Horrible chapter
Chapter 5Half a day had gone by since the duo entered the café. Risa sat in a booth with a cup of water while Ai spent her time busy serving customers without a break.
“I’m glad I never took a job..” Risa remarked and took a sip from her straw. The day seemed to be passing by rather poorly for her however. There’s no argument between them that she came to enjoy, there’s no teasing of the older girl, there’s nothing at all. Risa was bored. She raised her hand and called for Ai.
“I’m hungry.”
Ai’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “What would you like?”
“Something cheap.” She replied after looking through her wallet.
Looking down at the girl for a few seconds, Ai spun on her heels and headed for the kitchen. When she returned, she placed a plate of spaghettis in front of Risa.
“Hey! This is not cheap!” She stared at the inviting meal.
“On the house.”
“Huh?” When Risa looked up, Ai had already left to serve another customer. <i>What was that about?</i>
----
5pm came relatively quick. One had finished her shift and the other was done clearing her plate. The two left the café shortly, with Risa tagging along again. Ai decided to take a shortcut through the park.
“You look well enough.” She spoke, trying to start a conversation to ease the painful tension.
“Hmm.. Yeah..” Risa replied, slightly distracted.
“So why are you still following me?” She stopped under a tree and turned to the younger girl.
“I can’t follow you?” Came a reply, avoiding the main question.
“No.. But don’t you have other things to do? Like.. Go home?”
“I.. I have no home.” Risa answered, looking away from the older girl.
“What do you mean ‘no home’? You ran away or something?” Ai pressed further.
“No. I mean, I’m an orphan. Nobody wants me, I have no home to go back to, I sleep on the streets. Get the point?” Risa rambled on, then she stopped and sat on the ground, leaning against the tree they stopped by. She frowned at having to mention her life.
Ai’s heart sank a little at the thought of the girl sleeping under bridges, all cold and alone. She wondered how it’s like being an orphan. “I’m sorry. Then.. those wounds..”
“I suppose you’d want to know about that. Must’ve been bugging you all night and day, huh? That’s why you were so quiet before?” Ai nodded shyly.
“No harm telling you, I guess.”
Eager to know the story behind Risa’s predicament, Ai quickly moved to sit down beside her.
“Can you keep a secret?” Ai nodded again, this time with a determined frown on her face.
“I hope so. Just so you know beforehand, I’m a thief.” That confession made Ai gasp loudly.
“You’re a WHAT?!” She suddenly yelled.
Knowing that it was a bad idea to have revealed her identity, Risa freaked at the outburst and hurried to clamp her hands over Ai’s mouth. “Shhh!!! You’re going to get me arrested like that!”
“But you’re a thief!” The older girl all but shouted, prying the hands off her face.
“Yes, and I’m a thief that doesn’t want to go to jail!” She retorted, a look of worry and irritation crossing her face. “Do
you want me to go to jail?”
“N-NO!” The other hung her head, feeling slightly ashamed. “..Of course not.. I have no reason to want you imprisoned.”
“I’ll trust you.. For now.” Risa said with pseudo suspicion in her voice.
“Trust? Does that mean we’re friends?” Ai looked up, a little hopeful.
“Whatever” The thief responded, not taking the other seriously. Friendship was overrated. “So, as I was saying…”
Ai spent the next half an hour listening to Risa’s story from 2 days ago. The younger girl recalled everything from how grand the mansion looked, the smell of tobacco within the rooms, the bastard that made her have to run like crazy and finally how she managed to save herself from the ‘mafia’, so she calls them.
----
Meanwhile, only a few feet away from the two girls, said ‘bastard’ had been quietly listening in on them from behind a tree. He had been following them ever since they left the café.
“Shit, this isn’t good! Someone else knows.”
The man grumbled, lowering the weapon he held in his hands. He knew he was unable to strike at the point of time. Clenching his fist, he retreated from the park for a change of plans.
----
There were lots of gasping and yelping from Ai throughout the account, as if she was watching an action film.
“So, that man.. he framed you?” She asked, incredibly intrigued by the story.
“Yeah, pretty much.” Risa sighed.
“Do you think they’re still searching for you?” the other asked, feeling thrilled and afraid all at once.
"Probably.” Risa answered, trying to hide the worry in her voice.
“That means you could be in danger right now!” Ai concluded, becoming more aware of her surroundings.
“Relax.. I doubt they’ll show up here. A group of men walking around with weapons isn’t exactly subtle.” Risa assured the other, patting her on the shoulder.
”But but but.. they could.. shoot you from afar or just run in and carry you off.. like in movies!”
Risa’s jaws dropped. She sighed and grabbed Ai by the shoulders, looking sternly into her eyes. “This is reality, my dear. That’s not going to happen.”
Ai was about to go on with her ‘but’s again when Risa hardened her glare. She lowered her eyes and turned away. “I’m just worried.”
“There is no need to. You hardly know me, remember? Don’t get yourself involved.”
Ai shot up after hearing what the other had said. Apparently, she’s not really that clueless about everything, “Actually, I’ve been involved the moment I picked you up from the dumps. And… you’re my friend now. Right? I can't abandon a friend in trouble.”
“Friend?” Risa had many feelings and thoughts going through her right now. She was shocked, confused, touched even. Someone wanted to befriend a petty thief, that’s a first. She looked at Ai with uncertainty. “You were serious?”
“Of course I was serious.”
“But why? I’m a thief! And I’m sure you should at least hate me after yesterday. I’m not exactly the most grateful person on earth.”
“Sure, I hate how you irritated me with your backtalk.. but no! I don’t hate you!”
“I was irritating..
That’s nice to know.” Risa mused quietly.
“I know you’re a nice person! So, can we at least try? At least you’ll have someone to watch your back.” Ai pleaded. She was sincere about trying to befriend Risa. There was something about the girl that called out for companionship, and it was this familiar calling that made her feel the need to comply.
“You’re going to regret this. I know you will.” It was Risa's way of accepting this friendship. She felt herself fall back slightly when Ai lunged at her with a friendly hug.
“Can I know your last name?” Her arms were wrapped loosely around her new friend, eyes focused on the ground.
“No.” came the other girl’s reply, but Ai just chuckled for she already expected that answer.
For a long time in many years, Niigaki Risa smiled from the bottom of her heart.
----
In the main hall of a familiar mansion, a meeting was taking place.
“We couldn’t find the girl, young master.”
“You incompetent idiots!”
“We’re terribly sorry.”
“Get out! Get out!”
”But-“
“Don’t you dare come back until you’ve found her unless you have a death wish!”
“Y-yes Sir.”
A group of men in suits hurried out of the main hall, leaving the ‘young master’ alone in his seat.
“She won’t get away for killing my father.”
----
Oh noes, the world is out to get Risa @___@
Ai has made Risa's problem her own as well..
They are doomed.
And I screwed up this chapter.