Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon nor Fushigi Yuugi.
AN Inspired by a manga I read a long time ago, Wallflower. Besides, it's about time I wrote a FY/SM fic, don't you agree? It was bound to happen sometime soon!
IMPORTANT: AU (Alternated Universe) meaning no Sailor Moon or Universe of Four Gods stuff. OOC may occur, but good reasons shall be revealed in time.
There is eighty Yen to one Australian Dollar. If that's helpful. Hehe. Aussie dollar is almost equal to US dollar. Not quite, but almost.
Yurei means ghost.
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Can You Handle It?
Prologue
By Angel-Goddess
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The girl looked completely crushed as she promptly averted her quickly tearing eyes from the man's slightly bored gaze. "But… I…" She stuttered, unable to find any words.
The men let out an annoyed sigh. "Look, just drop it. I hate it when ugly girls do this." He commented arrogantly to her face, not caring about her feelings.
The girl's throat tightened so much she thought she would choke. Tears of the bitter rejection blurred her eyes as her heart literally recoiled at the painful words that had so easily slipped from his mouth. Ugly. The word continuously repeated itself over her head as she watched the hazy form of the guy she had confessed her love to, retreat.
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Angry, piercing dark violet eyes glared distastefully at a cowering man in contempt. His dark blue fringe lightly flopped around his handsome face as he strode forward and grabbed the collar of the quivering man, lifting him up and shoving him against the wall with a loud thud.
"Tamahome! You'll hurt him!" A scolding voice stopped him in his rampant state.
Tamahome moved his intense glare from the cringing man to the nonchalant, purple-haired male who moved to stand beside him. "And why shouldn't I, Nuriko? After all, we pay extra so that we don't have to share this place with a girl!" He heated argued, eyes blazing with irritation. He worked hard for that money. Real hard.
The other boy merely pried his twitching hands off the slightly eased man, who shot him a thankful look. "Now, what were you saying, Katsuyo-san?" Nuriko prodded on placidly, his pale purple eyes questioning as he restrained Tamahome, who looked like an angry bull ready to charge at the waving red flag.
The middle-aged man laughed nervously, brown eyes apprehensive. These high school boys certainly were frightening with all their martial arts moves and such. It's a wonder this mansion-like house that he was leasing to them wasn't already a pile of rubble. After all, he knew without a doubt what these six lads were capable of. They could easily punch through a wall as though it was made of paper or something if they really wanted to! Scary.
"Ah…I've let a girl rent on of the extra rooms here-" He gulped when Tamahome emitted a dangerously low growl, but bravely continued on. "B-but if you think about it, now that you've got a female companion, you won't have to pay the extra. S-so that's five thousand yen less from each of you every week." He hastily finished, sweatdropping as he inched towards the front door in an attempt to leave before they did any bodily harm to him.
"Hey, wait just a damn minute, ye ol' man." The one who stopped him from sidling along was the fiery tempered orange-haired boy called Tasuki. He had a slightly dangerous air around him that seemed to appeal to quite a number of girls. Then again, this group of six appealed to all the girls. The youth's vivid green eyes glinted almost as evilly as Tamahome's violet gaze as they noticeably scrutinized the frightened landlord's reactions. "Ye mean t' tell me that this woman is going t' be livin' with us fer the year?" He hollered, disgruntled.
The landlord let out another tense laugh. He shouldn't be so scared of these boys. They were only his tenants. And he was older than them too! "Umm… maybe more." He squeezed the words from his throat sheepishly.
Tasuki made a move to lunge at the smaller man but was held back instantly by two eye-catching, identical boys with sandy-blonde hair and clement azure eyes. Katsuyo let out a squeak and backed away, thankful for the twins, Amiboshi and Suboshi. He could only tell the two apart when they wore different garments from each other.
"You'd best leave, Katsuyo-san, before Tamahome and Tasuki do anything rash." A mild voice commented lightly nearby.
Turning, the landlord nodded to the rather gorgeous, refined teen that was nicknamed Hotohori. When he had first seen the boy, he had mistaken him as a girl. The same went for Nuriko. Then again, Nuriko often dressed like a woman. Katsuyo sweatdropped and shook his head wryly. Kids these days. No shame. In his time it was unhonourable to dress up like a woman. Ah well, that's another story.
Hotohori calmly nodded towards the front door, his hazel eyes kind. "Good day to you, Katsuyo-san." He courteously bid, bowing slightly and later shifting the locks of his long, vivacious honey-brown hair out of his flawless features as he opened the door and ushered the more than relieved man outside. When Hotohori closed the door, a small frown settled on his lips open surveying the appearance on the house. "Our new companion will be arriving in two days. We ought to clean up this place a little." He observed musingly.
Tasuki snorted and tore away from Amiboshi and Suboshi's grips, now that his target was gone. "I ain't &$!& cleaning just fer a damn woman!" He defiantly announced, folding his arms as he bared two small fangs that stood out amongst his pearly whites.
Amiboshi sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh. He wasn't the type to complain out loud. "It'll be a little awkward, living with a female stranger." He admitted, running a defeated hand through his slightly tousled hair.
Suboshi nodded in agreement. "Hopefully she won't be like those girls that chase us everywhere." He groaned, looking up as if to beg the divine being up there, somewhere.
All the guys in the room sweatdropped and seemed to deflate at the very thought. It was already bad enough at school and in public as it already was, with all their rabid fan girls on the loose, watching them with those hawk-like beady eyes that never seemed to stop following their every movement no matter where they were. They didn't need another one at home … even if it was just one girl. Their home was the only sanctuary away from all those.
"We should probably clean the guest room them." Nuriko suggested, breaking the silence.
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A shaggy figured stepped out of a yellow cab, staring up at the large three-storey house that loomed before her in a rather elegant manner, its front gate several meters away. So this was where she was staying from now on. Not bad.
She turned back to the taxi driver who was quivering as he looked at her. Her lip slightly twitched as she forced down a small smirk. He was afraid of her. Actually, everyone who didn't understand her was afraid of her. With a low thank you when she handed him his pay, he sped away like there was no tomorrow, leaving a trail of light dust and smoke.
The dishevelled figure trudged her way towards the open gate slowly. She had all the time in the world.
A woman and her little girl walked past her. The child immediately let out a frightened cry, "Mommy! Pick me up! I'm scared!" She whimpered, seeing the figure open the gate in a slow manner, pulling two large bags behind her that the tiny child desperately hoped didn't contain bodies inside.
The young mother complied, picking up her trembling child. Sweatdropping, she quickly crossed the road and walked on the opposite side of the street from the weird girl. "Shh, baby. Mommy's scared too…" The woman soothed to her toddler.
The girl held back laughter at the reaction of the two as she closed the gate and walked to the front door of the house. She was told she was going to be living with six men. Outrageous. Was this even right? It didn't sound very proper, a female living with six men. Strangers at that. Apparently the six were attending her school too.
Upon arriving in front of stylish, double French doors, she pressed the small white button on the side of the doorframe and stood waiting as she heard cheerful chimes ring inside the house happily. Her eyes vaguely narrowed when no one answered the door. Weren't they home? Oh well.
Reaching into the pocket of her mysterious, almost eerie black cloak, she fished out a small silver key and stuck it into the lock, turning it. There was a soft click and she pulled out the object, pocketing it once again. Opening the door, she stepped in, silently welcoming herself into the house.
Roomy. That was one word to describe the spacious place.
She left her two bags near the door as she explored the ground level of the residence. She found that it had the kitchen, formal and informal dining area, lounge, a bathroom with a toilet, a laundry room, what looked like a store room because of all the boxes piled inside and finally another retreat area filled with countless books stocked in large shelves. She concluded that the bedrooms were obviously on the second floor.
Ascending to the second level, she investigated the area and was slightly disgusted that half of the occupied bedrooms were quite messy. She shook her head dryly; they were boys, after all.
On this floor, there were eight bedrooms, a toilet and a bathroom and another retreat room. She figured that the room with the queen bed with plain white covers, large wardrobe and a vanity was hers, for the other unoccupied-looking room hadn't a bed.
Her room was a little basic and ordinary, nothing special about it. It would certainly do though. With a satisfied nod, she went downstairs to get her possessions, intent on unpacking.
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Pale, trembling fingers lightly brushed against the cool, smooth surface of the slightly reflective glass as they traced an outline of a smiling blonde girl. The girl was rather pretty, no doubt. But the person who held the framed photo thought otherwise.
The girl in the picture was grinning brightly at the camera with a genuine smile. Her unusually flamboyant sapphire blue eyes glittered with innocence and a sense of mischief, yet the startling silver specks that were mixed deep within that endless blue bore a hint of pride. Her unmarred, milky skin accented those mesmerizing eyes and that upturned pink petal lips of hers. She had a radiant smile that could brighten anyone's day.
Her lustrous golden hair had a unique glow of its own that was almost as vibrant as the rays of the rising, golden sun. When the sun's beams generously bounced off those lively, silky tresses, it just made it sparkle like an angel's halo. That silky hair was done up in a childish hairstyle that was made up of two delicately rounded spheres, opposite each other on the sides of her head, while the rest of it was left trailing down in a slight imitation of sophisticatedly flowing streamers.
The girl who held the framed photo allowed a sad smile to grace her hidden face. How ironic. That the very same girl in the photo was her. How she could be so oblivious to the world that time, she had no idea. It didn't matter anymore. Those days were already gone. She was stronger now. She no longer needed anyone to baby her.
Solitude. Yes. That was the only life she needed.
She slipped the three-year-old photo between the two mattresses of the queen bed. If the boys she lived with were a curious bunch, it would not do for them to find that picture.
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Six tired figures stood around the front door impatiently, two of them were conversing in barely hushed, irate voices. It was already around ten at night - maybe even later. Needless to say, it was relatively dark already. There was no lights in the surrounding houses, indicating that everyone was asleep and it seemed that Lady Luck wasn't with them, for the stupid streetlight that was closest to their house was busted and they could not find the right key to get in. What made it even worse was that it was chilly and they were only in their thin summer uniform that barely provided any warmth. The howling wind ruffled the leaves of the trees and plants, creating a soft rustling sound. It was cacophonously quiet.
The only light was that of the silvery, waning crescent moon that hung like a large lamp, bright against the twinkling stars and the black sky. The hoary glow that the moon gave off lit the few clouds that decorated the air and blocked out some bright stars, making it semi visible like a thinly veiled substance suspended in the atmosphere. A cloud gradually covered what little light source they had, creating a rather ghastly horror movie-like mood.
"Why couldn't those ?&$&! women just leave us alone?" Tasuki swore loudly, annoyed at what had happened earlier.
Nuriko cuffed him none too gently over the head. "Be quiet, Tasuki! You'll wake up the neighbours with that loud, foul mouth of yours." He hissed.
"Ye shut yer trap, ye ugly cross dresser-" Tasuki's reply was cut off as Nuriko started to strangle him. He was surprised that the braided feminine man managed to even get his hands around his neck in the darkness. What the … did he just see a murderous glint in those pale violet eyes? Pressure was slowly being applied onto his throat but he continued on, "Ye… ugly…" Tasuki choked and gagged when Nuriko's grip tightened and he flailed his arms in a comical fashion.
Amiboshi had difficulty trying to pull an angry Nuriko off a puce-coloured Tasuki, who was thankful that the darkness hid his colouring. "It's late. You shouldn't be fighting." He told them earnestly. Despite being two years younger than Tasuki and Nuriko, he acted a lot more mature that them.
Tamahome scowled, even though no one could see it. "Hotohori, hurry up with the keys already! It's cold out here." He grumbled.
"Can't you be a little more patient?" Hotohori asked, his voice laced with slight inertia. He was deadbeat from trying to escape from those crazy females. "I can't see which key I'm supposed to use in the dark and I'm finding it hard to concentrate on which keys I've used and haven't used because you lot are making quite a racket." He defended himself.
Just as soon as he said that, there was a soft light emitting from somewhere above them.
Hotohori grinned and put the right key in, twisting it. "Thanks." He said gratefully when the light flickered out.
"Thanks?" Tamahome piped up.
"Who are you saying thanks to?" Suboshi asked curiously.
The others seemed to be confused too. Hotohori turned and realized that none of his friends held a torch or anything akin to it. "The light didn't come from and of you?" He inquired, befuddled.
"What in the !$&( $? hell are ya talkin' 'bout?" Tasuki snorted.
Hotohori suddenly didn't feel so tired anymore. "Didn't one of you shine some light a little while ago?" He wondered. The question hung in the air for a tense moment.
Light filtered up from above them and they all took several steps back so that they had full view of the house.
A slight fear gripped them when they saw the glow coming from the empty bedroom. The pale curtains were shut and all you could see was a rather disturbing silhouette of a girl with long hair that flowed freely around her, not done up in any style at all. In her hand she seemed to clutch what looked to be an outline of a knife. She was holding it in the air beside her.
Their eyes widened. The shadow seemed to be facing them. It was like the silhouette of the girl you saw in a horror movie like The Ring and The Grudge!
Without warning, the knife in her hand was brought down upon her own head. Nuriko let out gasp. The shadow of the girl inside raised it out of her head and they saw something falling away from the knife-like contour in her hand. It must've been her blood! She was taking her own life!
She brought the knife down upon her head, over and over again several times as the six guys watched in alarm and fright before she dropped out of sight. Most likely dead. The light from the room disappeared, leaving the stupefied males standing outside, enveloped in darkness once again.
Nuriko and Tasuki clutched each other's arm and shouted in fear, "Y-Yurei!" They chorused in trepidation, shaking, while Hotohori, Tamahome and Suboshi continued to look on at the last spot where the saw the dark form.
Amiboshi frowned. There was something not quite right about that scene. Other than the fact that it was total a rip from a horror movie. "We have to check it out." He insisted to his gawking companions.
Tasuki realized that he was gripping Nuriko's arm tightly and scowled, shoving the purple-haired youth away from him in revulsion at the display of his own weakness. Good thing no one else saw his cowardly action. He'd never hear the end of it. "Are ya crazy? That thing might still be alive and will try to kill us in there!" He yelled at the younger boy.
Nuriko suddenly launched a rough kick at Tasuki for revenge, resulting in the orange-haired male sailing straight through the open front doors and smack bang inside the sinister looking house. "You check it out." He ordered after Tasuki's flying body. There were a few minutes of complete silence before Tasuki's horrified scream shattered the calm, stillness of the deathly quiet night.
"Tasuki!" They all shouted in unison, rushing into the house, afraid of what they might find.
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AN Lol, it's gonna be funny in the later chapters. I'm gonna have fun writing it! I'm aiming to hit 10 chapters. Don't worry, no horror or deaths, guys. Muahaha!
Much Love,
Angel-Goddess
aka Tenshi-Megami
Review, please. It won't hurt you.
Constructive criticism is welcome. Just don't flame for petty reasons.