Author's Note: I'm not going by the RRBZ that appeared in the anime—the versions in here are older and have different personalities and pasts (etc.). This story is mainly about the Blues. Name changes: Daisuke - Brick, Satoshi - Boomer, Masaru - Butch. Rainbow pairings.
I actually wrote this back in March and it was on ToTheZ, I just kept forgetting to post it here, heheh. It was originally a oneshot that got too long and was split into 4 parts. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own PPGZ or any songs I referenced in this story. I wrote the original songs, but they must be crappy, so please excuse that…
PPGZ: Seven Notes
In 2007, nearly a month after the fall of Him, when the city was slowly being restored, the Powerpuff Girls Z had formed a treaty with the monsters of Tokyo City. They agreed not to fight, not to destroy the city, and live in peace without being feared, upon the conditions that the Powerpuff Girls Z would never return. They agreed, reluctantly but for the good of the city, but vowed that they would take up their aliases once again if the treaty were to be broken.
So all the monsters and the city's heroes disappeared to peaceful lives and in human forms… all but one group. One that had disappeared long before that, and hadn't signed or heard of the treaty.
The Rowdyruff Boys Z.
……………………………………………………
Many peaceful, unexciting years had passed for Tokyo City's heroes. Though the city missed the girls, they had moved on as well. One wouldn't guess that the Powerpuff Girls were simply three unlikely teenage girls at the time.
One year passed, and the leader had moved away with her family, to a place in northern Japan. The first year of high school had been lonely for her remaining teammates, the two changing and growing in differences, and they drifted apart with nothing left to bind them. There were no more adventures left.
Another year went by, and the bubbliest of the group moved away as well. The last teammate never came to bid her goodbye. After her parents came back from their overseas job, she was forced to leave her grandmother's home and go with them further south in Japan to a quiet suburb, distancing her further from a certain tomboy whom she hadn't spoken to for over a year.
Now at sixteen, now separated, the three former heroines of Tokyo City lived their own lives.
……………………………………………………
The Rowdyruff Boys Z had been normal teenage orphans with a sense of mischief. It was no wonder that when they'd wandered into Mojo Jojo's lair they were injected with a mysterious substance for intruding and destroying said lair. The substance made them into the three troublemakers who would annoy the Powerpuff Girls Z to no end.
But after just a few appearances, they vanished.
……………………………………………………
Miyako Goutokuji donned the most drastic changes to her whole since middle school. In high school, she'd somehow exceeded her friends with her grades. Then again, with no interruptions, she found it easy to make up for her failing middle school grades. Not only that, she got glasses once she started school, and her popularity had declined since she wasn't as "cute" anymore. She didn't even have a popular reputation when she moved and entered a new school, where she was immediately declared a nerd and social outcast. That had really dampened her spirits, and the once most bubbly member of the legendary Powerpuff Girls Z had become quiet and shyer than she used to be, if not also more modest and mature.
However, she never let the insults and stares get her down too much.
The blond girl hadn't changed her love for animals or her sweet nature, nor did she look down in public, though unlike her younger days, when she always wore a smile whenever she could, she simply stayed calm.
She had become more adult looking and learned that she was a natural lyricist, which was her only company in the hard life of high school. Skipping a grade was one of her prouder moments, though nobody talked to her because of it and she soon dreaded being a junior.
More than once she'd find herself singing softly when nobody was around, and writing bits and pieces of poems and lyrics in her journal.
"There are only three colors, ten digits, and seven notes. It's what we do with them that's important."
……………………………………………………
Miyako sighed, wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders and taking light footsteps around her backyard, admiring the garden and blossom tree that stood on the hill just beyond the low stone wall surrounding the flat ground that was safe to walk on. She'd just taken a shower, so her hair was damp and wavy, not put up in a bun like it usually was. She'd left her glasses inside, but she didn't mind. She could see fair enough without them, and it wasn't like she needed to look anywhere far anyway.
On both sides of the yard were wooden fences that separated her home from her neighbors', and chain-link fences stood at the top of the hill to keep the residents from the homes there from tumbling down the said hill.
Stopping abruptly, she listened closely. Music? Her heart seemed to move faster, her mind urging her to form the right description of what she heard. Where was that music coming from?
A golden-haired boy strummed his guitar carefully, creating a soft tune that he hummed quietly to. Behind him, he could hear his brother play the drum loudly across their little piece of property, though it was dulled and seemed far away, yet vivid at the same time. Well, at least the backyard was somewhat quiet compared to the garage.
The sixteen-year-old former troublemaker stopped humming when he suddenly heard singing. Not his own, and not his brother. It was a girl. A girl was singing?
She sounded beautiful, he thought, wondering how the girl knew the lyrics to the song when he hadn't even written any. He listened for only a moment longer, taking in the angelic voice, realizing it was somewhat quiet and even more sweet and soft sounding than he'd thought, before he stopped.
The voice stopped too, but he'd pinpointed where it came from and wandered over to the fence, blinking as he saw a blond-haired girl standing at the foot of the hill dressed in a white shawl and blue dress, staring up at him. The boy took in a breath. She was as beautiful as her voice, and though he couldn't see her clearly from the top of the hill, he could make out long golden hair and pale skin.
"Konnichiwa! Why did you stop?" She greeted politely.
"Um, hi," The boy replied, "Were you singing just now?"
The girl's face seemed to turn pink. "Oh." She realized the answer to her question, "Gomen nasai. I didn't think anybody would hear that. Did I disturb you? I'm sorry!"
"No, that's okay!" The boy shouted down, "You were good. If you raised your voice, I think you'd make a fine singer!" He complimented, smiling, a little blush crawling over his own face in the process.
"Oh, um, thank you." Her milky voice didn't get louder, and he wondered if that was as loud as she could go. "Was that your own song? You play well."
"Thanks," The boy returned and grinned, "Were those your own lyrics?"
"Yes. I made them up just now…"
Miyako was embarrassed. This person had heard her singing? And her own lyrics, too! She couldn't help but think he was just being nice and she was actually horrible.
She didn't know there were kids uphill. She'd lived there for nearly a year, though she'd never known the neighbors up the hill. Maybe that was because they lived on a long, straight street, and the only point it turned to go to the street uphill was the school a ways down the road.
"Um, I didn't know the family that lived up there had children." She changed the subject, curious to know why she'd never seen this boy before. He sounded nice, she could tell, but her eyes failed to see him since without her glasses he was just a blur.
The boy shrugged, even though she could barely make it out, and said, "We're adopted. My brothers and me, that is. We've been here since summer. My oldest brother just got a new drum set, so I decided to come out here to practice instead of staying inside. It's a bit annoying and loud in there." He explained, almost unnecessarily.
"Ah… summer?" Miyako had been there since the middle of the last school year, though she hadn't recalled any new kids moving in. "Well, I'm glad you came out here today." She said uneasily, wondering why she said it in the first place afterward.
The boy grinned, "Me too." He returned, and she could tell he was sincere, which moved her heart. "So, you got any siblings?"
They continued talking about music and family, and even found out they were around the same age—he was seventeen, and she was a year younger.
When Miyako went back inside, having stayed out longer than she anticipated, she stopped, and remembered that she never even asked for the boy's name.
……………………………………………………
Daisuke shut his shoe locker with a loud clang, turning to his brothers with a grin. "So boys, who's on the list today?" The redhead asked, adjusting his classic red cap. The thing was worn from years of use, but he kept it since it was his favorite.
"How about the juniors?" Masaru suggested, brushing some of his black hair. It was useless; it just fell over his eye again anyway. Though the tanned-skin boy was older than Daisuke by at least a month, he let the boy lead their little group on some instinct or another.
"Nah, messing with juniors is askin' for trouble." Daisuke's grin twisted into a frown.
"What? Not up to the challenge?" The green-clad teen smirked.
Daisuke returned the grin. "You're on. We'll sabotage their lockers later. You with us, Satoshi?"
When their third brother didn't reply, two sets of eyes turned towards him, one ruby pair blinking in confusion, the emerald ones staring in concern. "Hey, Satoshi! You there?" Masaru waved a hand in front of his face, hoping to get his attention.
"Huh, what?" Satoshi Katsuya snapped out of his reverie, turning his attention to his adopted brothers.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? You've been spacey all weekend." Masaru said.
"Um, nothing. Just… thinking, I guess." Satoshi shrugged.
"Whoa, our little brother, thinking?" Daisuke asked incredulously, "Quit joking! That's such a lame excuse."
"Uh…" Satoshi stared at him, then sighed, turning away. "C'mon, we're gonna be late for class."
"Since when did we ever care?" Daisuke sniggered.
Satoshi said nothing to that, walking off in the direction of their class, his mind on the girl from down the hill. He wondered if she went to his school—after all, they were the same age—and if he'd be able to meet her again.
……………………………………………………
Miyako wandered around the school grounds, where students were slowly coming out from their classrooms for lunch. Some were obviously staring at her, commenting on her foreign wardrobe again and calling it weird because it was different, or the stick she stuck in her hair to keep her bun in place, or the general fact that she was a sixteen-year-old junior among seventeen-year-olds.
Deciding to eat her homemade lunch alone, again, she took a spot in the abandoned school auditorium, the one closest to the door of the dark, empty place. It was so quiet she could hear her footsteps bouncing off the tiled floors.
It wasn't unusual to eat alone, she'd gotten used to it. It was times like this, however, when her thoughts drifted back to Tokyo City, wondering how her friends were doing now, and what things would have been like had the Powerpuff Girls Z never formed that treaty.
Thinking about it now, her life as Bubbles seemed like something of a distant past, and she could barely recall all the warm feelings of victory and thanks and joy of those memories. She was absently reaching for her compact, too, but remembered her belt was buried deep in the back of her closet, and let her hands fall.
Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't realized half of lunch period had passed, but was jolted back into her senses by someone—or rather, three people—bursting into the auditorium through the entrance at the other end of the building. She jumped in surprise, though they didn't notice her.
"Daisuke, you idiot! I told you not to do it with the teacher around the corner!" One of them scolded.
The other, apparently the one addressed as Daisuke, responded just as angrily, "Hey, it was your idea to target the juniors, Masaru! Don't worry, they won't find us here…"
Miyako stared at them as they came her way, still arguing and unnoticing of her.
"Guys… guys! Stop fighting, will you?" The third person complained, who's voice sounded very, very familiar. "Jeez, why'd you have to drag me into this? I didn't even want to do this!"
"Wuss." Daisuke commented, "Look, let's just get out of here, get back to our wing, and act cool…" The orange-haired boy paused, stopping when he finally saw Miyako standing there. "Aw, crap! It's that geek! She's gonna rat us out!"
She blinked. Did they know her? …Of course they knew her, she was widely known.
"Shut up, Dai." Masaru barked, then turned to her, "Hey, you! If you know what's good for you, you better keep your mouth shut, got it?"
Miyako squeaked, nodding quickly. These were either bullies, or pranksters, or both. Not good for her, despite her history of butt-kicking the bad guys. She was a few years rusty of those powers.
"Let's get outta here." Daisuke pushed past her, opening the door and looking out cautiously before motioning for his friends to follow. Masaru and Daisuke slipped out, and their companion was following, but he paused and looked back.
Miyako stared back at him. He seemed different from the others, and he was giving her a weird, scrutinizing look. A second later, he was gone.
She sank back into her seat, wondering what just happened, and who they were—especially the mysterious nameless boy who seemed oddly familiar.
Satoshi couldn't help but think that nerd was familiar. He didn't actually think of her as a nerd, either—he just had no other name for her. It seemed his troublesome brothers knew who she was though, so he asked them.
"Hey, guys, who was that?"
"Her? Some nerdy junior. Dunno her name, but I heard she was really smart." Masaru answered.
"And that she's a teacher's pet," Daisuke added, weaving his hands behind his head in a casual pose. "She better not rat on us for messin' with the junior's wing. She knows it was us, thanks to Masaru."
"Hey!" The two brothers then got into an argument about whose fault it was, leaving their younger brother to ponder about the girl they'd run into.
What was she doing in the auditorium, alone? He wondered.
……………………………………………………
The week was passing, and Satoshi had gone out to the backyard everyday to practice his guitar a little in hopes the girl would show up again. She hadn't, and the weekend was drawing near.
He also started peeking into the auditorium during lunchtime. He didn't know why, he just had a strange urge to do so, and almost every time, it was empty. Except that on Friday, the nerd was there, writing something in a little book every now and then in-between bites of her lunch. It was probably homework.
He wanted to know why he felt like he knew her, but couldn't find the words to ask. He knew it couldn't be the girl from the bottom of the hill, the girl was younger than him, and this nerd was most probably older.
Miyako hadn't gone back to the auditorium out of fear she'd witness something again, but on Friday there was nowhere else to go. So she turned on the lights, pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, and worked on some lyrics silently.
She paused to think when she got home that day, wondering why she hadn't gone outside that week. She possibly could have met that boy again, but she supposed he would have been busy with school or something anyway.
She wondered about that boy she saw in the auditorium. It couldn't be him, she thought, but couldn't find any good reasons to support that thought. The best she could come up with was that the boy was friends with a bunch of pranksters and was probably one himself, and the boy she met on the hill seemed really nice—nothing like a prankster at all.
……………………………………………………
"Miyako, can you water the garden for me? I have to get back to the store and meet your father…"
"Yes, okaasan." Miyako responded automatically, bidding her mother a safe trip and watching her go off before heading into the backyard to do her chores.
It was a nice Saturday morning, and Miyako was enjoying its winter sunshine and refreshing air as icy cold water poured from the watering can in her hands onto the earth below.
"Oi! Ohayou!"
Miyako blinked, taking on a surprised expression as she looked up at the source of the cheery voice. "Ah, it's you. Good morning." She replied with a soft smile and a wave, tilting her watering can so that she stopped the flow of water. "How are you today?"
"I'm good. Didn't see you all week though," The boy pointed out, stopping his energetic wave.
"Oh, I'm sorry… Were you out here? I thought you'd be busy, so I didn't think to come out…" Miyako apologized.
"Nah, it's okay." The boy waved it off, then leaned on the fence slightly and continued speaking, "So, I forgot to ask last time, but do you go to that school down the street?"
"Ah, yes, I do. I was going to ask you about that, too, since we're close in age and all…" Miyako said.
"You were? Well, I guess great minds think alike!" The boy laughed, "Maybe I'll see you there, huh? Wouldn't that be a funny coincidence!"
Miyako nodded, absently watering the plants again. She hadn't done her hair well or put on her glasses that morning, so she still couldn't see the boy clearly. She made a mental note to remember to keep them on next time.
"Hello? Miss? Um…"
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, I just spaced for a minute. What were you saying?" Miyako blushed, looking away and feeling stupid for staring off at the most random times.
"You do that too, huh?" The boy chuckled, "I was just asking if you were doing anything today. Are your parents home or something? It is a weekend, after all…"
"My parents went to work, and I have some chores to do and piano lessons today." Miyako shrugged.
"Piano?" The boy seemed surprised, "You play music? Hey, that's great! If we ever meet at school, we should play together. What do you say?"
Miyako wasn't sure if he could see her face turn red. "Oh, um… I suppose so." She said uneasily. She didn't perform like she used to, like she did back when she was fighting that Piano Monster. She didn't like anyone being there anymore, and preferred to be alone when she played.
But for some reason, she knew she could talk to this boy. He was the first one she'd ever talked to in a long time, and about so much. Normally she'd never even make a sound, so she thought… Maybe, just maybe, she could perform with him.
"Maybe you could sing too."
Miyako turned an even deeper shade of embarrassment, shaking her head rapidly. "Um… I-I don't…" She stuttered.
The boy looked at her in confusion and concern. "I was just joking…." He said slowly, choosing his words carefully, his tone more gentle than normal. "Sorry."
"T-that's okay." She said, then chose to change the subject, "Um, so do you have any plans today?"
"Oh, nothing much. What else can a boy do on a Saturday?" He grinned lightheartedly, hoping to lift the mood. He suddenly winced when he heard one of his brothers call his name loudly from the other side of the house. "Except for that…" He muttered.
"What was that?" Miyako asked in confusion, having not heard very clearly.
"My brothers," The boy sighed, "Today's band practice."
"Band practice? You're in a band? With your brothers? How much fun that must be." Miyako commented.
"Yeah. There's a talent show coming up at school—oh, did you already know? Anyway, so we signed up last month and the big day's comin'." He suddenly brightened, "Oh, are you going to watch the talent show? Maybe you can cheer for us!"
"Ah, I don't—err, I'm not good with big crowds…" She said nervously. She felt a pang of guilt when she sensed the boy's spirit fall.
"Eh, well, that's okay… Erm, do you mind if I use those lyrics from last week?" The boy suddenly asked, "They were really good."
"Uh? Go ahead. I don't mind." Miyako replied. She didn't think her lyrics were that good, but couldn't make sense of the boy learning and writing lyrics only a week or so before the talent show. She decided not to think into it too much.
"Thanks." He grinned, "I'll be sure to play it for you if you do show up."
Both of their faces were pink. The boy then stiffened upon hearing another shout, grunting as he turned and shouted, "Coming! Gimme a minute!"
"Um, you have to go?" Miyako peered up at his blurred form.
The boy looked at her, "Yeah. Can I see you tomorrow?"
"Sure." Miyako smile, and was about to bid farewell when she realized something, "Ah, wait!" He stopped himself from taking half a step, looking back at her curiously. "What's your name?"
The boy blinked, looking blank, then smiled and replied, "Boomer."
He then waved, disappearing.
Miyako stood with her blue eyes wide in disbelief, staring blankly at the spot he once stood at the top of the hill, where he leaned against the fence.
Boomer? She thought, But… That can't be! Wasn't Boomer the name of a Rowdyruff boy? This has to be just a coincidence, right…?
Different possibilities flew through her mind, until she uncertainly settled for the conclusion that it was a mere coincidence. There was just no way it was the same Boomer.
Of course, the boy could be lying, Miyako thought, and that wasn't his real name. It was strange, though—why would he lie to her?
That question was lurking in the back of her mind, haunting her, but she didn't let it come into full realization, letting her think that maybe he wasn't as nice as she thought he was.
……………………………………………………
Satoshi realized that he hadn't gotten the girl's name, but decided that he'd find out next time he saw her. Seeing her that morning really lifted the week's general mood, and he wondered what it'd be like if he met her in school. He'd have to find her on Monday, for sure.
Looping his guitar strap over his shoulder, he headed for the garage, where his brothers were waiting impatiently.
"Yo, what took you so long?" Daisuke asked.
"None of your business." Satoshi retorted, "Anyway, let's just get this going. I got some new lyrics that I thought we should try out."
"New lyrics?" Daisuke perked up, "Well, whaddya got, mister lyricist?"
"We're not using it for the show, are we?" Masaru asked uneasily, "It's next week and we don't have time to change the program."
"Nah. Unless mister leader wants to use it, I got no objections." Satoshi shrugged.
"Right. Let's go for the program first, then we'll try out your song." Daisuke said, signaling to his teammates to start. "Ready! One, two, three, four, go!"
Masaru started off with the drums, soon joined by Satoshi's electric guitar, and a few seconds after that Daisuke started with the vocals and bass.
After practicing their first two songs, they took a break for Satoshi to show them the new lyrics, to which Daisuke promptly commented were "girly". However, he agreed to sing them when both of his brothers made arguments of "trying something new" and "nothing's wrong with 'girly'".
After one try—and messing up horribly—Daisuke felt more up to the challenge of singing the new lyrics since he couldn't get it easily like he usually could with other songs. Masaru told him it was because he was used to the upbeat and rock songs, and Satoshi egged him on by teasing him about finally finding a song he couldn't sing.
A few more tries later, a woman at the garage's side entrance interrupted them.
"If I had know I'd get nothing but a headache from buying you new drums and letting all of you form a band, I wouldn't have done it." She sighed, though her tone was playful. She ran a hand through her hazelnut hair.
"Aw, c'mon Doc! We ain't that bad, are we?" Daisuke grinned.
"No," The woman admitted, "and I'll say this is at least an improvement from the outlet you had when I first adopted you last summer."
The boys grinned at each other, and Daisuke continued in an I-know-but-say-it-anyway tone, "And that would be…?"
"Causing so much trouble with your pranks I practically ripped my hair out." The woman grinned. "Though I can't see why for the life of me you had to choose those names as a stage alias!"
Masaru quirked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with our stage names, Doc?"
"Brick, Butch, and Boomer? You guys really don't see it?" The woman gave them a stare, mumbling under her breath, "Five months! Really, Five months and they still don't get it…"
"Nope," Satoshi shook his head, "If you're talking about the Rowdyruff Boys Z of that other city, then yeah—it's cool being named after super dudes!" He grinned childishly.
"But those are bad super guys!" The woman shook her head in a frustrated manner, "Oh, never mind! Just… go on with your practice. Lunch will be ready in an hour." She turned to leave.
"Sure thing, Dr. Katsuya!" Satoshi said after her.
"How many times do I have to tell you, you don't have to call me that!" Dr. Katsuya called, though her tone was her normal one.
The boys waited a few seconds, and then turned to each other with oddly serious faces. Daisuke was the first to speak. "How long do you think it'll be before she realizes we still have our memories?"
"How long to you think we can keep playing dumb?" Masaru returned.
"Does it matter?" Satoshi asked a third question, "We can't go back to that life or that city."
"Right… whatever she did to us, we're normal again now." Masaru said softly, "Don't you think the least we can do is tell her we remember? It's not like she's gonna kick us out. She knows we were the Rowdyruff Boys, she turned us back with that weird light, she kept us, and she's put with us this long. Isn't that what we always wanted before that crazy monkey changed us?"
Satoshi had tuned out, his mind drifting back to the memories of those years.
……………………………………………………
When they made their debut as the Rowdyruff Boys Z, they followed Mojo Jojo's plans and had a kick out of destroying the city. Their next appearances were solo, causing trouble for not only the Powerpuff Girls Z, but Mojo as well. Their final appearance was during Him's resurrection, and that was the only time the girls had defeated them.
In the following week, when they realized their sources of power were gone, they switched to survival mode and moved from the city to a place where no one knew about them. There, they got by on causing mischief and shoplifting.
A year passed, and it was then that Dr. Katsuya found them, offering them food and shelter as long as they obeyed her rules in her house. Of course, the boys had strained with that. When Dr. Katsuya did her research on the boys, she found out exactly who and what they were, and began searching for a way to reverse their transformation.
A few months after that, she found the blueprints to a strange harmless ray in Tokyo City's database and built it. After studying them carefully, she used the ray on them, hoping it wasn't dangerous.
Returning to their normal form, unconscious, Dr. Katsuya came up with a plan. When they boys woke up, they were alone, confused, and wondering about the memories of the Rowdyruff Boys that hit them like a rocket. They agreed to keep it a secret in fear of being arrested for everything their alter egos had done.
Dr. Katsuya had to reintroduce herself and be introduced to the now former Rowdyruff Boys Z, and then proceeded to take them back to Tokyo City, much to their dismay, to finalize their adoption papers. That had really surprised them, but they didn't protest.
It surprised all of them when the boys were taken in for questioning. After all, they had been missing for a few years. They came up with some lies about running away, which wasn't completely a lie, and said whatever they needed to say to get out of there. Dr. Katsuya also lied, giving them an alibi, surprising the boys further.
In mid-July, they finally moved into their new home, adjusting roughly to a now normal life, though their mischievous nature never truly left them.
The memories of the Rowdyruff Boys Z faded with time, though it haunted them in their dreams and little bits of it even snuck into their current lives. But, like the Powerpuff Girls Z, they no longer felt the cold, sadistic feelings that made the Rowdyruff Boys who they were.
……………………………………………………
"My week has actually been… quite eventful," Miyako said in response to her father's question that night at dinner, "It's been less quiet than usual, at the least. The school's winter talent show is coming up soon, so it's been all the buzz lately."
"Ah, are you going, dear? I think it'd be wonderful! We'll pay for it, if you want to go!" Mrs. Goutokuji smiled.
"Ah, but…" Miyako protested.
"Nonsense, dear! No 'but's, either—you need to get out more anyway!" Her mother said sternly. "You're going and that's final! When is it, anyway?"
"Next week." Miyako sighed. Oh well, she thought, it couldn't be that bad. She'd get to see 'Boomer' after all. Her face suddenly turned pink at the thought of him.
"Miya-chan, why aren't you wearing your glasses? Your eyes couldn't be getting better…" Mr. Goutokuji commented.
"Ah, I just forgot, that's all."
After dinner, the blond did her usual chores and homework, then sat down on her piano bench and started playing a classic piece. Her parents sat down on the sofa in the living room to listen, and Miyako only flinched at their presence. They were the only people she could probably play for in this lonely little town. But after years of living with just her grandmother, they seemed a bit like strangers to her.
The phone rang, and her father got up to answer it, letting Miyako continue to play. A few moments later, he called out, "Miya-chan! There's a phone call for you!"
Miyako blinked, her fingering faltering. She got up, walking into the hallway where her father handed her the cordless phone.
Who could be calling her? She didn't have any friends. Maybe it was her grandmother? Gulping, she held the phone nervously up to her ear.
"M-moshimoshi…?"
"Miyako-chan!" A friendly, cheery, and distantly familiar voice shouted into her ear. "Oh my gosh, it's so good to hear from you again!"
"Haaa?" She asked in a daze. "Excuse me? Who is this?"
"Aw, Miyako-chan… You forgot too?" The young girl on the other side seemed to pout, "Jeez, you and Kaoru are the same! It's me, Momoko!"
Miyako blinked in realization, her voice raising a few octaves as she managed to squeak out, "Momoko-san!?" She barely contained her excitement as she raced to her room and shut the door.
"Kaoru too! Kaoru, say something!"
"Something." Said a new, sarcastic voice, one Miyako recognized now that she knew who it was. They must have been talking on three-way. She couldn't believe how different they sounded, especially after not hearing from them for so long. Then again, they might not have sounded different at all; the separation must have distorted her memories of their sweet voices.
"Oh my gosh… It's so good to hear from you two!" Miyako gasped happily, once again regaining a familiar cheer to her voice that she'd long ago lost, "You don't know how happy I am right now… But wait, how did you get my number?" She hadn't recalled giving her new address or phone number to anyone, not even Kaoru or Ken.
"Oh, well, I realized we never, ever—in the whole year we were together—exchanged phone numbers or anything, so I called Ken-chan and Professor Utonium today after I saw their number in my parent's address book, and asked them what your numbers were but they didn't know," Momoko explained, "So then I saw Keane-sensei's number in there, and decided to call her since I knew she had everyone's emergency numbers and stuff from back when we were in her class. Anyway, so I called Kaoru and your grandma's house a few hours ago, but she said you moved so she gave me your number and I called you! How come you never told me you moved?" Momoko demanded.
"Um… Momoko-san, it's been over two years. You choose now of all times to contact us after not speaking to us for two years and you want to know why I never told you I moved?" Miyako asked incredulously.
"Hmm… yep!" Momoko said cheerily, "Haha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. After I moved I realized I didn't have your numbers to tell you guys my new ones and I didn't find the lab's numbers till this morning."
"Momoko…" She could almost hear Kaoru rolling her eyes, and she muttered something incomprehensible.
"Kaoru-san… Um, it's been a while." Miyako said uneasily.
"You never told me you moved either. I was worried when you disappeared."
Miyako gasped in shock this time. She never knew the tomboy still cared! Now she felt guilty and sorry. "G-gomen nasai… But… after first semester that one year, you stopped talking to me. I thought you wouldn't care if I moved or not."
"Eh? Wait, what happened after I left, anyway? Guys…" Momoko seemed lost.
"I didn't stop talking to you, Miyako. You stopped talking to everybody." Kaoru said softly, more soft than Miyako ever remembered her being.
Was that really what happened? Miyako wondered, was it she who stopped, not everyone else? She felt confused, and her memories didn't seem to serve her right. Maybe her own views on things were different when seen by others.
"Hello? Somebody explain?" Momoko tried to get their attention.
"Ah, gomen." Kaoru said, then explained, "After you left that summer, we kinda just started hanging out with Ken for no reason, but things weren't the same and we stopped visiting him. Miyako and I only called each other during the summer, and sometimes I'd go help her clean her house or something or she'd come watch my games. But when school started, things changed. The school teased us a lot, because a jock and a nerd hanging out was just… weird."
"Jock and nerd? What? I can believe you becoming a jock, but…"
"You've been more out of touch than you realize, Momoko." Kaoru commented, continuing, "Miyako wasn't popular in high school like she was in junior high. She wasn't considered 'cute' or anything. So after a while, Miyako kinda shut off from the world and, well… we hadn't talked since then."
"Okay, so I got your side of the story. Miyako-chan, your turn. Fill in the blanks?" Momoko inquired.
"Um, well, I started getting straight A's and some people started making fun of me, then my parents came home from Milan last year and decided to move to a quiet country to revolutionize fashion or something there, so naturally I went with them. Nobody here liked me the moment I got here, so… it's been lonely. Other then that, that's it."
"Ah… Jeez, you guys just fall apart without me, eh? What about our vow of best friends and stuff, guys?" Momoko asked with a tone of melancholy, "Did you just forget?"
"We didn't mean to, Momoko." Kaoru said, and Miyako then realized Kaoru had probably become quieter too, just like her.
Maybe Momoko was the only one unaffected by their separation, because she seemed to be as jolly and upbeat as always, and she was the only one who had always made an effort to talk to them again.
"It just wasn't the same. We were too different, Momoko-san. It wasn't because you left that we fell apart… It was because we lost that other half of us." Miyako said quietly.
Momoko was silent, as if at a loss about what to say next, and then, "Even so… we can still try." She sighed, and that was the most sincerely depressed Miyako would ever hear her.
"Alright, alright. We'll try. At least now you have our numbers." Kaoru said.
"Yeah! And I'm gonna call you guys everyday!" Momoko assured them.
"Whatever. So, miss happy-go-lucky, what's happening up north?" Kaoru asked.
"Oh, it's great up here! The guys are so cute and everybody's so nice! A bit rocky on touring foreigners and stuff, but it's a really small community and almost everybody knows each other and it's really peaceful and beautiful and there's a great view of the mountains and…" Momoko rambled on and on, causing Miyako to giggle. She hadn't changed one bit.
"So you're having a nice time at your new home?" Miyako asked politely when she finished.
"Not a new home anymore, Miyako-chan. It's been home for two years, but it's never gonna be the home we had in Tokyo City. It's still pretty cool though." Momoko chuckled. "I still haven't gotten a date yet…"
Everybody laughed, and it was the best laugh Miyako had ever gotten in such a long, long time.
"So, Kaoru, how are things in the city? Anybody stirring up trouble?" Momoko asked.
"If they did, you'd be the first to know." Kaoru replied, "By the way… why'd you call again? You told me you had something important to tell us or something…"
"Oh yeah! Well, my winter break started today, and I convinced my parents to let me visit you guys!"
"Eh?!" Miyako and Kaoru both shouted in surprise.
"Yeah! Well, I'm gonna have to convince them to let me go further down south, since I just found out you moved, but I can make it." Momoko said, "What? Hello? You guys still there?"
"We're here," Kaoru said after a long moment of shocked silence on her end, and Miyako finally let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Explain to us what in the world you mean?"
"Well, I'm coming down to Tokyo City in a few days to see you. I wanna see how everyone's doing, too." Momoko said. "So when I get there and meet Kaoru, we'll go and head over to Miyako!"
"You mean you're going with your family?" Miyako asked.
"Yep! Hey, maybe I can convince Ken-chan to come too…" Momoko mused.
"But… my vacation doesn't start till Tuesday…" Kaoru said slowly.
"Oh, good! I'll be there by Wednesday! Just ask your parents! In fact, your whole family should come too! It'd be fun! C'mon!" Momoko begged.
"I'll try…"
"Um, you aren't planning on staying at my house, are you…?" Miyako asked. Her home was a small one-story with only one extra room for when her grandmother visited, so she was worried about what would happen if they answered yes.
"Nope, I'm looking up hotels as we speak." Momoko replied, to Miyako's relief. "Hey, Miyako, when's your winter break starting?"
"Um, next week… I'll be free on Saturday, then I've got break for a month." Miyako explained.
"Great! Then we can hang out for a while! It'll be just like old times!" Momoko cheered. "Ah, I gotta go. Call you later!"
"Bye." Two voices said at once, and then there was a tone and a moment of silence. "Um, are you still there…?" Miyako asked when there wasn't an elongated dial tone.
"I am. I dunno about Momoko. I think she really did hang up," Kaoru said, sounding a bit uneasy. Miyako then realized why she seemed quiet and nervous the whole conversation.
"Um… look, I'm really, really sorry about last year." Miyako apologized as sincerely as she could.
"Eh? What are you talking about? It's no biggie. Things happen, I get it." Even then, Miyako could tell the girl was hiding her feelings, "It's okay, really. You don't have to apologize."
"I know, but we should've been there for each other. We shouldn't have let peer pressure get in the way of our friendship."
"Quit sounding so cheesy, I get it, I get it!" Kaoru laughed, "We'll talk tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye." Miyako hung up, putting the phone on her night table and sighing happily as she fell onto her bed.
This certainly was an eventful week, she thought, and things were definitely looking up.
"Miyako?" Her father called, coming into the room, "You talked for a long time. What's the look you've got?" He smiled.
"Otousan!" Miyako sat up and looked at him, "Oh, I've got some news. Some of my old friends are coming to visit me next week. Can I…?"
"You can do whatever you want with them, dear," Mr. Goutokuji interrupted her, "As long as you get home before curfew."
They knew it had been a long time since the Goutokuji daughter had any friends.
……………………………………………………
Miyako woke up, excited about that Sunday. She sat at the outdoor table all morning, shielded from the strong morning sun by the parasol above her, the wireless phone in front of her and her eyes on the hill. Not only was she expecting a call from her old friends, which was enough to make her heart soar already, she was expecting to see that boy again. He had been the first person in that town to speak to her normally, so her heart couldn't help but race when she saw him. And today, she'd brought her glasses too.
In the quiet of the dawn, her thoughts drifted to the boy's name. Boomer. It was a strange name, she knew, but she couldn't help but think of the connection. She'd have to ask the others what they thought.
"Miya-chan?" Her mother asked when she finished watering the garden, "What are you doing out here, dear? You'll catch a cold."
"Just enjoying the view," Miyako smiled, "Anno, okaasan? Are there any kids at the neighboring houses?"
"Hmm? Well, there is that cute little girl next door that you baby-sit sometimes…" Mrs. Goutokuji replied, but Miyako interrupted.
"I meant ones that are my age."
"Eh? Well… not that I know of. I know there's a thirteen-year-old down the block, but I don't know of any high school students." Mrs. Goutokuji shook her head, "They all live further down the street and take the bus to school, or they live on the other side."
"Have you met any of the other families on the other side?" Miyako asked.
"No. Though I do know the local doctor and researcher lives somewhere on that side, and a few teachers. They take the bus, too." Mrs. Goutokuji laughed. "So, why do you ask?"
"Just… curious."
Her mother left her alone after that, and it wasn't until noon that Miyako decided to go back inside. To her disappointment, Boomer hadn't shown up in the early hours. She couldn't fathom a reason why.
Her spirits were lifted when she received a call from Kaoru. And it was just after she got back inside—perfect timing, as if Kaoru knew she was feeling down.
"Hey, Miyako! 'Morning!" The former green puff greeted.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Kaoru-san. You don't know how thrilled I am to hear from you… again!" Miyako giggled.
"Huh? You don't sound very thrilled. Did something happen?" Kaoru immediately noticed.
"Ah… nothing. Where's Momoko?" Miyako looked out the kitchen window, still seeing no sign of the boy.
"I already tried to contact her. She said she's busy. And don't lie to me, Miyako. What happened?" Kaoru demanded as gently as she could.
Miyako sighed, "Well, I was expecting somebody to… visit today, and he didn't show up."
"Eh? You sure he's supposed to come this early?"
Miyako nodded, but then remembered Kaoru couldn't see her. "Uh, well, there wasn't a specific time, it's just that he usually come out pretty early and…"
"Hold the phone…. No, not literally, Miyako!" Kaoru sighed, "I thought you said nobody liked you over there. And you said 'he'. You're seeing a boy?" She could almost hear Kaoru's smirk.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Miyako blushed a little, "Well, there's this neighbor of mine who I talked to only a few times. We were supposed to meet again today."
"Why don't you just go over to his place then?" Kaoru asked with a slightly playful I-know-what's-really-going-on tone.
"K-Kaoru-san! It's not like that!" Miyako protested, "And I can't go over to his house because the only way we could talk is by our backyard. It takes probably half an hour to even drive there!"
"Whoa, where do you live, on a farm?" Kaoru asked incredulously.
"No…" Miyako sighed and paused to think of the right explanation, "He lives in the house behind mine. I live on this long street and the only bend in it to go to the other side is fifteen minutes away."
"Oh, I get it…. So why not go over to the fence and jump it? Or throw rocks at his window?"
"There's a hill in my backyard. I'm not allowed to climb it."
"What are you, miss prissy? I thought a year's worth of action would take that outta you."
"My parents are home now, remember?"
"Oh, right. Well… maybe he'll show up later. Don't worry about it. You don't know him too well, right? So you don't have to care too much."
Miyako sighed again, then smiled at the next thought she voiced. "We better not tell Momoko-san about this, eh? She'd fantasize about romance and try to set me up, wouldn't she?"
Kaoru laughed. "Yep! She hasn't changed at all since junior high! It's too predictable!" They laughed a little longer, and then Kaoru said, "Was really a good idea to tell me this then? Who knows, I might set you up when I get there…"
"Kaoru-san!"
"I'm just kiddin'!" Kaoru assured her, "So, what's his name?"
Miyako hesitated for a moment, then decided this was the perfect opportunity to ask about it. "He said it was Boomer."
"Boomer?!" Kaoru responded the same way she had, "But… don't tell me it's…"
"It's not." Miyako said, "I think he was lying, but I don't see why he would do that."
"Hmm… I dunno. The Rowdyruff Boys were the only monsters we lost track of during the restoration. Did they even sign the treaty?" Kaoru asked, unsure.
"They fall under Mojo Jojo-san's responsibilities, don't they? I'm sure he told them about it before we turned them back." Miyako was just as unsure.
"That's the thing. They weren't there during that month, so maybe they're up to something right now!"
"Now Kaoru-san… I'm sure they know about the treaty. No sightings have been reported or anything of any monsters causing trouble these last few years." Miyako said, realizing something and rushing to her computer and opening up a search.
"Maybe they're in hiding, maybe they know, but they're troublemakers, Miyako. It's kinda in their nature to start something up."
"It's also in Mojo-san's nature to get upset at every little detail. Yet he was still able to control himself." Miyako stared at the computer screen, gaping.
"True…. You don't think maybe they got new clothes and are pretending to be normal now, do you?" Kaoru asked, and after a period of silence, she called out, "Miyako? Miyako? You there?"
"Oh, sorry, I'm here. No, I didn't space out. Um, listen to this." Miyako scrolled down on her screen, "In 2008 the Rowdyruff Boys Z were spotted in my town shoplifting and stuff. They disappeared earlier this year, though."
"Eh? They showed up? See, told you there were still causing trouble!"
"No… I think this was a means of survival. Kaoru-san, they're just boys, and nearly humans ones at that. The things they stole, it was all petty, and necessities."
"You think they're innocent or something?"
"Why can't I? I don't think this counts as 'monster activity'. It's not enough for us to be picking up the old belt and breaking the treaty for some petty thieves. That could set off a monster riot, Kaoru-san."
"True… I guess I was just looking for an excuse to kick some butt again."
Miyako sighed, "Aren't we all…?"