"Rosario + Vampire: A Goddess of a Different Sort" (What If?)
Chapter 10 "Akihabara"
Based upon characters created by Akihisa Ikeda.
Ah My Goddess created by Kosuke Fujishima.
Original idea and story written by Gamera68.
Rated M for some mild language.
Genres: Fantasy / Romance / Slice-of-Life / Drama / Comedy
...
Author's Note:
I wanted to get this chapter up before Friday, May 1st as I will be going to an early showing of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in the morning at a nearby movie theater. :)
This new chapter takes place the following day, after Yukari's introduction. (Ch. 9, "Little Sister") Please enjoy!
...
...
Saturday, July 18th, Tariki Hongan temple. Nekomi, Japan.
It was a beautiful, sunny, morning without a cloud in the clear, azure, sky above.
Moka had awoken extra early since she was rather excited about the trip she had planned, or sprung upon, Tsukune the night before. She wanted to do something different and thought that an outing into the metropolis of Tokyo would be a nice change of pace since she had heard so much about it on the local TV channels, such as TBS. (Tokyo Broadcasting System)
Tokyo is often referred to and thought of as a city, but is officially known and governed as a "metropolitan prefecture", which differs from and combines elements of both a city and a prefecture; a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo (with each governed as an individual city), which cover the area that was formerly the City of Tokyo before it merged and became the subsequent, metropolitan prefecture in 1943.
Everyone was already awake and dressed since the pink-haired goddess had decided that she wanted to get an early start on the day, minus the newest, household member who was still, fast asleep.
Kyoko was unable to participate on their outing since she had previously made plans with her other friends and left the house thirty minutes, earlier.
"Yukari, time to get up," Moka announced as she tapped on the door-frame of her sister's bedroom door.
"M-mm... five more minutes..." the Norn of the future mumbled as she turned away from the sudden racket which had disturbed her peaceful slumber.
With a sigh, Moka slid the shōji door open and walked into her younger sibling's room. She was astonished to see numerous tools that lay on the floor in a haphazard manner along with various electronic parts scattered everywhere.
"Yukari, if you want breakfast then you need to wake up, otherwise you shall go without," she repeated once more with a bit of authority in her voice.
The young goddess then turned around with half-opened eyes and stared at her older sister. She expected that sort of tone from Kurumu, but never her big sister Moka, whom she admired and loved so much.
"But it's so early," Yukari complained with a groan of contempt.
"Nine o'clock in the morning is not early as everybody else is already up. You were up all night tinkering with another of your inventions weren't you?" Moka asked with her arms crossed under her chest.
With another sigh, Yukari rose up and then stretched her arms over her head, followed with a yawn.
"I wasn't up that late... and I went to bed about an hour before sunrise," she replied as she fully-opened her violet eyes and looked up towards Moka.
"Are you trying to ruin my day, Yukari? We're planning on going into Tokyo after breakfast and if you want to come along then I suggest you do your best to wake up."
"No, of course not big sis," Yukari answered with a bit of fervor in her voice as the notion of going anywhere with her older sister took precedence over sleep.
"Then would you mind explaining this?" Moka asked as she reached into the front pocket of her apron and pulled a small, black, object out, and then showed it to Yukari.
"Um... what's that?" the young Norn asked, as she feigned ignorance.
It was a miniature video camera, no bigger than a six-sided, die.
"I found this in our room this morning. You wouldn't be happen to be spying on us, would you, Yukari?" Moka asked, clearly upset that her younger sister had no faith in her. She never imagined for Yukari to go to such, great lengths to hide a video camera out of sight which Moka had somehow found.
Obviously, she did not do a very good job of hiding it since it was found atop the door jam and pointed towards Moka and Tsukune's bed.
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about, big sis. Maybe Kurumu put it in your room," Yukari said with a frown as she attempted to peg the crime on her elder sister, instead.
"Well it has your name engraved on it so I'd imagine that it belonged to you. Why would you snoop on Tsukune and I and then lie about it? You told him yesterday after the bug incident that you wanted me to be happy and then you do this? How could you Yukari?" Moka said with a tear in her eye.
"I'm sorry big sis... but I don't trust him. I mean, how could I? You two seem way too close as it is... and I'm just worried about you," Yukari said as she stood up and gave Moka an awkward hug.
"I already told you the reason why... we're so close. I suppose that you'll be staying home all by yourself today then since you can't seem to be trusted," Moka said with another sigh.
"No, please don't leave me home. I'll be good... I promise. I'm sorry big sis! It won't happen again. Besides, I didn't see much!" the young Norn pleaded with puppy-dog eyes.
"If you are truly sorry then I will believe you; however we will be starting on your training tomorrow so you best be prepared. And just because I'm your older sister, does not mean that I will go easy on you," Moka said as they ended their embrace.
…
"Hey, look who finally decided to join us," Kurumu mocked as she sipped on a cup of tea.
Tsukune watched the two Norns as they walked into the tea room. Moka did not look happy and Yukari looked even worse. The male mortal chose to remain quiet and not press the issue any further in order to avoid a confrontation between the two goddesses.
He decided that he would just speak to Moka about it later on in privacy.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Moka said as she took the empty seat on Tsukune's right-hand side.
"It's okay Moka and I'm glad that Yukari could join us," he said with a nervous laugh.
"Yeah, it's not like for ya' to sleep in unless ya' were up all night like ya' usually are," Kurumu teased.
"Why don't you mind your own business, you moron of a milk-cow?" Yukari shot back with a sneer.
"I would if it were not my business, ironing board," Kurumu retorted.
"Ha! That's a new one! And look at you! Do you really expect to go out in public dressed like that?" the youngest Norn answered with a snort.
Kurumu was not indecently dressed as she usually were. She wore a simple, lavender, short-sleeved, top, which was of the low-cut variety along with a black mini skirt.
Moka on the other hand was dressed moderately as usual in comparison. She opted for a light blue sundress which had a yellow and orange, sunflower pattern which ran along the bottom-most border of her knee-length dress.
The youngest Norn was dressed in a mint green pair of shorts along with a color-coordinated shirt. On the front of the shirt was printed, 3, darker, green, five-pointed, stars in a triangular pattern.
"Hey, I know I'm hot and can't help that I've been blessed with these good looks, ya' know. Like they say, if ya' got it, flaunt it," the half-goddess replied.
"You're nothing but a trollop!" Yukari yelled across the table with an accusing, pointed, finger.
"Flat chest!" Kurumu barked back as she raised her right hand above her head in a threatening manner.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Moka shouted which caused everyone to cover their ears and go wide-eyed with fright.
"Now, why don't we eat our breakfast before it gets cold, alright?" Moka sweetly suggested with a smile as if nothing were wrong. All those present just happily hummed yes in agreement since they did not want to upset her any further.
A mad Moka was a scary Moka, indeed!
...
"So, um... Yukari... Moka mentioned to me that you'll be starting your magic training this week," Tsukune said in order to end the somewhat-awkward silence. She just shook her head yes.
"Well, I hope she can keep up, 'cuz Moka's not gonna go easy on her," Kurumu commented as she ate her breakfast in silence.
"I still don't know why I have to learn that stuff anyway," Yukari complained with a pout.
"Hey, if a mortal like Tsukune knows some magic, then it should be easy for a so-called genius like you, right?" Kurumu replied with a shrug.
"What? That's impossible. Mortals can't do magic. You're so lying like you always do," Yukari answered loudly.
"I beg to differ. What don't ya' show and prove her wrong, Tsukune?" the blue-haired goddess of love answered with a wink.
"I dunno. I kinda promised that I wouldn't," he sheepishly replied.
"Oh please Tsukune. I would like to see it again, as well," Moka implored with a bright smile that he could not say no to.
"Alright. But just this once, okay?" he said with as smile of his own. He might as well show off a little bit, since it seemed to him as if Kurumu wanted to prove a point, right?
"Hmph! I must see this for myself," Yukari said with a scowl as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Moka and Kurumu stood up and then sat down on the opposite side of the kotatsu table, next to Yukari. They wanted to have an unobstructed view of his demonstration, after-all.
"Okay Yukari. Watch closely. I'm gonna pull my thumb off," he said as he folded his right hand over his left and then covertly rearranged his fingers a certain way. He then slowly "slid" his thumb away from his left hand and then "slid" it back into position.
The young goddess watched in captivation as he "removed" his thumb off of his hand, right in front of her very eyes. If she had not seen it for herself, then she would never have believed it!
"What! That's impossible! How'd you do that?" Yukari shouted after he was finished with his demonstration.
"See Yukari? I told ya' that Tsukune knew some magic," Kurumu commented after she returned to her original seat. Moka then sat down on Tsukune's right-hand side once again.
"I still don't believe it! I must learn that myself! Big sis! Please teach me all that you know! I promise that I'll be a good student!" the raven-haired Norn pleaded with a renewed sense of determination.
Even though it was a simple "magic trick" which Tsukune's father had taught him at an early age, which involved sleight of hand, it looked real to her. Yukari was quite convinced that Tsukune had a grasp of magic, or at least that is what she was led to believe, anyway.
"Of course Yukari. Our training begins tomorrow morning at seven o'clock, sharp," Moka said with a smile.
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, big sis," she squealed out.
'Ha, the runt has no idea what she's in for. I almost feel bad for her. Almost,' Kurumu commented to herself with a sly grin.
…
"Kurumu, a word please?" Moka asked Kurumu as they neared the front door while Tsukune and Yukari waited outside for them.
"What's up, little sister?" the bluette replied.
"Well... the thing is, Yukari set up a miniature camera in our room last night," she replied with a slight blush as she imagined just how much the little genius had seen.
"Really? Why didn't I think of that myself? Did she see you two lovers get all hot and heavy?"
"Sister! Now is not the time," Moka objected as her blush deepened; she wondered just how much Yukari had seen. They only kissed and snuggled up like they normally do, anyway. But still, the thought alone was rather embarrassing the Norn of the present.
"Sorry, sorry. So does Tsukune know yet?" Kurumu inquired with a quirked brow.
"No, not yet. And I wish for it to stay that way. I do not want anything to have a negative impact on our outing today," her younger sister replied.
"Fine. I won't say a word about it as long as he does find out. Yukari needs to know that she has no say in your relationship," Kurumu said with a sympathetic smile.
"Thank you and you're right about as much. I just hope that he takes the news well," Moka answered with a nod.
"Hey, I want you two to be happy ya' know. If she wants ya' to be happy too, then she needs to grow up and be supportive."
...
"So, how are we supposed get to this Tokyo place? All you have is your motorcycle and everyone can't fit on it," Kurumu asked as the quartet left the house, after Tsukune closed and locked the door.
"Oh, that's easy. We're taking the bullet train," was his straightforward answer.
"Bullet train? What's that?" Yukari asked as the group walked down the pathway which led towards the main road.
"In the simplest of terms, it's the fastest way of getting around for the majority of people who live here in Japan. You'll see it for yourself, once we get to the actual train station. It's only about a ten minute walk or so from here," Tsukune answered as they walked down the temple steps and then made a left-hand turn onto the main road.
...
The walk to the train station was more or less, uneventful. However, Moka and Kurumu had received several odd looks from anyone they had passed by on the busy avenue. Moka then reached over and held Tsukune's hand in her own. He gave her soft hand a light, reassuring squeeze as he could tell she looked somewhat anxious.
Yukari was about to protest but Kurumu cut her off with an all-knowing look.
After what the raven-haired goddess had pulled last night with her mini-camera, she knew she was already in trouble with Moka and quickly decided to not push her luck any further. The junior deity wanted to keep an eye on her big sis and Tsukune, anyway.
"Well, here we are," Tsukune announced as they walked up to the steel, brick, and glass structure that was the local Shinkansen (bullet train) station. He walked with the ladies up to the closest ticket machine.
After he and Moka had purchased the proper round-trip, tickets, they each fed their ticket through the turn-style as they walked through and retrieved it through a small slot which was located on the top.
"Is that a bullet train?" Yukari asked with fascination as they walked further inside and had a seat on a bench, off to the side. The train in question was long, sleek, and made from polished steel which gave it its silvery color. There were a few, other trains lined up on the other tracks, each one a different color of yellow, blue, and another one, light green.
"Yep, that's it," he replied.
"So how does it work?" the little genius asked, now curious.
"Magnetic levitation via those overhead, electrical, wires. The big difference between a maglev train and a conventional train is that maglev trains don't have an engine, or at least not the kind of engine used to pull typical train cars along steel tracks. The engine for maglev trains is rather different. Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guide-way walls and the track combine to propel the train on a cushion of air," he explained from what he knew from memory since he had learned about them in one of his classes which was part of his curriculum.
"Oh Tsukune, you're so smart," Moka praised. He just blushed and rubbed the back of his neck from her honest compliment.
"That's pretty impressive ingenuity for humans," Yukari quietly replied.
"Yeah... and their average speed is around four-hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. The fastest bullet train ever recorded once had a top speed of just over six-hundred kilometers per hour," he added.
"That's quite fast. I never imagined they could build something such as this," Yukari added with a sense of awe as she wondered to herself how the engineering science behind magnetic levitation could be applied to other types of travel.
"Despite their great speed, they're actually quite safe," Tsukune replied. At least Yukari seemed impressed which was a good sign since she loved anything to do with any sort of technology.
'Hm. Okay. You're not as idiotic as I thought you were,' Yukari mentally noted to herself.
"ATTENTION PASSENGERS. THE NEXT WEST-BOUND TRAIN FOR TOKYO JR EAST AND AKIHABARA IS APPROACHING THE STATION. PLEASE STAY BACK OF THE YELLOW LINE UNTIL THE TRAIN COMES TO A FULL STOP. NEXT TRAIN; TOKYO JR EAST. THANK YOU." an automated, electronic voice announced over the public access speakers.
"That's our train, "Tsukune said as he pulled himself to his feet.
Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari followed his lead and walked over to the actual train platform as the silver locomotive pulled into the station. Several workers dressed in blue uniforms with orange wands held in their hands opened the numerous safety gates as the train came to a halt.
A moment later, several silver doors slid open as the hundreds of passengers disembarked and went their separate ways.
Once the coast was clear, the quartet entered the closest passenger car of the long, silver, train.
As they took the nearest seats by the exit, the goddesses were impressed just how comfortable the plush, blue, seats were.
"This is quite nice, Tsukune," Moka said as she leaned her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. Yukari and Kurumu were seated directly across from the couple.
"Yeah. Oh, we have to buckle up," he said.
"What for?" Yukari inquired with a raised brow.
"It's just a safety precaution and the law. You can get fined for not wearing your seat-belt," he said as he reached over to his right and pulled the belt across his mid-section. He then slid the latch into the lock with a loud 'click'.
Moka followed his example and repeated the action since she did not want to break any Japanese rules since she wanted more than anything than to blend in among the human population. Yukari and Kurumu buckled up as well.
…
Even though the train ride to Akihabara was rather brief, Yukari actually enjoyed it and could not wait to ride it again. Her excuse was "it's for research", even though her sisters knew the real reason: she just loved the experience since she had her face plastered up against the Plexiglas window pane for the entire duration of the trip.
"Welcome to Akihabara," Tsukune announced as they exited the Electric Town Station, walked through the turn-style, and then onto the main road.
"Wow, what is this place?" Yukari asked rather energetically.
"I thought we'd get off the train here instead of in Midtown. I think you'll like to see this part of Tokyo, first," he said with a smile.
Moka and Kurumu were just as stunned at not only the sheer amount of people that mingled around the immediate vicinity, but the mind-boggling number of buildings and skyscrapers. Moka noticed that the surrounding area had a very positive emotion attached to it which made her excited, even more-so.
"This place is amazing!" his girlfriend said with a bright smile of her own.
"Yeah, kiddo. I don't even know what I wanna see first," Kurumu happily agreed.
"Well, there's all kinds of stores and shops we can check out here on the main street," he suggested as he made a right, out of the station and towards the more-well known part of the area which was affectionately called 'Electric Town' due to the thousands upon thousands of neon and LED signs which literally covered every building.
Akihabara is a district in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan. The name Akihabara is a shortening of Akibagahara, which ultimately comes from Akiba, named after a fire-controlling deity for a firefighting shrine built after the area was destroyed by a fire in 1869.
Even though the shopping district was famous for its stores and shops that catered to fans of anime, manga, and video games; there were plenty of normal department stores which were popular to everybody else.
"Oh big sis, look!" Yukari shouted lively, as she saw something brightly-colored, which caught her eyesight. It was a discount electronics store.
The quartet walked down the sidewalk and into the front of the huge shop which had numerous bins. Each, large, metal container had hundreds of discounted, electronic, parts marked down for immediate sale for less than 500 Yen, each.
"I had no idea that these types of places existed and had such a selection!" Yukari explained as she rummaged through one of the bins in question. Everybody else sweat-dropped at her over-exuberance.
"Is there something you'd like, Yukari?" Moka asked her younger sibling who had pulled several electronic components out, such as capacitors and diodes; which she quickly handed to Tsukune to hold onto for her.
"Um, if it's okay with you big sis," she sheepishly replied since she noticed she had gone a bit overboard and they were not exactly free.
…
After Moka had paid for Yukari's purchase, (since she still had quite a bit of her pay remaining from her modeling job at the Nekomi Institute of Art) they just wandered around with no particular destination in mind.
Yukari was very happy that her older sister had bought several electronic parts for her which would come in handy for any future inventions, which she already had an idea or two, planned out in her head.
"So, what do you think about Akihabara, Moka?" Tsukune asked his girlfriend who decided to hold his hand once again, due to the vast crowds in the rather congested, business district.
"Oh, it's quite interesting so far," she answered with a bright smile.
Kurumu and Yukari walked a few paces behind the couple. The youngest of the three sisters did her best to hold her tongue and not say anything rude or disrespectful. She wanted to see firsthand for herself why her big sister Moka was so attracted towards her mortal boyfriend.
Despite the fact that he was average in every way, Yukari noted that he held a great deal of respect towards Moka. Tsukune also appeared to be quite intelligent when it came to knowledge of most, earth-based, vehicles which he had explained to her in detail whenever she had asked, like when she was curious about the bullet trains from earlier.
Kurumu had to remind her little sister yet again that Moka and Tsukune had formed a bond of sorts which was somewhat-related to them meeting at the young age of 10. It was actually closer to when they had originally made their childhood promise.
"Hey, I'm just glad that you're enjoying yourself today. Is there anything that you'd like to see or go to, now?" he asked as they momentarily stopped in the middle of the tree-lined, sidewalk. Kurumu and Yukari caught up to the duo a moment later and had heard his question themselves.
"Well, since you asked, there is something that I'd like to buy for myself," the pink-haired deity replied with a light blush.
"Really? So um, what did you need to buy, if I may ask?"
"The thing is, um – it' rather embarrassing," Moka replied as her blush deepened.
"She needs to buy new bras since the ones she currently own are a bit small now," Kurumu said since Moka was too shy to say it out loud, especially out in the open like that.
"Kurumu, you pervert! What the heck did you have to say that for?" Yukari loudly interjected which had quickly brought some unwanted attention her way.
"Why is a runt like you getting so loud and worked up for, anyway? As if you'd even have a clue about what I just said," Kurumu mocked back.
"Sisters, please. No fighting. What Kurumu said is true, Yukari," Moka calmly said before they broke out in a heated argument which would undoubtedly attract even more attention their way.
"Fine!" Yukari said as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Um, well, I think we can find whatever you're looking for at the department store over there, across the street," Tsukune said with a sweat-drop and pointed to said business.
…
Two minutes later after they had crossed the car-filled intersection, the foursome entered the huge brick and mortar, department store.
Moka and Kurumu were at a loss of words, since neither of them had ever seen such a vast amount of clothing choices. When Yukari entered the store she had an uninterested expression on her features since she had no interest in human clothing whatsoever.
"This is really something else. I've never seen so many pretty clothes before," Moka said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Um – why don't we find what we came in here for?" Tsukune said as Moka decided to wander around and have a close-up look for herself as she was fascinated more-so than he had expected.
"Oh, you're right. Silly me. I wasn't thinking and had just gotten distracted," she answered with an apologetic smile.
"It's okay Moka. I know this is your first time, so I guess you'd be excited, right?"
"Thank you. And yes... this is my first time," the Norn of the present said.
'Ugh. Could they be any more 'lovey-dovey'?' Yukari thought to herself in mild disgust.
"No problem. I think I see a sign over there," he said as he pointed towards the far, left-hand, side of the first floor.
"You two were so meant for each other," Kurumu quietly declared under her breath.
"Did you say something, Kurumu?" Moka asked as she tilted her head slightly to the right.
"No. It was nothing, really. Never mind. Let's go over there, I guess," Kurumu said as she literally dragged a bored Yukari towards the ladies lingerie department. Tsukune and Moka followed her sisters in the very same direction and said not a word about her remark.
…
"Why am I even here exactly?" Yukari asked with a slight scowl.
"Moka needs to find a – ya' know..." Tsukune replied as he and Yukari sat on a black, leather, couch which was off to the side of the ladies changing room.
"Still not seeing it, though," the junior goddess said with a heavy sigh and sat back on the couch.
Moka asked Kurumu to help her find her correct bra size. She was in the dressing room with Moka to be sure if she had indeed the proper sizing.
"I still find it hard to believe that you have grown yet again, little sister. I doubt that you'll ever be close to my size, but still... a thirty-six D is quite impressive," Kurumu said as Moka admired herself in a full-length, wall-mounted mirror.
"As do I. But does this look good on me? I mean... will he like it, do you think?" Moka asked as her cheeks flushed from saying as much.
"Of course it looks good on you. Ah. I see. So ya' are doing this for Tsukune, right?" Kurumu said with a wink.
"Thank you Kurumu. Well... yes. I still need new bras though, but I do hope he likes to see me in this. What am I saying?"
"Hey, that's why I'm here for ya', right? And the reason why you're saying so much is because you do love him. But I don't think he would mind what you wore, or not... because I can see for myself that he loves you just as much. That is what I think – at least. I'm just givin' ya' my unbiased opinion, of course," Kurumu said as Moka tried on a few more bras, to be sure that they fit her properly before she actually bought them.
"Thank you Kurumu. I do appreciate all your help and I am glad that you support us... and it really means a lot to me," Moka replied as she gave her elder sister a warm hug.
"Anytime, little sister. Like I said, that's one of the reasons why I came down here to begin with, more or less," the bluette said as they ended their sisterly embrace a few moments later.
…
After Moka had made her mind up, she walked with everybody else to the closest cashier. Tsukune helped her to check out and pay for her purchases since she had never been to that sort of store before. He even offered to carry her shopping bag, which she thought was very chivalrous of him to do so.
As he checked the time on his wristwatch, Tsukune thought that it would be a good idea if they had a bite to eat next as they exited the immense store.
"So, what are you girls in the mood for lunch?" he asked as they stepped out, and into the main sidewalk which was a part of Akihabara.
"I'm not really sure," Moka answered.
"No clue since I've never been here before," Kurumu replied with a shrug.
"Why are you even asking me for? I don't have any idea where I am," Yukari countered.
"Yukari, please. Tsukune's just asking you what you'd like to eat for lunch. There's no need for you to be so rude. Maybe I should just take you home after what you pulled last night," Moka said rather sharply.
"What? I'm sorry big sis. I'll be good, I promise," her youngest sister frantically replied before Moka took her home and left her there, all by herself.
"I forgive you but isn't there somebody else that you should apologize to, as well?" Moka asked as she bent down and came nose-to-nose with the mini-goddess in question. She then stood up as Yukari walked over to Tsukune.
"I'm sorry, Tsukune. I really didn't mean that..." she said with a bow.
"It's okay Yukari. I know... um... you can stop bowing now. It's fine, really," he said. Yukari then stood straight up and walked over to Kurumu's side.
'Oh Tsukune, you are far too forgiving. That must be another reason why I care about you so much,' Moka thought to herself as a soft smile graced her lovely features.
"Alright then. I think I know a place that everybody will like – I hope," he said as Moka held his free hand as he led their little group down the avenue once again.
Tsukune had no indication what Moka meant regarding Yukari and what she had pulled the night before. The raven-haired college student speculated that it was somehow connected to the incident before breakfast when his girlfriend looked upset.
The youngest of the 3 sisters had only been with them for less than a day and had already caused some minor issues.
...
After they had walked down the packed sidewalk for a few minutes, Tsukune had stopped – somewhere. It was a brick building with a red, neon, sign attached to the facade, just above the double-glass doors.
It was a Pizza restaurant.
Tsukune then pulled the front door opened and allowed the ladies to enter the eating establishment, first. There was a simple sign which said "Please Seat Yourself" attached to a meter-high, metal, pole.
"What kinda food does this place serve?" Kurumu inquired as he led them towards the back of the pizza place.
"Pizza. I think you girls will like it," was his ambiguous reply as he spotted an empty, round, table. He then pulled out a seat for Moka who blushed at his chivalrous act. He then lightly pushed her seat forward a bit. He then took the empty seat on her left with Kurumu next to him with Yukari next to her big sister, Moka.
They then each grabbed a menu from the center of the table and perused over the available choices. The three sisters were not sure what they wanted to eat, since neither of them had never been to that type of place before and were perplexed to no end.
"So, have you decided yet?" Tsukune asked nobody in particular.
"No. It all looks very good though, according to the photos on the menu," Moka replied as she continued to read the menu which she held in her hands. Her sisters were even more confused. Even though they were proficient in reading and speaking Japanese, they still had no idea what to have for their midday meal.
"Well, why don't we have the all-you-can eat deal? That way you ladies can try different things without having to make too hard of a choice," Tsukune suggested as he placed his menu on the red, plastic, table.
Apparently they also had an all-you-can-eat deal, certain days of the week during lunchtime.
"Oh, that sounds like an excellent choice," Moka happily agreed as she set her menu down, likewise.
"What do you say, sisters?", the pink-haired woman asked her two siblings.
"Sure, why not? At least it gives us a chance to try out other stuff," Kurumu happily replied since she had a difficult time making up her mind as well and it made her head hurt to some extent.
"I guess so. It will give us an opportunity to try something new and if big sis likes the idea, then I could try it out, too I suppose," Yukari said as she returned her menu to the center of the table.
"I think you'll really like it Yukari, They even have ice cream for desert," Tsukune said with a sigh of relief.
"Ice cream?" the raven-haired goddess answered with a hint of excitement in her voice.
"Yep. They have all kinds of different toppings you can add on top of it," Tsukune added with a smile since Moka had told him that Yukari's alternate energy source and recharge method was ice cream. Just like Moka's was sleep and Kurumu's was Sake', each goddess had a rather unique way of repleting their energy.
"And Yukari, this is Tsukune's treat, so be sure to properly thank him afterward," Moka quietly said to her youngest sibling.
"Okay, big sis. I will," she answered with a small smile.
'Maybe he's not that bad of a guy, I guess. And I can tell that big sis really cares about him a lot. I suppose that it couldn't hurt to try and get to know him better, even though I still don't trust him, yet,' Yukari told herself.
"Good afternoon, welcome to Pizza Hut. Have you folks decided yet?" the female server asked as she approached their table. She was in her mid-twenties, average in height, with long, ebony hair tied back into a ponytail. Her eyes matched her hair.
The young woman was was dressed in a red polo shirt with a pair of black slacks and color-coordinated shoes. Her name-tag read "Fuko" in hiragana.
"Um, we're gonna have the all-you-can eat deal. And a pitcher of iced tea, please. Iced tea is okay, ladies?" Tsukune said. The three girls shook their head in agreement.
"Got it. You folks can go over there and help yourselves. Be sure to use a clean plate for each trip and I'll bring your iced tea out in a few minutes," Fuko said as she scribbled their order in her notebook. She then bowed and left the table so she could fetch their pitcher of freshly-brewed, iced tea.
…
After everyone had chosen what they wanted, they returned to their table and enjoyed their lunch to the fullest.
"Big sis! This is really good!" Yukari pointed out after her third helping of pineapple and ham pizza.
"I'm so glad to hear that," Moka said with a smile. She was actually happy that Yukari seemed to be in better spirits than compared to earlier at the department store.
"Yeah. I gotta agree with ya'. This is pretty good, kiddo," Kurumu agreed as she patted her stomach, followed by a sigh of content.
"I'm really glad that you ladies liked it," Tsukune commented as he was actually relieved that everyone seemed to enjoyed themselves on their outing, more or less.
"Oh yes, Tsukune. I've had a wonderful time so far," Moka said with a loving smile.
"Big sis?" Yukari asked as she tugged on the sleeve of Moka's dress.
"Yes Yukari?" she replied as she turned her attention on her sibling.
"Can I go and see what kind of ice cream they have?" she implored with a bright smile.
"Of course. Would it be alight if I went over there with you? I'd like to see for myself, what they have to offer," Moka asked.
"Sure big sis! What are you waiting for? Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Yukari said as she sprang out of her chair, grabbed Moka's right hand, and practically dragged her over to the ice cream and desert station.
Tsukune and Kurumu just watched the two sisters run off with a sweat-drop.
"Yukari sure likes ice cream, huh?" he asked Kurumu who shook her head from side to side.
"Yeah. She won't admit it of course," she said with a laugh.
"I thought as much," Tsukune answered with a snicker.
"Hey, thanks again for today, Tsukune. I had a lot of fun so far," Kurumu said.
"No problem Kurumu. I'm just glad that everyone's getting along somewhat and nothing weird has happened so far," Tsukune said with a chuckle.
"Uh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Kurumu answered as Yukari and Moka returned to their table a moment later.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Tsukune replied with the look of shock in his eyes. Yukari gave a whole, new meaning to the phrase "all-you-can eat".
Her bowl of ice cream was nearly ¼ of a meter high. He wondered to himself if she could actually eat all of it. To him it seemed as if it were more than enough for at least two servings for each of them!
Moka had to pull Yukari's seat out for her as the mini-goddess had both hands planted firmly on her bowl which contained her mountain of ice cream, covered in chocolate sprinkles, caramel syrup, and maraschino cherries.
"Thanks, big sis," Yukari replied as she sat down with her bowl of frozen treat in front of her. She then picked up a spoon in each hand as she gobbled her ice cream down at a ludicrous speed.
"You're welcome, Yukari," the pinkette replied with a small smile. Moka only had a small serving of ice cream in comparison to her younger sisters' massive portion.
"Um, Moka... can she... um – eat all of that? I mean, it's a lot," Tsukune whispered to his girlfriend who seemed unfazed by how much ice cream that Yukari had served for herself.
"Oh yes. This is nothing, really. See? She's nearly finished already," Moka replied as she picked up a spoonful of her cold desert and tried it for herself.
Tsukune stared wide-eyed and would not have believed it unless he had seen it for himself, firsthand. He was worried if the youngest goddess was alright and would be able to walk after-wards.
Or if they would have to carry her out, instead.
"Ah, that hit the spot," Yukari said with a happy sigh as she placed her spoon in her now-empty bowl.
She ate the entire serving in less than two minutes flat.
"Gee, squirt. You really love your ice cream, huh?" Kurumu commented with a smirk.
"I refuse to answer that question," Yukari shot back with a snort.
"I was only teasing," Kurumu said as she stood up from her chair and walked over to the desert station herself.
"Tsukune? Aren't you going to try some ice cream?" Moka asked as she turned her attention towards the man of her affections with a smile.
"Um, I'm kinda full, actually."
"Well, um, would you like to try a little bit of mine instead?" Moka asked as a light blush slowly filled her cheeks. Tsukune then looked over to Yukari as he gave his girlfriend's question some thought.
"Uh, sure..." he said as Moka scooped up a small bit of her ice cream onto her spoon and then brought it up to his lips with her left hand underneath it.
"Open up and say 'ahhh'," she lovingly said.
"Ahhh."
Moka then fed the ice cream to him quickly before she died from extreme embarrassment. She had seen a similar scene on TV and wanted to try it out for herself.
"Uh, thanks Moka. It was pretty good," he said with a slight blush of his own as Yukari watched the little scene play out in front of her and amazingly, did not say a word about it.
"You're most welcome, Tsukune," she replied as she placed the spoon in her empty bowl and pushed it off to the side.
"Hey, what's goin' on?" Kurumu inquired nosily as she sat down in her chair with a bowl of mixed, fresh fruit which included pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, and melon.
"Big sis just fed Tsukune some of her ice cream," Yukari replied with a grin.
"Really? Awww. I can't believe I missed it," Kurumu said with a pout.
"Sister, it's not that big of a deal," Moka said with a blush, yet again.
"But it's so cute," her elder sister replied, still with a pout.
…
"Thank you for lunch Tsukune. I really appreciate it," Yukari said with a bow as the quartet left the pizza-themed eating establishment after Tsukune had paid the bill.
"Yeah, thanks again kiddo. It was really different but good," Kurumu replied likewise.
"Yes Tsukune. Thank you once again for lunch and today. I'm having such a lovely time," Moka replied with a bright grin.
"You ladies are really welcome. I've had a lot of fun, too," he said with a bow in return.
"So, what do we do now?" Yukari said once the pleasantries were properly out of the way.
"I guess we can walk around for a bit. Maybe we can check out an anime or cosplay shop," Tsukune suggested as they walked westward, down the main avenue.
"Did you say cosplay?" Kurumu asked with curiosity in her voice.
"Anime? What's that?" Yukari wondered aloud.
"Yeah, there's a bunch of really cool shops on this side of the district, not too far from here. You'll see," he replied.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Moka happily agreed. She was happy to go anywhere as long as Tsukune was with her. That's what mattered the most, right?
"I gotta see this for myself. Lead the way," Kurumu said as Moka held Tsukune's hands since the crowds had increased somewhat since it was well in the afternoon.
Less than five minutes later, they found themselves at a store called "Animate," which was indeed a store that catered to fans of anime and naturally, cosplay. This particular location was part of the chain-store's 100 locations which were scattered all over Japan.
Once they entered the multilevel store, they were stunned to see dozens and dozens of rows of DVD's, manga and doujinshi, anime figures from every anime movie or show imaginable, hundreds upon hundreds of cosplay and accessories which included wigs, shoes, animal ears, jewelry, and so forth. It was truly mind-boggling, to be honest!
Attached to every, square, centimeter of the store's walls were dozens of full-color posters which promoted either upcoming anime and movies or what specials this particular location had available at the moment.
"Wow!" the three sisters announced once they took in the sight for themselves.
"Ooh, Tsukune! What's that?" Yukari asked as she grabbed his free hand and led him over to the center of the huge shop. Moka and Kurumu followed them to see what their younger sister had spotted.
It was a 2 meter-tall robot statue from the classic anime series "Mobile Suit Gundam".
The robot / statue looked rather imposing, but Yukari was fascinated by its over-all design. The main body was a light, ghost gray with red, yellow, and blue highlights with green, LED eyes. In the robot replica's hand, it held a meter-long, white "beam saber" which was lit up as well.
"Such an ingenious design with very clean lines. What I wouldn't do if I could build something like this," Yukari commented with a drool as she read the placard which was attached to a small stand. She walked around to the backside and saw that there were 2, huge, jet engines attached as well.
"It is pretty cool, huh? And just imagine, in the actual anime series this guy's about a hundred meters tall," Tsukune commented with a sense of reminiscence.
"A hundred meters? Maybe I could build something more reasonably-sized," Yukari replied with a sweat-drop. She was a genius, but to build a giant robot as such would take her much longer than she would plan on anyway.
"You can do whatever you set your mind to, Yukari. If you believe you can, then I'm more than certain you could," Moka said with a smile as she placed her hands on Yukari's shoulders.
"Thanks big sis, Moka," the junior deity replied.
"So, um, why don't we look around for a while?" Tsukune suggested.
The girls all agreed with a hearty "yes" as they wandered around and admired the numerous anime figures that were safely stored in glass display cases as well as the cosplay on display. One more item in particular had caught Yukari's attention.
It was a manga.
She picked up the plastic-wrapped magazine which was on the heavy side and gave the front and back covers a thorough read-through.
"Did you find something interesting, Yukari?" Tsukune asked as he and Moka walked up to her from behind. She dropped the copy of "Nakayoshi Monthly" back on the pile and faced the couple.
"Um, no. Not really..." she stammered.
"If there's something you want, then you don't have to hold back, Yukari," Tsukune said with a friendly smile.
"That's right. If there's anything that you like, then we'd be more than happy to buy it for you," Moka added with a soft smile.
"Um, well... if that's the case..." Yukari said as she turned around and picked up the manga magazine she had just dropped a moment before and then showed it to the pair.
"Hey, this is the same magazine Kyoko used to read," Tsukune said once he saw the name printed on the cover of the monthly publication.
"Really?" Yukari asked.
"Yep. I think she might have some older back-issues she doesn't even read anymore. But in the mean time, if you really want, then we can buy this for you today, if you'd like," he answered with a warm smile.
"If it's okay with big sis, Moka..." she replied as she stared at the floor as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Of course it is, Yukari."
"Thank you big sis and Tsukune," she said with a small bow.
"It's not a problem Yukari," Tsukune answered as Yukari handed the thick magazine to Moka who held it for the time being.
"You are most welcome, my little sister," Moka happily answered.
"Hey, where'd Kurumu run off to?" Tsukune said as they walked out of the manga section and searched for the blue-haired bombshell.
"Knowing Kurumu, she most likely wandered off to admire the cosplay," Moka said.
"Ya-hoo-hoo! Moka! Tsukune! Over here!" they heard from the far, right, corner of the immense store.
"I don't believe it," Yukari said as she face-palmed.
"Well, you know how excited she gets sometimes," Moka commented as the trio walked up to Kurumu who was not exactly dressed decently.
"What's wrong? Isn't it cute?" the under-dressed deity asked and then gave a little twirl.
"Um..." Tsukune said as he covered his eyes and looked away before he passed out from a nosebleed.
"Uh, Kurumu... I wouldn't exactly call this clothing," Yukari said with a sweat-drop in reference to what Kurumu had called "cute".
"I must agree with Yukari. Are you even allowed to go anywhere dressed like this?" Moka inquired and speculated to herself if Kurumu had lost her mind or not.
"Aw, c'mon. It's cute, right Tsukune? Back me up, here," the elder goddess said with a song in her voice.
"No comment," the only male of their group answered, as he still held both of his hands over his eyes and refused to meet her gaze.
It was a low-cut, black and white "Playboy Bunny Suit", complete with white, fuzzy ears and a matching 'puff-ball' tail, which left very little if any, to the imagination. Kurumu's motto was "less is more", apparently.
"Fine. I can take a hint ya' know. You three are no fun," Kurumu said as she walked back to the dressing room and then pulled the heavy, red, curtain behind herself.
"I'm almost afraid to ask what she was thinking," Tsukune said once he heard Kurumu return to the dressing room as he uncovered his eyes and then faced Moka and Yukari.
"I'm almost afraid to think that she might actually attempt to make one of her own," Moka interjected with a heavy sigh.
"I'm almost afraid to admit I'm even related to her," Yukari said with a worried look.
"I heard, that twerp," Kurumu said as she stood behind her littlest sister with her arms crossed under her bosom.
"Eep! Kurumu! You sure changed your clothes quickly!" Yukari squealed out as Kurumu grabbed her from behind and placed her into a headlock.
"What can I say? I'm really good at changing my clothes in the blink of an eye," she said as she released Yukari a moment later as Moka cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry! I was only kidding Kurumu!" Yukari said as she hid behind Moka and used her as a shield from the impending wrath of the lightning goddess.
"Eh, don't worry about it, squirt. But we're gonna have a nice, long, chat on the way home," the Norn of the past said to her pest of a sister whom she loved so much, right?
"Kurumu, no fighting. Please promise me," Moka said with a pleading look.
"Alright, but only because you asked me, sister," she said with a shrug of defeat.
…
Once that issue was eventually resolved peacefully, Tsukune walked up to the nearest register with Moka and paid for Yukari's manga magazine. She thanked him once again for his heartfelt generosity.
Moka thanked him as well with a peck on the cheek which nearly set Yukari off, but she kept her thoughts to herself as she held the plastic bag which contained her first-ever manga.
The youngest Norn was somewhat confused though.
She knew why Moka was sent to Earth in the first place due to Tsukune's wish and the contract between the pair. Yukari also had learned that he was a goodhearted man who genuinely cared not only about her older sister, Moka but for her and Kurumu as well.
It was almost as if he was a big brother-type of figure who had a keen intellect and was well-educated about all sorts of earth-based vehicles.
That was another thing they had in common besides the love they had for Moka. One was romantic and the other was sisterly. Maybe he was not so bad after-all, she mused.
...
"Hey Yukari... Yukari!" Kurumu half-shouted as she attempted to get her sister's attention since she was deep in thought.
"Huh?" she replied with a confused look.
"I said I heard what you pulled last night," Kurumu whispered.
Even though Moka and Tsukune were a good, 10 meters ahead, she did want to draw any unwarranted attention towards their semi-private conversation.
"What are you babbling on about?" Yukari snapped back in mild irritation.
"Don't play stupid with me, you little snoop. Moka told me what you did last night with your mini video camera. I was just wondering two things, is all."
"Did you just call me stupid? And why are you even asking me this now?" Yukari shot back as she grew more irritated by the passing second.
"I didn't mean that but it wasn't very bright for ya' to do that. I'm asking ya' now because I want them to be happy," the blue-haired goddess shot back.
"Hey, I want Moka to be happy too, but not with him. He doesn't deserve her!"
"Stop being so damn stubborn. Just answer me two things and I'll drop it, okay?" Kurumu said in a calm voice.
"Whatever. What do you want to know so badly?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.
"First off; why'd ya' do it? And secondly; how much did you see?" Kurumu asked.
"I don't trust him okay? Is that what you want to hear? And I didn't see much, alright? Happy now?" Yukari shouted back in anger.
"I don't believe this shit. Why are you being so damn nosy for? I guess that today didn't mean much to ya' huh?" Kurumu yelled as she grabbed for Yukari's bag. Before she could get any closer, Yukari took off and ran down the sidewalk towards Moka and Tsukune.
"That little brat. I'm gonna throttle her when we get home," Kurumu cursed under her breath and walked faster before Yukari did something she could regret later on.
…
"Yukari?" Moka asked as she zipped past the couple at high speed and promptly let go of her shopping bag.
The middle goddess then bent down and picked up Yukari's bag. Tsukune whipped around and saw that Yukari had tripped over her foot and then fell face-first onto the blacktopped street.
"Ow!" she yelped in pain. Yukari then slowly stood up once again and then dusted herself off, unaware of her surroundings.
Without a moments hesitation, Tsukune dashed out into the congested avenue and pushed Yukari out of harms way. She was caught by a few bystanders on the opposite side of the avenue before she fell to the sidewalk.
A microsecond second later, a speeding car came upon Tsukune and then knocked him back about 3 meters.
SKREEEEEEEEEECCCHHHHHH!
Moka looked on in heart-wrenching agony as he was launched back and then harshly hit the pavement with a sickening, bone-crunching, thud.
"TSUKUNE!" the Norn of the present yelled out in horror as she ran up to his motionless body and feared the worse.
Kurumu joined her sister a moment later and covered her mouth with her hands when she saw the condition he was in, and was for the first time ever, at a complete loss for words.
Yukari turned around in the nick of time to see her older sister run up to her fallen boyfriend.
"Oh no... Tsukune..." she said as a sense of dread washed over her, once she realized what had just happened not less than a few, seconds, ago.
... To be Continued.
...
...
Author's Note:
What's this? A cliffhanger? In this warm and fluffy fanfiction? Say it isn't so, dear readers!
Yes, it looks as if our main character has taken a turn for the worse.
I had the idea for this ending before I even decided what this chapter would cover. I hope that I portrayed Yukari well (as Skuld) even though she was not nearly as annoying as Skuld was in the Oh My Goddess anime or manga. (or bratty as most of you pointed out before I even introduced her in the previous chapter)
Do not worry though. Yukari will come to grips with her actions; whether if it were intentional or not, she will blame herself for whatever happens to Tsukune.
New chapter will be up in a week since this one is a day or so early. I welcome all comments, feedback, and suggestions for future chapters. Thanks for reading and see you in a week!