity.
“UFO is having a party there!” Momoko chirped. “They invited us when we went to dance with them the other day!”
“That’s right,” Miyabi said. “How was that?” Aika thought the girl did a good job of not showing the envy she knew herself and the others felt. Actually, she found herself wondering if the girl really was envious to begin with.
“It was awesome! Just as good as everything you hear about it!” Maimi exclaimed, but Saki cut her off by patting at her hand again.
“Be more sensitive, sweetie,” she said warmly to the girl. “They haven’t been able to go yet.”
“No, it’s all right,” Koharu said quickly.
“But they asked…” Maimi protested, a slight whine in her voice.
“Wait, did you say ‘yet’?” Koharu continued, her face tilting in thought.
Saki’s smile broadened, and she glanced over at her friends, who although obviously wanting to say something, held their silence. “This party Momo-chan was telling you about. We can each invite a friend to go along.”
“That’s cool,” Aika said, trying not to imagine what the girl might be implying.
“I know we don’t talk too much,” Maimi said, looking toward Koharu, “But we do have a lot of classes together and I’d like to get to know you better.” Her classmate blinked at her. “Would you like to come with us? You can be my friend!” Then she smiled down at Saki. “The only other one I really care about going with is already coming, so how about it?”
Koharu blinked again in disbelief, her fork frozen in her fingers. “…Are you talking to me?”
Before the other could give an unnecessary response though, Momoko piped up. “And I want to invite you!” she said. Aika raised her eyes very slowly, finding what she somehow expected yet still couldn’t believe - that the girl was looking at her. Momoko smiled at her in that cute and pure way she had, but Aika just stared. “What do you think? Would you come with me to the party?”
Aika felt her words frozen by amazement of not just that the girl was asking her to a party with her, but that they would be going to the beach, and with UFO of all people! “A…” she began, stuttering. “Are you sure it’s okay? We don’t… We don’t wanna go somewhere we don’t belong…”
She gave a harsh exhale of breath as she felt an elbow ram into her side from her best friend’s seat beside her, and started coughing, choking on something, perhaps the food she’d just been eating. She glanced over to see the girl giving an ‘Are you a complete idiot?!?!” look as she tried to catch her breath.
“I think those are two yeses,” Miyabi said, and Aika could hear the smirk in her voice.
When she caught her breath, she looked up to see a somewhat uncomfortable silence among them all, even though Momoko was still smiling over at her. She tried her best not to look her way and fall into that trap, as she wasn’t sure what her reaction would be at the moment.
Finally Saki spoke. “We could ask them if it’d be okay if I can invite two people,” the girl said conciliatorily. “Surely they’d understand the situation – they’re nice people.”
“Nah it’s all right,” Miyabi said, and curled an arm around Chinami to hug her close. For her part, her girlfriend looked questioningly up at her. “Chinami-chan and I have plans anyway.” She looked into her girlfriend’s eyes. “Don’t we?”
Chinami smiled nervously, her eyes flickering toward the others. “Y-yeah… Don’t worry about us!” She suddenly squeaked and bounced up in her chair. Aika noticed Miyabi’s hand had disappeared behind the other’s back, and turned away herself in embarrassment.
“Okay then,” Saki said. “If you’re sure…?” Her tone was disappointed, but Aika noticed signs of relief from the girl as well. Her position was still seemingly rather tenuous with the dancers, and she apparently didn’t want to push things too far unless she had to.
“Yes!” Chinami said, looking at the others with pinkish cheeks, her arm stretched behind her to rub her backside. She smiled at Aika and Koharu. “Have fun you two!”
Aika still was caught up in a whirl of disbelief. She couldn’t really be going to the beach with Momoko Tsugunaga and UFO, could she? Then reality crashed back in on her, and her mood fell through the floor. “Wait…” she said, almost mournfully. “We can’t. We have…” she shot a quick stare at Koharu. “We’ve got stuff to do through Sunday…” Could things actually get any worse?
“That’s okay,” Momoko replied, still smiling at her. “The party is Monday! It’s the holiday, remember?”
Aika caught the eyes above that smile, this time not having any desire to look away. She felt like she could kiss the girl.
“Um… Aika?” Koharu’s muffled voice came from behind her. “I’m not sure she can breathe…”
Aika opened her eyes, and realized she was hugging something very tightly. Shock shooting through her core, she pulled away to peer into Momoko’s face, the girl still smiling, although a bit crookedly as she laid a hand to her chest. Good job Aika… Just kill the girl before you even get the chance to go out with her!
“Sorry,” she said, humiliated. She thought she heard Miyabi chuckling from behind her.
“I guess we’ll see you guys Monday then, huh?” Saki said, rising from her chair.
“I guess so,” Aika said in response, a real smile creeping onto her face for the first time in a long while.
-
Ooooo... Party time~ :P And aww... Aika's just too cute. xD
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Wow, that was quick. Yay, party party! Nice to see Aika happy after everything that happened. How nice of Momoko to invite her. MiyaChii reminds me of GAM, touchy sneaky Miya and sweet Chinami :kekeke:
UFO? Is that what I think it is? :w00t:
Hey look, Momoko in a UFO XD :sejinemo:
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That was an amazingly quick update. Nice timing.
Aika's so cute, which is suprising because she's always so serious.
Woohoo party! Sounds awesome. Maybe there'll be a dance off :lol: . I hope no one shoots at the party!
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Wow, that was a fast update. Though maybe a little filler? Maybe? Anyway, I'm not really sure why I like Mano in this. Maybe because she seems a little dangerous. Like not someone to trust immediately. Which is completely different from the aura the real Mano gives off. Not that I've got anything against the girl, I know she must work as hard as the others, but still, she's just kinda, eh... :yawn: Even her new stuff.
Anyways! That's besides the point. Can't wait for the next chapter. :cow: :bow: :cow: :twothumbs
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Chapter 8
After waking up the previous morning the two girls had promised to treat the night before only as an experience, and otherwise to go on the same as always – as best friends.
If they can actually do this, then yeah, things should hopefully go a bit more smoothly...or at the very least, it hopefully shouldn't get worse.
“The day one of you two gets a girlfriend,” a new voice said as Koharu found a hand rested on her shoulder. “Will be the day I make out with Chinami in the middle of the hall.” Koharu, after an initial jump of surprise and embarrassment, now looked up at Miyabi and raised an eyebrow.
...
“Oh come on,” Miyabi retorted. “It’s not like you haven’t seen more already.”
True. :nervous
“You people are mean…”
“That’s why we’re your friends!” Koharu beamed, giving Aika her toothy smile.
Natch. If you and your friends can't be mean to each other without letting it become a problem, then what else are you supposed to do? :P
“Well hello there,” came a voice from near one of the lockers they passed, and a girl reached out an arm to bring the four marching girls to a halt. She raised an eyebrow, while Aika just stared in surprise.
“Do I know you?” Miyabi asked, frowning at the smaller girl in a slim-fitting black and white patterned dress.
The girl continued smiling at Aika. “No reason for you to. I’m not in your class. And, well, not likely we would have run into each other.”
Eh? ManoEri? :?
“What are you doing here?” Aika whispered loudly to her, pulling away from the arms of her friends to close in on the other. However, before she reached her, she jerked to a halt and looked around anxiously. “Do they need me? Where’s Mano…?” She asked the latter question hesitantly.
Ok, not ManoEri.
...
From this short exchange between them, it still seems to be someone from the gang. So then...Reina? She's the one who's had the most contact with Aika recently (due to the latter's training).
“Guys, this is Qian Lin.” When blank faces met her in response, she added with a bit of a sigh, “You can call her LinLin. She’s Chinese.” The girls’ eyes widened in surprise at that, even though they’d likely suspected it from her features.
WTF, LINLIN?!?!? :O
“You look dressed pretty normal…” Then she noticed the open locker next to her and blinked.
“Normal?” LinLin asked, grinning at Aika. “I go to school here.
Aika = :mon huh2:
Linlin = :hee:
“You’re in Aika-chan’s gang!” Koharu burst out.
Aika could have punched her again.
Koharu = :OMG:
Aika = :frustrated:
Gonna be interesting to see if they can talk their way out of THIS one.
Gotta admit, "MiyaChii" works better than "ChinaMiya" ^_^;
Chapter 9
Miyabi took another bite of her food, almost ignoring Chinami who seemed to be clinging ever closer to her side. “I can’t believe you never told me you joined them,” she said as she chewed her food.
...
I didn’t want to tell anyone.” She glared at Koharu, feeling the urge to punch the girl again. Koharu quickly ducked over her own bowl.
Miyabi = :grr:
Aika = :gmon pissed:
Koharu = :mon whimper:
“You told Koharu,” Miyabi replied quickly.
“That’s different,” Aika grated.
Miyabi now eyed both girls cautiously. “Y’know, you’re gonna make us start wondering about you two.”
“Wondering about what?!” both Aika and Koharu responded at the same time, and the two girls stared mortified at each other.
“Yeah… definitely something fishy there…” Miyabi continued
Osnap...if Miyabi finds out about the..."practicing" Koharu and Aika did...XD
*BEACH PARTY TALK*
While it's nice for them to invite Koharu and Aika, it might not be the best timing should the latter need to do some more training or something of that sort.
No offense to Momo fans, but her smiling at Aika here is kinda creeping me out. :O
And we still don't know who UFO is. :?
“Nah it’s all right,” Miyabi said, and curled an arm around Chinami to hug her close. For her part, her girlfriend looked questioningly up at her. “Chinami-chan and I have plans anyway.” She looked into her girlfriend’s eyes. “Don’t we?”
Yeah I bet they do. Hopefully this time they remember to at least lock the door. :hump:
Then reality crashed back in on her, and her mood fell through the floor. “Wait…” she said, almost mournfully. “We can’t. We have…” she shot a quick stare at Koharu. “We’ve got stuff to do through Sunday…” Could things actually get any worse?
Damn, she does have something to do?
“That’s okay,” Momoko replied, still smiling at her. “The party is Monday! It’s the holiday, remember?”
Aika caught the eyes above that smile, this time not having any desire to look away. She felt like she could kiss the girl.
“Um… Aika?” Koharu’s muffled voice came from behind her. “I’m not sure she can breathe…”
Aika opened her eyes, and realized she was hugging something very tightly. Shock shooting through her core, she pulled away to peer into Momoko’s face, the girl still smiling, although a bit crookedly as she laid a hand to her chest. Good job Aika… Just kill the girl before you even get the chance to go out with her!
AikaMomo??? :huhuh
“I guess we’ll see you guys Monday then, huh?” Saki said, rising from her chair.
“I guess so,” Aika said in response, a real smile creeping onto her face for the first time in a long while.
Aika....Momo???
:stunned:
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Oh my god...I've missed so much :sweatdrop: So if it's ok with you, rokun, I'm just gonna read and not attempt to make any conherent comments. I already know I'll enjoy it~
But I will resume with my "comments" at the next chapter~ :wub:
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Not that I don't like Linlin when she appeared in front of our heroine but I wanted it to be
your Mano. (So I guess your unintentional mission is working on me):P
But that's Koharu alright: Open mouth. Insert foot.
I'm still getting used to Miya/Chi while on top of that, wrapping my mind around this Momo/Aika/Koharu thing.
*cough* So Aika... do you prefer them shorter... or taller? XD
Anyway, I'm looking foward to the UFO beach party. :3 I mean because, obviously UFO stands for "Ultra Fun Ones". 8)
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Yay! Lots of great comments again! Figured there'd be more to say after that chapter. :lol: Well I'm kind of doing it again... I guess this is just going to be a bit episodic, with each chapter having one idea basically. Makes more sense in many ways anyway. :) Hopefully it helps readability too. I know my other stories can be daunting. >.>; Maybe it's just a bit of a different style for me. Well... enough smalltalk... time for comment replies! ^^
SxY: Somehow I'm seeing a lot more of you lately. :lol: Both here and at JPM. We didn't meet at AX, did we? >.> I'm sure I forget many of those I did... lol. Anyway, as for Aika being cute... wait until this next chapter. :lol:
e-girl: Great Momo picture! XD Is UFO what you think it is? Hmm. Probably close at least. :P Hopefully we're just about two (of these shorter) chapters away now. ^^ MiyaChii... is definitely an interesting relationship... You seem to be catching onto it a bit. More will come later. 8)
slasha: I just have this impression that Aika is one of the cutest things ever. XD Hence how she comes across in this story I'm sure lol. Party time yay~ But you don't think everything's gonna be just fun and games, do you? ;) This is me we're talking about, after all. :lol:
rndmn: In this chapter pairing you should get a bit more of Mano... as well as some other things... Chapter 11 is going to be very interesting. :lol:
JFC: AikaMomo really shocks you, eh? :lol: Yes it's crack, but it's the cutest crack ever... Y'know the interesting thing to me though? Momo is actually the older of the two. o_O I guess it's the creepy thing, eh? lol. Then again, Momo can seem very creepy at times... :sejinemo:
sbk: Hey there! Was wondering where you've been! :lol: No, you must comment nao!!! XD Well, actually you did, even if it wasn't much about the story. :) That's all right. Take your time catching up, and I look forward to what you have to say in the future! At least with my shorter chapters catching up shouldn't be too bad. :)
Kuji: You're getting too Mano-obsessed. :lol: And yes, there's definitely some crack in here. You've all seen nothing yet though. ;) Yes, much looking forward to the beach party... dancing... music... girls in bikinis... :wriggly:
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Chapter 10
Koharu spent the night at my house again last night. She claims that it’s because her brother has been having his friends over and she doesn’t want to be there when they’re around, and I’d definitely be able to understand that. Well, I guess I would. My sister never did anything like that. Whenever she’d have friends over they were always quiet and kind to me. Sometimes she would have Takaha–
Ai-chan… I gotta get used to saying that name…
…Sometimes she would have Ai-chan over though. Especially when I was younger it was scary, since I still knew all about her, but she was never mean to me either. She was quiet though, and whenever I was in the room she seemed to stare at me with this really deep gaze, like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. Something that I didn’t know, at least. My sister surely knew everything.
I just wish she knew how to save herself from getting killed…
“Aika-chan… you all right?” Koharu asked.
I blinked, realizing that I was facing a wall with my fist hard against it. “I—I’m sorry Koharu. It’s nothing.”
By Koharu’s frown I could tell she didn’t believe me one bit, but I brushed past her doing my best to ignore it. “I thought yesterday finally made you happy again.” I turned to give her a look, and noticed she was no longer frowning but staring at me tentatively.
“Maybe I was,” I replied. “But today, with getting ready for my sister’s funeral, and having to put up with my mom and him around here…” Suddenly I smiled. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I don’t know what I would have done if I had to be alone with them.”
“Oh you’re never alone, Aika,” Koharu said offhandedly, and patted my arm before returning to folding my sister’s clothes. We were going through all her stuff since my mom said that because we really need the money we’d have to sell it all except for whatever I could use as a hand-me-down.
“What do you mean?” I asked, but Koharu just smiled and continued folding.
Seeing that the girl wasn’t going to respond, I went back to my job as well, which involved going through some of my sister’s more personal things. I admit I was a bit curious to get back to it, because she had a hand-sized box that I’ve never seen before. When I opened it I almost gasped – it contained sparkling jewelry and trinkets that I can’t imagine how she was able to afford. My heart fell. She hadn’t been working in drug dealing with some of the guys in the neighborhood… had she?
Suddenly self-conscious, I looked anxiously around before stashing the box in my inside jacket pocket. Either this was stuff she got in a dirty manner that I wouldn’t want anyone to know about, or they were things that were obviously just very precious to her for whatever reason. Either way, I didn’t want anyone else touching them.
“So let’s see…” I heard Koharu mutter from her station. “What can I say to make you smile again…?”
“Koharu!” I scolded, not really wanting to hear what she had to say.
“Oh I know!” she said, holding a flower-printed shirt out in front of her for inspection. Risa used to wear that when she was younger, but hadn’t for a long time… “How about that girl?”
“What?” I asked, grimacing at a stuffed rabbit.
“You know,” Koharu said, now sounding sly. “Momoko-chan. You seemed…” She coughed. “…very excited to accept her invitation to the beach.”
“I was just being nice,” I retorted. What did the girl think she knew anyway?
“That was an awful tight hug for just being nice…” Koharu replied, and I felt a hand on my shoulder which spun me around to face her, still holding the bunny. “Come on!” she said, beaming a smile at me. “It’s so obvious! Whenever those three come around you always start blabbering. I wasn’t sure if it might be Maimi-chan or Saki-chan at first, and worried if it was ‘cause you’d never pry those two apart, but yesterday pretty much gave it away.”
I stared into her face before falling to my knees, my feet splayed out behind them. “Was I that obvious…?” I asked. If they all figured it out… Oh god! Miyabi!
…
Oh god! Momoko!!! Does she know…?
I started crying. Koharu, shocked, knelt down in front of me and awkwardly wrapped her arms around me in what I suppose was an attempt at comfort. “What’s wrong?!” she cried, obviously distraught at my sudden collapse.
“My life is over…” I cried. Everything seemed to be crashing in on me again. We were about to hold my sister’s funeral… Everyone apparently knew who I had a crush on… even her! “I can’t go to the beach Monday!”
“Of course you can,” Koharu said, patting my back. “Don’t be silly.”
“But… but… she knows…”
“Well…” Koharu continued, a bit awkwardly again, “I wouldn’t be too worried about it. From what I could tell she… she seems to like you too.”
“Really?” I asked, blinking through my tears.
“Yes!” Koharu said, suddenly smiling and genki as ever. “You guys are going to have a great time at the beach, and I’m sure a lot more after that too!”
I sniffed. She couldn’t know that. Still, if there was even the possibility… Was I really being so stupid? I’m just letting everything get to me too much… I gotta be strong… I can’t just be a crying little girl anymore.
“Alright,” I told her, and she helped me up to my feet. “I’ll go…”
“Aika!” came my mom’s voice from upstairs. “Have you and that friend of yours finished going through Risa’s stuff yet?!”
“No, mom!” I yelled back.
“Well get your lazy good for nothing ass to work! We need to have all that stuff sorted and ready to be out of here by the end of the weekend, and you know we won’t have time tomorrow!”
She didn’t know it, but because of the party I wouldn’t have time Monday either. Maybe she’ll be upset, but I don’t care. If I can stay away until after school Tuesday she’ll probably be gone again anyway…
“Come on, we’d better get to work…” I said, turning back to my sister’s former belongings. I think I’m gonna keep the bunny…
“It’s okay, you know,” Koharu said after a minute.
“What?” I had no idea what the girl was talking about, and only was half-listening to her anyway as I worked.
I noticed Koharu peeking at me subtly as she worked. “That you like Momoko-chan.”
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” I answered back, still not really knowing what the girl was talking about. “What, is there someone you like too?”
I noticed her blush as she quickly turned back to her work. “No, there isn’t,” she denied. “Most everyone else we know is taken anyway.”
I thought for a minute. “Not all of them. There’s Saaya and Ayacho, for example…”
“Are you kidding?” she replied disbelievingly. “Those two are so gonna be going out soon. They already spend all their time together. Besides, they’re too young…”
I frowned as I stared down at some books. “Just ‘cause they spend all their time together doesn’t mean they’re going out. Or that they even like each other.”
“Aika!!!”
I sighed. This was gonna be a long weekend.
-
I thoroughly enjoyed all the chapters that I missed, especially when Koha and Aika tried to "save" Chii-chan. XD
So Gaki brought Ai-chan and other ppl around, huh? If Aika knew Ai-chan's reputation, she must have known the shit her sister was getting into. :shocked Scary~ All that jewelry....where could it have come from? I hope she takes them to Ai-chan and asks, because I'm curious! :lol: Whoa, so Aika does like Momoko? To me, that is beyond weird. :P But as long as they're happy....lol. Gaki and Aika's mom sounds like a bitch, one of those moms who doesn't really give a shit anymore. :smhid OMG Koha likes Aika!!! I know it!!! :w00t:
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Wow, that's hard core, going through Risa's things already. :smhid
Edit: Okay, I'm back. I was at my friend's house earlier and I came home to find my OS had vanished off my computer :wth :cry: :angry:
Aika and Momoko? For some reason, I really don't like Momo, she's always seemed kinda stuck up to me, so I'm not sure even you can make me like that pairing. Consequently, I'm totally rooting for KohaAika.
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AwwwwWWWwww Momoka/Aiko(?) :lol: I find that terribly cute and weird because I always saw Aika as a Momoko look alike. Both have unique sounding (speaking) voices and are "mousey" looking, whatever that means. :lol: It's cute though. Poor Koha, there's no one else to go with. :(
Ah, it's a bit heartbreaking going through your deceased one's things and then sell them off. I hope Aika kept something sentimental to her of Risa's.
*waits patiently for a certain member to finally appear* :grin:
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Mm... shiny jewelery... was Risa into bad, bad things?? Or perhaps they were gifts from Aibutt??
And awww.. poor Koha.. One-sided love.
And party, party, party, people, people, people! XD
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Chapter 10
Koharu spent the night at my house again last night. She claims that it’s because her brother has been having his friends over and she doesn’t want to be there when they’re around
I could see that as being part of the reason why she'd want to stay over. 8)2
My sister never did anything like that. Whenever she’d have friends over they were always quiet and kind to me.
…
Sometimes she would have Ai-chan over though. Especially when I was younger it was scary, since I still knew all about her, but she was never mean to me either. She was quiet though, and whenever I was in the room she seemed to stare at me with this really deep gaze, like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. Something that I didn’t know, at least.
Hmmmm...interesting.
:pig huh:
I went back to my job as well, which involved going through some of my sister’s more personal things. I admit I was a bit curious to get back to it, because she had a hand-sized box that I’ve never seen before. When I opened it I almost gasped – it contained sparkling jewelry and trinkets that I can’t imagine how she was able to afford. My heart fell. She hadn’t been working in drug dealing with some of the guys in the neighborhood… had she?
Hopefully they're just gifts from Aichan. :O
I looked anxiously around before stashing the box in my inside jacket pocket. Either this was stuff she got in a dirty manner that I wouldn’t want anyone to know about, or they were things that were obviously just very precious to her for whatever reason. Either way, I didn’t want anyone else touching them.
Good move Aika. Don't want to do anything until you know the full story of where those things came from. At the very least, don't want mom and her latest BF to find them, since they'd most likely pawn them right away.
“Momoko-chan. You seemed…” She coughed. “…very excited to accept her invitation to the beach.”
“I was just being nice,” I retorted. What did the girl think she knew anyway?
“That was an awful tight hug for just being nice…” Koharu replied, and I felt a hand on my shoulder which spun me around to face her, still holding the bunny. “Come on!” she said, beaming a smile at me. “It’s so obvious! Whenever those three come around you always start blabbering. I wasn’t sure if it might be Maimi-chan or Saki-chan at first, and worried if it was ‘cause you’d never pry those two apart, but yesterday pretty much gave it away.”
Dang, so even Koharu had noticed how Aika reacts to/acts around Momo? :?
*AIKA SPAZZES OUT*
Man, this whole Aika-Momo thing could get complicated. :-X
Koharu continued, a bit awkwardly again, “I wouldn’t be too worried about it. From what I could tell she… she seems to like you too.”
“Really?” I asked, blinking through my tears.
Pretty good point there. Momo didn't exactly flinch or try to step away from Aika when the whole party invite-then-hug thing happened.
“You guys are going to have a great time at the beach, and I’m sure a lot more after that too!”
Oh, Miyabi's going to have fun with teasing Aika about this. :twisted:
“Aika!” came my mom’s voice from upstairs. “Have you and that friend of yours finished going through Risa’s stuff yet?!”
“No, mom!” I yelled back.
“Well get your lazy good for nothing ass to work! We need to have all that stuff sorted and ready to be out of here by the end of the weekend, and you know we won’t have time tomorrow!”
Can I smack Aika's mom? I really, reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally wanna smack Aika's mom. Wanna take a bigass flip-flop style slipper and just *POW!* right upside her irresponsible-non-parenting head.
:grr:
“It’s okay, you know,” Koharu said after a minute.
“What?” I had no idea what the girl was talking about, and only was half-listening to her anyway as I worked.
I noticed Koharu peeking at me subtly as she worked. “That you like Momoko-chan.”
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” I answered back, still not really knowing what the girl was talking about. “What, is there someone you like too?”
I noticed her blush as she quickly turned back to her work. “No, there isn’t,” she denied.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooh...something tells me this is going to get complicated. Sure, Koharu's putting on a brave face and not wanted to trouble/confuse Aika any more, especially since it's pretty obvious that she likes Momo...but still...poor Koharu. :(
“Most everyone else we know is taken anyway.”
I thought for a minute. “Not all of them. There’s Saaya and Ayacho, for example…”
“Are you kidding?” she replied disbelievingly. “Those two are so gonna be going out soon. They already spend all their time together. Besides, they’re too young…”
I frowned as I stared down at some books. “Just ‘cause they spend all their time together doesn’t mean they’re going out. Or that they even like each other.”
Oh mang, similar situation much? :roll:
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Jewelry? Maybe it was a gift from Aichan or a present for Aika.
Also Koha should just admit her love. I can tell it's eating her up inside.
Here comes the party train :lol: I'm still hoping for a dance battle.
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Momo/Aika!! Aika's so cute. XD But I feel bad for Koha now... It's sweet how she still pushes Aika to go on, despite knowing. D:
And about that jewelry. .__. I really hope that's just a gift... ^^;;;
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Aika's pulling a Takahashi with Koharu... and by that I mean being totally oblivious when your best friend is in love with you. :P
I'm totally in Koharu's corner though (sorry Momo!).
I'm curious about those pieces of jewellery as well. I want to think they're gifts from Ai too but it doesn't have that sort of feeling to me. Maybe it's just because we're seeing this from Aika's POV but just from the way it's described it doesn't feel like something of great emotional value since emphasis seems to be placed more on the monetary value of them. Good job Aika for keeping them though. No matter how Risa came to possess them, her mother shouldn't benefit from it.
Ah well, since you like killing off characters so much, you can kill Aika's mum next time you feel that urge. :P
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I don't know which pair to root for: Momo/Aika or Koha/Aika?
I also like to know how did Risa acquired those shiny jewelry.
Hope nothing bad happens at the party (or even at the funeral).
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Wow, all these comments and I didn't even think this was all that much of a chapter. :oops: Thanks everyone!
I feel a little weird posting this on this special JPHiP day, but I guess that's what I get for not getting it out yesterday like I'd hoped. :P A bit of a warning: the upcoming chapter is rather sad, so be prepared if you're just having fun goofing off all day here. :lol: Anyway, onto the all-important comment replies first!
sbk: So why's Momo-Aika so beyond weird? :lol: I'm not promising anything. Just curious what you think. ;) To me they're quite alike in their personal dwarfish cuteness...
rndmn: Your OS disappeared? o_O That can't be good... Don't like Momo, eh? That must be sbk's problem too. :lol: Don't know what I'll get people to like in here, but don't get too excited about things yet. There's some shit that's gonna be going down before long. ;)
e-girl: Sorry, gonna be keeping you waiting just a lil' longer. XD I think you might enjoy the chapter after this though... or at least the one after that. :P
Fen: Hey again! :D Risa? Bad? Nooooo... :lol: Well there's... kind of a party in this chapter. Though not the one you're expecting quite yet. And remember the important thing about that too - it's a beach party. ;)
JFC: You said something that I just have to quote...: Ooooooooooooooooooooooh...something tells me this is going to get complicated.
If you think it's complicated now, to quote the cliche, "you ain't seen nothin' yet!" XD Cmon. You guys know me. :) Even though this may actually go beyond what even I normally do... lol.
slasha: I think Koharu feels she can't admit whatever she might feel. She may not even really know what she feels yet. She just wants to see her best friend happy, and right now is worried too much about her to think too much on anything else. As for the dancing... There will definitely be some! :cow:
SxY: Don't feel too bad for Koharu yet. Things may not look the best for her love outlook now, but... well... keep reading. :lol:
Kuji: :O You'd leave poor Aika an orphan?? Hasn't the poor girl already been through enough???
HartAKL85: Hello and welcome to my story! :D It's always great to see new readers! Sorry though, I think I may have to disappoint you in at least one of your comments. ;)
Okay... prepare yourselves...
edit: Eep! Wedged from below!!
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-wedge?-
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Chapter 11
“Aika-chan,” Koharu said solemnly, laying a hand on my shoulder. “People are starting to arrive.”
Despite her words, I continued staring out into the small lake, nestled as it was among the trees of Peace Park. I’d only been here once before, and just like then I thought it quite an eerie place that seemed to deaden any sound created within it. It felt hollow… like you could go in and lose yourself and never find your way out, even though the clearing over the lake let in a satisfying amount of light.
The park itself was a monument to an age, one that had been created long before I was born, but it was the lake that was the cause of the oppressive thickness. It was called the Lake of Light, and it held a very special, if solemn, purpose for those living on the streets of the City.
“Aika-chan…” Koharu repeated again, and I felt her hand tighten on my shoulder.
“Okay,” I said, wondering what emotion I should be feeling, because for some reason, I hardly felt anything.
Turning around, I followed Koharu toward the small gathering of people, not looking back at the lake. I’d see it once again soon enough. So far the only ones there were my mom and her boyfriend, a few other friends of hers, a somewhat nervous-looking priest in simple black robes, and my grandmother, who I don’t think has looked in my direction once since she came here.
Not that I blame her. She’s looked after the families of several children, even my sister and me when we were younger and needed more looking after. It’s not that she doesn’t love me – she’s different than my mom – but she still thinks I’m the little baby she used to take care of, so only really pays attention when I need help with something.
I turned to see Koharu smiling supportively at me. Perhaps she thought I had all the help I needed today.
We arrived to silence at the small table which held a simple urn set atop a plain white tablecloth. Even though I tried not to look at it, my eyes kept being drawn to the urn. Still, I did my best not to cry. That too would come later.
As Koharu said, there were some people arriving, although I only vaguely recognized a few of them as some of my mom’s friends. In the meantime Koharu and I exchanged a few words every so often. Once again I felt very thankful she was there, because otherwise I would have felt very alone in this crowd of adults generally doing their best to ignore me. I think they thought that if they ignored the kids around here, the problems they caused would just disappear somehow.
Suddenly Koharu gasped my name, and I glanced to see her pointing toward one of the approaching sidewalks. Three people were walking down it, and I didn’t give it much thought at first thinking it was more guests until I realized they were all a bit short for adults. Then I recognized the faces and gasped as well.
I felt Koharu’s hand tighten around my arm in worry. She of course didn’t know Ai-chan and Reina like I did, and so had mostly just their reputations to go by. Those were reputations that would strike fear in almost anyone. I blinked at the third one in pure surprise, but after a moment’s adjustment started forward, pulling Koharu along with me.
“Aika…” Koharu said in a low voice, clearly unenthused to be going out to meet these girls.
“It’s okay,” I comforted. “They’re my friends too now, remember? Come on…”
“But I don’t know if they’re my friends…” she responded.
Flashes of what I thought before about Ai shooting her down without hesitation went through my head, but were quickly banished since I knew this was a very different situation. Here they were the outsiders. Or, at least, this could not in any way be called their home.
We met up with them just as they broke from the sidewalk for the small sheltered grove, and Ai nodded to me. “I’m sorry,” was all she said, as she gave me that penetrating gaze I knew all too well.
“Me too,” I said, and then looked to her companions.
I just couldn’t keep my eyes off the third girl, who I barely even recognized now that she was wearing an all black dress, even though it was in the same fashion as her white. “What are you doing here?” I asked. I didn’t think she’d been that close to my sister.
“She just wanted to come,” Ai answered in her place, and I glanced back to the older woman. “It’s good to have a few friends around when coming to a place like this. I thought of bringing Jun and Lin, but when she volunteered I thought three would cause less of a stir than four. I don’t want to be a bother.”
Well, that certainly explained why Reina was there too. I glanced at her – she was wearing black slacks with a white shirt and black jacket. I think it was leather, but at least the thought was right. I wondered how many weapons she had hidden under it.
“You’re not a bother,” I reassured, but Ai just bowed her head.
“YOU!” came a loud and almost shrieking voice from back in the grove. Koharu and I jumped, she clutching my arm even tighter to where it felt like she was cutting off circulation. I turned quickly to see my mom marching toward us, her boyfriend and a couple friends in tow.
When she reached our small gathering she stood beside me, radiating fury, and I could tell it was only an amount of fear that kept her from slapping Ai with everything she had. “What are you doing here? This is all your fault, you know! You and those… those… children of yours,” she spluttered, glancing at the defiant faces of Reina and Mano as well. Oddly, it looked like Mano had reached out to hold Ai’s arm in a similar manner to how Koharu held mine. Groping even her leader… I thought in amazement. It was a wonder the girl hadn’t been shot by now.
“Risa was very dear to me,” Ai said in a flat voice, her face devoid of emotion. “I haven’t been able to… mourn… since I heard of her death. I thought that until now it should just be kept within the family.”
Mom burst out in a sudden disbelieving fit of laughter. “Mourn…?” she asked in her own amazement. “Somehow it’s funny thinking of someone like you doing that.”
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” Reina shot back, still defiant.
“She’s just as human as you are!” Mano protested vigorously.
Mom looked among the three girls, seemingly not knowing which to lash out at next, while Ai reached her arms out to her sides before the two of them, gesturing them to stand down.
“Don’t you have any idea what it’s like out there for kids these days?” Ai asked, barely sounding worked up at all. “Years ago, probably when you were young, you could get by with staying inside or keeping to well-lit streets. When your parents either fought or died in the War, there was still a sense of pride in yourselves, in what you were.
“Today though…” she continued seriously, “Those days are like a dream to us. We don’t remember any ‘good times’. We don’t have any pride since it’s been stripped out of us for more than a generation. All we have is the endless war on the streets, which we’re a part of day in and day out whether we like it or not. Some just accept it and try to ignore it. Others, like your daughter, try their hardest to change it. I don’t honestly know if it can be done, but we try. Any one of us could be shot down walking to school any day. Your daughter fell trying to change things for those she cared most about.
“I miss her…” She shook her head as she spoke now, “…More than anything. But I’m proud of the way she died. I’m sure she would have had it no other way. I’d hope you could be proud of her too.”
By the time Ai was done, I could barely see through blurry eyes. I think I understood now why Risa was so defiant in that alley even though she must have known at least some of what was about to happen to her. I also think I understood a bit more about her relationship with this woman standing before me, and I knew she shared my loss just as much, even if she maybe didn’t show it.
Mom still looked irate, but at least not anymore like she was going to bite someone’s head off. Which, if it was to happen, might more likely be me, ‘cause I’m not sure she’d go as far as to dare it with Ai-chan. “She was my daughter,” was all she said, before turning and heading back toward the table.
After they left, the rest of us shared looks. Ai must have seen my tears, though I quickly wiped my eyes, but she at least acted as if she didn’t. She mostly stared off after mom with a rather blank expression.
“So who’s this?” Reina asked. “A friend?”
I blinked, but when I felt fingers tighten around my arm I looked over to Koharu, who I’d almost forgotten was there. She didn’t look thrilled to be the object of Reina Tanaka’s attention. “Oh yeah,” I said. “Guys, this is my best friend Koharu. Koharu, this is Ai-chan, Reina, and Mano.”
“Erina is fine,” the last girl said, smiling at me in the creepy-sweet way of hers.
“Erina then,” I corrected myself. I felt a bump and then looked over to Koharu, noticing I must have leaned into her a bit.
“Best friends?” Ai said, looking between the both of us. Koharu seemed even less enthused to have the attention of the eldest girl. “You seem close.” She smiled distantly. “That’s nice.” The rest of us looked at her strangely since it somehow seemed like she was having her own private conversation with herself. I wasn’t even sure if she was talking about Koharu and me.
“Ai-chan,” Erina said, tugging on the other’s arm, “I think they’re about ready to start. We should head over toward the lake.”
I glanced back to find that everyone else was gathered and standing near the table with the urn, mom next to the priest who was still glancing around nervously, trying to hide a few furtive looks in our direction. The other three girls moved forward, and as they brushed past us Koharu and I joined them, eventually arriving a short distance from the others, making sure to stay safely separate. Some of the guests frowned over at us, but mom and the priest kept their faces firmly forward.
The priest didn’t do any more than say a few words – he was only here as part of the local temple’s charity project anyway and since he wasn’t paid wasn’t going to put in much effort – and then he opened it up in case anyone else wanted to say a few words too. There was an uncomfortable silence, and I thought about how, to me, the best eulogy had already been said, but it was suddenly broken by the squeal of a revving car out on the street, followed by the rapid cracks of gunshots… and chaos.
Several of the adults screamed, and one or two fell, whether from the shots or not I don’t know. Terrified at the suddenness of it all, I glanced over to see grandmama fall as well, but didn’t have time to pay more attention as Koharu pulled me down to the ground. Jarred at the motion, I saw that the other three girls were down in crouches too, Reina even dropping down to her belly, a gun held tightly in her hands pointed toward the street.
She fired shot after shot, and after a moment I noticed Ai and Erina had weapons out as well. Even though it was strange seeing Erina with a gun, she seemed to use it well, if not as deftly as the others. Seeing all of them armed reminded me of my own defense, and I reached down to pull my gun out of my belt too, sliding over next to Ai and darting my eyes toward the street to find a target.
I didn’t see anything at first, as whatever car made the noise a moment ago must have sped away, but then I caught a glimpse of someone ducking out from behind a fire hydrant, and started pulling my trigger finger before I saw him fall to the sidewalk, already the victim of a bullet from Reina, who seemed to have an unwavering focus through her own nine.
“Is that all of them, do you think?” Ai asked, daring to rise slightly.
“I don’t know,” Erina replied. I only just caught a glance of the car, when Reina hit those two that fell out…”
“They won’t be back,” Reina said, pulling herself up to her knees. “We got five of them, and I think they expected this to be a clean drive-by.”
“I’m glad I had you with me,” Ai said, laying a hand on the younger’s shoulder.
“Hey, I got one too I think…” Erina said, pouting.
Reina just grinned. “Ai-chan got the other two,” she said. “Maybe next time though.”
Despite their debate, Ai seemed to ignore them, having now risen to her feet while shaking her head as she stared out toward the street. “I can’t believe they would do this… at her funeral…”
Reina rose also, her smirk gone, and laid a hand on Ai’s shoulder. Not to be outdone apparently, Erina laid hers on the other. “I think they thought it would be an easy kill – eliminate us when we’re perhaps at our weakest and far from where we’re comfortable.”
“Well I guess they learned a thing or two then,” Erina said, nodding firmly.
“For now…” Ai said simply, and she turned toward me, a look of surprised concern quickly filling her face. “Are you all right?”
I stared at her. “Yes…” I said, my voice sounding faint even to my own ears.
“You can put your gun down now,” Reina said, smiling reassuringly. “They’re gone.”
I blinked, and realized I still had it pointing out in front of me… right at Ai. Blushing, scandalized, I clicked on the safety and quickly tucked it back under my jacket before looking back at Ai, amazed how she could look so calm and unconcerned even when a gun was pointed almost right in front of her face.
“Aika…” I heard someone whimper from beside me, and I looked down to see Koharu still on the ground clutching at my leg. When she saw me look at her, fear-filled eyes met mine. “I… I was so scared… I couldn’t do anything…”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Erina said, beaming her smile down at my friend. “You acted very well in falling to the ground and pulling Aika down with you. We were the main targets, so if you hadn’t dropped then, you might have dropped a second later… only, you wouldn’t have gotten up again.”
“Come on,” I said, and reached down to pull her up.
I’m sorry, she mouthed, but I shook my head. Erina was right, after all. She might have saved my life.
“I think it’s fair to say they know you’re with us now, Aika-chan,” Reina said, stepping toward the sidewalk as she scrutinized the street again. “The ones who got away will surely report back.”
Despite the girl who spoke, my eyes were drawn to Ai, who was looking past me, and I suddenly remembered everyone else who’d come to the ceremony.
Spinning, I saw a few people on the ground, others bent over them, while yet others were running out toward the street, in pursuit of either our attackers or help I wasn’t sure. My eyes fell on my grandmother though, who my mom was bent down next to.
“Grandmama!” I cried, and pulling away from Koharu, ran toward them.
Before I reached them though, mom saw me coming and stood, her boyfriend stepping in front of her and pushing me back, giving me a very wary eye. “Stay away,” he growled. I just stared at him, my mind blanking.
“Jul,” mom said, and he stepped aside to reveal her, although her face was not any friendlier.
“How… how is grandmama?” I asked, trying to peek past her.
“She’s fine,” mom said. “Just fainted at the excitement.” Then she glanced toward the others. “That’s not the case with everyone though.”
I then saw her eyes rise to my side above my shoulder, and I realized she only sounded calm – it thinly veiled what was intensely boiling anger lying just behind it.
“I told you this was all your fault. And now look at what happened! You better be grateful none of those bullets hit her, or I would have killed you myself, whatever the cost.”
My eyebrows rose with every word she said, and when she finished I turned to see that Ai and Koharu had come up behind me, the former flanked by the other two gang members.
“I’m sorry for what happened,” Ai said, her voice neutral. “If there’s anything we can do to help…”
“There is nothing you can do!” mom shouted in reply, the veil apparently tearing. “You’ve done quite enough already!” Her arms now gestured wildly as she spoke. “What I want is for you to get the hell out of here! Go! And if I see you come back I swear Jul or I will kill you!” Jul, her boyfriend, stood stolidly beside her, flexing his muscles as she spoke.
“Okay.”
That was all the girl said as she faced her accuser. She took one more glance toward the table with the urn on it and turned away, walking without a look back. Reina and Erina tilted their heads in apology to me, and started off after her as well.
For some reason I couldn’t help but stare at the backs of the retreating girls, until I heard my mom say from behind me, “And you…”
I turned slowly back, seeing a gaze that was no less heated. In fact, it may have been stronger, with something like disappointment mixed in as well.
“I thought what happened to your sister might have taught you something. But I see you’re doing your best to make the same stupid, idiotic mistakes.”
“But she’s—” Koharu began in a defensive voice, but I quieted her quickly with a hand to her arm.
Mom spared a quick glare at her before turning her attention back toward me. “You go home. I don’t want to see you around here now either.”
I couldn’t help my eyes widening now, though. “But what about…” I began, glancing reflexively toward the table and the lake.
“If you have anything to say, do it in silence and then leave. I don’t want you near for the scattering. The ceremony needs to be pure.”
My mouth fell shut at that, the full impact of what mom was saying hitting me. Then, almost without thinking, I turned and began walking slowly as well, feeling my eyes watering again uncontrollably. Koharu was at my side, but I didn’t feel the least bit comforted.
“Oh,” my mom called out, causing me to slow if not look back. “And I’ll be staying over at Jul’s most of the time from now on.” As if she’d been doing anything different up to this point. “Those damn laws are what they are, so I can’t throw you out of the house, but if you or your little friends ruin it in any way…”
I started walking faster again, not wanting to hear if she had to say anything else.
“Aika…” Koharu said again, and I felt her hands on my arm. I ignored her though, pulling her along until hitting the sidewalk and getting far enough to be hidden well by the trees. Koharu raised a questioning eyebrow, but I just shook my head and crept into the woods until I got a decent look at the grove where they all still gathered.
The two of us sat there quietly as the few who needed medical help were taken care of and taken away if needed. Police also arrived soon to assist and clean up those out in the street. Viewing them all now I realized that the priest had apparently fled at some point. Instead, once everything had settled down sufficiently, I watched as mom took the urn and walked to the edge of the lake. She held it silently in front of her for a minute, everyone else behind her bowing their heads as well, before sliding off the cap and tipping it, letting its contents fall and float out into the lake.
“Goodbye, Risa…” I said under my breath, clenching my teeth to keep my eyes from watering. Then I looked up toward the moist, sympathetic eyes of my best friend. “Let’s go.”
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:cry: :cry: :cry: Oh man, that's so sad! This means war though! Kill them all!
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Oh fark, even at Risa's FUNERAL?! A;LSDKFJ. Who's in this other gang!? I'm kinda worried, seeing as how some (more like a lot) of people haven't been brought into the fic yet...
AND AIKA'S MOTHER. GOOD GOD, SOMEONE GET ME SOMETHING I CAN HURT HER WITH. -growls-
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It was painful to read this, b/c it was Gaki's funeral. :cry: I was quite shocked when Ai-chan, Reina and Manoeri showed up. I was like :shocked I KNEW TAKAGAKI HAD SOMETHING MORE THAN A SIMPLE FRIENDSHIP!!! :lol: I freaked out at the drive-by, b/c that was some scary shit right there. Even at a funeral, the war isn't halted. I'm glad no one got shot.....wait, I take that back. I wish Aika's mom and her boyfriend got shot. :angry:
That was my first wedge!!! :cow:
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In this chapter I thought I sensed...
...Some TakaGakiness (!)
Aika's mum actually having some sort of feelings? O_O
More Mano Erina win. :P
The part when Ai was talking about Risa really got to me. :cry: The way Erina and Reina defended Ai's mourning to Aika's mother was quite touching. They've probably got a much better idea of how Risa's death has affected Ai than we, the readers, do.
The shooting just sucked. I mean, when I read it was the funeral, I was already sad and then they the shooting had to happen and just ruin this tentative agreement that Ai and company could at least say their goodbyes to Risa. They couldn't even have that much? It's just tragic, rokun! Why do you do this to me them?!
Write some happy scenes soon before I fall into depression or something. >_>
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I sorta knew there was going to be a shooting at Risa's funeral if Ai and a few members of her gang were gonna show up. But still, pretty cold and cowardly to do that. :smhid Somewhat surprised that Mano...er I mean Erina would show up. Good thing Reina was there too...armed and ready, of course. :lol:
“Best friends?” Ai said, looking between the both of us. Koharu seemed even less enthused to have the attention of the eldest girl. “You seem close.” She smiled distantly. “That’s nice.” The rest of us looked at her strangely since it somehow seemed like she was having her own private conversation with herself. I wasn’t even sure if she was talking about Koharu and me.
Is Ai reminiscing about her and Risa relationship or is this foreshadowing what might happen with Aika and Koharu?
About Risa and Aika's mom: WHAT RIGHT DOES SHE HAVE TO BLAME ALL OF THIS ON AI!!! She didn't show any kinds of feelings when Risa was still alive and wasn't at all supportive for her daughters according to Aika's POV. And to also kick Aika out of her sister's funeral after finding out she's also part of the gang is downright awful.
“Oh,” my mom called out, causing me to slow if not look back. “And I’ll be staying over at Jul’s most of the time from now on.” As if she’d been doing anything different up to this point. “Those damn laws are what they are, so I can’t throw you out of the house, but if you or your little friends ruin it in any way…”
:fuckyou: :grr: :scolding: :on voodoo: :mon zoom: :knee: :kickass: :bangchair:
Damn, now I've gotta find some crack-filled fanfics with a touch of fluff to relieve me of all this anger towards Aika's mom.
btw...u can call me Hart.
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Wow that was intense. All I can say is that I feel the same way as everyone who posted above :lol:
Don't worry I won't stop reading just because someone hasn't showed up yet hehe
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THAT WAS DEPRESSING!
What a way to start the morning! :lol:
Although now I want to give Aichan and Aika a very big hug :cry: I feel sad for Aichan; can't let it out since she's the leader, yet you can tell she wants to. *sniffle*
But running the same thoughts as the peeps above me: Wanting to kill Aika's mom and boyfriend, anger towards the other gang for ruining a very personal event for everyone. :angry: :tama-mad: KILL KILL KILL... >.>
Beach party, woot!
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Wow...Aika's mom sucks. Hopefully she doesn't show up often.
Normally I love shootouts and this was a good one. But Aika's mom and "Jul" (He makes me wanna :on kimbo: )were moodkillers IMO and the funeral made this chapter kinda sad.
Here's hoping that the party will lighten up the mood!
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Hello everyone. :) I think this is officially my most-commented-on story haha. You guys are all so great for your wonderful comments, as well as just for reading! This includes those of you who read but might not comment too. I love you as well :heart:
Anyway, I hope to get the next chapter up later tonight, but here are replies to your :heart: comments now!
rndmnwierd: For some reason I can't really abbreviate your name anymore. :lol: War is constantly going on, and unfortunately something like this happening is not all that rare... hence why Aichan came prepared... Still, you never can expect it.
SxY: Well this might be good news for you: a few more characters will be "brought in" in the coming chapter so hold onto your hat! :lol:
sbk: Hopefully the pain will ease from here on out with having put Risa's ashes to rest. :) Look for some pleasant reminiscences at points along the way too. There are some unspoken rules in the war, but nothing is guaranteed. Unfortunately, because funerals or memorials are a normal part of life for those in this part of the City, sometimes it only gives a chance to get a head up... Edit: Oh, and I definitely can't forget!!! Congrats on your maiden wedge! :lol:
Kuji: I really like how you write your opinion :) above and beyond what you tell me elsewhere. So thank you again! As for happiness... well... Hopefully this next chapter will help the mood a bit, even if just for one of those fleeting moments. :)
Hart (thanks for the nick permission btw :oops:): Yep, some of you called it at the funeral :lol:. As "Kreamy" said, it never ends. I kind of find it funny how we talk about Manoeri. For some reason we've gotten so used to calling her "Mano" that it feels a little weird calling her by her given name, even though we're so comfortable doing that with almost all the other girls. :lol: Although, I did notice that fans and concerts and all just say "Erina"...
Anyway, as to something actually related to the story lol. What is Ai doing in saying that? That's a good question. :lol: She's just a bit hard to figure out. Perhaps it's that emofag-ness or something. :P Oh, and a bit of fluff coming up! :D
e-girl: I'm expecting a longer comment from you after this next chapter. ;) I think you know why even now. :lol:
Fen: Not sure how long you've really been reading my fics, but you should know by now not to read updates first thing in the morning! :lol: Oh, and you all are so violent! :lol:
slasha: 100th post in this thread! Yay! *gives you an award* I'm not sure how confident I can be in saying I'm that great at writing shootouts - I've always been more of a finesse/martial arts aficionado - but for some reason I felt like doing a story like this, and I hope I'll do them justice. :) You can be sure there will be more to come! Here's to lightening the mood!
Lastly, I wanted to respond especially to all the threats on the life of Aika's mother. XD I would say she's definitely not that great an influence on Aika, but as she grows in this story (and she will), she'll find others to try and fashion herself after. I suppose the question is, will they necessarily be much better? As for Aika's mom, violence is (sometimes) the answer, but in response to slasha's hope that she doesn't show up often, remember that she told Aika she won't be staying at the house even as much anymore. I have a feeling we may not be seeing too much of her from now on. :) It's time for Aika to really start out on her road to independence and find her own place in the world... or should I say... the City.
...XD
Stay tuned. Don't touch that mouse~ 8)
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Wedge?
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Seconded wedge?
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-third wedge- o-o;
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.
.
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Wedge #183468173641387841.76? :?
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Does it even count as a wedge if we all do it?
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XD You guys are so silly! Good timing though! Sorry for the late update, but I told you it would be later tonight. :P Now it's time for H!P Girls Gone Wild. :)
Chapter 12
“Are you sure you’re up to going out today?” Koharu asked one final time as we were getting ready for the beach. She’d been pushing me all morning, so her question made me realize it had all been an act to try and just look forward to it, though she’d been concerned the whole time that I probably really didn’t feel like going.
“Yeah,” I replied, and smiled at her. “This is a day to enjoy ourselves! Isn’t it?” The smile was a bit forced, but I truly was looking forward to some real fun after everything also. “And besides, we get to hang out with UFO!”
“Oh my god…” Koharu said, plopping down into the beanbag chair. “I hope I don’t make an idiot of myself…”
“Why do you think you’d do that?” I asked in a tentative voice. She just looked at me in response, until we both started giggling.
Putting on our swimsuits, I felt embarrassed that I just had this one-piece from when I was younger. Not really the kind of image I wanted to present to someone like Momoko. Maybe the tightness of it being old would still make me look a little sexy…
Koharu actually had a bikini, and knowing her and her family, I wondered how she came by it. At a bit closer glance though, I noticed it looked quite new, so decided she may have even bought it just for this occasion. Still, she didn’t even have anyone in particular to impress!
“Well, are you ready?” Koharu asked, tugging on some sweats to go with the t-shirt she had covering what was underneath for the moment. My back turned to her as I leaned over my old gym bag, I stealthily stowed my gun into it. Without many others from the neighborhood around there shouldn’t be anything to worry about, but it was still in a completely different part of the City. Ai-chan told me not to take any chances, so I’m not planning on it.
After tying up my bag I checked my tank top and tugged my red cap on before turning to Koharu and nodding. “Okay… Let’s go!”
At my word, Koharu’s eyes lit up and she suddenly leapt into a run, darting out the door. “He~ey!” I called after her, feeling her excitement building up in myself as well.
We had to take the subway most of the way to the beach, and the station was well outside our neighborhood. I couldn’t help but be anxious while walking there, but we kept to Sugi Dori, which is held as neutral and as forbidden as anywhere to commit violence on. Even though I hated the idea, Koharu paid my subway fare as well since when my mom disappeared this time she didn’t leave any money behind. I didn’t want to think of what would happen if she never did again, but I wasn’t going to let that or anything else get me down today. Soon enough, we disembarked the train, walked the final kilos, and arrived at the beach.
Almost the minute we stepped onto it I kicked off my shoes – it felt so good to have warm sand between my toes again. “Where do you think we’re s’pose to go?” Koharu asked, her hands full carrying her bag and shoes as well.
I didn’t really know what to say, but was saved having to respond by Maimi jogging up to us. “Hey guys!” she beamed. “You’re late! Almost everyone’s here already!” Then she led us across the sand to where a group of girls were gathered around some towels laid out. Wondering how the girl could jog so easily in the sand like that, I took in everything else nearby – a large umbrella set just behind the towels, likely If someone wanted to take a break from sunbathing, and a small boom box beneath it, from which some heavy hip-hop was already reverberating.
In front of the umbrella two older girls in fashionable bikinis seemed to be practicing some quick steps to the music. One of them wore sunglasses as well, but my eyes went directly to her legs, which were somehow fascinating to me.
Koharu let out a low whistle. “Thighs of thunder indeed…” she said under her breath, and I nodded unblinkingly.
“Hey guys!” Maimi shouted as we arrived at the group. “Those second-years we invited are here!”
Now able to see the faces of the whole group, I realized Saki and Momoko were sitting with their legs stretched out, and they smiled up at us at Maimi’s announcement. I blushed at meeting Momoko’s eyes, but then realized I still had my tank and sweats on. Quickly I started to undress to fit in with the rest, but felt a small smile come to my face as I did so… ‘cause I’d noticed she just wore a one-piece suit as well.
“Ya-ho~!” said the dancing girl without sunglasses in an almost whiny-sounding high voice, and she made a cute little welcoming salute in our direction.
“Aloha!” said the girl in sunglasses, smiling and giving a short wave.
“How many times have I told you now, Eririn?” the first scolded. “We aren’t in Hawaii! You’ve never been to Hawaii! You sound like an aho whenever you say that…”
“She sounds like an aho whatever she says…” a tall girl said in a lower, sarcastic-sounding yet almost sultry voice quite in contrast to the other’s. Two others seemed to be with her – another even taller one, and a shorter one that seemed to be trying to join in with the others’ dancing.
“Hey!” sunglasses girl said, and I realized that she was likely the oldest here. This must be a close-knit group for everyone to talk so frank as this. The girl stopped dancing, and seemed to stare off into space past me for a moment before apparently coming to and looking at me and Koharu, seeming to have completely forgotten the exchange that just happened.
“Nice to meet you,” she said, smiling. “I’m Eri Kamei, founder and leader of UFO. This is Sayu,” she continued, stabbing a thumb at the girl with her.
“She really is like this all the time,” the girl she called Sayu said resignedly.
“You know,” Koharu said, whispering over to me, her eyes wide. I’m sure mine were as well, having actually met the leader of UFO, even if she wasn’t… exactly what I’d expected. “I heard the leader of UFO was actually an alien. Of course, I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard…” As she glanced sideways at the girl in person now though, she didn’t seem so sure of it anymore.
“You should just ask her,” Saki said from Koharu’s other side, and we both jumped, not noticing the slight girl had risen to join us. Koharu stared at her.
“Nee, Kamei-san,” she called over, and the girl perked up. “Are you an alien?” Smiles broke out all around, but nobody actually laughed. I certainly felt like it at the moment though, and had a hard time keeping it in.
Kamei stared back at Saki with a serious face, her dancing apparently forgotten. “Yes, of course,” she said. My immediate thought was that she was being sarcastic, but her face didn’t give that impression at all. “I’ve got a hole in my head so I can talk with them,” she said, vaguely pointing at her hairline. “I haven’t heard from them in a long time…”
I leaned forward, peering closely to try and see this hole the girl was talking about, and I noticed many of the others were doing the same. Apparently we weren’t the only ones here somewhat new to the group. I didn’t see anything.
“My hair covers it pretty well, so it’s hard to see,” Kamei said once again, apparently noticing everyone staring at her forehead, and promptly went back to shuffling her feet to the pounding rhythm. Sayu just shook her head as if this was nothing at all new to her, and tried to match the other’s steps.
“She may be a bit weird…” Saki said, glancing over at her too, “But there’s hardly a better dancer around. I can’t even describe what it’s like really dancing with them on the solid street.” Her voice took on a tone of awe as she seemed to be recalling the experience.
“There’ll be time for more of this later!” Momoko said, popping up beside me and taking my arm. She nodded toward a blanket and I dropped my bag there after stuffing my clothes and cap into it. “Don’t you want to try the water? It’s so warm!” Then she pulled me off at a run, and I had no choice but to be pulled along, glancing back to see Koharu giving me a smile as if to say “Have fun!” Maimi and Saki quickly pulled her in with the rest, and she seemed quite content with her own lot.
Somewhat amazed by Momoko taking me off to play together, I nevertheless began to enjoy myself right away, as we laughed while running into the waves, bodysurfing a bit until eventually she started splashing at me, and of course then I had to splash back! I’d forgotten how much fun it could be here, although I’m sure doing it with the girl I currently had a crush on definitely helped…
After playing in the water, we returned to the beach and fell onto the sand, resting and trying to dry off in the sun. “It was so nice of you to invite me…” I said, rolling my head to look at Momoko. “Thank you so much. Though I don’t know why you chose me…”
Momoko sat up, and crossing her legs, squinted over at me since the sun was in the same direction. “Ever since I and the others met you, I’ve thought you seemed like such a sincere girl,” she replied in her sweet-as-sugar sounding voice. “Also, you remind me a bit of myself! You have a unique voice… and you’re cute!”
I blushed. “I’m not cute…” I argued. Then I looked at her. “I’m cool and badass.”
Momoko stared into my face for a time, and I could soon tell she was holding her breath trying not to laugh, before it finally burst out in that cute twitter of hers.
“Mou~” I whined. “You’re mean…!”
“Aww your pout is so cute!” Momoko said, and poked at my cheek. I couldn’t help myself but giggle and grabbed her wrist. But then our laughter died out as we looked each other in the eyes in that position.
“Hey!” someone said as they approached, and I immediately let go, the both of us jumping back into the sand and letting our eyes wander aimlessly in innocence before fixing on the interrupter, who turned out to be Saki followed closely by Maimi. Cheerleader captain or not, I could have punched her.
Instead, I found myself jumping out and leaping at her, tackling her to the sand. There was a shriek from Maimi, but I heard Momoko’s giggling erupt again. Saki was caught completely off-guard at first, but as we rolled around she began fighting back, neither of us gaining ground in trying to get the other in a chokehold or something. Mostly it just wound up as a hand-slapping playful chick fight, until I finally rolled off her and we looked at each other, both bursting out into laughter at how we were now covered in sand.
“Saki-chan!” Maimi cried, running up to her girlfriend and kneeling down to her. “Are you all right?” Saki, continuing to giggle, reached up and pushed Maimi to where she yelped and fell back herself.
“Saki-chan, that’s not very nice you know,” Momoko said, her quivering smirk hiding more laughter almost bubbling to come out. “We’ve talked about this! Don’t cheat on Maimi-chan with the girl I’m trying to seduce here!”
I didn’t stop laughing, but my it did suddenly turn a bit nervous as my eyes widened as I stared at the girl trying to break things up. She was trying to seduce me?
“Oh, sorry,” Saki said, grinning, and gave me a knowing glance before turning to crawl over to Maimi, who was laying out on the sand as if she’d given up. “I’m sorry to you too,” she said, leaning over her. “I promise, I’ll never cheat on you again,” she said, making the sign of a cross over her heart.
Maimi still didn’t move. “You are so gonna pay for this…” she growled, but I didn’t get the chance to see what she might have done because Saki suddenly leaned down and kissed her hard.
My eyes quickly flew away in embarrassment, and I caught Momo’s. We shared a momentary look before she started giggling, and I couldn’t help but join.
“Fine you two,” Saki said, sitting up to straddle Maimi’s waist. “Laugh it up. It won’t be long before you’re doing the same thing. You just wait!” I felt myself blush furiously at that, but heard Momoko just continue giggling.
“Maimi-chan! Saki-chan!” called a voice from way off back where the rest of the girls were gathered.
“Oh yeah,” Saki said. “We were coming to get you two. Kamei-san is trying to get us together for some dancing.”
“They want us to dance with them?” I asked, my eyes still wide.
“Of course, silly!” Saki replied. “Did you think UFO would come out here and not dance?”
“But…” I began, but quickly forgot what else I was going to say as Momoko reached down to help me up, and after the other two rose as well, we ran back to the other girls.
When we arrived, I noticed Koharu sitting and talking with the two taller girls I noticed earlier but hadn’t gotten the chance to meet, but when she saw me she jumped up, almost slipping in the sand. I noticed they were wet as well, and so realized they must have been playing in the water for a while too. “Aika-chan!” she said. Her eyes fluttered toward Momoko for a second. “Having fun?”
“Oh yeah,” I said, showing her my biggest smile. “How about you? Make some new friends?”
The two girls she was with rose rather gracefully to their feet as well, both in bikinis that accentuated their many curves and model-esque bodies. I was immediately envious. “Oh!” Koharu said. “Yes! Aika-chan, this is Yurina Kumai,” she said, gesturing to the taller one, “And Erika Umeda.” She glanced at the other, who nodded, smiling. They both looked like they were about the same age as us.
“We were just telling Koharu-chan here that she needs to get a life,” Erika said. Koharu’s face flushed, but I couldn’t help smiling.
“Join the club,” I said. “I’ve been telling her that for ages.”
“Ai~ka!” Koharu pouted. We all giggled, but as I watched Koharu I realized despite the fun we were having at her expense, she only seemed half into it. Something was distracting her, though I couldn’t quite tell what.
“You’re all here!” Kamei said, coming out from under the umbrella with the girl I still only knew as Sayu. “They’re almost here, and then we can get started!”
“Who’s almost here?” Maimi asked, but Kamei just gave the confused faces around her a toothy smile. Sayu was the only other one who seemed to be in on it, not paying attention to the exchange as she leaned down to the boom box to turn up the volume.
“In the meantime~!” she sang as she rose, “Let’s just play around and see what you’ve got!”
“Sayu…” Eri began, frowning. Apparently this wasn’t in her plan. “But that’s not the plan.” Yep.
“Oh, Eririn,” she said, shoving the girl’s shoulder slightly. “Lighten up. There are some here who’ve never danced with us, after all~!”
“Like who?” Kamei asked, peering around in puzzlement.
“Well…” Sayu said, seeming used to the other’s odd behavior. “There’s those two over there…” She pointed at me and Koharu.
Kamei blinked, scrutinizing us. “And who are you?”
“You met them earlier, remember?” Sayu said. She seemed quite calm, but the others were beginning to show amused expressions. Then she glanced over at us again too. “Um… I don’t think we got your names though?”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I said. “I’m Aika Mitsui.” I bowed. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Awww~!” Sayu crooned, clapping her hands in front of her, and I blinked. “You’re so cute!” Then, to my utmost horror, the girl lunged at me, took my shoulders lightly, and kissed me smartly on the lips. When she stepped back, I found myself frozen as I stared at her. Only the sound of apparently no longer concealed giggles from the surrounding girls finally brought me out of my state.
“Alright, cough up the five hundred!” I heard Saki murmur smugly to her girlfriend.
I turned in time to see Maimi groan. “Fine… later. How am I supposed to have that in my bathing suit? Anyway, I still say she likes kissing me best,” she finished resolutely.
“I think I can give you a few ideas what to do with it in there…” Saki said with a naughty grin, rubbing up against the other’s side and slipping a finger just beneath the waist of Maimi’s bikini bottom, only to let it snap back into place.
Maimi’s eyes widened in mortification, and she slapped at the shorter girl. “Not with all these people around!” she scolded under her breath. “We are basically having an audition here, you know!” Saki just grinned, apparently unconcerned, and snuggled into her side again. I looked away, wondering if I was just going to be cursed with the humiliation of seeing things like this all the time.
The rest of the girls, not really noticing the exchange since it was probably only audible to Koharu and me, I now noticed were looking expectantly at Koharu. She just stood with her head lowered, as silent as if she was deaf.
“Koha?” I asked. “You gonna introduce yourself? Or do you want me to?”
Finally Koharu looked up, though giving me a dirty glance first for no reason I could fathom. “Koharu Kusumi,” she said, as if she was suddenly a shy girl. “Nice to meet you.” Immediately upon finishing she fell back, as if expecting Sayu to molest her as well, but she and Kamei just smiled and nodded this time, looking at her a little strangely.
“Oh yeah!” Kamei said, as if a light bulb suddenly lit up in her head. “I remember now! And you’re new too, aren’t you?” she asked, glancing toward Yurina. “Yurina, right? Nakki invited you.” The shorter girl who I’d originally seen with the two others and now was talking to Momoko nodded in confirmation.
I almost kicked myself for not thinking of Momoko after that girl kissed me until just now, and was afraid I’d see she was mad about it, but she just grinned back at me perhaps even wider than ever. Apparently I had a lot to learn about everyone here.
“We’re sorry to have kept you waiting!” two girls dressed in striped tanks and shorts said as they ran up to us, each carrying a small bag that looked like it might be for CDs. One of them also carried something bundled up in a bag. It looked like… netting? They both looked young, but I figured they must be the same age as Kamei and Sayu, if not a bit older.
“Tsuji-chan! Aibon!” Kamei said, giving the two a toothy smile. I’d thought the alien and her friend were two peas of a pod, but these two looked almost like they could actually be twins. Not by looks necessarily, but they both had almost exactly the same mannerisms. “Great!” she continued, clapping her hands. “Now we can get started!”
“So uh, Kamei-san, what exactly are we doing?” Saki asked, still nuzzling into Maimi’s side.
Kamei turned to all of us, and struck a posture as if preparing for a grand announcement. “You’re all here – at the beach! – at the invitation of UFO, right? Well, we’re going to combine the beach and UFO! Prepare yourselves for… Beach… Gangsta… VOLLEYBALL!!”
I couldn’t help myself but join in the laughter of all the others at the absurdity of the girl’s proposition, as well as just the girl herself. Because despite that, and maybe even partly because of it, I felt like one of the greatest days I’ve ever had was just getting started.
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Lol here goes...
Eririn! :cow: Eririn! :cow: Eririn! :cow:
XD I just woke up and the first thing I did was check the forum and saw your newest chapter. And now I'm several minutes behind getting ready for school :lol: haha the alien references, she's weird and random, nothing we don't already know. But the leader? Haha I'd be surprised if she could lead in anything :roll: I knew the other girl was Sayu but the 3rd girl surprised me. Nakky huh? And yay more characters. Surprised to see W there and Yulina/Erika. Awww, Momo likes Aika too?
Lol I'll hold the rest of my comments cuz I am late now! Lol XD
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BEACH GANGSTA VOLLEYBALL? .....YEAH!!~
Well, I have no clue how that actually works but if Eri came up with it and Tsuji and Aibon are in on it, it can only be awesome.
I loved the chapter though, lots of things that made me happy like the Saki x Maimi moments. Have I told you how much I love you for writing this pairing yet, rokun? :wub: After the last chapter, this was just what I needed to get over the depressing mood from before. Knowing you though, I'll probably need another injection of happy after a couple more chapters.
Poor Koharu, she doesn't even get any love from Sayu but Aika getting kissed is giving me flashbacks to the concert snogging shenanigans. XP At the moment though, I don't see Aika returning Koharu's feelings. For me, there's just nothing coming from Aika's side except for friendship. Poor Koharu... though, it was fun to see her with Yurina and Erika, because I like grouping people by height in my mind.
Heh, even though Eri is the leader of UFO I feel like Sayu does a lot of the work for keeping the group going. Since Gakisan isn't around for Kame to depend on (sob), Sayu's got the job here. :P
One thing that worried me was when Aika put the gun in her bag earlier in the chapter. What would the UFO girls or even Momo think if they found that she brought something like that along? D: If Momo found it, I wonder if Aika's chances would be totally dashed. Fingers crossed that the gun remains safely hidden for the whole beach trip. >.<
More soon please, rokun! :DD
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Ohmigod W! I was so startled by their appearance, I almost forgot what I was going to say.
Yay, Eri and Sayu finally make an entrance, lols at the alien bits too. Sayu molesting Aika and not Koha made me laugh as did the SakiAika wrestling match. I still vote for KohaAika, but I'd like to see where you're going with the Momoko plot. Can't wait for the next chapter. Volleyball!
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In front of the umbrella two older girls in fashionable bikinis seemed to be practicing some quick steps to the music. One of them wore sunglasses as well, but my eyes went directly to her legs, which were somehow fascinating to me.
Yeah!! Kame finally appears!! :twothumbs And Sayu as well. Somehow these two remind me of Tamaki and Kyoya of Ouran High School Host Club. Oh and Aibon & Nono: Totally surprised by their appearance. It's good to see Idiot Girl & Crap Girl once again.
Momo trying to seduce Aika? :? I find that hard to believe. :lol:
Aww, what's the matter with Koha? You were so happy to go meet UFO at the beach. Jealous of Momo/Aika, Saki/Maimi...or what Aika brought with her? *emo-senses tingling
Beach Gangsta Volleyball (sponsored by UFO, Embrace Your Inner Erien)
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SxY: Somehow I'm seeing a lot more of you lately. :lol: Both here and at JPM. We didn't meet at AX, did we? >.> I'm sure I forget many of those I did... lol. Anyway, as for Aika being cute... wait until this next chapter. :lol:
Somehow, I missed it when you asked this ages ago. :sweatdrop: Anyway, yes, I'm still rather noobish to JPM, but whatever. I'm a forum hopper. xD (Here, JPM, and H!O...but mostly H!O...) And as for AX, I don't know if we met. I don't think so? I had to drive (be driven, same deal) up to LA each day, so I wasn't anyone staying at a hotel. BUT! If you saw an Asian girl walking around with an orange shirt with a giant Hello! Morning turtle plastered to the front of it...that'd be me. Aka, this shirt here:
(http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/ShikyoxYaiba/th_axday1-2007.jpg) (http://s442.photobucket.com/albums/qq142/ShikyoxYaiba/?action=view¤t=axday1-2007.jpg) (I wore a different shirt concert day though. For some odd reason, I didn't want Eri to see in my shirt a second day in a row. Now I wish I had, since I was caught on camera for a magazine. >__>)
Or you might have seen me dancing to Go Girl Koi no Victory. Embarrassing as hell, but it was the most fun I've ever had. :D
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Woo, the appearance of Eri! And...Sayu's in UFO? .__. Never saw that coming, since I never thought of her as a good dancer, really. Oh well. Well, this chapter had my brain really working the whole time (not like the other ones don't, but this one moreso), so I think a comment-by-quote type of comment is called for. :D
Wondering how the girl could jog so easily in the sand like that, I took in everything else nearby – a large umbrella set just behind the towels, likely If someone wanted to take a break from sunbathing, and a small boom box beneath it, from which some heavy hip-hop was already reverberating.
In front of the umbrella two older girls in fashionable bikinis seemed to be practicing some quick steps to the music. One of them wore sunglasses as well, but my eyes went directly to her legs, which were somehow fascinating to me.
Eri. Definitely.
Koharu let out a low whistle. “Thighs of thunder indeed…” she said under her breath, and I nodded unblinkingly.
8) Don't stare too long Aika, Momo will get jealous. :lol:
Kamei stared back at Saki with a serious face, her dancing apparently forgotten. “Yes, of course,” she said. My immediate thought was that she was being sarcastic, but her face didn’t give that impression at all. “I’ve got hole in my head so I can talk with them,” she said, vaguely pointing at her hairline. “I haven’t heard from them in a long time…”
XD XD XD
Aika-Momo-Captain-Maimi fun
Awww... :wub: So cute...
“Awww~!” Sayu crooned, clapping her hands in front of her, and I blinked. “You’re so cute!” Then, to my utmost horror, the girl lunged at me, took my shoulders lightly, and kissed me smartly on the lips. When she stepped back, I found myself frozen as I stared at her. Only the sound of apparently no longer concealed giggles from the surrounding girls finally brought me out of my state.
*immediately starts thinking of P9D concert*
*Nono and Aibon arive*
OMG TSUJI AND AIBON. You're making me love this story more and more by the minute, you know that? xD And now there's Yurina, Erika, and... Yeah, I love this. Not like you didn't know that. :D
Kamei turned to all of us, and struck a posture as if preparing for a grand announcement. “You’re all here – at the beach! – at the invitation of UFO, right? Well, we’re going to combine the beach and UFO! Prepare yourselves for… Beach… Gangsta… VOLLEYBALL!!”
:lol: Very nice... But somehow the word gansta there triggered the "WATCH OUT" button in my brain. :?
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I dunno, you said UFO was really important...so now I'm kinda...well...worried. x___X
[/longest comment ever maybe]
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Or you might have seen me dancing to Go Girl Koi no Victory. Embarrassing as hell, but it was the most fun I've ever had. :D
Wait a minute...That was YOU who I videotaped at AX and later uploaded on Youtube? :w00t:
[noembed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVlEcQLDe24[/noembed]
I hope you remember me from that last day at AX; asian guy wearing a black Serenity shirt, showed you that booth that had some old MM albums and singles, then left to go to the charity auction (where I won the first of 3 autographed Platinum 9 albums for $200(hey it's for charity)).
*sorry for going off-topic here. :sweatdrop:
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Aww, I was gonna respond to this last night but got depressed after all my Japanese studying and just went to bed. :lol: *watches Hart's posted video* Omg, that girl was you??? I did see you dancing there at some point! :lol: I remember the girl, and thought I remembered that shirt from somewhere lol. You probably caught sight of me as well but of course would have no reason to remember or know me. ^^ Too bad we didn't talk. =/ I wasn't wearing anything all that special... I think on the day I watched the booth dancing I was probably wearing either my yellow Aichan Cinderella shirt, or my blue Chisato one. :lol:
And you were there too, Hart? Man, AX really did do a great job of bringing our fandom together. Welcome to jphip. :)
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Dude y'all were all there too? I only really remember meeting daigong. :sweatdrop: And the wota dancing group at the Hello!Party...
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:lol: I'm now beginning to wonder who didn't go there! I suppose I should have done a better job of keeping track of those I at least kinda know who were going, although it was quite a busy time for me too... Then again, at that time I barely knew of SxY (the Writer's Kouhaku deal being the main way she started standing out to me >.>), I'd only seen you around from time to time rndm, and of course I didn't know Hart. XD
Oh well, that just goes to show we need more of the JPHiP World Tour in the future, eh? Or just more of H!P acts coming to North America. :) I know if they come again, and if I'm at all able, I'll definitely be going lol. Unless it's like. Kei maybe. But that's not very likely.
This story thread has turned into a "Who's who at AX?" discussion thread. :lol: Don't worry, I'll still respond to all your comments about the story later (including the rest of that awesome epic one from you, SxY! :D For some reason, I hadn't had you set in my mind as a Kamei fan :lol:).
...Still waiting on a few that I know will appear at some point too. ;)
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Oh man, sorry, I'm continuing the whole AX discussion. :sweatdrop: Anyway, yes that is me! Hart, I DO remember you! :D And how we all talked about how we didn't have enough money to win that gosh darned poster. (Curse being young and jobless. XD)
Aha, so you DID see me, rokun! :D Haha, everyone either knows me by shirt or by the dance. Believe it or not, I got into a Japanese magazine, too. The FLASH page... I was in the front in my H!O shirt decked out in glow sticks. (My row, E3, was infamous for the crazy fans/wota. XD I was chanting too, though.) I love how AX brought everyone together. It needs to be done again... I'll go if I can. I mean, it'll take some time to convince my parents to let me go. xD (Considering I'm only 16...and still in high school.) But if it's during AP test week, can't. x_X
You found me through Writer's Kouhaku? xD I'm flattered! And yes, I'm a huge Eri fan, but I love everyone in MM, BK, and C-ute. :3 (Wish I could write, but I've been on a slump lately...that and summer homework...)
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thx SxY. Ahh, didn't feel like AX was just a month ago. Seeing MM at openning ceremonies, going to the MM panel, watching the concert in E6, the Hello!Party, Tsunku's panel (and somehow wind up on his blog; 2nd row, 4th from the right btw), the girls catching me eating a hot dog outside of their final autograph signing, the JapanFiles booth on the last day, and watching dozens of ppl spend thousands of $$ at the charity auction. Good times.
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Woohoo volleyball :lol: Thanks for the Yuri/Ume/Kamei/Sayu cameo. That was awesome!
lol@"thighsofthunder" That made my day :lol:
This chapter was happier than the last one...I still wanna punch Aika's mom and Jul!
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...Fine, I'll admit that Aika and Momo flirting was cute. XD The beach party/audition is pretty awesome, not only b/c Eri and Sayu are running it, but b/c H!P girls in bathing suits= :drool: :drool: :drool: *imagines Erika in a bikini* Mmm...yum~ :P Beach gangsta volleyball...? :D
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I'm really sorry I don't have comment replies today... It's just already so much past when I should be sleeping. I know I should have done them a few days ago lol. Anyway, you know I love you all, and I'll do my best to give sufficient replies next time. There might be more to say after this chapter anyway... ^^; So it continues...
Chapter 13
“Okay!” Kamei cheered as they finally got the net mounted. All the activity and the action that seemed imminent, not to mention likely all the cute young girls in bathing suits, had begun to draw eyes from the other patrons on the beach. There were couples… there were families… there were groups of friends… It all was something I was definitely not used to.
“Now that we have you all separated into pairs, we will…” Kamei blinked, cocking her head as if distracted by something. “We will…” As I began to wonder if communication with those aliens of hers had resumed, she leaned over to Sayu, who whispered something quickly to her, after which she pulled back quickly and beamed at us again. “Yes! It’s time to start the tournament!”
“But first of all,” Sayu broke in as Kamei stared blankly yet giddily at all of us, “A little demonstration of how the game is played!” Then she looked around as if making sure she had our complete attention, before suddenly pointing peace signs above her head and going, “Usa-chan… PEACE!”
A few of us exchanged glances with each other, and some even began to giggle a little again. “And I thought Kamei was the only crazy one…” I heard Maimi whisper down to Saki, who grinned.
“It’s… kinda cute though, don’t you think?” Koharu murmured to me, her eyes still focused on the bunny girl.
For my part, I think I began to realize why these girls were so popular. Somehow they were so confident in themselves that they were able to act however they wanted without worrying what others think. That’s a very difficult thing to do in the City, where in general what you mean to others determines your place, and usually even whether you live or die. Somehow these girls were able to carve out their own path without having to just rely on others.
Despite everything I’d heard about them before, that was when I really began to envy them.
After Sayu spoke, she and Kamei took places on one side of the net, and the newly arrived older girls – Tsuji and Aibon, they had called them – took the opposite side. They began hitting a ball between each other while Kamei and Sayu bent toward the boom box, which had been placed at the corner of the net. Within moments a strong hip hop beat below quick quasi-melodic lyrics began emanating from it again.
“All right!” Kamei cried as the two took their spots again as if to receive a serve. They began moving with the music – shuffling in the sand and swaying their shoulders – and some of us watching joined in too.
I particularly enjoyed seeing Saki and Maimi turn to each other and begin playing off each other to the music as well. Mostly they just moved precisely, thrusting limbs just off the other, but they also occasionally spun one another, or one would slide through the sand through the other’s legs before popping up and spinning to face each other again. It was very intricate, and I could tell the two of them were quite accustomed to coordinating in this way.
Again, I envied them. I wondered what it would be like to have someone you were actually so close to that you could even anticipate her movements and act almost as if you were one. I glanced over at Koharu, the only one I could think of that would be anywhere near that for me, but we were both just so uncoordinated… However, she was engrossed in watching what was going on in the sand. Before looking back myself, I gave a glance to my other side to Momoko, my teammate for this “tournament”, and she smiled up at me before reaching over to take my hand. Feeling myself blush, I turned away, but smiled too as our fingers laced together.
Back on the sand, the two teams were engaged in a furious exchange… if you call getting the ball over the net maybe a time or two before it fell to the ground because the person who should have responded was busy break dancing and spinning in the sand a furious exchange. Apparently it didn’t really matter if the ball actually fell, because when it did they would just do a slide toward it and kick it up before connecting into a flip in order to head the ball back over the net.
I had to admit the moves were pretty impressive, although had absolutely no clue how they actually scored the game. I quickly got the idea that what happened with the ball was actually much less important than how cool and athletic you looked while dancing. The senior girls out there definitely showed their abilities, although Sayu looked an obvious step behind them. She for one wasn’t doing any sand flips.
“I…” I began, leaning a bit toward Momoko. “I can’t do those things…”
“Oh don’t worry about it,” she comforted, squeezing my hand. “Kamei just likes to show off, and until those two showed up I hadn’t seen anyone else who could do most of those things either. Even Saki still falls half the time when she tries to flip.” She frowned a bit as if in thought. “Though maybe in the sand it’s easier…”
I glanced over to Saki again, although their dance had apparently evolved into being pressed up against each other with hands at their waists seeing how wide a radius they could swing their mutual hips in. They were also of course making out while doing so. I quickly darted my eyes back toward the sand. I wonder why Momoko’s hand in mind was starting to feel sweaty…
Eventually the “demonstration” was over, and after a multi-person effort managed to pry Saki and Maimi apart, the teams began rotating to play each other. Thankfully Momoko and I got to play the pair of Erika and Koharu, and despite Erika looking quite sexy as she played in the sand, Momoko and I were judged the winners. Somehow I think Koharu could have done better, but her mind seemed elsewhere again. I was definitely going to have to talk to her about that…
At the same time, Momoko was very avid in her praise for how I did. I wondered if the girl was just exaggerating to make me feel better until Saki and some of the others said the same. Even Kamei gave a nod of approval. I started blushing before I realized I might have actually preferred it if Momoko was just being especially nice…
Saki and Maimi went next against Yurina and the girl I think was called ‘Nakki’. It was closer than I expected, although of course I didn’t know what the other girls were like. Their chemistry seemed to be almost as good as Saki and Maimi’s though, and so it was apparently a close match by how excited Kamei and Sayu seemed to be as they moved their heads with the beat to the side. I figured these two younger girls must be going out as well.
Of course this resulted in the next match being Momoko and I against Maimi and Saki. “We better be careful Maimi-chan,” Saki told her as they prepared, both girls watching us carefully across the net as they stretched. “Momo apparently knows how to pick ‘em. But if they beat us…”
“You kidding?” Maimi replied. “We can own them any day.”
“You guys don’t know Aika-chan,” Momoko teased, grinning over at them as I gestured frantically for her to take it easy. “You take her lightly, she’ll kick your ass!”
“Momo,” I protested, looking nervously at a smirking Saki and Maimi, “Stop it! What would you know about me kicking anybody’s ass anyway?” She may be Saki’s best friend, but to me the two girls were still the leader of the track team and captain of the cheerleaders. Still, I suppose you never knew…
The result of the match? They owned us.
At this point the random onlookers from around the beach seemed to be really getting into things, some even starting to dance a little themselves along with the music. Kamei seemed to appreciate this, and even acted as an MC of sorts calling out to them and trying to get them to imitate her moves while our match with Saki and Maimi was going on. The crowd seemed to like what they saw though, as they cheered all of us after the match was done. Some of them appeared to even be cheering me!
“You know they’re never gonna let me live this down…” Momoko said in a haunted voice as we sat in the sand off to the side by the other teams.
“Why?” I asked. “Aren’t they usually good at everything?”
Momoko gave me a nasty look, and I suddenly felt bad without exactly knowing why. Then she stared off toward her two friends as they watched Kamei and Sayu and Tsuji and Aibon getting ready for their own match – the winner of which they would get to play next.
“I’m happy at the rewards and glory they get for all their hard work,” she replied. “They know I can keep up with them in anything they do though – that’s part of why we’re all such good friends. I’d just rather not make such a big deal of things, and maybe also make myself a target for others who want it all too.”
I felt a bit surprised at that, since everything I’ve always thought about was to make a name for myself and to make something out of myself. That was my sister’s philosophy… I suppose I’d never realized how much I’d really taken it to heart. After all, why else did I join in with Ai-chan and Reina and them? And why was I here at the beach today with UFO?
Oh, that was right... As to the second question…
“Plus,” the girl sweetly named after peaches continued, smirking over at me, “A true princess is safe enough in her superiority that she doesn’t worry about what other people think.”
As I stared at her, wondering exactly what kind of girl I seemed to be getting myself involved with, out of the corner of my eye I saw Erika glance at something down the beach as she sat next to Koharu. Before I could blink, I saw her gasp and flare her nostrils before diving at Koharu to knock her to the sand.
I was just about to jump up and run to Koharu to see if she was all right when shots rang out across the beach to clash with the rolling tide… and the resulting screams from people on all sides. Somehow instinctively I altered my movement as I was about to jump and instead threw myself at the person closest to me – Momoko – flattening her down into the sand as she screeched beneath me.
The initial deluge of gunfire tapered off, and I glanced up to see people still running sloppily across the thick sand in attempts to flee. However, since it wasn’t immediately clear where the shots actually came from, most just ran in haphazard directions. The area was wide open to begin with, so it was a long way back toward where their cars or the streets awaited them. Still, some headed that way. Yet others seemed to be wading out into the water, thinking it would keep them safe too.
I looked down to see Momoko’s frightened face looking up to me, though because of the pressure of my body above her she was almost half-covered in sand, with specks muddling tousled hair hanging over her face. “Stay here,” I cautioned her, and pushed myself up a little more, darting my eyes around to try and figure out where the bullets still being fired came from.
I quickly saw we weren’t the only ones around the net to react, with most of the other girls down on the ground as well. However, Erika and Yurina were crawling over toward their bags whispering to each other as they watched their surroundings warily, while Kamei and Sayu huddled near one of the poles holding the net up. Shockingly, Kamei had produced a gun from somewhere, and as her eyes rove around the scene, from time to time she thrust it forward to fire off a shot of her own.
In my surprise at seeing UFO’s strange leader armed and fighting back at whoever was attacking the beach, I didn’t notice that Erika and Yurina had apparently reached their bags, the older girl grabbing a gun of her own to help Kamei out. Seeing that, I decided I was not going to let myself stand by idle without helping them out as well. With a quick glance back down at Momoko to see that she was still safe I started crawling slowly toward my own bag before, feeling confidence growing, scurrying across the sand.
Within seconds I reached my bag and quickly dug into it until my fingers found cold steel. I pulled my own piece free. For the first time, I gave a close look to our surroundings. People were still fleeing in various directions, although apparently they’d gotten over the initial fright enough so they weren’t yelling anymore. By the directions Kamei and Erika were firing, it seemed our assailants were taking cover behind the outhouses to either side closest to us, as well as some rocks nearby. When I saw a head pop up from behind one of the rocks, followed shortly by the glint of metal, almost before I knew it I raised my weapon as Reina had taught me and fired. The bullet ricocheted off the rock, but the person quickly ducked behind it again after not having fired himself.
“Aika!” Erika shouted in a low tone, and I looked over to see her and Kamei giving me hard looks, apparently not expecting me to join in the exchange. However, the sound of more shots echoing dully across the sand broke our eye contact, and we focused back onto our attackers.
I was trying to figure out why they had come here. They weren’t going through all this effort just for me, were they? Plus it wasn’t like I was trespassing or anything, so it didn’t make any sense. Plus, Kamei and Erika seemed involved with it all somehow as well. I may not have known what was going on, but I did know I wanted to try my best to keep all my friends safe.
It seemed Momoko hadn’t moved from where I left her, and Koharu the same after Erika had done the same for her. I’d have to remember to thank the girl for that later, once we sorted out what was going on. Most of the others just huddled low to the sand, taking cover behind poles or bags as they were able.
Because of the distance, none of the shots seemed to hit their targets. I wasn’t sure who they originally might have been, but it seemed to now mainly be focused on those who were fighting back… which of course included me. I did my best to shoot whenever I caught sight of someone popping up from cover, and with the apparently unexpected magnitude of return fire they found, it seemed like they wouldn’t keep this up much longer.
Thankfully most everyone had cleared the beach, and sirens were beginning to become audible as apparently one or two other patrons had gotten hold of the cops. I didn’t particularly want to stick around when they arrived, and I guessed they didn’t either. The police may give only light attention to the vast labyrinthine ghettos where these things happened daily, but a public beach was a different story.
When it sounded like the sirens were almost here, I caught sight of one of our assailants trying to flee from behind an outhouse. Feeling my anger beginning to boil at these bastards who not only raided my sister’s funeral – it made no difference whether this was actually the same group – but now ruined what seemed like it would be one of the best days of my life, time seemed to slow as I targeted the retreating back, curled my lip in satisfaction, and fired.
It’s funny how you never actually realize when life changing events are going to occur. When Risa was killed I was on my way home from my first piano lesson, bright-eyed at being able to learn something unique and trading jabs with her as we always did in our sisterly love. I could never have thought just a few minutes later I’d be crying over her body as the life was draining out of it, trying to decipher her last words from within my grief.
Today, after a stormy weekend with the funeral and the assault there, I had hoped and prepared myself for a relaxing day, even if I didn’t quite know how things would turn out. Koharu and I were both excited about it, and the world just seemed to become more and more incredibly unbelievable when I met Kamei and Sayu and the rest of the girls who had some kind of connection with UFO. Beyond my hopes I was getting along with Momoko, even holding her hand, and I’d begun to wonder if when we parted we might even kiss.
I’d fired many bullets during the attack on our paradise, but none carried even a fraction of the significance of that last one – that last one I’d focused particularly on in my rage at those who had upended that paradise. I’d focused so hard on my intended victim that I didn’t notice a girl a few years younger than me who was running up the beach to join her family.
Time may have slowed as I fired, but it became molasses as I saw the girl drift between myself and my target. A scream began to issue from my lungs, but it would do no good. I didn’t see the bullet rip into her, but I did see her suddenly falter in her sprint before falling to her knees. Then time crashed into full speed again as she fell forward onto the sand.
Since this happened in plain sight of everyone, suddenly the gunfire which was already petering out fell into complete silence, and the rest of our attackers took to the streets, quickly disappearing as if they were but ghosts on the sand.
For my part, I dropped my gun to my side and my butt to the sand behind my knees, my eyes fixed on the girl. She was still moving, but rather feebly, trying to hoarsely call out to her family. Seeing that there was no sign of a further firestorm, after a moment they ran back to her, petting her and comforting her as the first cop cars became visible skidding to a halt just at the border of concrete and sand.
Through some grasp I still held on reality, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard Koharu saying something to me before finally taking my eyes away from girl and family to see everyone else near me making sure each other was okay, but also giving furtive glances in my direction. Erika outright stared. I think Momoko did too, but I couldn’t bear to look at her right then.
“Aika.”
Koharu’s voice suddenly seemed to register in my mind.
“Come on,” she continued desperately, and her face swam into my view. “We need to get out of here.” She glanced nervously toward the family, but didn’t seem to want to actually embrace the idea of what was happening.
She pulled me out of the sand, grabbing my bag with her other hand, and toward the volleyball net. I almost broke out in laughter. Beach gangsta volleyball… What a ridiculous thing…
When we got there the senior girls were taking the net down, with Kamei and Sayu especially scrutinizing me carefully as if wondering what I would do next. “Why are you taking the net down?” I asked in what sounded to myself a far-off voice. “The tournament isn’t even over yet…”
“Aika,” I heard Saki say, and I swung my head to face her, feeling like it was moving through jelly. She and Maimi had their arms around each others’ waists, and were also watching me with expressionless faces. “Do you want to come with us? We’ll go somewhere and…” She looked up at her girlfriend. “Well, we’ll just stay low until this blows over.” Then she glanced nervously toward the streets, where cops were beginning to emerge cautiously from their cars. “But we need to go soon…” she finished hurriedly.
“I…” I began, and then noticed Momoko walk up to join us. The look on her face sent my heart down into the furthest reaches of my being. It wasn’t angry. It wasn’t scared anymore. It was just… sad. I looked back over at the family, whom cops were arriving at to assist. What looked like the father was gesturing vividly, partly in our direction. “Is she okay?” I asked.
“Listen to your friends,” I heard Erika say, walking up behind Koharu and stuffing her gun into pants which she must have hurriedly donned. “This isn’t your problem anymore. Just get out of here.”
“But I…”
The cops were now walking over to us. Their own weapons weren’t drawn since they didn’t see any on us, and for some reason I thought that rather amusing and strange. If we wanted, we could mow them down before they even knew it…
Koharu was tugging on my arm, but I didn’t move, my eyes fixed still on the downed girl and approaching officers. “Come on,” I heard Maimi whisper from behind me, and there was shuffling in the sand as if some began running off.
I didn’t know quite what happened when the cops reached us, as my mind began to fog while I watched the girl become stiller and stiller. She couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen. I didn’t really register it when I was stuffed into a car with caged windows while cops outside examined my gun and Koharu looked on. I didn’t feel it as they felt me up in the search upon reaching the station or when they had me put on loose clothes to cover myself better than my bathing suit did before asking me questions I could only respond vaguely to.
When they swung shut the metal door to the small cell I’d been led to, and the steps of the officer faded away into silence, it was only then that I noticed I was crying.
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Aika in jail?! Noooooo!!
The volleyball/break dancing competition was pretty interesting. That shootout was a shock, even though I half-expected it to happen. But the random girl getting shot was completely unexpected.
Why would she run the middle of a shootout anyway? Will Aika get life in prison? What will happen to Koharu now that her best friend is jail? So May questions
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Oh shit! :shocked Aika shot a civilian!And went to jail!
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A shootout on the beach: saw that coming. Aika drawing first blood: it was inevitable. Aika accidentally shooting a little girl: didn't expect that to happen. :shocked: If Gaki's death or joining Ai's gang aren't turning points in her life, shooting a girl just a few years younger than her and spending time in jail will be. Nothing will ever be the same for Aika from now on. I doubt Aika would be able to lead a normal school life after this. I even doubt if ANY of her friends would want to see her again if she ever gets released. Except for maybe Koharu of course, but in future chapters their friendship will probably get tested again and again. I don't even know what will happen with Momo as well. I guess the only people she can turn to will be Ai's gang. Just thinking about what happens next reminds me of A Young Girl's Odyssey, what will how both protagonists start out on similar paths, slowly changing as they find out not everything is what they see or believe in.........:?
wait a minute....*searches through the Library* :shocked.....you wrote that too, rokun.
argh! :banghead: Should've realized that as soon as Gaki died.
This also got me thinking:
“I’m happy at the rewards and glory they get for all their hard work,” she replied. “They know I can keep up with them in anything they do though – that’s part of why we’re all such good friends. I’d just rather not make such a big deal of things, and maybe also make myself a target for others who want it all too.”
I felt a bit surprised at that, since everything I’ve always thought about was to make a name for myself and to make something out of myself. That was my sister’s philosophy… I suppose I’d never realized how much I’d really taken it to heart. After all, why else did I join in with Ai-chan and Reina and them? And why was I here at the beach today with UFO?
But this just made me laugh at what kind of girl Aika got a crush on:
Oh, that was right... As to the second question…
“Plus,” the girl sweetly named after peaches continued, smirking over at me, “A true princess is safe enough in her superiority that she doesn’t worry about what other people think.”
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Well! Because I still feel bad about it, and in order to perhaps get some of you to comment on the new chapter, I thought I'd do those replies to comments on chapter 12! Chapter 12 only though - I don't want to have anyone who hasn't commented yet on 13 feel left out and perhaps not do so. ;)
Chapter 12
e-girl: Where were the rest of those comments you promised??? XD I feel sad... This chapter was for you and Shikyo after all. ;) Surprised at Eri being the leader, eh? Well... as you'll see in the most recent and further chapters... She may be the leader, but is a bit... interesting. XD As for your surprise appearances, Saki/Maimi/Momo of course wouldn't be the only ones invited to this, would they? :)
Kuji: Thanks for the in-depth comment! :D I know you liked that I wrote Saki/Maimi, but I'm not sure if you'd expressed your love quite that much before. :oops: Glad you're enjoying it! They are fun, aren't they? :) Glad you relaxed this chapter. I won't comment on the ensuing ones. ;) Yes, Sayu the original kissing demon :heart: There'll be much more of her evilness to come... :twisted: Good observation about Eri and sayu 8) Enjoy the rest of the beach trip in the new chapter...
rndm: Your comment for the current chapter is a bit short (in your surprise I imagine), but I wonder what you think of the relationship possibilities now. :)
Hart: Aibon and Nono is kind of unique for me. :lol: In fact, I don't think i've ever written them before. That's the question: was Momoko joking or being serious when she talked about seducing Aika. :) But why not? :lol: And Koha, Koha, Koha... What is the matter with her indeed. ;)
Shikyo: Commenting on what you said in relation to the story now! lol. Sayu's good enough at dancing, but in general there are other reasons for her being there. ;) P9D concert? What happened there? *whistles* I take it you enjoy the new additions other than Eri too, eh? :lol: And LONGEST COMMENT EVER! Awesome :) Thanks~ Speaking of which, I need to give you one...
slasha: Glad you also enjoyed the new appearances. :D I have a feeling you'll be forgetting about Aika's mom and her bf before too long...
sbk: Yay! You enjoyed cute AikaMomo! :lol: H!P girls in bathing suits is always pure win. :yep:
Ok, feel free to continue reading/commenting chapter 13. Hopefully the next chapter won't be so long in coming, even if I start a new job in the next few days. :lol:
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Yeah, my comment was short, heh :sweatdrop: sorry.
Anyway, now that I'm mostly over my shock, I have a few more things to say. Eri and Sayu are so awesome, break dancing volleyball, lol. Is that a little interest Koharu is showing in Sayu? I guess UFO is kinda like a light in the dark in that they are independent enough to make names for themselves and rise above all the violence that the others are subjected to. Although you might have mentioned something like that about them in earlier chapters and I'm only now really realizing it.
Kinda like Aika.
The volleyball game was pretty awesome too, judged by cool points, lol. I'm glad Aika impressed some people, maybe UFO will be looking at her later? Though of course, Saki and Maimi pwned. XD
But Yurina and Nakky? I don't think that's something I usually see.
I also like how Saki and Maimi played off each other; and the resulting make out session of course. But Momoko and Aika, I just don't like the pairing. I know that you probably have something up your sleeve for later but I just don't like Momoko. And I don't usually say that about people I don't know personally but she just rubs me the wrong way. Though it is kinda cute how nervous Aika gets around her.
Then the shootout.
Somehow instinctively I altered my movement as I was about to jump and instead threw myself at the person closest to me – Momoko – flattening her down into the sand as she screeched beneath me.
This is probably my favorite line just because whenever I read it, I always picture Aika tackling a crow and wrestling it in the sand. :lol:
But damn those rivals gangs, though I was surprise that Kamei was shooting too, somehow I expected Sayu to bust a cap or something. And Erika, also.
Poor Aika, did she really kill that girl? If she did, that, more than anything she's experienced lately, might break her. Or not, she's a strong girl. I am totally interested in seeing what happens next, though, so hurry up and post another chapter!
By the way, what the hell was up with the random W cameo? Not that I'm not happy about it, I love Aibon and Nono, but they were only mentioned, like, twice.
Is this better? Don't expect a monster like this outta me very often...
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I don't know why, but when I read Aika is in jail, I can't help but laugh. XD
I'm not sure why.
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Gomen, rokun. I've been so distracted lately (someone can back me up on that hehe). But all I remember from that grand wakening was YAYYY!!! ERI'S FINALLY IN THE STORY!!!! :cow: XD You made her really cool yet still Eri. I admit I skimmed through the recent chapter and just read the parts that mentioned Eri :sweatdrop: and WoW :O is all I have to say. BUT, I will read it properly this time. hehe
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I didn't comment right away cuz I was taking a break from calculus homework when I read it. XD School started for me...how depressing. Anyway...
I CALLED IT. I SO FREAKING CALLED IT. I knew something would go wrong as soon as Eri said "gangsta". "¬¬ But what surprised me is that Eri, Yurina, and Nakky all got in the fray. *imagine Eri with a gun* ...Quite and interesting -ahem- image... xD -suddenly thinks of Kamei Eri vs. Morning Musume and Guardian Angel-
... XD
But Aika!!!! :cry: Oh Aika... -wants to give her a hug- D: Letting the emotions get the best of you isn't good...right now anyway. ><
I wonder where Eri & her group fall into this. Are they like a third group, or...? .__.;; ROKUN I WANT ANSWERS. D:
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^^; I'm sorry, I think I got a little frustrated after this last chapter. :lol: It was very hard for me to write, and I still wasn't completely satisfied with it lol. Thank you for all your comments though. :) You guys are the greatest~ Hopefully things should get better from now on...
slasha: Glad something was unexpected to you! :lol: And I'm glad the volleyball was interesting. That was one of the hard parts for me to write. XD As to your questions, one of them will be pretty much answered in this coming chapter, and as for another... Since the shootout was taking place basically across the whole beach, people were running every which way to try and escape it, but they didn't really know where to go. Young kids especially would be quite confused... She was just trying to make her way back to her family. Aika, unfortunately, was too focused on her target to notice any of this...
Hart: You had some great thoughts there on how this will affect Aika's life! For sure it's going to make things somewhat different. Some of her friends there certainly looked at her a bit differently after it happened, and even Momo wasn't sure what to think... And now, will she even be back at school? And if so, anytime soon? Her other friends are sure to have noticed. Koharu stayed with her to the last moment before she was taken away though...
Glad to see you've read A Young Girl's Odyssey! There were certain similarities between the beginning of that and of this, weren't there? :lol: There may be others too... Oh, and Momoko is quite a girl, huh? :) You might find it a bit surprising when you learn more about her...
rndm: Gomen! orz >_< I'm sorry for making it sound like I wasn't satisfied with your first comment... You didn't need to follow it up like you did. ^^; But thank you very much! I think you're very creative, and am quite interested in hearing what you have to say about my own writing since I bet it could help me improve. For one, you picked up on something that nobody else really seemed to. :) And I appreciate that. You'll know what I'm talking about before too long. Yurina and Nakki is kind of the crack for this fic. :lol: Somehow it seemed kinda fitting though... Then again, there's some other stuff coming soon that at least some of you may think is way beyond that kind of crack! XD After everything that's happened so far, things definitely are going to start getting shaken up.
About your not liking Momo: Just wait. Perhaps not in my fic, but she will get to you eventually. ;) It happens to all of us... And for W, yes it was a random cameo. XD They just seemed to fit well there. They're minor characters, but I imagine they may make another appearance or two later on... And again, sorry and thank you for the awesome comment! :grin:
Fen: Maybe Aika doesn't seem the type? She's a cute, happy girl after all. :lol: However... bad things do happen to even cute and happy girls sometimes. :P
e-girl: Good luck in reading through the chapter's non-Eri segments! :lol: I definitely know how that is... You can't help but focus on your favorites. ;) Unfortunately... it may be a little while before you see much of her again. :nervous Ganbare~
SxY: Good job! :lol: School started for me too. :( It sucks, even though thankfully I only have class a few hours 2 days a week... Everything went by kinda quickly with Eri and her gun in this part, but I promise you will get to see more of what it's like later on. :D You know what she's like when she's not wielding one, and well, people don't change that quickly...
Yes, poor Aika and her emotions. She now sees what can happen when she lets them get the best of her. That might change how she looks at things from now on...
Also, you've now seen quite a few different people getting into fights in various places, some obviously involved with Ai and Aika and some not. The City is kind of a cesspool of poverty and violence, and there are many people that have a need to protect themselves and those nearest and dearest. It's not really a matter of a simple war among some gangs, but of a massive conglomeration of forces at work over a large area. What I'm saying is, don't try to think of it as "this group" or "that group", as numbers vary and loyalties are shifting all the time across a vast network. Am I making sense? Probably not. XD There's actually a whole general history of the setting that I've developed and told to a couple people. Perhaps I'll make a side chapter about it eventually.
Oh, and you should IM me sometime. :)
Thanks again! And after editing, look for the continuation up soon. :)
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-wedges between the comment reply and new chapter, even though it's not supposed to be for a while longer-
I SHOULD IM you sometime. Maybe tomorrow since it's Friday, and I hardly do anything on Fridays. XD
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Nice wedge! :D And it's not too long between chapters. ;) Not as long as it has been before at least...
Chapter 14
Hours passed slowly as Aika sat in her small, dirty cell. They told her she was just in a holding room until they officially filed charges, when they’d likely move her to a cheaper but perhaps less secure facility. The quietness and emptiness seemed to allow her to find herself again, and she was able to rationally think about the events that led her here and her current situation.
She wondered at the freak chance and irony that the girl would be running across the sand just as she fired the shot in her anger at all that had happened to her. There had been people running around the whole time who were just unable to keep composure while not even knowing from which direction the next bullet could come, and she was just one of them – a random bystander. In a part of her mind Aika wondered how she could even blame herself for it when it could have happened to anyone, but she also knew she was completely responsible.
As for everything that had been happening to her lately, it all seemed meaningless as she stared hour after hour at the dusty, cold stone walls surrounding her. If they thought she murdered the girl, she would probably be continuing to stare at them for a very long time, and it would barely matter if Risa was dead or alive, or if she had thrown in her lot with the neighborhood gang, or if she had a great time at the beach meeting new friends and maybe establishing new relationships. None of that would matter anymore.
Around what must have been evening she was taken to a small mess hall where she sat at a long table with a number of others who were being held in the police cells, and had a meager but satisfactory meal. Afterward she was sent back to her cell, and she accepted the treatment calmly because for one she didn’t want to argue with the authorities, but also because she wasn’t sure she wasn’t guilty.
The other prisoners were varied. Some of them were young people like herself, barely more than children, and likely there for similar gang-related reasons. There were also older men and women, most disheveled but some looking strangely professional who could have been in for anything. There were even a few foreigners. Just as if she was walking down a street or into a restaurant though, hardly any of them even acknowledged her, which she was perfectly happy of as she was not curious to meet the criminals… the other criminals… who also occupied cells here.
The pattern of strict schedule continued into the next day, and the next, and the next without much variation, and soon they all began to meld into each other. The silence and solitude she found herself in allowed her to think about all the things that had happened, and discover what was really meaningful to her as well as what maybe wasn’t. She thought about the things she still had. She had her house, but wondered if that would even be her own. She became amused when thinking about this, because she wondered if her mother even noticed she was gone.
Other than that… What did she have? She supposed she had her best friend, Koharu, who she remembered staying with her until they shoved her into the police car, and even still watched her through the window before they drove away. The only other thing she felt she really possessed was her sister’s legacy, which included both the gang she had followed her into as well as the mission Risa endowed her with to make something of herself. That was another thing that looked quite bleak from where she was standing right now.
She had virtually no contact with the outside world, as she expected that even were the friends she might still have able to visit her, they likely wouldn’t dare the trip to the police station if they could help it at all. She actually hoped Koharu, as helpless as the girl was, wouldn’t attempt the trip as who knew what might happen to her along the way. Plus, after paying their ways to the beach she may not even be able to afford it.
Her only contact with other people aside from the impersonality of the meals and short occasional workouts first occurred after what seemed like a few days when they pulled her into a room where some officers questioned her about what happened. She gave honest responses of her motivations and actions of the time, but the grim men didn’t seem satisfied and just sent her quietly back to her cell. This happened again in the same fashion, and a third time, which she judged to be perhaps a week or so since she had arrived there, she accompanied the officer meekly to what she thought would be more of the same.
However, he led her on a different path this time, and eventually she reached what looked almost like a service window, except there were bars covering it but for a tray at the bottom where items could be exchanged. She blinked and glanced around, unsure what was happening, until she heard a clinking and looked down at the tray, where a neat pile of clothes and small items was being shoved through. The officer behind her advised her in a businesslike voice to take her things and change back into her own clothes.
“Wh… what is going on?” she asked, in speech that had gotten more foreign as the solitary days dragged by.
“You’re being released,” the man said, his voice not containing an ounce more emotion.
“Released?” she asked, as if it was the last word she expected to hear. “Why? Ain’t I here for murder?”
The policeman shrugged, and seemed to be getting a bit irritated with her. “Look cutie, they don’t tell me details. All they tell me is who to lock up and who to let go. You’re gonna have to check that out once you’re on your own again on the outside.”
On her own on the outside? What on earth was she supposed to do, and where was she supposed to go? Plus, she wasn’t sure she wasn’t a murderer. Didn’t she deserve to be locked up? Despite her questions though, she thought she might as well follow orders just like she’d done submissively since arriving here, and took her things.
When she’d pulled off the oppressive-feeling jumpsuit and was about to pull her pants on, she felt eyes on her and looked up to see the cop watching her quietly. “You know, when you get outside the world can seem like a big and scary place. I could take an extended break if you’d like some company…”
Aika froze with her pants halfway up her legs, before pulling them up quickly the rest of the way. She’d been used to an amount of humiliation since coming here, though mostly just in her complete submissiveness to authority. This was something new, if still not completely foreign to her.
She heard a laugh from the man behind the window, who she noticed was also watching her as she tried to quickly find the right holes in her shirt. “I gotta say it’s been awhile since we’ve had one as cute as you come through here. Reminds me of my pal’s daughter, actually… She’s a ripe and frisky one, that,” he said, grinning lasciviously and winking at the cop with Aika.
Aika just decided it was best not to respond, and finished tugging on her shirt before tightening her belt and jacket as well. “Where do I go now?” she asked.
The cop with her frowned as if displeased at her unspoken rejection of his offer, but leaned against the door he stood beside and pushed it open to reveal a small lobby area with the sounds of activity filtering from it. The taste of the real world was almost like music to Aika’s ears.
She glanced out through the door, and then back again at the officer, and when he didn’t change his position she pulled her cap low over her eyes and strode out with her hands in her pockets, quickly yet trying not to appear as if she was hurrying. She half-expected some kind of aggression from the cop as she passed him to go through the doorway, but before she knew it she was out in the bright lobby with its front wall made almost entirely of glass, and the heavy metal door swung shut behind her.
Taking a deep breath, still not believing what was happening, she began to think about what she was going to do now when she heard someone call her name. Blinking, she looked around the busy lobby until her eyes fell on a girl that was perhaps as small as her heading in her direction. When she recognized who it was, her eyes widened under the brim of her cap.
“There you are,” Ai said, smiling, and took her arm in a friendly way to lead her toward the door. She nodded and smiled toward the receptionist as she walked, though the woman just frowned back at her, and the two girls didn’t say any more until they reached the street.
Aika took a deep breath almost unconsciously, absorbing the comparatively fresh scent after having inhaled only the stale air of her cell and the other prison rooms for what seemed like ages, and Ai let her relax a bit, though still pulled her onward.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” the girl asked. “Nothing smells as fresh as the sweet polluted air of the City after a stint inside.” She glanced over from beneath her own cap at Aika. “I almost envy you experiencing it for the first time.”
Aika’s first instinct was to blurt out her astonishment that the woman had been in prison before as well, but quickly realized it was a completely stupid thing to ask. She was a leader of a gang after all, and had been involved with it for who knew how many years, so of course she would have been arrested for some reason or another before. Still, it was something she hadn’t yet thought of, and it gave her a suddenly different impression of things drawn from the intense reflection she had done over the past days.
“What did you do?” she asked instead in a quiet voice, much less full of the confidence and strength she felt the last time she spoke with the girl. “Why did they let me go?”
“Ah,” the girl responded, facing back forward and smiling again. “Well. We have certain arrangements with the police in case they interfere with our associates. That includes bail procedures and a rush on processing.” She glanced sidelong at Aika again. “Sorry it took as long as it did, but even rushed, these things take time. Still, normal hold time for someone like you would be at least fifteen days.”
Aika didn’t respond immediately as she processed what the girl said. “How long was I in there?” she asked. “It got a bit hard to tell after a while.”
“That’s something else that happens too,” the girl responded, smirking faintly. “It’s been eight days,” she stated matter-of-factly. “It’s Tuesday, and the seventeenth if you’d like to know.”
Eight days completely cut off from the world and her life… Aika thought, her mind seeming to spin as if in a blender. “What…” she said finally, “What about school? If it’s Tuesday, I should be there now.”
Ai’s arm rose to snake lightly around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about things like that now,” she said. “You’ll have plenty of time for that later.”
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, until Aika had to ask something that’d been burning in the back of her mind ever since they stuffed her in that car eight days ago. “Who… who was the girl? Is her family all right? Do they totally hate me?”
Ai glanced toward her with a serious expression before looking back forward and even donning a small smile. “The girl is a middle school student from Meadow Park,” she said. “She’s still in the hospital, but is now in stable condition.”
Aika’s breath caught, feeling as if some grace she was unworthy of had just been bestowed upon her. “She’s… she’s alive? And she’s gonna be okay?”
“She’ll have a nasty scar from now on,” Ai replied, “But yes, she’ll survive.”
Aika finally let out the breath she’d been holding, feeling like with it everything else that had been torturing her ever since that day was cast off as well. She leaned her head over onto Ai’s shoulder, and eventually murmured, “That’s good…”
“Due to that,” Ai said, “The only charges that were considered to be brought against you were assault and possession, and with the testimony of multiple witnesses the assault charges were dropped, leaving only possession, for which I’m sorry to inform you that you’ll have to appear for a hearing in a couple weeks. Shouldn’t be a problem though – there’s no way they can legitimately prosecute a kid in your situation for that. Don’t worry, pretty soon it’ll feel like it never happened.”
“But it did…” Aika reasoned after a short amount of consideration again. “It doesn’t change what happened. Except I’m really glad to hear she’ll be all right…”
“No,” Ai replied, peering over at her again, “I suppose it doesn’t.”
“Do you…” Aika began, before choking up a little. “Do you know her name?”
“Is that something you really want to know?” the other asked.
“Well…” Aika said, and clutched tighter at Ai’s arm. “I just figure… We’ve suddenly had such a big impact on each others’ lives… She probably knows about me, right? I just thought it would be fair that I know something about her too, so she’s not just this girl I shot that one time…”
Ai was silent for a moment, but when Aika looked up she thought she saw a smile on her face. “Her name is Mizuki,” she responded finally, and glanced over at me. “Do you feel better now?”
“Yeah…” Aika responded, thinking of that name and trying to imagine what she might look like.
“You never forget your first,” Ai continued, and Aika wondered at how the girl spoke of it. When she didn’t respond, the older girl continued, “Although I’m not sure it gets any easier afterward.”
“You remember everyone that you’ve…” Aika said, “That you’ve…”
Ai nodded. “The list constantly scrolls by in my head,” she replied. “Some of them I don’t know their names. Some I don’t even know their faces. But some fact about each one is stuck there and never leaves.”
Aika blinked up at her. “With all of that… How do you keep doing it?”
This time it was Ai’s turn to flash surprise across her features. Then she smiled again though before murmuring under her breath, “You really are Risa’s sister…” and then replying, “They’re dead.” She walked on a few steps before finishing. “I’m not.”
Aika spent the next moments thinking carefully about the words of the woman she was beginning to think of as her mentor until they reached the subway station. Ai produced two tickets, and the girls eventually boarded the train. Noticing the station they were at and how far away it was from their small neighborhood, Aika immediately felt bad about how far out of her way Ai had gone to come here and to take her back home.
“Ai-chan,” she said, and immediately felt something more respectful should have been used instead. “For coming here… for getting me out… for taking me home like this… I… I couldn’t begin to repay you.”
“You don’t get along with your mother, do you?” Ai asked, and Aika stared at her. “I somehow got that impression at the funeral last week.”
“No,” Aika replied, looking back down. “Things were already bad before then, and now I’m not sure I ever want to talk to her again... or that she’ll want to talk to me.”
She felt Ai’s hand tenderly stroke her arm. “We’re all a family now, Aika. We take care of each other.”
Aika looked up to see Ai expressing that tenderness that seemed so foreign to her again. Something she saw in there made her remember something she knew must be very important.
“Risa,” she began, and Ai’s smile faded a bit. “That night, before she… before she died. She tried to tell me something.” In curious intensity the girl watched her closely, and Aika thought she was beginning to see the Ai Takahashi that was feared across perhaps half the City.
“I think there was someone she loved, and who she wanted to know it.”
Ai’s face darkened with her words, but Aika held her ground, looking up into those tumultuous eyes. Then the girl looked away, and clenched her jaw.
“That someone was you, wasn’t it?” Aika said, and this time she took Ai’s hand, squeezing it softly.
“Your sister was very special,” the girl responded in a melancholy tone.
Aika continued squeezing her hand gently, looking intently up into her face. “I never knew she had someone like that. Can you tell me about it? Can you tell me about… what having a real family is like?”
Ai glanced over at her, holding her eyes strongly for a moment. “All right. Like I said, she was a special person. What you just said,
it was something she’d never told me.”
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I know I've been bad and haven't been commenting recently, but I've definitely been reading. The prospect of Takagaki background info has forced me out of hiding... I can't wait for the next chapter!!
Lots has been going on. o_O The funeral was so sad! I wanted to smack Aika's mom for making her leave the funeral and not letting her be there as they spread the ashes. From the looks of it, the mom wasn't there for Risa anyway, and it's just so irking that she's kicking out all the people who Risa actually cared for.
That shootout at the beach was interesting... Poor Aika and the bad luck of shooting an innocent bystander. But now I'm intrigued to find out why Eri has a gun, and how she fits in with all that's going on in this crazy city... Why did she have a gun, but Sayu didn't? Same with Erika and Yurina... Lots of questions were brought up in that chapter. I'm looking forward to finding out more.
I don't know about this Momoko/Aika thing... Maybe it's 'cause I've never been hugely fond of Momoko in addition to the fact that she seems to be out to get Miyabi in Berry Beautiful (lol, how does Miya always somehow find her way into my comments? XD). Maybe I'll warm up to it later... Or maybe with this whole episode, that possibility has already gone down the drain. I never know with your writing. XD
Anyway, back to work for me. I hope chapter 15 comes out soon!!! ^_^ Also... a new chapter for The Sword and the Dove, maybe? *crosses fingers*
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Ah, maybe this time in jail will help calm Aika down a little, maybe help her cope in a way that she couldn't before. I think this is a big wake up call for her that should help her decide things more rationally.
Or not.
Anyway, just how influential is Ai's gang that they have agreements with the police? Though I'm glad that she came down to pick Aika up, she right, they are family now.
And the part about Risa in the end, was she really together with Ai? Like that? Or was it just wishful thinking on both ends? Did Risa really never tell Ai she loved her? Was there a reason she didn't?
Aika blinked up at her. “With all of that… How do you keep doing it?”
This time it was Ai’s turn to flash surprise across her features. Then she smiled again though before murmuring under her breath, “You really are Risa’s sister…”
Could this maybe be indicative of the future? And the past? Oh oh! Will we get flashbacks?
Sorry, lot's of questions. BTW can't wait for more crackiness!
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Man jail in the City sounds like a horrible place! But thanks to Ai and her connections, Aika won't have to suffer through a lot of that.
Glad to see that the girl will be alright. Now hopefully, things can go back to normal.
Also I can't help but point out this:
“You don’t get along with your mother, do you?” Ai asked
No one gets along with Aika's mom :lol: .
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Oh mai gass, she got out! Yay for Aichan! (Though how they did it, even I'm not sure... xD) There it is! The TakaGaki. u__u I hope Aika really learns how it feels to have true family, especially in a place like the City. D:
...So when do we get a flashback of TakaGaki? o-o xD Jkjk. I wonder what'll be up for the next chapter. Hmm...
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Haa~ I'm good. No longer distracted. False alarm. :roll: I finally read the latest chapters properly and again, Wow at gun wielding Eri. So badass XD But I wonder what side she's on or if she has anything to do with the other shootouts. That's ok, I can deal with the Eri-less chapters, the whole story is interesting anyway without having Eri in it. :lol: Sucks about Aika getting jail time, I didn't know she was in there for that long, but I'm glad she got out. She can add shooting someone and jail time to her list of Firsts. :lol: Looks like it's going to be tougher from here on out. Hopefully some good things will happen in the next chapters?
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After reading this lastest chapter I've almost given up on figuring out Ai's character. Almost. I don't know what side of Ai we're gonna see next. I didn't even know she had that kind of presence in the city. Don't know whether that's a good thing or not later on. Remembering every person she has shot and/or killed, now that's what I expected from Ai. :pig madder: I wonder if it's one of the many things Aika will learn from her. Speaking of Aika, I'm surprised that her time in jail was that short. I thought she would be there for much longer, say a few weeks at least. And that officer releasing Aika from jail: Ew. :mon barf: I know it's something to expect at a place like that but still very very wrong considering Aika's age. *shudders* I don't care if he was kidding or not.
So now that Aika's free, the girl she shot is fine, and finding out she has a new family to turn to, what's next for her? Hopefully good things, for now....
Shoud I really want to know the truth behind Risa's final words? Somehow I get the feeling it's something I would never suspect.
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Hmm, it's been a bit of a while, but I think I should reply to comments anyway XD It's late though, so I think I'll try and keep 'em short...
maize: Glad to see you here, and hope you're still around! ^_^ TakaGaki potential... hmm... 8) This story jumps around a bit, but hopefully your questions will be answered eventually. ^_^ Another not so Aika-Momo fan, eh? XD Well... just stayed tuned. And yeah, this isn't Berry Beautiful. :P
rndm: I think a lot of your questions will be answered soon. XD Crack? Hmm, I wonder what's up this time. ;)
slasha: Many parts of the City are horrible places. XD You actually get a few hints of the broader setting in the next chapter. Also, more small references to Aika's mom, who I know you all love :heart:
SxY: Read on :D
e-girl: Hope you continue finding it interesting! Though this chapter is gonna be a bit different... The first paragraph should give you a bit of a tip-off on that. ;)
Hart: Wonder what you'll think about the side of Ai shown in the next chapters? :)
Soon...
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Hmm, is it someone's birthday today? :huhuh
Chapter 15
“I think they’re gone,” Risa said, peering around a corner while holding her pistol tightly clenched in both hands just behind it. Having apparently satisfied herself of the truth of her words, she lowered the weapon to her belt and turned back to regard the people behind her.
“They’ll be back,” Fujimoto replied as she brashly brushed past Risa and out onto the street to peer, or perhaps rather glare, up and down it. “Activity here has been picking up lately. I just wish I knew why.”
Brushing past the younger Niigaki myself, if a bit more deliberately, I traded a glance with her. Somehow the brazen girl always seemed to hold onto my eyes a bit longer than most, but I managed to look away and fall in next to Fujimoto, reaching up to rest an apologetic hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry for getting us into this,” I confessed demurely, but Fujimoto didn’t seem to respond for a moment as she had a glazed look in her eyes. Finally she turned toward me though, seeming almost surprised at her words.
“What?” she asked, and I shrank away a little as I seemed to feel the glare in her tone as well. “It’s not your fault. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“But I—” I responded before Fujimoto placed a silencing finger to my lips. My eyes widened, fearing what the woman might do to me next. It was said that if you felt her touch, that could only be the beginning, and those that managed to survive what came afterward were barely even coherent. All except for a few notable exceptions…
“No,” the girl said firmly. “I don’t want to hear it.” She turned to the rest of the group, who were now flowing into the street to join them. “Tanaka, Jun, pick a direction and scout it to make sure they’re really gone for now. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to be careful, no matter how much promise you might show…” Her eyes seemed to linger on the younger of the two at that, and Reina gave what I thought was a cute yankii pout in return before jogging off south down Cedar Street, leaving the Chinese girl to shrug and amble off north herself.
…
“Fujimoto…” Aika commented, staring off to a faraway place. “I remember her. I only saw her once though I think. One time when I was looking out my window when you guys gathered in front of the house. I recognized her right away from Risa’s description…”
“Did you watch us often like that?” Ai mused.
“Sometimes I would,” Aika replied. “If I was at home by myself studying or something. It was like that a lot after she started staying out more often. Koharu would come over of course, but…” She trailed off, wondering if Koharu would ever speak to her again. She wasn’t sure she would herself after what happened.
“I’m sorry it got to be that way,” Ai said softly, sincere apology clear in her voice. “Nii-chan tried to do what she could for you, but the rest of us especially never really think of how being away hurts our loved ones. At least, those of us who have them… back home…” This time, Ai trailed off herself as if becoming lost in thought.
“It’s okay,” Aika replied. “I had Koharu, and eventually others. With mom being gone too we just kind of made the house our own really…” She glanced up at Ai when she didn’t get a response, to see the woman’s eyes still glazed in thought. “Did I say something wrong?”
Eventually Ai blinked and caught Aika’s eyes again. “No, it’s okay. I want to go back to what I was telling you before though.
“I felt so guilty about leading us into that ambush. I should have sent someone to scout it out first. I just couldn’t have imagined they would be there in those numbers. My mind wouldn’t stop thinking about what I’d done wrong… Soon my perception of things would change, but in the meantime, I found that I wasn’t alone…”
…
“Ai-chan,” her voice said from outside the door again. “You’re being ridiculous. Just come out of there. It’s not gonna benefit anyone if you just shut yourself up all day.”
Once again I didn’t respond, even though I could hear her easily through the American metal music blaring in my headphones. Nobody knew I had them since I just kept them here, so I took advantage of using them when I could, especially at a time like this. Most of the others around here, like Risa, barely even had the means to keep themselves fed and clothed, so I tried to hide how comparatively well-off my family was as much as possible. I still think she suspected though.
“Ai-chan…” came the voice again, and this time it sounded almost pleading, a strange tone coming from someone who was usually a very strong-willed and tenacious young woman. I thought I heard a little rattling from the doorknob, but quickly ignored it and closed my eyes as the quasi-musical noise continued to wash over me.
When the current song ended, my eyes opened to see a girl standing between me and the still-closed door, arms crossed as she studied me carefully. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but when reality dawned on me my breath caught before I ripped the headset off my ears and futilely tried to stuff it beneath my blanket.
“Who do you think you need to hide from?” she asked, still not moving from her position in the middle of the room.
My eyes strayed past her to the door before capturing hers again. “How did you…?”
She responded by holding a small hairpin up between two fingers, and a smirk formed at the corner of her mouth. “Us street urchins tend to learn useful skills sometimes.” Then she glanced around at the various perfumes and small electronic luxuries not many Japanese girls in the City other than me could claim to possess. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I…” I responded, not knowing what to say. “I didn’t want to make you feel…”
“Uncomfortable?” Risa asked in a light tone, and took a step toward her. “Worthless?” She sat next to me as I felt worse by the word. “Do you think I would care about this stuff? There are so many other more important things in the world, like school, or keeping yourself fit… family...”
I looked down again. Part of the reason I had all these things was because my father lived primarily in another city for the job he’d earned thanks to the recent opportunities made available even to Japanese, even though they were still very few. I was also an only child – another rarity – and even though my mother and I didn’t really communicate, she bought me things sometimes, and other times I would secretly take the train to shop myself, in full daylight of course.
“You’re thinking about your dad again, aren’t you?” Risa asked, looking into my face.
“Not really,” I replied simply. “Father’s not around often enough to think much about.”
The other girl smiled. “Look at who’s really sounding like the classy girl here. Your house must bring it out of you, I guess?”
I couldn’t help a blush. “Sorry…” I replied, looking down.
My eyes hardly connected with the floor though before I felt a finger lift my chin up to bring them back to sparkling brown ones. “You apologize too much,” she said. “I don’t mind.” She grinned again. “Actually, I think it’s kinda cute.”
I felt her finger leave my skin, but I couldn’t look away. In fact, my eyes traveled slightly down from her own, and I still don’t know why I did it, but the next thing I knew, I’d pressed my lips against hers.
My eyes closed as I enjoyed the feeling for a moment, but then I realized what I’d done. I yanked my face back, staring appalled into her own surprised and somewhat confused-seeming features.
“Oh my god,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry…” I wanted to hide under my covers right then, and I started turning to do so, but was caught by a hand on my shoulder turning me back to face the younger girl.
“There you go again…” she said, and a smile returned to her face.
“What?” I asked nervously. I still couldn’t believe what I’d just done… Surely the girl hasn’t taken me seriously since she stepped into this room, and she definitely won’t now.
“Apologizing,” Risa replied. Before I could say anything else she’d leaned in and kissed me again. It took me a moment of her mouth moving against my own and her arms around me before I realized this was really happening, but then I returned the action eagerly.
After what had to have been several minutes of roaming hands and lips, we parted a bit breathlessly and shared a long gaze. Somehow I got the feeling that Risa looked more unsure and anxious than I felt. Why would that be? I was the one who failed today. I was the one who wasn’t like the rest of the girls in the City…
“A—Are you gonna go?” I asked, hesitantly. “You probably don’t want anyone to catch you in here with me…”
The other girl just continued staring at me until her expression completely changed and that characteristic determination reflected from her face.
“Just shut up,” was all she said, and I felt her push me back onto the bed as she crawled on top of me. “You need me right now. And I…” I started breathing quickly as I stared up into her hovering face. “I’ll show you that you really aren’t that different from the rest of us.” And with that, she leaned down to capture my lips again, though much more forcefully than before. As I felt her body press down onto me, I wondered if I should ask her to stay the night.
…
“Of course there was no need to,” Ai continued, grinning, then glanced over at Aika. “Not that… you should know about things like that yet. So... forget I ever said anything!”
“Please,” Aika replied with sharp disbelief. “It’s not like I don’t know about things like that.”
“Oh?” Ai asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “Is there a special girl I don’t know about? Or a guy perhaps? Should I ask Reina to keep her hands to herself as I know she hasn’t been?”
Aika blushed. “Um…” she replied, then started thinking about her friends again. Yeah, she was gonna find a girlfriend. She’d be lucky to have any friends left, other than perhaps Ai.
Ai must have noticed her darkened features, because she rested a hand on her own again. “Don’t worry,” she said, smiling positively. “You’re cute enough that soon they’ll be knocking down the door for a chance to get into your pants.” She seemed to catch herself, though a moment too late, and mouthed a soft “oops” before correcting, “I mean, to go out with you.”
Aika furrowed her eyebrows at the woman. The correction was so smooth it seemed almost as if she hadn’t made a mistake in the first place. “You’re a bad influence, you know that? I was just in jail. You should be like, trying to reform me, teach me proper class and shit. Especially since now I know you really are high class.”
This time the grin didn’t fade away. “That was a long time ago,” she said. “I haven’t finished the story, after all.”
“Thank god,” Aika replied. “But if all that’s left is more of you and my sister going at it, then I’m alright with skipping. How much longer ‘til we’re home, anyway?” she asked as the train rolled to a stop.
“Gotta transfer here,” Ai replied, and pulled Aika to her feet. Then she turned the grin back onto her. “But afterward there’s still plenty of time for the rest.”
Aika didn’t know whether to be glad or to prepare to cover her ears this time.
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Takagaki flashback! :heart:
Lol, Aika not wanting to hear quite that much about her sister's personal life. I'm still sad Risa's gone and that there's no future Takagaki... but I definitely can't wait for the rest of the flashbacks.
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Even though it has already passed, Happy B-day Gaki-san. (Even though you died in this fic.)
Great flashback. So Fujimoto was the previous leader of the gang? :shocked And Ai-chan came from a rich family? :shocked :shocked :shocked
“But if all that’s left is more of you and my sister going at it, then I’m alright with skipping. How much longer ‘til we’re home, anyway?”
...
Aika didn’t know whether to be glad or to prepare to cover her ears this time.
Do whatever you want Aika. I would like to hear a little bit more, onegaishimasu. :twisted:
Favorite bit of this chap:
It was said that if you felt her touch, that could only be the beginning, and those that managed to survive what came afterward were barely even coherent. All except for a few notable exceptions…
Oh, Miki-sama. :lol:
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:o
I didn't comment on the last chapter!
Don't worry Rokun! I'm still reading!!!! XD Mmmmm Takagaki yummy-ness! Nom Nom NOM! :heart:
I'm not surprised that Ai came from a "rich" family, but hmm, I wonder... parents died? or perhaps disowned her... :lol:
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*POPS IN* Because my Risa senses tingled and told me she was in this chapter :D
Oooh so TakaGaki had such a relationship eh? Tee hee. I found it funny how Ai insisted on telling Aika all the "details" about her relationship with her sis. I can't wait to find out how these 2's relationship is gonna head. They make a cute older and younger sis pairing :)
PS: Please write more TakaGaki flashback scenes. ONEGAI!!
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Oh how bittersweet... the lovely TakaGaki that exists no more except in memory. :cry:
I still love it though, and it's interesting that Ai would be part of this gang when she clearly didn't really need to care. She could have just lived a blissful sheltered existence. I wonder about her present circumstances since I bet her parents, as much as they may not actively look after her, would not be happy with her falling in with a 'bad crowd'. I mean, just look at Risa and Aika's mother and she was a sucky parent.
It was so cute how Ai somehow made the first move even though she immediately apologized. Risa is so much awesome in this too. T.T Ah... how I really wish she wasn't already dead, deceased, passed away... hadn't already met her demise. >.< If only this was one of those fics of yours where you revive people from the dead with freaky magic. :P
Well, I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed for more flashbacks. Even if Aika might not appreciate many more stories of this nature. lol
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Ai came from a rich family?! That was unexpected. BTW nice flashback. I love flashbacks!
I wonder if Koha will talk to Aika again...I hope so.
But I can't wait for the rest of the story.
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Aika didn’t know whether to be glad or to prepare to cover her ears this time.
Well my ears (or eyes :lol:) are open, so more flashbacks please XD
It'll be interesting to know how Ai rose from a hesistant member to become the feared leader of the gang
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I only noticed this story today and read all 15 chapters in one go. I loved reading how Aika slowly blends into Ai's gang like family, not a related member of the family (via Risa). Can't say I'm against the gang members Ai has under her wings, though I'm curious to find out how they connect with UFO (and SayuEri). Ai's background is also interesting to note, considering her current position as a feared gang leader. I hope to see this story continued, I liked what I had to read so far :D
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Hello. :) Thank you for commenting, Aussie. It's been a long time since I've been around here in any respect actually... *dusts off cobwebs*
I was thinking of posting in the fanfic discussion thread, but might as well here since you bumped it up. :) I've been so busy with the first weeks of a new job, as well as moving to a new apartment, that I haven't really had the time or motivation to write... Also, at my old apartment I just didn't have much motivation for anything cause it was rather dark and secluded >_<
I'm now fully moved into my new apartment though, and especially once I get it fully set up, I'm hoping inspiration will return to write! :D Bumping comments like this always help with that too :) talk about my stories reminds me of them, lol. I do hope to continue this one, as well as The Sword and the Dove and Berry Beautiful. Maybe I'll get to others too, but we'll see. :) Depends on where the inspiration goes!
Again, thanks for the comment! :D
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*latches onto rokun* Ah!! I missed you! (Why do I feel like I should add 'Papa' after that?)
I can't wait for anything from you, I'm glad it sounds like you're doing well for yourself!