Only You Can Prevent Wildfires
A few months ago, the former third years; Nico Yazawa, Eli Ayase, and Nozomi Tojo, had all graduated from Otonokizaka High. Of course things were different now, not much, only enough. For starters the former second years; Honoka Kousaka, Umi Sonoda and Kotori Minami, are currently the student body council, taking Eli and Nozomi's place; and the original first years went on to run the School Idol Research Club and head their new School Idol Group. They elected to not continue as μ's, simply to honor the third years. While Honoka and the other now third years would like to participate, they decided to remain as just the student body president and vice presidents instead, helping to keep the school running in tip top shape. That being said, they still, on occasion, participate in practice on some days.
The now first years, Yukiho Kousaka and Arisa Ayase, both are in the School Idol club, alongside a dozen other students that came to this school merely because of μ's. The current second years; Hanayo Koizumi, Maki Nishikino and Rin Hoshizora, currently run the Idol Group here at the school. Rin was the center, and Hanayo was the club president. They, alongside Yukiho and Arisa, were the new idol group. They called their new team of School Idol group 'Idol of a Down'. Among the club were a bunch of mini idol teams that were formed by the new idol club members alongside Idol of a Down, they mostly just sing a dance for the school at festivals.
As for the third years of yesteryear; Eli Ayase. Nozomi Tojo and Nico Yazawa. Eli and Nozomi are both currently in the same college, Eli studying to be a school administrator, while Nozomi is learning how to be a school teacher. Nico on the other hand was out trying to make good on the only skill she really has, being an idol. Her pursuit of being a professional idol has lead her to have some form of solo career in Japan. It helps that she was a apart of μ's, but that was basically the only selling point she really had. No one wanted to work with the arrogant former school idol.
However things may have turned out for them before, life was about to take a huge left turn.
A turn for the worst.
…
It was your average Monday morning at Otonokizaka; the hallways flooded with people, the classrooms full of students, students and staff saying "Ah, shit it's monday." and the idol club beginning their day. Hanayo was on her way to class with her best friend, Rin.
Rin was talking at the speed of sound about how her weekend had gone down, as she had to be downtown for something while Hanayo was home alone. Hanayo merely listened to Rin. Today's conversation was Rin going on about a possible live they could do at a baseball game. "So, here's the thing, they want us to perform during the 7th inning. If we do good during the performance there, they'll have us perform as regulars. Isn't that cool?" Rin was so excited. Technically, Hanayo should have been the one finding live shows to do, she was the club president after all, but Rin was most notably known in the idol team, so obviously if she went up to some group, or sports team and asked to perform, they'd probably accept. On Top of that, Hanayo was generally too afraid to do something like that anyway.
"That's great Rin-chan." Hanayo replied softly as they entered the classroom. Rin continued to make casual small talk while the two made their way to their seats. Hanayo sat down placing her things down while Rin continued to talk.
Just a minute or so before class starts, and Maki makes her appearance. She came into the classroom, looking concerned. Hanayo took interest in the red head and decided she wanted to know what was bothering her. "Maki-chan." She began quietly.
"Hmm." Maki acknowledged.
"Uh, what's bothering you?" She asked. Rin, realizing that she was being ignored by Hanayo, turned her attention to Maki.
"Oh, Maki. Hey." She said with all enthusiasm.
"Morning." Maki returned the greeting.
"Maki-chan." Hanayo tried asking.
"What? Oh, right." Maki started. "Nothing major. The other day, Nico called me complaining about something, i guess Kokoro had a bad dream or something and now she's venting to me."
"Sounds pretty bad." Hanayo replied.
"Yeah. I can't figure out why she'd come to me."
"You look a little tired." Rin noted.
"Yeah… Strange thing is, after Nico told me about it. I had a weird as hell dream."
Rin chuckled. "Were you confessing to Nico-chan?" Rin teased.
Maki's face was soon bright red.
"Ahh." Rin smiled.
"No, no damnit that wasn't it!" Maki defended herself.
"Then. What was it?" Hanayo asked.
She paused. "Some guy in a christmas sweater chased me around a boiler room."
At first some silence. Then Rin finally loses it. "Wow, some guy in a christmas sweater came chasing after you." She giggled a bit at the idea.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Maki asked.
"I don't know, maybe Maki-chan likes it that way. Maybe she wants to be-"
"Shut the hell up." Maki denied Rin the honor of finishing her sentence. Hanayo laughed a little at the tsundere get flustered over this. It was kinda funny. But nothing quite peaked her interest more than the man in the christmas sweater. She doesn't know why, but she felt that was something she should get back to.
"Hey, Maki-chan."
"What?"
"What do you know about him though?"
Maki sighed. "Well, he said his name was-"
Ring.
The bell indicating class was now in session rang. Maki sighed. "Maybe after class."
"Alright." Hanayo nodded.
…
The Yazawa family had many things to do on a regular basis. For the most part, it was just their mother going to work everyday, and the kids going to school. Nico was normally supposed to be out and trying to find someone who would hire her as a professional idol, but today Kokoro was terrified, so much so that she couldn't go to school. Whatever it was that happened a few nights ago, it spooked her right to the bones. Kokoa and Kotaro were both at school while Kokoro was at home.
Nico was with her, trying to get her over it.
"Kokoro, it was just a damned dream, get over it." Nico attempted to comfort… poorly.
She was shaking still. "N-n-no. It wasn't."
"If it wasn't then why aren't you dead? If what you said was true, then shouldn't it at least have left a mark." Nico asked.
"It did!" She snapped back. Kokoro stopped and lifted her shirt, showing her a small mark where her shoulder became her chest.
Nico sighed. "That's because you slept on my camera." She said holding out her small, pink digital camera.
"No. No he tried to slash me. He tried to kill me."
Nico sighed again. How many times is she gonna do this. "You said that he gets stronger when… What again?"
"The more people that know his name."
"Freddy Krueger?" Nico asked, confirming it.
Kokoro nodded.
"And he kills you in your sleep?"
She nods again.
"So then if i know him, and i slept the other night, shouldn't i have seen him?" Nico asked.
Kokoro quickly tried to reply, but couldn't come up with anything.
"That's what i thought."
"But Onee-chan." Kokoro pleaded.
Nico got down on one knee and began talking to her at her level… literally. "That was just a bad dream. Tomorrow, you won't have that dream, and you'll be okay."
Kokoro wiped some of the tears from her eyes. "Okay."
Nico smiled at her little sister. "Nico nico nii."
She smiled back and weakly replied. "Nico nico nii."
At about that moment, their mother arrived home.
"Mom." Nico popped up.
"Morning you two." She said entering the living room with them. With her, she had a man with a suit on.
"Uhh mom. Who's that?" Nico asked with a 'what the hell' kinda tone.
"This is Doctor Kobayakawa, he's a child psychiatrist from Tokyo."
"A doctor?" Nico wondered out loud.
"Well, she had that dream saturday evening and last night. Both times it got worst, so i had to ask someone for help."
Nico's first thought was We already have enough problems trying to pay the rent, and feed us how the hell did you pay for a psychiatrist? Of course she wouldn't blurt that out loud. She wasn't that stupid.
"Doctor." Her mother began.
"Ah, yes. You must be Kokoro, right?"
She nodded.
"Can we have a little chat."
She nodded again.
"Great." The doctor exclaimed. "Uh, can you two leave the room please. I want Kokoro to feel as safe talking to me as she can."
Nico first began to wonder why she wouldn't feel safe with her mother and older sister in the room. But decided against arguing with the doctor.
"So…" Nico started.
"Preferably the whole apartment. It's easier for a child to start spilling all of their secrets if there isn't anybody around." The doctor told them.
"Alright, come on Nico." Her mother herded her out of the room while at the same time, putting something on the counter.
The two found themselves in the hallway while the doctor talked to Kokoro.
"Hey mom."
"What?"
"How did you afford the doctor?"
"Uhmm." Her mother trailed off for a second.
"Eww." She shivered for a second. "On second thought i don't want to know what you did to him."
"Nico!" She got pissed.
"Besides, aren't psychiatrists supposed to take clients to their offices and not come to their homes?"
"This one is kind of a discount guy."
"That sounds pretty shady." Nico noted.
Her mother pulled out a baby moniter, the same one she used on her and her sisters… and brother.
"Ahh. So we get to hear what the say."
Her mother nodded. She turned it on.
Static, and then.
"Okay Kokoro, can you sit in this reclining chair, it will help you relax."
"Okay."
The sounds of the chair reclining.
"Now tell me. What was this dream you had?" He asked as the sound of a pen and clipboard came on.
"Uhmm…. It was this guy. He was really badly burned. He wanted to hurt me."
"Did he have a name?"
"I don't want to say it."
"It's okay Kokoro."
"Freddy… Freddy Krueger."
"Why do you think he wanted to attack you?"
"I don't know."
"Where did you first hear about him?"
"Uhh. A tourist from america, grabbed me and started yelling at me. I couldn't understand him, all i remember was him saying Freddy Krueger over and over again."
"Go on."
"That night, i had the first nightmare about him. He tried to kill me with his bladed hand. He's evil and wants to hurt everyone he sees… And then last night, he stalked me around my house. He said things to me."
"Like what?"
She was at first too afraid to answer.
"Like what?"
"YOUR MOM'S A SLUT, YOU'RE A MISTAKE YOU HAVE NO FATHER, I'M GOING TO GET YOU AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE AN ACCIDENT." She was breathing heavily.
"Do you think-"
"AND THAT SONG!" Kokoro interrupted the doctor.
"What song?"
A moment of crying later. "One… two, Freddy's coming for you… Three, four better lock you doors." She began to sound angrier with it. "Five six, get a crucifix." Her voice getting deeper and darker. "Seven eight, better stay awake." Finally crashing back down into tears, unable to finish the rhyme.
"Kokoro. What was the the last verse to it?"
Her intense sobbing almost made it hard to hear her finish.
"Nine ten… Never sleep again."
For a moment, silence. Then the doctor wrote some things down on the clipboard and put it away. Some footsteps.
The door to their apartment opened with the doctor signaling to them to come back in.
"Come on Nico." Her mother told her.
She followed her back into the apartment. As the two entered, Nico could see how much it had impacted Kokoro. She has literally, never seen anybody cry that much. Maybe on tv in an anime, but never right before her. She turned her attention to the doctor.
"Okay, so as far as i can tell, someone scared her a while back and told her about this Fred Krueger guy. Now her overactive imagination has come out and made him into a bit of a real threat in her mind." He explained.
"Overactive imagination?" Nico doubted out loud.
"It doesn't' seem like something that would be the case, but in this case i believe it is."
"That kinda seemed extreme, even for an overactive imagination."
"She's right. Sounds more like a problem for exorcist than a psychiatrist." Her mother answered.
"Well, i assure you. Just drop by my office tomorrow, around noon, bring Kokoro, i can ask her some questions again when she has had a chance to calm down, maybe sleep some of this off, then i'm certain we can deal with this the way it needs to be done."
"I don't-" Her mother started but was cut off by the doctor.
"Fine, perhaps she's taking in information she learned about you." He explained. "Maybe this has something to with daddy issues. Would it be possible to speak with him?"
"He… i don't know where he is." Her mother explained.
"Well, then drop her off at my office tomorrow and i'll see what i can do." He explained.
She nodded. "Thank you doctor."
…
An eventful day at school, nothing really happened. Umi dropped by during practice and led the new recruits today. She got to perform a duet with Rin during lunch, and Maki stubbed her foot on a chair. That was all behind her now. Hanayo was at home now, getting ready for bed. She was wearing her pajamas for the night and her glasses. Her mom was in the living room sleeping on the couch while the TV plays an old horror classic, Wes Craven's Chiller. Hanayo, as of right now, was in the kitchen washing the dinner dishes before her father gets home.
Ring ring.
Her phone started to go off. Hanayo checked the phone to see who it was, it was Maki. She answered it after quickly wiping her hands free of soap and water. "Hello?" She asked.
"Hey Hanayo."
"Yes." She replied, holding the phone on her shoulder next to her ear so she could do the dishes.
"Got a minute."
"Sure, what's up."
"Sorry earlier, i completely forgot you asked me something before class started."
Hanayo thought back. "Oh yeah, i guess i did."
"You said you wanted to know what it was."
"Yeah, what was his name i think was the question."
A short pause. "Freddy Krueger. I think."
"Freddy Krueger?" Hanayo asked.
"Yeah, i think so. Anything else you want to know?" Maki asked.
"No, i think i can look it up on the internet. It shouldn't be too hard."
"Okay. good night Hanayo."
"Good night Maki."
She hung up the phone.
After a few more minutes, she finished the dishes. Finally done. She thought to herself, glancing at the the clock. All before dad gets back. She grabbed her phone off the counter and made her way to her room. As she passed through the living room. "Good night mom."
"Night Pana…" Her mom mumbled.
She continued over to the staircase which led to her room. She took the first step up the stairs when someone opened the door behind her. The door swung open with the sounds of two bootsteps. The smell of whiskey quickly filling the air. It was her father Oh shit! Was the only thought running through her mind. She quickly turned around and greeted her father. The man wore a usual mechanic workers outfit, sturdy jeans, a work shirt and brown work boots, only thing missing was the saftey glasses. "Wel-welcome home father."
For a moment, he didn't do anything, just stare her down with his unending gaze. "Hanayo."
She panicked a little. "Yes father."
"What are you still doing up?" He asked her.
"I was doing the dishes, and, and- I was, uhh."
Slap.
She held her face a little. "I asked you what the fuck you were doing still being up? I didn't ask for excuses."
"Uhh… Nothing. I'll go to bed." She replied in a very apologetic kind of way.
"Fuckin teenagers." He grumbled as he went on into the living room.
She ran up the stairs and to her room. She past the bathroom on the second floor, and the guest room to come upon her own room. It was a basic room… aside from all the idol posters on the wall, every idol you could think of; A-RISE, Morning Musume, AKB48, Clover seven, Idolm ster, Rob Zombie (One of these, is not like the others.) She even had a poster of Riceman, a fictional superhero i made up.
She laid down in her bed, closing out the thoughts around her. She pulled the covers over herself, tonight she would have to sleep well, because tomorrow, she'd have a busy day.
Hell, she'll have a busy night.
A/N- Sweet dreams Hanayo.
Alright, good job guys, you finished chapter two, and before anyone asks. Yes, those are real idol groups in japan, and yeah, System of a Down parody.
Well guys what do you think? Somebody going to die tonight? Is it Hanayo? Maki? Kokoro? Nico or her mom? The psychiatrist? Or will no one die? Guess you'll all just have to tune in next time to find out.
-CJM80