"Maron" Chiaki sang as the door began opening. "I missed you!" As he opened his arms to present her with a hug, a big brown bag was shoved into his face. "What is this...? Maybe some undergarments of yours...?" He grin disappeared as he opened the bag, only to find some masks and party streamers.
"IDIOT!" Maron slammed her apartment door shut. "We have that Halloween party coming up in two days! Those are only some decorations and costumes." Walking past him, she approached the elevator and pushed the button rapidly.
"Oh, no! I forgot about that!" Miyako cried out as she ran back towards her room. "Wait for me! I need to get the stuff I bought!! And don't think about doing anything weird with Chiaki, Maron!!" With those words, she disappeared.
"Idiots! I'm surrounded by idiots!" Leaning against the wall, Maron sighed. "Why can't I just live a normal life with normal friends?"
"What would you consider to be normal?" Chiaki inquired, pinning Maron's eyes with his own as his hand caught her chin. "This...?" He dipped his head lower to kiss her.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Miyako reappeared behind them, gripping her shopping bag of decorations so hard it began to break.
"M-Miyako!" Turning her burning face away from Chiaki, she jabbed at the elevator button. "It wasn't me! Chiaki started it!" A high-pitched ping indicated that the elevator had finally arrived. "We should get going!"
"Chiaki! Did she do anything bad to you?" Miyako cried out as she clung onto his arm. "I'm sorry I left you alone with that devil!!"
"I-it's okay...!" Forcing a smile, Chiaki walked into the elevator.
"MIYAKO!!"
Time: 7:30 AM
As Pakkyaramao-sensei walked into the classroom, a brown-haired girl with green eyes followed her, her hands grasping tightly onto her bag.
"Look at her...she's so pretty!" A girl whispered to her friend, pointing to the new girl.
Murmurs filled the classroom until the bell rang, signaling the beginning of homeroom.
Picking up a piece of chalk, Pakkyaramao-sensei wrote the words "Halloween Party" on the board. "Before we talk about the upcoming event, I'd like to introduce a transfer student who came from America." Placing her hand lightly on the girl's back, she gave a slight push.
Stumbling forward, the girl looked up and smiled as she gave a little bow. "I'm Midori. Pleased to meet you."
Pointing to the seat next to Chiaki, Pakkyaramo-sensei told Midori to take her seat. "If you need to borrow any notes, feel free to ask anyone. They all should have taken decent notes. Kusakabe, if you don't mind..."
Maron looked up. I take horrible notes!! She better not make me give my notes to her.
"Please take Midori on a quick tour during first period. We'll only be talking about the party so you won't miss any class."
"Oh, okay." Maron sighed as she rested her head on the desk. Thank god it wasn't about notes.
"Oh! There's no need for a tour!" Midori interrupted and gave a big smile as Pakkyaramo-sensei stared at her questioningly. "I know my way around already since I visited here before my transfer. Besides, I don't want to take anyone away from the details of this Halloween party." So that's Maron Kusakabe.
The school bell rang and Pakkyaramao-sensei immediately began speaking about the party.
"Onto the plans for Halloween - I have already discussed our ideas of making the school a haunted house for the night and they have agreed. Therefore..." Pakkyaramao-sensei took a breath and slammed her hand on her desk. "DON'T MAKE A MESS OF THINGS! UNDERSTOOD?!"
Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Midori turned and looked into the eyes of a girl with dark hair.
"Um...are you a model?"
"Eh?" Her eyes widened. "I was one in America. How did you know?"
The girl looked down at her desk and picked up her pencil nervously. "My dad travels to a lot of places, especially America, and he brings me back some magazines and stuff, as souvenirs. You just looked like a girl who was on the cover of one."
"I see..." Midori started to turn back to look at the board, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
"Why did you move here, Midori? It can't be as exciting here as it was in America."
Why...why did I move here...? Being a kaitou shouldn't mean so much to me, especially if it means I have to move to Japan just to do it.
"...Midori?"
Turning away, she forced herself to focus on the words of the teacher. "I just felt like it."
Time: 12:30 PM
"Hey Midori. Want to go on a date with me?"
Eyes widening, she looked left, only to find Chiaki smiling. "W-what...? Are you serious?"
"He's joking." Maron stated flatly. "He's a playboy. It's best if you stay away from him."
Pouting, Chiaki grabbed one of Maron's arms. "Only because you won't be my girlfriend."
For the first time since she moved to Japan, Midori laughed. "I guess boys really never do change."
"By the way, I'm Maron, he's Chiaki, and - "
"Chiaki!" Miyako, holding a rumpled outfit, ran up. "I have the perfect costume for you to wear at the haunted house. You're going to be a person who got murdered and becomes a ghost who haunts this school. And the only way your soul finds peace is when you meet me and fall madly in love!"
"I-is that so?" Nervously laughing, Chiaki looked away.
"And she's Miyako. You may as well ignore her, too." Sighing, Maron rolled her eyes.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, MARON?!" Miyako cried out, whipping out another costume. "This is yours. You're going to be a spider who crawls up the school walls at night."
"A spider? Why?" Clasping her hands together, Maron pretended to start crying. "And what are you going to be?"
"I'm going to be me, of course. Who else is going to save Chiaki from his depression?"
"That reminds me...I have to find a costume as well." Midori pondered. "Are there any good stores around here? I mean, I have some stuff at home, but I want to find something new."
"Ah! There's that cute store around the corner from our apartments!" Miyako stared at Midori with a devious glint.
Time: 3:00 PM
"This way!" Miyako pointed down the street as they walked home. Grabbing Midori's arm, she grinned widely.
"W-wait, Miyako!" Maron ran up to catch up. "We should drop off some of our stuff before we go! Where do you live, Midori?"
"In that apartment. Room 507." Midori smiled. "It has a great view."
"Really?" Miyako inquired. "What a coincidence. We all live there!"
Placing an arm around her shoulders, Chiaki commented, "I bet it has a great view. It's right above my room so you can watch over me."
Swatting his arm off, Midori ran ahead. "And that's why you don't have a girlfriend." She stuck her tongue out and walked into the store.
A cell phone began ringing.
"Oh, that's mine." Miyako opened her purse, searching for her phone. "Hello? Dad? A NOTICE?! Where? I'll be right there!" Giving a quick bow, she apologized as she made her way out of the store. "Sorry, but Jeanne just sent out a notice! Sorry!"
A notice? Maron clenched her fists. Fin! She sent another one. Geez...
"Jeanne? Who's that?" Midori asked as she looked through a bunch of clothes on the rack in the center of the store.
"A kaitou." Scanning the costumes hanging on the wall, Maron replied. "She steals paintings and other beautiful pieces of art."
"I see..."
"Well, since Miyako isn't here anymore, we should probably just head back to our apartments." Maron laughed. "She'd probably kill us all if we buy something without having her consent to it. Let's go, Chiaki. And stop looking at all the bunny girl costumes!"
Holding one of the costumes against Midori, he grinned. "This would be perfect for you."
Rising up behind him, Maron held up her bag and smacked his head. "IDIOT! Let's go!"
Silently following the arguing duo out, Midori stared straight ahead at Maron. Let the games begin...let's see just how good you are, Jeanne.
Author's Note: Well, I finally got to uploading a new chapter. I hope it doesn't suck too much. Please tell me what you think of it!
