Chapter 47 – Melody's First Book
Amitie's POV
"Mom…"
*mumble*
"Mom…"
*more mumbling*
"MOM!"
"What?! Huh?! Wh-What?!"
…
…
…
"Oh. *yawn* Ami. It's just you."
"Who else calls you "Mom", Mom?"
"It's too *yawn* early for your sarcasm."
"Anyway, get up."
"For what? It's *yawn* freaking 8 in the morning."
"Mom, don't you remember? We're supposed to go to the library today to do an author meet and greet event."
"Huh?" Mom went silent for a bit. "O-Oh yeah, I remember! Is that really *yawn* today?"
"Yes, it's today. Now get up before I hit you with my pillow."
"Alright, alright. Just don't hit me with that *yawn* damn pillow. That thing's hard as hell."
Mom finally got up from her futon and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Still yawning, of course. Meanwhile, Arle, Ally, and Rafisol were eating breakfast and saw the whole thing.
"Geez…it's like I'm the parent sometimes." I said as I joined them.
"Well, you and Melody always had this special chemistry together, Ami." Ally said. "More special than most mothers and daughters."
"Plus, it's really funny." Rafisol added.
"Oh, yeah. Definitely funny."
"Gee thanks, you two." I sounded slightly insulted.
"Aw come on, Ami. You know we're just messing with you."
"Yeah. I know."
"You three are really close, huh?" Arle asked.
"Yeah. I've known these twins since we were little. Their personalities didn't change much, but Ally was a lot more affectionate towards me."
"Really? How?" Arle asked Ally.
"Um…well…it was so long ago, I don't really remember…"
"Onee-chan was in love with Ami."
"S-Sis!" Ally was now blushing.
"No way! You were in love with Amitie?!"
Ally went silent for a while. Trying to calm down as the one thing from her childhood that she wants to forget was brought back up again.
"F-Fine. I was." She stuttered. "B-But that's all done for! C-Completely in the past! My love is 100% devoted to Lidelle!"
"I see."
"But you should've seen her back then, Arle. She didn't even try to hide it. Always clinging on to me and saying "Let's fall in love!" every day."
"Really?!" Arle then started to laugh a little. Making Ally upset.
"I-I told you those feelings are gone now!" She shouted.
"Alright, alright. I believe you, Ally." Arle said.
"Believe in what?" It was at this point Mom had came back to the living room to join us for breakfast.
"Nothing! It's absolutely nothing! We weren't talking about a damn thing!" Ally yelled, still feeling embarrassed.
…
…
…
"Okay…?" Mom decided not to question it further.
As she starting eating, I took a look at the outfit she was wearing. She had on black sweatpants and a grey jacket with black strips on the sleeves.
"Mom, what's with the outfit?" I asked.
"Oh, this? I just didn't feel like dressing up for this, so I just grabbed the first thing I saw in the closet."
"I bet you don't have a single dress or skirt in that closet, do you?"
"No, Ami. I do not."
"Figures."
"Wait, you guys are using the closets?" Ally asked.
"Yeah. You're not?"
"No, because we don't have any hangers. Or a dresser. Or a bed. Or any furniture for that matter."
It's true. It's been 4 months since Mom and I moved to Primp and we still don't have any furniture. Money's been real tight lately. So, we've only been spending it on food and stuff for hygiene. Hopefully, Mom's light novel sells well so that we could finally stop sleeping on the floor. It's starting to become uncomfortable.
Why now all of a sudden, I can't really tell you.
"Well, not to worry, Ally." Mom said to her. "Once this day is over, we'll have enough money to even buy a jacuzzi!"
"Mom, we are not buying a jacuzzi." I retorted.
"Why the hell not?"
"Because we don't need one."
"And you'll probably fall asleep in it." Rafisol added.
"It's supposed to make you do that."
"Yeah, but with you in one, you'll probably drown in it."
"No offense, Melody. But Ami's right." Ally said.
"*sigh* Fine, whatever." Mom pouted.
I took a quick glance at my phone to check the time, and we were about to be late.
"Alright. Come on, Mom. We need to go."
"Alright, Ami. I'm coming!"
"Are you guys still coming?" I asked the others.
"Yeah, sure. I want to know what Melody's book is about." Ally said.
"Me too." Arle agreed.
Rafisol only gave a slight nod, meaning that she wanted to come too.
So then we each grabbed whatever food we could carry with one hand and went out the door to Mom's car, heading our way to the library for this meet and greet thing.
I sure hope Mom doesn't make a fool of herself…
It was a short drive there, but in my mind, it felt like an eternity. Mainly because the whole ride there, I was thinking one big question that's been on my mind ever since we moved here.
What the hell is Mom's book about?!
This whole time, she's never told me. Not even a small hint at what the plot is. Alongside the Puyo Hats and my relationship with Raffina, it's been bugging me for the longest time.
And when we stepped inside the museum part of the building, my curiosity got the best of me. And so, I had to ask at least one more time.
"Alright, Mom. I've been dying to know…what's your book about?"
"Well…seeing how today's the release date, I guess I can tell you guys."
"Really?! FINALLY!" I cheered.
"So, what's it about, Melody?" Arle asked.
"Well…it's your typical standard Shoujo Ai."
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" I asked with a facepalm.
"Shoujo Ai?" Arle asked.
"It literally translates to "girls love". Meaning it's a lesbian story." Ally explained.
"Oh…"
"Which is why I have a bad feeling about this…" I said.
"What are you worried about, Ami?" Mom asked. "It's just a simple story. Two girls meet each other and start off as friends. They soon realize that they have feelings or each other and both struggle to confess to the other. It has your comedy, your drama, and of course, your romance. With a bit of implied steamy goodness here and there. *wink* *wink*"
"Ooh…steamy goodness" Ally said.
"And by "steamy goodness", you mean…you totally turned that one-off story about Raffi and I into your book, didn't you?" I asked.
"What? No. of course, I didn't. But…I did use it as a bases work for the steamy bits."
"MOM!"
"Oh, calm down, Ami. it's two completely different people."
"Yeah, but the fact that a porno based on me was part of the inspiration for this really pisses me off!"
"Well, geez, Ami. If your that upset about an imaginary you doing sexy stuff, then why don't you just boink your girlfriend already?"
IS THIS SERIOUSLY COMING OUT OF MY MOM'S MOUTH RIGHT NOW?!
"M-M…M-Mom…" I was too much in shock to say much else. What my mom had just said…just "boink" my girlfriend already…
…
…
…
M-My body…i-it feels warm suddenly.
"Ami wants to boink…"
"N-NO, I DON'T!" I yelled at Ally.
"Don't lie, Ami. It's written all over your face."
"Tch!" I didn't respond to that and just went silent again. My blushes of embarrassment increasing as the thought kept rambling in my head.
M-M-Me…a-a-and Raffi…d-d-doing that…
…
…
…
I-I'm not…a-against it…
"Anyway…" Mom continued. "That's all the hints I'm gonna give ya. You'll have to read the book yourself to find out the rest."
"Ooh! Now I'm really interested!" Ally cheered.
"Sounds like a really good book, Melody." Rafisol added.
"Yeah, can't wait to read it." Arle said.
"Thanks, girls. I just hope the public thinks the same way."
I hope the rest of the town aren't perverts…
I had managed to calm down not long after the conversation as we reached the library part of the building, where Akuma was waiting at the front desk.
"Hey, Akuma. I'm here." Mom said.
"Melody. You're late…again, KUMA!"
"Yeah, sorry about that. I, uh…overslept."
"I see you've gone back to your normal sleeping habits, KUMA!"
"Yeah, she has." I said. "Waking her up in the mornings is like it's own 9 to 5 job."
"H-Hey!" Mom sounded insulted.
"Speaking of which…thanks for letting me work here, Akuma. I could really use the money."
"Not a problem, Amitie, KUMA! Yu has been bugging me non-stop for a new hire. So, maybe this would keep her quiet for a while, MA, KUMA, KUMAAAA!"
"I see."
"Wait, you got a job here, Ami?" Ally asked me.
"Yeah. I need pocket money for the beach trip, right?"
"But didn't you say Raffina was rich?"
"Yeah, but even she's not going to have enough to supply all of us. And besides, it's her birthday. She shouldn't be paying for anything on that day. So I'm going to use some of what money I get before the trip to buy her a gift."
"Oh. I see. Does Raffi know?" Ally teased.
"No she doesn't, and I don't want her to. It's going to be a surprise."
"I see…"
"Also, don't call her Raffi. That's my nickname for her."
"Okay, then. Can I call her Waffine?"
"If you want to get punched in the stomach, then go ahead."
"Sh-She wouldn't do that…r-right?" Ally sounded a little scared.
"You can find out for yourself." I said with a cheeky grin.
"N-No. I-I'm good."
We went deeper inside the library to where the event was supposed to take place. There, we saw Yu carrying boxes filled with what I believe are copies of Mom's book to the main booth. She was already looking exhausted.
Wait, can ghosts get exhausted?
"S-So…exhausted…."
I guess they can.
"Hey, Yu." I called out to her.
"Amitie!" Yu cheered as she hugged me real tight.
"H-Hey, Yu. I missed you too, but I don't want to be like you."
"Oh. Sorry. I'm just happy that we're finally getting some help here."
"Speaking of which, where's Rei?"
"He went out to get some breakfast for us. Though…I think I should've gone with him. He's not good with directions, and gets easily distracted."
"Yeah, I see what you mean." Ally said. "Sis here is the same way."
"Sis?" Yu sounded confused.
"Oh, right. This is my twin sister, Rafisol. She just moved in with us."
"Hi." Was all Rafisol said.
"Hey, there." Yu said as she took a look at Rafisol…and noticed how she was floating. "Uh, Ally. Is she…"
"No, she's not dead. She just doesn't have a soul."
"Really?! No soul?! I heard the chances of that are extremely rare, KUMA!" Akuma said.
"Yeah, not even Rei and I have had that happen."
Hearing Yu say that started making me think of something that before this moment, never came across my mind.
"Hey, Yu. If you and Rei were alive today, how old would you two be?" I asked.
Yu stood (or floated) there for a second, trying to think of an answer. I guess no one has ever brought this up to her until now. As it took her a while to give a response.
"You know…I honestly can't remember." She said with a gloomy tone.
"More like, you don't want to remember. Am I right?" Akuma asked.
Yu didn't say anything...but nodded yes to confirm his assumption.
"Amitie, didn't Yu tell you?"
"Didn't Yu tell me…?" I had to think a bit to understand what Akuma was talking about, but when I did figure it out…I felt horrible for bringing it up.
"Cr-Crap! Y-Yu, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you think of that stuff again!"
"It's okay, Amitie. It's was just an accident, that's all." Yu said in the same tone as before.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine."
She doesn't sound fine. I think I've hit an old wound…
"Well, we've got another 30 minutes before the event starts. You girls get what's left of the boxes and then you can take a break, MA, KUMA, KUMAAAA!"
"Sure thing, Akuma." We both said.
*WARNING! THIS PART OF THE CHAPTER GETS REALLY DARK! IF DARK CONTENT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, STOP READING NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*
Mom and Akuma went to his office to discuss any last minutes details to include, and Ally took Rafisol and Arle to look around the library until the event started. So, it was just Yu and I gathering up the remaining boxes and moving them to the booth. There weren't that many left and we were able to finish with 15 minutes to spare.
"Geez, where's Rei with that breakfast?" I asked while rubbing my stomach. All the work had made me a little hungry.
"He probably got distracted with something again. I knew I should've gone with him." Yu said.
"Well, hopefully, he gets here soon. It's going to be chaos in about 15 minutes."
"Yeah, true."
After a minute or two of silence, Yu spoke up again.
"Hey, Amitie…can I talk to you about something?"
"Yeah, sure. About what?"
"W-Well…remember a couple of months ago? Wh-When we first met?"
"Yeah, I remember. You and Rei rescued Raffina and I from the Puyo Hats. I'm still grateful for that, you know."
"No problem. But…there's something we left out. And by "we", I mean only me."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"W-Well…you know how I said that Rei and I were assaulted by our father and ended up dying from it?"
"Yeah…"
"W-Well…t-to be completely honest…I-I…l-lied."
"Huh?!"
"The truth is…it was only me who was assaulted."
"R-Really?!" I was in complete shock.
"Y-Yeah. And it wasn't just being assaulted."
"What do you mean?"
Yu stayed silent for a short while. And during that, she started crying. I held her in a hug until she felt a little better enough to continue explaining.
"I…I was also tortured, starved, locked up, a-and…
…
…
…
…r-r…raped."
"Wh…What?" I was in shock. "I-Is that…Is that really true?"
"I-I wish it wasn't, I really do. But it is. My father would lock me up in the basement, completely naked with my arms and legs chained to the wall, for days without food. And when he did feed me, it was only minuscules of bread crumbs. Every so often, he would beat me. Most of the time with his bare fists, but on occasion…h-he would use a whip. At the time, I didn't know which hurt more: the bruises and scars left on my naked body, or how he enjoyed giving me said bruises and scars."
"Y-Yu…" I whispered.
"I didn't think it could get worse than that, but…b-but it did. One day…m-my father…h-he…r-raped me. My dad…my own father! He raped me! Destroyed my purity and innocence non-stop every damn day! Along with the torturous beatings and starvation! Until one day…my body couldn't take the suffering anymore…and I died in that same exact spot."
Yu was crying full hard tears at this point while I was completely speechless and felt sick to my stomach. But I just had to ask one more question. So I pulled myself together and asked said question.
"A-And what happened to Rei? How did he die?"
"Rei…he couldn't take the news of my death. And the horrid events that led to it. He committed suicide shortly after my funeral. We were reunited, but…it was because of a horrible fate for us both."
Yu then continued to cry while I sat there and watched in horror and shock. Up until now, I always thought I had the worst memories of my father. But after hearing what Yu had to go through, the true reason of how she died…the assaults on me felt like mere fights in the schoolyard.
"Yu…I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to go through such hell." I said while giving her another hug. A long one this time. "But you and I…we have a lot more in common than we originally thought."
"*sniff* W-We do?" Yu stopped crying to ask.
"Of course. We were both hurt and betrayed by someone we loved and cared about. Sure, I survived and you ended up dying…but other than that, we know what it's like to be hurt. And we're doing all that we can to not feel like that ever again. So, please…cheer up. As long as we stick together, everything's going to be damn well fine."
Yu went silent for a good while. Her face looked like she wasn't expecting me to say any of that stuff I just said. She then wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tighter than when I hugged her before.
Hugging a ghost is surprisingly easily…
"You're right, Amitie. We are alike. We both know what it's like to be hurt, but we also have a new life. With friends new and old to make us forget the hell we went through. And you made me realize that, even though I lied to you before. Thank you, Amitie. You really are a true friend."
"No problem, Yu. That's what friends are for."
"Indeedy!" Yu cheered. Which made me giggle a bit.
"Oh, by the way…you can just call me Ami."
"Ami?"
"It's a nickname I made for myself that only a few people call me as. It's like...proof of our friendship."
…
"I-I see. Well then thank you a lot…Ami."
"You're more than welcome, Yu." I said with a smile.
"A-And uh…to answer your question from before…Rei and I would be 16 if we were alive today. It's been two years since those…events…happened."
"16, huh? The same age as me."
"Really? Well, our birthday was June 9th."
"Wow. So, I'm just a few days older than you both. Pretty cool."
"*giggle* Yeah, I guess it is." Yu said. Finally regained the smile she's always known for.
Glad she's happy again.
"There you girls are, KUMA! I see you've finished already, KUMA!" Akuma had came up to the booth along with Mom.
"Yeah, we did. Wasn't that much left anyway." I said.
"I see."
"Huh? Hey Yu, were you…crying?" Mom asked.
"Oh, yeah. I was. But I'm okay now."
"Why, what happened?"
"W-Well…"
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
"Well, now. Would you look at that, KUMA!" Akuma said as he looked at his watch. "It's time to open the doors. Everyone. To your positions, MA, KUMA, KUMAAAA!"
"Sure thing, Akuma." Yu and I replied.
"H-Hey! I wanna know the secret!" Mom yelled.
"Sorry, Mom. It's a teenager thing." I said with a smile.
"Ugh. Damn it."
As Mom went to go sulk in defeat behind her desk, Yu and I waited by the both to work as helpers for Mom. As we stood there, we both had realized one more thing:
Rei still hasn't come back with the food.
Where the hell is he?!
Raffina's POV
"So, let me get this straight. You want me to go with everyone to your birthday celebration at a beach house…just so I can help Arle get together with this Sig guy?"
"Yep! That's exactly it! So you'll come, right?"
"Uhh…"
I was at Schezo's cave explaining to him the situation us girls have made for ourselves, hoping that he'll help us. Feli and Peruvis were with me too, as after this we were going to the library to buy Melody's book.
"Sounds interesting…but I'll pass."
"Huh? Why?"
"Look, Raffina. I do not know if Arle told you guys already, but I despise the beach."
"What?! That's crazy!"
"How can anyone hate the beach?!" Peruvis asked.
"I just hate everything about it. The sun beating down on me, the sand getting in my shoes, women accusing me of being gay because I don't find any interest in their swimsuits."
"Wait, what?" The three of us reacted to the last one.
"Rulue did that to me once. Since then, it's become a trend with other women back in our world. It's a freaking curse."
"I see…." I said as we each gained a sweatdrop. "But don't you want to help Arle?"
"I would love to, but if it involves going to the beach, then no way."
"It's not just the beach, you know." Feli said.
"Oh, really? How so?"
Feli looked at me asking for confirmation. The reason being that there was a second part to the trip that we originally wanted to keep secret. But in order to get Schezo on board on this, we might just have to tell him.
"Our family owns a beach house that sits across from it. And there's a small boardwalk nearby. With games and rides and stuff."
"Wait, seriously? You're now bringing that up?" Peruvis asked.
"It was supposed to be a secret. So, don't tell the others, alright?" I said to her.
"Fine. I guess. But now I need to come up with more money for the trip."
"You can sell the multiple crap you have in your room." Phoenix said.
"Ignoring you."
"Anyway…" I turned back to Schezo. "If you don't want to do any of that, you can just stay inside the house."
"Hm. Is that so?" Schezo went silent for a second. We didn't really know what he was thinking at this moment, but were hoping it was something good. "Well…alright. If it's that important for me to come, then I shall tag along."
"YES!" Us girls cheered as we hi-fived each other.
"Thanks a lot, Schezo! You won't regret this!" I said.
"Hopefully, that is a true statement."
"Hey, Raffina. We should get going before the line gets too long." Feli said to me.
"Yeah, right. We should."
"Line for what?" Schezo asked.
"Melody's book goes on sale today and we all want a copy."
"Melody…wrote a book?" Schezo gained a look of pure disbelief.
"We know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. Come with us and see for yourself."
"Is the line really going to be long? I did not think people were still interested in these things."
…
…
…
"You need to get out more." Peruvis said.
"Tch!" Schezo got insulted.
It didn't really take us long to return to the plaza. But when we were near the museum, the line was surprisingly long. When we got in line, we were blocks away from the entrance.
Geez, I didn't this many people would be here. Will we even get a copy?
"Great. The line is long." Schezo said, already sounding annoyed.
"Lighten up, Schezo. We'll probably be inside in like 30 minutes or so." Peruvis said.
"30 minutes in this heat?! Are you insane?!"
"Hey, you're the one wearing a black hoodie and black pants." I said.
"I'm a dark wizard. I'm supposed to wear black. I'm not going to wear a bunch of random colors like some kind of fre…"
"Like some kind of what, Schezo?" All three of us said, reminding him who he's with at the moment.
…
…
…
"N…Never mind."
"Thank you." I said.
"Hey, guys!"
We heard voices calling for us and coming up behind us were Ally, Arle, and Rafisol.
"Hey, guys. I thought you came with Ami."
"We did, but Ally thought it would be a great idea to get something to eat just a few minutes before the event started." Arle said.
"Hey, you said you were hungry. And we were too, right Sis?" Ally asked her sister.
Rafisol did a simple nod, agreeing with her sister.
"See?"
"*sigh* Whatever." Arle gave up. "So, the line's already this long, huh?"
"Yeah, it is." Peruvis said. "Schezo was just complaining about earlier."
"I'm actually surprised to see you out here, Schezo. Didn't think you'd be interested."
"Well, when I heard the words, "Melody wrote a book", I had to see it for myself." Schezo said.
"Yeah, that does sound unbelievable, doesn't it?" Arle gained a sweatdrop.
"And based on what Ms. Accord said, it's really good too." Ally added.
"Yeah, I remember Melody giving her and Rulue a copy before they even went on sale." I said.
"Lucky." Ally pouted.
"Well, they are friends, Ally."
"Yeah, but still. I wanna read the steamy bits, too!"
St-Steamy bits? Okay, what the hell is Melody's book about?
"Hey! Ally!"
We then heard someone calling Ally's name. Turns out it was Harpy, who was…on the roof of the building next to us?
"Harpy!"
"Ally!"
Harpy flew down from the roof and the two did their usual hug which ended in the same result: with somebody pulling them down.
"Harpy, what were you doing on that roof?" Arle asked.
"Oh, that. I was sleeping up there."
"Wh-Why?!"
"It's my new home!" She cheered.
"Harpy…you cannot live on the roof of a building." Schezo said.
"*whine* Why not, Schezo?! You live in a cave!"
"That is different! I'm protected by whatever weather this oddly-named place throws at me!"
"It's not like the cloud world back home, Harpy. Weird things can happen in this strange new world." Arle added.
Do they still think this place is weird?!
"*whine* I guess that's true. But I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Don't worry, Harpy. We'll think of something." Ally said.
"Yeah, cheer up, Harpy." I said. "Once we get back from the beach, we find you a new home, okay?"
"Yay! Thanks, everyone!" Harpy cheered. "So…what's going on here?"
"We're in line to get a copy of Melody's new book." Ally explained.
…
…
…
"Who's Melody?"
"Ami's mom, remember? I live with them."
"Oh, yeah!"
How did she forget where her best friend lives?!
"Hey, Ally. Can I get one, too?"
"Sure, Harpy. You have any money?"
…
…
…
"What's money?"
Seriously?! Ami and I already told you! How did you forget?!
"Don't worry, Harpy. I'll just buy you one."
"Yay! Thanks, Ally! But…just one more thing."
"Yeah, what?"
"What's a book?"
Oh, my God!
"Arle…just how?" I asked her.
"I don't even know myself, Raffina." She answered with a facepalm.
By the time we finished explaining to Harpy (yet again) what money and books were, the line had gotten shorter. So much that we had to walk a few blocks to catch up with the line. When we did, we were in front of the local pet store. It was where we saw someone I didn't expect to be there.
"Uh…Rei? What are you doing?" I asked as he was staring through the glass at the animals inside.
"Oh. Raffina. Just looking."
"At what?"
"This cat."
I looked through the window with him and saw the pure white kitten he was talking about. It really was cute…but I was still confused on why he was staring at it so intensely.
"It's a really cute cat, Rei. But why are you staring at it?"
"It's cute."
"That's it?"
"Pretty much."
…
…
…
I was still confused. More than before at this point. But then I thought of something that might help a lot.
"Rei…do you want this cat?"
Rei didn't say anything, but the slow nod he made gave me a clear answer. I giggled a bit and patted his back.
"Wow, Rei. I didn't know you liked cats."
"They're cute."
"Yeah, I can tell."
"Uh, Raffina. Who is this…ghost?" Feli asked me.
"Oh, right. This is Rei. He's a friend of mine. Rei, this is my cousin Feli and my friend Peruvis."
"Oh. I see."
"How are you friends with a ghost?" Peruvis asked.
"It's a long story…" I answered with a shiver. Luckily, Peruvis didn't notice it and just shrugged off my response.
"Well, nice to meet you, Rei."
Rei simply just waved hello. Still distracted by the white cat in the window.
"You really want that cat, do you?" I asked.
"Yes."
The cat had finally noticed Rei and now it was staring at him with its front paws on the window. I saw Rei's face blush like he's talking to his crush.
"I think the cat wants him too." Arle said.
"It really is cute." Schezo added.
"Cute." Rei repeated.
Just then, the door to the pet store opened and out came the owner, who to my surprise was…
"Sig?"
"Oh. Hey guys."
"Sig, do you own this pet store?"
"Well, it's currently a pet store. Won't be for long. I bought it when Chu and I moved here and I'm making it into a bug farm."
"You BOUGHT a pet store?! With what money?!"
"I, uh…got money from some really difficult things in my past. I rather not talk about it."
"It's true. It's really messed up." Peruvis added.
"I see…"
Difficult and messed-up things? What happened with him before moving to Primp?
"H-Hey, S-Sig." Arle said while blushing.
"O-Oh. A-Arle. N-Nice to see you." Sig was also blushing.
Oh! Looks like Sig's realized it now, too! This is just perfect!
"A-Anyway." Sig shook his head. "You look really interested in this cat. You want him?"
"Yes." Rei sounded excited, but I couldn't tell from his face.
Are boys nowadays like this?
"Wait, Rei. Can you even afford it?" I asked.
…
…
…
"Uh…"
"He can have it for free." Sig said.
"R-Really?!" I sounded surprised.
"I'm trying to give away the remaining pets here so I can start remolding. I'm sure he'll be better off with an owner than to be stuck in here with a bunch of bugs."
"I see. Well, Rei, you still want the cat?"
Rei and the cat were still staring deeply into each other's eyes.
"I think that's a yes." Feli answered for him.
"Okay."
Sig went back inside and got the cat out from the bed it was on. Then he came back out with the cat and gave it to Rei. Rei was now deeply blushing as he brought the cat to his face and the cat started licking his nose.
"That is so goddamn cute." Ally said. The rest of us agreed.
"By the way, I think it's male." Sig said.
"I see." I said. "What are you going to name it, Rei?"
"Kat."
"Yes, Rei. You got the cat. What's its name, though?"
"Kat."
"We can see the cat, Rei. But what's its name?"
"Kat."
…
…
…
"Are you screwing with me?"
"No. That's his name. Kat. K-A-T, Kat."
"Kat the Cat…?" We all sounded confused.
"Nice name." Sig said.
"Thanks."
Of course, Sig would like it.
"So, Sig. Are you and Chu planning to go to the library today?" I asked him.
"Huh? For what?"
"Melody's book comes out today. That's why we're in li…"
I looked to my left to see that said line was non-existent. We were so invested in Rei's love for cats that we didn't even realize the line shrunk dramatically.
"Oh." Was all I could say.
"Well, since there's no line, I guess we can go. Hey, Chu. You wanna go to the library?"
"The library?" Chu asked as she came out of the store. She got excited when she saw us. And by "us", I mean Arle.
"Aruru!" She cheered as she ran up to hug her.
"Hey, Chu. Nice to see you." Arle said while patting her head.
"Shigu. What's happening at the library?"
"Melody's book."
"Oh, yeah."
"So, you guys going?" Arle asked.
"Sure. Why not?" Sig said.
"Great. We're heading there now." I said.
"Actually, Raffina. I think we're next in line." Peruvis said.
…
…
…
"R-Right." I gained a sweatdrop.
When we got to the entrance, we walked all the way through the museum to the library and found the booth with Ami, Melody, Yu, and Akuma standing next to it.
"Gee, there you guys are! I was wondering when you'll show up!" Amitie said.
"Sorry, Ami." I said. "We would've been here earlier, but things happened."
"What things?"
"Well…"
"Yu. I got a cat." Rei said to his twin sister.
"Rei! Where were you?! You were supposed to bring us food 3 hours ago!" Yu yelled.
"I got a cat."
"So you forgot to get us something to eat because you were looking at a cat?!"
…
…
…
"I got a cat." Rei repeated.
Yu sighed with annoyance while facepalming her entire face.
"G…Good for you, Rei." Was all she could say.
"Aw! What a cute little kitty!" Amitie cheered. "What's his name, Rei?"
"Kat."
"Yes, Rei. You got a cat. What's its name, though?"
"Kat."
"I can see the cat, Rei. But what's its name?"
"Kat."
…
…
…
"Is he screwing with me?" Amitie asked me.
"You would think, but no. That's actually the name of the cat. K-A-T, Kat."
"Kat the Cat…?" Amitie, Melody, Yu, and Akuma sounded confused.
"That's what we said."
"Onee-chan." Rafisol said to her sister.
"Yeah, Sis?"
"Can we get one?"
"What? You mean a cat?"
Rafisol nodded.
"Sis…we don't need a cat."
"But why?" Rafisol whined (I think).
"Rafisol, do you know how much it costs to take care of a cat?" Melody asked her. "We can't even afford furniture, let alone a cat."
"But Sig's giving them for free."
"Sorry, Rafisol. That was the last cat." Sig said. Making Rafisol whine (again, I think).
"And besides, Sis. Why would you want another cat? We already have one…" Ally then covered her mouth with a quick reaction with what she just said.
"Huh? Another cat?" Arle asked.
"Onee-Chan. Are you thinking of Chupei?"
"Chupei?"
"Who's Chupei?" I asked.
"The twins' old cat." Amitie explained. "It died a while ago and Ally's still rather sensitive about it."
"L-Look, I don't want to talk about it. Let's just change the topic before I get really pissed off." Ally said while getting agitated.
"Okay, Ally. Sheesh. Calm down."
"Geez." Melody said. "To get worked up over a cat…"
"H-Hey!"
"Come to think of it, Kat hasn't made a noise since we got him." Peruvis stated.
We all looked at Rei, who looked at Kat. And vise-versa.
"Hi, Kat. I'm Rei."
"Meow."
"He meowed!" Amitie said.
"In a cute way, too." Arle added.
Rei smiled at Kat as he brought him closer to his face. Kat then started rubbing his onto Rei's, all while purring.
"So cute!" Most of us shouted. Sig, Chu, and Harpy weren't paying attention and Yu, Melody, and Akuma didn't find it interesting at all.
"Well, Rei." Akuma said. "We still got the rest of the day until this event ends, KUMA! So, keep your new pet under control, KUMA!"
"Kay." Was all Rei said while still staring at Kat. Meanwhile, the cat was now playing with Rei's nose like it was a cat toy."
"Aw!" Most of us went.
"Oh, please…" Melody retorted.
"Anyway, I'm going on a break." Amitie said. "Since Rei didn't bring any food, I'll have to go get it myself. Want me to get you anything, Yu?"
Wait, can ghosts eat?
"Sure, Ami. I'm starving!"
I guess then can…
"Did she just call you "Ami"?" I asked.
"Yeah. I told her she can call me that."
"Huh? Wh-What happened between you two?"
"I'll tell you later."
I went silent. Gaining a small pout on my face as I looked away from my girlfriend.
"Raffi, are you…jealous?"
"N-No! O-Of course not! I-It's not like I would get jealous over your friendship with another girl or anything!"
"Tsundere."
"I-I'm not a tsundere!" I yelled at Feli. "Also, what's a tsundere?!"
Feli didn't answer and instead did a huge facepalm.
"Girly."
"I-I am NOT girly!" I yelled at Ally.
"You sure are easy to offend, Raffi…" Amitie said with a sweatdrop.
"*clears throat* Excuse me, Amitie. But before you go, I must have a word with you and Raffina, KUMA!" Akuma said to us.
"Sure, Akuma. What's up?"
"It's best if we do this in private, KUMA!"
We looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what Akuma was getting at. But we were now curious on what he wants to talk to us about in private. So…
"Uh…sure, Akuma. We could talk in private." I said.
"Good, KUMA! Arle, you come along, too. It's best if you hear this as well, MA, KUMA, KUMAAAA!"
"Uh…okay." Arle agreed. Looking just as confused as we were.
The three of us then followed Akuma to his office in the back near the library. Not knowing what this talk of his is about or why he wanted to talk to the three of us only in private.
Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
Author's Note: Part 3 of the upload binge. And it's another instance of merging two previously short chapters. Like that last time, nothing much to say here.
Thanks for reading. Later.