Might be boring and long :<
Chapter 24: Conversation
Aya wiped the sweat off her head as she entered the apartment lobby. “Man~! What a day! My voice hurts from all the singing…” She sighed, and accidentally bumped into someone. “Sorry.”
“Sorry,” the other person said, before proceeding to sit down to put her boots on.
“Huh? Takahashi? What are you doing here? I thought you were at the vacation homes?”
“Nothing that matters to you,” Ai simply said.
“Oh well. But Miki’s there! Along with Maki, Eri, Risa…”
“Why don’t you stop forcing yourself on Miki and calling it ‘love’ then,” Ai said in a cold and harsh voice as she turned her head towards Aya, “It disgusts me.”
Aya could only stare back at Ai, “…Why would you say something like that?” she asked, all her enthusiasm gone.
“Well, isn’t that the truth?” Ai still replied in the same harsh tone before walking away.
“Hey! Takahashi! Hey!” Aya’s shouts only echoed in the room as one of the lead singers of Morning Musume left without looking back.
“Had a fight with Takahashi?” a familiar prescence popped up next to Aya.
“Eh? Boss?” Aya looked at the ex-Gatas 13th member, “I don’t know why she’s been acting this cold and harsh lately… It’s like she doesn’t want to belong anywhere… Seems she’s getting more stubborn lately…”
“Actually, I heard you mentioning the vacation, I think it’s best that you don’t meet Miki there, I heard Rika went not too long ago. I think Yossie invited her or something…”
“Seriously?!” Aya’s eyes widened. “I hope Miki will be alright! She and Rika don’t get along too well…” Then she thought otherwise… “Yossie that evil—” and Aya coughed a bit, “Ah, better keep my voice down… Don’t want to get sick…”
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“You’re kidding…” Miki crossed her arms in frustration.
“Yes. Ojou-sama has just arrived in the third house,” Yuko solemnly as she leaned against the door frame.
“Obachan has a third house?” Risa raised a brow, drinking a warm cup of jasmine tea.
“Even so, we have to go and say hello…” Not even the energetic Yuko could hold her energy up for this kind of topic. “We best see her soon, otherwise, she will get a little upset…”
“But…” Maki stared intently at the wood-grain designing of the floor, “Then Reina will be alone…”
“That’s okay, I could always go visit Eri, Sayu, and Koharu in the other house,” Reina raised a finger in the air.
“Ah…Last I remember, they were planning to shop all day…” Megumi said as she relocated her hair from glasses view.
“Damn…” Reina looked off to the side, “Nonetheless, you’re all gathered now anyway, so I think you should go. Don’t worry about me, I’ll find my ways of entertaining myself.”
“…If that’s what you want…” Maki said quietly, looking at the wonky-eyed teen with concerned eyes.
“If that’s the case, we’re leaving now. Last night’s dinner could be reheated in the microwave. Or if you don’t want it, there’s instant ramen in the cupboard somewhere,” Yuko patted Reina. “And uh, I trust that you will not drink alcohol?”
“Of course not. I’m not like you,” Reina muttered as she got out of the way of Yuko’s petting.
“And we shall be off!” Yuko pointed to the direction of the house, and marched off, everyone else following. Maki was the last to lift her foot from the house, as she looked back at Reina, gave a small smile that insisted Reina’s caution in the house, and finally left.
Walking along the long shore, Risa gave a matching long sigh as she lifted her feet in front of the other in boredom of walking normally. Miki had her hands behind her head as she walked nonchalantly with a sideways mouth, wanting to smite fate if she happened to walk by it. They were almost there before someone decided to speak.
“Everyone’s so depressed…” Miki finally commented. “I wonder if the others are already there…”
“I think you should be worried about yourself…”
“Maki’s right, you know Rika isn’t that fond of you,” Risa added in.
“S’all good, I’m used to it.”
“But I really want to get this over with so we can go back…” Risa said as she looked at the setting sun, “Sure, this is our second night here, why can’t we see Rika on the last day of vacation?”
“Don’t be too selfish,” Maki said in a frown.
“Yeah…” Risa smiled, before smiling with sad eyes, “But I really do want to go back…”
“And we’re here!” Yuko opened both doors wide. When they entered the entrance hall, they saw that Kaori was waiting for them. “Kaorin, lead them to the other room, I’ll go get Ojou-sama,” and with that, Kaori lead everyone else elsewhere while Yuko walked down the long hallway. Around the corner of the hallway, in front of the door, was a very familiar person.
“They’re here?” Yossie mused. “What’s Reina doing?”
“She’s watching the house while they’re gone. Is Rika in that room?”
“Nah, just further down this hallway!” Yossie smiled as she walked, Yuko following, “ Just got out of the car with Yui. Though I find it really bizarre, since she never lets the orochi see her…”
“Maybe Ojou-sama gets nervous without her?”
“ Nervous?” Yossie turned her head as they walked, “Ah! Did that woman do something to upset Rika again?”
“Don’t say what is forbidden…” Yuko sighed as she opened the door.
“What took you so long? I expected everyone to already be here when I arrive,” Rika had a slight look of irritation. She was sitting formally on a cushion, with Yui sitting diagonal of her position and facing a perpendicular direction from Rika.
“Everyone’s here now!” Yossie smiled, “They’re waiting.”
“I was the one waiting for them…” Rika said in an annoyed voice as she stood up. “Yui, you should go upstairs. You don’t have to see anyone.” With sudden impulse, Yui stood up, and walked over to the exit of the room.
As she walked by Yossie, they both exchanged different glance at each other. Yui looked at Yossie in a nonchalant, maybe even a slightly sad manner; however, Yossie’s eyes gave the other a rather frightening glare with a smile—her trademark smile with a harsher twist. Yui was then out of the room.
“Alright, I’m going,” Rika followed after, taking a different direction than Yui
Soon, she opened the door, and everyone in the room went silent, awaiting for the first words of their head.
“Welcome, thank you for coming,” Rika smiled, “I’m very happy!”
Everyone was still silent, but they relaxed a bit, knowing she seemed like she was in a good mood.
“I love you all very dearly…”
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“There’s nothing to watch on TV…” Reina complained as she flipped through the channels. “I wonder what they do on a meeting like at anyway… It’s been two hours since they left…” Reina shut off the TV and went up the stairs.
“Now… Did I bring a good—” Reina was interrupted when a FLAMES ring tone emitted from her rear pocket. While wandering on the upper floor hallway, she picked it up, not knowing she was smiling amidst that action, “How’d it go?”
“We’re free to go whenever, so I’m coming back now… Want me to get anything on my way back? I think there’s a store just around the corner here.”
“Milk tea would be nice. It’s better than noni juice,” Reina stuck out her tongue in disgust.
“Haha, I’m on it,” Maki chuckled from the other line.
As she peered over the window, she thought she saw a familiar figure walk by the streets…Her long flowing hair trailing behind her, like an enigma… “Is that…?”
“Eh?”
“So, how’s everyone else?” Reina quickly came up with a question.
“Some of them are already walking back to the second home. Ojou-sama is clinging to Nii-nii at the moment.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Risa was sitting rather casually. She was leaning backwards, her hands supporting her, and she had one leg close to her chest while the other leg was flat on the floor. Rika was sitting with her back to Risa’s curved leg.
“So… I hear Yui’s here? Is that true?” Risa began.
Rika stared blankly at the side, before finally replying, “Even if it was true, I wouldn’t let you see her…”
“Not even Tanakacchi?”
“Why her?”
“Because Yui’s cursed too…”
Rika shifted her head again, and narrowed her eyes, “Does she have to know who’s cursed and such?”
“Well…” Risa looked up, “No… But… It feels unnatural…”
“Unnatural?” Rika tilted her head back, resting it on Risa’s knee, and then she turned to look at Risa from that position, “Haha, Gaki-san’s always saying funny things” she gave a chuckle. “Is there anything else unnatural you would like to say?” Rika continued chuckling.
“No…And I would prefer that you not laugh like that…” Risa said solemnly.
“But it’s funny,” Rika moved her body so that it now faced Risa. “Just like you,” she smiled, placing a hand on Risa’s face, “The funny stupid eighth head.”
At that, Risa slightly tensed her muscles, but eventually, it relaxed. Noticing this change of tension, Rika smiled yet again.
“Oh? Why so down? Did I hurt your feelings?” Rika gave a rather mischievous smile. “Nonetheless, you can go now if you want to. I think everyone else also left.”
“If that’s okay with you,” Risa bowed her head to Rika, before getting up. After receiving a smiling nod, Risa left the room, and left the house.
Rika’s smile vanished from her face as she also left the room, but up the stairs, and into a different room. In that room, Yui was reading a novel, with her back against the wall.
“Enjoying the book?” Rika sat next to Yui, moving her face so that she looked up at the younger girl.
“Yes, it’s a good book, Ojou-sama.”
“She doesn’t belong with us after all. That Reina…”
Yui remained silent, looking at Rika rather than the book now.
“Such… A lonewolf… Thus, what I did, bringing the Orochi to meet me, justifies that term for her… I can’t really imagine anyone being best friends with her...” Rika laughed a bit.
“Maki… She seems to be close with Reina lately…”
Rika’s laughing halted, but instead, she smiled, “Reina best friends with Maki? Is Reina enjoying it? Is it fun being with a monster?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“I know I saw her around here…” Reina said as she traversed the wall-enclosed mini-streets. After seeing a trace of that same hair turn a corner, Reina immediately ran after. The teen was bad at running, but at least the woman wasn’t running either. She immediately grabbed the person’s hand, yanking her slightly backwards, and the woman turned her head to look at Reina, surprised.
“What are you doing so close here, eh? I thought you said you had important matters to attend to… Ai…”
Ai pulled her hand away from Reina, and stared off in a different direction.
“What are you doing alone? And Ai… Did you really break up with Risa?”
Ai gave a sharp glare at Reina at the mention of that name.
“There’s also something I remembered recently… Back when 6th gen first joined, when we were doing badly at the dance rehearsals… The new teacher was really mean to us and never let us stop for food or drink until we got the steps right… But Risa always gave us food when the teacher took a break or something… But then you would always say ‘That’s enough for them, they can handle just one treat,’ and then you would both leave… But now that I think about it, just about every time you both left, the teacher came back shortly after…Risa might’ve gotten into trouble…”
Ai was still silent, but still glaring.
“You were protecting her, right? You were alert whenever you heard something small, and left… So you pulled Risa out as well… So that she wouldn’t get in trouble… Even now… You’re protecting her from something, right?”
“I was wondering why you grabbed me…” Ai finally spoke, but in a harsh tone, “I should have known it would be something so absurd like that and I honestly don’t care about Risa either. Why are you so eager to talk all of a sudden? I thought you left other people’s businesses to their businesses. Anyway, talking won’t help. You’re just a fool who doesn’t know anything. Do you even know why you have leads in our songs? It’s because Risa asked Tsunku to. She noticed how lonely you were, and wanted you to have the best experience in Morning Musume.”
Reina had no more words to say at that point.
“So yes, the biggest oblivious fool is you. So why don’t you go do whatever fools do and not bother me again?”
“No, I won’t stop bothering you until you apologize for saying such irrelevant things!” Reina said in a low growl.
“Like hell I will! You bitch!”
“Ai-chan… It’s not nice calling other people bitches,” came a familiar voice. Reina looked around, and found another woman walking towards them. When Reina looked at Ai, instead of the angry face she thought she would display, Ai showed a rather shocked and frightened face…
“Risa…” Ai mouthed almost inaudibly.
<3
Topic: Our Cursed Gift [Chapter 47: Our Final Promise][COMPLETE] (Read 161384 times)