I just published this story and got the best review I ever had: WTF!? That was so hilarious, I couldn't write anything anymore :D
Anyways, I thought of multiple ways in continuing this and here's the result:
"Maiko." someone shook her gently. Maiko mumbled something about 5 more minutes. The voice (sounds so familiar) chuckled. Then she was shaken again.
"Maiko, we need to get out." Maiko slowly opened her eyes. She was laying in someone's lap. Looking up she noticed she was in his lap.
"Minato?" she mumbled sleepy. "Where..?" she asked.
"We need to get out." he said and leaned her gently up. Maiko was still confused. Wasn't he supposed to be dead? Didn't she visit his grave just yesterday?
'Who cares? You're not longer alone.'
Yes, she wasn't alone anymore.
Together with Minato she exited the train. Still confused she opened her cell phone. Almost midnight. 7th of April 2009?!
"Am I dreaming?" she asked herself and looked down on her. She wore some kind of school uniform. And she still had the ring with the sapphire!
She walked alongside Minato. She noticed they were in Iwatodai. As she was about to ask where exactly they were heading, the world turned upside down. Or rather green.
The moon shined in bright yellow. The walls were bleeding! Maiko was about to panic, when Minato wrapped an arm around her.
"Let's go." he said in a calm and collective tone, like this was nothing to him.
"Minato, what's going on?" Maiko asked at the verge of tears. Minato wrapped both arms around her.
"Shh, don't worry. I'm here. Let's go. I'll explain it later. Okay?" Maiko nodded. Minato smiled gently, which calmed the girl down.
Together they walked through the deadly calm city. Minato hold her hand the whole time.
Finally they arrived at their destination: "A dorm?" she wondered. Wait this was the dorm he lives, used to live, will live? With her? Together?
"Maiko? Are you okay?" Minato asked worried. The girl noticed she'd been spacing out.
"Oh, oh, yeah. Sorry, it's just...all a bit much."
Minato nodded understanding. "Don't worry, it only lasts an hour. You can use it as one extra hour sleep. It only happens at midnight."
"...I don't get it."
"Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll explain it to you."
"O-okay."
Minato gave her another smile and Maiko immediately felt better. Together they entered the dorm.
"You're late. I've been waiting for you a long time." said a rather childish voice. Truth to be told there was a young boy in prison clothes.
"What the...?"
"Hey Pharos." greeted Minato the boy. Maiko looked at him surprised.
"Hey Minato."
"So, are you here for another contract?"
"No, I just wanted to remind you to take full responsibility for your actions. And good luck."
The boy, Pharos disappeared. Maiko gaped.
"He hasn't changed." said Minato and shook his head in amusement.
"Who..?"
"Tomorrow."
"You owe me takoyaki."
Minato chuckled. "Alright my sweetheart." Maiko's heart began racing just by hearing the word sweetheart.
'I'll never leave you.' the words repeated themselves in her mind.
"Who's there..?" exclaimed a voice.
"We're the transfer students." said Minato.
'I'm a transfer student?' thought Maiko.
"Huh?" A girl was upstairs. She had shoulder length auburn hair, a bit brighter than Maiko's, wore a pink outfit, it looked like a uniform, black high heel boots and a white ribbon with a heart around her neck.
"Takeba, what is going on?" came a more demanding voice.
There was another girl. Her whole presence said: 'You follow my orders or you die.'
"I didn't know you would arrive so late."
"Sorry, technical problems with the train." replied Minato.
The girl nodded.
"I'm Mitsuru Kirijo. This is Yukari Takeba."
"H-hey." the pink girl stuttered.
"Minato Arisato."
"Hi, I'm Maiko Oohashi." she bowed a bit.
"It is getting late. I suppose you two head to bead quickly."
"Oh, I'll show you the way. Follow me." The two followed Yukari. Mitsuru noticed a ring on both of the hands of their new guests. She suppressed a chuckle.
"So here we're. Any questions?" Minato shook his head.
"Well then, goodnight." Minato didn't respond but gave Maiko a goodnight kiss, which she deeply replied.
Maiko followed Yukari towards the girl's floor like a zombie. Yukari noticed this and dropped the question she just asked.
Maiko entered the room and saw much of her stuff from home was deployed in the several wardrobes. Looking around her room looked more like an expensive hotel room. A study desk, a bed, a mini fridge and a shower! She had her own bathroom!
Maiko yawned and just noticed how tired she was. She threw herself on the bed. Still, something felt amiss. And without it she couldn't sleep. After ten minutes, she stood up and sneaked towards Minato's room. Said boy was surprised to see Maiko in front of his room, but didn't mind about the little sleepover. Just in case he set his timer a bit earlier.
Early in the morning Minato's alarm clock woke the couple up. Maiko was now sure this wasn't a dream, this was real. Somehow she was sent back in time along with Minato. She had remained at her age of 16 and along to the ring she was wearing she and Minato were married. Either that or she got a real nasty sickness because of the cold night, when she visited his grave. Maybe she was dead and this was the afterlife.
In any case, she needed to head back to her room before the other girls caught her on the boys floor. Back in her room, she firstly took a shower. After this she went downstairs. The smell of pancakes entered her nose.
As a matter of fact, Minato had prepared some pancakes!
"Here you go." Minato presented a plate of pancakes for Maiko.
"Thank you."
"Everything for you." he replied and sat down next to her. Yukari and Mitsuru soon joined them.
"Wow, Minato-kun. These are so delicious!"
"C' est magnifique Arisato-san."
"Hehe, thanks." Minato replied sheepishly, while scratching the back of his head. Maiko couldn't help but fell jealousy in her heart. She shook her head. Minato wasn't the person to betray her. He was just embarrassed, that's all. Maiko noticed she was staring again and quickly returned in munching down her pancakes. Only that she was already finished. Good thing Minato made seconds. Maiko literally wolfed them down. Mitsuru left after a while, although there'd been still time left. She asked Yukari to show the two transferees the way to school. Yukari complied.
After breakfast was finished the three left for school. For that they had to take the train. Maiko had used the train several times during her childhood and enjoyed the view. It reminded her the times she used to ride with her parents and she would...
Maiko cut herself off and suppressed the upcoming memory. She didn't know what happened to her parents and as she was concerned she couldn't care less. They had forgotten about her anyway.
That brought up another thought. If she'd relieve this particular year with Minato, does that mean he would die on graduation day? Maiko shuddered. She didn't want to lose him, not after she was given this chance. She couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with what she witnessed the other day, when suddenly everything turned green and all. Minato said it was an additional hour. So did that mean he died because he was too old? If you sum up the hours, think how long he experienced it (she didn't know) and...headache. There were too many numbers in her head. But didn't that mean he would look older too? So was it save to rule out the cause of death was because he was too old? Probably. There was something more than she could comprehend. She was missing something, something important.
'...Soul...his soul...'
Did this hour somehow affect his mind? Maybe. But that would mean she was affected as well. Wait, Yukari experienced it too. And now that she thought about it, she remembered where she had seen her before! It was one of the few times Maiko was able to visit Iwatodai! When she visited his grave, Yukari had been there too! So, what was she missing?
'...soul...seal...'
'Urgh, headache. I thought I heard a voice there a second ago.'
'...alone if you don't...'
"Maiko, we're here." Minato brought her back to reality. She had been spacing out again. Maiko stepped out of the train. Minato immediately wrapped his arm around her. She didn't mind the stares the two were given. She even heard some whispers about their rings.
'At least no false rumors like in my last school, I hope.'
The three walked towards the school building. Maiko was impressed. After the 'tour' Yukari made her own way and the couple made their way towards the assignments. Their names were on the bottom of the list, written with a pencil. They were both in 2-F.
'At least the grade is correct.' thought Maiko. It was still like a dream, but the more time she spent here the more she was convinced something must have happened. It had something to do with her! The dream (has it really been a dream?) she had after collapsing before the gravestone. She somehow could comprehend to the part where the two 'married'. Yet something was totally off. Did Minato remember anything? If so, why didn't he talk about it? Maybe they'd talk about it today.
Then there was the younger her with the yellow glowing eyes and the girl in the black dress. When Maiko saw the girl, it remembered her immediately of herself before she met Minato. That's why she had the urgent feeling to help her. Speaking of the girl where was she?
'...here...'
Maybe they would meet her again.
"Maiko, you're spacing out again." Minato sighed. Maiko didn't notice they were in front of the faculty office.
"S-sorry. It's just I have so much on my mind. Umm..."
"About yesterday?" he asked.
"You're probably exhausted. This hour takes away more stamina than usual until you get used to it. I've experienced it for ten years now. But it was your first time, right?"
"Y-yes."
"No wonder you're still shaken. Come we get this day over with and then takoyaki."
Maiko felt immediately better by hearing she would get takoyaki.
The two entered the faculty office and were introduced by their homeroom Miss Toriumi. However they hadn't much time for talk, since Maiko had been spacing out so long, so they immediately headed towards the morning assembly. The principal gave a total boring speech. Maiko fell asleep in Minato's arms, while he listened to his music. Around them the students were gossiping about the two, for example the two being already married, including yakuza family and stuff.
After what seemed like an eternity, the speech ended and the two followed their homeroom teacher towards the classroom. After a short greeting Minato sat down behind Yukari and Maiko sat next to him.
What followed was most likely introducing to the topics they would have and all the other stuff. Maiko mostly spaced out. When she glanced over to Minato she saw him sleeping, while listening to his headphones. How the teacher couldn't see this was beyond her. However she noticed a cap wearing student sleeping and forced him to bring cake the next day. Maiko grinned.
During lunch break Maiko tried to shake Minato awake, but was unsuccessful.
'Aww come on, wake up.'
Eventually she gave up and placed her head on her arms, watching her boyfriend (or husband?) sleeping.
'He's so cute~' she thought. She moved her hand up moved it through his smooth hair. A smile appeared on his face. She kept stroking him until he finally woke up. He blinked a few times before he realized what she did.
"Feels good." Maiko giggled and blushed a little.
Classes soon resumed. Maiko spaced out again and Minato simply resumed sleeping.
After class...
"'Sup dudes?"
Maiko and Minato looked up to see a certain cap wearing individual, who is supposed to bring cake the next classes.
"Haha, you two look like you're in deer headlights."
"Who are you?" asked Minato.
"Me, I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya."
"Minato Arisato. This is Maiko Oohashi."
"Hi."
"Urrgh at it again? Don't you think you should stop bothering people?" Yukari said as she stood up from her desk.
"Whaaat?! But I was just being friendly!" Junpei defended himself.
"If you say so...anyways, quite the coincidence we're in the same class huh?"
"You wouldn't say that if you'd have experienced what I have." Minato said in a serious tone that run down shivers of the back of the three listeners.
"Anyways, I promised you takoyaki, did I not? Let's go."
Something unnerved Maiko about what Minato had just said. Hopefully she would get some answers soon.