Chapter 17: Shrine
I don't own anything except for the plot and the OCs.
Somewhere in Tokyo...
An alley with a small statue of a snake could be found hidden in the red light district of the city. If one would walk in without knowledge, they would get lost in the maze-like path created by the buildings. If it is someone with certain knowledge or incredible bad luck, the path inside the alley will lead them to an average-looking building.
This building had the appearance of a commercial design. It was a three-story building with a white faded shade and a few sets of windows. Once a person enters that particular building, a receptionist awaits them wearing a snake pin on their shirt.
The receptionist will ask that person a question and if one were to say the wrong answer, expect that person never to see the light of day ever again.
The right answer will lead a person to an elevator that only goes down and at its deepest level, rows of white doors will greet them.
Within those doors were acts of sin that would make an average person retch with disgust. It might even involve multiple acts of torture, murder, sex, and slavery. These doors have the customers that pay tribute to the white snake statue erected in the center of them.
Behind that statue, a white double door will be seen and at its side stood two large muscular men who were wearing white suits. These men were expressionless but one could see by their bearing that they had killed numerous people. They had multiple scars on their faces and a tattoo of a snake around their necks.
Inside that double door, the whole room was dark with only a little illumination coming from the dozen monitor screens behind a desk. A man was sitting on the couch that faced the desk. He was a large man yet he was smaller than the guards outside the door. His face was dripping in sweat even though the whole dark room was air-conditioned. His hand was holding a tablet tightly like it would be his lifeline.
"So, the Oro Sciabola's princess got away into their territory." A smooth male voice came from behind the desk. A person was sitting behind the desk but his face was hidden because he was facing the monitor screens.
Every monitor was connected to the rooms on the deepest floor. It was showing the disgusting side of humanity yet the man watching had a smile on his lips.
"Yes, it seems that she had a bodyguard accompanying her, Boss. We already had investigated the background of that person and she was famous overseas." The nervous person sent a file using his tablet that had shown up on the center monitor screen.
"Oh, it's a she? That's interesting." The man behind the desk uttered as he saw an image of a smiling ginger-haired woman facing Ricci's daughter. "Rossa Leone..."
"It's the name that our men found when they asked around the informants. She was mostly known as the 'Ginger Devil' due to her wearing a devil mask in underground concerts and her ruthless performance on the field." The large man responded quickly as he straightened up his back on the couch.
"...Is that everything you found? It doesn't seem to be much." The man facing the monitor slowly turned to his front. He was a handsome middle-aged man with a charming smile yet his black eyes were cold as ice. His black hair was slicked back and he was wearing a white suit with a snake patterned tie.
"Boss...Our men couldn't find any more personal information about her. She appeared out of nowhere 8 years ago beside Oro Sciabola's right-hand man. Only her nickname and her appearance in concerts were found by the informants. Her operations were almost non-existent because of Oro Sciabola's cleaners." The large man was shaking in fear as his boss smiled at him yet his eyes were growing colder by the minute.
"So you are saying that our group is incompetent when we are facing Oro Sciabola's men? Because that seems to be what I am hearing from you." The handsome man leaned on his chair and relaxedly his head on the back of his hand.
"No! We need more time! What I mean is that our men need more time in finding more information and we'll be ready to take on Oro Sciabola's heiress." The large man stood abruptly and was about to lean forward to plead but he stopped when he felt a sharp object in front of his neck.
He never noticed the person who was standing behind him that came out of the room's darkness. The person was holding a katana with its blade facing the large man's neck.
"Excuses. If that is all then you are excused." The man behind the desk flicked his hand nonchalantly as if shooing away the trash in front of him.
"What?" It was the only thing that the large man could utter before the katana moved and slashed his neck open. Warm blood splattered all over the white tiled floor as his body slowly fell like a puppet without strings.
"Kill everyone under this trash's team and take their family to be sold in our auction. Do this much more discreetly than usual because the Sonoda dog's nose is following our trail once more." The man gave out his orders and the person nodded in affirmation. He then added, "Tell Kuma for me that he and his team were now assigned to kidnapping Oro Sciabola's princess."
The person bowed before he disappeared into the dark corners of the large room. The handsome man turned to the monitors once more and clenched his hand into a fist.
"Oro Sciabola, you have been a thorn in my side for far too long. Once I get your princess in my hand, I'll turn her into my toy and I'll make you watch as I play with her." A chilling smile came to his lips as he watched the monitors.
Kanda Myojin Shrine
"Kanan~!" A glomp came to the dark blue-haired woman from behind. Thankfully, her strong physique saved them from falling on the hard cold floor of the shrine. Kanan turned around inside her blonde lover's embrace and patted her on the head with a smile.
Her lilac eyes met her other lover's turquoise eyes who were climbing up the stairs of the shrine. The black-haired woman sighed when she received Kanan's sheepish smile.
"Geez, Mari-chan. It's like you haven't seen each other for years now." A teasing voice came from behind the two embracing women. Mari turned to face a familiar grin and narrowed her eyes at her.
"You're one to talk Chikacchi! You're hanging all over You-chan right now." The blonde woman retorted back.
The former leader of Aqours, Takami Chika, was draped over her childhood friend and lover, Watanabe You, making it hard for the gray-haired woman to move. Their other lover, Sakurauchi Riko, was following them with a smile and was carrying a few bags that seemed to contain books.
"Eh? But we haven't seen You-chan for years now!" The 21-year-old woman was brushing her cheeks against the gray-haired woman whose cheeks were increasingly red.
"Chika-chan, there are other people here. This is kind of embarrassing." You said to her lover with blushing cheeks. Her blue eyes were watching the people who had finally reached the top of the stairs that stood with Dia.
"Oh, you're right. I didn't think that you'd still get shy around other people. I mean, you and Riko-chan get excited when I am watchi-" A pair of hands blocked the orange-haired woman's mouth. It came from the auburn-haired woman who was too late to stop her lover's blubbering mouth.
You and Riko's cheeks were a bit red and they both had the urge to bury themselves underground when they heard Mari's cackling laughter paired with Kanan's chuckles.
"For God's sake, we are in a shrine. Have some decorum in a sacred place, please." Dia's exasperation could be heard in her voice. Her hand was already massaging her forehead from the incoming headache.
"Well!" Mari clapped to gain everyone's attention. She finally found the time to release her lover. Her eyes turned to the two people who were watching her friends with amused faces.
"Let me introduce the three of you to my cousin from Italy, Michelle Ricci. She came to visit Japan with her bodyguard, Ross Leone." The older blonde pulled the younger one to face the three women. The ginger-haired bodyguard was following them closely from behind.
"My name is Michelle Ricci, I am pleased to make your acquaintance." A bright smile came to the blonde teen's lips while her green eyes were bright and gentle.
"It's a mini Mari-chan. She has a normal greeting, it's amazing." Chika was mumbling at Riko's side which gave her a weak elbow hit.
"Are you really Mari-senpai's cousin?" Riko looked at the teen with doubts in her eyes.
"That's rude, Riko-chan~! Of course, can't you see the similarities between us? I mean, I know I am much more gorgeous but-" Mari placed her arm around her cousin's shoulder.
"Are you sure you are related to that?" Riko pointedly asked the younger girl and ignored whatever Mari was saying.
"Unfortunately, yes," Michelle responded with an understanding smile.
You laughed at her answer. She held her hand towards the younger girl and gave her a charming smile. "Hi there, Ricci-san. I am Watanabe You, it's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Watanabe-san. You can call me Michelle, I am not used to hearing people call me by my last name." Michelle said before shaking the older woman's hand.
"Well then, you can call me with anything you are comfortable with, Michelle." The gray-haired woman released the teen's hand.
"C-can I call you You onee-chan? I-I mean you're older than me." Michelle asked with a shy smile on her lips. The look on her face was so pure and innocent that it almost gave You a heart attack.
"Of course, you can!" You returned a wide grin at the younger teen.
"I can't believe this, Riko-chan! You-chan is blatantly flirting with younger girls in front of us!" The former idol leader was draped over her pianist girlfriend dramatically.
"Stop being ridiculous, Chika-chan. I'm just being friendly." You denied with a smile at her girlfriend, one who was sighing at the ridiculousness of their shared girlfriend.
"I feel like I have heard of this conversation before," Kanan commented as she turned to the smiling ginger-haired man behind Michelle.
"See, I told you that I was just being friendly." The ginger-haired 'man' whispered to his young charge.
"Your 'friendliness' is on a whole different level," Michelle whispered back in a mocking tone. She only received a bright grin from the ginger-haired man.
"Hello there, Ricci-san. I'm Sakurauchi Riko. It's a pleasure to meet you." The pianist introduced herself with a polite smile and offered her hand for a shake.
"It's nice to meet you, Sakurauchi-san. You may also call me Michelle. I am a big fan of you as a fellow pianist." The young blonde accepted the older woman's hand with a wide smile.
"Thank you for the support, Michelle. You can also call me by my first name if you'd like." Riko's face was slightly flushed as she replied to the young blonde. It was always her reaction when she heard that someone was a fan of her.
"Okay, Riko onee-chan." Michelle beamed back a smile that reminded the auburn-haired woman of her senior who was watching them with an amused grin.
"It's my turn!" A hand raised from behind Riko and came forward the orange-haired woman with a bright smile resembling the sun. She energetically reached out her hand to the young Italian and introduced herself. "Hi, there! I'm Takami Chika! It's nice to meet you, Ricci-san. You can call me Chika onee-chan like Riko-chan and You-chan."
Michelle giggled at the straightforwardness of the older woman, reminding her of her servant, and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Chika onee-chan. You can call me Michelle."
"You heard that You-chan?! I was called onee-chan." Chika grinned brightly as she turned to her two lovers, one was sighing while the other was giving her a supporting grin. She faced back at the blonde teen who had a curious expression.
"I've always wanted a younger sister who can call me that since I am the youngest in our family," Chika explained with a happy smile painted on her lips while Michelle's green eyes brightened.
"I see, I can understand." The young teen replied with a soft yet sad smile, definitely remembering a painful past. A pat on her left shoulder dragged her immediately away from those memories. Blue eyes met her green ones and they only looked out once she nodded back, signaling that she was okay.
The three women immediately noticed the ginger-haired 'man' beside Michelle who turned his warm blue eyes at them with a smile.
"Hello, Takami-san, Sakurauchi-san, Watanabe-san. I am Ross Leone, Michelle's bodyguard. It's a pleasure to meet such gorgeous women today." Ross grinned at them brightly, he would've kissed their hands if only Michelle wasn't pinching her waist. Riko and You slightly blushed from the smile with a sense of familiarity that came from their orange-haired lover.
"It's nice to meet you too, Leone-san!" Chika energetically replied with an equally bright smile which made the ginger-haired man slightly chuckle.
"We might need sunglasses if we added Mari's smile with those two," Dia commented on the side, her eyes squinting while watching the two redheads interact with each other.
"You might be right." Kanan agreed with a small laugh as she turned to her blonde lover who gave her a bright smile in return.
"Oh~! Since we are already here, how about we offer some prayer for our trip?" Mari suggested with the group when they finished their introductions. Her trio of juniors stood side by side while her cousin and bodyguard paired together.
"That would be nice. I have always wanted to try it when I saw it in some anime." Her younger cousin looked back with shining green eyes filled with excitement. The ginger-haired bodyguard glanced at her with gentle blue eyes and a pat on the head.
"What was that for? I told you to stop treating me like a kid." Michelle pouted at her servant and ducked under her hand. She received a chuckle in return for her action.
"It's because you're cute. Cute girls get head pats in this country, don't you know?" Ross replied with his charming smile before putting his hands in his pockets.
"You are making that up," Michelle muttered before they both heard a voice not far away from them.
"W-what are you doing, Chika-chan?" The auburn-haired pianist asked her orange-haired lover who suddenly gave her and their grey-haired lover pats on the head.
"They said that cute girls get head pats. You're both my cute girls so I should give you two head pats." Chika replied with a cute grin as she reached up to pat her taller girlfriend. The two women blushed at her blunt compliment before You muttered that she was the cute one and patted her in return.
"Ah~! What should I do? My lovers are not cute, rather they are both tall, sexy, and beautiful~!" Mari jokingly said out loud as she turned to Dia and Kanan, amused at their juniors' spectacle.
"In Italy, beautiful girls get kisses on their lips." The ginger-haired bodyguard quipped from the side and watched them in amusement.
"Oh~! Then, being a half-Italian, it is my responsibility to follow our custom." The blonde woman gave her two lovers kisses on the lips despite Dia's refusal. She pulled away after being satisfied with a large grin.
"What should I do, Riko-chan? I'm Japanese." Chika said to her auburn-haired lover as she glanced at the older women with envy, insinuating that she also wanted to imitate their act of public affection. The other girl was saved from replying in embarrassment when You laughed softly.
"I don't think that's the problem, Chika-chan."
Michelle stared accusingly at her servant who was chuckling behind his black-gloved hand. She jabbed him with her elbow before saying, "Look at what you started. Come on, I can't take this kind of atmosphere."
"What did I do?" Ross said innocently, before following the blonde teen towards the shrine, leaving the group of lovers behind. The former members of Aqours quickly noticed their movements and promptly joined them to offer prayers in the Kanda Shrine.
Their group lined up with Michelle and Ross standing behind them. The ginger-haired bodyguard explained to his charge how to pray in a Shinto shrine. The other women finished before the pair had their turn so they stood in a distance, waiting for them.
'Please always keep my loved ones safe and healthy. Also, please grant me the chance to have my freedom back. Please…give Umi-chan and Kotori-chan happiness for as long as they live.' The ginger-haired bodyguard prayed solemnly in his mind before walking away with his young charge by his side when they both finished.
"What did you ask for?" Ross was curious because he knew that Michelle was not the religious type.
"The usual like for the safety and health of our family. Oh, I also prayed for you. With your recklessness, I think you'll need it. You always get into trouble when I am not looking." The blonde teen replied with a teasing smile. She laughed at the surprised expression of her bodyguard.
"It's not like I am looking for trouble. It always finds me." Ross muttered lowly, glancing away from his young charge. They reached the group who was looking at them curiously.
"Well, now that we are done." Dia clapped her hands once, catching the whole group's attention. The black-haired woman turned to her three juniors. "Are you three busy this evening?"
"We don't have any plans, why?" Their former group leader replied to her two lovers after conforming to them with a momentarily glance.
"Michelle-san invited us for a concert performance sponsored by her family later this evening. Do you want to come with us?"
"Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun." Chika agreed her eyes bright with excitement.
"So will we be taking Mari's van to the location or your bodyguards will be driving us there?" Kanan asked the youngest of their group who was watching them decide.
"It's okay for you six to take Mari's van. I'll ride along together with Ross and the others. You can follow us to the concert's location." Michelle replied with her ginger-haired servant's nod. It would indeed be weird if a 'man' joined inside the van of six women who were strangers to them.
"Then let's go~! This will be interesting!" Mari cheered and winked at Ross who chuckled back at her nervously.
The former members of Aqours were inside Mari's van which had a colorful design following a black car towards their destination. The three older women sat on the front seat while behind them was their former group leader with her partners beside her.
"Hm.." The orange-haired woman sitting between her lovers pondered to herself, arms crossed while thinking.
"What is it, Chika-chan?" You, turning away from the city street view on her left, asked her girlfriend who keeps making confused noises beside her.
"I don't know why but Leone-san feels very familiar to me," Chika replied to her question with furrowed brows.
"Oh~! When I first met Ross, it also reminded me of you, Chikacchi." Mari said cheerily, driving from the front seat.
"I agree. I feel that you two were kind of similar, especially in the terms of, how should I say it… The only word I can think of is special." Kanan added from the front seat close to the car window.
"Well, I disagree. I think she is more troublesome than Chika-san." Dia commented sitting between her two lovers. Kanan was holding her right hand intertwined with the dark blue-haired woman's hand. "At least, Chika-san doesn't flirt around with anybody."
"You don't know, Dia-san, how popular Chika-chan was in the university." Riko was reminded of her girlfriend's troublesome charm before the pianist declared their official status in public.
"Eh? But aren't you much more popular than me, Riko-chan? I mean, you have a fan's club back there." Chika mentioned, with a puzzled expression on her face directed to her auburn-haired girlfriend.
"You also have a fan's club, Chika-chan. You just don't notice them. You thought they were being friendly with you." You laughed slightly, remembering the jealous rants Riko had about their mikan lover girlfriend.
"Okay, if you say so, You-chan." Chika pouted before returning to the previous topic about the ginger-haired bodyguard. "But, I don't think that Leone-san and I were similar though. If I were to say the feeling I get from him is…like he is similar to the wind!"
The orange-haired woman's lovers turned to her with a confused expression so did the three older women, Mari peeking at her from the mirror with a curious expression.
"How do you say so, Chikacchi?"
"Eh? I can't explain it clearly…But it was on the tip of my tongue. Hmm, I think Leone-san is like the wind in an open field. That is the feeling I get from him." The former leader of Aqours crossed her arms and explained with furrowed brows.
"I kind of get it but at the same time, I don't," Kanan responded with a small chuckle.
"Is it like when I think of Chika-chan, I get reminded of the sun?" You asked from beside her orange-haired lover who turned to her with bright rouge eyes.
"That's exactly it, You-chan! Thanks! " Chika kissed her grey-haired lover's cheek in gratitude, who blushed slightly when they heard their blonde driver cooing from the front seat.
"So that is why Leone-san feels familiar to you, Chika-chan?" Riko asked while pulling the orange-haired woman back from their flustered girlfriend.
"Eh? No, that is not why he feels familiar to me. I don't know why I get the feeling that I have seen him before and for some reason," Chika touched her chest where she felt that her heart was pounding. "It seems very important to me."
"Ack-! Why are you suddenly pinching me, Riko-chan?" The orange-haired woman exclaimed as she turned to her auburn-haired lover who pinched her side with an intense glare.
"Hmph." Riko turned her head away from them, crossing her arms after she pulled back from Chika but one could easily see the pout on her lips. On the other side of the confused former school idol leader, the grey-haired woman grabbed her hand so tightly which made Chika flinch in pain.
"You-chan?!"
"Oh~! The flames of jealousy!" Mari chimed from the driver's seat before laughing loudly. Dia sighed as she had seen all of it happening from the rear mirror while beside her, Kanan chuckled before the dark-haired woman commented cheerily, "You haven't changed a bit, Chika."
From that, the conversation went away from the ginger-haired bodyguard but Chika had a feeling that her questions would be answered as long as she pay attention to that mysterious person during their celebration days.
A/N: Hey, I'm back. I've been busy for the past year or so. I had to re-read the story again to remember the plot again since I'm obviously winging it from the start. I'll be continuing this on probably a monthly basis or so.
Fun Fact: Honoka's male version of the song Love Marginal is the voice of 'Ross' in my head.