The reason why the beginning of the chapter is italicized is because it's actually a flashback scene! Later, there is a 2nd one, and that will be all italicized too!
Read On!
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Chapter 9 What Do You See? What Did You See? What Can You See?
"..."
In front of the waiting room for Prism Stone, a boy wearing a black hoodie stood like a statue. He hesitated to enter. A hand almost touched the handle, and then retreated at the last second. It was an endless cycle. Every time a finger was about to make contact, the hand recoiled as though there was an invisible force field. He pursed his lips, and a look of worry and apprehension was on his face.
"Strange," Haiiro thought, "why do I feel this way? What's wrong with me lately? I was...ignoring the promise I made with Hana these past few weeks because I refused to go out anymore. I promised, and I couldn't keep it. I've... been pretty stupid...
"Okay, Haiiro. Just enter, talk, and leave," he said to himself. "It shouldn't be hard. Encourage Hana; apologize to Hana, and leave. Wait for her and her friends, and leave. Sounds good. It shouldn't...isn't that hard. First step is to open the door."
This time, with some renewed strength, Haiiro reached for the handle. He planned on actually grabbing onto it and pulling it to go to Hanako. However, just as Haiiro touched the handle, he heard someone turn the handle at the other side of the door. Surprised, Haiiro quickly pulled his hood down to cover his face. Just as the cloth hid him, Hajime and Ume stepped out of the room.
"Whoa, dude!" Hajime exclaimed in surprise. He almost bumped into him. "You okay? I must have surprised you! Hahaha! Sorry 'bout that!"
"I'm sorry that Onii-chan scared you. He yanked the door without making sure someone was there. And, maybe a little too quickly..."
"Yeah, sorry. Are we good?"
"..."
"Hey, you okay?" Hajime looked at Haiiro. He couldn't see his face at all. Not even his mouth. Hajime thought Haiiro was just being shy since he is the Prism King.
A mumble could be heard from the boy who was desperately hiding his looks. "...t...ay."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"It's...okay. It was partly mine...for not noticing anyone at the door."
Hajime smiled. "It's okay, kid! See you sometime or something!"
Casually, Hajime proceeded to ruffle his head. The hood hardly got in the way as he easily made the gesture. Haiiro panicked, but didn't show it outwardly. He was extremely worried that this 'stranger' would see his face.
Thankfully, for Haiiro, but unfortunately for Hajime, both Ume and Hajime didn't catch a glimpse. They continued down the hall, and the siblings were out of sight.
Hearing the commotion at the door, Hanako slowly made her way. She was extremely surprised when she saw Haiiro at the door. Hanako knew it was him, even if he had his face covered. His pale skin and black hoodie were something she could see a mile away.
"Hai Hai! What are you doing here?" She was relieved to see him. "I thought you weren't going to come."
"On that day we met, I did promise that we would stay by each other's side no matter what, right?"
A great, shining smile on her face replaced the anxiety and fear that was crawling over her heart. "Yeah, you did. Thanks for remembering."
"Don't misunderstand, Hana. I don't think I've ever forgotten."
Hanako proceeded to blush profusely. "Oh really, t-that's great. Thanks for...not forgetting." She began curling her hair with a finger.
"You're welcome, Hana."
Haiiro stared at Hanako, thinking that he should do something else to encourage or cheer her on. With some thought, he decided to do the same thing Hajime did. Affectionately, Haiiro brought his hand up and began petting Hanako. He made sure not to mess up her hair since she already had it styled, and her makeup was already done. Haiiro felt proud to see that she did a great job on the others and herself without him being there.
"Hana, you can do it. Believe in yourself. Do your best. Even if you don't see me in the crowd, I'll be there to cheer you on. I'm always with you, even if there are times where I can't uphold my promise to you. I'll make sure to keep it to the best of my abilities, starting now. Sorry for being an idiot and breaking it."
"No, you didn't!" Even though Hanako thought the same thing earlier, she decided to forgive him and pretend it never happened. Haiiro came, and that was all Hanako needed to feel confident. Inwardly, she realized how dependent she was on his presence.
Unknown to her, Haiiro was the same, but he wasn't as serious as she was. Haiiro hasn't realized it. And, in the future, there would come a time where he will. But for now, his promise to her is one of the few things that are driving him to live a life without any memories of the past.
Haiiro's head tilted to create a questioning gesture. "Hm? I'm pretty sure I did."
"Y-You only broke it if I say you did, okay?" Hanako said with a tone that signaling that she didn't want him to argue or tell her she was wrong. Hanako felt extremely embarrassed saying this. She knew it sounded very unreasonable and stupid when he clearly did break his promise. Hanako just didn't want the distance between them to grow farther apart.
"So, you didn't, and that's that!" For some final emphasis that this conversation was over forever, Hanako put both arms at her side and made a gesture that their talk was final.
Haiiro smiled in response. It wasn't dazzling or emotional, but one could see that the smile was one of understanding and kindness. "Oh, okay. I didn't. Then, good luck."
"Oh," Hanako said quietly. All her vigor was gone. "You're leaving already?"
"Well, it seems like you're up soon. I don't know why Aurora-chan and Ume-chan are taking a long time to come back. You should hurry and go. Remember, you're not alone."
With that, Haiiro gave her a reassuring smile and slipped out of the room with ease. His footsteps seemed light.
"How rare it is for him to smile two times in one day!" was the thought running around Hanako's head.
With new confidence, Hanako left the room and headed to where she would meet a rival...and a dear friend.
. . .
"Onii-chan!" Ume cried with disapproval that snuggled deep into her voice a long time ago. She highly disapproved of his rudeness toward the boy in front of the waiting room. Ume wasn't sure who that was, but she heard Hanako say something before she was too far away to hear anyone at all. He was someone Hanako knew, and she doesn't have a lot of friends or acquaintances...
The siblings found themselves in a secluded area where only the workers at the building or important people like Hajime would be. However, since the tournament wasn't over, the two saw that they were alone. Therefore, Hajime could act as unprofessional as he wanted.
"Ume, cut me some slack. How was I supposed to know that he was there? Jeez, I got scolded and yelled at by all kinds of people today. You, Himuro-san, Kei-kun, and Kyoko-chan."
"You met Kyoko-chan? And, who is Kei-kun?"
Hajime laughed with some sort of strange happiness. "Oh, he's my new friend!"
"...A new friend?"
"Yeah. He's really moody, and Kei-kun's kind of a jerk. But he's actually a pretty nice guy!"
"What?" Ume looked at her brother with a look that seemed to think he was crazy. "That makes no sense."
"Really? I thought my description was really accurate. Like, one hundred percent!"
"Oh Onii-chan, you're such a weirdo!" Ume couldn't help giggle. She still loved her brother even if he wasn't like normal brothers.
"Hey! Don't laugh! It isn't that funny. It was just me describing him."
"So, who is this Kei-kun?" Ume tried to repress some laughter.
"Oh, he's Sora's older brother. You know the one I used to teach?"
Ume's eyes grew to resemble the size of huge oranges. "What? He has an older brother? Did Himuro-san have an affair?"
"No, no, no! Of course not! Himuro-san would never do that! It's just really hard to explain. They're brothers in some sort of way. I guess that they can technically be cousins? Kei-kun didn't tell me much."
"Were you paying attention?"
"...My mind wandered off a bit."
A sigh escaped Ume's mouth. "And Mom and Dad wonder how you became like this."
Hajime gave her a mischievous grin. "Well, they tried their best to raise a wonderful child like me."
"Yeah," Ume agreed, "they really did. How on earth did you become who you are now?"
"Things happened, Ume. You know." The usual, carefree look on her brother's face disappeared. Ume wasn't disturbed by it. After all, she was the only one who knew this side of him. It was unnatural, but Ume was glad that it never showed unless he remembered that.
"Jeez, calm down, Onii-chan!" Ume made another cute pose that made her look like a blob of cuteness to Hajime. "When we get home, I'll make you something?"
"Oh my God! Ume, you're the best little sister in the whole entire world!" Hajime hugged her with a lot of strength. She felt as if the life was squeezed out of her in one go. Ume returned his hug gently. This was a happy moment.
Unfortunately, a phone call interrupted their heartwarming embrace.
Hajime took out his phone and snapped at the poor soul who picked it up. A look of irritation overcame his smile. "What? Didn't you know that I was with my cute little sister right now? We were having a sibling moment!"
A quiet, male voice could be heard from the phone. Ume stared at Hajime. He was getting paler every millisecond. Hopefully it wasn't...
"Oh, Himuro-san. Hehehe..."
...It was Himuro-san.
"Er, um, sorry. I'll be right there. Yes. Mhm. Yeah...I mean yes! Bye!"
Quicker than the speed of light, Hajime hung up. His face wasn't looking healthy at all. Ume couldn't help but be amazed or concerned about him. Hajime was always causing trouble everywhere.
With a push, Ume tried to cheer her dear brother from the pit he dug himself into. "Well, you have to get going now. See you in a few?"
"Yeah, sure! See you later, Ume! Tell your team to call me Hajime-nii!"
"...No." An automatic response.
"Boo," Hajime pouted, "don't be so stingy."
Ume waved goodbye to her brother. Before he disappeared into another hallway, Hajime yelled something.
"Oh, don't be so discouraged about your loss! You looked really sad when I came into the room. Even Aurora-chan and Hanako-chan left you alone because you were just sitting there. There's always a next time, you know?"
As he vanished from Ume's line of vision, she gave a small smile.
"Thanks, Onii-chan. You always know if I'm down. I really needed it."
. . .
"Aurora-chan! Where were you this whole time? Ume-chan and I were getting kinda worried, you know?"
Hanako met her first best friend - how she loved to think about that - on her way toward the stage. Hanako panicked inside when Aurora didn't come back immediately after her performance.
"Oh, Hana-chan. I was thinking of something. I needed some alone time, so I was just wandering the halls."
"Hm? About what? The future?" There was curiosity that could be seen flashing in Hanako's eyes.
"You could say that. I just talked to Sayuri a while ago. We had a deep conversation."
"Oh, okay. Seems important."
"Well, hurry along Hana-chan. I'm afraid that you don't have that much time left! Sorry for keeping you here!" Aurora looked very apologetic.
"Ah! I have to go! See you, Aurora-chan!"
Hanako left her and ventured onward. Aurora's fleeting figure gave little confidence and some sadness in her heart. But, she promised Haiiro that she would be strong. With that in mind, she crept - and dashed - to the machine that would take her to Prism Space.
"Okay, I got this!"
"Hello." A very unfamiliar voice sneaked its way to Hanako's ears. "I don't mean to be rude, but what did you get?"
"Oh my God!"
Hanako turned around only to meet a complete stranger. Who was this?
In front of her was a tall girl. She surpassed Aurora in height, and Aurora shot well above average. Her long, white hair and crimson eyes seemed natural on her. There was no trace of her roots being a different color. That meant she was born an albino. The girl looked gorgeous with her red lipstick and pink eye shadow. She had an air of maturity, but also had her own quirks.
The albino's silky, wavy hair reached down to the center of her back. However, the ends stuck wildly in every direction. Somehow, it seemed attractive since her hair was lustrous and shiny. The locks of snow seemed to ripple even with the slightest movement. Even though she had an emotionless look on her face, people would throw themselves at her feet. The girl was just that beautiful.
However, her clothes were a different matter entirely. They were quite sloppy and a little on the large side. This looked strange since she had a skinny, toned frame.
The large, red jacket had white frills on the edges of the sleeves, sides of the pockets, and because it was so large, it drooped down to her knees. Hanako had no idea how she got a hold of clothes that big. Also, the arms seemed to have been adjusted enough to fit her arms, but everything else was huge. Even the hood would cover most of her face without her even trying.
Underneath the monster jacket, a simple, white, and V-necked frock dress fitted her nicely. Where her chest was, one could see a laced, black undershirt. Hanako wondered who on earth let her wear something that would emphasize her chest so much.
"Oh, um, hello! Who are you?" Hanako completely forgot about the albino's question.
"...Himura, Himura Manami. You are Yoshino Hanako." Manami stated. It seemed as though she was saying a fact and not introducing herself normally.
"Oh, yeah. I am Yoshino Hanako," Hanako replied sheepishly. She felt like something slipped her mind. "And you're Manami-chan!"
Manami tilted her head similarly to how Haiiro did. There was the same expression and everything. Hanako felt like the only difference was that she actually seemed to not have any real emotion. Hanako could tell since she lived with Haiiro for two years now.
"...? Are we that close enough already?" Manami asked in monotone. "I believe that this is the first time we have ever met."
Hanako gave a childish grin. "Well, we can be if you want."
Manami made a thinking gesture. A hand cupped her chin. "Is making friends that easy? How amazing. I must read that book again. There must be something wrong with it."
"Book? Why on earth do you need to read a book?" Hanako had to admit that Manami was kind of weird.
But, it's not like she wasn't weird herself.
"It is about making friends, you see. I did not think that you could skip so many steps. I must reassess this sudden situation."
"Uh, have good luck with that?"
"I will." Then, Manami stared at Hanako for some seconds. Her eyes never blinked.
Hanako knew that look. It was the one Haiiro would give her if he wanted to say something. It was weird to see how similar their actions were even though they looked nothing alike. "Er, is there something you need to tell me?"
"...Time."
"Time?"
"...Time."
"For what?"
"...Time for you to go, if I am correct."
"Whoa! Thanks, you're a lifesaver Manami-chan! I hope to see you again sometime!"
"Really? You want to see me again?"
"Yeah! Why not? You're actually a really great person!"
A ghost of a smile finally lingered on Manami's face. It didn't last long, but Hanako saw it. The way she conducted herself really reminded Hanako of Haiiro. "Thank you, Yoshino Hanako. You are a kind person yourself."
Before Hanako disappeared into Prism Space, she gave said one more thing.
"Call me Hana-chan by the way! All my friends call me that!"
As she left to perform, Manami stood there not being able to comprehend Hanako's affectionate words as a friend.
"...Friend? What an odd girl."
. . .
"Contestant number fifty-nine, Yoshino Hanako, takes the stage!"
Hanako entered the stage and the crowd cheered wildly. She was the last girl who could perform a Prism Live after all. The video of her and Aurora still circulated the internet with great frequency.
In the same white dress styled with pink instead of purple or blue like her other teammates, Hanako felt pressured. If it was possible, the fake white rose on her head would be wilting due to her unhealthy thoughts swimming around her head.
But, she promised to be strong for Haiiro and herself. There's no room for being a coward or worrywart now! She internally blushed when remembering her time with Haiiro, but right now there were more serious things to do! Especially doing her show well! Anyway, Lovelyn is with her as a Prism Stone, so she was never alone. Realizing this, Hanako relaxed and felt some confidence brimming inside. With a deep breath and hope, she started.
(Hanako's song is Starlog by Choucho! You can use the link on my profile to listen to it!)
Donna ashita ga hoshikattandarou
What kind of future did I actually want?
Nani mo shirazu ni nozondeitanda ne
I simply wished for something without knowing any better...
Hontou no jibun kowagatte nigecha
But if I'm afraid of my true self and run away
Owari no nai sono yume ni mayoikomu yo
I'll lose myself in that endless dream.
Te no todokanai negai ha iranai
I don't need a wish my hands can't reach,
Sotto te wo toreru yuuki… hoshii
I want the courage to take your hand...
The music sounded mellow, but had an energetic beat. The slow start faded away as the song gradually continued. It began to speed up as it approached the chorus. Hanako's voice was pretty high, and it sounded heavenly with the song. Her dance was cutesy or she made adorable poses from time to time. Mostly, Hanako's moves kept her moving around at the center of the stage. Movement was everything in her dance, but she didn't take over the whole stage like Aurora.
A hand would be in the air while the other was moving sideways. Her movements were light and each step was graceful but not as painstakingly made as Kyoko's.
Before the chorus reached the ears of the audience, Hanako jumped in the air, and hearts appeared where she jumped. Additionally, transparent pink hearts and pale blue stars exploded onto the stage. They came out in steady waves without end.
For a reason.
Hoshi ha kawaru sekai no yami to yoru wo terashite
The stars change the world's darkness and light up the night sky
Michibiku sora he tondeikerunda yo
and we can fly through the sky as it leads us.
Kanatta subete no koto ha shijiegaita seiza ne
Everything which came true became the constellations we believe in, right?
Ano hi kawashita yakusoku no you da yo
Just like the promise we made that day,
I believe
I believe
During the chorus, Hanako was gliding around the whole stage and dancing. Making contact with the stars and hearts, they exploded into sparkles of pink and blue that rained down and disappeared into the stage. The ones that she didn't touch would drift back down to the ground and sink back into the stage.
With Lovelyn floating off her chest, she appeared and turned into Hanako's trusty guitar. Getting it from the air, Hanako decided to let her feelings run free and let herself loose.
It was one of the greatest moments of her life. She wondered how on earth she could let her fear of crowds hide her away from a glorious feeling.
"Prism Live!"
The screen behind her had the word "Lovely", and the stage transformed. Said transparent hearts and stars still streamed out and exploded as Hanako skated around the stage while playing the guitar. Her guitar shined, and rainbow notes sprang out and trailed behind her. The stage was dazzling, and she felt so...happy.
"Lovely Splash!"
Hanako jumped and her guitar temporarily left her arms. A large, red heart with tiny ones that were yellow and various hues of pink appeared behind her. Smiling, she landed on the stage and prepared for her next jump while strumming her guitar.
"Second Jump, Flower Fantasia!"
While some people in the crowd were confused, since her second jump should be Firework Fantasy, others yelled with great enthusiasm. Everyone was wondering what kind of jump it was.
Hanako jumped high, leaving rainbow petals on the ground. As she reached as high as she could, a spiral trail of sakura petals formed. Hanako skated down while a magician hat and wand appeared on her head and in her hand, respectively. Adorably flipping the hat into the air and catching it, Hanako tapped it with her wand in a pattern. Each time, a cute gesture followed by bursts of rainbow flowers exploded from the hat enthralled the audience. Finishing the jump, Hanako landed on the ground and the sakuras burst and rained down.
"I can do anything! I never attempted three jumps, but there's a first for everything!"
With that thought, Hanako continued to her show. The audience absorbed it's meaning, and they grew ecstatic. Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw Haiiro watching her. Hanako couldn't just stop to make sure, so she just decided that he really was there.
"Her back!"
"Aren't those..."
Hanako had no idea what they were talking about. She couldn't look behind her and notice the wings behind her back forming. They took on the appearance of six hearts with three on each side symmetrically. Each heart was made up of three that bordered one another.
"Third Jump, Shining Star!"
A glowing, yellow background surrounded Hanako as a huge star appeared underneath her. It took her for a ride as she spun around. Small stars joined her on her flight and she seemed to be getting further away. Disappearing like a shooting star, Hanako came back surrounded by glittering stars of many shapes. Crashing onto the ground, the mini stars bounced around while the average and large ones exploded and blinded everyone for a second.
Hanako bowed on stage and waited for her score. As the thunderous applauds deafened peoples ears, the judges could be heard clearly.
She had received eight thousand, four hundred and twenty-one karats.
. . .
In Prism Space, the familiar white circles engulfed Manami. The shoes and socks formed first. They resembled pale, skin-toned stockings with red dancing shoes. One would say that the stockings weren't there unless the eyes got a closer look.
Her hair was straightened and lost all waviness. However, the ripples were lost because Manami's hair was styled. The back of her hair grew shorter and reached her shoulders because braids that started from the side of her hair formed a rose. It was complimented by a small green ribbon. It looked as though a white rose was camouflaging in her snow white hair.
Her ill-fitted clothing disappeared and was replaced by a long, strapless white and red dress. The dress itself was a white one piece with a flared out lower half. The top curved inward, and the chest area was sequined red that continued diagonally down to the sides of her ribs. At the center of her chest, a red cross that had black creating another one inside was connected to a piece of red fabric. This fabric draped out in front and behind her, and the sides were connected to white wrist cuffs that Manami wore. The cuffs circled around her middle finger and were also sequined with red that created a cross at the outer sides of the cuffs. The red faded into pink and then white toward the ends of the cloth. Underneath, two layers of satin rested.
Blowing a kiss with a fake smile, she exited Prism Space.
"Our last contestant, Himura Manami, takes the stage!"
Compared to all the girls who performed before her, the clapping and roars from the crowd couldn't even compare to anyone from her own team and Prism Stone. Manami didn't respond to anything, and she just stood silently with that smile.
(Manami's song is Dancing in the Velvet Moon by Nana Mizuki! Also on my profile if you don't want to search for it.)
Hakugin no honoo ten wo kogashite
The silver flames engulf the sky.
Tatoe kokoro hikisaitemo
Though my heart may be torn asunder,
Anata dake ni sasagetai no
I want to give myself only to you;
Watashi no mune no juujika wo
Please accept my true self that is this cross.
The song was fast and dramatic. Every movement Manami created caused the red, with pink and white, satin to fly and create the illusion of a flickering flame. Everyone in the crowd thought she was having fun with her alluring smile. She was ravishing in her outfit that drew in the stares of everyone. No one could keep their eyes away. The thought didn't even cross their minds.
Well, everyone except Haiiro who was frowning at her. But, who would even notice? Manami didn't see him, as she was focusing on deceiving her audience with her fake emotions and grin.
Manami's dance was seductive and tantalizing. Nothing was wildly inappropriate, and each move was captivating the hearts and minds of the crowd. Her moves consisted of very advanced twirls or dances that made her move her whole body to put her dress to use. She mostly made the front and back of the stage her territory unless she was going to a small jump in the air.
Nemuranai velvet no tsuki
The unsleeping velvet moon
Kazarareta himitsu no heya
Adorns this secret room.
Futari kiri sotto kagi wo kake
The two of us are alone. I quietly lock the door.
Odorimashou itazura na toki ni yudanete
Let's dance and lose ourselves in this playful moment.
Yasashiku hi wo tomoshita candle no youni anata
Like a candle lit by a gentle flame,
Aa torokasete agemashou
I let my heart be softened by you.
chikainasai eien wo
Pledge me your eternity.
As the chorus was about to make its entrance, Manami turned toward the crowd and blew a kiss. Just then, red sparklers streamed from the stage and continued without end. Manami was surrounded by sparks. Since they were very weak in the first place, she could never catch on fire.
Ai no kusari dare nimo kowasenai
No one can break the chains of love.
Amaku kiyora na jumon wo kakete
Cast a sweet bewitching charm on me.
Anata dake ni yurusareru no
Only you can accept my primal instincts,
kinjirareta melody sae mo
My forbidden melodies.:
Jiyuu kakeru tsubasa ni naru
Now they too can soar free.
Tsukamaete... hayaku watashi wo
Hurry...Catch me.
With the chorus over, Manami began her first jump.
"Sexy Splash!"
A huge rose materialized behind her while many small ones of a variety of sizes emerged as well. There was a pink shine and sparkling glitter that followed. The viewers cheered as her feet met with the stage.
"Second Jump, Moon's Majesty!"
With a snap of her fingers, a flash of silver flames engulfed Manami. She disappeared with the smoke. At this specific moment, the stage and sky grew dark and glittered with image of stars normally seen at night. A great, white moon with a red aura created light stronger than the shining dots in the background. From there, a shadow of Manami moved and jumped in front. Time stopped as a pose of her jumping gracefully was caught. The jump finished as the moon was submerged in sterling flames and spread out like wildfire.
Manami's show endured as she was going for her usual third jump. Manami was very surprised that Aurora and Hanako did three since she has never seen them do it before. Their scores were high but only because of their Prism Lives. Aurora would have still beaten Sayuri without it, but Manami was sure that Hanako would have barely beaten Kyoko. Maybe, Hanako wouldn't have gotten a higher score than Kyoko's if she only did two jumps.
Manami imagined herself shaking her head. No, Hanako is her new friend, so she shouldn't think of things like that. Deep down, Manami sighed. The competitive mindset from Edel Rose was getting to her more than she ever remembered.
"Third Jump, Last Waltz!"
The stage turned into ones that resembled a theater where plays were performed. Red curtains opened and Manami was seen dancing with a figure made from solid shadows. Their movements entrapped the audience as they looked like tango and some salsa mixed in. Manami wrapped herself in the embrace of the lifeless dancer.
The finale came when Manami leaned back as low as possible with the shadow supporting her and leaning forward as well. With that, the curtains closed.
Manami was standing, done. She bowed low, and masses applauded with great intensity.
The judges gave her a handsome amount of eight thousand, five hundred and twenty-two karats.
She had won first place with her team. They advanced with Prism Stone in second and some third team Manami didn't give a care about. Their scores were significantly lower than Edel Rose's and Prism Stone's by a huge gap.
. . .
"Keiji," Hijiri asked him kindly, "what did you think of the contestants?"
"Those girls from Prism Stone. All of them obtained a penguin. That's good."
"Oh, so do you need them for something?" Hajime asked. He grew very interested in this Prism World and Stars from earlier. Whatever Ume got involved in, he wanted to know.
Keiji frowned, as though he remembered something bad. "Well, there's trouble back at the Prism World. Let's just say that there is a lot of misfortune running amok."
"Did something happen?" Hijiri asked. He was worried because all those years ago, that was where June and Rinne returned to.
"Sorry, I can't tell you. Not yet. Only until I can find the one."
"Is it the chosen one? Like a hero or heroine?" Hajime's eyes shined with some kind of childish imagination.
"No, I have to find the one who has a fake penguin."
Hijiri looked puzzled and had a grave look on his face. "...What? How can a fake penguin even exist? There are only seven-
"There are eight now," Keiji interrupted, "Akira got the newly created orange one, Lockon. We thought we could counter the pseudo existence with a real one, but it didn't work. That's why I'm here. I have to find and erase the fake penguin."
Breaking the tense atmosphere was Hajime's phone. He answered it when he saw who was calling him cheerfully.
"Oh! Yuu! What's the occasion! Mhm...Yeah, wait what!" Hajime pouted, but he was struggling not to smile. "No, I'm not that stupid! Of course I didn't forget!"
Someone could be heard laughing and saying something over the cell. "What! Okay, maybe I forgot a little. No need to snark at me so much! Oh, dude, my little sister entered the Dreaming Session. Kya! Isn't that so awesome!
"What! I am not a sis-con! I just really like my sister! Huh, you want me to come over now? Er, okay. I did promise. Okay, see you!"
As he hung up, Hijiri opened his mouth. Keiji sat on the couch, confused. "And," Hijiri said with some impatience, "who was that?" They were in an important conversation.
"You know, it was Yuugure! My best buddy! I promised to go to his show today, but I got a little sidetracked. It's starting in around thirty minutes. I'll make it if I start running right now!"
"Yeah, a little," Keiji scoffed.
"Well, see you! Tell me more later!" Hajime sped off, and opened his phone once again. Most likely to call Ume and warn her that he wouldn't be able to pick her up and go home with her.
The two left alone decided to look at the crowd. They wanted to make sure that Sora could be found. The sea of people was enormous. How on earth would they be able to find him?
But, Keiji saw a flash of silver hair. Looking closer, he was Sora's face.
"Himuro Hijiri! I swear! I saw Sora!"
"What!" Hijiri said in alarm. He looked at where Keiji was pointing to. "Where?"
"Over there, the one who's about to go through the double doors!"
With luck, Hijiri saw a boy that was Sora trying to squeeze through the audience that was slowly leaving. Right before he left, Hijiri saw his face.
His heart fell. Sora's face was emotionless. It reminded him of Manami when he would see her at Edel Rose. His silver hair looked like it grew and wasn't cut recently. It looked a little choppy while parts of it almost touched his shoulders. His hair didn't seem to be able to sit down, and it was as though he just got out of bed. His violet eyes were dull and he seemed to have a permanent frown. He was wearing a black hoodie and shorts with a gray t-shirt. Very depressing to look at.
However, he disappeared in the next second. Hijiri took out his phone and called the security down there.
"Hello? Excuse me, but have you seen a boy with silver hair pass through?"
"Silver hair? There was one, but he's already gone. It was as though the boy was a ghost. Did he do something we're not aware of?"
Hijiri's face fell, but he kept the tone of his voice steady. "No, I thought he was someone I knew. Sorry for taking your time. Bye, and keep up the good work."
"It was him, right? I don't think my eyes were deceiving me." said Keiji.
Hijiri nodded and replied. "It was. But he got away. The security doesn't know if he's in the building since he vanished from their sight so fast. They couldn't see where he was going. He could be outside for all we know by blending into crowd."
"Damn it! He was right there, Hijiri!" Keiji slammed his fist into the table and left a small crack. Hijiri was slightly disturbed at the abnormal strength he seemed to have. No wonder he could easily carry Sora around when they were younger for such a long without getting tired.
"It's okay, Keiji. Calm down. If he's in this town, we'll see him again soon."
"Why don't you just put up pictures of him and we can find Sora faster?"
Hijiri sighed. "I want to respect Sora's wishes. He wanted a life where he could go out himself and do whatever he wanted without paparazzi or reporters hounding him every minute. That's why he disguised himself by styling his hair differently, dying it, and wearing color contacts depending on which show he performed."
"How does Sora cause so much trouble even though he's not here?"
Preview for Chapter 10 (epilogue and intro to the second arc)
"Huh? I wonder why...I don't feel...so good...all of a...sudden."
"Hana!"
"Hana-chan!"
"Hana-san!"
"Yuu! It's been a while! How was it at America?"
"It was very nice. How have you been Hajime?"
"Great! Your performance was amazing as always!"
"No, yours is. You're Prism King after all."
"Kei-nii. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Akira. Will you help me as the caretaker of Lockon?"
"Why did you call me?"
"Sora's back."
A special thank you to everyone who read this Fanfic and stayed with it for so long! Whew, longest chapter!
And that's the end of the first arc! Did you guys like it? Oh, by the way, I want to know which characters you all like and hate the most. Want to see how you guys feel about Hanako and the others. The only feedback I get is from my twin, so yeah.
Extremely special thanks and imaginary cookies with the Cookie Monster go to:
1) B-rabbit28 (Thanks for reading and following! I love Pandora Hearts as well. I'm behind by a few chaps due to school and this summer full of SAT prep. Hope I can catch up soon! The number 28 is a good number. I like even numbers! I'll try to read your stories, but I make no promises. I have a ton load of fanfics that are in planning and need to be released. I also haven't updated my KHR fic in more than two months now...I am bad at managing my time with writing and planning fics.)
2) Biaba aba (Hello, my twin sister! You're sitting right next to me while I'm writing this, hahaha! I'm not a weirdo by the way. I'm just very normal girl with a unique personality and whatnot. Jeez, I feel like Hajime...
Anyway, update Digimon Tsumi soon! I want to read it! Oh, by the way, to anyone who's reading this, I'm the older twin. Not lying, my fingers aren't crossed but typing. I wonder how you would do that anyway?)
3) CharmsChan (Thanks for reading and following! Whoa, you have a lot of nicknames. I think I'll go with Lia because that is going to be the name of a character in a future fanfic. It won't come out a long time later though so don't get your hopes up, and sorry to disappoint you! D: Dude, I have the exact same taste in anime! I love the cute and fluffy shows the best but don't mind watching some action or fighting either!)
4) (Hey! Thanks for being my first follower! I haven't been able to read any of your stories, but they're both on things I like! Pretty Rhythm and Hunger Games for life! I'll try to read, but I make no promises since I'm not good at managing time when it comes to fanfiction. Mockingjay is coming out in November I think. I'll probably go with my friends and watch it during Thanksgiving Break. Do you like the movies?)
5) KHRandHxHforevs (Thanks for reading and following! Hey! KHR and HxH for life! I felt really sad that HxH is going on another hiatus! It was starting to update so well and then boom! The news hits us and runs away like that Dratini you try to catch in Pokemon. HiatusxHiatus indeed. Well, you have a really long profile...I'll try to finish it.)
6) Kitsune frame (Thanks for reading and following! Wow, you really like Fairy Tail. I'm behind like, with all my manga and anime so don't tell me anything! Wendy is my most favorite character! Love her rocking those cat ears. Happy is my favorite male character, if he counts, because he's a cat. I like cats...sorry for being random all of a sudden. I love MinatoxKushina the best too!)
7) Microtoa (Thanks for reading and following! I like Bakugan too! Watched all the seasons! Which was your favorite? I think mine is either the first or second. Can't remember it that well anymore. Favorite Bakugan is Skyress though. Hope you like her too! I'll try to read your stories but I make no promises. I'm a horrible time manager.)
8) Saphire Castor (Thanks for reading and following! Love your profile pic by the way. Cats or cat ears are awesome. I'll just stop now talking now before I do or say anything troublesome, which is a lot...)
9) Ulla-Euleus ((Girl, or guy, who knows, you don't have anything about you so I don't know what we have in common! Thanks for reading and following though! May we be friends in the future!)
10) WaterCherry13 (Thanks for reading and following! DeadlyPrincess to WaterCherry. Cherries are good and delicous. DeadlyPrincess is good too! Sorry that was awkward...but you're pretty young. I'm turning seventeen in four months. I feel old. :P Hope you aren't offended that I said that I didn't like the Twilight series on my profile. However, the vampires and werewolves are pretty cool. The wedding scene was beautiful in the movie though. Jasper is my favorite vamp and I can't remember the name of the werewolf I liked.)
11) WyndReed (Thanks for reading and following! And yes, we are all very quirky. Dude, I really love your MMDs on your Deviantart. They're really pretty! I like the Mistletoe collab the best. I would love to read your works if they ever come out. I'll be waiting! And don't worry, we're all beginners at first! :D)
12) animebella09 (Thanks for reading and following! Don't know anything about you either, but that doesn't mean we can't be acquaintances or friends, right?)
13) raf-lily (Thanks for reading and following! I can't read Spanish or anything, so sorry that I can't read your stories! I should have spent my last three high school and two middle school years learning Spanish or some other widely used language. I'm stuck learning Korean because my family said so. I love Digimon too. Going to release a Digimon Fanfic soon.)
14) hawa-chan (Thanks for reading and putting my story in you favorites! I almost missed you on this list! Sorry about that! I read Junjou too, and it's really good! I'm still not that good with the mature scenes, but I don't mind them. I love Hiro and Nowaki the best! Do you read Sekaiichi as well? You probably do. What am I saying? My favorite pairing there is YukinaxKisa.)
With lots of love, LDT