"Koyuki, I love you….rrrr sense of humor."
"Really?" Koyuki's mouth stretched into a grin. "My scents of humor? What does it smell like?"
Aaaaaand the writer once again proceeds to disappoint us. Sad to say I also had faith in him to execute the perfect romance story. Apparently not.
"It… it smells…" Dororo smiled sheepishly, relieved that he was able to take back that sudden, embarrassing outburst. "It smells like… candy."
"What kind of candy?"
"White chocolate?"
"Mmm!" Koyuki licked her lips. "How yummy! Did you know you could feed those things to echidnas? Or was it hedgehogs…?"
"I-I don't know…" Dororo said slowly, cramming his hands even deeper into his pockets. "Maybe you're talking about dogs?"
"No, I'm sure it's some other animal," Koyuki said confidently. After a few more seconds of thinking, she promptly gave up. "Come on, D. Let's just walk around and see what we bump into. Okay?"
Dororo nodded. At least he managed to get out of that sticky situation. "Alright. I like that."
"Oh, and D?"
"Yeah?"
"Feel free to tell me the truth anytime, okay?"
Drums and dread pounded against his chest.
She found out.
'Th…the truth…?"
"Yeah. I want to help you in anyway I can… okay?"
Dororo swallowed and nodded shyly. Relief flooded him. "…Okay. I will."
….Maybe.
"Rio…?"
"Yes, Natsumi?"
"What do you think of the legend?"
"Th-th-the legend….?" Giroro raised his eyes toward the sky that was beginning to deepen into that beautiful, natural sea-blue color. He took a deep breath and gazed at her. "Uh… what… do I think of it?"
"Yeah," She said timidly. "Do you think it's… stupid… or…?"
"I w-wouldn't mind trying it…."
"R-really?"
"Y-yeah."
"I-I…" Natsumi walked in front of him and faced him directly, her face pink. "R-Rio… I have a confession to m-make…"
Giroro jumped. His eyes grew wide with curiosity and anticipation. He could feel his guts beginning to knot. A….A confession?!"Y-yes?"
"I… um…" She produced a dark blue satiny bag from her pocket and showed it to him. "H-here."
Giroro was disappointed. "What's this?"
"Open it… p-please."
Giroro tugged at the tiny rope that tightened the top of the bag, realized that it only closed it more, and then forced the gap at the top open with two fingers. His fingertips came into contact with something cool and smooth, and he felt his heart beginning to speed up.
He pulled out two shards from the same seashell.
"Do you want to try it?" Natsumi asked quietly. She looked down, humiliated at being so bold. "I-I know it's too soon… and that… we just started going out, but…"
Giroro could feel his inner-frog jumping for joy, screaming at the top of his lungs with the hearts floating everywhere and the chorus and the flipping out and-
"Sure."
"G-great…"
Two stuttering love struck idiots. You're going to make the audience believe that this anime is broken or something.
"I have to do something r-really quick, okay, Natsumi?"
"Okay," Natsumi said, clearly trying to calm her extremely reddened face. "T-take your time!"
"Wait here," Giroro said, and rushed out to do whatever he intended on doing.
"Okay, wow," Tamama said, staring at the speakers with wide-eyed interest. "I didn't see that coming!"
"I did," Keroro grinned. "I knew everything would go according to my ingenious plan."
"No," Tamama pointed at the speakers. "Giroro didn't flip out! I mean, come on, Sarge! If you had given me seashells I would have been freaking out or something!"
"Okay, first of all, your example makes no sense, so it's completely void to the case," Keroro said, nodding stiffly to Garuru. "And second, well, Giroro flipping out-…"
"Giroro is professional," Garuru assured, almost warningly. "He understands the situation and is less likely to-"
"WOOOOHOOO! YES! YES YES YES YEEEEESSSSSS!"
The four frogs and Mois stared at the speaker.
All was quiet at first. Then Keroro and Tamama fought the urge to burst out laughing. Kururu was irritated beyond annoyance. Mois had given everyone a very confused expression. And Garuru just face-palmed in silence.
"Okay, I'm back." Giroro said, as coolly as possible. "So what… what do we do about-?"
"That's the thing…" Natsumi said slowly, gazing down at the seashells. "I almost forgot about an important detail."
"And what's that?"
"The seashells needed to be thrown into the ocean… at a memorable spot."
Giroro watched her carefully. "A memorable spot?"
"Yeah. And since we just met each other, it's going to be unlikely to find something…"
"Hm." Giroro rubbed the back of his neck. "I see…"
"I-I'm sorry," Natsumi muttered, embarrassed. "I-I shouldn't have even brought it up, I'm sorry…"
"It's fine," Giroro said, giving her the bag. She took it and slipped the shards inside it. "Hey… Natsumi?"
"Yes?"
"Just curious… if two people were actually to do this… does it need to be done at a certain time?"
Natsumi swept her hair behind her ear. "Sunset."
Everything's gotta be done at sunset…
"Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious," Giroro said honestly, blushing.
"Alright," Natsumi held the seashells gently. "I guess I can just keep these for a souvenir then."
"Maybe…"
Life is so un-…I'm not going there again.
"So what are we going to do now?"
"I guess we could go check out the shrines now."
Giroro struggled not to voice out his disappointment. "Okay. You lead the way."
"…What happened?"
"We are in a bit of a fix… I did not think he would be so difficult to lure."
"So I assume he did not fall for the trap?"
"No. He is not as materialistic as the other men here are."
"I see. She is not going to be too happy about this."
"No kidding. I am scared of coming back."
"Scared of coming back? You are not allowed to come back if you have not captured him."
There was a tight pause.
"…Hello? You did not die, did you?"
"No, I am still here. What do I do, then?"
"Follow him and find out what matters to him most. And then we shall see if we could perhaps make… an arrangement."
"Understood, sir."
"Very good. Over and ou-"
"Wait."
"What is it now?"
"What about the other young man?"
"What other young man?"
"The one with the pink hair. I thought she had a certain interest in him as well."
"You found him? Glory! Capture either of them- one or the other will be more than enough to please the queen."
"Understood, sir."
"Now. Over and out."
"Look!" Koyuki said excitedly. She grabbed Dororo's hand and pulled him into the small building.
"What's this?" Dororo asked, gazing around.
"It's a hot spring."
"A h-h-hot spring?!" He stammered, his large eyes wide with horror. "L-like… a hot spring?!"
"It never bothered you before," Koyuki said, almost suspiciously. She examined him closely. "Is something the matter?"
"N-n-no," Dororo shook his head furiously, humiliated that he was incapable of keeping the blush against his cheeks under control.
"D, your face got all red…"
"Th-then I probably shouldn't go in there…"
Koyuki glanced over her shoulder and saw the entrance. She giggled. "Oh, D! You're so silly. You do know that it's divided, right?"
The thought struck him. Well duh. Of course they're divided. As if they're going to let two teenagers of the opposite sex alone in… in…
"Hi, Koyuki!" Natsumi said in greeting. She gazed over worriedly at Dororo. "Is, uh… Daisuke alright there?"
Oh, so you're using Japanese names now. Creative, but still wrong.
Giroro cocked a brow at his friend and grinned, feeling sorry for him. Dororo looked positively grief-stricken and conflicted and just about mortified. Just what got his friend so-?
….Huh.
Since when did he get into the hot springs?
"….and D and I were just going in," Koyuki was explaining, snapping Giroro back to reality.
Natsumi beamed. "Great idea! And since we're on a fieldtrip we get discounts!" She turned pleadingly to Giroro. "Can we please stay for a little bit?"
NATSUMI AT A HOTSPRING?!
Now
he could understand why his friend looked like that. It all made so much sense!
"You and… Koyuki's friend can go together, and Koyuki and I will go together, okay?" Natsumi said sweetly. "Okay?"
Dororo managed to pull Giroro out of his jealous-raging stupor by shoving him into the "Men's Only" room.
It was still early, so again, few people lingered in the warm, bubbling waters. Most of them were old men, struggling not to fall asleep as they sunk into the steamy bath. Some of them failed miserably and were snoring with their head against the wall or the edge of the concrete.
Giroro looked at them warily. I hope those old guys don't drown...
"It does feel good," Dororo murmured appreciatively, shuddering as he came into contact with the warm water.
"Yeah, it does, I guess." Giroro gazed over at the wall that he assumed was separating him from Natsumi. Koyuki and Natsumi in the bath together….! Blood violence death kill.
"Giroro?"
"What's up."
Dororo shifted anxiously, uncomfortably. "Never mind."
"Hm." Not that I care.
…
Blood violence death kill.
"Why do you keep saying that?" Dororo asked, giving him a look.
"H-huh? Saying… saying what?"
"'Blood violence death kill.'"
"You can… hear my thoughts?"
The two stared at each other awkwardly.
"Okay, changing subject," Giroro leaned against the cool wall. "How's it… uh… going…?"
"With what?"
"You know…"
"With… Koyuki?"
"Yeah."
Dororo coughed. "I'd rather not say anything."
"Something happen?"
"Well… Let's just say she's not as…" Dororo grappled for a better word. "…dense as… Natsumi…"
Giroro perked an eyebrow. "She found out?"
"Not… exactly."
"Then what do you mean?"
Dororo ran his fingers through his hair. "She knows there's something wrong with me. And I'm pretty sure I'd notice too." He dropped his hands into the water with a small plunk and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "She's upset because I won't tell her anything… and I don't blame her… I'd be upset too…" He sunk deeper into the water until it touched his chin. "But what do I say, Giroro? I can't just say 'I love you'…. sure it'll make the fans happy, but I don't know what else will happen…"
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last sentence, okay?"
"So what do I do?"
Giroro shook his head. "I'm staying out of this! We shouldn't even be talking about this, Dororo. It's… weird."
"But-"
"Hello there!"
Giroro and Dororo gazed upwards in surprise. And then Giroro in annoyance, and Dororo in confusion.
"Um…" Dororo said slowly, shyly, "…can we help you?"
"You remember me, don't you?" The man asked the blonde, his obnoxious smile dominating his face. "And hi! I'm not sure I've met you before! My name is Kai."
"Uh… hello? I'm… Devon?"
"Nice to meet you Devon! Say, don't mind if I join you fellas, right?"
Before the two could voice any complaints, Kai dropped himself between them.
Understandably, two Keronian-turned-Pekoponians inched away from him.
"So have you been considering my offer, Rio?"
"Offer?" Dororo blinked at Giroro. "What offer?"
His friend muttered something unintelligible, and his entire face turned red.
"What?"
"He wants me to….. Join…. agency."
"What? I… I still can't hear you-"
"I'm an agent for a modeling agency," Kai said quickly, more than eager and irritated to get the stupid exchange over with. "I invited Rio to join. I'd be more than happy to sponsor for him."
Dororo trembled and coughed a little. Little tear drops formed at the edges of his eyes, and he appeared as if he had this inner battle…
To burst out laughing, or not to burst out laughing? That was the question.
Needless to say, Dororo proceeded with the former.
Giroro had this look of visible purplish horror on his face- a façade of total humiliation.
"I don't… understand the joke," Kai gave them a thin, impatient smile. "…Really. Anyway, I was hoping Rio would have changed his mind."
"My decision stands," Giroro said, closing his eyes. He tried to get rid of the incredibly heavy blush that covered his cheeks by dousing his face with the water.
"I see," The agent turned over to Dororo, who jumped, and immediately stopped his sudden peal of childish mirth.
Oh, please don't even-
"And what about you, David?"
"It's Dev- wait… what?"
Giroro smirked, the water dripping down his face and bangs.
"Why not?" Kai grinned widely. "You have the looks. So do you. With me, you two could be famous."
"Uhh… hehe… look at the time."
"I already told you- no. And I'd be more than happy to speak for my friend when I say he doesn't want to do this stupid modeling thing either!"
"Then… then take my card in case you two want to reconsider-"
Geez I wish I had my guns right now!
"Yeah, we're ignoring you now?" Giroro and Dororo grabbed their towels, wrapped them around themselves, and wobbled out of the bath, leaving the stuttering, sleazy businessman to his lonesome.
The man groaned to himself, his eyes glowing a devastating, pale blue color. "…I'm so not going home tonight…"
"That was nice!" Koyuki sighed. Her hair was still wet and it dripped slightly against her soft skin. She didn't bother wiping it off, so it just rolled down to her chin, gently.
It reminded Dororo of the waterfall he liked to go to during his mediation for some reason.
Well that was a random... nonetheless weird comparison.
"Did you like it, D?"
"Hmm?" Great. I was staring again. "What?"
"I said 'did you like it'?"
"O-oh. Yeah, it was… it was fun."
Koyuki smiled brightly at him. And he blushed. Again.
He sighed. While her pretty smile would normally make him smile back, now it only made him want to subject to her lovely desires…
…
WHAT did I just think?!
"D, I think you spent too much time in the hot spring," Koyuki pointed out. She gently pressed a cool hand against his face, and his heart raced. Again.
"I-I'm fine!" Dororo stammered. "R-really!"
"But-…"
"I-I think we should go see what Rio and Natsumi are doing!" Dororo marched stiffly toward the other couple, the two that were drying their dense hair with the fluffy white towels as they greeted each other warmly.
Koyuki sighed quietly and set after him, wondering what the heck has become of her friend, and hoping that he would tell her what was going on soon. She walked in on an apparently unpleasant conversation between the two Keronians, and watched them respectively as each replied to their inquiries.
"We were planning on continuing our date," Giroro said bluntly. He rolled his eyes at the forwardness of his answer, but went along with it anyway.
"Y-you sure you don't want company?" Dororo asked feebly. Almost desperately.
Does Dororo not want to hang out with me anymore? Could that be it?
"I'm sure, Do-…minic."
"It's Devon," Dororo huffed. He only stopped when he realized Koyuki was staring at them curiously. He then looked at her apologetically and slipped his hands into his pockets. "…Alright. I'll see you later, I suppose…"
"Same," Giroro waved his hand dismissively and continued walking out the door with her, talking cheerfully about the differences between cupcakes and muffins.
Cupcakes and muffins…
"D? Are you mad at me? Tell me the truth."
"What?!" Dororo turned to Koyuki, his eyes wide. "No. No, of course not! Where did you get that impression?"
"I thought I felt it," Koyuki explained. Her emotion softened immensely, however, at his reply. "Okay. I knew you didn't, but I still wanted to confirm it, you know?"
"Y-yeah, I guess…"
You got it half right, Koyuki. He may not be mad per-say, but he is madly in-
You finish that sentence and you die.
Sorry. Couldn't resist.
Silence hung between them.
After the debate on cheeseburgers and hamburgers, they were at a loss of what to say next. They attempted to start another conversation about videogames and cell phones, but the subject somehow lost its sheen and was dropped. So they walked on in utter, awkward silence.
More people strode past them, ending the peaceful, lonely morning that they had enjoyed the last couple of hours. It was beginning to get annoying, because where they were able to walk freely on the street, they were sometimes squished into a mob of slow people who refused to quicken their pace, or were nudged by impatient bystanders fervently rushing to get the heck out of there, or were separated by more and more people surging between them.
Exasperated, Giroro finally grabbed Natsumi's hand the second they reunited, and shoved his way past the various peoples without any regard for their wellbeing, dragging her along. She, on the other hand, apologized profusely to each person they pushed out of their way.
"Giroro, slow down!" Natsumi scolded. "You're going to get someone hurt!"
Giroro only stopped when they were finally somewhat alone again, with only a thin spread of people still wandering around. He was panting heavily, the speed walk surprisingly taking a toll on the soldier.
"Geez! Don't do that ever again, you got that? We could've seriously hurt someone-!"
"Y-you… called… me… Giroro… again…"
"I… did? Again?" Natsumi wrinkled her nose. She returned his gaze and cocked her head slightly to the side. "Are you sure…?"
Giroro nodded, proceeding with the deep, heavy breaths.
"…That's… that's weird…" Natsumi nervously smoothed her skirt. "U-um… I-I didn't mean to… I'm sorry…"
"That's… fine…"
"Wow. Are you okay there? You look beat."
I shouldn't be. Hope struck him. Am… am I turning back…?
He remembered the burning, piercing sensation and shuddered. He dreaded the thought of actually experiencing the transformation, but was thrilled to welcome it.
But then again…
"Are you ready to go, Rio?" Natsumi smiled sweetly.
Giroro stood up straight. "…Yeah."
"…Rio?"
"What? I-I mean, y-you know… *ahem* yes?"
"Can you tell me another story about your brother…?"
Even though Garuru was somewhere off, faraway and well hidden, Giroro knew in his wretched gut that he was listening.
And smirking in anticipation.
….Ah, frog.
Commercial Break~
Another reference to one of FutileCrux's stories, "Birthday Bash Bewilderment".
...Blood Violence Death Kill.
