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Chapter 21: Shattered
“It’s terrible! It’s terrible!” Koharu poked her head at the lobby door.
“We’re having a terrible time too,” Miki tilted her head backwards from the black leather couch. Yossie sat opposite of her, in glasses, and looking at various papers on the small low table in front of them.
“The concert tour is just around the corner, and we didn’t even practice the choreography on the stage yet, with everyone’s schedule conflicting with Futsal and Kickbase and such…” Yossie sighed.
“Then shouldn’t we do something about our practices?” Koharu leaned over the black leather couch.
“What do you think we’re doing now, eh?” Miki raised her hand to caress the miracle girl’s hair.
“Anywho, what was terrible?” Yossie took her glasses off and set the papers back on the table.
“Niigaki-san thrashed her room!” Koharu tilted her head and smiled like the miracle she was.
‘Thrashed her room’ she says, happily… The leader and sub-leader looked at Koharu, the tomboy with a nervous smile, and the groping demon with a frank glare. Koharu was still smiling amidst the looks she was receiving from her elders.
The parental units got up from the couches, and left immediately for Risa’s room. There was already a slight crowd at her door. Eri, Sayumi, and Reina were already there, too scared to venture into the storm. The door was cracked, though not severely to the point where a simple flick could shatter it fully. The leader tried her best to get the rokkies back to their rooms while Miki dared herself to enter the den.
Miki closed the door behind her, wary of the fist marks on the door. The room itself wasn’t as thrashed as she thought it would be. It seemed that a bunch of children came in and relentlessly threw anything they could get their hands on around the room. One thing’s for sure: watch out for the mirror shards in front of the dresser. Risa stood with her back to the sub-leader, clenching her fists tightly. She turned her head menacingly and slowly, only to the point that her eyes’ pupils looked at the fifth orochi head, “What?” she said in a matching demonic voice.
“Hey, brat, don’t scare the kiddies,” Miki leaned against the beaten door with her arms crossed.
“Why should I care?”
“You’ll transform of stress, m’dear,” Miki said as she closed her eyes and waved a finger from side to side like a pendulum. She heard a sudden noise, and felt breathing on her face. When she opened her eyes again, Risa had trapped Miki between arms. That is to say, both arms of Risa were placed a few centimeters from Miki’s shoulders. Amidst this sudden movement, Miki still had that smug look, and still had her arms crossed.
“I frankly don’t care if the curse is found out or not. It’s better than hiding behind layers of clothes or never kissing anyone on the lips!”
“Take it easy, Gaki,” Miki was still composed, “You know Ojou-sama will get angry if you get careless.”
“I won’t take it easy! I don’t care about what she thinks!”
“Hey. Don’t raise your voice on me out of all people,” Miki gripped her arms a bit tighter, getting annoyed.
“I’ll do what I wish!” Risa used her right arm to get a hold of Miki’s neck, though not choking, but only as means of threat. Surprisingly, Miki was still calm.
“What now, m’dear 8th head? Don’t strangle your elder,” Miki smirked, as if inviting.
“Then make me!”
Risa regretted what she said, for Miki took hold of her right arm, jerked it from her neck, and moved as quickly as a snake, and kissed Risa. Both being cursed, none of them transformed. Though, the touching demon’s tongue slithered into Risa’s mouth, catching her way off guard. Using this opportunity, Miki kneed the younger in the stomach, thus releasing her to stumble backwards on the ground.
“Aaaaand I made you,” Miki wiped her lips with the back of her left hand, “Don’t mess with me, you know you’ll always lose.”
“Alright, I think I’m calm now…” Risa rubbed her poor butt, “But why a kiss?! You could’ve simply kneed me! Ugh, I’ve been kissed by Miki! The feeling is so groooss~! Why a kiss?!”
“Calm? You’re back to normal,” Miki sighed, “Mind if you tell your gross sub-leader what caused you to flip out like that?”
Risa moved backwards and did a 90 degree turn, thus, making her back against the foot of her bed. “I was dumped.”
“What the hell?” Miki walked over and sat on the bed.
“It didn’t sink in at first… But as the days went by, I got more and more irritated… And today, I was thinking about it again, and well… You saw the result,” Risa looked around her room. “It was kind of a secret that we were going out… I have no idea what happened but suddenly, she simply just…” Risa’s words became less audible.
“I don’t need you anymore. Stay the hell away from me.”
“…Why?”
“Why what?” Miki looked down at her junior.
“Why do I feel like I need her so badly? I love Ai-chan very much…”
Miki had no comment about being poured onto. The only comfort she could give Risa was a pat on the head, and she did so.
“So, Gaki, what are you going to do now? Mope around?”
“I shouldn’t let this get in the way of work…” Risa stood up, “I’m going to clean up now, tell the rokkies my apologies for scaring them, though, don’t tell them about why I did.”
“I don’t normally take orders like that, but just for that reasoning, I’ll let you slide by.”
“Thank you!” Risa bowed her head to Miki, who was just leaving.
Just before Miki shut the door she looked back at Risa, “Oh by the way…”
“Hmm?”
“That kiss really was gross, you taste like soy sauce,” Miki stuck out her tongue in a disgusted manner and then she left.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“That was really scary…” Reina sighed as she rolled over on her bed.
“Even from upstairs, I could hear the noise…” Maki said, leaning against the side of the bed, close to where Reina’s head was.
Out of boredom, Reina curled her legs, and rolled forward and backwards on the bed, ignoring the blood rushing to her head every time her head was upside down. However, she misjudged the distance of her bed after the fifth time, and landed on Maki’s lap.
“Be careful next time,” Maki raised a brow, “I was thankful I tilted my head to the side, other wise, I’d be hit by your feet.”
“Sorry,” Reina bowed apologetically.
Both of them froze however. There Reina was, each of her legs outside of Maki’s. In other words, Maki’s legs were in between Reina’s. To add to the embarrassment, Reina, on instinct, had placed her arms around Maki’s neck as soon as she landed, whereas Maki loosely wrapped her arms around Reina’s waist.
Reina fought for words to say. Maki was also fighting for words to say. Hell, they are both screaming internally in their minds.
The door was knocked upon, and immediately, Reina got off of Maki and onto the bed, to which Maki tried to compose herself to look as if nothing happened, both feared that someone, perhaps Yossie, might walk in on an awkward scene. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Yossie.
It was Risa.
“Ah! Gottsuan’s here too?” Risa raised a thick brow.
“Nii-nii? What brings you here?”
“I had a feeling Miki-chan didn’t go off telling the rokkies my apologies, so I’m doing it myself…” Risa rubbed the back of her head shyly.
“It’s all right…” Reina waved her hand dismissively. “As long as no one’s hurt, right?”
“…Yeah, I guess if you look at it that way…” Risa smiled.
“What was the rage about?” Maki stood up and sat on the bed.
“Nothing wrong. Just a small fight with Ai, that’s all,” Risa looked off to the side.
“Is that so…?” Maki narrowed her eyes a bit.
“Where’s Ai then?” Reina asked.
“Not sure…” Risa looked at the ceiling. “But knowing her, she doesn’t hold her grudges too long for me anyway…” the eighth head let out a small sad smile.
“Is it because you’re the eighth head?”
“Lies,” Risa sat down on the bed as well.
“What’s this about being the eighth head? Something wrong with that?” Reina tilted her head in confusion.
“Well you know about the story, right?” Maki asked. Reina nodded.
“Well you see… the eighth head was first killed by Susanoo. Not only that, the eighth head was also the one who was supposed to eat Kushinada, so often, the others made fun of the eighth head because of that…” Risa brought her knees to her chest.
“Well, I don’t make fun of the eighth for that…” Maki patted Risa, “But…” Maki’s face turned to Reina, “Miki and everyone else of her kind made fun of that story, saying that it was pathetic and such…”
“It felt like it was me being the one they called stupid…” Risa turned her head away from Maki and Reina. “It felt like I was the one who was the idiot… Though it changed…Gottsuan saved me, kind of.”
“Did she?” Reina looked at Maki with a smirk.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Are you sulking?” a voice from behind called out.
“I’m not sulking!” the pigtailed girl said with a grumble.
“It’s because of the eighth head stories, right?” Maki said as she leaned on the bridge railing, looking at the river below. Another inaudible grumble came from Risa.
“It’s your fault they keep making fun of me!”
“Eh?”
“The stories also say that we both fought over the seventh girl! And if I got that meal, then you would’ve been the one, not me!”
“You’re pushing me to blame for something that’s not directed at you?”
“Huh?” it was Risa’s turn to be confused.
“You’re not a pathetic person, are you?”
“No… No I’m not…”
“Because you know, if you listen to those stories, and think you’re the one being laughed at, then that itself is pathetic… you know?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“And you know what? I miss those times when you still wore your hair in pigtails and your eyebrows were the most noticeable thing of all…” Maki chuckled.
“Thank goodness I cut my bangs…” Risa went shifty-eyed.
“But you still wear your hair in pigtails sometimes, so…” Reina rolled her eyes.
“Lies! Lies!” Risa shook her head.
“Reaction queen,” Maki and Reina both pointed at Risa. The eighth head gave a pout, realizing her mistake.
“I need to go apologize to Eri now, haven’t gone to her room yet.”
“In that case, have fun,” Reina waved.
Just then, something came crashing through Reina’s balcony door, shattering the glass.
The three stared in the direction of the gentle breeze that entered.
“Alright, I swear, the devil’s after my room,” Reina bent over and held her head, pretending to be in pain. “Why the hell does my room get screwed up?!”
Risa stood in front of the shattered glass, and raised her hands high, “Oh mighty one~! Stop the wind~! Stop the room-bashing~!”
“Like hell that’s going to work!” Reina glared at Risa.
“Let’s get some duct tape and a sheet, I don’t think glass doors are repaired instantly…” Maki got up, and opened the door.
“Yeah… Let me go tell Leader then…” Reina went ahead. She knocked on the door of the leader’s room, and eventually, the door opened, and there Yossie was, in glasses again.
“Some idiot threw a rock and broke my balcony door. Don’t know who it is though,” Reina explained.
“I see, so that was the noise…” Yossie readjusted her glasses.
“Just letting you know, that’s all,” and with that, Reina left with Maki and Risa.
Yossie closed the door, and sighed, “Something cursed Reina’s room, I just know it…”
Then, there were more knocks at her door. Confused, Yossie turned around and opened the door. There was a woman in front of her door, with long flowing hair, and staring at her contemptuously.
“For your information… I wasn’t the one who threw the rock at the balcony door,” Ai Takahashi said, glaring at Yossie.
“Haha, not sure if that’s sarcasm or what,” Yossie smiled, and then turned around to return to her business of doing some paperwork. As she walked, she heard the door shut, and felt arms wrapped around her slender waist. “Eh? What’s the meaning of this?”
“You know, don’t you?” Ai said in a serious voice in Yossie’s ear, “Why I came? What I’m thinking about—what I want? You know, don’t you? Hitomi?”
“My my, using first names with me now?” Yossie released herself from Ai’s grasp and sat in a chair with a coffee stand next to it with all the paperwork.
“Answer me.”
“Do I know?” Yossie took off her glasses, “I’m not sure if what I’ll say will satisfy you.”
“Answer me. Hitomi.”
“I wonder…” Yossie closed her eyes, “Do I look like I’m simple?”
“No, you don’t. Not at all.”
“Heh,” Yossie opened her eyes and looked at Ai with a smirk and scheming eyes, “Then are you simply stupid?”
Ai kneeled next to Yossie, hands on the side of the chair, “Don’t fool around, the way you talk—the way you talk to everyone—its all as if you’re testing us.”
“Is that foolishness a part of your plan? Nonetheless… I’ll tell you what I know,” Yossie stroked her imaginary beard.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Risa had already left to order a new door. Meanwhile, Reina was on the balcony, on a mini step ladder, trying to tape the sheet to the top, with Maki in the room, holding the sheet up.
“You got it?” Maki asked, on tip toe holding the sheet up.
“Not yet. The tape’s stubborn, giving me a hard time, I’m tellin’ ya,” Reina grumbled.
“Fukuoka accent, can’t understand you well,” Maki chuckled.
Thank goodness a sheet separated her and Maki, for Reina wouldn’t forgive herself if Maki saw her blushing. While thinking about the consequences, Reina slipped when she tried to tape the upper part. Reina fell forward—and she was sure she landed on Maki. However, Maki seemed to have suspected it, for she was still standing, using her arms to support Reina through the sheet that separated them.
What will happen…?
For some odd reason, Reina didn’t want to move. Neither did Maki, whose arms were now embracing Reina. The sheet, surprisingly, was successfully taped at the top, so it didn’t fall on either of them.
“Are you alright?” Maki asked, still holding Reina in her arms.
What will happen when the door opens?
“I’m alright, thank you for catching me…” Reina wanted to mentally slap herself for blushing so hard.
What will be gained?
Realizing how long she held Reina, “I’m sorry… We should finish taping this,” Maki said.
What will be lost?
…Yossie’s hand caressed Ai’s cheek, until her thumb was now tracing the outlines of her lips…
Topic: Our Cursed Gift [Chapter 47: Our Final Promise][COMPLETE] (Read 161092 times)