Rainbowkittyblossomwings - A lot of sci-fi aspects will complicate these matters of love. Sadly nothing is so easy. And yeah, with Saburo you can make a lot of weird things happen.
Chapter 16 - Fuyuki II
As Fuyuki sat down for breakfast that following morning, he was excited. For a variety of reasons. The first being simply, with Kururu's help, he could achieve something that would make his family complete. But how to go about it?
I can't spoil the surprise for Mom or Natsumi, he thought while his sister was making his lunch. They'll never think it'll work. But I know Dad's out there.
Of course he knew about the anniversary of the day, the last day before he disappeared. It was hard for life to resume after police had exhausted all leads…the times he saw Natsumi or his mother cry…but he hadn't.
Why?
Because he just had that feeling he would be alright. Unfortunately, time after time, Natsumi had always dismissed his theory, at best playful cynicism, at worst scornful wrath at his naivety.
The second reason he was so excited was the expansion of his Occult Club. More members in Momoka, Yayoi, and Satsuki meant he was one step closer to making headway on his theories. But the jolly mood didn't last. Fuyuki looked over at the despondent Mois.
"Mois, you look like you want to say something?" he asked. "You're usually doing the Sar-…..er, I mean your chores right about now."
"Ohhh…..I guess I can't keep it a secret…." Mois passed a letter to Natsumi. "Someone is going to visit me. Another Angolian, my cousin…..named Angol Fear."
"WHAT?!" the Hinatas shouted.
"No….she got wind of you living here?" Natsumi scanned the letter. "Y-You can tell her to leave this world alone, right?"
"That's the problem! You see….maybe I am a little behind on my planet destroying quota. But if I don't do something, Fear will destroy this world instead!" Mois turned bright. "But it's okay, 'cuz Corporal Giroro will train me to victory!" she said cheerfully.
Heads cautiously spun around to stare at the new coach.
Unfortunately the news of Giroro training Mois led to a platoon meeting and….there went Fuyuki's chance to ask Kururu some more questions.
Sigh, maybe another time.
Things seemed a bit brighter when he saw Momoka arrive.
"Hey Momoka!"
"F-Fuyuki!" She looked a little nervous about something.
You looked like you were spacing out a bit. We'd better hurry to class before roll call!"
"Fuyuki…..um…..you….r-remember my phone call last night?" She wasn't even looking directly at him. But he remembered and asked what she wanted to do. "I-"-whatever you want to do! Something fun!"
Hmm….let me see…"Well…..there was this one movie I wanted to see. Should we invite the other members of the Occult Club?"
"Hahahahaha, there's no need. Yayoi and Satsuki will be busy," Momoka said, then she looked on the verge of panic."F-FUYUKI!" She tackled him to the floor. "Are you okay?!"
"Wha…..what happened?" He looked around. Some students were snickering but that was something he had sadly gotten used to.
"Um…..I saw a spider crawl on your shoulder!"
"S-Spider?!" Fuyuki swatted himself and stood up in a flash. "Is it gone? I think I saw it scamper that way!"
"N-No, it's gone! But just to be safe, we'd better head to class!"
"Good idea!"
He didn't catch the dark glare Momoka gave at the window.
XXXX
Eventually the lunch period came, which gave Fuyuki the opening he wanted. He needed to do some research….to get SOME kind of clue as to where he should start looking. The universe was vast, seemingly endless. So he headed over to the school library.
"Ah, Fuyuki! Here for another report?"
"Just some independent research Mr. Kano," he said to the elderly old librarian. "I won't make too much noise."
Finding a table was easy. He dug out whatever he could…..astronomy books, maps, atlases, and newspapers. He wanted to do the thing in movies where people connect papers with string and thumbtacks but the library staff told him at least three times not to. Then he searched his backpack for his most important media item.
"Phew…..I gotta to stop using it as a bookmark!"
"F-Fuyuki? What are you doing?"
"Huh?" He turned, catching the bespectacled face of one Chiruyo Tsukigami, member of the School News Club. Like Momoka she was also in his class. "Hi Chiruyo…..it's a bit hard to explain. Something I've been working on. Top. Secret."
"Top secret?" Her journalistic urges were scratching, but this was also a rare chance to speak to Fuyuki alone. (She had more in common with Momoka than he knew). "What? That's an old article you have there…."
SUBURBAN DAD GOES MISSING
"H-Ha yeah, it was an old story…..but uhhh…..someone wanted me to get to the bottom of it. They think aliens are involved, and that's my club's specialty."
Chiruyo was practically chomping at the bit. "L-Let me see, please! As a reporter myself, I can offer some insight." She picked up the paper. "…..that's odd. One of the names from this piece is omitted. Hard to see the date too…..let's see. Victim's name was Haru. Age 31. He left behind two children and a wife….oh my…."
"It's so sad, I know. But I've interviewed the son, and he's POSITIVE his dad was abducted."
The School News Club member began to take notes. "I see…..any connection to that frog alien you've spoken with?"
"You've seen the Sergeant? Wow…." Fuyuki sighed. "They've got nothing to do with it. They only met me two years ago. This man's been missing for much longer than that."
"That's unfortunate." The odds were against him, but if there was one thing Chiruyo believed in, it was finding the truth, no matter how far-fetched. "By the way…it's my duty to confirm a rumor that's been buzzing around the school. Is it true….Fuyuki Hinata….!"
"Me?!"
For a moment Chiruyo's cheeks turned pink but he didn't notice. "You…..are going on a date with Momoka Nishizawa, heir to the Nishizawa fortune?"
"Well it's just a friend thing. Momoka asked if I wanted to go to the movies. Seemed like fun!"
Poor Chiruyo practically clutched at her heart. "So it's true….!"
"Are you okay?"
"Ahem. I'll be fine. In the meantime, I'll try to find some leads for your investigation."
"You can't!" he shouted. Sensing the librarian's gaze Fuyuki quickly lowered his voice. "I mean uh….it's a sensitive matter. If the man's daughter found out she'd think the whole thing crazy. That's why the son is being careful."
"Well…..here." Looking like a cherry Chiruyo handed over a "business" card. "The number and email where you can reach me. Um….if you wish to discuss anything, be it the story or…..say…..your favorite place to….e-eat…..contact me!"
"Thanks! I'll need all the help I can get!"
When he started to pack up his things, he missed the rather triumphant dance she was doing.
Finally the school day had finished, and right on time, Momoka was outside to greet Fuyuki. She took his hand and guided him down the streets.
"Oh good call, we don't want to miss it!" But a few blocks later, Momoka stopped and looked around anxiously. "Momoka? What's wrong?"
"F-Fuyuki, I thought I heard a…..cat!"
"Um….ok….?" Now Momoka switched her speed to be more leisurely and calm, but she squeaked once they turned a corner. "Huh…..who dropped all of these?" There had to be hundreds and hundreds of fliers.
"Guh…..guh….."
Fuyuki picked one up and blinked. "I wonder if the Sarge is behind this. Then again….it's not really his style. What do you think, Momoka?"
She didn't seem to know. "L-L-Let's go to the theater…." But when they got there….there was Saburo, the boy was pretty popular amongst girls of Natsumi's age.
"Oh hey, you're seeing this too!" Fuyuki greeted him.
"Sure am. They Came, They Saw. They say it's one of the scariest movies out there."
Momoka snapped back to life at the word "scariest". "Fuyuki, we should hurry. We don't want to be late or anything…..let's hurry and get the tickets!"
"I'll be right in there," he assured her. He actually wanted to talk to Saburo. He watched her go inside before glancing over at the boy Natsumi had affection for. "Hey, Saburo….?"
"What's up? You shouldn't keep your date waiting," he teased. "I'm here with someone too, but I'm just waiting on her."
The date comment went unchallenged. Fuyuki had more pressing matters after all. "Have you seen any suspicious activity? Some mysterious figures?"
"What if I have?"
"I'm trying to solve a big mystery, the biggest of my life! I know you're kinda aloof but if you learn anything…..see anything…..tell me!" Saburo never saw Fuyuki look so serious. "I asked for Kururu's help."
"That right?" The radio host saw his own "date" approach. "Well, Fuyuki, I like your spirit a lot. I'm trying to solve my own mysteries. Don't ever stop looking. Got that?"
"Of course!"
XXXX
From there things went off without a hitch. Fuyuki and Momoka had their tickets, then she handed over her own card to let him get snacks. His eyes bulged when she casually mentioned it had 500 million; he never even dreamed of that much money.
Then the movie started and Fuyuki was having second thoughts.
"Whoa, these aliens look pretty scary…." he gulped. "All those claws and black beady eyes…." He watched in suspense as one of them honed on in a small girl. "LOOK OUT!" he screamed as they kidnapped her.
He was so focused he didn't even catch Momoka's reactions.
"NO! RUN!" he shouted at another part. He went for the cupholder to put his drink back, but he saw his hand was touching Momoka's. "Uhh…."
"Oh, Fuyuki! I-I'm sorry! Your hand….and my hand…..!"
"Sorry, Momoka, I was just trying to put my drink where it was."
Momoka looked….anxious. "You like the movie so far? It's pretty scary, right?"
"Well…..maybe a little….."
"If you get too nervous, you can always….you know….." She couldn't finish her sentence before she bolted. "Uhhh, bathroom!"
"I guess she really had to go," Fuyuki concluded. However, shortly after he looked back at the screen again, he felt something on back of his neck.
Then he blacked out.
XXXX
When he awoke, he was in his bed, being tucked in by his sister. "Natsumi…..?"
"Hey Fuyuki. You had a pretty crazy afternoon, didn't you?"
"I….I guess? I don't really remember….." Fuyuki yawned. "Thanks for tucking me in." Oh man, I must've fell asleep. I have to apologize to Momoka tomorrow, she probably took me home.
"I've been doing it for all those nights Mom had to work." Natsumi winked at him. "It's the job of an older sister!"
"Hmmm….but I'm not a kid anymore, Natsumi…" But despite that, he was drifting back into a comfortable sleep.
"B-But Officer, aren't there any more leads to check?"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hinata. But it's been nearly a week….we'll keep one eye open but all the signs do not point to good things. Your husband…..will be declared deceased."
From a crack in the kitchen door two pairs of eyes were looking at their mother talk to the policeman. One pair knew the sad truth, but the other was more hopeful.
"He's still out there! They didn't look everywhere!"
"Fuyuki….."
Then they saw their mother lower her head. The policeman tried to comfort her and she let him. What would happen now, to their happy family?
"Natsumi, you believe me right? He's out there, in space! It's what he loved to look at!"
"Fuyuki….I'll make it better, okay? I'll take care of you and Momma!"
But the boy shook his head. "He'll be back one day! I know it! I know he'll be back!"
"He'll be back….."
Fuyuki awoke to a new morning and sighed. It wasn't the first time he had that particular dream. But he had to stay positive. For the good of his sister and mother.
XXXX
At breakfast he greeted Giroro when the Corporal came in. "Gosh, you look kinda tired."
"Soldier, you and me need to have a little chat," said the red frog.
"Uh sure!" Seemed like all was normal, so he followed Giroro into his tent outside. But the frog rushed to zip up the tent flap before he spoke:
"You doing alright, soldier? I heard from Natsumi that some day passed and went. If you need someone to talk to…"
"Some day?" Natsumi was probably watching those movies again…. "Oh…..don't worry about that Corporal, Natsumi's just in denial. She's always said I was too much of a dreamer."
"Then…..I guess you did your normal routine?"
"Actually I went to the movies with Momoka! Must've tired me out, since I woke up in my bed feeling kinda groggy."
"What happened?"
"I remember buying the ticket and borrowing Momoka's card to buy something, but not much after that. I guess I was tired? Maybe I'll see the movie again!"
"And Momoka?" Giroro seemed oddly analytical.
"She must've taken me home. She's nice like that, but I kinda wish I didn't leave her hanging. I'll apologize at school today! Y'know Corporal, it's kinda easy to talk about this stuff with you. Mom and Natsumi….they mean well but…..some things aren't so easy to say to…..o-other girls."
"…..heh. Don't be afraid to seek me out for some advice, Fuyuki."
"You must be good at this girl stuff, Corporal!" Fuyuki beamed. He was quite close to Keroro but he had an affinity for the Corporal too. He was tough, he was brave, and maybe…..maybe he would need his help in solving his father's disappearance too.
At school he quickly found Momoka; his jaw dropped at how far she kicked a garbage can. He really had to get to know her more. But that wasn't the only surprise of the day…..once in homeroom the teacher had announced a transfer student.
"Why don't you introduce yourself?"
The girl looked mysterious even in light of her humanoid appearance, but to Fuyuki….he had tackled with her before. He wasn't expecting her.
"Alisa…" Momoka whispered…
"Oh wow, what's Alisa doing here?" Fuyuki whispered back. "Maybe Nebula wanted to give her a taste of Earth life?"
"Well Alisa, why don't you take a seat….ah, behind Nishizawa," said their teacher.
The other students were captivated by her walk: who was she? Where did she come from? And when Alisa passed by Fuyuki, she looked at him.
And she smiled, ever so slightly.
XXXXXX
After an accident with Momoka and Alisa at gym, Fuyuki worried about some tension at the club meeting later that day. But he did see both of them sitting calmly, so maybe it was all for naught.
"Alright! We have a new member, everyone! You know them now, but it's better if you formally introduce yourself, Alisa."
"…greetings. I am known as Alisa Southencross." That's all she said before sitting back down.
"So uh…where are you from? Europe or something?" Yayoi asked.
"What is….a europe?"
"She's um…." Fuyuki laughed nervously. "W-Well, she's not from this planet for sure. Figured it's alright if you two know since you know about the platoon! Guess she'll be living regular life for a while."
"Oh, that's cool, another alien!" Satsuki said. "You ever been to Mars?"
Momoka cleared her throat. "So what do we do now, Fuyuki? Do we have any more rumors to follow?"
"Well….." The club could really help me too, but I don't want to lead them on a wild goose chase this early. "There is something I've been working on, but….it's a special project. I can't tell anyone until I finish!"
Both Momoka and Alisa looked puzzled.
"In the meantime, we'll just have to keep our ears and eyes open. But I'm really glad we're upping the roster of the club, girls! For the longest time…it was just me and Momoka." He smiled at the new additions in Yayoi, Satsuki, and Alisa. That was just the positive boost he needed!
Once the school day was over, Fuyuki knew he wanted to meet with Kururu to see if he found anything. He was the last one to leave the clubroom, but to little surprise Alisa was outside waiting for him.
"Fuyuki."
"Oh, Alisa!" From the corner of his eye he saw Momoka's limo drive off. "Did you have any plans? Do you have to report back to your father?"
She shook her head. "I was hoping if…..I could accompany you home. Koyuki Azumaya has invited me to stay with her. I understand her abode is next door to yours."
"That works out great then! But uh….how long are you on this planet?"
She gave no answer.
"Hey, Hinata!"
Now Fuyuki knew there would be trouble. It was the mean Captain of the Boys Basketball Team, Kaito Kamizawa. He was just one of the many students that liked to pick on Fuyuki, usually forcing Natsumi to run to his defense….which only made people pick on him more.
"Oh no! Alisa, this could be bad…."
"Is he a threat to you?" she whispered, ready to attack.
"L-Let's just see what he wants," he suggested, meeting the jock right in front of the school, of course leading to curious students to look at the scene. "K-Kamizawa….c-can I help you?"
The boy was much taller than Fuyuki so he felt even more unease. "Your sister's not interested in me? Why IS that, huh? Why does she play so hard to get? What have you been telling her?!"
"M-M-Me?! You've got it all wrong! I don't talk to Natsumi about you!"
"Then why is she being such a bitch, huh?"
"H-Hey now…." He thought of the Corporal. What would he do in this situation? So he stood up a little more straight and met the bully's gaze. "Don't insult her like that."
"What are you gonna do, Hinata?" Kamizawa shoved him. "Everyone knows you're the biggest wimp at this school. And for once, your sister can't protect you!"
Fuyuki weighed his options. He wasn't going to let Natsumi be insulted so freely but he saw that Alisa was ready to no doubt crush the target in front of him. He couldn't let people get hurt either. So he shook his head at her and tried to re-approach.
"I've seen plenty of stuff that you would only dream of! Why settle for sports, pining over my sister, who doesn't like you, or bullying people? It's such a waste of your potential! The universe is vast, never ending! Think of the life out there! There's no reason to fight…."
"Ha! Spare the philosophy garbage. You want to get out of this, you throw a punch!"
"But I…..f-fine! But I tried to WARN you!" Who am I kidding?! I'm no Giroro or even the Sarge! But it's better if I fight him and not Alisa. Here goes nothing! "Take…..THIS!"
Suddenly, Fuyuki's body was moving faster….enough to whiff Kamizawa. He charged Fuyuki, but before he could scream or even get hit, his body dodged! He tried to hit him again, but he missed again. This continued for quite some time, Kamizawa's punches being thrown and Fuyuki zipping around him.
"Cut….cut it out, Hinata!" he panted. "Fight like a man!"
"What….what's the matter," Fuyuki taunted. "You can't hit a wimp like me?!" No way….it must be adrenaline! He was so giddy. Eventually the bully collapsed in an exhausted heap…which made everyone look at the victor different than they used to.
"Hinata didn't get hit!"
"Wow, not bad!"
"He's not such a wimp after all!"
AWESOME! I gotta tell Natsumi!
"Fuyuki." Alisa grabbed his hand. "Let's go." She was quick enough to pull him away from the gathering crowd, but a certain news club member had taken notice…..
The giddiness persisted with him all the way home. At his own house's front door he realized where he was and who he was with, so he rubbed the back of his head.
"Um….do you want to come in, Alisa? Koyuki's not even home yet. Although…..neither is my mom…..maybe that's not a good idea….well, do you have any ideas?"
"…"
"You know, I was wondering. You're probably here to study this planet's way of life, right? Or is Nebula hatching some kind of scheme?"
"This is of my volition," she replied. "Would you….keep me company while I'm here?"
"Of course! We're friends, right? You and me and Momoka…."
"…..perhaps I will wait for Koyuki Azumaya and get settled in. I will see you tomorrow, Fuyuki."
"Okay! Bye, Alisa! Come on by if you need anything." Fuyuki waved at her before entering the house, alone. Alisa simply stood there, like a statue.
"You're not even going to thank me for helping him out there?"
"I told you not to interfere. Not with Fuyuki," Alisa said.
"Hmph! Ungrateful daughter. I'm only leveling the playing field for you. If you truly want this boy….you must crush that other girl. Momoka. He seems quite fond of her."
"I'm not going to-"
"Relax! The best way to do so involves no violence. If you captivate him, she'll be forced to give up. Once his heart belongs to you, it will remain that way….forever. Find what he desires the most."
Alisa gave one final look at the Hinata house before turning to leave.
To be continued...
Writing this fic can really be tricky since I have to be careful not to contradict a scene that happened in another chapter. Giroro and Momoka, being the stars, carve the main beats for Fuyuki, Natsumi, and others to fill in. Saburo's aliens, Angel Fear approaching, Haru's disappearance...it has to tie together. But I have to be careful and not lose focus on the platoon's own plans.
We'll need some clarifications. Keroro OR Kururu being the next one will give you some answers. I'm really excited to do either, they offer pretty unique styles. It's a bit subtle, but with each character I have to keep details consistent with their own character, y'know? Momoka can't know what Fuyuki is thinking and vice-versa.
Overall this fic has been taking its time but only because I'm constantly going back to check key scenes and sequence. See ya for the next one and stay safe in this time.
