Thank you for the comments and thank yous everyone!
This time it's going to be a long oneshot. I didn't even realize it was long as I was busy pouring my ideas when writing this.
Masquerade (RenAirin)“Please come with us, Rena!”
“Yeah, please Rena pretty please?”
Hiramatsu Kanako and Nakanishi Yuka begged to their knees in front of the girl who was engrossed playing her DS, too busy with her virtual girlfriend, Rinko-san. The girl didn’t even care to look at her friends who were pleading with their puppy eyes in hopes for her to turn to look at them.
Kanako stood up and shook Rena’s shoulder vigorously. “Rena~ please, we want you to come with us.” She whined with her signature strawberry voice, hoping for the girl who was sitting in front of her melts.
“No.” Rena said curtly and continued playing with her game, lost in her own virtual 2D world.
Kanako sighed in defeat and she turned to look at Yuka. Yuka shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Kanako waited for a while, thinking what ways that might be effective for Rena to agree to join them. Suddenly, a bulb lighted on her head.
“If you refuse again, I will definitely kiss you this time, Rena.” Kanako threatened as she wrapped her arms around Rena’s neck and started puckering her lips.
She had previously tried to kiss her several times with her many tactics from baiting Rena with sweets to pulling her closer and many more. Unfortunately, her plans always failed because Rena knows how protect herself.
Rena closed her DS and turned to the girl beside her and stretched the girl’s elastic check.
“Nope, you’re not going to, Kana-chan.” Rena playfully stretched and pressed the girl’s cheeks.
Kanako tried to let herself free but Rena’s strong grip on her cheeks prevents her from doing so. She turned to Yuka for help but the boyish girl tried to stifle her laughs watching her.
“Meanie~” Kanako pouted. Rena let her go and patted her head with a satisfied smile.
“Why do I have to go? You two can go together and besides I’m not interested in some ball.”
“If it’s the two of us, it’s like we’re dating!” Kanako protested stomping her feet and Yuka nodded. Yuka was only silent because she was eyeing the device on the table which Rena wasn’t aware of.
“So?” Rena quirked her eyebrow and added, “What about the others?”
“Just put it this way, if you join us, we promise to treat you for a ramen. You can order whatever you want and it’s all on us.” said Yuka, finally speaking. Slowly, she tried to grab the DS away from her owner.
Rena pondered about the request. Surely she doesn’t want it to slip by. She heaved out a heavy sigh and rubbed both of her temples.
“Okay, okay. I’m coming. Remember, I’m doing this for you guys and there better be no dirty tricks or what so ever.”
The two beamed in anticipation with stars sparkling in their eyes. Yuka smiled triumphantly and said, “I’m going to hold this for a while in case you decided to change your mind and leave us.” She waved the DS in front of her and Rena stared at her in aghast. She looked on the table and her DS was gone just like that and now in the hands of her friend.
“Wha-? Yuka-chan! Give me my DS back!”
Kanako and Yuka ran out from the room laughing like little kids, leaving Rena frustrated on her seat.
-
“I understand you two want me to join in this ball,” said Rena, trying to calm her nerves and added, “but why do I have to wear a SUIT!?” She was utterly bewildered looking at the black suit on Yuka’s hands.
The two laughed looking at her desperate expressions and Yuka handed her the suit and Rena couldn’t stop looking up and down at the suit. It was a black suit with a white shirt and a bow tie.
“Do you want your DS or not?” said Yuka half tauntingly and half teasing in her voice, remembering her about their deal. Rena narrowed her eyes and sighed.
“Don’t worry about it, Rena. Yuka-chan will also wearing a suit just like you.”
After staring at herself in the mirror, she admitted to herself that she really do looked good. Pretty damned good to be exact. The thing that wears off was her hair. Yuka had said that she didn’t have to wear a wig and Rena wondered what hairstyle should be the best. She tied her hair in a ponytail and she fixed her bangs, parting it to the left.
‘This should be okay…’The last thing to do was the bowtie. She tried so many ways to tie it perfectly but it failed miserably and she almost choked herself.
“Kana-chan, can you help me fix this bowtie?” she asked as she came out of the bathroom, buttoning the button on her wrist. When she looked up Kanako was staring at her with her mouth slightly opened, too enthralled by the person in front of her.
“Kana-chan?” Rena waved her hand and she was hugged by the girl who was already wearing her pink dress, squealing up and down.
“Rena, is this you!? Oh god, kakkoi!”
“Uh- Ka…Kana-chan…can’t breathe.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Hehehe I was too stunned looking at you when you stepped out from the bathroom.” She smiled cheekily as she rubbed her reddened cheeks.
“Can you fix my bowtie?”
“Sure!”
“I must say, you look really good, Rena.” said Yuka, inspecting her up and down with her hand on her chin. “Don’t forget to wear this.” she tossed her a black box and Rena opened it revealing a black mask that was beautifully engraved with gold lines on the left side. “We’re going to a masquerade ball.”
“I thought it was going to be an ordinary ball?” Rena asked quizzically.
“Nope, we’re going to play a game of disguises.” Kanako chirped happily, already wearing her fluffy white mask.
“How do we get there?”
Yuka smiled coyly as twirled the car keys on her hand.
“Yuka-sama is at your service.”
When they had arrived at the ballroom, all eyes were set upon them and Rena was feeling queasy by the attention that she got. The stares she got from the people were terrifying. Kanako, who stood between the two girls, circled her arms around their hand. Her left hand on Yuka’s right hand and her right hand on Rena’s left hand.
“I feel like a princess with her two knights in shining amour~” she chirped happily looking at the two girls. “The girls here also want to kill me, too.” She added ruefully and Yuka chuckled.
‘It’s going to be a long night…’ thought Rena, adjusting her black mask.
Although some of the people were busy socializing, Rena could still feel the hungry gazes but she shrugged the feeling off and just wanted to enjoy the night.
When the trio joined the crowd, two girls greeted them and Kanako quickly went to the girl who was wearing a dark green dress which Rena deduced it was Deguchi Aki.
“I’m not surprise about Yuka but…wow…Rena you look,” Aki stopped for a while, searching for the suitable words for Rena.
“Stunning.” said the girl beside Yuka, smiling with her dimples showing.
“T-thanks, Rika-chan.”
“Yeah! That’s right! You look stunning and-” before she could go any further, Kanako cuts her off.
“and handsome!”
“Kana-chan! Don’t interrupt me!” said Aki with a frown looking at the hyper girl.
“Sowwy~”
Rena quirked her eyebrow as she realized that both of her friends that forced her to join already had a partner and she pulled Yuka closer to her and whispered, “You didn’t tell me that you two already had a partner!”
“I didn’t? Oh, sorry about that, I guess I forgot.” Yuka smiled innocently at her that makes Rena want to strangle her. “Just ask someone to dance with you. This is a masquerade ball; no one will know who you are.”
Rena set her back against the wall, observing the people with her steely eyes. She was not interested on asking people to have a dance with her as she doesn’t have that much confidence on her dancing. She thought that maybe she could step on their feet or worst, stepping on her partner’s dress that will humiliates her.
She wished she had her DS in her hands to occupy her mind from all of the things that unfold in front of her. She cursed silently to her to friends for tricking her to come along to this masquerade ball and Yuka for stealing her DS away from her.
‘I wonder what Rinko-san’s doing right now.’She was snapped from her thoughts when three girls approached her. She tried to run away as she knows this was not going to be good but she was too late. The girls had already cornered her like a lost puppy.
They were asking her to have a dance with one of them and Rena politely declined the invitation saying that she was only her accompanying her friends and added, “My date has still not yet arrive.” She lied, flashing them a smile that made the three of them squealed in delight.
It was to be expected, no one can resist about her. Her pale skin, beautiful complexion and sharp brown eyes were making all of the people dying to have her. But too bad, she was not that easy.
After they had left, Rena sighed in relief; glad that it went well without her telling even more lies to convince them.
But then, her full attention diverted to the new people who were standing at the entrance door. She didn’t know why so suddenly she turned to them. As if there was a magnet that attracts her to their direction. Some of the people were also looking at the two new comers.
One of them was wearing a magenta colored dress with black translucent gloves. She wore a red mask and her hair fell down perfectly behind her back. The other one was wearing a light yellow dress that hung until her knees and she was wearing a mask that looked like the shape of a bird’s face.
Both of them are beautiful that words were stuck on Rena’s throat making her unable to speak. They were like royal princesses. The one that fully caught her attention was the girl wearing the red mask.
“Ask one of them to dance with you.” a voice suddenly came out of no where startling her and when she turned around, Yuka was standing behind her with a grin.
“I told you I’m not interested.” said Rena, clearing her throat.
Yuka rolled her eyes for her excuses and stepped closer slapping Rena’s back. “How about this, if you ask one of them to dance with you, I will give you your DS right away. Deal?”
Rena’s eyes widened in horror as she restrained to strangled the girl who constantly teasing her. “What? Are you crazy, Yuka-chan? There’s no way I could ask them!” Rena could feel her cheeks started to heating up under her black mask as she waved her hands frantically.
Yuka’s grin grew wider. “Well, that means I’m going to hold it for a while then.”
Rena looked down and started thinking what to do. She really wants her DS so badly and there’s no other way to get her gaming device from the cunning Yuka. When she was about to speak, Yuka was nowhere to be found and she let out a grunt.
Rena stepped closer to the dance floor ignoring the gazes from the other people. She watched the two girls came down from the stairs and it was no surprise that some of the guys are asking them for a dance. The girl with the yellow dress accepted one of the invitations whilst the other declined it all and Rena found herself smiling.
She observed the girl more before making her moves. This was all for the sake to get her DS back and she knows that Yuka was watching her somewhere in the crowd.
The girl went to the snack bar and Rena followed her, walking very slowly not trying to scare the girl off as if she was a stalker. Every step that she takes, she couldn’t understand why her heart started beating faster.
The guys are still persistent on asking the girl for a dance and Rena stopped on her tracks. She could see the girl was slightly annoyed but she just bowed politely to them and Rena felt overjoyed. She might still have the chance to ask her for a dance. Before she could go any further, she adjusted her mask and black coat and took a deep breath to compose herself.
“Are you alone here?” Rena asked cautiously trying to strike up a conversation as she stood beside the girl. She didn’t even dare to look at the girl’s face.
The girl was silent at first and Rena felt really uncomfortable by the outcome. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the girl looked up at her with a faint smile.
“No, I’m with a friend,” she said with a sweet voice that makes Rena’s heart skipped a beat. “but she’s already on the dance floor.”
“Oh, what about you? Why don’t you dance? I bet the guys here want you to be his partner.” said Rena, trying not to be obvious that the fact she already knew.
“I declined them all and I’m only here accompanying my friend.” She said shyly.
‘Woah, she’s the same as me…’ They both lapsed into an uncomfortable silence before Rena decided to make her move.
“If that’s the case,” Rena straightened herself up and turned facing the girl beside her. “Since we’re here for the same reason,” she slightly bowed herself with her hand held up to the girl. “May I have this dance?” she asked with a genuine smile that she never thought she had it in herself. Rena prayed the girl to take her hand or else she will look like a fool. “You know, to keep people away from approaching us.”
With no hesitation in her eyes, the girl took her hand. “Yes, you may.”
Rena lifted her hand and placed it on her crooked elbow before escorting her to the dance floor full of waltzing people. They faced each other and bowed before they started to dance. Rena carefully took the girl’s left hand and gently put it on her right shoulder while her right hand holding the girl’s waist.
“I’m sorry if step on your foot. Honestly, I’m not really good at waltzing.”
The girl chuckled and squeezed her hand, “Don’t worry about it. We’re the same.”
Rena felt all her worries washed away in an instant and little by little, she felt her confidence started to building up in herself. She looked down and the girl was intently gazing at her eyes. Rena’s pure brown eyes stared down at the mesmerizing dark brown eyes. That very moment, Rena felt something stirring inside of her.
Looking straight to the girl’s eyes, she feels like she was about to melt any second. The being that she was holding was indeed beautiful that she wants to know the face that hides behind the red mask. The feeling that stirred inside of her was not foreign to her. She had felt like this whenever she had fallen for a 2D character.
They moved to the right beat of the music and they danced like they are the only one in the ballroom. Rena couldn’t even believe that she could dance well. All of the other couples were shooting them an envious glances that some of the girls had complained to their partner to dance like them.
“What’s your name?” Rena heard the girl said as she twirled her. Rena stopped when she stood behind the girl.
“Just let it be a secret for a while, Aka-san.” She whispered to her ear with a grin plastered on her face.
A smile adorned her beautiful face and she decided to join Rena’s game. “As you wish, Kuro-san”
Sweet voices and laughs fill the air, and so the mirth and the music the masquerade went on. They dance with their hearts’ content and the girl asked her another question,” why is that Kuro-san wearing a suit rather than a dress?” she said innocently that makes Rena sweat dropped. The one that only knew her true identity was only her friends and even the girls who tried to approach her didn’t know the differences about her but the girl in red knew.
Rena sighed, “My friend forced me to wear this. I had no choice. They also dragged me to join them. I’m sorry if I disappoint you.”
The girl shook her head and lifted Rena’s chin, looking straight to her eyes. “I don’t care about that. We’re here to enjoy ourselves and I’m happy that you are my dance partner and not some random guy that only go for looks.”
Rena couldn’t even deny t anymore by the fact she was smitten by the girl. She didn’t even care about her DS anymore. The girl had completely invaded her mind. When the music started to change, all of the dancers changed their partners and Rena unwillingly let the girl go to somebody else. Their eyes were locked together even when they were apart as if there was an invisible thread that had already connected to them.
To her surprise, her change in partner was Yuka and the boyish girl was smiling curiously at her that Rena couldn’t able to read what was hidden behind her smile.
“I see you’ve found someone.”
Rena only nodded and she felt really uncomfortable by the situation she’s in now. Two girls wearing a suit, dancing with each other? That doesn’t seem quite right.
“Forget about the DS, Yuka-chan. You can give me whenever you want. I think…I’ve found something far better than that.” She said with a red hue on her cheeks that make Yuka taken aback by her words.
“I think we should change. People are starting to stare at us.” She shuddered at the feeling.
“Let them be. We’re here for fun. Why don’t you take another step?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know…,” Yuka leaned closer and whispered something that makes Rena’s cheeks heating up.
“Yuka-chan! Are you crazy!?”
“Awwww~ Rena is so cute when she’s angry.” Yuka playfully pinched Rena’s cheeks which Rena shoots her with incredulous looks.
“Remember this Rena, a masquerade can be also a love parade~” she then disappeared to the crowd leaving the blushing girl alone.
“Baka.”
With a big hope to find the girl, Rena searched the whole area. One minute she was there and then she disappeared again. Even though there were a lot of girls wearing a red mask, neither of them was her and Rena knew it. The girl had already embedded in her mind. Her gestures, smiles and eyes, she knew it all.
Everywhere she looked; there was no sign of the girl. But then, out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted someone leaving through the entrance door.
The person was wearing a magenta colored dress. Right at that time, it hits her Rena that the person was the one she’s searching for. Without wasting more time, she quickly followed the girl.
Outside the room was completely deserted and Rena ran along the hallway trying to catch up with the girl. Just like in the ballroom, the girl was fast and she disappears quickly from Rena’s view.
‘Where is she…’After searching nearly ten minutes of spinning head and turns, she found the girl sitting on the bench at the garden and to her awe, the garden was big and the flowers and bushes were neatly trimmed and there was a small fountain. What makes it more beautiful was the garden was shimmered by the moonlight.
Rena slowly tip-toed to the girl and closed her eyes as she bends down and whispered softly, “Guess who?”
It didn’t take her for a minute to figure out who was the person behind her. “Kuro-san?” she said as she removed the hands from her eyes and looked up at the girl.
Rena took a seat beside the girl and huffed. “You’re fast. I had to run to catch up with you.”
“Why are you looking for me?”
"Because it was no fun without you inside, Aka-san.”
“You’re lying.
“Oh, so you didn’t believe me?”
“Why should I?” The girl asked slyly that perked Rena’s interest.
“If Aka-san didn’t believe me,” Rena stood up and dusted her black coat before bending down again for the girl with her hand held up for the girl, “May I have this dance again?”
With sheer enthusiasm, the girl smiled and took her hand.
They dance peacefully on the pavement near the fountain with only a faint music assisting them from inside the ballroom. Rena didn’t even care; she felt the music was playing loudly in her mind.
Time slipped by so quickly and they stopped, staring at each other with their mask still concealed half of their faces, hands still linked to one another. What they desire know was to know who is the person behind the mask that had taken their hearts.
Not far from them, two girls were standing at the balcony looking at them with great interest. One wearing a silver mask and the other pink.
“It works, huh?” the girl with the silver mask said with her arms folded on her chest.
“Yep, they look lovely~” the girl in the pink mask giggled.
They were joined by another girl who was wearing the light yellow dress. “Should we call them now, Nakanishi-san?”
“Ah, Churi! Not yet, we’ll wait for a while. Something good is going to happen.” She grinned and the girl nodded in respond.
“Can I see the face of my partner?” the girl asked as she traced her fingers from Rena’s jaw line to her cheek. Rena shuddered a little by the soft touches that make her heart beats crazily. She gulped a couple times as her eyes looked down at the girl’s eyes, looking at it until her knees felt weak.
Before she could allow the girl to remove her mask, she asked, “Can I see yours first?” the girl nodded and Rena took a deep breath, preparing to see what lies behind those mask that hides the beauty of the girl.
Slowly and carefully, she removed the mask and immediately her breath was stuck on her throat. Beautiful wasn’t strong enough to describe the girl. She was more than that. She was like an angel or goddess maybe.
“Can I?” she asked and Rena could only nodded once, unable to talk.
“You’re eyes is beautiful…” Rena heard the girl complimented and she smiled goofily as she snapped her eyes away from her. The girl let out a chuckled slipped from her lips, amused looking at her.
“Furukawa Airi.” She said shyly, telling her name before Rena.
“Matsui Rena.” Rena smiled as she took Airi’s hand and kissed it gently.
“Hey, Rena! We’re going back home now!” Yuka shouted as she waved her hand which startled both of them and when they looked up, Yuka was grinning like the devil and the other two was laughing.
“Airin, let’s go home~”
Rena immediately released her hand and Airi still could feel Rena’s soft kiss lingered on her hand. Both of them was blushing madly and backed away from each other.”
“I will get you when we get home, Yuka-chan. You too, Kana-chan.” Airi heard Rena whispered quietly and she giggled.
“We’ve been caught, huh?” said Rena as she heaved out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head. “I guess this is where we said our goodbyes?”
“I guess so…” Rena saw that Airi was still wants to stay a bit longer as she saw that Airi was a little disappointed that they were about to leave.
Rena thought for a while and idea popped in her head as she took out her hand phone. “Can we exchange e-mail addresses? That way we can contact each other.”
After exchanging information about each other, Rena decided to ask her for her final request. She asked to take a picture of Airi and Airi agreed saying she wants her picture also.
“See you next time, Airin.” said Rena, using Airi’s nickname that she had from the girl in the yellow dress.
A faint red tinted Airi’s cheeks as she heard Rena’s using her name. “See you next time too, Rena-san. It was fun to be with you tonight.”
‘How about kissing her?’ Yuka’s voice rang in her mind as she had previously whispered into her ear. It was beyond her wildest dream to kiss someone and she quickly shrugged off the feeling.
When Rena bowed at her, Airi took the opportunity to touch Rena’s face and brush her lips on Rena’s delicate pale skin. Planting a soft kiss as she smiled coyly when she saw Rena’s face completely red that she looks like she was about to faint at any second.
“So how was it?” You really looked romantic.” Yuka asked as she stirred the wheel with Kanako sleeping at the back.
“You planned about this don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about~” Yuka said with a sing song voice.
The frown on Rena’s face turned to a shy smile as she tried to hide her embarrassment. “I enjoyed it. Thanks Yuka-chan…”
“Aww, cuteness overload! Come here!” when Yuka was about to pinch her cheek, Rena slapped her hand away and said, “Don’t forget, tomorrow you and Kana-chan are going to treat me for a ramen. I want to go to the best ramen shop that is so expensive.” said Rena with a victory smile as she emphasized the word ‘expensive’ and for the first time she saw the grin that always plastered on Yuka’s face faded.
“Yes, Rena-sama.” said Yuka in a defeated voice as she cried in herself for her money. Rena turned her attention to the photo on her hand phone.
At the same time at the different places, they said to theirselves,
‘I’m going to make this as my wallpaper..’
*Aka - Red
*Kuro - Black
I was debating whether to use Kuro or Kuroi but decided the last minute to use Kuro instead.
Ahh, RenAirin. My OTP (also includes GekiBlack)
Hmmmm...... What should I write next?
Topic: Sol's One-shots. Follow Your Heart (RenAirin) [12/24] (Read 16223 times)