Author's note: Big thanks to my good friend, zeroline for this chapter. Good lad, him. Always helping me in my times of need. Bless you, mate.
And thank you Anon, for once again lifting my spirits up by reviewing! I'm going to call you 'Batman' from now on, because you helped me before, and I still don't know your name.
"Alright, you're good to go."
It was the promised day, and the club was gathering at Tainaka's place for a brief makeover. Standing in front of everyone was the previously mentioned girl, completely dressed in a yellow cardigan that matched the color of her hairband. Under it was a white, simple shirt. Much to her dismay, she was forced to wear a white skirt that went down to her knees, complete with frills here and there. The girl was completely different than the Tainaka we knew, she wasn't looking like a tomboy for once, and her aura was…
Nevermind, I'm starting to sound like a hippie.
"Whoa, who's this? I don't think we've ever met." Yuuki said jokingly, admiring the work of Kathy, Kotobuki and Akiyama.
"It fits you unexpectedly well, Ritsu-senpai." Nakano commented.
"What do you mean by 'unexpectedly', Azusa?" Tainaka retorted, inspecting her outfit. "I don't know, it feels really uncomfortable. Maybe I should just-"
"No, no, no! Beauty is pain, Ricchan! You have to endure the uneasiness in order to win Chihaya's heart!" Kathy exclaimed, waving her index finger in front of Tainaka.
That's just cheesy. I don't think it's worth it, sacrificing maneuverability just to look impressive in front of someone. That's like spending money on expensive clothing rather than food.
"Okay, look, I don't even WANT to win his heart. Just to make it clear, this plan is just for finding out my true feelings, simple as that." Tainaka clearly reminded the others of the operation's true purpose.
"Alright, alright, we get it. Now let's go, we're getting late." Akiyama pushed her friend towards the door leading outside.
We followed the girl, greeting the rather cold weather of fall as we got past the front door. I was the one who had to take responsibility in transporting the club to the promised location, so I went through the trouble of providing my car for them.
Each of them got in the car. Akiyama, Tanigawa and Tainaka in the back, Kotobuki and Kathy in the center, with Nakano in Yuuki's lap due to the lack of space, Yui and I in the front, just like usual.
We hit the rather crowded road, with the girls more than excited to see the newly opened theme park.
I don't have an interest in crowded places, let alone a theme park. I deduce, in this day of the week, the place will undoubtedly be full packed of people. As a plus, it just opened a few days ago, increasing the quantity of visitors in a massive amount. Just with all those info in mind, I can tell this is going to be a tad troublesome.
Arriving at the place, I mentally patted myself in the back, feeling proud of my deduction abilities. I was right, the park was crowded as hell, and I had trouble finding a parking spot.
After a few minutes of going round and round the parking lot, I luckily found one. We walked towards the entrance after making sure the car was safe and well. The amount of people was like the Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park, after the death of Brian Jones.
We spotted a familiar peach haired man leaning against a wall somewhere near the entrance. Chihaya looked extremely bored as he blankly gazed at the sky. He was wearing his usual attire: a plain black shirt and a pair of pants, pure and simple.
"Yo, Chihaya." Kathy greeted the man cheerfully, triggering the chef to turn his body towards us.
"You're la-"
Whatever sarcastic or cynical remarks he wanted to say, it ceased coming out from his mouth as he saw a certain someone in her unordinary appearance.
Chihaya stood there, eyes wide, mouth agape. He stared in amazement at Tainaka, a tint of pink was clearly visible on his face.
"What?" The tomboy asked, a bit annoyed.
"N-nothing. I thought I just saw an alien for a moment there." The chef muttered, turning his head away.
"Shut up." Tainaka retorted.
"Alright, let's have some fun!" Kathy pumped her fist, giving the others a boost of morale.
We walked through the crowded place, searching for something interesting. There were a few rides here and there, roller coasters and a ferris wheel included.
This place is pretty damn huge, I don't think we'll be able to experience the whole place in a day. Not to mention the queue for every single thing, even toilets.
"Should we try the roller coaster?" Kotobuki suggested.
"Don't. Roller coasters tend to tire you quickly with all the screaming and the adrenaline-pumping, not to mention motion sickness. Save it for the last if you're really curious. If you take the ride now, there's a high chance you won't be able to enjoy the other rides." I said.
This is a common mistake for most people. They're pretty excited in trying out the ride without even thinking of the consequences. As a result, they either go home earlier than expected, or spend the rest of the day with a less excited mood.
"Hmm, you have a point." Kotobuki nodded her head understandingly. "Well then, let's find something less 'extreme'."
Kotobuki's 'something less extreme' turned out to be a thing that one of us feared the most. Standing tall in front of us was a dark-themed building, big enough for a few people. Above it was a huge sign that read 'Haunted House'.
"I'm not going in there." Akiyama stated, putting her hands up defensively.
"C'mon Akiyama, it's good for mental training!" Yuuki cheered the scared girl up.
"No way, not a chance!"
Despite the others' cheers, even from her boyfriend, Akiyama still refused to go. After a few minutes, we knew that it was pointless to force the girl.
"Very well, then, let us find something else." Tanigawa said, taking his girlfriend by the hand.
"Alright, we'll see you guys later!" Akiyama went back into her state of high spirits.
And off they go…
"That was quick." Tainaka commented.
"Well, let's get to the endless queue of hell." Kathy stated, gesturing towards the long line of people.
Unsurprisingly, Kathy's statement was not an understatement. It took about a half hour for us to reach the entrance of the building.
As we were inside, a cold breeze greeted us. It was dark, and the sources of light were minimized. In front of us was a long corridor, complete with cobwebs, bones, and other scary props lying around. Placed along the right wall were paintings, probably for adding the creepy factor for the place.
Truth be told, I'm actually a fan of scary places and areas. Ever since I've played horror games, I fell in love with it. Hmm, the ambiance isn't bad, but it should be better if they add a flickering light bulb in the center. Just like in Dead Space, the scary atmosphere will easily multiply. Add a few disturbing noises ala Silent Hill, and this place is a perfect image of terror.
"This is scary…" Nakano muttered, clinging to her boyfriend.
"Are you scared, Hiromi-kun?" Yui asked me.
"Not at the moment, but we'll see."
"Chihaya, Ricchan, you guys take the front." Kathy ordered.
"Excuse me? Why should I?" Chihaya turned his head to the blond with a look of disbelief.
"What, you're scared?"
"I'm not!" the chef retorted.
"Then prove it."
Chihaya began walking forwards, muttering something along the lines of Kathy being a daughter of a motherless goat. Tainaka was by the chef's side, looking a bit scared, a bit curious. They walked side by side until something caught Tainaka by surprise.
"WAAH!"
The tomboy jumped to the chef, grabbing his arm in a quick motion. We shifted our eyes to the right, where the paintings were placed.
"Heh, moving pictures. Interesting."
Said paintings were mostly pictures of a middle aged woman with a long hair. That alone should be enough to scare people away, but the fact that the eyes were moving could easily make someone literally wet their pants.
"Is it real, though?" Yuuki asked nobody in particular, inspecting the paintings a bit closer.
"Of course not, you expect someone to sit there and move their eyes all day?" I stated the obvious.
"Good point."
Chihaya let out a laugh, throwing his head back. "Come on, getting scared by some stupid mechanism? What are you, five?" He said to the clinging tomboy.
"S-shut up, I didn't see that coming!" Tainaka retorted.
"Ha ha ha, it's alright. C'mon, let's move." Chihaya wrapped his arms around the girl's waist, leading her forwards.
The girls behind me giggled, and I could even hear a squeal coming from someone. I couldn't see Tainaka's face due to the lack of illumination, but from the way she walked, I took a guess that she might be a tad uncomfortable of the contact.
We walked for quite a bit, not really enjoying the rather creepy atmosphere the place held. It was only a few seconds until Chihaya tripped on something.
Before his face met the floor, the chef regained his balance with the help of Tainaka. He jolted his head towards the source of the accident.
"Son of a gun grabbed my foot!" He exclaimed, a bit annoyed at the invisible culprit.
Tainaka laughed wholeheartedly, pointing at the chef in a mocking way.
"Now that's just hilarious! Nobody would fall for a child's trap like that!"
"Shut up, that's pretty dangerous!"
Well, that was dangerous. If one were stationary, it should be fine. But if the hand grabbed someone moving, it could lead to a disaster rather quickly.
"Alright, alright, let's move along…" Kathy stated.
The two continued moving, with Tainaka a bit giddy over the previous occurrence.
"Wait, stop." I halted the others.
Everyone stopped on their tracks, looking at me with confusion.
"You guys hear that?"
It was a sound of something, probably wood, tapping on the floor in a quick succession. It came from our backs, and it drew closer by the second.
"W-what's that sound?" Nakano grabbed her boyfriend's arm in fear.
"Whatever it is, I do not like where this is going." Yuuki stated.
We stood there, unmoving. The footsteps drew closer and closer, until it revealed someone- no, something, coming out of the darkness.
"Holy crap!"
The 'thing' towered us, it was at least three meters tall. The slim figure was covered in white blankets, and on the head was a faceless mask. Quite terrifying for one with no experience in playing horror games.
"RUN!" Tainaka shouted, triggering us to run for our lives.
Wait, why am I running? That's just a guy standing in a wooden pole covered in blankets. Oh well, I don't want to ruin the atmosphere, might as well go with the others.
"For a fake ghost, that thing's pretty damn creepy!" Yuuki exclaimed, still holding Nakano's hand to support her.
"Not a bad job, that is!" Kathy agreed.
I could see a shed of light not far in front of us. The others were not looking back at the image of pure terror that chased them, not even a glance.
We reached the end of the corridor, which was the exit of the building. The club caught their breaths as we saw daylight once again.
"All that waiting just for one lame ass corridor? The school festival's haunted house was better than that!" Chihaya ranted.
"Ah well, that tall bastard was a bit thrilling." Tainaka stated, wiping a sweat off her forehead.
"That thing is scary!" Yui agreed.
"But still, it's not worth the wait." Kathy commented, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Let's find something else."
Yet again, we made our way through the sea of people. It amazed me how people were still interested in this place even though it was literally crowded as hell.
We walked around with no particular destination. Entering our sights were Akiyama and Tanigawa, with the former holding an ice cream in her hand.
"Hey, how's the haunted house?" Akiyama greeted, licking her ice cream.
"You won't survive a second." Tainaka haughtily replied.
"Says the girl who jumped just by seeing a painting." Chihaya muttered, earning a fist to his arm.
"Well then, let's get moving. We don't want to waste time here." Yuuki stated.
The gang continued by trying various rides here and there, including a few water rides, thrill rides and other stuff I didn't want to mention. One thing to note was the waiting time for each of the rides, it was long, tedious and boring. I ended up spending my time in the smoking area, which was a bit more peaceful than the loud chattering, music, and shouts coming from outside.
Done with my smoke, I went to check on the others. They were planning to try out the coaster, which failed to catch my interest.
I was, in fact, really interested. But just by seeing that long ass line, the thought vaporized out of my mind.
I spotted the club on a bench. The girls were looking exhausted and tired, while the boys kept their spirits up. The sun was starting to set, and the place was getting a lot less crowded.
"How was it?" I asked nobody in particular.
"Thrilling." Tainaka answered shortly.
"It was fun! You should try it, Hiromi-kun!" Yui exclaimed.
"No. I can't stand long lines."
"I'm going to the bathroom, be back in a second." Chihaya stated, heading towards the said location.
After a few seconds of waiting for the chef to disappear, Kathy called me with a signal.
What? Gather the boys? Okay…
I lightly tapped Yuuki's and Tanigawa's shoulders, catching their attention. Before they could utter a word, I nodded my head towards Kathy. The blond waved her finger in a circular motion, a signal for a briefing.
"Alright, I have a plan." Kathy whispered as we were gathered in a circle.
"Do tell." Tanigawa stated, looking interested.
"Us girls will try to leave the two of them alone, while you boys keep an eye on the target."
"And why the hell should we do that?" I asked.
"Just do it! We're going to go together out of this area, then we split up. Got that?"
"Sounds fun. We'll do it." Yuuki agreed to commence the plan.
We broke the circle after the quick briefing. Approaching Tainaka, Kathy put up a sinister look.
"Ricchan, could you wait for Chihaya to come back? Just tell him we're at the cafeteria." Kathy asked the tomboy.
"What? Why should I-"
"Ahem." Kathy cleared her throat, reminding Tainaka of the purpose of the operation.
"Fine." The president let out an annoyed sigh, feeling defeated.
"Well then, see you there. Good luck!"
Before scurrying away, the girls gave Tainaka words of luck, for a reason that should be obvious for anyone.
After a few meters of walking, Kathy gave the signal to split up. Tanigawa, Yuuki and I went back to the previous spot, choosing an alternate route to avoid crossing paths with the target. Blending in the crowd would be ineffective, since we were taller than most of the people around. The only option was the old-fashioned way in stalking people, by hiding behind anything that could act as a cover.
We spotted Chihaya and Tainaka walking towards the cafeteria. The sunset as their background, and the festive atmosphere around them caused the scene to look like it was ripped straight out of a cheesy romance movie.
Hiding behind the bushes, we listened to their conversation whilst trying to avoid detection.
"What's with the new look?" Chihaya began, turning his head towards his companion.
"I don't know, the girls suddenly set me up like this." Tainaka replied. "It's not even comfortable to move around."
"You're used to wearing pants, it's only logical for you to be uncomfortable." The chef turned his head forwards, chuckling a bit before continuing. "It's not like you at all, wearing a skirt."
"I know, it's bugging me."
"…suits you well, though."
"Come again?" Tainaka turned her head, a questioning look on her face.
"Forget it." Chihaya looked away with a blush on his face, avoiding eye contact.
"Good God, is Tainaka deaf or something? We heard it clearly!" Yuuki complained, making the 'Y U NO' pose.
Restrain thyself, can ye not see we're in a sneaking mission?
Continuing the walk covered in silence, the duo reached the rather crowded cafeteria.
"Where the hell are the others?" Chihaya asked, trying to search for the club.
Tainaka knew for sure of the girls' trap. She shifted her eyes nervously, a mix of anxiousness and annoyance on her face.
"L-let's just wait for them." She decided.
The two grabbed their seats, initiating us to move to a better spot. We found a line of bushes that could act as a cover. We gained perfect view, and I could clearly hear them from this distance.
The situation went rather awkward as the two of them sat opposite of each other. Tainaka kept her head down, not knowing what to say. Bored to the core, Chihaya decided to spark a conversation.
"You're acting really weird today."
The statement caught Tainaka by surprise. She jolted her head to the chef in panic.
"Wh-what are you talking about, I'm acting like my usual self!" The tomboy stuttered.
Chihaya stared at the flustered girl intently, before giving up.
"Women."
The two sat in awkward silence. It was then Yuuki spotted something interesting.
"Those guys in monkey suits look intriguing." He pointed to the far table.
Intriguing wasn't the word, they were obviously dead drunk in the middle of a crowded place. The men in suits were disturbing the others with their loud chattering and laughing.
"They're from the Kazuya family, small fries known to cause trouble nearly everywhere." Tanigawa stated, his true self appearing.
"Crap, what're we gonna do?" Yuuki asked.
"If we're going to take them all out, we're going to be spotted for sure."
"We need to go incognito first. Heh, I know these will come in handy." Yuuki reached for his bag he had been carrying around since morning.
He took out three masks of various designs. I spotted one that was different than the others.
"Is that a goddamn Captain Falcon mask?" I asked, pointing at the said plastic mask.
"Yep, and no, you can't have it."
I sighed as I saw Yuuki putting on the mask. "Are you gonna do what I think you're gonna do?"
"Ayup. Don't stop me."
"Even with the masks on, they would still recognize our shirts." Tanigawa stated. "Wait, they're heading towards the two."
I turned my head towards table. The baldie, who seemed to be the boss of the group was standing near the table, facing the duo. His back was facing us, giving a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack.
"Now, what do we have here… getting all lovely in this time of the day." The boss slurred, his men standing on the opposite side of the table.
Chihaya was annoyed as hell, he turned his head towards the man angrily.
"None of your business, shiny head."
That provoked the boss enough. He started throwing insults to the chef while struggling to stand up straight.
"Time to act." Yuuki walked towards the scene with haste, his Captain Falcon mask equipped.
Tanigawa took the Kamen Rider mask, and I ended up with an Ultraman one, much to my dismay.
We followed Yuuki, acting as a backup. As the point man was close enough, he tapped the boss' shoulder.
Sorry, bald yakuza boss. You're going to experience something quite traumatic as you turn your back…
"Huh, what-"
"FALCOON PAAAWNCH!"
Yuuki's fist landed perfectly on the baldie's face, breaking his nose. He flew a few meters away, landing on empty tables and chairs. The crowd around us was pretty amused.
Tanigawa laughed wholeheartedly, his voice muffled by the mask. "That was amazing."
"Who the hell are you!" One of the men shouted, surprised to see a masked man randomly appearing and punching someone in the face.
Yuuki pointed to the other lackeys, and said in a Captain Falcon-ish voice, "Show me your moves!"
With those words as the cue, the men in black charged towards us. There were at least 5 of them, not quite enough to take us down.
Chihaya took Tainaka by the hand and ran away to ensure the girl's safety. With them out of the scene, the place was ours.
"Bring it on!"
Untold Story #8: Unexpected Act
Running away from the brawl was rather tiring, but the fact that those three stalked us was not comfortable for my mind at all. We managed to find a safe place near the ferris wheel. It was quiet, and the sky was getting dark.
"You alright?" I asked Tainaka, who was desperately gasping for breath.
"Yeah, I'm good."
Now all I need is an explanation.
"What were they thinking, following us all the way to the cafeteria?"
Tainaka shifted her eyes nervously, an act I found frequently used for the day. She seemed to be weighing on her options for a while, before deciding to spill it all.
"I'll explain. For now, let's find a place to sit down."
That 'place' turned out to be the ferris wheel. There was not a single soul seen lining up, unlike the afternoon, where the lines could match the Great Wall of China in length.
We took our seats in the gondola as the gigantic wheel continued its routine of spinning slowly. It was then that Tainaka readied herself for the explanation.
"The reason I look and act different today…" She began, an anxious look on her face. "…is because of you."
I tilted my head, a bit confused and curious. "How come?"
Tainaka sighed as she hung her head. It was dark, but I could see a blush on her face. "I have this nagging feeling… I'm not sure what it was, but after seeing Mio and Tanigawa, Azusa and Tanaka, hell, even Yui and Yamamoto, I think I've figured it out."
Oh crap. I am NOT expecting this.
Tainaka raised her head slowly, revealing her beautiful blushing face. Her bright eyes gazed directly at me with a bit of nervousness, reflecting the colorful lights outside.
"I'm in love with you, Chihaya."
Time seemed to freeze after she said those words. I could barely feel anything other than my heart beating fast. My mind went numb, and my body moved on its own.
I reached out to her, my left hand cupping her cheek. Tainaka moved closer to me, she narrowed her eyes, and eventually closing it as her face drew closer and closer.
I felt her warm lips as it came in contact with mine. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster as the feeling of bliss ran throughout my entire body. Almost all of my senses died down, I heard nothing, I saw nothing. All I could feel was her soft lips that tasted much sweeter than wine.
I pulled back my head slowly after the brief kiss. Tainaka looked up to me with a smile so sweet, I could probably get a heart attack.
"I'll take that as 'I love you too'." She stated in a low voice, still smiling.
I chuckled, brushing away a few strands of hair on her face. "I didn't say that."
"You suck at hiding feelings." Tainaka jumped to me, happily wrapping her arms around my back and burying her head on my chest.
I've never, ever, experience a thing called 'love'. I think this is the start of something new for me, and by the looks of it, it will be able to make me happy until the end of my time.
"Seriously though, you wear a skirt just for me?"
"Blame the club for that, it's not even uncomfortable to move in this thing!" she raised her head, annoyed at the club's choice in clothing.
"Frankly, it looks good on you. But I like the usual you better." I placed my hand on her head, looking down to gaze at her eyes.
"I'll keep that in mind." Burying her head on my chest once again, she let out a happy giggle that brought a spark of happiness to my heart.
Yeah, I'm sure of it. This girl is someone really special for me. I will always be happy, even in the brink of Armageddon.
As long as I have her by my side.
