I know I haven't updated for like almost a year, because apparently I have some major exams coming out so I've had this hiatus. I've written a couple of stories, and this is one of them, but I haven't finished any though. *sweatdrop. But well, I decided to post this first because I'm making rather good progress with it. I've also removed a Mermaid's Tale, the original version, because it doesn't have an ending and I don't intend to finish it either, I'll only continued with the ReEdit version. For now, enjoy The Way of an Idol! (:
The smell of medicine all around hospital plunged into the female's nostrils, making her stomach flip as she took a gulp. The blue-haired female let out a deep breath, placing her hand on her stomach and slowly sliding her smooth fingers over it.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
The blunette looked up at her friend, a look which her friend had never seen before.
Julie Makimoto was sure that her friend was truly determined.
The silver haired girl shut her eyes in defeat, letting out a sigh as she pulled away from her friend.
"Runo Misaki."
The blunette stood up, looking down at her stomach one last time. Quietly, she bid her unborn baby farewell, before following the nurse.
"Thank you, everyone! I hope you had a great time tonight!"
The crowd screamed in delight as they watched their idol exit the stage, waving their glowsticks wildly.
"Good job, Runo!"
"Well done!"
"That was awesome!"
The blunette exchanged high-fives with the backstage crew who congratulated her on yet another successful concert, before smiling at her manager and accepting a white towel, gingerly wiping herself with it.
Her manager smiled at her, leading her back into her waiting room.
Runo sighed, taking a seat on the couch in the room, while the orange-haired female got her a bottle of water.
"Thanks, Hikaru," Runo smiled tiredly.
The said girl grinned back, sitting down next to the idol. After being friends with the idol for a year, although to others they were just an idol and manager, in truth, they were just as close as sisters.
"You sure went all out tonight, huh?"
Runo looked up at Hikaru, pausing for a moment. The blunette let out yet another sigh, before lying back on the couch.
"You have no idea. All my friends were down there, watching me, of course I'd have to make a better impression," Runo shook her head.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, taking the bottle from Runo. "All your friends?"
Runo looked up at her friend, who returned her an unimpressed look.
"Alright, alright, most of my friends."
Hikaru smiled lightly.
"I know you for a year, and I can tell what you're thinking."
Runo blinked at her friend, before letting out a chuckle. "Wow, look at you, you sure are confident."
"You bet I am," Hikaru grinned.
Runo shook her head with a laugh. "Well, I mean, the Brawlers, most of them, are gathered. Even Ace and Baron have come from New Vestroia to support me, and Alice from Russia, of course I'd feel more stressed."
Hikaru looked at Runo sternly. "Are you sure we're not supposed to be talking about a certain brunette?"
"Hikaru!" Runo yelled, throwing the towel on the redhead's lap. "We talked about this."
"I know we did, Runo, but... I could tell, on the stage, you were clearly searching the crowd."
Runo got up, fists clenched and back faced to her manager. The idol walked towards the mirror, stopping before it and taking a deep breath.
"Hikaru, I'm certain of my feelings. Ever since the day I aborted the child, my feelings for him had faded."
Hikaru looked back at her friend, green eyes reflecting much concern.
Though Runo had said that, Hikaru was sure it was the contrary.
The moon hung in the sky, glowing a bright silver. An owl hooted once, abruptly killing the silence in Bayview.
A door creaked open, and a shady figure could be seen entering the house. The figure looked to his shoulder, raising a finger to his lips.
As quietly as he could, the person closed the door behind him, and tiptoed his way into the house.
"Shinjiro! Robber! Robber!"
The figure froze as the lights in the house were switched on, and a woman holding a cooking pan charged at him, hitting him with it.
"Hold on, Miyoko, I'm coming!" A bispectacled man holding a chopper charged at the 'robber'.
"Mum! Mum! Holy, that hurts... Hey, Mum, it's me!"
Miyoko paused, the hand holding the pan hanging in mid-air.
"Dan?"
The said boy nodded his head, before ducking down away from his father who attempted to swing the chopper at him.
"Geez, Dad!" Dan yelled.
"D-Daniel?!"
Miyoko and Shinjiro dropped their 'weapons', opening their arms to hug their only son, who had finally returned.
"Mum... Dad... Can't... breathe!" Dan gasped.
Miyoko and Shinjiro immediately let go, both with sheepish looks.
"Sorry, son, it's just that... you were gone for a year!" Shinjiro frowned.
Dan chuckled nervously, running his hand past his chocolate brown hair. "Well, we made stops here and there along the way, and... we kind of got lost."
"Daniel was pretty clumsy."
"Drago!" Shinjiro and Miyoko gasped at the red ball-like figure on their son's shoulder, having forgotten about the Bakugan for a moment.
"Drago!" Dan groaned.
"Hey, Kusos, get some sleep!" A gruff voice from next door yelled.
The Kusos sweatdropped, before Miyoko began to climb up the stairs.
"He's right, boys. We can talk more tomorrow. For now, let's get some sleep."
Dan smiled at the sight of his parents walking up the stairs, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants.
It was good to be home.
"Morning, Mum..." Dan said groggily as he dragged himself down the stairs and to the kitchen.
Miyoko looked up from her yoga mat, frowning. "Morning? Daniel, it's already three in the afternoon!"
"Okay, Mum," Dan yawned, pulling open the fridge door. Miyoko got up, turning off the television and taking a seat at the dining table, where Dan had began to feast on a sandwich.
"Say, Dan, are you going to go visit your friends?"
"Mmm... Rrarer..." Dan mumbled through bites of his sandwich.
Miyoko looked at her son, blinking, before resting her chin on her right hand.
"You know, Daniel, a lot has changed in the year."
"Rearry?" Dan asked boredly as he continued gobbling his sandwich.
Miyoko nodded her head. "I mean, Marucho's graduated from a university, Julie's become the most famous reporter in Bayview, Mira's gotten herself a job at... what's the place... Anyway, Mira's somewhere creating machines, Shun's a trainer at the local dojo here, and Runo's a famous idol worldwide now!"
Upon hearing the last line, Dan quickly swallowed the last of his sandwich.
"Runo's an idol?!"
The female brunette nodded her head again. "When you left, Runo had been heartbroken. She came around our house quite often, and sometimes she'd vomit... But later she decided to move on, and a man invited her to his record company."
Miyoko got up from her seat, flipping through a couple of magazines in the shelf in the living room and letting out a happy gasp as she pulled out a few.
"Here, these are the articles about Runo's career."
Dan didn't know why he gulped when his hands slowly reached for the magazines. The brunette could barely believe his eyes when he saw his former girlfriend, dressed in eye-catching costumes and with her face coated with light make-up, all over the covers of the magazines.
"That reminds me, I should call Runo about your return!" Miyoko clapped her hands together.
"Mum! No!" Dan yelped, getting up abruptly. Miyoko paused, blinking at her son.
Dan laughed nervously, sitting down slowly. "I just... I thought that I should meet her face-to-face instead."
Miyoko frowned at her son, before nodding her head lightly. "Daniel, don't make her mad okay? She went through a heartbreak over you."
Dan chewed on his lip uncomfortably, getting up with a nervous laugh. "Ah haha, I'm going to get changed."
"Dan, shouldn't you find Runo first?" Drago asked.
Dan kept quiet as he walked towards the Bakugan arena.
Drago sighed. He knew Dan was afraid to face Runo.
"This place hasn't changed that much, huh, Drago?"
Drago kept quiet as Dan entered the arena.
The brunette stopped before the conference room, where he and the other brawlers had always gathered. Slowly placing his hand on the door, the brunette shut his eyes as memories of back then appeared in his mind.
Dan let out a yelp when the door suddenly opened, revealing a short yellow blonde who was dressed in a blue shirt and white suspenders, with a red bow at the collar of his shirt.
"Dan?"
"Marucho!"
The two friends burst into laughter, wrapping each other in a warm, brotherly hug.
"Goodness, Dan, you were the last person I'd expect to see. The probability had been less than one-tenth!" Marucho gasped as he pulled away from his friend.
"Yeah, well, I thought I'd have enough fun already," Dan grinned.
"You sure seem to have. Welcome back too, Drago," Marucho smiled as he looked up at the red Bakugan.
"Thank you, Marucho. It seems pretty quiet around here," Drago commented.
"Well, the Brawlers are having a party at my place, and the arena's closed for today," Marucho answered.
"All the Brawlers?" Dan asked cautiously.
"I think so. You are coming along, aren't you?" Marucho raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry, pal, I think I'll miss this," Dan said sheepishly.
"Because of Runo?"
Dan frowned.
"Come on, Dan, I can tell you're probably afraid to meet Runo especially after she's ab-"
The short blonde was interrupted by the ringing of his phone.
"Sorry, Dan, give me a moment."
Marucho turned around, answering his call, while Dan faced the other way.
"You're not going, Daniel?"
Dan shook his head. "No, Drago, I don't think this time."
"How do you expect to meet them, then?"
The brunette stayed silent.
"Dan?"
Dan turned around to face the short blonde.
"Marucho, I think I'll go after all."
Dan stopped before the living room of the Marukura's house, the place where he and the other Brawlers used to hang out.
Marucho placed his petite hands on the door, about to push it, but instead closed the door again, looking back at his friend.
"Dan, are you alright?"
Dan snapped out of his thoughts, looking up again. The brunette nodded his head with a quick grin, and took a deep breath as he watched Marucho opened the door.
The blonde almost seemed to have been opening the door in slow motion. Thoughts began to ran past Dan's mind.
How would the Brawlers react upon seeing him?
Angry? Surprised? Happy?
How would... Runo feel upon seeing him?
Dan entered the room, only to be welcomed by a deafening silence.
On the couch sat six familiar figures, all staring back at the brunette with looks of surprise.
Dan gulped, raising a hand awkwardly. "Er, hi?"
The six figures let out cries of surprise, and it took Dan a minute to process what was going on when blurs of white and orange darted towards him.
"Whoa, whoa, Mira, Julie!" Dan cried out in surprise as the girls hurried towards him.
"Master Dan!" A pink-haired boy yelled out happily, rushing towards Dan. Mira and Julie let out squeaks, darting away as the pink-haired boy plunged at his 'master', pushing him to the ground.
"Argh, Baron! You're heavy!" Dan groaned.
The Vestal scratched his head sheepishly, getting up and helping Dan up as well.
"Welcome back, Dan," A sweet voice echoed.
Dan turned to look at the Russian beauty who stood before the comforter with a raven haired male and a mint haired Vestal.
"Hello, Alice," Dan returned the smile, before looking around the room.
"Runo's not here," Shun said coolly.
Dan turned beet red. "Who said I was looking for her?"
"It's written all over your face, Dan!" Julie giggled.
Dan kept quiet, looking down with his face still red.
"Runo has a photo shoot, so she can't make it," Alice explained.
Dan nodded his head, taking a seat.
The Brawlers all exchanged looks, before turning to look at Dan.
"Dan, what happened to eating first?" Marucho asked.
Dan looked up, blinking, before leaping off the comforter.
"Oh yes!"
The Brawlers all sweatdropped as they watched the brunette made his way to the buffet table.
Time seemed to pass really slowly for Dan. All the brunette had done during the whole gathering was to eat.
"Dan."
"Yikes, Shun!" Dan yelped, almost dropping his plate.
The ninja raised an eyebrow.
Dan sighed, placing his plate at the buffet table. He knew the ninja had something to tell him, and wasn't going to let him off without an answer.
"Yes, Shun?"
"You've been a jerk, Dan."
Dan folded his arms, unimpressed. "Now what? Are you going to lecture me?"
"All I can say is, Dan Kuso, don't shirk your responsibility."
And with that, the ninja turned away, leaving a bewildered brunette standing rooted to the ground.
Dan frowned. Just what did Shun mean by that?
And there's Chapter 1! I don't know when I'll post Chapter 2, maybe one to two weeks later? (: Please contribute some nice reviews too, they're really great sources of motivation. ^^ Till then~