"Are you alright, miss?" the blonde man asked. "This is all my fault - I
should've looked where I was going."
"No need to worry", Machi said, with a fake smile - her hands were
pounding painfully. "I'm alright."
She withdrew her hand from his, and the instant his support was removed, she fell to the ground.
I must've twisted my ankle, she thought, making a face. "Are you hurt?" the man said, with a worried wrinkle in his forehead. He put his coat around her, before saying: "Here, let me help you."
As easy as if she'd been a small child, he lifted her. The situation was annoying and, not a little embarrassing - it looked like they were groom and bride! "Where were you going?" the blonde man asked. "Oh, just. for a walk", Machi replied, struggling to get down. "You can put me down if you want, I think I can manage to get home anyway." "Sorry miss, I don't think I can allow that", he said, still not letting go of her. "These are unsafe area, a lady like you could get into trouble."
Machi stopped struggling. Remember that you're a weak young lady, and there's probably a nice reward on your head. this man could turn into a killer in an instant if he finds out, she thought. "How 'bout I carry you to the café nearby?" the man offered. "Does that sound ok with you?" "Sounds like great", Machi said, and found herself feeling quite comfortable in his arms. "Lead the way."
"I feel much better now", Machi admitted later, when they sat together in a café booth. "But I think I'll wait until the rain's stopped."
Why did she make up excuses to continue her conversation with him? This had to end - right now. ". well, I hate to say this, but I've got to move on", the man said, apologizing. "I've got an appointment, and it's quite important." "Oh."
Well, he ended it himself. good for him, she thought. Or was it really good?
He stood up, and walked towards the door. Machi thought the situation over - for about tenth a second. "Wait!" she said, and stood up. The result was instant - she fell to the ground, for the second time that day. When she looked up, he crouched by her side. "Um. I- you forgot your coat!"
Then, he smiled. "It's ok", he said, helping her to stand up. "I can have it the next time we meet." "Great. How 'bout tomorrow?"
What? Did she just say that?! "Tomorrow will be great", he said, still smiling. "I've got a proposal." "Again? Well, the idea 'bout the café was great. shoot." "Well, how about us going on a date tomorrow? Well, personally, I'm not really into those things, so I thought a movie could be fun. How about it?" "Sounds great to me", Machi said. "Outside the café at 7 p.m.?" "Gotcha." He smiled wider, before backing out from the café (and bumping into two customers on his way out.)
She was in a good mood when she returned to the headquarters. "You- you backstabbing bit-"
Machi threw herself to the floor in order to avoid the punch. "Shizuku?! Shizuku, what do you think you're you doing?"
Machi raised herself from the dirty ground, and was staring furiously at by Shizuku, whose fists were clenched. "I- I trusted you!" the girl sobbed. "I thought we were friends, but here you are, going behind my back - with Shalnark!" "Shizuku." "Yeah, what?!" "There's nothing going on between me and Shalnark", Machi said slowly, fixing her yellow eyes into Shizuku's dark. "And even so, you can't change the fact that you're ten years younger than he is. Face it, little girl - there isn't, and will never be, anything between the two of you. Unless, of course, he's taken a sudden liking on children." With those words, she turned away and walked into the depths of the building, ignoring the screams from the girl with glasses. "Oh, long time no see, miss. I haven't walked in on you for a while."
Sheesh, not another one, Machi thought, and turned to meet the voice. She didn't even bother to make a fake smile. "Yeah, why don't the two of us keep it that way, Hisoka. Just tell me what you want, clown, and get lost. I bet you're dying to tell me, aren't you?"
She carefully released one of her Nen- threads, and played with it between her fingers. "No fighting between the members of the Spider", he reminded, eyeing the small thread. "But, I guess sleeping between us is ok?"
A bad little thought popped into her mind: He knows.
I really don't have any time for this, Machi thought, and rolled her eyes. "Just leave your message, and go", she sighted. "I'm a busy woman." "I'm sure you are."
The clown actually smiled at her! "Tomorrow, at five p.m., at the museum", he said. "We're gonna be dressed as ordinary citizens." "Why?" "You, me and Nobunaga will be there to protect Shalnark. His mind- control remote will do the job for us, but we must be there to avoid certain. distractions." "I'll be there..." she said calmly, but her mind was shouting: Five p.m.?! Oh shit, There won't be enough time!
She withdrew her hand from his, and the instant his support was removed, she fell to the ground.
I must've twisted my ankle, she thought, making a face. "Are you hurt?" the man said, with a worried wrinkle in his forehead. He put his coat around her, before saying: "Here, let me help you."
As easy as if she'd been a small child, he lifted her. The situation was annoying and, not a little embarrassing - it looked like they were groom and bride! "Where were you going?" the blonde man asked. "Oh, just. for a walk", Machi replied, struggling to get down. "You can put me down if you want, I think I can manage to get home anyway." "Sorry miss, I don't think I can allow that", he said, still not letting go of her. "These are unsafe area, a lady like you could get into trouble."
Machi stopped struggling. Remember that you're a weak young lady, and there's probably a nice reward on your head. this man could turn into a killer in an instant if he finds out, she thought. "How 'bout I carry you to the café nearby?" the man offered. "Does that sound ok with you?" "Sounds like great", Machi said, and found herself feeling quite comfortable in his arms. "Lead the way."
"I feel much better now", Machi admitted later, when they sat together in a café booth. "But I think I'll wait until the rain's stopped."
Why did she make up excuses to continue her conversation with him? This had to end - right now. ". well, I hate to say this, but I've got to move on", the man said, apologizing. "I've got an appointment, and it's quite important." "Oh."
Well, he ended it himself. good for him, she thought. Or was it really good?
He stood up, and walked towards the door. Machi thought the situation over - for about tenth a second. "Wait!" she said, and stood up. The result was instant - she fell to the ground, for the second time that day. When she looked up, he crouched by her side. "Um. I- you forgot your coat!"
Then, he smiled. "It's ok", he said, helping her to stand up. "I can have it the next time we meet." "Great. How 'bout tomorrow?"
What? Did she just say that?! "Tomorrow will be great", he said, still smiling. "I've got a proposal." "Again? Well, the idea 'bout the café was great. shoot." "Well, how about us going on a date tomorrow? Well, personally, I'm not really into those things, so I thought a movie could be fun. How about it?" "Sounds great to me", Machi said. "Outside the café at 7 p.m.?" "Gotcha." He smiled wider, before backing out from the café (and bumping into two customers on his way out.)
She was in a good mood when she returned to the headquarters. "You- you backstabbing bit-"
Machi threw herself to the floor in order to avoid the punch. "Shizuku?! Shizuku, what do you think you're you doing?"
Machi raised herself from the dirty ground, and was staring furiously at by Shizuku, whose fists were clenched. "I- I trusted you!" the girl sobbed. "I thought we were friends, but here you are, going behind my back - with Shalnark!" "Shizuku." "Yeah, what?!" "There's nothing going on between me and Shalnark", Machi said slowly, fixing her yellow eyes into Shizuku's dark. "And even so, you can't change the fact that you're ten years younger than he is. Face it, little girl - there isn't, and will never be, anything between the two of you. Unless, of course, he's taken a sudden liking on children." With those words, she turned away and walked into the depths of the building, ignoring the screams from the girl with glasses. "Oh, long time no see, miss. I haven't walked in on you for a while."
Sheesh, not another one, Machi thought, and turned to meet the voice. She didn't even bother to make a fake smile. "Yeah, why don't the two of us keep it that way, Hisoka. Just tell me what you want, clown, and get lost. I bet you're dying to tell me, aren't you?"
She carefully released one of her Nen- threads, and played with it between her fingers. "No fighting between the members of the Spider", he reminded, eyeing the small thread. "But, I guess sleeping between us is ok?"
A bad little thought popped into her mind: He knows.
I really don't have any time for this, Machi thought, and rolled her eyes. "Just leave your message, and go", she sighted. "I'm a busy woman." "I'm sure you are."
The clown actually smiled at her! "Tomorrow, at five p.m., at the museum", he said. "We're gonna be dressed as ordinary citizens." "Why?" "You, me and Nobunaga will be there to protect Shalnark. His mind- control remote will do the job for us, but we must be there to avoid certain. distractions." "I'll be there..." she said calmly, but her mind was shouting: Five p.m.?! Oh shit, There won't be enough time!