And now, Chapter 5! I focus a lot on Damon in this one, but it's temporary, I promise!


Naturally, Damon's transfer resparked the celeb buzz through Comet Bay High. Naturally, Damon was surrounded by flocks of excited high school girls-not that it was unusual.

Seira and Jane watched as Liliette harshly crunched on her carrot salad. The crunching became louder as Damon and his fans thundered through the cafeteria.

"It's ok, Lily. I think you're way cooler than Damon." Jane said in an assuring tone.

"Thanks." Liliette managed to crunch out. Seira sighed. Perhaps it was a mix of the past few days-that now suddenly her plague (her words, not Seira's) was everywhere-school, work due to the interviews for "Wake Me Up", and now even with fighting cores, which was supposed to be her stress buster. And then taking her fans' attention was probably a part of it too.

"Hey, ladies." Liliette jumped, being too focused on her meal to realize Damon. "I was wondering if you wanted to join us?" By 'us', Damon meant the fans over by the other table.

"I'm fine."

"Ummm..."

"Sure!" Seira and Liliette heads snapped by how fast Jane agreed. "Sorry, I've just always wanted an autograph. You're still awesome, Lily." Jane pranced over to Damon's table to join the group of squealing girls.

"Oh, yeah, I came up with a good idea the other day." Damon slid into the seat Jane left empty, next to Seira. "We should have a base."

"A base?" Seira and Liliette said.

"Yeah. If we're supposed to track down the core problem, we need a place of operations."

"We've been using Seira's house."

"Yeah, but her dad lives there. What if he accidentally stumbles on any evidence we find? We need to meet somewhere not suspicious, where celebrities and normal people can meet up without it being weird."

"Damon, are you coming back?" The crowd began to get restless.

"Oh, looks like I gotta go. See you two later!" Damon strode back to his fans, leaving Liliette and Seira. Liliette was planning to just return to her meal, when she noticed the mildly impressed expression on Seira's face.

"Oh, you think he's right, don't you?"

"Well...don't you? A little?" Liliette mumbled.

"Gaah, fine. But where would we get a place like that?"

"What about your or Damon's houses?"

"Are you kidding? You are one thing, but if Damon and I were photographed leaving each other's houses, there would be no end to the gossip!"

"Oh. Well, I need to head over to library to look for some Greek literature books."

"Okay. See you later." Seira got her stuff together and walked out of the cafeteria, sighing. She didn't want to worry Liliette, but she was still concerned with the hole in Damon's core. She looked at her Nova. After all her fiddling with it, there was no feature to examine cores directly. She would have to ask Sirus about adding that as an update.

"Ow!"

"Ah!" Seira phone flew out her hand as she bumped into somebody. "Sorry..." The guy's hair was brown and messy to his shoulders, and his eyes were behind thick glasses, but from her angle, they looked like a dark shade of green.

"Yeah..." The phone fell down and into the guy's hand. Like it was toxic, he gasped and thrust the phone back into Seira's hands, his tone changing. "Watch where you're going next time!"

"Uh...sorry?" Seira watched him quickly walk down the turn, then looked back at her phone. The screen was no longer shining brightly. "It's off?" Seira tried pressing the on button, but it was no use. "Is it broken?"

"The hallway isn't a seat, Seira."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Mr. Nicolas." Seira quickly got up and put her Nova in her pocket

"It's a little early if you're heading for my class."

"Oh, no, I'm going to the library."

"Studying?"

"I need a book for my literature report."

"I see." There was a pause that felt uncomfortable to Seira. She wondered by the math classroom and the library were the same direction.

"So...um...what books do you like to read?"

"I prefer non-fiction books. Science journals, math theories, historical analysis."

"Oh." Seira found herself not very surprised. Mr. Nicolas did seem like that sort of person. Finally, they arrived at Mr. Nicolas' classroom.

"Ah, Seira, I almost forgot. Are you in a club?"

"Club? No."

"Ms. Oakley's recruiting for her math club again. She wanted me to scout you. Don't be late for class." With that, Mr. Nicolas closed the door.

"It's broken?!"

"Um...yeah." Seira sheepishly sat as Sirus looked quite distressed.

"How?! It's supposed to survive even getting run over!"

So if I ever get hit by a car, at least the phone would survive? Seira thought, taking a bite of the crepe her dad saved for her after-school snack.

"What did you do to it?!"

"Nothing! I was walking, I bumped into someone, it fell in their hands and next thing I knew, it wouldn't turn on!"

"Did they do anything to it?"

"He gave it back to me immediately. There wasn't anytime for him to do anything." Sirus groaned.

"How did this happen?...Well, there's only one thing to do now."

"What?"

"Go to Damon's house."

"Go to...why?"

"Why not?"

"Because he might be busy and it's not like I can call him now!"

"Come on, let's go." Sirus tugged on Seira's arm. He was stronger than he looked. Defeated, Seira went along with it.

Damon lived in an apartment with just him and his aunt in a very upscale building. Seira felt out of place just being around here.

"I don't like being here by myself..."

"It's not like Damon's going to attack you or something. You're not his type."

"Uhh..." Sirus knocked on the door and they waited in silence. Soon, Damon opened the door.

"Seira? What are you doing here?"

"Wow, this place is nice!" Sirus floated in immediately. "You should move somewhere like this, Seira."

"Sorry if we're interrupting something."

"No, it's...it's fine for now." Damon let Seira inside. "Want something to drink?"

"Um, I'm ok-"

"Oh, do you have that fizzy dark stuff?"

"Um...Coke? I think." Damon led them to the sitting area as he went to the refrigerator. Seira sat down, but suddenly remembered her last encounter with Damon's aunt.

"Is your aunt here?"

"No, she has a meeting with a director."

"She's really busy, huh?"

"Well, she has more time now since I transferred to Comet Bay."

"It was hard to convince her, huh?" Sirus asked. "Our agents had to spend a lot of time with her." Neither Seira or Damon wanted to know exactly what methods were used.

"Well, it's really just the two of us." Damon gave Sirus a can of Coca-Cola. I had a home tutor on the weekdays and she would review with me on the weekends or when the tutor couldn't make it. Now, she doesn't have to worry about that."

"Why wouldn't she want you to attend school then?"

"She's probably just worried about...ah...so, why'd you come?" Seira looked at Sirus who was gulping down the soda. They sat in silence as they watched him.

"Ah, that was good. So, here." Sirus snapped his fingers and a small rectangular device showed up. "It's for you. It's called Water Sting. You can use it to place poisonous water mines within a half mile radius."

"Cool!" Damon held the silver colored edges to look at the thin GPS map in between. "So, I can just tap and set?"

"That's right-but it can only show up on the cosmic zone."

"Oh..." Damon looked disappointed, which unnerved Seira. Suddenly, footsteps stated to come closer.

"Well, I'm out." Sirus popped away, leaving a shocked Seira.

"Sirus, what about me-"

"Shit...we gotta hide you."

"What? Hide me? Why?" But it was too late.

"Damon, I'm back!" Damon cursed under his breath, giving up. "Can you believe that director wanted..." Damon's aunt trailed off as she looked straight at Seira. There was an uncomfortable silence. "Damon, is she-"

"A girl from school! She was giving me one of the books we need for class." Damon picked up a random book that was on the coffee table to show. "That was it, she's leaving now, bye bye random girl!" Damon pushed Seira past his aunt and out the door. "See you at school." He whispered and closed the door behind him. Seira just stared at it for a while.

"That was...weird." She said out loud to herself. Sirus didn't have to abandon me though. I mean, what's with him?

"Damon! Damon!" Seira turned around to see Damon run out the other way, which was actually the correct way to the elevator. Seira watched in confusion as Damon stormed down the stairs, ignoring his aunts pleads. Suddenly, like a radar, the aunt turned to Seira, fury in her eyes.

"Who are you really to Damon?" She hissed. "I'm letting you know, he has no time for fans or girls or anything!"

"...I'm just a classmate." Seira could feel her body shrinking in front of Damon's aunt. Although not satisfied, Damon's aunt ran towards the stairs, calling Damon's name. Seira felt awkward about taking the elevator, but she didn't have much of a choice to get home.

She was a little grateful the Nova wasn't already working because she was soon confronted by a sudden downpour the moment she got outside, and she wouldn't have to worry about unlikely water damage.

Damon didn't look like he brought a jacket or anything...Seira was worried, but there wasn't much she could do, not knowing where he went. She decided to just head home.

Seira was happy to come home to her father's spaghetti. He always made it during rainy days, if only because he would be too lethargic to want to really cook. She got in the habit of wanting Italian on these sort of days. Just when they were about to eat, Tai started to bark, mixed with a whimper.

"He must need to pee. Seira?"

"Ok, ok...come on, Tai." Tai happily followed Seira to the door and waited for her to open it. "Just let me get an umbrella."

Due to the rain clouds, the sky looked darker than normal. For Seira, it was hard to believe it was only 7 o'clock, but that was likely because of Daylight Savings. She watched Tai for a while, who never seemed to mind the weather, especially when he needed to pee. As Seira and Tai started to walk for a while, she noticed a familiar figure standing by a street light.

"Damon?" He was leaning against a fence, and still wearing the t-shirt and jeans from earlier, and of course, no umbrella. Naturally, he was drenched. At first he didn't look at Seira, but then slowly turned his head.

"Oh, hey Mars Bar. I thought this place looked familiar." He forced a sort of smile. "Can you believe it? The one time I feel like taking a walk, it rains."

"...Did something happen with your aunt?" Damon looked down and saw Tai looking up at him with big round eyes, and gave a real smile.

"Aw, you needed to go to the bathroom?." Damon rubbed Tai's head affectionately for a while, then sighed. "Did you hear us?"

"I only saw you run out."

"...I told my aunt I was thinking about quitting acting."

"What? Why?"

"It's a long story."

"I'm not really doing anything. Just waiting for the dog to go to the bathroom." Tai scratched its ear with its hind leg. Despite how hungry Seira was, he didn't seem to want to rush.

"Oh, fine then. I guess you won't really tell anyone, right?" Seira was a little exciting about possibly finding out the source of the hole in Damon's core, so she agreed. "My aunt used to date with this guy." Damon started as he joined them on their walk. "Apparently, she was really in love with him, but he ended up leaving her for someone else. It wasn't until the other woman conceived a child that she realized that the woman was her sister. That guy apparently freaked out or something at being a father and ditched her too." Damon scratched his nose. "My aunt's been taking care of me since my mom died when I was three."

Damon grew up not knowing much about his parents, just that his father was an actor at some point, a detail that slipped from his aunt's mouth when he was seven. He started to reenact scenes from commercials or tv shows, just "to be like daddy", and that was when the cogs in his aunt's mind started to spin.

"It wasn't until two or three years ago did I know any of that backstory, but my aunt started to become obsessed with the idea of me being an actor. I don't mind it, but she's too controlling and neurotic. That's why I was glad that I transferred to Comet Bay. I thought it would open up a chance to quit."

"Do you want to quit? I mean, I only saw the commercial for Wake Me Up on t.v., but what I saw looked good."

"Only the commercial?! You haven't seen any of my movies? Or t.v. appearances?!"

"I only really play video games and watch cartoons and anime," Seira admitted. "Oh, but my dad might know you! His guilty pleasure is watching celebrity gossip and stuff." Damon muttered something unintelligible under his breath as his eyes narrowed, but Seira could tell his pride had likely been hurt a little.

"I want to quit so she can start getting her own shit together. I mean, she really thinks that making me famous will bring my dad back to her or probably something like that. It's a mess, and I don't feel like being used by her anymore."

"But...you like acting?" Seira looked at Damon in the eyes as Tai sniffed at a potential poop spot.

"I like it but...you saw how insane my aunt is. Seriously. I just want her to cool down a little." Seira found herself chuckling a bit to herself. "Wow, you just heard a dark backstory, and you laugh?"

"Ah, no! It's not that! I was just thinking that you're actually really nice. Liliette thinks you're the most selfish person on the planet."

"Selfish? How am I selfish?" Tai finally settled on a nearby bush to poop.

"Well, you tend to go at your own pace. It's more like you can be...inconsiderate?"

"I'll show her inconsiderate..." Damon muttered. "Oh, good boy!" He pat Tai after the dog finished its business. "This is a boy, right?"

"Yep. For some reason, the cream coat makes everyone think he's a girl-"

CLANMG!

A loud crash was heard as one of the street lights went out.

"Power surge?" Damon asked.

"I don't know-" Tai started barking wildly, as if frightened. "It's okay, Tai, it's fine-" But Tai wasn't barking at the street lamp, but an entirely different spot.

"...Could it be a core?"

"Then take out your Nova and let's fight it!"

"Err...that's a problem. It kind of...broke."

"You broke it?!"

"I didn't break it! Maybe someone else did!"

"Maybe?!" Another street light went out and Tai's barking seemed to follow whatever presence was there.

"Wait, try your Water Sting! Did you bring it?" Damon dug in his pocket and finally pulled out the rectangle. "Try setting a mine or something?"

"Uh...Let's see...do I just press?" Damon pressed a random location and nothing happened.

"Maybe...aim?"

"I'm working on it! Uh...I don't know where it would be though! Tell your dog to stop barking so I can concen-" It was as if Seira and Damon had the same idea at the same time.

"Come on, boy. What do you smell? What do you smell?"

"Let's see...we're here so...there!" A burst of water shot out of the ground like a stinger, and the profile of a small ferret was seen as it evaporated.

"You did it!"

"Yeah!" Seira and Damon high-fived. "You need to get that Nova fixed."

"Okay."

"Come on. I'll walk you home." Damon took the umbrella from Seira and held it over the both of them as they walked down the sidewalk. It was silent for a while, until they got near Seira's house.

"Hey, Damon? Are your movies on Webima? I think I'll try watching one."

"Really? Well, be careful you don't fall in love with me too much." Seira snorted, covering her mouth with her free hand. "Yes, because I'm undesirable." He spat out.

"Liliette is right about your ego though."

"Hmph. Well, anyway. Thanks for listening to me tonight. You're very...talk-to-able? Here." Damon gave the umbrella back to Seira, kissing her cheek in the process. Her face instantly froze to a poker-face expression, making Damon laugh. "See you at school, Mars Bar!" Seira looked at Tai, who was anxiously awaiting to get out of the rain, which was actually starting to lighten up.

Seira was relieved to see Damon acting like normal the next day, and was thinking over it as she got her stuff from her locker to leave.

I hope things are working out at home...

"Space Case!" Seira looked up to see Ryan holding a stack of books. "Some help?"

"Oh, sure!" Seira took some from the top pile. "It seems you're only doing errands when we meet."

"What can I say? I guess I'm a helpful guy. Oh, by the way, are you really dating that actor guy?"

"Dating? What actor guy?"

"You know-short brown hair, big flirt, we all saw each other the other day-"

"Damon?!"

"Yeah, that's him. I was riding around last night from work and I saw him kiss you. I was surprised, because you know, he's famous and you're...uh..."

"I'm 'Space Case'?"

"Taking the words right out of my mouth!" Ryan laughed. "But seriously, are you?"

"No, no, of course not!"

"Okay, cool. Here we are!" Damon opened the class door with his free hand. As classes were over, they were both expecting it to be empty, but there was a guy with messy black hair tied in a ponytail. He looked as tall as a student, but the sunglasses he wore made him look older. He was quickly pressing some buttons on his phone when they walked him, and he idly turned his head to them.

"Ah..." Seira wasn't sure what he was looking at with those sunglasses, but then quickly pointed at her. "You."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Do I look familiar?"

"Do you...?" Seira had never been good with faces, and the sunglasses made it harder. "Uh...I don't think so."

"Good. See ya!" The guy bumped into Seira on the way out.

"Did he look familiar to you?" Seira asked Ryan, who shrugged.

"Not really...but I feel I have seen him before. Oh, by the way, what's your cell number?" Ryan put the books down on a desk and Seira followed suit.

"Well, I could give it, but I don't think it'll do any good. My cell phone sort of broke." Seira reached in her pocket to show Ryan the Nova, but all she could get was air. "...Uh oh."

"Uh oh?"

"...My cell phone is gone..." The Nova is gone!

"Let's trace your steps then. It can't be far."

"Right..." Please be right!

The guy watched as Seira and Ryan went down the opposite hall, then looked at the Nova more closely, pressing all sorts of buttons.

"Hmm...it won't turn on no matter what I do...I guess 'I' really have a habit of breaking machines...But it's a good thing this me has a habit of fixing them." Behind the sunglasses green eyes flickered with excitement.


This has not been the Nova's week; first broken, now stolen...Well, the good news is this arc, which I'm calling "The Start" is almost over! The real excitement will begin soon!

サクラ・ミズキ