Hello, everyone! Sorry for the wait, but I'm back with another chapter for you. It's gonna be a little more focused on Junko and Ai. Hope you like it. And a Happy New Year to you too!
SLAM!
Six heads nearly popped off as their owners shot up in their blankets. Kotaro grinned around at all of his idols, strutting into the room. Most of them glared at him while the rest just yawned and rubbed the sleep from their eyes.
"Good morning, ladies!" he called, shutting the door behind him so no passersby could peek in. "Hope you all slept well!"
"Would've slept better if you hadn't kicked in the damn door," Saki grumbled.
Kotaro ignored her and looked around at them all. His gaze fell on Sakura and Yugiri's clasped hands and he frowned slightly. The two of them were clearly still too groggy with sleep to really react at his gaze, but Junko and Ai also caught their hands. Junko's cheeks flushed slightly while Ai averted her gaze. It was none of their business.
The moment passed quickly, with only Saki, Lily, and Tae none the wiser. Kotaro made his way back to the door. "It's 8:30, everyone. Get up, get dressed, and makeup on! We've got a performance at nine before Otabisho Shinkou starts!" He slammed the barrier shut behind him once more.
"Otabisho Shinkou?" Junko yawned.
"That's the actual parade," Sakura explained, slipping her hand from Yugiri's and stretching. Neither of them commented on how cold their hands suddenly felt when she did. "When they take the floats all around the city during the day so children can see all of the ones they might have missed last night. More festivities and music, though everyone keeps quiet during the parade to hear the chanting, drums, and flutes."
Saki turned to Yugiri. "You gonna be alright today?"
The redhead blinked at her in mild surprise before smiling. "Yes, I think I'll be quite at ease today. If anything happens, Sakura will be with me."
A smug grin spread over Saki's lips as she looked to the pinkette, who was helping Lily wake up. "Yeah, I bet she will be."
"Don't get too over-occupied, though," Ai reminded them, making Sakura pause in confusion. "The last thing we need for our image is rumors flying about secret romances and such."
"I believe the same can be said for yourself and Junko then?" Yugiri pointed out, eyes flicking between Ai and the silverette trying to shrink back into her blanket.
Ai bit her lip. "I said over-occupied. Don't, you know, do anything Saki would."
"Hey!" Saki huffed, crossing her arms petulantly.
"See? Exactly. Don't do anything she'd do." With that said, Ai stood and stretched, popping her loose joints.
The girls set about getting ready for the day, helping one another apply makeup. Yugiri tied Lily's hair up just the way she liked it and Sakura secured her bow in place. Once they were all ready, the group headed out for the stage. As they walked, Yugiri kept close to Sakura and Ai took Junko's hand. Fans from the previous night cheered as the group waited for their turn to take the stage.
Everyone moved into position when it was their turn. Ai glanced to Junko with a smile and the Showa idol returned it with a nod. At Ai's countdown, the music started and the group all moved into action. The sound of the crowd's cheering pierced the air and only added to the excitement before the parade. By the time their act was finished, all of Franchouchou had beaming grins on their faces.
"So, what should we do today?" Saki mused, looking to her friends for any suggestions.
"I think we should follow the parade!" Lily said. "I wanna watch the floats go all through the city." In a softer voice, she added, "And it's not like we get tired, so we'll be able to keep up no problem!"
"Any objections?" Saki turned to the others expectantly.
Ai shrugged. "We'll follow at a more leisurely pace. This is the closest we've gotten to a vacation in a while. We should all take the time to enjoy it."
"Ai is right," Yugiri piped up. Her hand hadn't left Sakura's since they stepped offstage. "We should take the time to enjoy the city." She smiled down at Lily. "Be careful near the floats. And make sure to have fun."
Lily grinned and tugged Tae along behind her. "Let's go get as close as we can so we can follow them all day, Tae!"
A groan of approval was her answer and Saki waved to the group as she followed after them. Ai and Junko turned to Sakura and Yugiri to find Sakura already leading the courtesan down the walkway. Yugiri listened attentively to every word as they disappeared into the crowd.
"Well, they certainly settled into this routine quickly," Ai muttered. She smiled and reached out for Junko's hand. "Ready?"
She gained a smile in response as Junko easily accepted her hand. "Let's go."
They set off at a leisurely pace through the streets, waiting eagerly for the parade to start. Junko had no doubt that Lily and Tae would happily be running alongside the floats. She hoped they didn't get hurt. Not that they could since they were dead, but if they got what one of the humans perceived to be an injury, it would be difficult to explain away the lack of bruising or bleeding.
Someone bumped Junko and she moved closer to Ai. "It's alright," Ai told her softly, keeping a firm, gentle grip on her hand. "I'm right here."
The words made warmth spread through Junko's cheeks and she smiled. "I know."
The crowds started to condense near the streets in preparation for the floats, so Ai guided them along the outskirts to avoid smudging their makeup. The last thing they needed was someone to see stitching or bandages and start asking questions. Junko shuddered at the thought of what might happen if people found out.
"Are you cold?" Ai asked.
"No, I'm fine," Junko reassured her quickly. "I was just thinking about what could happen if anyone found out…"
Ai blinked at her before understanding dawned on her. Because they all wore makeup, they knew how to touch each other in order not to smudge it. But passerby would only think it was an innocent little bump when it could actually be dangerous. Setting her jaw, Ai pulled Junko closer.
"No one is going to find out," she whispered. "I know we've never really been in a crowd this way before, but it's going to be okay so long as we're all careful. Everything has worked out thus far, hasn't it?"
"Y-yeah, but-." Junko stopped when she was pulled into a hug. "I-I thought we were supposed to avoid this?"
Ai ignored the question. "I won't let anything happen to you or Franchouchou. We look out for each other. We're a team, right?"
Junko took a deep breath. Ai was right. They couldn't control everything, but the least they could do was minimize the chances of exposure. Hugging the taller woman back, she whispered, "Right."
Ai gave her an encouraging squeeze before pulling back. "The parade should be starting soon. Don't wanna miss Lily and Tae running after it."
With a laugh between them, they set off once more for Karatsu Shrine. As they walked, they started to relax again. With the crowds off to the side, there were less people to bump into them, easing Junko's worries.
In the distance, the sound of drums could be heard. The floats were on their way. Ai stopped them in a place where they could easily watch them go by. Junko leaned against her side and Ai smiled, ready to really enjoy the parade.
As the floats came into view, Junko thought back to the previous night. The group had returned from the parade to find Sakura and Yugiri already dressed for bed. Their makeup had been removed and they were in their sleepwear. The group had been surprised to see Yugiri letting Sakura comb her hair, but none of them had made a comment, thinking it was just a comfort thing to help Yugiri calm down. However, when everyone had fully settled down for sleep, Junko had caught Yugiri reaching out to grasp Sakura's hand just before Saki cut the lights off.
A blush crept to the silverette's cheeks as she looked down at her own hand, grasped tenderly in Ai's. It always felt effortless, either her reaching out for Ai's hand and the younger girl taking it, or Ai gently taking her hand as they walked. Had it been like that for Sakura and Yugiri, too? Did they have the same feelings Junko and Ai were having? Were they just as nervous in the beginning? Or were they still in the beginning and Junko just couldn't tell? Since she had been in a relationship longer, would they come to her for advice? Tension roiled in her stomach at the thought. Would she be an adequate mentor?
"Hey," Ai said softly. Junko paused her train of thought and looked to her expectantly. "It's their relationship, okay? It won't be exactly the same as ours."
"Right," Junko agreed. She blinked when Ai moved in front of her.
"That doesn't matter, though," the blunette whispered, pink eyes staring into Junko's silvery blue. "Because what we have is special only to us."
Junko smiled. Ai always seemed able to read her mind and knew what to say to calm her nerves. If Sakura and Yugiri came to her for advice, she would try to help them as best she could, but just like what she and Ai had was special to them, what those two shared would be something only special for their relationship.
Ai watched Junko relax and moved back to her side. She wasn't entirely sure what Junko had been thinking about, but since she was also a little curious about Yugiri and Sakura, she had taken a guess. Watching the floats race by, she let herself enjoy just being out like this. She hadn't been joking when she said this was the closest they'd gotten to a vacation in a while. And even more than that, it was the first real date she and Junko were sharing outside of just taking walks along the beach together.
Looking to her girlfriend, Ai couldn't help the small grin that crept across her lips. When they'd first met, she never would've thought she and Junko would be friends, let alone dating. But here they were. Perhaps there really was some weight to what Sakura had said. If not for them being zombies, none of them would be able to spend time together like this.
I can't believe I might actually have something to thank that Shady moron for, Ai inwardly muttered wryly. I'll never let him know, though…
A loud growl made her head snap around and Junko stood straighter as well. Behind the last float, they could make out Tae and Lily, both racing to catch up. True to their word, neither of them looked the least bit tired. It was likely they would follow the parade all the way to the beach.
"I don't know where those two get their boundless energy," Ai laughed, following after their friends.
"You're tellin' me!" Saki shouted, racing past. It was clear she was trying to keep up with their maniac bandmates.
Junko giggled softly. "At least they're keeping Saki out of trouble."
"That's a job only those two could pull off," Ai agreed. "Wanna start heading toward the beach? By the time we get there, the floats will have already arrived. We'll be able to see them up close."
"Then let's go."
They took their time walking through the town. Neither had any particular reason to hurry, as it was still early. The sounds of the crowds faded into the background, leaving only the two of them walking toward the beach. Junko kept close to Ai as she stared around at all of the banners hanging in doorways. Children ran in every direction, chasing one another and wearing masks that resembled the hikiyama. Lions, samurai masks, and even a few Tai, ran about every which way, their laughter also fading into the sound of the crowd.
At last, they arrived at Nishi no Hama beach and just in time. A large crowd had already formed, ready to get pictures with the hikiyama. Junko and Ai glanced around for anyone familiar and spotted someone waving in their direction.
"Three!" Sakura shouted as loud as she could. "Four! Over here!"
Junko and Ai followed the sound of her voice to near the front of the crowd. Yugiri smiled to them and held out some water bottles. "Thank you," Junko said, taking one. It wasn't until the water touched her throat that she realized how parched she was.
"How long have you two been here?" Ai asked after downing half her own bottle.
"Since around ten," Sakura explained. "Best way to get ahead of most of the crowd."
"A sound strategy," Junko agreed.
Drums sounded nearby and the crowd parted as the hikiyama came racing through. Cheers went up as they all formed a wide circle. Sakura pulled Yugiri along excitedly so they could get pictures together. Junko was about to follow when she turned at a groan. Lily and Tae stood nearby. Both were panting heavily and Tae was supporting Lily. Behind them, Saki came trudging up and flopped facedown in the sand.
"You look like you had fun," Ai snickered.
Saki couldn't formulate a response and instead just flipped her the bird. Tae groaned and sank to the ground. Lily fell on top of her.
"Once we refuel, we'll be ready to finish," the former actor told their amused group members.
"Well, we'll be getting pictures in the meantime." Ai and Junko waved to their breathless friends and made their way toward the hikiyama. Thankfully, Yugiri and Sakura hadn't made it far.
"Mind if we join you?" Junko asked.
"Not at all," Yugiri said, nimbly swiping the camera from Sakura. "Would the two of you like to pose together?"
Ai looked to Junko and the silverette nodded. "Why don't we alternate?" Ai suggested. "And it couldn't hurt to throw in some group selfies."
"Sounds like a plan!" Sakura cheered, bouncing over to Yugiri's side as Ai and Junko posed in front of Ao-jishi.
For the rest of the break, they all took turns posing in front of the hikiyama, sometimes as a pairs, other times as a group. Junko noted how close Yugiri and Sakura were the whole time. It did not escape her notice that they took just as many pairing photos as group photos. She inwardly wished them good luck with their relationship. As zombies, finding that kind of romantic closeness would be difficult outside of their group, especially with the pure image of idols.
As the afternoon drew on, the hikiko started pulling the hikiyama once more. They needed to finish the parade, after all. Lily and Tae hopped up almost immediately, taking off after the last float. Saki groaned and threw a wave to her remaining friends before following suit.
The remaining four members of Franchouchou laughed at their leader's misfortune and Ai and Junko turned to Sakura and Yugiri. "So, what are you two doing for the rest of the afternoon?" Ai asked.
"I promised I'd take Yugiri around more of Karatsu," Sakura replied. "We've only seen a few spots where we performed, so this is a chance to show her some of the quieter areas."
"Make sure not to get lost," Junko told them. "And have fun."
They parted ways and Junko leaned her head against Ai's shoulder. "You know," Ai murmured, gently stroking her fingers through Junko's hair. "I think they'll be fine."
"I think so, too," Junko agreed. "How about we explore the city as well?"
"Sounds like a plan." Ai's hand slipped effortlessly into Junko's and the two of them made their way back toward the city.
And there ya go! I'll try not to keep you waiting so long for the next chapter. Til then!
Remember, updates and sneak peeks are available on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. I recently opened commissions!
