Short and boring chapter D:
Chapter 22: Prime Numbers
And so, the true journey begins…
“Huh? You too?” Reina raised a brow.
“You were called too?” Maki also raised a brow.
“Good, you’re both here…” Megumi walked in.
Everyone was gathered in a random shopping district; more specifically, a more desolate shopping district, in disguise. Reina was in a pair of sunglasses, as usual. Maki had a beanie, and tied her hair in pigtails in the back, and wore that four-buttoned coat again. Megumi had her hair in a high ponytail, and wore a classy jacket, one that is similar to Maki’s, only it ended at her waist rather than her feet.
“I understand why you have us here…” Maki began, “but why the hell did you bring her here too?!” she raised her voice, pointing to other girl clad in a simple sweat-shirt and padded vest.
“Why the hell not?!” Miki had her arms crossed. Apparently, she decided to wear her colored contacts with un-corrected vision, and wore glasses.
“Ah…The more opinions, the better, yes?” Megumi looked at the sky, having a bored face.
“Opinions of what exactly?” the three said at once.
“Masae-kun recently asked me to find good colors for her hair.”
“I thought Ootani-san said she was getting too old for coloring her hair?” Maki scratched the back of her head.
“Old habits are hard to break,” Megumi said in a straight voice.
“And she says that, looking at me…” Miki went shifty-eyed.
“You’re like a pedophile too, really. I’ve seen you grope some of the kids,” Maki sighed.
“And I’ve seen you smack some of the kindergarteners’ butts in that Haromoni episode too!” Reina gripped her arms, and shivered, “it was creepy to look at!”
“Ah… Now that I think of it… your group of children was very rowdy… Your influence probably played a part…”
“Shut up~!” Miki glared.
“Ah…Corruption of youth…” Megumi looked up at the sky again and sighed.
“I said shut up~!” Miki gave Megumi a playful smack.
“Back to the matter at hand… You said Ootani-san wants a new hair color? Why’d she ask you? She’s the one who usually comes up with her own hair, yes?” Maki asked.
“Ah… She wanted to try something new, and wants me to come up with it…”
“What’s a color she hasn’t tried yet?” Reina closed her eyes in a drone-like manner. “I don’t think there’s a color she hasn’t tried on…”
“Well…What did she have?” Miki raised her hand to count, “Blue...Green…Pink…Blonde…Brown…Red…White…Black…Purple…”
“It’s impossible, she’s had every color…” Maki looked at the floor gloomily.
“Maybe we should mix them together, like she did with everything else?” Miki raised a hand.
“Ah… True, what are two colors she hasn’t combined?” Megumi readjusted her glasses.
“You know what? Let’s just buy everything and put it all in a bucket, and we’ll stick her head in,” Miki crossed her arms, already bored.
“Ah… I think she’s done that once… with the white and blue and red during her short spikey hair era…”
“Murata-san, she didn’t say it’s not okay to choose colors she’s had before, right?”
“Ah…Reina, I guess she did not… In that case, we do have our freedoms…”
“Instead of standing around gawking and talking, we should go in the store and look…” Miki said in an annoyed voice as she walked into the store.
Everyone else also went into the store and immediately headed for the shelf containing all the hair dyes.
“Ah… She also cut her hair… It is the same hair she sported in Sukeban Deka…” Megumi looked blank again, “Ah…those three minutes of blonde glory before blowing up…”
“Don’t act like you’re so proud of it…You weren’t the one in the movie…” Miki said as she was looking at the back of two random hair-dye boxes.
“Hmm… This kind of purple with blonde looks nice…” Megumi looked at the two boxes.
“Haven’t seen that shade of color on Ootani yet…” Miki briefly glanced. Indeed, it was obvious that she was bored.
“It would look really nice…” Reina went into critiquing-artist mode, placing her thumb and index finger on her chin.
“I agree,” Maki said as she looked over Megumi’s shoulder.
“Ah… Then it’s settled…”
“Yay, we wasted a simple 5 minutes,” Miki lazily threw her arms up in the air. “May I go home now? There’s movies waiting to be watched~!” After receiving a nod, Miki left everyone immediately.
“Ah… Oh well… A small Orochi reunion does not hurt…” Megumi sighed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Next day >:]
Maki wiped the sweat off her face with the towel around her neck, “Nothing like a good morning run…” She walked briskly to the couch and laid on it, fanning herself with her hand.
“Ah…Good morning…”
“Kya~! You scared the spirit out of me!” Maki clung to the sofa, but let go.
“I seem to do that a lot lately,” Megumi chuckled.
“So…” Maki sat down formally, “What did Ootani-san think?”
“Ah…She was happy…She was full of expression…And also… Her boobs grew…” Megumi said, plainly.
“Are you here to thank us, to boast, or sexual harassment?!”
“…All three?” Megumi tilted her head, still holding her expressionless face.
“Anywho…” Maki wiped her face with the towel again, “What brings you here in the morning?”
“Waiting.”
“For Ootani-san?”
“Ah… There’s a mind reader among us…”
“No need to go that far,” Maki raised a brow, “I know you’re waiting for her to come down.”
“So, can you tell me when I’ll get good money?” Megumi looked at Maki, clearly sarcastic.
“Yes, when you sell all your glasses to the wota,” Maki smirked.
“Ah…I’ll fare better if I were to sell your bras.”
Maki was silent, Megumi was hard to tsukkomi most of the time, so she best try not to be the boke any further.
“You and Ootani-san… Do you like each other?” Maki raised that question all of a sudden. Megumi looked at her with a blank face, perhaps attempting to think of an answer.
“If I told you that I love you, would you disappear from my life?”
Masae looked up at the sudden question out of the blue. She set aside the book she was reading and smiled, “No, I won’t disappear from you, definitely.”
“Ah…Thank goodness…” Megumi kneeled in front of Masae, who was sitting down. The orochi then rested her arms on the other’s lap, and rested her head on it. “I’m so glad that I wasn’t rejected…”
“Are you afraid of being alone?” Masae asked as she ran her fingers through Megumi’s hair.
“Ah…All I fear means nothing…When you’re around…”
“I’m happy,” she smiled, then brought Megumi up higher so she could lock the glasses-wearing woman into an embrace, “I won’t disappear from you…I want to stay with you…”
“Hmm… I can’t say…” Megumi looked at the ceiling temporarily, before looking at Maki again. “You and Reina-chan don’t have something special?”
“Of course not…”
“Of course not?” Megumi repeated to her amusement, giving a small smile.
Maki lightly blushed at her choice of words, but immediately countered, “Murata… Does Ootani-san know about the curse?”
There was a brief silence.
Megumi looked up at the ceiling again, “Ah…I was thinking they should change the panels of the ceiling… I can not help but feel like my life is under constant threat because of the poor ceiling quality…”
And she dodges the question completely! Maki thought in her mind, twitching her left eye.
“Megumi!” A voice called out from the entrance to the lobby. Maki could have sworn she saw Megumi flicker to life at the voice, something that’s rare to see in the normally stoic woman. “I’m ready to go.”
“Coming,” Megumi got up from the couch, and then said her farewells to Maki, before walking off to meet with Masae.
“Haha…” Maki rested her head on her hand, “So she’s human too.”
Now… Does Ootani-san really know about the curse or what…? Maki’s thoughts were interrupted when a familiar presence called out to her.
“Done your run?” Reina waved a hand in front of Maki’s face. “You said you’re taking me out for breakfast after your run, so here I am.”
“Alright, let me get changed, and we’ll go,” Maki smiled serenely.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wherever the journey leads…
“So…” Yossie placed her hands behind her head, laying on the bed, “Maki seems to be a little more mature than she was before…”
“I like to see her pursue that direction…” Rika replied, who was sitting on Yossie’s legs.
“Ojou-sama…” Yossie smirked, “You seem troubled.”
Rika then laid on Yossie’s chest, hugging her tightly, “Whatever you’re scheming, it’s doomed to fail, knowing you…”
“What makes you think I’m planning something?” The Morning Musume leader ran her hand across the head’s tresses.
Whether good or ill shall come of this venture…
“It has something to do with Reina, doesn’t it? You always give off that aura…It concerns me…”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that…”
“I guess it’s only my suspicion?” Rika looked up at Yossie from their embrace.
“I suppose so…” Yossie smiled, caressing Rika’s face.
Even God doesn’t know.
Ten + reviews please <3
Topic: Our Cursed Gift [Chapter 47: Our Final Promise][COMPLETE] (Read 161357 times)