As I walked into my house after school that day, I didn't really know why, but I had a funny feeling. It'd been three years since Haruko and Mamimi left, and things had gotten boring again. Ordinary. It felt normal, but at the same time...I hated it.
"Naota, is that you?" Grandpa's voice calls from the kitchen as the boy opens and closes the front door into the living room.
"Yeah, Grandpa. I'm just heading upstairs to start my homework." The boy, now of fourteen responds on his way through to the stairs.
"Check on that guitar of yours first. The one in the living room. It's been making all kinds of noise all day!" The man calls, slightly irritated.
Blinking a bit, Naota echoes slightly in surprise before looking to the living room. "...making noise..." Stepping into the living room, he walks to the guitar and picks it up, watching for a moment and almost dropping it when it plucks another cord on its own. Frowning and sagging a bit, he sighs and puts it over his shoulder. "...Alien guitar. Who knows?" Then becoming thoughtful, it occurs to him just who would know and he squints a bit. "...Hm." before starting upstairs with the guitar as well.
Once in his room, Naota looks around, seeming almost expectant before placing it at the side of his own and flopping onto his bed, pulling out his homework with a sigh.
* * *
"Nao, dinner!" Naota's father calls from down stairs, interrupting the boy as he strums away at his guitar, looking over the guitar in the corner as it continues to strum, though now, in a very slow tune.
Watching the guitar in the corner as he puts his own aside, Naota takes a towel and slings it around the instrument to dull the noise, having realized he was just copying the tune it's been playing all day, before leaving his room and heading downstairs.
He had half anticipated to see Haruko sitting at the table, so when he doesn't see her there, the look of disappointment is hard to hide in his eyes.
"What's wrong, Naota-kun?" Kamon asks, tilting his head once. "You don't want dinner? I thought it'd cheer you up. Little Prince Curry goes to Manhattan!" He says enthusiastically, a sly grin on his face.
"Nothing's wrong...." the younger male utters distractedly while bringing the spoon to his mouth, then blinking before he sighs in exasperation and just goes about eating.
"..It's actually the mildly sweet kind." Grandpa offers, taking a bit as Kamon seems not to take notice.
"Yeah, I noticed..." Naota utters back, still a bit distracted as flashbacks of Haruko come back to him, and he can tell that the music from the guitar has gotten louder, or else he's starting to hear things. "..hrm..."
The three eat in near silence before Kamon, taking a panting breath, utters with an almost painful sound. "..you miss haruko-san."
"..It's just because of that guitar..." Naota lies with a squint. "How's a guitar just start playing all by itself? And Miyu-miyu won't go near it... ...It's like it's cursed or haunted or something..."
"Maybe Haruko-san's coming back." Kamon utters before a lecherous grin spreads across his face and he swallows harshly on his curry as Kanti walks up to the table, placing glasses of water at each of their sides.
"...Well at least Kanti's been acting........normal.." Naota mutters with a bit of irony as he picks up his water. "...As normal as a robot maid can be, anyway..."
As an odd hue comes to the screen of the robot, Grandpa just grunts derisively. "It might not be normal, but I've sure gotten used to it."
Sighing slightly, now very much honestly able to tell that the guitar itself has gotten louder, Naota looks down at his food a moment as he wonders if Haruko really would be coming back or if she could be upstairs actually playing now. Frowning again, the young boy twitches oddly at the thought before uttering. "...May I be excused...?"
Blinking up at Naota, Kamon just nods before watching the boy hurriedly stand, and stride through the house and up the stairs.
Naota stops at the door to his room and listens to the guitar for a moment before he squints and throws open the door, just in time to see Haruko come through the window, crashing into the floor with a shard of glass jammed into either of her eyes as she lies bleeding on the carpet. Jumping back, and calling out.. he blinks and everything is normal again.....then the guitar strums again. Gritting his teeth and swallowing he rushes to the window quickly, throwing it open before leaning out onto the balcony to stare into the sky for a moment, before nothing seems to happen and he sighs and slinks back inside without closing the window again.
* * *
That night, I dreamed of Mamimi and the day I met Haruko. It was kinda nice to relive that day in my mind; to see Mamimi and how things used to be. But more than that, I didn't like it because it pointed out to me how much Haruko had changed and I liked the newer Haruko better; a lot better. I had heard the music from the guitar almost all night in my dream, I assumed it had just filtered through...
When I came home from school, the guitar's tune had sped up a little bit. When I heard it from the hall, I all but ran into my room and for the third time I felt my heart sink a little when I realized Haruko wasn't playing it. I tried to work on my homework, but the guitar's playing distracted me. It was almost haunting. When I looked over at it I kept almost seeing her standing next to it but it wasn't a vision, it was just wishful thinking. After I'd gone so long without seeing her, I couldn't figure out yet if I was angry that the guitar had started playing and disrupted my once again normal day to day life or if I was happy that after a whole year there was finally something interesting going on in my house again and it had to do with Haruko in some way.
When my dad called me to dinner, I'd realized I'd fallen asleep looking at Haruko's guitar and listening to it play. My homework was barely half done. It was time for dinner and my bath, I barely had any time to finish it.
I'd had another dream about Haruko, but this one was a lot more jumbled. I had memories that were strung together but in the wrong order. Like the alphabet with numbers thrown in. The rest of the night went on pretty normal and I was even able to focus enough to finish my homework even though the guitar played on. But I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen or that something was incomplete, so I left the window open just incase, and I kept finding myself touching my forehead just out of paranoia. Maybe I expected for Haruko to come out that way... now that'd be a stretch...
I had another dream that night, too. But this one had so many memories out of place, I almost started questioning what order they really came in. And almost the entire dream revolved around Haruko. It hurt to have to see her leave again because the dream felt so real but then it helped me remember: she said she'd be back.
"You know what? Forget it. Because you're still just a kid, Takkun. Save it for next time."
It made me realize that maybe she really was coming back. The thought comforted me a lot. But at the same time it also made me realize that if she was coming back then there was probably something wrong. And it probably had to do with Atimosk.
I'd never felt jealousy before; not like this. And the first time I'd ever felt jealousy was over Haruko, too. As jealous as I was with my father, I never saw him as much of a threat compared to Atimosk. Even Mamimi had only ever made me angry and not jealous until the day in front of Cafe Bleu. I didn't like the taste of jealousy. It tasted sour.
Walking down the stairs the next morning, Naota straightens his shirt as he heads for the kitchen. Moving to seat himself at the table, his grandfather looks up at him for a moment before a half-smile crosses his face and then disappears.
"You have a guest waiting for you in the living room. They came some time last night and I'm pretty sure they're still asleep but..." And then he seems thoughtful as he takes a bite from his miso soup. "If you wanted to call a day off from school, I wouldn't mind writing you a note tomorrow.
Blinking, while his eyes widen a bit, Naota seems to take this all in at once before swallowing a bit and then nodding. "A....alright... Thank you, Grandpa..." While his mind reels over the dreams, and the guitar... as well as the gruesome vision he saw the first day it started playing. It was obvious his grandfather was trying to remain vague until he could see for himself, so he tries not to get his hopes up as much as possible. Forgetting his breakfast, at least for now, he heads into the living room while looking around expectantly before his eyes widen further and he just gasps when the whole world seems to stop. Laying on the couch, still fast asleep as well as a bit sprawled is the bandaged form of Haruhara Haruko. With his eyes locked on her he steps back and stumbles into the dining room again, before uttering out. "..G..gran..Grandpa... she's....does...does my dad....?"
"He's been in the bakery almost since sunrise and he didn't stop in the living room at all on his way out. I'm the one who let her in." His grandfather returns before stepping into the living room, seeming slightly hesitant considering he left his breakfast behind.
"Was it bad...?" Naota utters, as if for fear even talking will wake her, and he doesn't know what kind of pain she might be in.
"She would have been a lot worse if I hadn't been standing outside trying to get away from the racket of that guitar. She was headed for your window before she saw me, and damn near crashed into me...." he utters the last before murmuring 'crazy bitch' under his breath for Naota's sake.
Rubbing the back of his head, Naota mutters as he tries to keep from envisioning Haruko with her eyes stabbed through. "...Well there's nothing unusual about that..." But then he sighs and drops his hand. He walks forward again into the living room and toward the couch.
Haruko lies, still asleep on the couch, though now, she's curled up slightly. With the blanket shifted, Naota can now see the bandages strewn across her body, wrapped not only around her head, but over her right leg that he can see, both her arms, and across her midsection, where her shirt has been partially torn away, exposing her bare midriff and the left cup of her black bra. A few strands of her hair have fallen over her panged face.
Blinking a little as the worry sifts through his eyes, he doesn't even seem to notice the tears that come before he looks down and happens to notice one fall. Sagging a bit while sniffling slightly he slips down to sit in front of the couch with his legs crossed and his hands loosely in his lap.
"...Yeah, I'll be writing that note now..." Grandpa utters as he turns from the room back towards the kitchen. Then the man calls, almost hesitantly. "You really should wake her up. It's breakfast and if she doesn't eat, she won't heal properly."
Lifting his head, and looking to the kitchen, Naota looks down thoughtfully before looking up at Haruko, and is unable to help but think of how pitiful...and in a way, how cute she looks curled up and asleep, but pitifully cute at that like a stray animal brought in from the cold. Sighing a bit, he shifts up onto his knees, and closer to the couch. Suddenly he seems hesitant to shake her, and frowns a little in consideration on how to wake her exactly. Then he stands and leaves the room completely. The young boy walks through the house without a word, up to his room and takes his guitar, but not before noticing that Haruko's has stopped playing. Assuming that it must have been the reason; Haruko's return, he just walks from the room and back downstairs. Seating in front of the couch he just begins to strum the notes that have been playing non-stop for the last few days.
After a few moments, Haruko winces and flinches in pain before her golden yellow eyes slowly and tiredly open and meet with the blue of Naota's. She blinks once before shifting slightly then whining in pain before settling again, a few more strands of her hair falling into her eyes. "takkun..."
"...You look pretty banged up..." He utters back slightly, squinting his eyes thoughtfully as he continues to play quietly. "...Either way, my grandpa said you should get something to eat... if you're gonna heal right."
"......i think...i'd rather have my sponge bath now please..." She replies, a sly grin on her face with a scandalous look in her eyes and the hint of insanity Naota has come to know.
Blinking and straightening before one of the strings on his guitar breaks and makes a nasty sound before curling near the top, he blinks suddenly and grunts. "...you... you made be pop one..."
"...if you wanted to pop one so bad.." she replies again before gasping and cringing as she had been trying to sit up, only finding herself huddled up against the couch.
"But I didn't." He answers easily and then sighs. "You can barely get off of the couch, and I'm not bringing water in here..." then he just grins a little. "So I guess you'll have to wait a while."
A soft sweet pout crosses her face before she bites her bottom lip trying to contain a grin. "but i'm hungry, takkun, aren't you hungry?"
"Sure." he utters back, remaining calm. "So let's have breakfast, right?"
"...you should carry me! I am the damsel in distress..." She grunts playfully before reaching up her good arm, her fingers moving to caress his face. "..that suit...looks good on you, takkun..."
Starting and blushing a bit, the young boy swallows and shifts back from her hand. "I...don't know if I can...and, uh... this is just a school uniform."
"it still looks good on you..." She utters before seeming thoughtful, a gleam coming across her eyes. "...you know... i shouldn't even eat any of your food. it'd just be a waste anyway..."
Blinking at her oddly, Naota just stares. "...A waste? What are you talking about? It'll help you heal."
"..I'm not going to heal.." She returns, looking down with a soft frown.
Blinking again, and having a pessimistic idea, Naota tricks himself from believing it as he frowns. "...What do you...mean?"
"..i came back...to see you before I die, Takkun..." She murmurs, biting her bottom lip before sniffling once. "..I bet you're the cutest guy at your school now, huh?"
His eyes widening, Naota swallows before stuttering out. "Qu-quit playing around, Haruko...!" though his tone is more one of worry than of scolding as she can clearly tell.
"..I'm not playing.." She murmurs sweetly, turning up to him with sad, cute eyes and a soft frown on her lips; the bottom one plumped from her biting. "...you're the one I wanted to see, Takkun... You're why I came back... to see you again..."
Staring in a bit of saddened shock, Naota just murmurs. "...Haruko..." Before his mind begins racing again. "I...don't want you to die..."
"Because you love me?" She asks, tilting her head slightly as she looks into his eyes.
Flinching a little, the young boy swallows. Sighing and lowering his head, he sags a bit, he utters still a little shyly for having only said it once after channeling Atimosk. "...w-well...yeah....ha-haruko..."
"Tell me you love me." She states suddenly, looking up at him as a hint more of her insanity begins filtering into her gaze.
Straightening just a little, Naota sighs and looks off a minute before muttering. "...i love you..."
"..Tell me you'd do anything for me.." She continues, the hint growing even more as her golden eyes center on him intensely.
"...i'd do ....anything....for you..." He utters, almost nervously.
"...Yeah, I'm pretty sexy, huh?" she grins as her eyes suddenly lighten before asking again. "Do you wanna be with me Takkun?"
Blinking, then frowning he backs up from her just a little. "....Be with you?? But..."
"no one's ever told me they loved me before, and I want a boyfriend if I'm gonna die." She replies, turning off slightly as a more thoughtful and semi-serious tone comes to her eyes.
"Oh..." Naota mutters back, seeming a bit relieved. "...Alright."
"Alright what?"
"...alright...i-i'll.... be with you..." He utters, blushing deeply.
Grinning as she winces, but forces herself to sit up, Haruko licks her lips before uttering. "You know; lots of things come along with a girlfriend..." This said as she leans forward, one hand coming up to support on his shoulder as she nips at his ear. "Lots of fun things..."
Biting his lip, while still looking down, Naota blushes again. "W-well..."
"Well what, Takkun...?" She asks, still nibbling on his ear, though she begins to lean on him a bit heavier.
Shivering a bit, while supporting her weight, Naota mutters back. "...you're in... a lot of pain right now, huh?"
"I can push past it..." she states a bit overconfidently as her tongue begins moving in circles around his outer ear.
Shivering again, Naota swallows. "B-but if you push too hard..."
Grinning almost evilly, she only continues her actions as her free hand starts by tugging his opposite ear and then trailing downward. "I'm not going to die from these wounds..."
Blinking, his eyes widening as a strong blush comes over him again, Naota pulls back slightly. "Wh-What? But you said...!"
Blinking as he moves, causing her to lift her free arm up and rest that hand on his other shoulder, the pink haired young woman pouts slightly before stating simply. "I never said it was these wounds that would kill me, I just said I was dying soon..."
"...If not that, then ...what?" The boy blinks back in confusion, furrowing his brow a bit.
"Let's talk about that later..." She replies leadingly, trying to pull him back towards her as she makes an effort to balance herself.
"Haruko..." He grumbles with emphasis. "I need to know.. death is... serious..."
Sighing heavily and moving off him to sit up on the couch, Haruko just shakes her head a bit. "It's not really your problem, and I lay a lot on you as it is. You're still just a kid, and you've been going through a lot because of me."
"Stop saying that!" He barks suddenly, narrowing his eyes up at her. "You came here like that, if you didn't want it to be my business then why bother telling me, when you know how much I care and you know I'll make it my business??"
"..I don't know, I guess I just didn't expect you to worry about it. Most people are like that. They keep to their own business...like wanting the better ramen cup." She states, suddenly grinning at him.
Frowning still, Naota sighs and looks off. "...You don't know me at all, then..."
"I do..I guess I just don't think about it. I guess I always think about how I would handle things.. but you're different." She says, still smiling.
"...yeah, tons different..." He utters, almost under his breath before adding. "..Are you gonna tell me, or not?"
Her smile fading as she looks down, poking her fingers together, Haruko pokes out her bottom lip as she states in a pouty tone. "You'll probably get mad at me..."
Sighing and closing his eyes, Naota just returns. "I promise I'll....try not to."
After seeming thoughtful for a moment, Haruko just begins speaking. "Unlike what some people would have you believe, I'm not in love with Atimosk. I actually hate him, but I'm in love with his power." Seeming thoughtful for another moment, Haruko continues. "When I was chasing him...well, that's not important. The point is, when I caught up to him.....I couldn't beat him. At all. ....And I guess I'm not put together right to harness his power...something like that. Anyway, we had a pretty bad fight and...he's pretty determined to kill me, and I'm pretty sure he can, so that's the story."
Looking down thoughtfully, Naota frowns and sighs. "...You came back here because...you already know I can harness his power.. since I did it before. But... I don't know if I can do it without it being channeled through Kanti first."
Smirking at him softly, Haruko all but beams. "You know, you're pretty smart for not having a brain."
"Hey!" Naota shoots back, frowning a bit poutily. "...It came back... over time... I think... Not like I've been taking X-rays regularly or something..."
Giggling a bit, Haruko licks her lips before reminding quickly. "You said you'd do anything for me. Well I'm gonna cash in on that, got it?"
Flinching a bit, Naota just sighs and hangs his head. "...Do you really gotta hit so hard?"
"If I don't hit hard, it won't reach through the N.O. right." she states, reaching over to Naota's side to pick up his guitar before moving to sit up more fully, wincing and closing one eye against he pain.
Straightening a bit, his eyes widening, Naota puts up a hand. "Wait! Already??"
"Uh-huh..." She answers back though not in the normally enthusiastic manner that she does as she uses his guitar as a brace and stands against it, straightening as well as she can before spreading her legs for balance, her eyes take a slightly crazed outlook before she pulls her arms up to hold the guitar like a bat.
"But.. what if you throw out your shoulder or something? Aren't you hurt bad enough as it is??" He almost pleads, trying to coax her into...not hitting him.
"Quit being such a baby!" She calls as she swings harshly, crashing the body of the guitar into the kneeling boy's forehead. It doesn't knock him back nearly as far as usual and he simply slams into the wall as the alien woman falls to her knees and catches herself on the guitar before falling forward with a loud, painful grunt.
Bouncing off of the wall onto the floor, Naota rolls face up; passed out momentarily before his eyes roll from the back of his head and he sits up quickly, holding the spot in his forehead painfully. "...ow..." Still holding his head, he looks over to Haruko and blinks before scrambling a bit to one hand and his knees before pushing himself up; still slightly woozy from not being as used to it as before. Walking to her, he kneels again, with a hand to her shoulder. "..You.. alright?"
"..Yeah, I'm fine..." She chuckles a bit darkly, trembling as she pushes herself up off of the floor, drops of blood seeping through the bandage on her midsection.
Frowning worriedly and putting out his hands to help her, Naota watches the blood fall and sighs. "...You're pushing it too hard, just like I said... keep at it, and you won't have to worry about Atimosk at all..."
"It's sweet... that you'd worry about me, Takkun.." she answers, still a bit darkly before lifting her eyes to him. "If we get... the right thing out of your head...then Kanti and you can join and it'll force Atimosk... into you..." Hesitating a bit, she lets herself fall onto her side before asking. "...When Atimosk came out of you...did he escape from you...? Did you force him out..? Let him out...?"
"I guess I let him out. It's not like I was trying to keep him in, or push him out... I just kinda.. opened a door and he left, or something." the young boy explains thoughtfully, to the fullest extent that he can.
"Well...then when you've got him next time... just don't let him out..." She answers, an odd smile on her face as she lies almost pitifully on her side, offering him up his guitar. "Here... White... isn't my style... besides...you look better... with the jagged axe than I do..."
Still keeping one hand on her shoulder, Naota takes his guitar from her, and sets it against his side. "Do you want... back up on the couch or something..?"
"Are you gonna try and carry me..?" She asks playfully.
Biting back a grin, he utters. "...carry, drag... it's all the same right..?"
"As long as you try...then I guess so." She scoffs, reaching up an arm to wrap it around his neck.
Bracing his feet, Naota shifts the arm on her shoulder, and stumbles a bit when Haruko pulls herself up onto him and brings her lips up to his. Jolting a bit, his eyes widening, Naota then just swallows behind his lips and closes his own eyes tightly allowing his own lips to accept. His hand still shifts from her shoulder to her forearm and his opposite hand reaches down to grab her belt.
Letting out an almost purring rumbling sound, the alien woman wraps her other arm around his neck as she deepens the kiss, darting her tongue past his lips and deep into his mouth.
Making a muffled call, Naota's eyes close tightly as his grip loosens for a moment, but then tightens again to keep from dropping her.
Playing her tongue against his for a moment, Haruko lifts her lips from his before grinning. But then one brow raises as her eyes seem to go right over his shoulder before an almost expectant look comes to her eyes.
Blinking a little, Naota gets a sinking feeling as he winces and turns slightly to face his father; who stares at them with a gaping expression. The simple thought is written plain on the young boy's face: 'oh great, now what?'
"Y-you...!" Pouting as he walks up to them slowly and stands over them with standing tears in his eyes, Kamon sniffles once before straightening and pointing to his son.
"Our last duel was never finished! We will finish it in a competition for Haruko-san's love!"
"I'm for it..!" Haruko says excitedly with a smile upon her face before wincing from her slight bounce. "It'll give me something to do while I'm recuperating. Hehe."
"No way!" Naota barks back incredulously, looking at Haruko. "You're hurt," then turning to his father. "And your crazy!" Then he looks off, uttering under his breath. "....besides, there's really no competition..."
"Ah! So you relinquish your claim of love upon Haruko-san!" Kamon states before crossing his arms and nodding once, then twice. "It will make it much easier on you, Naota-kun!"
Shifting as his father tries to grab Haruko, Naota just grunts. "No, just that... we have...." biting his lip to contain the grin, the young boy finishes. "....a....mouth to mouth relationship now!"
"Oou, Takkun!" Haruko exclaims before licking at his neck. "I never knew you were so manly, speaking out against your father for my affections..." the last said as she shallowly sinks her teeth into his neck, her tongue flicking over the flesh in her mouth.
Swallowing harshly as a strong blush forms, Naota just winces as he mumbles. "N-not like that... r-right now... Ha-haruko...."
Pouting again, before he starts to poke Haruko in the shoulder slightly, Kamon asks almost sadly. "Have you... made your decision then, Haruko-san..?"
"Yeah. I choose Takkun, here." she states, grinning up at him cutely before looking up at Naota with a sly grin. "I'm gonna let him make me a woman." She says this in a playful voice.
Naota blinks back and furrows his brows a bit incredulously before he just sighs, as Kamon just stands slack-jawed. "...yeah right...." he mutters under his breath again.
Pouting as she nibbles at his neck again, Haruko grins, making herself bite just a hint tighter before she utters in a serious yet sensual tone. "I never let anyone get close enough but you, Takkun...No one ever loved me before."
Blinking as she turns serious, Naota blushes a little again as he just utters. "...o-oh..."
As Kamon just stands over them, still whimpering and crying, Haruko pulls herself up on Naota, using him as a brace before standing and leaning against him with a sly smile upon her face once more. "Takkun's very manly." She states to the boy's father before placing a simple kiss onto Naota's lips almost in teasing.
"I'm manly..." Kamon replies, pouting pitifully as Haruko begins nibbling at Naota's neck once more.
"Yeah, but Naota loves me." She answers back, slightly muffled as she takes the boy's earlobe into her mouth, suckling and nibbling upon it.
"I...um..." Sagging defeatedly, Kamon just sighs before turning away, stating in an almost darkly manner. "Take care of Haruko-san. Because if you don't, then I will. You must learn to fulfill her every need and desire. You're a man now, Naota." before the man begins slinking from the room.
Grunting a bit, Naota just shivers a little. "...Y...you should still get some rest.. a-and something to eat...y'know... how long... until Atimosk comes?"
"I'd rather do something else right now, Takkun." She replies, licking her lips before biting into his neck again.
"B-but... you can't even swing a guitar right... right now... a-and where's your vespa anyway?" He returns, still blushing deeply and trying to remain serious.
"Parked out front, just like usual.." She says as she starts to try and ease him towards the couch. "And I feel like I'm getting a second wind."
Frowning a bit, still, Naota just utters. "Well.. but.. that doesn't mean you should push yourself..."
"That's the point, Takkun." She replies, turning his face so they meet eye to eye as she seats him on the couch and climbs slowly onto his lap; sitting sidesaddle. "You push in to me, and I push against you."
Swallowing a little, and blushing, he says nothing as he just looks up at her, with slightly wide eyes.
"..Do you want me, Takkun..?" she asks a bit heatedly as she leans forward on her side, pressing her chest up against his upper chest and neck.
"I..um..." Swallowing a bit, he presses his back into the couch and bites the inside of his lip as he blushes deeply. "W-well...."
"You don't want me..?" She asks, blinking once before tilting her head and just looking at him.
