A/N: Early update!

14 / Aftermath and Cheese

It had taken the girls ten minutes to get Sakura to react again.

Minutes ago, Sakura had just been so silent, staring with empty eyes at nothing as the others tried everything they could to get her attention. And then, she was back to normal again. Talking too fast for them to keep up, the panic finally setting in. Lily and Tae didn't let go of her until they got back to the mansion, the little girl crying in relief while the unawakened zombie growled affectionately as she bit her friend gently on her shoulder.

Once they arrived at the mansion, the girls were rushing Sakura back to their room to properly check on her and as she was walking behind them, Yugiri felt a hand on her shoulder. Kotaro was shaking his head. The courtesan understood immediately.

She glanced one final time at the girls, nodded once, and soon was following Kotaro to his office.

/…..

Kotaro's office is as pristine as always; there's the computer, his desk, his books, everything in neat order. It faintly reminds Yugiri of her old manager's old room. There's less technology, less books, but the look is a bit familiar. The only times she was called to see the man was to tell her that her contract had been extended. Too much expenses, he'll say. But Kotaro wasn't her old manager. He had his weird quirks, his strange expectations. Yugiri knew the difference.

The man cared in his own, weird way.

He had been there for Junko and Ai and Lily and Sakura even for Saki when she decided to intervene with her old gang's problems.

Yugiri suppose it was her turn now.

"So...when did it start?"

Yugiri is staring to the side, suddenly shy for the first time in her undead life. Kotaro crosses his arms over his chest, staring at her through his dark glasses. He's not judging, he's waiting.

"I would say...some days after Arpino," Yugiri finally says. Kotaro sighs, as if he somehow hadn't expected that response.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Yugiri finds herself unable to answer; she's from a much more different world, a different time. The courtesan had learned to cope when things got bad, had learned to keep it together, had learned to go with the flow. No one, besides her old teacher, had been there to hold her and tell her that things would get better.

But Yugiri had died too young, she had never had a chance to be free.

(Yugiri was alive again, different time, different life)

"Yugiri…?"

"I was...careless," Yugiri finally says, her eyes still staring to the side, avoiding Kotaro's frown.

They both stay silent after that. Kotaro's still frowning but he seems to understand. Yugiri's still not looking at him, wishing that this meeting would just be over so she can go and check on Sakura.

(because she got careless, her friend was hurt...she had no friends back then...it had never happened before)

"This isn't your old job, you know..." Yugiri blinks. She turns to stare at Kotaro. He's still frowning but he doesn't sound angry. "I'm not like that old boss of yours...if you have a problem, one that's out of your control, that's what I'm here for...you can talk to me...or the girls, it doesn't matter." He turns to the side, expression unreadable. "You helped Sakura, right? They are your friends, talk to them if you can't talk to me…" Yugiri can't help but offer him a smile.

Yugiri bows. "Thank you, Lord Kotaro…"

Kotaro turns back to her, silent, before standing up from his seat, slamming both hands on the desk. "Yeah! You better thank me!" he cries out. "What the hell was all that about!? Next time, tell me! I'll whack them weirdos outta of your sight, get it!? Now, shoo, shoo! I got things to do!" Yugiri tries not to laugh as she takes her leave.

Of course.

Lord Kotaro never disappoints with his moods.

(that man should really be more honest with his feelings)

Once she closed the door behind her, Yugiri immediately spotted Saki and Sakura from the corner of her eye. Both of them are leaning against the wall, Saki has her arms crossed over her chest while Sakura has her hands behind her back, head looking down. Sakura was already wearing a different shirt, one of their fabulous Franchouchou shirts. Yugiri could also see that some of her makeup had fallen off, revealing a bit of her rotten flesh.

(had they already stitched her injury, she wonders)

Sakura sees her first, immediately perking up which catches Saki's attention. Their leader turns towards Yugiri, blinking, before a big smile decorates her face. Both girls approached their friend. "Heya, big sis! You hanging okay, there? We heard Shades from a mile away." Yugiri smiles.

"Lady Sakura, Lady Saki...yes, everything is fine. He's...excitable as always."

Sakura lets out a small sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness...for a minute there I thought he was planning to give you a hard time...I mean, it wasn't really your fault."

"Heh," Saki scoffed, glaring. "Bastard's lucky he didn't run into me...Shades should have hit him more than once. Hell, I should have let Tae bite him for good measure." Sakura frowned.

"Saki…"

"What? After what he did to you, that creep deserved more than a whack in the head!"

Sakura is silent for a bit before saying, "I don't think we need the extra bodies."

Saki and Yugiri laugh.

"Hehehe! Guess not!" their leader replies with a big grin. "Jerk had it coming anyhow...on the plus side, he's paying for our meals tomorrow, which is the least he could have done!" Saki got out a wad of bills from her pocket and showed them off. Sakura's eyes widen while Yugiri tilted her head. "Guy was loaded!"

"Saki!" Sakura began. "You didn't…"

"What? Shades thought it would be smart if it looked like the guy had gotten mugged while out there being a creeper. Besides, he totally deserved it."

Sakura shook her head. "Stealing is wrong, though…" The ex-biker gave her a look.

"So is stabbing people."

"W-well..."

"I believe Lady Sakura wasn't defending his actions…" Yugiri interrupted gently. "...she was concerned about yours." Saki just shrugged.

"Hey, that's how we made money in Dorami...guys like him were easy pickings." Sakura sighed, shaking her head while Yugiri nodded in understanding as Saki put the money away. "Come on...Ai managed to find an interesting channel on that old boombox. We got a bit of popcorn and some sweets...we need all the treats we can to end this shitty day, after all…" Saki turned away and began walking followed closely behind by Sakura before Yugiri called them.

"Ah, a moment, please, Lady Saki," Yugiri began, causing the two girls to stop and look her way. "I was...no...I…" Yugiri shook her head. "...will it be possible to speak to Lady Sakura? Alone." Sakura blinked in confusion at her friend while Saki stared at them both, glancing at the pink haired zombie and then at the courtesan. The ex-biker grinned and nodded the older woman's way.

"Sure, sure...talk it out. I'll tell the others you'll be there in a bit." Saki patted Sakura's shoulder, lightly pushing her towards Yugiri before she was off, leaving the two zombies alone in the hallway.

Sakura glanced once at Saki before shyly turning to look at Yugiri. "Umm…"

"Sakura...I…"

"If it's about today, it's okay!"

"I don't think so…" Yugiri told her with a shake of her head. "Sakura, you…"

"Ah...this…" the pink haired zombie felt her chest; there was a small bandage covering her new wound. They'll probably have to stitch it close tomorrow. "It's not really the worst thing that's happened to me, really...I mean, I'm dead, so…" Yugiri's gaze turns stern, causing Sakura to raise her hands in defense. "I...I mean…! I did get shot once, too! S-so...this new thing...it's nothing! It's nothing!"

"I hardly think it was just nothing," Yugiri told her. "Sakura...you were in shock...you hardly reacted when we called for you...until recently you barely spoke a word to us." Sakura looked a bit more nervous now.

"Uh...well...I did faint last time…so..."

"Sakura…"

The girl in question just shook her head. "Lo-look, Yugiri," she began. "...I know you're upset...I mean, why wouldn't you? What that guy did...well, it was crazy. But, you know this wasn't your fault, right?"

Yugiri stares at her sadly. "I fear it might be…"

"Why? Because you didn't tell anyone?" Sakura asks her and gets a nod in return. "I don't think it would have mattered...you don't carry a knife with you to make light conversation, I can tell you that much…" The pink haired girl passed a hand over her pretty hair. "I don't know if you had troubles like this in your old job but...what he did was on him, not on you."

(they never took her by surprise until now, Yugiri wanted to say)

"Still…"

But Sakura stops her by going and grabbing both her hands into her own, giving them a gentle squeeze as she offered the courtesan a small smile. "Listen…we got your back, right? You don't have to take care of everything by yourself...at least, not anymore." The courtesan stares at Sakura's smile for a bit before she offered the first genuine smile of the evening, a light coloring masking her cheeks.

"Ah...of course, thank you, Sakura."

Sakura laughs and nods, still holding onto Yugiri's hands. "Come on, then! Let's get going!"

It's as they're walking back to their dorm room to join the others that Yugiri realizes that Sakura has a beautiful smile.

Genji stretched, groaning as the joints on his back cracked. The young man sat on the bed, grumbling as he massaged a sore shoulder.

Sitting next to him, on top of the bedside table, was the flyer of the girl with the frozen smile. It had been folded neatly into a ball, as if to piece of paper itself had wished to give the young man some privacy as he got dressed for the day.

Once he had his clothes on and had brushed his hair just the way he liked it, Genji turned towards the bedside table and took the flyer. He unfolded the ball and stared at the crumpled paper with blue eyes. The girl and her friends smiled back. They were all rather happy, big smiles on their faces. It was a pretty little flyer, simple in design. The girls were at the center, smiling, glowing with life.

He had spotted the flyer some time back, just a few days after his flight had landed in Karatsu. Genji didn't have a care in the world and the first place he had decided to have dinner had this same flyer stapled on the wall. Little sweethearts, Genji remembered the cook telling him. The old lady had let him have the flyer and he had kept it since.

During that time, as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the world and the flyer, his mother had called him. She had worried over him, of course, like all mothers would. She had asked him about the flight and where he was staying and if he was planning to visit the old man back in Tokyo.

"Go out to lunch and have a chat with your father," was what she had told him.

But with this mysterious flyer and Franchouchou, Genji hadn't really made time. He still didn't know what would be the point. He never got a chance to have that chat with Sakura and now, he had to make do with the old man. It didn't seem like it would fix anything. He understood why his mother insisted upon it, though.

Genji had already lost his older sister and his mother didn't want him regretting the same things if for some reason (knock on wood) the old man was gone the next day. But Genji couldn't really make the time. The old man certainly had time to spend with his son, but still Genji didn't. Not with what was happening now. Not with what that flyer was showing him.

(and he was angry...angry that the old man had time now, and not when she had been alive...there was never time for him, never time for her…)

Genji had figured he'll probably have that talk before he went back home to Florida...at least, that had been the plan. And then, he saw the flyer and everything unraveled. He just needed to talk to the girl, the girl that looked so much like the dead, and then, it would all be over. He could have that talk and then he'll be gone. End of story.

And today was the big day; he had finally decided to go to one of Franchouchou's concerts. He had planned to go earlier but the girls had announced that they'll be taking a small break due to one of their own falling sick a few days back.

The concert was at six. There would be a meet-and-greet at eight, just after they finished their songs. And that's where he would talk to her. Tell her. Ask her...

(are you the dead?)

Genji needed to be careful, though. He didn't want to be seen as some sort of creeper. He had heard the story about that big guy that had appeared in one of their concerts, how Blondie had kicked him so hard she had not only knocked the man out but had also broken a stereo.

He already had a plan; it was simple.

The dead couldn't come back to life, he knew, but he hoped that she somehow had.