Chapter 52: Training Begins!
Oh my god, I actually left that last chapter's name "To be announced". I usually just put that there while I think of a chapter name and replace it later. I wonder if that's how the last episode got it's name...
Alrighty. So, this was kind of the same as last chapter. I came out with a chapter of It's a Lucky Life, then I came with this. Think it's even been the same time period (around three months). Geezy creezy.
New reviewers! Awesome! I got so pumped up when I saw them, I got to work immediately! I hit a couple of blocks (one of which took the better part of a month and a half...), but here it is! Please enjoy!
In the Training Room
"Wow, again Kagami..." Konata said. She adjusted Kagami's stance a little bit. "Perfect." She said. "Your stance is perfect." Konata said.
"Awesome!" Kagami shouted with joy. Konata still had an incredulous look on her face. "So, how am I doing?" Kagami asked.
"You're months into training." Konata said. "Your stance, your balance, your... everything..." Konata studied Kagami for a moment. Kagami blinked, at a loss for words.
"Huh?" Kagami asked.
"It took me several months to get to where you are now." Konata said.
"Is that... bad?" Kagami asked. Konata sighed and shook her head.
"No, not bad. Just... perplexing..." Konata said. "You get really strong when you go all Tsuntsun, sure, but... This kind of progress is just unnatural." Konata thought out loud.
"Hey!" Kagami said.
"No offense." Konata added, though more as an afterthought than of any guilt. Kagami sighed. "I didn't give much thought to it when you learned that arm lock earlier with such ease, but... Now that I think about it, it wasn't that simple a move." Konata said.
"You've also learned the things I've taught you rather easily." Tony said.
"Maybe I'm just a natural?" Kagami suggested.
"No, I was a natural." Konata said. "You're supernatural."
"Ahehe... I'm not entirely sure how I should take that..." Kagami mumbled.
"Yeah I'm not entirely sure how I meant it." Konata said. "I'd say to take it as a compliment." Konata said.
"Then do I learn weapons soon?" Kagami asked. Konata shook her head.
"No. I know you're learning quickly, but no where near quick enough to warrant being taught any weapons after a day." Konata said.
"Awww..." Kagami sighed.
"Why do you want to learn to use a weapon so much Kagami?" Konata asked. Kagami looked up.
"I wanna be able to defend myself and Tsukasa in case you guys aren't there." She said.
"With what?" Konata asked. Kagami looked confused.
"What do you mean?" Kagami asked.
"Do you intend to carry a weapon around with you? 'Cause I think that's illegal." Konata said.
"I'll just improvise a weapon! You did it when you were in that alley and you defended me from those thugs!" Kagami said.
"Wait wait wait wait wait... wait." Tony interrupted. "When did this happen, what happened, and where?" Tony asked. Konata put her hand up in front of him dismissively.
"Later." She said before briefly turning her attention back to Kagami. "I got lucky Kagami. There just happened to be something I could use. You're not going to get that lucky every time. I don't even want you to be." Konata said. Kagami regarded Konata with a hurt expression.
"What do you mean by that?" Kagami asked. Konata looked almost annoyed.
"Kagami, these are last resort defenses. It's my hope that you never have to use anything I teach you here. I don't want you to HAVE to get lucky." Konata said. "You'd be surprised how little this stuff can actually be used in your normal, every day life." Konata said.
"But our life has been anything but normal recently." Kagami said. "And shouldn't I be learning everything I can while we have this time of peace?" Kagami asked.
"You act as if you're expecting a fight to break out at any second." Konata said.
"Couldn't it?" Kagami shouted. Konata took a step back at Kagami's sudden outburst.
"Kagamin..." Konata began.
"Konata, I just watched you two almost die!" Kagami shouted. "Those guys could have killed you!" The volume of her voice only grew. Konata could only stand and listen to her, unable to put up a defense. It was true, after all. "And even before that..." Kagami said, her voice getting quieter. Her fists were clenched tightly, tightly enough that they were trembling. "A guy just walked up on the street... And he almost killed you and Tony..." Kagami mumbled. "You two keep putting your life on the line for me and Tsukasa..." Kagami's voice cracked. "How can I not want to be there with you... To put everything on the line helping you guys... Maybe the risk would be less with me helping you, ya know?" She asked. "How could you ask me to just sit there and watch as you two constantly get beaten almost to death?" Kagami shouted at Konata. Konata let a sigh loose.
"Kagami, do you know why we fight, me and Kan-kan?" Konata asked.
"Why does anyone fight at all? Why can't we all just... not... fight?" Kagami asked, her mood almost pitiful.
"People have been asking why people fight for as long as people have fought..." Konata said with another sigh. "To ask why we fight is to ask why the leaves fall." Konata said. "It is in their nature." She said. Kagami looked up at her with damp eyes. "For some, they fight for honor. Some do it to achieve harmony." Konata said. "But for people like me and Kan-kan, it's to protect family... To protect friends and home..." Konata said. She smiled. "I suppose the better question is... what's really worth fighting for?" Konata asked Kagami. Kagami stood, seemingly stunned for a moment. "You are why I fight." Konata said. "I may enjoy it, but I fight to protect you and everyone I love." Konata said. "At least..." She trailed off for a moment. "That's what I think." She said, almost to herself. Kagami sighed.
"Kona..." She closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly trying to reel her emotions in. "Please... Don't go overboard. If it comes down to a choice between me and you..." Kagami began to trail off.
"I'm going to choose you, Kagami." Konata said.
"But Kona-!" Kagami began.
"Wow, so this is how Miyuki feels..." Tony commented to himself.
"Kagami, I have to." Konata said. She smirked. "Just like I know I couldn't convince you to put yourself ahead of me if push comes to shove." Konata chuckled. Kagami blushed a bit.
"... Yeah... That's true..." She said. "Even if you say that, I can't really feel happy knowing that you'd sooner die than live if you had the choice." Kagami said.
"I want to live-" Konata said.
"This is kinda depressing." Tony mumbled.
"- it's just that I want you to live more!" Konata said.
"I want you to live more than me though Kona." Kagami said.
"Why are we even talking about this?" Konata asked. "Hopefully, we won't even be faced with a situation like this." Konata said.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Kagami sighed. "Kona..." Kagami said as she closed her eyes in contemplation.
"Yeah Kagamin?" Konata asked in a rather cutesy way. Kagami walked over and put her hand on top of the older girl's head. Moving her hand back and forth, she began to pet her.
"You may be small, cute, and really, really cuddly, but..." Kagami smiled and opened her eyes. "You somehow found a way to be stupid and wise at the same time." Kagami chuckled. Konata hummed a sort of chuckle.
"Ahehe... I'm not entirely sure how I should take that." Konata smiled.
"I know exactly how I meant it. I'd take it as a compliment." Kagami's smile widened a bit. She backed up and went over to the door. "I'm gonna go get drinks, do you two want anything?" Kagami asked.
"Water is fine." Konata said.
"Same here." Tony smiled.
"Alright." Kagami nodded and left the room. Konata sighed a contended sigh, unable to stop a smile from spreading across her lips. Tony walked over.
"Impressive little speech you gave about why we fight Kon-kon." Tony said.
"Thank you." Konata said.
"Where'd it come from?" Tony asked.
"World of Warcraft." Konata said.
"Thought so." Tony smiled.
POV Tsukasa
Tsukasa, Tereya and Mikado walked out of the theater, Tsukasa wiping her eyes with a smile.
"I always cry when Mufasa dies." Tereya commented.
"But I don't think I've ever seen someone cry when Scar dies." Mikado said. Tsukasa giggled self-consciously as she finished drying her cheeks.
"Well... He had his own family, even if he was evil. He had a wife and cubs who relied on him, and looked up to him." Tsukasa said. She smiled a little bit. "So I like to think he wasn't all evil." She said.
"Huh..." Tereya said. "I never thought of it that way..." Tereya said. Mikado, however, would not be so easily convinced.
"Yeah, I guess." She said. "But still. He killed Mufasa! How can you defend him after he did something like that? What did Mufasa ever do to him?" Mikado asked. Tsukasa breathed a heavy sigh, one of contemplation.
"He was always compared to his older brother." Tsukasa began. "Just because Mufasa was successful. His father did everything for Mufasa so that he could succeed because he was a prodigy at being a lion. Mufasa was the strongest son. He was the favorite son. Can you really blame Scar for turning out the way he did?" Tsukasa asked. Mikado looked at Tsukasa for a moment, a bit speechless at how much the young airhead had thought about this.
"No, I guess I really can't." Mikado said. "Tsu-chan, how do you know all of this?" She asked curiously. Tsukasa gave another heavy sigh and looked up a bit, seemingly in a daze for a moment before turning back to her two friends with a warm look.
"Knowing that your sibling is better than you in everything that counts is really frustrating, you know?" She asked. "To see them constantly succeed in everything you fail at..." Tsukasa paused for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. "It isn't fun." She finally decided on, turning her gaze to the sidewalk in front of them. Her friends looked at her for a moment to see if she would continue, but the airhead simply stood, staring. Finally, Mikado decided to speak up.
"Hey, Tsu-chan." She said to catch her attention. Tsukasa looked up as if pulled from a day dream.
"Hm?" She turned to her friend.
"For what it's worth, I like you better than Pigtails." Mikado smiled a genuine smile. Tsukasa stared at her for a moment as if trying to comprehend what she had heard. As what was said to her dawned, she smiled a big smile.
"It's worth a lot, Mika-chan." Tsukasa said. Fully taking it in, she smiled even wider. She giggled giddily. "Thank you Mika-chan!" She shouted and hugged Mikado. Mikado jumped and blushed. But soon, Mikado hugged her back and began jumping up and down along with the airhead.
"Welcome Tsu-chan~!" She chimed. Tereya looked at the two from a small distance away. It was odd. She had never really seen Mikado talk to a lot of other people. For an instant, she wanted to be Tsukasa. She then shook her head and cast the thoughts aside. The whole scene only lasted a handful of seconds, but Tereya felt an eternity go by. When the two friends finally broke apart, the three smiled at each other.
"So what do you guys want to do now? We can probably go to a few other places." Tsukasa said. Mikado thought.
"Want to go see what's for sale in the shops?" Mikado asked. Tsukasa cheered.
"Yeah! I don't have a lot of money, but it's fun looking!" Tsukasa said.
"I've got a bit of pocket change too, maybe I can get something!" Mikado matched her enthusiasm. Tereya smiled a small smile and followed the two as they leaped into the horde of people.
POV Kagami
Kagami walked back into the room, three bottles of water balanced precariously in her hand. Tony and Konata each grabbed one and took a drink.
"Thanks Kagami." Tony said.
"I should be thanking you two." Kagami said. "It's your training and your water." She chuckled. "So, what am I learning now?" She asked.
"With all you've done so far, I'm surprised you aren't tired." Konata said.
"It's only been a couple hours! The only thing I regret is that we don't have more time to train!" Kagami said. Tony thought for a moment.
"What's up Kan-kan?" Konata asked.
"I'll have to ask Hachiman about that. I'm sure there's some way he could help with that." Tony said. Kagami smiled and put her hands together in joy.
"Yeah! He's a god, he should have something!" Kagami said. "Man, I wish we had asked him while he was here!" She said.
"Can't you call him at will? Like you did against the ninja guys?" Konata asked. Tony sighed.
"Yeah, but I'd feel bad about calling him as soon as he left." Tony said.
"This is my training though!" Kagami said. "Please? What if Tsukasa's in trouble and I'm the only one there! Then you'll wish you had been a little rude in calling Hachiman, right?" Kagami asked. Tony stared blankly at her.
"Are you really trying to use Tsukasa to get me to call Hachiman?" Tony asked. "First of all, her necklace will call me to her if she's in danger. Second of all, there aren't many situations in which we aren't together, and those opportunities are gonna vanish almost altogether once she's actually moved in and living here." Tony said. "I'm probably gonna be around her even more than you are Kagami." Tony said. Kagami grabbed her twin tails and pulled a little.
"Come on, please?" Kagami asked. Tony sighed. "I'm gonna cry if you don't." Kagami said. Tony's head snapped up.
"You wouldn't dare." He said. Kagami sniffled.
"Y-you hate this... do-don't you...?" She asked. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeves.
"You're playing unfair!" Tony said.
"Do it Kan-kan..." Konata pleaded. Tony looked over at her to see she looked heartbroken at the fake-crying Kagami.
"ALRIGHT FINE!" Tony shouted. He put his hands together. Hachi Style: God Seal Release. He thought.
"Hm? Kid? Didn't I just leave there?" Hachiman asked. "Is there trouble already?" He asked.
"No, but Kagami wanted to ask you a question." Tony said. Hachiman seemed almost agitated by the name.
"Her again? She's been pretty needy today." Hachiman said.
"You're preaching to the choir on that one Boss." Tony said. "She cried so that I would call you for this."
"SHE CRIED? Wow, that's just plain playing dirty." Hachiman said.
"I know, right? So anyway, she's begun training to learn how to fight. She said she wanted to be able to train more and I let it slip that you might be able to help with that. I remember that you stopped time before when you were first teaching me how to use my abilities. Could you or I or someone do something like that for her too?" Tony asked. Hachiman was silent for a few moments, letting Tony know that he was thinking.
"You wouldn't have anywhere near the power to stop time for anywhere near that length of time. You couldn't help her in that regard. But... There is one idea." Hachiman said, though keeping his thoughts a secret from Tony.
"What is it?" Tony asked.
"I'll just show you..." Hachiman sighed. Suddenly, the door to the closet opened and Hachiman walked out. "Alright. So, I have an idea, but it may take a bit of time to actually work." Hachiman said.
"What is it?" Kagami asked.
"Have you ever heard of the Multiverse Theory?" Hachiman asked. Kagami nodded.
"Yeah." She said.
"Um... Of course! That's about songs... right?" Konata asked. Kagami smiled and turned to Konata.
"No, you idiot." She said affectionately. "Very basically, the Multiverse Theory is that there are an infinite number of planets and universes that exist. That being said, that means there are an infinite amount of possibilities. So somewhere in existence, there may be a world where I'M teaching YOU how to fight." Kagami explained.
"Ah... So endless possibilities for stuff. Gotcha." Konata nodded.
"So, how do we use that?" Kagami asked.
"I could search the plane of existence to find a certain one. One I'm sure Konata here has heard of." Hachiman said.
"What do you mean? I've never even heard of the multisomething..." Konata said.
"If it's true that there are an infinite number of universes, then so do must if stand that one of them has a time dilation when compared to this one." Hachiman said.
"Time dilation?" Konata asked.
"That means that time moves at a different pace." Kagami explained. Konata gasped.
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber..." Konata said.
"Exactly. If I search, I'm sure there exists such a place. It would allow for a year in that world to merely take a day in this one." Hachiman said.
"Huh. Cool." Kagami smiled. "If there is a dimension like that, it would definitely go a long way to helping. Thank you." Kagami smiled.
"I love how we aren't even surprised by something like alternate dimensions and real Hyperbolic Time Chambers." Konata said. Kagami chuckled.
"After everything that we've been through, I think it'd take a lot to phase us anymore." Kagami said.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Kagami suddenly turned out to be an angel." Konata said, while staring at Hachiman. Kagami sighed. Though she was initially flattered, now the concept was almost irritating.
"This again, Konata?" Kagami asked. "Didn't I tell you I wasn't an angel?" She said. Though she said that, she couldn't help but glance over at Hachiman to see how he reacted. Hachiman laughed.
"I can't imagine that would be the case. I would have noticed something like that a while ago." Hachiman said. "You feel weird, but I know the feel of an angel." He commented off-handedly. He glanced at Tony.
"You sure? She's learned everything we've taught her almost instantly." Tony said. "I can't help but think that kind of ability is... supernatural." Tony said.
"So how do you think something like that's possible?" Hachiman gave a look that practically screamed 'Amuse me.'
"Well... Have there ever been any angels to come down to Earth?" Tony asked.
"For any extended period of time? Well, first of all, what do you consider to be an angel?" Hachiman asked.
"Well, angels are typically servants of the gods, right? I'd imagine that they'd have very enhanced physical abilities and even magical abilities to further their role as servants." Tony said. Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
"Impressive. If that's what constitutes an angel to you, then there are many. But not any that typically leave the heavens for an extended period of time, even by mortal standards. At least, none that I know of." Hachiman said. "None coming down at all recently." Hachiman said.
"So, Kagami being an angel is out of the question?" Konata asked. Hachiman thought for a moment.
"Probably." He said. Tony studied him for a moment, though didn't comment. "I don't feel much of an aura from you, Kagami. Even though most mortals have none, you do. That's weird. But it isn't nearly as strong as that of an angel's." Hachiman said.
"Well then. I guess that answers that." Tony said.
"I answer your question Kagami?" Hachiman asked. Kagami thought, casting her gaze up to the ceiling.
"You're gonna look for a Hyperbolic Time Chamber, right?" Kagami asked. Hachiman sighed and nodded.
"I'll look for it. Whether I can even get you to it should I find one is still incredibly debatable." Hachiman said.
"Cool. Thank you so much for all your help, Hachiman." Kagami said.
"Uh-huh." Hachiman mumbled dismissively. "I'll work hard on this, so you better work hard in your training. Remember our deal." Hachiman said.
"Right. If I can do it, you'll help me." Kagami said. Tony and Konata looked between them.
"Do what?" Konata asked.
"With what?" Tony asked. Kagami waved her hand.
"We'll talk about it later, Kona." Kagami said.
"You always say that, but we never do..." Konata said.
"What about me? I don't get to talk to you about it later?" Tony asked.
"I'm gonna go. If I'm gonna find this any time soon, I need to get to work." Hachiman said. He walked over into the closet again and closed the door. When the door creaked back open, he was gone. Suddenly, Tony felt his presence brush against his mind one more time.
"Boss?" Tony asked.
"I'm glad you called me, I was trying to remember to tell you something. There was something odd at the tournament." Hachiman said.
"Hm? Odd? How so? What was it?" Tony asked.
"It was an aura of divinity. An angel's aura, if you will." Hachiman said.
"What? Who? Where? Didn't you just say Kagami wasn't an angel?" Tony asked.
"It wasn't Kagami. I couldn't tell who it was. It was too faint for me to pinpoint who it was. I just know it was someone in the crowd." Hachiman said. Tony thought for a moment.
"There was a figure that we didn't know who was in the crowd watching the fight. Do you think it could be her?" Tony asked.
"Hm? No, it was someone in the group we were in. I still sensed it after I teleported us to your house." Hachiman said.
"What does this mean?" Tony asked.
"Just be on your guard. I don't know of any angels who have descended to Earth recently enough and the aura was particularly weak. Or they were suppressing their powers." Hachiman said. "I don't know what their intentions are, but just try to be careful." Hachiman said. "I can't imagine their intentions are good considering they're trying to hide the fact that they're an angel." Hachiman said.
"Thanks for the heads up, Boss." Tony said.
"It's no problem kid. Just keep your ear to the ground." Hachiman said as his presence vanished.
"So... Should we go?" They heard a voice say. The three people left in the room turned to see Tsuki and Yutaka standing in a corner, seemingly enjoying the show.
"Tsuki, have you been here this whole time?" Konata asked.
"Yep! Been watching all of it. It's fun to watch you teach." Tsuki said.
"You too Yu-chan?" Konata asked.
"Yeah, it was really fun!" Yutaka said.
"So what do you think Tsuki? Do you think Kagami could be an angel?" Konata asked. Kagami groaned.
"You JUST heard Hachiman say that I'm not an angel, Kona! For the love of all that's holy, stop with the angel talk! Tell her Tony, you heard him!" Kagami shouted.
"Well... er... Yeah..." Tony mumbled. Having Hachiman just tell him he sensed an angel, he couldn't bring himself to disagree with Konata. Feeling like he would be lying, he couldn't get out anything other than a small mumble.
"You too, Tony? GAH! I need to go cool off!" Kagami shouted as she tugged her twin tails. She power-walked out of the room. Konata's gaze lingered on the door her love just left through.
"So..." Konata started. "What do you think Tsuki?" Konata asked. Tsuki scratched the back of her head ruefully.
"I don't think that my contribution would really be appropriate here..." She commented.
"What does that mean?" Konata asked.
"I just don't really think that my opinion would matter here." Tsuki said.
"I think Kagami-sempai is really nice! She could be an angel!" Yutaka piped up.
"Well..." Konata sighed. "Whatever the case may be, I might have just ticked off Kagami pretty badly..." She scratched the back of her head.
"She'll be fine. Just no more angel talk." Tony said.
"I guess I'd better just drop it. I dunno, it just kind of sounded... right." Konata said.
"That said, Kon-kon..." Tony started. He told Konata about what Hachiman had told him.
"I WAS RIGHT!" Konata shouted.
"No. He said it wasn't Kagami." Tony said.
"You never know! He might be mistaken!" Konata shouted.
"I'm sorry Kon-kon, but... This is a bit ridiculous. We've spent as much time on this as we have on teaching Kagami." Tony said.
"I guess..." Konata sighed. "Sorry about that." Konata apologized.
"You don't need to say sorry to me. I think Kagami is the one you ticked off." Tony said.
"Yeah... I'm gonna go apologize for obsessing about this so much." Konata said. Konata walked out of the room.
"Huh. So, what are you guys gonna do?" Tony asked Tsuki. There was a moment of no response. "Tsuki?" He asked, looking over. He was alone in the room. "... How the hell..." He looked around. "... Did she do that? I guess she must have teleported." Tony shrugged. "That sucks. I wanted to talk a bit more." He sighed. He walked over to the wall. He sat down. "I wonder what Aniki is doing." He thought.
POV Masuta
Masuta and Miyuki were walking down the sidewalk, traveling to their home.
"Hey Miyuki." Masuta said.
"Yes?" Miyuki asked.
"Did... Did I make a mistake?" Masuta asked. Miyuki looked over at him and smiled a warm, kind smile.
"About what, Masuta?" She asked.
"Telling Tsukasa to move in with Ototo. I know it might have helped her get over the break up before, but I didn't actually think about it. They're actually doing it. And now, it seems like it could go very wrong if a bad situation were to arise." Masuta said. "Did I make a mistake?" Masuta asked. Miyuki stayed silent for a few moments, seemingly giving the question a great deal of thought. Masuta smiled. He was happy that he could make her think, but it was nonetheless nerve racking. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Miyuki opened her eyes and spoke.
"So far, it doesn't seem the case." She answered. "She HAS only just moved in though. And while I do admit that there are a great many things that could go awry, so too does it stand to reason that many things could go just as well. I believe that there is a better chance that the two of them will be happy together, even more so now that they're living together." Miyuki said. "Did you make a mistake? I don't believe so. But only time will tell." Miyuki said as she smiled over at Masuta. It was a smile that, while it was rare even for Miyuki, was one that made Masuta's heart skip. It was kind, loving, and very reassuring. He could feel his cheeks heat up. He wanted to see that smile every day. He gave a quick glance around. He knew there was a restaurant around the corner. Now...
"Hey Miyuki..." Masuta started. Miyuki giggled and smiled again at him.
"Yes, Masuta?" Miyuki asked again.
"May I ask a... a hypothetical question?" Masuta asked. Miyuki opened her eyes and gave him a warm eye-smile. Another thing he hoped to see every day.
"If I may give a hypothetical answer, then yes." She said. Masuta smiled and chuckled.
"I have a friend." He started.
"Not fairly surprising." Miyuki interrupted. Masuta smiled a bit wider.
"Not finished." Masuta said, chuckling again.
"Then please continue." Miyuki said. Masuta nodded.
"I have a friend. He went through the special forces, ace in every one of them." Masuta continued.
"Is it you?" Miyuki asked.
"I didn't say that." Masuta said. "Anyway, I have a friend who went through the special forces. He recently moved in with his little brother-"
"It's you." Miyuki said.
"May I finish?" Masuta asked, almost impatiently. It was taking a great deal of courage to talk to her right now. Miyuki giggled a little bit.
"My apologies. Please continue." She said, giving a small, polite bow. Masuta couldn't bring himself to stay irritated with her.
"Anyway... My FRIEND moved in with his little brother. He met a nice, quiet girl through him." Masuta said. Miyuki's eyebrow raised.
"Oh, did he?" She asked, an innocent smile on her face. Masuta felt his breath taken away from. He inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm himself again.
Years and years of intense training. Combat experience on five continents. An "A" rating with every weapon that shoots a bullet or holds an edge. All of that and I'm still so insanely nervous just talking to her about this... Masuta thought."Yes... He did..." Masuta said. Miyuki smiled a bit wider.
"Details, details! Tell me about her, I might know her!" Miyuki said. Masuta smiled again.
"You probably do." Masuta chuckled. "She's beautiful... Kind and generous... An amazing wit-" Masuta began describing.
"Sharp enough to shave with?" Miyuki asked. Masuta laughed loudly at her comment as she demonstrated exactly what he was talking about.
"Perhaps sharper! Might cut your cheek! She's intelligent and proper, but never conceited or egotistical, even though she's more than qualified to be so." Miyuki eye-smiled warmly. "And the prettiest eyes you've ever seen. So, what do you think of her so far?" Masuta asked.
"I have no memory of such a person." Miyuki said.
"Oh yes, and she's very humble." Masuta added with a chuckle. Miyuki giggled a bit.
"So, what about this girl?" Miyuki asked. Masuta swallowed, his face heating up again.
"Well... he was, my friend that is, thinking about... well, about asking her out. On a date." He said. At the moment, he really admired Tony and Konata for their courage in being able to confess to their respective love. "What do you think?" Masuta asked. "Do you think she'd say yes?" He turned to her. Miyuki's smile faded to a look of deep contemplation, though it was very obviously a facade.
"Hmm... A tough one..." She said. Her inner maiden was doing backflips in joy. After a moment of silence where she pretended to contemplate, mainly to hide her struggling to keep from shouting her acceptance, she turned to address Masuta again. "Is your friend perfect?" Miyuki asked. Masuta chuckled.
"No, far from it. Perfect is his brother." Masuta said. Miyuki smiled and giggled.
"I think that she would say... Yes and that she would very much like to go out with him." Miyuki said. Masuta let out a breath and grabbed her by the hand.
"Thank you. He's going to be very happy." Masuta said.
"I'm sure she will be as well." Miyuki answered. Masuta pulled her lightly in the direction of the restaurant. Miyuki glanced around before giving him one of the warmest eye-smiles he'd ever seen. Masuta smiled as she had undoubtedly scanned the surrounding area as he had earlier and determined where he was going from there.
"Shall we take Konata up on her advice?" Masuta asked. Miyuki giggled.
"You mean your friend?" She said slyly. Masuta laughed.
"Yes. My friend shall take her up on her advice!" Masuta laughed loudly. The two ran off together hand in hand.
POV Tsukasa
"Mika-chan, this is way too embarrassing!" Tsukasa shouted. "Why am I wearing something like this?" She asked from inside the dressing room.
"Come on, Tsu-chan! You look totally cute in it!" Mikado shouted. Tereya stood nearby. "It's Summer, so we should enjoy the weather!"
"But this is..." Tsukasa walked out in a red bikini. It looked rather similar to the one Miyuki had worn the last time the group had visited the beach. "It's kind of revealing... you know?" Tsukasa asked.
"Well, we can keep Kan-chan in line like this!" Mikado shouted. "But may I say that you look very hot!" Mikado shouted. Tsukasa blushed as Mikado eyed her up and down. Tereya shuffled closer.
"Y-Y-You're very pretty i-in that..." She commented. "W-We should go to the b-beach sometime..."
"Yeah! It's been a while since I went... I don't think I've been for a couple years..." Tsukasa thought to herself.
"Wow Teri-chan, I'm surprised you would suggest something like that..." Mikado commented. Tereya smiled shyly.
"Maybe... with y-you two..." She said.
"When would you like to go?" Tsukasa asked. Tereya shrunk a little bit, seemingly thinking. Mikado came back from paying for the bikini to see Tereya thinking. Observing for a moment with a smile, she decided to give her suggestion.
"We could also go to Karaoke." Mikado suggested. Tereya looked up at her with a look of hope.
"Please?" She asked. Tsukasa looked between the two.
"Teri-chan, you like Karaoke?" Tsukasa asked. Tereya looked at her, as if having forgotten she was there for an instant. She nodded a little.
"I-It's one of my favorites..." She mumbled.
"Well, do we have enough for it?" Tsukasa asked. She took out her purse and looked in. She only had a few hundred yen. She looked over to see Tereya in a similar situation. Tsukasa sighed, as the closest Karaoke club was 600¥ per person, though they would have a while to sing as it would cover them until around five in the afternoon. Tereya began to look depressed. Tsukasa looked over at Mikado, who was staring at Tereya. When Tereya's look fell, Mikado looked into her own purse desperately. She started counting her money. She then looked relieved.
"I don't h-have enough..." Tereya mumbled.
"I can cover us!" Mikado said cheerfully.
"Let's go!" Tsukasa shouted. Mikado stopped her though.
"Too embarrassing, huh?" Mikado smirked, looking her up and down. Tsukasa looked down to see she was still wearing the bikini. She blushed, her face burning red. "Go get changed." Mikado said, smacking her on the bottom. Tsukasa blushed and jumped, scurrying into the changing room. Tereya stared at Mikado for a long moment before Tsukasa came back out. Tsukasa looked between the two obliviously.
"Alright, I'll go put it back up..." Tsukasa said as she walked over to the rack.
"Nah, I already paid for it." Mikado said. Tsukasa turned around, looking at her.
"Mika-chan~! Why did you do that? This is way too embarrassing to wear in public!" Tsukasa shouted.
"You were just ready to run out into the street in it!" Mikado pointed out. Tsukasa blushed.
"And you spanked me..." Tsukasa blushed more. Mikado smiled.
"I couldn't help it, you're just so cute I could die!" Mikado shouted. Tsukasa couldn't help but shrink.
"Mika-chan..." Tsukasa whined a little.
"You're not helping your case at all, Tsu-chan." Mikado giggled. Tereya stared at her. Mikado glanced at her curiously, but returned her attention to the airhead shortly enough. "Are you two ready?" Mikado asked, looking between the two. Tereya sighed.
"D-Do you have enough s-still?" Tereya asked. Mikado winked and gave a thumbs up.
"Sure do~!" She shouted. Tereya nodded and started walking. Tsukasa looked at her as she walked by herself.
"Is she alright?" Tsukasa asked Mikado. Mikado seemed to think for a moment.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." She nodded. The two caught up with the girl.
POV Konata
Kagami walked back in the room and smiled.
"Alright! I'm all cooled off!" She said. "Now, where did we leave off?" Kagami asked, beginning to take a stance.
"Um, Kagami..." Konata mumbled. "Do you mind if... we leave off for today?" Konata asked. Kagami's shoulder's slouched.
"Awww, why? We were having fun!" Kagami said.
"Well, I've done nothing but fight today... I woke up, I fought in the tournament, I came here, and then I started training you. I'm really tired. "I wanna do something else, something fun!" Konata said. "Could we at least take a break for a few hours?" Konata asked. Kagami sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I guess so... I can see where you're coming from. Alright then... We can be done for today then." Kagami said.
"Yaaaay~!" Konata cheered. "What are we gonna do? I wasn't sure that'd actually work!" Konata said.
"Hmmm..." Kagami thought. "We could go join Tsukasa. Or spy on Miyuki and Masuta." Kagami got a mischievous look on her face as she suggested the second one.
"We could also go see Inori and Matsuri. See if they are actually lovey-dovey and everything." Konata said.
"So many options..." Kagami smiled and thought. "We could do all of them!"
"All of them sounds good!" Konata said. "Kan-kan, we'll need your magic to find them and disguise us! Oh, this is gonna be good~!" Konata said excitedly.
"Let's go!" Kagami shouted as the two rushed out. Tony stood there for a moment computing what had just happened.
"... I guess I'm going then..." Tony mumbled as he walked out after them.
"Where do you wanna go first Kona?" Kagami asked. Konata thought for a moment.
"Well, since we'd be hanging out with Tsukasa, I think we should go to her last. So spying on either Masuta and Miyuki or Matsuri and Inori." Konata said.
"Hmmm..." Kagami thought. "I'm really curious about Matsuri and Inori. Masuta and Miyuki are ones we know are going to get together, but I don't know about those two..." Kagami said.
"I know what you mean. They've been very vague about it this whole time." Konata said.
"Every time we ask them, they avoid the question." Kagami said.
"So, they said they were going to a movie. Does that mean that they went to the mall to watch it?" Konata asked.
"Well, it's the closest theater. Let's go take a look!" Kagami suggested.
"Where's Kan-kan, I don't want to be recognized!" Konata said.
"I'm here, I'm here..." Tony sighed as he caught up. "What are we doing?" Tony asked.
"Can you scan the area to find people?" Konata asked. Tony looked at her blankly.
"I would rather not. I would have to touch the minds of every single individual until I found the people I'm searching for." Tony said.
"How will we find everyone then?" Konata asked.
"I can zone in on the necklace I gave Tsukasa. My brother and Miyuki, based on where they left, looked like they were heading to either Miyuki's home, or something else in that direction. Matsuri and Inori said they were going to a movie, the closest of which is at the mall where we went to go see Lion King in 3D." Tony said. "I think that's the quickest place to look first." Tony said.
"Can you make it so that people can't recognize us?" Konata asked.
"I guess so. Hachiman did it earlier. I did something like that before. Yeah, it should be possible." Tony said. Konata cheered.
"Great! Let's go!" Konata shouted. Tony breathed and began to word his spell in his head to alter the light waves around them to distort their image into someone else. It didn't take a huge amount of energy, but it was a constant stream of it. He released it.
"To do it, I'm not gonna be able to do it for very long. Once we get near the mall, I'll do it again." Tony said.
"Alright. Let's go!" Kagami said. The three of them began traveling. They made some small talk in the mean time, but there didn't seem to be much to talk about.
"So... What are we doing about Matsuri and Inori?" Konata asked.
"What do you mean, Kona?" Kagami asked.
"Well... If they have a serious relationship. It's a yuri, incest relationship." Konata said. "What do you think of that?" Konata asked.
"Yuri has nothing to do with it, Kona. They're my sisters. I love them." Kagami said. "They supported me when I told my father about how much I loved you. You remember." Kagami said.
"Yeah..." Konata smiled.
"Even if I didn't approve, I want to support them all the way. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for their relationship if it makes them happy. Everyone has a true love, I'd like to believe. Maybe they just found it in each other." Kagami said with a smile. "What do you think Kona?" Kagami turned to Konata. Konata let loose a sigh. Kagami recognized it from earlier, when she gave her speech. Kagami smiled. She was actually looking forward to Konata's response. The last time, it had been a very well thought out, coherent explanation that left Kagami in awe. She looked over at Konata to see her gazing up in a sagely manner.
"I think..." Konata started, taking a long pause to properly word her response. She thought for a long moment. She smiled, nodded, and looked Kagami in the eye, seemingly coming to a decision. "Incest is wincest." She said. Kagami stared blankly at her for a moment.
"Well... I guess that's typical." Kagami smiled. "You idiot." Kagami put her knuckles lovingly on Konata's head.
"But I'm your idiot!" Konata said. Kagami giggled.
"That's right Kona. You're my idiot." Kagami said.
"We're getting close to the mall. I'm going to put on the shroud." Tony said.
"Let me guess, we can't get too close to people or it won't work?" Kagami asked.
"No, it'll work regardless of distance. We don't look the same as we normally do. Even Masuta wouldn't be able to recognize me. Tsukasa wouldn't recognize Kagami." Tony said. "Our voices are disguised to everyone else too. Since we're affected by the magic, we don't notice the difference." Tony said.
"Alright, we get it. We aren't gonna be recognized by anyone." Kagami said. "Whoa, talk about lucky! Matsuri and Inori are coming out of the mall!" Kagami said. They looked at the two, Matsuri pulling Inori excitedly by the hand. "Damn it, I can't hear what they're saying!" Kagami said. "Tony, can you do something about that?" Kagami asked.
"I'm kind of really trying to keep our disguises up. We can get closer." Tony said. "I can't concentrate enough to keep the illusion and amplify their voice for only us." Tony said. They kept watching the two as Inori pulled her hand from Matsuri's. Matsuri continued a step or two before realizing it and slowing to a stop. She turned around and looked at Inori, who held her hand out a little bit before taking it back. There was more talking.
"Let's get closer." Kagami said. The three of them began approaching the two. Even with a disguise keeping their identity a secret, it was still odd to approach the two without them realizing it. It felt like every step could be the one to tip the two off. They could hear their voices, but over the dull roar of the other people, they couldn't make out the words. Matsuri approached Inori and took her by the shoulders. Konata, Kagami, and Tony all froze. A crowd of people passed between them. Once the crowd was gone, Inori looked shocked. Matsuri smiled. More talking and the two continued on, hand in hand.
"... This feels weird." Tony said.
"I feel bad spying on them." Konata said.
"I think we figured it out. They aren't just being weird in front of us. I think they're legitimately in a relationship." Kagami said. She smiled. "Good for them. I'm glad they're happy." Kagami said. "I'm hungry, you guys want to get something to eat?" Kagami asked the other two.
"I could eat." Konata said.
"Great, can I take off this shroud? It's really taking my energy." Tony said.
"I would rather not, just in case Matsuri and Inori decide to stay around." Kagami said. Tony sighed.
"Alright. But you have to buy me some extra food to compensate for the energy I'm using." Tony said.
"Agreed." Kagami said as they entered the food court. Suddenly, she put her arms out to stop Konata and Tony. The two stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?" Tony asked.
"Mom and Dad." Kagami said. She pointed to a table. Miki and Tadao were sitting, enjoying a meal together.
"Hasn't it been too long for a meal?" Konata asked.
"You didn't have to stop like that Kagami. The shroud is still in place." Tony said.
"Does no one else question why they're still here?" Konata asked.
"So they don't recognize us?" Kagami asked.
"I think we already cleared that up." Tony said.
"Nope, I guess we're just rolling with it." Konata said.
"Maybe they finished and are just talking now Kona." Kagami said. Konata blinked a few times.
"... Ah, that would work." Konata said.
"Let's go. I think it would be weird to spy on them." Tony said.
"Yeah, let's- Kagami!" Konata shouted as Kagami pulled the two around a corner, out of line of sight from the married couple.
"What's the big deal Kagami?" Tony asked.
"Mom looked over here." Kagami said. The other two looked at her for a moment.
"She looked over here." Konata said.
"She can look around, Kagami. Just because we happened to be over doesn't mean anything." Tony said. "Based on how much energy I'm losing, the illusion is still in place." Tony said. Kagami shook her head.
"She didn't just look over here." Kagami said. "She made eye contact." Kagami said. Konata and Tony blinked a time or two.
"That's significantly different." Tony said. "You're sure she made eye contact with you?" Tony asked.
"I'm pretty sure." Kagami said. Tony looked around the corner to see Miki in conversation Tadao. Tony looked back at Kagami.
"Let's go back out. This time, I'll keep an eye on her." Tony said. The three nodded and walked back out. Tony walked in front of them and leaned against a wall. Kagami walked around a bit. Konata stayed nearby. Miki, however, looked Tony in the eye and smiled. She giggled a little and turned back to Tadao. Tony's eyes widened. What...? Tony thought. How did she know...? Tony wondered. He double and triple checked to make sure his spell distorting their image was still in place. It was. Miki seemed to be a little surprised and looked over to Konata. Again, she smiled. Tadao looked around at Konata, but looked very confused. Miki giggled and seemed to explain something to Tadao. Tadao turned slowly back to Miki. Konata dashed over to Tony.
"I see what she mean... She made eye contact with me specifically. How did she know?" Konata asked.
"Hm... I feel like this should be so obvious that it isn't..." Tony mumbled. "Maybe she's an angel?" Tony suggested with a chuckle.
"Haha. Very funny." Konata said.
"Excuse me." They heard a voice. They both looked over to see Miki walking up to the two of them. A breath caught in their throat. Tony was the first to speak.
"Is there anything we can do you for ma'am?" Tony asked.
"Yes, I seem to have misplace my "mirror". Would you happen to know where it went?" She asked with a motherly smile.
"I don't think I have ma'am, I'm sorry." Konata said. Miki smiled to her.
"Are you sure?" She asked. Konata and Tony were barely keeping it together.
"I'm pretty sure. Sorry we couldn't help you." Tony said. Miki smiled and bowed.
"Thank you anyway." She said before she turned and returned to her table. Konata looked at Tony. The two walked around a corner to see Kagami with her arms folded.
"What did she say to you guys?" Kagami asked.
"I think she might have asked about you..." Konata said.
"What?" Kagami asked.
"She asked if we knew where her mirror went." Tony said.
"Hm... A double meaning. Mom is smart." Kagami said. "Let's get out of here." Kagami said.
"Yeah, that's creepy." Tony said. The three began to rush away. In their rush through the huge crowd, the couldn't see where to go exactly. Tony felt an impact and hit the ground.
"Ouch!" They heard.
"Hey, watch where your going kid!" Matsuri shouted as she got in between the stranger and the fallen Inori.
"It's alright Matsuri." Inori pushed herself up. She looked at Tony. "Sorry about that kid, I wasn't looking where I was going." Inori said.
"It was my fault, I didn't watch where I was going." Tony scratched the back of his head. Matsuri put her hands on her hips and glared at him. Tony got back up. "Sorry, I'll just be going now." He bowed. He, Konata, and Kagami left. They rushed away, determined to put some distance between them quickly. After a few moments of rushing, Tony finally dropped the disguise. He slowed to a stop. Konata and Kagami slowed down too.
"You okay Tony?" Kagami asked.
"I kept it up a lot longer than I thought I'd have to... I was barely able to hold onto it when I bumped into Inori." Tony said, breathing heavily. "Seriously, we need to go eat something now." Tony said.
"Alright. What's around here?" Kagami asked.
"Come on, I know where there's an awesome place to get food!" Konata shouted, running off in a seemingly large hurry. Tony took a step to follow her, but suddenly, as if a jolt of electricity ran through his body, his entire body tensed and he fell to a knee. Kagami crouched down in a panic and put a hand around him.
"Kona, wait!" Kagami shouted as she looked at Tony. "Tony, are you okay?" She asked. Tony breathed deeply a few times.
"Y-yeah..." He shook himself a little and pushed himself up. "Yeah, I'm alright." He said. Kagami looked at him wearily.
"... What aren't you telling me?" Kagami asked. Tony shook his head.
"Nah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Tony said. Must be because I used the Divine Well earlier. He reasoned as he followed Konata. Kagami looked at him suspiciously before following behind him.
POV Miyuki
Masuta and Miyuki sat together outside, waiting for a table in the restaurant. They had been sitting for a while, but it hadn't seemed like it at all. The two simply talked and enjoyed the company of the other.
"So Masuta..." Miyuki started.
"Yes Miyuki?" Masuta asked.
"Tell me about yourself. You know so much more about my personal life than I do about yours." Miyuki said. Masuta hummed.
"Hm... I'm not entirely sure I know what to say." Masuta chuckled. "There really isn't all that much more to tell you about me. The forces, training my brother, now. Those are the biggest parts of my life." Masuta said. Miyuki hummed.
"Did you not train Kanpeki-san when he was a young boy?" Miyuki asked. Masuta raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I did. I was pretty rough on him for his age though..." Masuta said.
"Do you mean to say that you were already through the forces by the time you started to train Kanpeki-san?" Miyuki asked. Masuta shrugged.
"Well... Yeah. For the most part." He said.
"... Masuta, how old are you?" Miyuki asked. Masuta looked a bit tentative.
"...Does that matter to you?" Masuta asked. Miyuki looked at him for a moment. She then smiled a small smile and shook her head.
"No. Not particularly." She said. "I was merely curious." Miyuki said. "You do look young, however. I couldn't imagine you to be very old." Miyuki said.
"I suppose I'll take the compliment. But seriously, does my age matter to you?" Masuta asked. "Because if it does..."
"No no no!" Miyuki held up her hands and shook her head. "It honestly, truly has no bearing on how I feel. I like you very much, Masuta. I apologize for bringing up such a topic without considering your feelings." Miyuki said.
"It's not my feelings that I'm concerned about. I just want to make sure... Because I AM older than you." Masuta said.
"Then my respect for you only increases." Miyuki said.
"I don't want it to increase for no other reason than that I'm older. It makes me uncomfortable when peoples opinions of me change without me actually doing anything." Masuta said.
"My opinion of you hasn't changed, Masuta." Miyuki said, trying to go back over what she said.
"You just said it did." Masuta said. "Were you lying then or are you lying now?" Masuta asked. Miyuki started panicking on the inside.
This must be a sensitive topic for him... Miyuki thought. She looked him over for a moment. He crossed his arms, feeling more closed off. Feet switched from pointing to me to the door. Eyes hard. Poker faced. No, scanning... Visual clues are disappearing... "Neither. I was entirely truthful both times." She said cautiously. Masuta raised his eyebrow.
"Oh? You must have come up with something good." Masuta said. Miyuki looked confused, the comment seemingly coming from nowhere.
"Hm? I'm afraid you've lost me." Miyuki said.
"Don't play dumb, I'd recognize your Sherlock Scan anywhere. You were trying to read me." Masuta said. "I don't appreciate it." He said. Miyuki bowed her head.
"I'm very sorry Masuta... It's just... I did not expect you to react the way you did. It was merely my own curiosity that drove me to ask you such a personal question. I deeply hope that it won't affect our relationship." She said. Masuta looked at her for a moment.
"I understand. Sorry for reacting like I did." Masuta said. Miyuki smiled and sighed in relief.
Thank goodness... She thought to herself. We haven't even begun eating yet and I made a mistake. I do hope we'll be okay... Miyuki thought.
POV Tony
"How old IS Masuta, Tony?" Kagami asked. Tony had reapplied to shroud once Konata had gotten close to the restaurant. It was incredibly convenient that the good restaurant Konata was referring to happened to be the one Miyuki and Masuta had stopped at. The three had stopped and listened in on the conversation.
"Damned if I know. He was all grown up when I was a kid, if I remember correctly." Tony said.
"You don't even know how old your own brother is?" Kagami asked.
"Well, we've been out of touch recently." Tony said. "What do you want from me, a couple months ago was the first time I'd seen him in a very long time." Tony said.
"I suppose I understand, but still..." Kagami said. Tony sighed. Konata seemed to be paying even more attention to Kagami than usual. It seemed that Kagami took no notice, however.
"Can we go somewhere else? This place obviously has a long wait and I want to eat now. I'm seriously starving over here." Tony said.
"Sorry Kan-kan, but I'm curious. This looks so much like a date! I want to make sure they're on one! Then I can say that they took my advice!" Konata said.
"Please just bear with it for a little bit longer..." Kagami almost pleaded.
What is up with these girls and spying today? Why are they so nosy in other people's business? Tony wondered. Miyuki leaned forward and looked at them for a moment.
"Something wrong Miyuki?" Masuta asked.
"Hm?" She looked back at him. "No, it just looked like Kanpeki-san, Konata-san and Kagami-san were over there." Miyuki said. "I suppose I was mistaken." Miyuki said.
"What?" Masuta looked back at the three.
Crap, the spell must have slipped while I wasn't concentrating! Tony thought, making certain not to repeat the same mistake.
"I don't see the resemblance." Masuta said, turning back to Miyuki.
"Neither do I, but I was just certain I had seen them." Miyuki nodded. Masuta sighed a bit.
"I'll call Ototo, ask him if he's nearby." Masuta said, taking out his phone.
Crap baskets! Tony panicked for a bit. Miyuki leaned forward again and looked in their general direction, though without looking directly at them. Tony took out his phone quickly and silenced it directly before Masuta made the call.
"Quick work." Konata said. Tony nodded.
"Thanks, it was difficult." He said. Miyuki looked around for a moment.
"... He didn't pick up." Masuta said. Miyuki leaned back in her seat.
"Whew." Kagami wiped her forehead.
"I'm never gonna get anything to eat..." Tony mumbled.
"Just a little longer Tony?" Kagami asked. "I'll treat you to as much food as you want! All my treat!" Kagami said.
"I've already let it slip once. It's up to you if you want to risk it." Tony said. "I'm getting a headache." He said.
"Now I'm curious as to how old he is..." Konata said.
"So Masuta..." Miyuki started.
POV Miyuki
"So Masuta..." Miyuki started.
"Yes Miyuki?" Masuta responded.
"You never really did answer me." Miyuki smiled.
"About what? I don't remember the question." Masuta said.
"About yourself. Your personal life. You never really told me anything." Miyuki smiled. Masuta chuckled.
"I really don't know what you're expecting of me." Masuta shrugged.
"Anything, really." Miyuki smiled.
"Hm..." Masuta thought. "I play the piano?" Masuta suggested. "It used to be great fun until we didn't have time for it anymore." Masuta smiled.
"You play piano?" Miyuki asked, very surprised. "Why has this never come up?" She asked fervently. Masuta was almost taken aback by her reaction.
"Y-Yeah, I play. Can't say whether I'm any good or anything, but I enjoyed it. Why? Do you like the piano?" Masuta asked. Miyuki looked almost as if she were daydreaming.
"I have a piano at my... at our home! You could play for us! Oh, i would so love to hear it..." Miyuki trailed off, looking into the distance. Masuta stared at her almost blankly for a few moments.
"Um... Sure. If it means that much to you, sure! Why do you have a piano, anyway? I didn't think you played and your mother... Well... How do I say this nicely...?" He wondered out loud.
"Couldn't learn and remember what keys did what if her life depended on it?" Miyuki smiled. Masuta nodded knowingly.
"That's it, thank you." He said. Miyuki giggled.
"No, neither of us play. However, Minami used to come over and play it all the time while we were growing up..." Miyuki took a moment to reminisce before continuing. "I suppose I love the piano so much simply because it brings back such fond memories... Minami WAS my only friend back then." Miyuki giggled a bit despite how melancholy what she had just said was. Masuta was almost crying for joy in his head.
Score! I've got something now! He shouted. "Now I can't believe that Minami was your only friend. Someone as funny, beautiful, and smart as yo-" Miyuki suddenly looked at him slyly from the corner of her eyes, instantly quieting him. He blushed.
"I'm not sure about all of that, but no one ever seemed to care about me. They never tried to be my friend." Miyuki sighed. She seemed almost unapproachable to Masuta. "People would shy away from me as I walked by... They would quiet as I approached them mid-conversation. I was an outcast in every group. My own father left our family." Miyuki was getting more and more depressed by the moment. "So Minami was my only friend." She said.
"Miyuki..." Masuta mumbled.
"I'm especially ashamed to admit... I was almost suspicious of Minami for being my friend. She was my only friend, what made her want to be around me?" Miyuki wondered out loud. Masuta simply watched. "However, then I met Konata-san." She giggled. This seemed to be an especially happy memory for her.
"It seems like that's a pleasant memory." Masuta smiled. Miyuki giggled a bit, her eyes tearing up.
"Yes. It's one of my most precious memories... She didn't even know my name at the time... If Konata-san hadn't come..." Miyuki smiled. "But she did. And now I'm here." Miyuki smiled. "If Konata-san hadn't saved me, I'd have never met you. And who knows what would have happened to me then." Miyuki giggled. Masuta smiled.
"Well, then I'm glad she saved you." Masuta said. "I'm not gonna say my childhood was as depressing, but I never had any friends either." Masuta said.
"Hm? But you seem so cool and handsome an-" Masuta looked at her the same way she looked at him earlier. Unlike him, however, she merely looked on with pride. "I regret and take back nothing that I said." She said.
"Heh. Well, I was always the strongest in all of my classes. People were always fighting to have me on their team in sports. They never tried to actually talk to me though. I was just a tool for them to win. Once that happened, they never even let me celebrate with them." Masuta sighed.
"That's an awful thing to do!" Miyuki said. Masuta smiled.
"Meh. Compared to your past, mine isn't that bad. Eventually the teachers put a stop to all of it. They forbid me from participating." Masuta said.
"Can... They even do that?" Miyuki asked. Masuta shrugged.
"Dunno. Whether they could or not, they wouldn't let me play anymore. They didn't make it publicly known though, so I was just the guy who quit playing. When I wouldn't join a team, other kids would try to fight me. I'd beat them up, get in trouble, and repeat." Masuta sighed. Miyuki giggled a bit.
"Oh, a bad boy?" She asked.
"Don't mean to brag, but when the teachers would ask us to raise our hands if we knew the answer, I knew the answer." Masuta said.
"Mhm?" Miyuki let him know she was listening.
"I didn't raise my hand." Masuta said. Miyuki giggled.
"Couldn't you have let them know that you weren't allowed to participate by the teachers?" Miyuki asked. Masuta chuckled.
"I did. They didn't care though. As far as they were concerned, I was just making excuses up so I wouldn't have to play with them." Masuta said.
"Then they should have gotten in trouble, not you." Miyuki said.
"I won the fights, so I always looked like the aggressor." Masuta said. "Well, that happened. And that's who I was to everyone who I tried to make friends with. I was just an aggressive jock. A jerk of an aggressive jock. The guy who just quit for no reason." Masuta sighed. "No one likes that guy." Masuta said. Miyuki leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I like that guy." Miyuki smiled. Masuta felt his heart skip for a moment. He smiled and leaned his head on her's.
"I like you too." Masuta said.
POV Tony
"Alright guys, I'm done." Tony stood up. Konata and Kagami looked at him.
"What? What do you mean you're done?" Kagami asked.
"It was getting really good!" Konata said.
"I'm done." Tony said. "I'm leaving. Keeping this up is giving me a migraine, not even mentioning how hungry I am. All of that ignoring how wrong it is to be spying on such a private moment." Tony said. "I'm going. If you want to stay here, that's up to you, but they're gonna recognize you. Aniki would spot you in an instant, assuming Miyuki doesn't first." Tony said. Konata and Kagami both made a sour face.
"That sucks!" Konata said. Kagami sniffled.
"A-A little more?" She asked, beginning to false cry again. Tony turned around and looked at her.
"I'm hungry. My head hurts. I'm about a minute away from losing it here. Cry all the way to wherever we're gonna eat, I don't care. We're leaving, you're buying me food, and I'm eating until you're broke." Tony said. Kagami dropped the act and sighed.
"Alright, alright." She said. Tony stared at her for another minute before beginning to walk away. Konata and Kagami got up from the chairs they were sitting in and followed him.
"Where to next?" Tony asked.
"Well, we've seen Masuta and Miyuki, Inori and Matsuri, and unintentionally caught Mom and Dad on a date." Kagami said. "I think that's enough spying for the day." Kagami said.
"I meant where do you want to eat." Tony said. Kagami glanced at Konata, as if begging for the little girl's help.
"Sorry for pushing you so hard Kan-kan." Konata said. "And right after a match, too." Konata sighed.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll make ya regret it once I start ordering." Tony smiled back at the two. The two girls looked at each other and smiled.
"Well, I've still got my prize money!" Konata said.
"Nope, I'm gonna eat all of that too!" Tony shouted. The three began to run towards Tony's chosen establishment.
Luckier Channel
"Luckier~! Channel~!" Akira shouted. "Hiya Luckies~! I'm Akira Kogami, your navigator~!"
"And I'm Minoru Shiraishi, the assistant!"
"So, what did you think of this one Minoru?" Akira asked.
"I'm glad that Tsuki is still around, I thought she had left us!" Minoru commented. There was a moment where nothing was said.
"... What was that?" Akira asked.
"Wh-what?" Minoru asked.
"Well if you're so damn happy to see her, why don't I just quit and let her run the show?" Akira asked. Minoru jumped and raised his hands in front of him.
"No, it's nothing like that!" He said. "I'm happier to see you than I am to see her." Minoru said. Akira took her turn to just and blush.
"You idiot! I didn't say anything about me! You're a thousand years too young to be saying that kinda crap to me!" Akira shouted, her face turning an even darker shade of red. Minoru smiled, glad he was now accustomed to Akira shouted at him. He thought a little.
"Yeah you did. You said "Why don't I quit?" and then said she should take over." Minoru said. "I don't want her to take over, I want you." He said. Akira's eyes widened.
"What are you saying... Idiot..." She said. Minoru couldn't stifle a chuckle as the tune played.
*Music Tone*
"That's it. We're out of time." Akira said, arms folded and looking away from the camera with a large blush on her face.
"Bye-nii!" Minoru shouted.
"..."
"... I hate you."
"I know Akira."
"... I don't like you."
"I know Akira, I know."
*End*
Aftersection
Long, long, long, long waits. I hate having them, I hate giving them. Like I said, a couple blocks. I've got a few issues with some stuff, namely how to bring everything in. Meh, I'll work hard!
