Hello readers! Sorry if my prolonged absence worried you guys, but I'm back in the writer's saddle again with Big Apple Chronicles!
For those who are new, Big Apple Chronicles is a companion fic for my main work, OmaHima: The Brooklyn Demon Slayer, which focuses on Gordon's year-long trip in Japan. Big Apple Chronicles, in fact, is a rewrite/revision of my previous gaiden fic, Brooklyn Ballads, and like before it takes place alongside the events of TBDS after Gordon leaves for Japan.
The story brings characters from Highschool DxD into the fold, effectively making this a crossover of sorts. Some of them will play important roles alongside the New York characters, like Kuroka and Koneko acting as Rika's pet cats as mentioned multiple times in TBDS. I suggest reading TBDS after going through this chapter to ease some of the confusion you guys may encounter. You can find it by just going to my profile.
Anyway, without further ado, let's get this story started!
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based work. Omamori Himari and Highschool DxD are published by Fujimi Shobo and are properties of their respective owners and licensors. Please support their official releases.
Legend:
"English dialogue"
{"Japanese dialogue"}
"Thoughts (Assume character's native language)"
Quotes from other characters are centered, regardless of perspective
#######
Useful notes:
JFK Airport - International airport based in Queens, NY. It is one of two major airports in New York City, the second being LaGuardia Airport, also in Queens.
Narita Airport - International airport located in the Chiba prefecture of Tokyo
Doc Martens - British shoe manufacturer well known for their iconic boots.
Acela Express - Amtrak's high-speed rail service that operates on the Northeast Corridor, which goes from Boston, MA, to Washington DC. It is currently the only high-speed rail service in the United States to date (as of this writing).
Orange Amplifiers - British manufacturer of musical and audio equipment, easily recognized by the namesake color of their amplifiers and speaker cabinets.
Shadows Fall - American thrash metal band formed in 1995.
Chapter One - Shifts (Rika's Arc Part I)
Cover page: An above shot of Rika lying face-up on her bed with her iPad, with Shirone and Kuroka sleeping peacefully on her stomach.
"So, I...guess this is it, right? You're really leaving, aren't you?"
"...Yeah. Who'd have guessed?"
It was an early Saturday morning for Rika Hayashi at JFK Airport as she stood near the boarding gate for Gordon's plane. So early, in fact, that the sun was beginning to rise. But given a regular plane trip from here to Narita takes twelve to thirteen hours it was worth the ride for her.
Even if it means having to say goodbye to Gordon in nothing but a tank top and PJs.
Unfortunately, tiredness got the better of the Japanese teen as she was forced to do a yawn.
"Hey, you feeling okay?" Gordon asked with a concerned look.
Rika gave a slow nod. "I'm all right, Gordon. Just a little tired."
"That could be a bit of an understatement."
"Jeez, I said I'm fine! Really!"
Gordon quickly put his hands up as Rika calmed down from her quick outburst.
"Haah... Anyway," she continued, turning her hair a bit, "All of us are gonna miss having you around. Heck, even Kuroka and Shirone are starting to feel a bit down by you leaving."
"Eh, I'm sure they'll be okay. They're your cats, after all."
"Heh-heh. Yeah, that's true."
Rika and Gordon then performed the official handshake of the Fenimore Street Crew - a fist bump concluding with a flash of devil horns - before embracing themselves in a tight hug.
"Promise me you'll be safe out there," she whispered.
"I will."
After breaking from their hug, Rika watched Gordon head out into the boarding gate until he was gone from sight.
"Ah... There he goes."
Rika's attention shifted towards a man in his forties wearing a striped polo shirt that was tucked in, khaki pants, and grey Timberland boots. His skin complexion was a hint lighter than Gordon's, and his head was clean shaven bar a short goatee on his chin.
The man's face also tells a unique story. While he may appear to be ethnically black in appearance, a few of his features share a hint of Asian influence, such as the shape of his eyes and the way his cheekbones were structured.
Simply put, he is what some people would call a Blasian: half black, half Asian.
"Man, I'm beginning to miss the boy already," the man said, gently stroking his beard.
"I'm sure your son will do fine in Japan, Mr. Evans," Rika told the man. "Even though I'm starting to miss him, too," she added in her head.
Roy Evans, Gordon's father, gave a slight nod. "I sure hope so, Rika. Anyways, let's head home. You must be tired from having to wake up so early."
"Oh come on, not you too," the Japanese teen groaned before faking a smile at Gordon's dad. "Yeah, let's go."
Soon afterwards, Rika and Roy left the airport in a white Volkswagen GTI that belonged to the latter. Rika had her seat reclined all the way back with her bare feet resting atop the dash, and her eyes were focused on the airport. They then widened after witnessing one of the planes take off, at which she gave a soft smile.
"I envy you, Gordon. Getting to see Japan for the first time before I do. Hope you have fun over there."
Putting those words to heart, Rika closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, no longer able to contain her tiredness.
"Meow... Meow..."
"N-Nnn..."
Rika's eyes slowly cracked open, the first thing she saw was Kuroka staring right at her. Usually on weekends, Shirone would be the one waking her up, though that hasn't been the case as of late.
The Japanese teen got out of her bed after some stretching before putting on her slippers and approaching the window.
Looking out the window was Shirone with her paws touching the glass, the sight of which forced Rika to turn her head away with a sigh. It's been like this ever since Gordon left for Japan a week ago. She even clung on to Gordon's leg when she found out he was leaving, and it took Rika some time just to get her off.
"Mew..."
Rika looked down at Kuroka, who was gazing at her with worried eyes.
The brunette went down and scooped the black cat in her arms. "I know; I'm worried about her too, Kuroka," she said sympathetically while stroking her chin. "But what else can I do? I've tried everything to cheer her up."
And if that wasn't enough, Shirone even refused to go with The Crew on their skate sessions, simply because Gordon wasn't there.
"Is she really attached to him that much, though?"
Rika's thoughts were cut off by Kuroka leaping out of her arms and going to console Shirone.
As the brunette looked on, the voice of her mother quickly caught her ears.
{"Rika!"} she called. {"Come get your breakfast! It's going to get cold!"}
{"Kay, be right there, Mom!"} Rika called back, taking one last look at her cats before heading down to the kitchen.
Upon approaching the kitchen, she spotted a woman of similar ethnicity washing the dishes. She appeared to be in her early to mid-forties, and her hair was a shiny jet black compared to Rika's dyed brown. For clothes, she had on a navy blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, tan capri pants, and a pair of green slippers.
{"Morning, Mom,"} Rika greeted.
{"Good morning,"} Saki Hayashi, Rika's mother, greeted back with a friendly smile. {"Has Shirone-chan gotten better yet?"}
Rika shook her head. {"Kuroka's taking care of her,"} she explained while filling her plate with the pancakes that were on the table.
{"Again?"}
{"Unfortunately,"} Rika sighed. {"I don't know what to do with her at this point. I mean, I miss Gordon too, but she treats it as if she's lost her favorite toy."}
Saki placed a finger to her cheek in thought. {"Hmm... You know, I think Shirone-chan may have fallen for Gordon-kun, given how close she is to him."}
Rika nearly choked on her food before taking a moment to swallow it down her throat. {"M-Mom, you can't be serious!"} she almost shouted. {"She's just a cat, for Christ's sakes!"}
{"And? Cats tend to grow emotionally attached to the people they hold dear,"} Saki said with a placid smile.
{"I know that much, but to actually fall in love with them?"} Rika asked incredulously. {"That stuff only happens in those books you write. This is real life, for crying out loud."}
Saki gave a dissatisfied pout. {"Hey, I happen to write fantasy novels for a living, you know."}
{"And I can see you're clearly detached from reality."}
WHACK!
"Ow! Mom!"
{"My head just so happens to be working fine, thank you very much,"} Saki reminded Rika in an unamused tone after hitting her daughter's head with a spatula. {"Now hurry up and eat~"}
Rika rubbed the bump on her head in annoyance before taking another bite of her pancakes, muttering as she ate.
After finishing her breakfast, Rika decided to head over to the Golden Groomers, the lovely spring weather being just enough for the brunette to take her skateboard over.
The Golden Groomers was a barber shop located a mile or two from where she and The Crew resides. It consisted of a simple storefront with a golden yellow sign that had the shop's name and logo - two Gs overlapping each other with a hair clipper to the right of it - all colored black. On the door was the logo in gold and the shop hours in black. Two benches were also laid in front for people who want to take a breather.
The black-and-gold motif of the Golden Groomers continued inside, with the walls painted golden yellow with white and black racing stripes below a long, lighted mirror mounted on both sides of the shop. In the middle lay two black leather couches facing each other with a wooden coffee table dividing them, and a flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall. The shop featured six stations - three on each side, each with barber's chairs and almost every tool that was needed to give the customer the hairstyle they desired. At the back of the shop were three hair-drying chairs and two hair-washing stations.
There were a few people inside, some getting their hair done and some waiting on the couches. The majority of the customers were men, though there were a few women as well, most of them with their sons.
Placing her skateboard near the door, Rika went ahead and greeted the Golden Groomers employees.
The first person she went to was a tall and lanky black man in his fifties with short, greying hair. He had on a blue, short-sleeved shirt over a black barber jacket with the shop's logo on the right, khaki pants, and brown shoes.
"Mr. May."
Raymond John May, better known as RJ by his colleagues, caught ear of Rika's voice. "Oh, Rika," he greeted in a deep baritone voice. "What's going on with ya?"
"Oh you know, same old, same old," she told him casually.
"Anything on Gordon?"
Rika shook her head. "Not yet, I'm afraid. He did tell me he'll send me an email every week, though."
RJ gave a nod. "Be sure to keep us posted, alright?"
"Yeah, I wanna know how our little man's been doin' over there in Japan! Man, that boy's one helluva lucky bastard, I tell ya. If I were him, I'd score a few of the babes there. Haha."
"..." A deep frown appeared on Rika's features upon hearing that brash voice and turned to the source of it.
On the other side of the shop stood a man wearing a black tank top with the shop's barber jacket over it, light gray jeans, and red and green Air Jordans. His hair was styled in cornrows, which was covered by a red Yankees cap on his head. His well-muscled frame was covered with tattoos of various designs on his dark mocha skin, and around his neck were a pair of green Beats headphones.
"Don't you ever shut up, Brandon?" Rika asked in a rather annoyed tone. "And watch your mouth, will ya? There are little kids here."
Brandon Joel Clarkson shut off his hair clipper and began making preparations to shave his client's face. "So what?" he shrugged. "They gonna learn sooner or later so why the hell bother? And you ain't my mom last time I remember."
"Well, someone's gotta keep sleazes like you in check."
"Ha! Just try me, sweet cheeks," Brandon dared. "See where that'll get ya."
"I think I know exactly where it got you, Brandon," Rika retorted, a sadistic smirk slowly gracing her lips. "Want me to show ya?"
Brandon immediately covered his crotch, almost out of reflex. "Hey girl, take it easy. You know I still haven't recovered last time you hit me."
"Quit messing with the ladies and I'll stop."
"Tch! Not a chance," he scoffed.
"Geez, just cut it out, Rika," a snarky voice drawled out. "You can't get Brandon to change his habits if he got run over by an Acela with an engineer high on meth."
The Asian teen turned her head over to a bespectacled black male with his hair in a fauxhawk and a bored expression, wearing a green T-shirt with a gold Triforce logo on the chest, light blue jeans with a chain hanging on his right hip, and black Doc Martens boots. He was a bit on the short side compared to RJ and Brandon, and he sported an average body build.
"You think I don't know that by now, Damon?" she asked rhetorically.
Damon Hammond let off a shrug. "Hey, I'm just saying. It's easier to just ignore the guy than to get in fights with him all the time."
"Haha. Better listen to the Hamster there, bae," Brandon laughed. "He know I'm just gonna kick his ass."
"No one asked you, frat boy!" Rika shouted angrily.
"Hey hey, knock it off, both of you. Yeesh, I just came back from the corner store and already you two are bickering. We have customers waiting, you know."
Rika turned to the shop's entrance and saw Roy, who had a black T-shirt with the Golden Groomers logo in gold apart from his usual khakis and boots. Held in his right hand was a small plastic bag.
"M-Mr. Evans."
Brandon let out a relieved sigh. "Saved by the Roy," he muttered.
Rika gave a sideways glare at the playboy barber before turning her focus back to Roy.
"What's goin' on, Rika? Just hanging out?" he asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Sorry if I caused a ruckus."
"Hey, it's fine," Roy waved off. "Besides, having you around just brings more character to the shop. Heck, I might even consider hiring you since you come here so much."
"Huh? Oh, uh...thanks, but I'm not good with cutting a guy's hair," Rika said slowly. "I'll think about it, though."
Of course, she wouldn't mind working at the same place as Gordon. The only problem is that she didn't want to deal with Brandon five to seven hours a day. She didn't mind the other guys, but a lunatic like Brandon would be too much.
Roy shrugged. "I see. Oh well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," he spoke before turning to the people on the couch. "Alright, who's up next?"
As Roy prepared a client for his haircut, Rika sat down on the couch and gazed out the shop window.
"Work, huh? I forgot summer break's almost here," she thought. "I should consider looking sometime soon."
After spending half an hour at the Golden Groomers, Rika returned home and changed into a light blue tank top with a blue sports bra underneath and grey track shorts. She sent a text to Ronnie suggesting they head over to the Y to work out, and as usual, he agreed. Sometimes Dante and Ishani would come too, but most of the time it was just her, Ronnie, and...
That's right. Just her and Ronnie. Gordon's not here at the moment.
A remorseful sigh left Rika's lips. "Guess I'm still reeling from him leaving last week. I really need to pull myself together."
As the brunette headed for the door, she took a brief glance back at Kuroka and Shirone, who were sleeping peacefully on one of the beanbag chairs. The black cat's head was resting on top of her white-furred sister's, who was curled up into a ball-like shape.
Rika's lips slowly spread into a soft smile at the affectionate scene. "Just hang in there, you two," she promised. "I'll think of something soon."
The door then closed gently, so much as to not wake them up.
The room then became silent for a few moments before a quiet voice spoke.
{"Zzz... Gordon. Don't go. Please."}
"So you're starting to have second thoughts after pressuring Gordon to go to Japan, huh?"
Rika was at the Y on the treadmills, walking on a slight incline. Next to the Japanese teen was Ronald Connors, better known to The Crew as Ronnie. He was a tall and big-boned young man of Dominican descent with medium brown skin and brown eyes, sporting a dark green sleeveless shirt, white shorts and a pair of black Adidas sneakers. On Ronnie's forehead was a black headband that kept his short hair twists from getting in his eyes as he ran.
"I can't blame you for that," he stated. "You always were the pushy one back in the day."
Rika let out a pitiful sigh while lowering her head. "Yeah, and I thought I got out of that habit by now."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with showing some backbone every once in a while," Ronnie encouraged. "I mean, take Dante. I know he's a bad example to look at, but you don't see him calling it quits."
"Yeah, don't remind me," Rika murmured, trying her best not to remember the many attempts the boy had at picking up girls.
And some of the consequences that came with it.
The treadmill started to speed up under Rika's feet, forcing the girl to run and try to keep pace.
As she continued jogging, she thought of the moment she spoke to Gordon in his room after receiving the letter from Japan more than a month ago.
######
"So have you decided if you want to go or not?"
Rika was sitting on Gordon's bed, her legs in a pretzel shape.
Gordon, holding on to the closed letter, had an expression of unsurety on his face.
"I...I don't know, Rika," he answered. "I'm still a bit shocked about all this. I mean, I'm only in my second year of high school, for crying out loud. Not to mention I haven't even started studying for my SATs yet."
"But didn't you say you wanted to learn more about your grandpa a long time ago?" Rika reminded him.
Gordon breathed a quick sigh. "I did, and I still do even to this day, but...now I'm not so sure. Heck, I don't even know if I can withstand being in another country for an entire year without feeling homesick one way or another."
"Hmm..."
"On the other hand," the black teen continued, scratching his head, "you and your folks did teach me Japanese for a long time, so I might as well return the favor."
Rika gave a light smile. "So you're gonna go for it?"
"I still need to think about this more," Gordon murmured, sighing.
Rika gave an angry frown while standing up from Gordon's bed. "Jeez, would you quit being so damn indecisive!" she shouted. "For fuck's sake, Gordon, you get a once-in-a-lifetime shot at studying abroad and you're just gonna throw it away!?"
"Like I said, I still..."
"Don't give me that!" she shot back, cutting Gordon off. "Do you how many people would kill to be in the position you're in? Hundreds, thousands maybe! You said it yourself! Don't you wanna learn about your roots? What your grandfather's left behind? I mean, what if he turns out to be some kind of secret billionaire and left a shitload of money for you to collect?"
Beads of sweat rolled down Gordon's face. "That's...pushing it a bit far, Rika, don't you think?"
"Hey, I'm a musician. Imagination comes with the territory."
"Fine, fine. Not like I'm judging."
"Sure sounds like you were," Rika retorted before getting back to the topic at hand. "Anyway, what's your answer gonna be, Gordon? Do you want to stay in this bubble the rest of your life, or do you want to see what's outside of it? It's your choice."
Gordon stared at the brunette for a couple moments before stifling a laugh.
"Hey, I'm serious here!" she growled.
"Haha... No, I'm not laughing at you, Rika," he said after calming down. "I'm just impressed that you're that eager on letting me go."
"Huh? Well, I..." A faint blush stained Rika's cheeks as she looked away from Gordon. "I just want you to be happy with yourself, that's..."
Rika almost jumped when she found herself hugged by her neighbor, his dark and muscled arms circling her arms and waist.
Butterflies started swarming inside the brunette's stomach while a faint blush emerged on her cheeks, which faded a bit the moment Gordon let her go.
"Thanks, Rika," he said with a disarming smile. "I appreciate it."
"Uh... Yeah, sure, glad I can help," the Japanese teen replied awkwardly, still feeling the butterflies. "So you're..."
"Yeah, I'm going. Better now than never, I suppose."
Rika responded with a grin.
"So you up for some MvC?" Gordon suggested, changing the subject.
"Heck yeah I am," she agreed, catching the Xbox controller he threw.
After a long and strenuous workout session at the Y, Rika headed back home after parting ways with Ronnie, who had to go work at his mother's flower shop.
Returning to her room after a much-needed shower, the brunette changed into a simple scoopneck tee and sweatpants and laid down on her bed. She then reached for her cell phone on the nightstand and decided to start a chat with one of the Crewmates, Dante being the first person that came to mind.
Searching for his name in her address book, Rika pressed the call button and put her phone on speaker. A few dial tones later, she finally managed to reach him.
"Yo Rika, what's up?"
"Nothing. Just needed someone to talk to," Rika explained with a sigh. "You're on break, right?"
"Yeah, I am," Dante replied. "Whatcha need?"
Rika was hesitant to bring Gordon into the matter, but she did nonetheless.
"Doesn't it feel, you know, different without Gordon around?"
A deep sigh came from Dante's end. "You don't hafta tell me twice. Of course I miss the damn guy. I mean, he's attending school in fuckin' Japan! Japan! That's literally every anime nerd's wet dream!"
"Hey, not everyone thinks like that," Rika pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and sue me, why don't ya?" Dante retorted. "So how're the cats? They doin' ok?"
Rika sighed. "Kuroka's doing fine, though I can't say the same for Shirone."
"Damn, she still feelin' down? She really needs to get over this. For cryin' out loud, it's only been a week since Gordon left."
"Yeah, you try telling that to her," Rika suggested in a sarcastic tone. "See what'll happen."
There was a brief silence from Dante's end before he spoke up again.
"Aaagh...you're right. As much as I despise the little furball, I do kinda feel sorry for her."
Rika nearly stifled a laugh at Dante's brief display of compassion, which didn't go unnoticed by him.
"Hey hey, I heard laughin' over there! The hell's so funny!?"
The brunette took a few seconds to calm herself. "Sorry, sorry. It's just rare to hear you actually care about Shirone right now."
"Tch! Don't get it twisted, okay? I just don't like seein' her all sad an' shit," Dante denied before taking a breath. "So what now? She won't come to our skate sessions anymore, that I know."
"I'll think of something," Rika assured.
"The sooner, the better. Anyways, I gotta get back to work. See ya round?"
"Yeah. I'll see ya."
A small click was heard from her phone followed by a few beeps, signaling the end of the call.
With that out of the way, Rika put her cell phone back on the nightstand and proceeded to get some homework done. She might as well since she spent the entire day yesterday brushing it off.
"Boy, does Ms. Caroline give us a shitload to read on weekends," she sighed as she started reading The Epic of Gilgamesh.
After nearly an hour of note-taking and an open-ended question, Rika decided to kill some time by getting one of her guitars down from the wall and get some practice done. The one she chose was her red Fender Stratocaster, the first guitar her parents bought when she was five. It featured a humbucker pickup in the bridge position rather than the usual single coil pickup, thereby making it an HSS (Humbucker-Single-Single) Strat. There were sparse patches of exposed wood on the body that gave the guitar a road-worn, vintage look, and the pickguard featured Japan's Rising Sun flag, one of Rika's personal touches and a reminder of her heritage.
Plugging the red Strat into her trusty Orange amplifier, Rika turned on the matching amp head and turned the volume knob on her guitar.
A faint D note can be heard from the speaker cabinet before Rika played some open chords, allowing the full sound to roar out.
TWAAAAAANNNNNG!
A satisfied smirk appeared on Rika's lips as she started playing riffs from Shadows Fall's song, "Forevermore". Her right hand quickly picked the strings while the delicate fingers on her left hand danced across the Strat's maple fretboard, hitting every note with the precision of a surgeon.
For as long as Rika can remember, she and Gordon have always been the metalheads of The Crew. Of course, they're okay with Dante's hip-hop, Ronnie's reggaeton, and Ishani's EDM, but when it's just them, they would crank up to some Metallica or Disturbed, maybe a few bands from Japan if they're in the right mood.
She then decided to throw one of her own solos in the mix, her delicate fingers gradually moving up to the higher frets at a pace that only years of practice can pull off.
After hitting the vibrato on the last fret, Rika reached down to her amp and switched to the clean channel, then proceeded to do some sweep picking melodies and some blues riffs before placing the Strat back on the wall hanger above her bed.
She then gazed up at the red guitar while lying down. Looking at it now, she probably could change the pickup layout a bit.
"Maybe a single or dual humbucker should do. Of course, I would have to get a new pickguard first and take it to the luthier to get it set up as soon as I'm done with it."
An irritated sigh passed through Rika's lips while turning her body over. "Whatever," she mumbled. "I need some shuteye."
Taking those words to heart, the brunette took a quick nap.
######
{"Rika! Come down; it's time for dinner!"}
"N...Nnnn..."
The voice of her mother got Rika to stir awake as her eyes fluttered open, the rays of sunlight blinding her for a few seconds before they adjusted to it. The Japanese teen then looked out the window and realized it was already dark. With that in perspective, she headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, Rika spotted Saki setting up tonight's dinner, which consisted of pasta with meat sauce, a fruit salad bowl, a plate of biscuits, and miso soup. Rika always did find it odd for her mom to mix miso with every western-style meal, but she simply brushes it off as second nature.
Standing across from Rika's mother was a man of similar descent in his forties with short black hair and a distinguished, clean-shaven face wearing a light blue, short-sleeved dress shirt tucked in a pair of dark denim jeans. Slung across his right shoulder was an olive green messenger bag.
The man then ventured towards Saki and wrapped his arms around the woman's waist. {"Looks like you've been busy all afternoon, haven't you?"} he hinted, kissing her on the cheek
{"Oh Masa-kun, stop,"} she giggled, blushing.
{"Didn't you say you were gonna be back at nine, dad?"} Rika asked the man.
{"I was, but our team finished earlier than anticipated so we decided to call it a day,"} Masato Hayashi, Rika's father, explained. {"Of course, I do have to go early on Monday."}
{"That makes sense,"} Saki stated, sitting down. {"Did the testing go okay?"}
{"It went all right. There were a few bugs that needed fixing, but it shouldn't be a problem since we're a few days ahead of schedule,"} he replied, repeating his wife's action. {"Where are the cats? Are they sleeping?"}
{"They are. Don't worry, they've already been fed."}
{"Good to hear."} Masato turned to Rika who was already seated. {"So, did you hear anything from Gordon yet, Rika?"}
The brunette shook her head. {"I fell asleep in the middle of the day, so I didn't get a chance to check my email."}
Masato sighed. {"I see. Guess there's no helping it, then. Anyways, let's eat. I'm just about starving over here."}
The Hayashi patriarch clasped his hands while closing his eyes, with Rika and Saki following suit.
{"Itadakimasu!"}
The Hayashis then proceeded to eat their meal following the quick ritual. They had a few conversations here and there, though they were mainly focused on either Masato's colleagues at his job or Saki's progress on one of her upcoming novels.
However, there was particular one topic that caught Rika's ears.
{"Haah..."} Saki sighed. {"You know, it feels a bit out-of-place without Gordon-kun at the table. Right, Masato?"}
{"Mm,"} Masato nodded, resting his chin on his clasped hands. {"I really miss having the kid around at our table sometimes."}
{"I know, right? He used to liven up the place a little, especially with the cats."} Saki took a small sip of her miso. {"I know I've said this a couple of times before, but I feel that he's sort of like a son to me."}
{"You only say that because he compliments your food,"} Masato quipped with a smirk.
{"Masato..."} Saki pouted.
{"Hey, you know it's true, Saki. Don't go denying it."}
{"That's because you usually show up late to dinner."}
{"Tch. Touche,"} Masato admitted with a grumble.
Saki let out a giggle. {"But you know... Maybe it would be nice if Gordon-kun complimented Rika's cooking~"} she suggested with a smile.
Rika nearly choked on her food before turning to her mom wide-eyed. {"No way! You saw!?"}
{"Of course,"} she said, keeping her smile. {"Who else would feel happy after seeing their daughter try their hand at cooking? I have to say, I'm impressed."}
{"Guh..."}
{"Hohh... This is new,"} Masato chimed in. {"As far as I remember you keep saying you never want to learn how to cook, so what made you change your mind, Rika?"}
{"...It's complicated, dad,"} Rika said, looking away with a blush.
{"Come on, don't be like that. There has to be a good reason why you started cooking."}
{"Oh Masato, obviously, she wants to capture Gordon-kun's heart with her homemade cooking. Oh, it's so romantic just imagining it! Fufu."}
{"It's not like that, mom!"} Rika denied, standing up. {"What on earth made you jump to that conclusion? Gordon and I are just neighbors! That's all there is to it! Anyways, I'm done eating so I'll head back upstairs to do my work. Gochisousama."}
Masato shook his head as Rika headed upstairs. {"You really do like messing with her, do you?"}
{"I wouldn't be called a mother if I didn't,"} Saki grinned.
The Hayashi patriarch sighed. {"Geez, you really are a child sometimes. And don't even get me started on you taking her body measurements."}
{"Come on, have you ever wanted to see how much our daughter's grown?"}
{"I'd rather not, just for my sanity,"} Masato deadpanned.
{"Hmph. Spoilsport,"} Saki grumbled before continuing eating. Her ears picked up some stomps from upstairs and the sound of a door slamming, which only made the raven-haired mother giggle.
In her bedroom, Rika cursed at herself for being careless about who was watching her attempt at cooking.
"Dammit, how can I be so stupid, letting my mom see me cook! I can't believe her!"
The brunette plopped herself on the bed, resting her face on the pillow and pounding it with her fist.
"She's the last person I want to know about this," she moaned, her voice muffled. "Ugh...! Fuck!"
"Myah?"
Rika lifted her head up and glanced over to see Kuroka and Shirone on the floor, both bearing puzzled expressions.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Did I wake you guys up?"
The cats said nothing for a moment before leaping up to Rika's bed.
"Yeah, sorry about that," she apologized, patting their heads with a comforting smile. "I was just mad about something that happened at dinner. I don't want to bring it up right now." She looked back at her homework lying on the bed and gave an uneasy sigh.
"I need to do my homework, so would you two mind getting off?"
Kuroka and Shirone gave unsatisfied meows before snuggling on Rika's legs.
The Asian teen closed her eyes and sighed. "Alright, fine. You can rest on my lap, but I need both of you to get off once I'm finished, got it?"
The cats were too busy getting themselves comfortable on Rika's legs to even respond.
"Guess they can't help it," she thought. "At least I know Shirone's feeling better...for now, anyway." Her expression then changed to that of surprise. "Crap, I almost forgot! I better check if he wrote or not!"
Reaching for her iPad underneath the pillow, Rika went into her email and looked for Gordon's email address. After moments of searching, she then saw the address, followed by the subject and the date it was sent.
gdn_evans
Subject: First week of school
June 6
Tapping on the email, she began reading Gordon's message.
Hey Rika,
My first week of school in Japan started off great. The students here are quite friendly for the most part, and I even made a few friends. I'm still trying to get used to certain things around here, like how I almost keep forgetting to replace my sneakers with the uwabaki in my shoe locker. Guess I still have a bit of culture shock left in me. Who'd have thought even after all those culture lessons from your folks?
A soft smile emerged on the brunette's lips as she continued reading.
As for my host family, they're treating me alright. Turns out their daughter goes to the same school as me so I get to see her more often (though for some reason she wears a different uniform than the rest of the girls). However, I did find her to be leaning on the affectionate side. I'm okay with that just as long as she doesn't take it too far.
Rika hummed in suspicion as the letter continued.
So how are things on your end? I bet everyone misses me already. Pops, Ms. Caroline, the GG staff... I can already see Shirone feeling sad about me not being there, but I think she'll manage somehow. It's only for a year. I can't say the same for Kuroka, though, but I know deep inside she misses me the same way as her sister. She's just better at hiding it is all.
But hey, at least I won't have to deal with Malcolm and his gang for an entire year. That's an added bonus. Though I highly doubt they'll stay quiet on this.
She let out a soft giggle. "True. They're already starting to spread some nasty rumors about you."
Anyways, I better to get to bed real soon. Be sure to write me back. Oh, and tell everyone I said hello.
Yours truly,
Gordon
Rika put away her iPad after reading the email. "Glad to know you're doing okay," she thought while getting back to her homework.
It was the middle of the night on the rooftop of the Hayashi residence. The moon was out in its full glory, and numerous clouds decorated the sky, along with a multitude of stars that made for a marvel for astronomers to behold.
Observing the night sky was a girl with white hair and golden yellow eyes, sitting with her legs pulled to her chest. She had a small and petite frame, and her alabaster skin shone in the calming moonlight (among many other lights). Her hair featured shoulder-length sidelocks at the front with loose bangs covering her forehead, while the back was cut short. Her only clothes were a simple white nightgown that matched her hair, and around her neck was a black bell collar.
However, this girl was unique in that she had a pair of cat ears and tail, both matching her hair color. The pupils of the girl's eyes were also like a cat's, bearing narrow slits.
The little catgirl sighed as she tucked her hair back, her eyes still fixated on the night sky in a forlorn manner.
{"I figured you would be up here, Shirone."}
{"Ah-"}
The white-haired catgirl turned around and spotted a young woman with black hair and gold eyes standing near the rooftop entrance. Her hair was long and flowed down her sexy, voluptuous body that was covered by a translucent black negligee with a matching lace bra and panties underneath, the former holding up her large and bountiful breasts. The young woman also had a set of cat ears and tails that matched her hair, as well as a bell collar around her neck, albeit with two bells instead of one.
{"Kuroka-oneesan."}
Kuroka, the black-haired catgirl, approached Shirone and sat next to her, legs folded to the side.
{"Looking at the moon again, nya?"} she asked.
Shirone gave a silent nod.
Kuroka looked up along with her sister. {"You know, even after 200 years the moon still retains its beauty. I kind of feel envious at the moment, nya."}
Shirone cast her head down, her cat ears drooping.
Kuroka let out a deep sigh while shaking her head. {"Still missing Go-chin, I see?"} she said, pulling her sister close and petting her. {"Look Shirone, I miss him too, but you can't keep sulking about this forever, nya. Besides, it's only been a week since he left. He will only be there for a year and he'll come back after that."}
{"I know that, nee-san. You don't have to tell me. It's just that...I feel so uneasy when Gordon's not around."}
Kuroka said nothing as Shirone continued to speak.
{"Why did he have to leave? I wanted him to stay here like always."}
{"This was his choice, nya,"} the black cat told her. {"Though to be honest, I didn't want Go-chin to leave either. But I know that if I did, I would only wound up hurting him, nya. Go-chin wanted to learn more about his grandfather's heritage and he saw the international program as a good opportunity. Are you willing to take even that away from him, nya?"}
Shirone shook her head in discomfort. {"I don't,"} she uttered. {"That's why it was so difficult for me to see him go."}
{"But he's starting to send letters to Ri-chan now, isn't he, nya? Maybe we can read them while she's away at school sometime. Will that make you feel better, nya?"}
The little catgirl gave a slow nod but retained her lonely expression. {"I guess..."}
Kuroka's purple lips spread into a warm smile. {"That's the spirit, nya. Anyway, I don't want to stay up here since it's a bit chilly. How about we snuggle in the living room instead?"}
{"Mhm,"} Shirone nodded as she and Kuroka made their way to the rooftop exit. Upon approaching the exit, the white-haired nekomata gazed at the moon one last time before closing the door quietly, leaving only a small click.
And thus ends the first chapter of Big Apple Chronicles! Looks like some in Brooklyn are slowly adjusting to life without Gordon, though Shirone seems to have a hard time dealing with his absence. Kuroka and Rika can only do so much to console her.
As far as characterizations for the New York cast go, I'm still working out a few kinks here and there. I pretty much have Saki's character on lockdown as the parent who enjoys messing around with their children a lot, if her habits are any indication. The Golden Groomers staff are pretty much on point, too. Brandon being the so-called "big shot", Damon as the snarky type, and RJ as the old school type.
Regarding trivia, the Ms. Caroline Rika mentions is the same Ms. Caroline from the Korean manhwa Unbalance Unbalance (or Unbalance x2 for short). In this universe, she is The Crew's homeroom teacher and Rika and Gordon's English lit. teacher. Hae-Young Na, also from Unbalance x2, is Ronnie, Dante, and Ishani's algebra teacher.
So what did you guys think about this chapter? Be sure leave a comment and I'll be sure to respond.
Next time on Big Apple Chronicles: "Developments (Rika's Arc Part II)"
This is KID2NR, signing off for now. See ya!