PART II: Jealousy
III.
Early the next day, Aoi marched up to Bokuto station. He would make sure that the little she-devil, the little BRAT would be more apt a term, would keep away from trouble. Especially when she was so close to Yoriko.
Aoi wrenched open his locker and began to don his clothes.
The quickest and smartest way to deal with an enemy was to stick very close to her.
With a firm nod, he headed out the locker room, nearly colliding with Natsumi.
"Natsumi! You're.um.early.and it's your day off." He uttered, confused.
Natsumi didn't hear him. She dashed towards the stairs at the end of the hall.
"SEMPAI! WE DO NOT RUN IN THE HALLS!" Saori's indignant shriek resounded in the stairwell.
"Two words. Officer Toukairin." Yoriko grinned at Aoi.
"Ah, good morning, Yoriko," Aoi said cheerfully. His eyes grew cold as they descended on her companion. "Skuld."
"Good morning, Aoi," Skuld said, unfazed.
"Well," Yoriko said, waving her hands in front of her as if to blow away the tension in the air. " I was just about to show Skuld our File Room. She figures the least she could do is tranfer our files into a secure database."
"Oh. That sounds like a plan. I'll join you."
"What?" Yoriko said in surprise as Aoi grabbed her arm and fairly dragged her down the hall. "But it's no big deal, I can just."
"There's thousands upon thousands of files there, surely you wouldn't mind some male assistance to carry things around. I." Aoi stopped then.
Yoriko eyed him strangely. "Yeah, sure, Aoi. Whatever you say."
Skuld watched the scene before her with growing interest.
* * *
Natsumi bounded up the steps leading to the roof. Her heart was pounding from.exhilaration? Anticipation?She shook her head and laughed a little. She didn't really care. She'd been feeling lightheaded since Toukairin's call late last night.
The door swung open. Temporarily blinded by the brightness of the sun's rays, she rushed on. As her vision cleared, she noted a familiar figure emerge from the tent.
She slackened her pace, walking slowly towards him. His face was more visible now. As was the rest of him.
She frowned, squinted. Was that a snake?
She gasped and ran forward. He smiled, but she barely noticed, her gaze centered on the dark-skinned.
.arms? She realized as hands trailed across Toukairin's chest.
She stopped then. And stared. She really couldn't do much more.
A million emotions overcame her, threatening to make her move forward and do something really stupid. The urge to cry was fast overtking her senses.
That would've been the stupidest thing to do.
She turned and ran back towards the station.
* * *
"NATSUMI! WAIT!" Toukairin shouted. The hands grasping him tightened their grip. "Hey, hey let go!!"
"NO!" She cried out piteously.
"NATSUMI!" Toukairin wrenched himself free from the stranger's grip.
Lightning and thunder filled the clear blue skies.
* * *
Miyuki jumped as thunder echoed around her. She glanced up at the sky in consternation. Aside from the occasional burst of lightning, the weather seemed fine.
A bit chilled, she kept her attention on the road again. She was relieved to see a familiar figure on her side mirror.
"Good morning, Nakajima-kun," She greeted,
"Kobayakawa!" He adjusted the speed of his motorcycle to match with her car. "Where are you headed?"
She shook her head. "Nowhere in particular. It's my day off, so I'm driving around."
"I see. I'm uh, heading towards Zapper, if you'd like to join me. Uh, ah, I mean, Sena would be glad to see you. And I'm sure you'd love to see Megumi-chan."
"Megumi?" Miyuki said, taken aback. "Um, won't she be in school?"
"Oh, right. Well, ah." Nakajima coughed. "Well, I'd better be on my way now."
"I'd love to join you," Miyuki said quickly.
The two drove in comfortable silence towards Zapper. They stopped by the garage.
A flustered Sena came rushing out to greet them.
"Customers? Or potential racers? Please, please come in!" Sena sighed in relief. "Ken, Miyuki! It's been such a busy day; what with the racing preparations, registration, and minding the store. Honda-san had to go off again on some racing tour and we're pretty much short-handed."
"Oh! Do you need help with anything?" Miyuki asked.
"No, no," Sena said cheerfully. "It's all starting to come together now that I've hired some extra help."
"Excuse me," A soft voice uttered through the open doorway. "Would anyone like some tea and snacks? Oh, visitors!"
The enchanting face accompanying the equally beautiful voice broke into a warm smile. Fair skin, long hair, large, innocent eyes; and a soft, lilting voice. Every man's epitome of a perfect woman.
Nakajima could do no more than openly gape at her. Miyuki noticed after she herself got over her own surprise over the vision before her. What she failed to see was the figure who slid out from under one of the cars.
"Is that cake, Bell? Thanks." Keichi crammed one piece in his mouth, then bent over to resume his task.
A bit rattled, Miyuki moved over to familiar territory. She bent over the car and started discussing the repairs. The stranger was very much impressed and carried on a lively conversation with her.
Miyuki felt a stirring at the back of her neck. She noted that the nuts and bolts on the ground seemed to vibrate. She looked up to see the lovely stranger staring at them much with the same expression Miyuki had sported earlier. Their gazes met. And locked.
Moments later, both expressions softened into a smile. An invisible bond of friendship had formed.
After all, it was not in either woman's nature to hate.
"I'm Belldandy, and this is Keichi," She began. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Miyuki."
"Miyuki." Belldandy turned questioningly to the other figure. It was only then that Nakajima broke off his stupor.
"Er."
"This is Ken," Sena said proudly. "My son."
"Oh. Oh, dear." Belldandy looked from Nakajima to Sena.
"This is actually quite easy to explain." Miyuki began.
"Ah!" Belldandy exclaimed then. "She had one of those plastic surgery things, right?"
Silence filled the garage, followed by joyous laughter.
* * *
"For someone who was near to pretending I didn't exist yesterday, you've had an astounding turnaround. You haven't left our side all day, Aoi Futaba. Have I made a believer out of you?"
Aoi snorted. "Staying close to you is a good way of ensuring you don't cause any trouble. What do you want from me, anyway?"
Skuld sighed deeply. "One wish. Plain and simple."
"I wish you'd go away."
"That's not what your heart is saying." Skuld shrugged. "If I bother you so much, then quit following me."
"While you stay close to Yoriko?"
"Tomorrow I'll hang out with Saori."
"Very well."
"So it's just her, is it?"
"Excuse me?"
Skuld cocked her head knowingly. "I've been gathering data on you, seeing as you've been so uncooperative. Once I finish my analysis, I will know for myself your true heart's desire. And I will stop at nothing to ensure you get it."
"It's time to go home, Skuld!" Yoriko called out. "See ya, Aoi!"
Skuld smiled. "Until tomorrow then, Aoi Futaba."
III.
Early the next day, Aoi marched up to Bokuto station. He would make sure that the little she-devil, the little BRAT would be more apt a term, would keep away from trouble. Especially when she was so close to Yoriko.
Aoi wrenched open his locker and began to don his clothes.
The quickest and smartest way to deal with an enemy was to stick very close to her.
With a firm nod, he headed out the locker room, nearly colliding with Natsumi.
"Natsumi! You're.um.early.and it's your day off." He uttered, confused.
Natsumi didn't hear him. She dashed towards the stairs at the end of the hall.
"SEMPAI! WE DO NOT RUN IN THE HALLS!" Saori's indignant shriek resounded in the stairwell.
"Two words. Officer Toukairin." Yoriko grinned at Aoi.
"Ah, good morning, Yoriko," Aoi said cheerfully. His eyes grew cold as they descended on her companion. "Skuld."
"Good morning, Aoi," Skuld said, unfazed.
"Well," Yoriko said, waving her hands in front of her as if to blow away the tension in the air. " I was just about to show Skuld our File Room. She figures the least she could do is tranfer our files into a secure database."
"Oh. That sounds like a plan. I'll join you."
"What?" Yoriko said in surprise as Aoi grabbed her arm and fairly dragged her down the hall. "But it's no big deal, I can just."
"There's thousands upon thousands of files there, surely you wouldn't mind some male assistance to carry things around. I." Aoi stopped then.
Yoriko eyed him strangely. "Yeah, sure, Aoi. Whatever you say."
Skuld watched the scene before her with growing interest.
* * *
Natsumi bounded up the steps leading to the roof. Her heart was pounding from.exhilaration? Anticipation?She shook her head and laughed a little. She didn't really care. She'd been feeling lightheaded since Toukairin's call late last night.
The door swung open. Temporarily blinded by the brightness of the sun's rays, she rushed on. As her vision cleared, she noted a familiar figure emerge from the tent.
She slackened her pace, walking slowly towards him. His face was more visible now. As was the rest of him.
She frowned, squinted. Was that a snake?
She gasped and ran forward. He smiled, but she barely noticed, her gaze centered on the dark-skinned.
.arms? She realized as hands trailed across Toukairin's chest.
She stopped then. And stared. She really couldn't do much more.
A million emotions overcame her, threatening to make her move forward and do something really stupid. The urge to cry was fast overtking her senses.
That would've been the stupidest thing to do.
She turned and ran back towards the station.
* * *
"NATSUMI! WAIT!" Toukairin shouted. The hands grasping him tightened their grip. "Hey, hey let go!!"
"NO!" She cried out piteously.
"NATSUMI!" Toukairin wrenched himself free from the stranger's grip.
Lightning and thunder filled the clear blue skies.
* * *
Miyuki jumped as thunder echoed around her. She glanced up at the sky in consternation. Aside from the occasional burst of lightning, the weather seemed fine.
A bit chilled, she kept her attention on the road again. She was relieved to see a familiar figure on her side mirror.
"Good morning, Nakajima-kun," She greeted,
"Kobayakawa!" He adjusted the speed of his motorcycle to match with her car. "Where are you headed?"
She shook her head. "Nowhere in particular. It's my day off, so I'm driving around."
"I see. I'm uh, heading towards Zapper, if you'd like to join me. Uh, ah, I mean, Sena would be glad to see you. And I'm sure you'd love to see Megumi-chan."
"Megumi?" Miyuki said, taken aback. "Um, won't she be in school?"
"Oh, right. Well, ah." Nakajima coughed. "Well, I'd better be on my way now."
"I'd love to join you," Miyuki said quickly.
The two drove in comfortable silence towards Zapper. They stopped by the garage.
A flustered Sena came rushing out to greet them.
"Customers? Or potential racers? Please, please come in!" Sena sighed in relief. "Ken, Miyuki! It's been such a busy day; what with the racing preparations, registration, and minding the store. Honda-san had to go off again on some racing tour and we're pretty much short-handed."
"Oh! Do you need help with anything?" Miyuki asked.
"No, no," Sena said cheerfully. "It's all starting to come together now that I've hired some extra help."
"Excuse me," A soft voice uttered through the open doorway. "Would anyone like some tea and snacks? Oh, visitors!"
The enchanting face accompanying the equally beautiful voice broke into a warm smile. Fair skin, long hair, large, innocent eyes; and a soft, lilting voice. Every man's epitome of a perfect woman.
Nakajima could do no more than openly gape at her. Miyuki noticed after she herself got over her own surprise over the vision before her. What she failed to see was the figure who slid out from under one of the cars.
"Is that cake, Bell? Thanks." Keichi crammed one piece in his mouth, then bent over to resume his task.
A bit rattled, Miyuki moved over to familiar territory. She bent over the car and started discussing the repairs. The stranger was very much impressed and carried on a lively conversation with her.
Miyuki felt a stirring at the back of her neck. She noted that the nuts and bolts on the ground seemed to vibrate. She looked up to see the lovely stranger staring at them much with the same expression Miyuki had sported earlier. Their gazes met. And locked.
Moments later, both expressions softened into a smile. An invisible bond of friendship had formed.
After all, it was not in either woman's nature to hate.
"I'm Belldandy, and this is Keichi," She began. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Miyuki."
"Miyuki." Belldandy turned questioningly to the other figure. It was only then that Nakajima broke off his stupor.
"Er."
"This is Ken," Sena said proudly. "My son."
"Oh. Oh, dear." Belldandy looked from Nakajima to Sena.
"This is actually quite easy to explain." Miyuki began.
"Ah!" Belldandy exclaimed then. "She had one of those plastic surgery things, right?"
Silence filled the garage, followed by joyous laughter.
* * *
"For someone who was near to pretending I didn't exist yesterday, you've had an astounding turnaround. You haven't left our side all day, Aoi Futaba. Have I made a believer out of you?"
Aoi snorted. "Staying close to you is a good way of ensuring you don't cause any trouble. What do you want from me, anyway?"
Skuld sighed deeply. "One wish. Plain and simple."
"I wish you'd go away."
"That's not what your heart is saying." Skuld shrugged. "If I bother you so much, then quit following me."
"While you stay close to Yoriko?"
"Tomorrow I'll hang out with Saori."
"Very well."
"So it's just her, is it?"
"Excuse me?"
Skuld cocked her head knowingly. "I've been gathering data on you, seeing as you've been so uncooperative. Once I finish my analysis, I will know for myself your true heart's desire. And I will stop at nothing to ensure you get it."
"It's time to go home, Skuld!" Yoriko called out. "See ya, Aoi!"
Skuld smiled. "Until tomorrow then, Aoi Futaba."