DISCLAIMER: You own 'nothing' myself
"I want to be with you, it is as simple, and as complicated as that" – Word Porn
Chapter I
"Contractors"
Sounds of machine can be heard inside a room, with a weak voices of 7 girls trying to be considerate not to disturbed the sleeping raven haired girl on the patient's bed. They surrounded the bed, some of them are seated and some are standing but there was one girl unlike others, she's leaning at the windows and standing not too far nor too near at them, her elbow resting on one of her hand as she eyed them silently while having their conversation. Until she sense something and quickly shift her vision towards the lying girl, the raven haired girl's eyelid was wavering.
She push herself from the windows and started to walks out of the room, she informed the others "That girl is about to wake up" she said nonchalantly
The girls immediately stop from what they are doing and look at the said girl, the raven haired girl's eyelid was starting to open, it immediately cause a commotion
"Ah Maki-chan is right nya!"
"Nico can you hear us?"
"Hey Nico-chan it's me"
"Keep quiet everyone"
Out of the commotion a certain blonde noticed the crimson haired girl walking towards the door she questioned her "Maki? Where are you going? Nico's-"
She didn't let the blonde finish, she continue walking towards the door "I need some fresh air, its crowded here" she slide the door open "Just don't wander too far from this room" the blonde reminded her and then she shut the door ignoring the blonde girl.
The raven haired girl tiredly open her eyelids revealing a white ceiling that is different from her room. Where am I? She stared at it for a while until she heard familiar voices calling her out
"Nicocchi"
She felt her hand, someone was holding it and squeezing it. She slowly turn her head towards the voice and there she saw the purple haired girl, giving her a worried look, she also notice the other girls behind with the same expression
"Nicocchi?" The purple haired girl asked again noticing that the girl won't reply, she's been staring at them for a while
The raven haired girl heard the blonde "We need to call the doctor"
"Rin and I will call the doctor" the short brown haired girl volunteer
"Thank you Hanayo and Rin"
Nico travel her eyes all over the room, as what she thought she's somewhere she didn't know
"Where…" Nico speaks with a hoarse voice at first but she gulp to regain her normal voice "Where am I?" she landed her eyes towards the girls while she's giving them a questioning look.
"You are on a hospital right now, owned by the Nishikino's, you remember this hospital right?"
She nodded, she remembered that this is where Nozomi, Kotori, Hanayo and Honoka were hospitalized back then "Why am I here?" she questioned, and the girls look into each other and give her a doubtful look. When the purple haired girl is about speak, a door can be heard sliding with a cheerful voice
"We've brought sensei nyaa!"
A mature looking man in a lab gown appear with 2 nurses behind him, after that two familiar face joined the group, the girls and the doctor share a nod before he stops at the foot of the bed, it somehow made the raven haired girl nervous all of a sudden, she unconsciously gripped the hand of the one holding hers, it made the purple haired girl look into her
"Are you okay Nicocchi?" she said not leaving her worried expression
"I g-guess" she replied with a weak voice
"Good day Yazawa Nico-san. I'am Hideki Takeshi one of the doctors here" The doctor smiled at her and started observing every little movements and every little reaction coming from the patient "All of us here were glad that you've wake up already, its already been five days since you've been brought here"
"Y-yes" the doctor notice it already, the nervousness of the girl since he entered the room
"We will be observing you for a while, it may take weeks or months until you recover enough" he pause waiting for reaction of the girl on bed but he receive nothing "For now these nurses will take your vital signs and give you some pain reliever"
Nico eyed the nurses as they walks near her and took her vital signs, the other girls were watching too. She made no resistance until they bring out an injection and gesture it through her. Nozomi felt the sudden tightness on Nico's hand then she saw Nico scoot her way into her, she stand up immediately and hug the raven haired girl, she felt Nico's body trembling from fear.
"G-get those things away from me!" She shouted while stuttering
"Yazawa-san these are for your pain" the nurses tried to plead
"I-I don't need it! I'm fine, I don't feel any pain!" she declare tightening her hug towards her friend
Nico made everyone surprise, first because of her sudden outburst and second from the fact that her body recovered quickly than they expected. The doctor eyed the patient. Indeed if she feel any pain, it will be painful enough for her just to move an inch of her body. The people inside the room could only think one thing why Nico doesn't feel any pain.
"The patient is fine" He called the attention of the nurses "She will be alright without pain killer" the nurses arranged their equipment and bowed to Nico, they return behind the doctor.
"Where is Nishikino-san?" He look among the girls but she didn't found the girl that she's looking for
"She said that she need some fresh air so she get out" the blonde replied
"I see" the doctor said then turn her face into her nurses "Find Nishikino-san and check her status" he commanded, the nurse bow at him then walks away, the 7 girls know what is on the doctor's mind.
He eyed the trembling girl on Nozomi, the purple haired girl trying to make her friend calm down "Yazawa-san" he called the raven haired girl, the doctor just wants to help Nozomi from making her calm but sadly he has an opposite effect. Nico jerks when her name was called and buried her head deeply on her friend's chest. The doctor sighs at the situation, this is more serious matter than he thought.
"I guess I'll leave for now, It's up to you guys" For her patient, he decided to leave "Sonoda-san? Can I speak to you for a while?" he called the girl and gesture to come with him.
Umi nods and follow him out of the room and Eri, Nozomi, Rin, Hanayo, Kotori and Nico were left, they watch Nozomi comforting Nico to calm down. After a couple of minutes Nico finally relax and lie on her bed again.
"Thank you" She avert her eyes, somewhat embarrassed on how she acted earlier
"You're always welcome Nicocchi" Nozomi smiled warmly at the girl
"And I'm sorry Eri" the raven haired girl said she played off her embarrassment by teasing the best friends, this made the blonde give a quizzical look, she didn't know why Nico is apologizing but the purple haired girl knows what Nico meant.
"Giving such a joke like that, I guess you're really fine right now" The smile that she gave on Nico earlier was replace by a sly smile that makes the raven haired girl's spine shiver
"I-im just joking!" she gave more distance between them and she asked "By the way where is Honoka?"
"Honoka-chan said that Tsubasa-san needs something to do so she can't come with us" the grayish brown haired girl replied
"Honestly, can't they be separated?"
The girls give her a weak laugh "By the way Nico" Eri started, she gained the attention of the lying girl "Do you remember now why you are here?"
She gave them an awkward smile "I remember now, I was attacked by a man then luckily I survived"
All of the girls face Eri, while the blonde is having a hard time how to explain everything to the raven haired girl "The truth is.." she paused finding the exact words, she face Nozomi who's waiting for what she's about to say, then the purple haired girl give her an encouraging smile, they locked their eyes for a while and swallowed the lump forming on her throat, she return to Nico who's eyebrows are raise towards her "T-the truth Nico is you didn't survive" she notice the expression of the other girl, she was giving the blonde now a dumb look. Eri explain it further for Nico to understand "You didn't survive Nico, after that accident you died, you were brought here at the-"
But Nico cutted Eri's words "What are you saying? If I died then I wouldn't be here talking to you guys" she stated giving a disbelief voice
"About that Nico-"Then heard the sliding of the door, and saw the blue haired girl walking towards Eri
"Eri" Umi sounds serious and whisper something, after exchanging few words the blonde tell something to Rin and Hanayo and Rin did a salute position
"We need do to something Nico-chan, Rin and I will visit you again"
"See you later nyaa!"
Hanayo and Rin bid their goodbye while waving to the raven haired girl. This leaves the 3rd years and pair of second years. Nico felt the sudden change of atmosphere so she asked
"What's happening?"
"It's nothing" Eri said trying to make a façade mask but Nico seems to be not convince by it
"First you're saying stupid thing like I died and now you're hiding from me though it's quite obvious by judging your faces that something's happening" she's getting irritated, are they somehow making fun of her?
"Nicocchi, Ericchi is right, you already died once and due to an odd circumstances you were given another chance to live" Nozomi said trying to make everything calm
"W-what do you mean?" Nico sounded nervous, she can't comprehend what her friends is trying to say to her.
"As what I said Nicocchi, you died and were given-"
"I mean how? Why?" Nico burrowed her eyebrows more as she throws question into her purple haired friend
"Do you know about the 'contractors'?" Nozomi asked then receive questioning look from the raven haired girl, she explains "A contractor is someone who is able to form contracts with a dead human. They are like a fallen angels who defy their God and was casted out of their place to our world, at their proper age they will be going to what we called hell, so to be able to live in our world as long as they want and repent their sins they give half of their souls to 'us' humans whom their God loves so much. You didn't luckily survive but luckily met one of them Niccochi"
Nico gave her friend a blank expression believing none of what Nozomi had just said "Is this some kind of new joke?"
"Your wounds will be enough evidence" Nozomi said and this made Nico look throughout her body "You were slaughtered and no normal person would survive on that accident, your wounds quickly heals up and leave no scars on your body. For some reasons your body is supposed to be painful just moving an inch of it but you feel nothing" the purple haired girl stated like 'as a matter of fact'
Nozomi's right. Nico checks some of her wounds, her wounds as far as she remember should be all over her body but there's no wound even scars that can be seen. B-but there's no way-
"Two of those contractors were standing right next to you, if you still don't believe us then they'll prove it"
It made the raven haired girl look at them and travels her eyes all over the room to find the two contractors that she said but she found no one other than her friends
Upon seeing Nico's action Nozomi continue "Umi and Eri were contractors, Kotori and I made contracts with them" Nico grew her eyes wide open "As well as Hanayo and Honoka, Rin and Tsubasa were their contractors"
"W-what?!" Nico sputtered, she scanned Eri and Umi's figure from head to toe and back and forth
Eri give a weak laugh at Nozomi "I'm still not used to this Nozomi"
"Me too" Umi said to Eri bowing her head due to embarrassment that she could feel with Nico looking at her
Then they heard the Raven haired girl, laughing too hard while pressing her belly "O-okay" she said between her laughs "You made me laugh guys, I'll give you a 100 points"
"Nicocchi" She was warned, her friend's smile now became a sinister smile, her laugh faded immediately
"I-I know I'm sorry, but I can't help it! I lived all of my life not believing any stories like that and now you're saying that I'm living my second life right now because of a fallen angel-"
"Contractors Nico, we don't like how we called like that" Eri interjected
"Whatever, 'Contractors' if you say so. And now you're saying that my friends are some fallen-"
"Contractors" Eri correct her again sounded irritated this made her burrowed her eyebrows further as she continue
"-that my friends are contractors?" she finish and saw Nozomi sighing at her
"I know it's hard to believe it Nico at first, we can't blame you, and you'll get used to it"
"But still I can't see Eri and Umi as a Fallen Angel"
For the third time that Nico called them 'fallen angel' Eri didn't interjected, all the girls except Nico look at the blonde, she was somewhat annoyed and boiling deep inside. Nozomi smiled at this rare sight
"Nico-chan Its 'Contractor'" Kotori smiled weakly reminding the raven haired girl
Nico jerks when she remember her mistakes, she got tense and nervously looks at Eri who's giving her an irritated glare. She never saw Eri giving her one of those looks before.
"Uhmm...Right, 'contractors'. I'm sorry" Nico fearfully apologize
"That's right" Kotori clapped her hands "If Nico-chan can't still see you Umi-chan and Eri-chan as a contractors, why won't you show them something?" she stated in her usual sweet voice
"Like what Kotori?" Umi questioned her
"Your wings Umi-chan" she smiled giddily to Umi "It's been a long time since I saw it"
"B-but Kotori, it's embarrassing" she flails her hand in front of her, rejecting the offer, this produce a pout at kotori's lips
Nozomi watch the two converse and face Eri "How about you Ericchi?" this made the blonde look at her "It's also been a long time since I saw your wings" she said almost motherly, Eri couldn't make an irritated face in front of her best friend, her face quickly softens.
The blond puts her index and thumbs at her chin, she pondered for a while watching the two second years. It seems Umi is too shy for this. "Sure" she agreed
The raven haired girl watch as the blond walks towards a place with a wide space, at the other side of the bed near the windows. Eri stopped from walking and stand there silently, she rested one of her elbow on her hand. And there she saw behind the blonde, the falling white snows outside of the windows, it gives her an anxious feelings. She was too fixated at the snow and didn't realize that Eri was elegantly spreading her alluring black wings coming from nowhere, until she notice some of Eri's feather gracefully falling.
It was like a déjà vu, she felt nostalgic, she conjure up the memory that day. The feathers that are falling that day are not black but white, the person she saw that day isn't Eri but an amethyst eyed crimson haired girl with a deadpan expression.
The events that day resurfaced to her, the fear, nervousness, anger, desperate and hopeless feeling came into her again. She tucked herself more at the comforter and cover her face with it. "I got it already, could you guys leave me alone for bit" she said under the comforter.
The sudden shift of Nico's behavior made everyone worry, Eri flapped her wings once then withdraws it. "Are you okay Nico?" she asked sincerely "Did I surprise you?"
But they receive no answer from the raven haired girl, the girls look into each other. Knowing what other is thinking, they face Nico under the comforter again "I guess it's too much for you Nico, we will leave for now and return tomorrow to check you"
The girl watch the raven haired girl hoping for any reactions but sadly they receive nothing again. They stand up and prepared their things, when they are about to walk out of the room, she heard Nozomi.
"Happy new year Niccochi"
What's 'happy' about this year?
The raven haired girl was released in the hospital after several days due to her unusual quick recovery, she was also consented by her doctor Hideki Takeshi to enter the school like she usually does.
Nico was currently taking her shower, she still can't believe that she's living her second life right now, nothing changes and unusual is happening. She checks her petite body from her shoulders to toes noting any scars but still she's amazed that nothing left on her body. Everything that Nozomi explained to her still hasn't sunk in into her. After her tantrums, her friends didn't talk about it anymore, they are being considerate to her.
So who is this 'contractor' that give me a chance to live again?
The image of the girl that night came into her, she shook her head. It's possible but I don't want to do anything with that girl. She walks out of the bathroom, prepared herself to school and then she heard her phone, she took it and notice 1 mail.
From Nozomi. She open her phone and reads it
"Nicocchi I need to talk to you, I'll wait you at the clubroom"
Something important?.She thought then replied "Okay"
She took all her belongings and before she head outside, she glance at the small altar at their living room
"I'll leave now Kotarou, Kokoro, and Kokoa"
She closed the door and step outside, just feeling the cold wind makes her anxious, this made her remember that day.
But what if she's my contractor?
She made her way towards their gate and then felt something, this made her look at her left and right. I feel like someone was looking at my direction. But she found no one, it didn't make her calm instead make her more observant with her surroundings. It seems that I'm traumatized with that accident.
When she's about to head through her school, she saw her neighbor waving to her, they greeted each other
"By the way Yazawa-san, ever since you come home from your vacation-"
Well not really vacation, I'm on Hospital. She inwardly laugh
"-there was young girl at your doorway every night I think she had same age like yours, though I can't really see her face she's always sleeping there head on her knees"
"I-is that so?" she sounded nervous all of a sudden, that creeped her out
"I just wanted to tell it to you, be careful on your way to school"
Well I am wrong to think that everything is still normal
She purposely made her way towards the school quickly, by stepping bigger than her usual steps then headed into their clubroom. I need to talk to Nozomi about this. She opens it hoping to see Nozomi but she isn't there, no one is there.
She turn the lights on and the empty clubroom came into her view, she put her bag down to their table then made her way towards the windows.
It is her usual routine whenever she's the first one to come at their clubroom, she will open the windows and wait for the person at the music room next to their club room to play the grand piano. Even the winter wind is cold, it is bearable if the consequences is she could hear that pianist.
It is odd for her, the person on the music room will only play the piano whenever she's alone at the clubroom and will stop few minutes before someone will come. She also tried to open the music room but it's always locked, no one knows who the person behind the music room's door is. And it's kinda funny because it became one of the seven mysteries at their school. It's already been a year since she encounter this mysterious person and acquire this kind of routine.
She lean at one of their tables, the cold wind still gives her an anxious feelings but it quickly disappears when she heard the key of the piano, making a slow soothing music, the piece that was being played was heartwarming. They said that musician express their emotions though their music.
I guess she's in a good mood again today
The raven haired girl stayed like that for a while, eyes closed, she miss this during the whole winter vacation. Nico carefully listening to the music and the feelings of the pianist that she's conveying. Until the music shifted from a slow paced to a slightly fast paced, from the piece that was played it seems that the pianist is kinda irritated.
Is she angry now?
This surprised her she never heard this person played in that way, she was always playing this kind, gentle and slow music, but somehow give a boost to her feelings that she knows what that person is going though right now.
She's good even at this kind of music.
And then after a few minutes the music stops. Ah too bad someone's coming already She close the windows to protect her from the cold wind and heard the door sliding, she turn to face the girl and there she saw the purple haired girl that she's waiting for
"Goodmorning Nicocchi" Nozomi greeted brightly "What are you doing?"
She eyed her friend as she put her bag down at the table "Good morning. It's nothing" She felt something was missing with Nozomi and then she remembered
"Where's Eri?" she questioned
Nozomi calmly sat at one of their chairs, not leaving the bright smile that she had
"She's gone to pick up your 'contractor'"
Ha?!
A certain blonde was in front of the music room next to their club room, she took the doorknob to enter but its locked, she sighed and hold the knob tight and twisted it, the door finally opened. She walks into it and close the door.
Inside the room was the girl that she's looking for, sitting on the bench, feeling the music that she's playing on the grand piano with her eyes closed, and her crimson hair was gently swaying due to the wind coming from the windows.
"Maki" she called trying to win the other girl's attention "I heard from Umi that you collapse the day Nico woke up"
There was silence, she got nothing, Maki continued playing with her calm expression, after a few seconds a cold wind came inside the room again, Eri shivered from this. The blonde gesture at the window.
"Maki, the cold will have a great effect on you now unlike back then" but before she could walk near the window to close it she notice the crimson haired girl change her playing pace, she had an idea what Maki wants to say to her, she sighs.
"Fine, I won't close it" she said while walking away from the window
"How did you manage to come in?" Finally the crimson haired girl speaks, she questioned the blonde still busy with the piano.
"It became easy for me to unlock that door because you're abilities started to weaken since you already form a contract with Nico" the blonde eyed Maki, her calm expression shifted into a passive one.
Eri wants to have a flow of conversation to Maki, noting that the other girl sounds irritated and doesn't want to talk to her. When she receive another silence she started again
"Hideki-sensei said that she's traumatize with that accident, the way Nico reacted to a sharp objects and when a man tried to get near at her" She waited for Maki's reaction and she seems gotten her attention, the crimson haired girl's eyes were open now and giving a stoic expression.
Good this is getting somewhere.
"You know that this will happen. So you at least took all the pain that Nico will feel after she woke up, you know that even her wounds are completely healed the pain will still reside" Eri said preoccupied on eyeing the other girl. Maki is unconsciously changing her pace into a more fast one.
"But your calculations were wrong, you thought you could handle it because we are unlike humans, we are stronger than they are but your abilities had weaken, the same with your resistance to pain and because of that you collapse when you channeled Nico's pain into your body"
Eri gave her thoughts with a stern expression and then Maki stopped playing the piano and gives her a deathly glare. The blonde smiled inwardly at this, she felt victorious.
"What do you want with me?" the crimson haired girl snarled at her.
"I just want you to introduce yourself properly to Nico" Eri stated nonchalantly when she saw Maki averting her gaze and being reluctant at the idea she continue "You can't go on like this Maki, somewhere in the future-"
"You're a persistent one Eri" Maki burrowed her eyebrow
"I'm just doing what I think is the best" The blonde give her an apologetic smile
Maki sighed at this
"Fine, I'll do it"
Folks! I recently got Final Fantasy XIV! Whaaaaaaa~
Sadly I can't play with the same server with Nanjolno, Ah my heart is breaking into pieces.
Another one, Goddess Pile is coming here at Philippines, GHAAAADDDD… I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER.
Okay enough myself, you're blabbering again.
Honestly speaking, I'm relieved when I see the reviews and never thought that someone would feel glad that Nico died, that made me smile Reviewer-san.
Forgive me for unusual way of starting a story everyone.
Upon receiving those reviews, I got inspired more and started to write this chapter immediately while getting excited for your thoughts about this story. Will they like it or not? Am I going to disappoint them? Did the chapter live into their expectations?
So guys giving your thoughts will really help me. I'm really glad about the reviews and those who fav'ed and follow this story
See you on my next chapter, Ciao~
*Finally opens the launcher and plays FF XIV
