CHAPTER 3
The girl suddenly found seven very confused guys and a girl in front of her.
So it did work…
"Where- where are we?" Otoya asked bewildered.
"Is everyone here? No one's missing?" Tokiya said.
They're too loud… they'll find me with them and if they found out that it worked… oh no.
"Little Lamb, are you alright?" Ren asked Haruka as he helped her stand up.
"Thank you, Jinguji-san," the girl answered while dusting off her clothes.
"I don't think anyone's missing," Cecil said, "Let's see. Hijirikawa-san? Kurusu-san?"
"Present," Masato said as he helped up Syo.
"Also here"
That blonde… did I really get him out of the same timeline as the others? He looks like my age, but then again all of them know each other. So he really was that short…
"Shinomiya-san?" Cecil called.
No answer.
"Hey, where's Na-chan?" Otoya asked.
"I'm here!" the tall guy near the young girl said cheerily.
He'll be the death of me. He hadn't even noticed me yet.
"Tsk. I thought you were gone," the other blonde said.
"Sorry. My shirt got stuck to this tree's branch," Natsuki said, "Nothing to worry about Syo!"
"I wasn't worried," Syo mumbled as he neared Natsuki to help him but at the same time noticed something moving at the tree's base. Curiously, he crouched to have a look at it.
"What's this?"
"Looks like Ochibi-san found something," Ren said.
"Shut up Jinguji"
"What is it Syo?" the readhead asked as he also crouched to take a better look.
Syo shrugged. "I think I saw something move"
He then pulled a black piece of cloth to reveal the face of a young girl with some scratches. Good thing it was nothing serious.
It took some time for them to process what they saw.
"Could she be the one we heard?" Tokiya asked.
"She looks so cute!" Natsuki exclaimed as he inched forward the girl.
"Keep your voices down. They'll heat you," the girl whispered hoarsely. It's been some hours since she last drank something and plotting a break-in is very tiring.
Thankfully they understood her. Or they'll literally be the death of me. Again.
"Were you the one-" Masato said but was cut off.
"Please keep quiet," she said as she slowly got to a sitting position quite painfully. Haruka immediately assisted her.
"What happened to you?" Haruka asked quietly.
The girl looked surprised at Haruka then looked intently at each one of them with her crimson red eyes as if analyzing them. She finally spoke very quietly.
"No time to explain. We need to get out of here. If they find us, we're dead. Literally"
Otoya was silent the whole time she spoke. He felt as if he knew her. Maybe because of the eyes because the two of them have the same, but he knew that it was more than that.
Ren spoke. "My lady, you are definitely tired and injured. How can we escape? Not to mention that it's dark and we're in a forest"
He reminds me of someone. She shivered when she realized it but didn't let it show too much. I don't know how they'll react if they find out. That is, if we get to the base alive.
Masato was watching her very carefully. It's as if she knows something that we don't. She even acts completely normal with us as if she does know us.
For Tokiya, he's thinking of a possibility that's very unlikely but possible. Can this be… time travel? He shook his head. I better have another appointment with the doctor. Maybe I'm even dreaming all this up. Idol work can be very tiring but I must be tired enough to hallucinate all this.
The girl thought fast. I thought that they were the ones who were supposed to help me. She then heard the voices. They're near. She quickly pointed upwards.
"Up the tree?" Syo asked disbelievingly. He hadn't climbed another tree since Natsuki and the others tried to rid of his fear. It's true that it's gone but, We could just run right?
She nodded. Syo knew that there was something off with her to want to escape them so badly. He heard the voices. There were lots of them and sounded military. She isn't innocent. But then he heard a car engine. But well, climbing this tree would beat running.
It was too late though. A lone man saw them and called his comrades.
"I found the intruder! It seems like he's with some-" the man shouted loudly then suddenly fell without warning. They saw a dart protruding his thigh. Just then, a short blonde boy near the girl's age appeared.
"Sora, how did you-"
"Yuki, what you did was unprofessional," Sora cut off and chided the girl, "We have no time. Hana-nee-san and the others have activated the security system and are waiting for us. There are enough of them left to overwhelm us. We need to get going. Now"
Yuki nodded. Sora motioned to the others.
"You've got to come with us. Innocent or not, they might kill you," Sora said.
"Are we going to run? I heard an engine. Whoever they are, they would still catch up," Tokiya stated.
"Yes, precisely. That's why we also have one," Sora said, "Come on"
They let the boy lead them some meters away to a van on a dirt road and let them in. Sora in turn sat on the driver's seat.
"You aren't gonna drive, are you?" Syo asked uncomfortably.
Sora looked at him weirdly. "What are you talking about? I'm too young for that. It's autopiloted."
And with that they sped off.
For most part of the ride, they sat in silence. Every one of them was thinking.
Haruka looked at the hands she touched Yuki with. Why do I somehow feel that I know her? She felt some kind of bond with her and felt the need to protect her even if she, herself, needed it more.
For Cecil, it was some sort of a catastrophe. We shouldn't be here. He doesn't know why but when he saw the two children, he knew meeting them was bad. It's as if Muse was warning me at the very beginning to say no to Ringo-sensei and Hyuga-sensei.
Otoya decided to break the silence.
"So, you're name's Sora, right?" Otoya asked. "My name's Itto-"
"S-stop! Don't say your name!" Sora said panicking which earned weird looks from the others. Don't tell me that he's a fan, Syo thought cringing a little. It was one thing for a girl to do that and quite another for a guy.
"Um, ah…."
Yuki sighed. "Sorry about that. It's just that this van might be bugged and that they're listening to our conversation. We wouldn't want them to know your names"
"What do you mean by 'they'?" Tokiya asked.
"The Japanese government and the military of course," Sora said, "Yuki here earned their undivided attention for the time being"
"Well, it was their fault," Yuki grumbled.
Government? Military? What have we gotten ourselves into? Masato thought incredulously.
"I think I don't understand this at all," Natsuki said.
"I'm very sorry that you're stuck in this mess. We'll explain later," Yuki said then pledged silence as if she was thinking something.
"Hey, we're almost there," Sora said then turned to the others, "A safe place, I mean"
The others looked out the windows to look at where they were going.
"Why does this place look familiar?" Haruka said.
They were still going through a forest but it the trees were getting sparse. They all understood what Haruka said. They knew this place.
"Why do I somehow know where we're going?" Masato said. He already guessed it but chose not to believe.
Cecil's eyes widen in recognition to the large building that they were now approaching. "That's because we live there"
Indeed, Cecil was right. They were nearing the dorms for the Master Course participants.
"Something's not right," Natsuki said, "and didn't we leave the dorms when it was morning?"
"More like disappeared from," Syo mumbled.
Sora turned to Yuki. "So you weren't kidding that your invention… works?"
Yuki shook her head then muttered. "The proof is right behind you"
Their dorms were almost exactly like the condition they left it. The only differences is that it now carries a mysterious aura and that it looked at little weathered down. And oh, the large gates also.
"Hold on, since when did our dorms get a gate?" Syo asked incredulously.
"For as long as I can remember," Sora answered, "The gate encircles the whole property for safety measures. No one can get in or out without permission."
The gates opened almost immediately as the car neared it. Sora parked it when they got inside.
Sora motioned for the others to get off and were greeted by a light blue-haired about 16. You can say that Masato was surprised but didn't let it show. She looks a lot like me. It also can't be forgotten that Sora looks a lot like Syo.
She looked at the teenagers like they were from Mars then turned to Yuki. "Where have you been?! You told us that you were only going out for a walk. What do you think would have happened if we hadn't sent Sora to look for you?"
"I'll explain later," Yuki said ever so calmly then looked at STARISH. "And yes, if you're wondering, I'll also explain how they got here."
"You'll be the death of me," she muttered then turned to STARISH, eyeing Masato for a while which only he noticed, and bowed. "My name's Hana. You don't have to introduce yourselves but it's very nice to meet you." She said that very politely.
"Why?" Masato asked a little confused.
"Um, why what?"
"Why don't we have to introduce ourselves? And I noticed that you didn't mention your surname," Masato said. He was a little suspicious of the girl.
Hana turned to Yuki a little emotionless but she knows better than that. She doesn't know what to say.
"Now Masa, you shouldn't pressure a girl, much less a lady," Ren said with a wink.
Hana raised her eyebrow at him. Wow, he's really like his son. When she realized that he technically was older than her, she gave a small shiver.
Thankfully, Hana was spared from replying to Ren when a certain high pitched girly voice was heard coming right at them.
"YU-CHAN!"
A blonde girl a little older than Yuki suddenly appeared hugging Sora. Her hair was a little curly and was sticking out in every direction in her twin tails. Well, you can say that she's cute even if she's really tall.
"H-hey! Get off me!" he shouted awkwardly.
"Oh, sorry. Wrong person," she said happily then switched to Yuki. "But don't think that you're safe. I made some new clothes!"
Sora cringed.
"Why does this somehow remind me of… " Otoya said then looked at Syo and Natsuki.
"Why even here.." Syo muttered.
"They even look like us!" Natsuki said. "So cute"
"Well, look at the bright side Ochibi. At least it's not you," Ren teased.
"I feel sorry for the guy," Syo said.
"Um, Elizabeth," Yuki said a little uncomfortably.
Elizabeth let go of Yuki then pouted. "It's Lizzy. Li-zzy. And Ittoki Akiyuki, don't you dare make me worry about you again!"
"Did she just say…?" Otoya said surprised.
Nobody also seem to not catch that. Only Sora looked as if it was completely normal but Hana and Yuki especially looked agitated.
Lizzy motioned to her robe. "Take that off. You look like the Grim Reaper"
"She is," Hana mumbled.
Yuki sighed in defeat then took off the material. Her long reddish brown hair swayed a little in the wind. They also saw her face fully for the first time.
Did I just imagine that? Tokiya thought also noting that Otoya seemed equally surprised and considered the possibility for a moment.
"It looks like even Ikki has a clone," Ren said with something indistinguishable in his voice.
They were all considering now the possibility of it, however impossible. Is this really… time travel? Masato thought.
Lizzy looked at them like it was the first time she saw them but with a hint of recognition. She turned to Natsuki.
"Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you guys were on the tour. And what's with the get up? You do know that you can't take off 23 years your age," Lizzy said truly confused.
STARISH looked at each other wide-eyed.
"Did she just say dad?" Syo asked incredously.
Yuki sighed defeated. "I know what you guys are thinking. Your guess is right and I did promise that I'd explain but we need to get inside first."
While they stepped inside the dorm, they all had the same question now that they found out that their suspicions were correct. A questions they won't say aloud for the time being.
Who ended up with Haruka?
Hey, it might be some time before I post chapter 4. School's coming up and I need to review for our quarterly exams and for two major quizzes once school resumes. Well, lucky me.
And, Elizabeth? I got the Lizzy part from Kuroshitsuji 'cause it's really interesting but this isn't a crossover. But well, thanks for reading!