Michiru's eyes sparkled. "Thank you so much, Osamu-san! Haruka will love this... thank you for picking it up for me! I wanted to have it today, but the concert took up all of my time."
Osamu smiled. "Of course. I apologize, though, for not realizing..."
"No, it's all right. I ought to be leaving, though. Stop by tomorrow and see us?"
"Hai, I want to hear how it goes. See you, then."
*
Osamu shook his head as he walked to his car. He should have guessed, really. Amusing as it was, he still felt a sort of regret. He wasn't really over Rona yet, anyway. He didn't think he'd ever be over her, not really. Haruka's car went by him, speeding out of the lot, and he watched it go in surprise. At least he understood, now... about her hostility. Tomorrow would be different, though, when he went to give his congratulations. He walked to his car.
A burst of light knocked him flat, and he heard a malicious giggling, high pitched and squealing.
*
Haruka didn't go home. She drove, on and on, clutching the steering wheel as if it was the last thing holding her down. Her head spun, she felt dizzy... and from a distance she felt something dark and twisted. Near Michiru. And she turned her car around, driving faster than she could ever remember driving. She was back at the parking lot, and there was a creature...
It towered, not over Michiru, but Osamu, and Haruka fought with the urge to just turn away, ignore it. She flinched at the shrieking laugh, saw the creature turning toward her. And floored the gas. There was a crunch as the car connected, plowed right through the flesh of the creature, and Haruka winced as her thoughts were suddenly directed to the damage to her car.
Then she was out of the car and running... She stopped over Osamu; his eyes were closed, face bloodied. "Stay away from her," she hissed. "Stay away from us." She left his unconscious form lying there. A security guard was calling for help.
Osamu smiled. "Of course. I apologize, though, for not realizing..."
"No, it's all right. I ought to be leaving, though. Stop by tomorrow and see us?"
"Hai, I want to hear how it goes. See you, then."
*
Osamu shook his head as he walked to his car. He should have guessed, really. Amusing as it was, he still felt a sort of regret. He wasn't really over Rona yet, anyway. He didn't think he'd ever be over her, not really. Haruka's car went by him, speeding out of the lot, and he watched it go in surprise. At least he understood, now... about her hostility. Tomorrow would be different, though, when he went to give his congratulations. He walked to his car.
A burst of light knocked him flat, and he heard a malicious giggling, high pitched and squealing.
*
Haruka didn't go home. She drove, on and on, clutching the steering wheel as if it was the last thing holding her down. Her head spun, she felt dizzy... and from a distance she felt something dark and twisted. Near Michiru. And she turned her car around, driving faster than she could ever remember driving. She was back at the parking lot, and there was a creature...
It towered, not over Michiru, but Osamu, and Haruka fought with the urge to just turn away, ignore it. She flinched at the shrieking laugh, saw the creature turning toward her. And floored the gas. There was a crunch as the car connected, plowed right through the flesh of the creature, and Haruka winced as her thoughts were suddenly directed to the damage to her car.
Then she was out of the car and running... She stopped over Osamu; his eyes were closed, face bloodied. "Stay away from her," she hissed. "Stay away from us." She left his unconscious form lying there. A security guard was calling for help.