The Platform Surfers
Chapter 5:
Moving in, and a funeral.
********
A few days later, Ran was at her house, plucking at her Kotocaster. The sun was shining, and Kiyoka was busy cleaning the kitchen, Yamato was sleeping, daddy Taizou was playing go-ban, and Sayo was watching the news, when the doorbell rang…
"Coming," said the girl with the pink meshes. She opened the door, and she saw a girl in semi-ragged uniform, carrying a large suitcase of clothes, personal stuff, and makeup, her blonde hair still intact, though dirty, and she was wearing a very downtrodden expression. "Wh…who the hell are you?" she said, quizzically.
"A friend of your older sister's," she said in a monotonous voice.
"Oh? You mean Ran?"
"Hai."
"Okay, I'll get her, tachuu!" she said gleefully. "Older sister, it's your friend!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Ran said, skipping down the stairs. She came to the door, and when she saw her, her energy started to falter. "S…S…Satsuki? What happened to you?"
"What's going on over there?" asked Taizou, getting out of his chair and coming to the door. "Excuse me, but you have to leave, all dirty and stuff…"
"Father! She's my friend!"
"I don't give a wolf's ass is she's your friend! She needs to get cleaned NOW!"
"That's why I'm taking her to the bathroom to clean up and change. Come along, Satsuki," said Ran, dragging her dogged friend upstairs.
"Father," asked Sayo, "…what just happened?"
"I don't know," was the response, with a scratched head.
"But father always know everything!" She was jumping, waving her arms a bit.
"Sheesh…"
***********
Satsuki took a 30-minute bath, and changed into some clothes that Ran gave her. Now she looked like an exact twin of Ran, in a way, without the red mesh. For Ran, though her heart sank like a stone in vinegar. As if having to head a band was bad enough, now she had a homeless friend to take care of.
"Satsuki," said Ran, "what is this I hear about your failings at Waseda? I thought you were a very good student!"
"Actually," she said, "here's how it goes: I couldn't pass the entrance exam to Waseda, despite my high standing at Kounan, and then some middle-aged asshole from off the street takes 10,000 yen from my possessions, and then my parents just did not accept me because of everything I had been through as of late."
Ran nodded.
"I tried everything to get money back," she continued. "For a few months, I was an enjo-kosai person, then I worked at every cheap job I could find. All I received was enough yen to call Rie to call you, and then arrive at this house. I slept of the sidewalk, slept in cars, slept at stranger's homes, did everything to survive…I'm an outcast to society." She was crying bitterly, the tears staining her milky white face.
Ran drew her close, and hugged her tight, comforting her while she was crying. "Satsuki…" she whispered. "I will take care of you from now on. Don't worry about it. You've got me. I'll make sure you get back on your feet. Just don't worry, everything's gonna be all right, Satsuki. Everything's gonna be all right." She felt like a mother caring for her child, only the child was her friend, crying like a lost child, wanting to find refuge in heaven.
"Please, Ran-chan," she choked, through the tears. "Please let it be so…"
Suddenly the door slammed open.
"Ran…" said Yamato, "what th…WHAT IN THE NAME OF KAMI!? ARE YOU TWO LESBIANS!" Ran went up to her brother, and slapped him.
"Ultra baka aniki! This is my friend, she needs some friggin' shelter. You had no right to barge in, you asshole!"
"Wha…I'm sorry, Ran. I'll leave you guys to yourselves. Damn…"
"Hello, we're GALS, not…" He slammed the door. "…guys. Satsuki, why don't you rest for a while. I'm going downstairs. Good night."
"G…good night, Ran." She closed her long-tired eyes, and began to dream into heaven.
************
"Hello, father, mom, how are you?" said Ran as she went down to eat breakfast.
"Young lady," said Kiyoka, "what is the meaning of this situation? Why did you bring a stranger to our house?"
"Stranger? What are you talking about? She's my friend, and she homeless, and I need to take care of her, mom. She has no place to go, she has no money, and I am her last grasp of happiness!"
"I don't care," said Taizou, with a irate rage. "We do not allow strangers to our household, you understand that?"
"Look, Dad, Mom, I know having another member in our house is bending the rules, but you guys are police officers, right? You have to give some hospitality to my friend! Please?"
"Taizou," said Kiyoka to her husband, "I think our little pumpkin's right. We may need to help her and her friend out."
"Never fear my dear," he said with a grin. "Okay, Ran, you may let your friend stay here for a while. But if she causes any trouble in our house, and basically destroys the integrity of this family, she is gone, period. Do you understand this, Ran?"
At that point, Ran hugged her parents so tightly, they almost choked. "Oh, sankyu, sankyu, sankyuuuuuu!" she whined gleefully.
"Hey, minna, check this out on the news," said Sayo, watching intently.
"This just in," said the news anchorman for TV Tokyo. "Japan, and possibly the world, has lost its greatest angelic star a star which is now in the heavens. 24-year old singing superstar Ayumi Hamasaki, died of injuries at Fujiyoshi Medical Center at 8:10 A.M. this morning. The singer was sent to Fujiyoshi after suffering a car crash on the way from a visit with her friends, in which she wore her seatbelt. The car's driver, fiancée Tomoya Nagase, apparently was driving under the influence of alcohol, and went 235 km/h on a 2002 Toyota Camry before crashing into a wall. Nagase was declared dead at the scene. He was a member of the band Tokio.
"Hamasaki's 5th album, Rainbow, is expected to be released in 3 weeks. Once again, a nation, and the world, mourn the loss of Asia's greatest singer. She is survived by her mother, father, both separated, and younger siblings. More details at the 9:00 hour. In other news…"
Sayo was stunned, but when Ran heard the news, she went hysterically postal. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Not Ayumi! Not her! She was so cool with everyone. And now she's gone!!? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!??????" Ran began to unravel crazily. It seemed as if her heart had been ripped apart, into pieces, and burned into forgotten ash. Sayo also shed tears as well upon seeing this. "Dammit, no! What the hell has happened to the world I lived in?" She was now on her knees, full of hopelessness and despondence.
"It's okay, Ran," Taizou said, hugging her still-tearful daughter. "It's okay."
"Oh father," whimpered Ran. "My favorite idol, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone…WHYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!????" She cried so loud, and so long, that she started to faint, and then sleep. She was now lifeless, still conscious, but drained, and still crying, as if her life had been stripped of her.
"Hey, everyone, what's going on here," said Satsuki, yawning. "Are you okay, R-what the…Ayumi is DEAD!!? Shibuya is now in mourning. Oh, man, no! And I thought losing everything I had was bad…now THIS!"
"What? Ayumi is dead?" said Yamato, coming downstairs.
"Ran suffered a nervous breakdown because of that," said Kiyoka, comforting Ran, along with Taizou.
"Just my friggin' luck." His phone rang. "Hello?"
"Yamato-kun…" stammered Miyu over the phone.
"You found out, too…?"
"Aw hell, it's awful! I always looked up to Ayu-chan! Now she's dead! Yamato-kun…" Her heart was in distressful panic.
"Miyu, it's gonna be fine…"
"Yamato-kun…"
"The funeral for the now-late Ayumi Hamasaki will take place at 7:35 AM Sunday morning at St Ignatius Church in Kojimachi," continued the anchorman. "This will be a private funeral, with 200 expected to attend. 25,000 fans are expected to watch the funeral service from outside the church, as well as the convoy, which will transfer Hamasaki's body to Yasukuni-Jinja, where she will be buried, inside a circle of cherry-blossom trees, with the Imperial Palace as a backdrop. The funeral service will be in English and Japanese. Eulogy will be read by friend and singing sensation Namie Amuro. On the caravan, the Tokyo Imperial Dragoon Bagpipe Chorus will accompany on the convoy to Yasukuni-Jinja.
"A select number of Hamasaki's famous songs, such as TO BE and SEASONS, will be sung by the Juuban Koukou Memorial Choir. In lieu of flowers, the family and friends of Ayumi Hamasaki request that donations be forwarded to the Ayumi Hamasaki Salvation Fund and to the Ayumi Hamasaki Children's Relief Institute of Shibuya…."
Ran, suddenly stopped crying, and said, "You guys, I'm walking on over to my room. I'm pissed." She trod back to her room upstairs, Satsuki following.
**********************
The next few weeks were difficult. After the funeral of Ayumi passed, and the gravestone was placed, Avex, Ayumi's record label, was on the verge of collapse. And collapse it did. Just 1 week after the funeral. Masato "Max" Matsuura announced to the public that the company was closing its doors, and Avex would fold. In addition, the fashion trends set by her died down. Gone were the schoolgirl outfits, the Gothic outfits, any outward fashion expression. In their places were casual, informal clothes. And to add insult to lack of sophistication, the economy of Japan saw a downward spiral. The Nikkei Index dropped 760 points, and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was ousted from office. He would commit suicide a few days later, his funeral insignificant. It seemed that Ayumi was remembered, then forgotten.
Obviously, it was only a few weeks before the Platform Surfers would begin unleashing their first single, according to Usagi and Mamoru. The album would be created in a year. Miyu and Aya were busy writing and composing their songs, and Ran was still feeling very depressed. Her genki self, the Ran Kotobuki that everyone had been familiar with, had been destroyed into billions of granular pieces, and she was locked in her room, Satsuki sleeping, after watching MTV Asia film a 3-hour documentary on Ayumi's life.
It was a very cold January 1st, and her parents, Sayo, and Yamato were already at a New Year's celebration, so she took a bath, and then asked to herself, "What kimono should I wear? The red one with sakuras? Or the blue one with purple orchids?" She wrestled with the two thoughts, and then decided to go for the blue one, since this was a depressing (read: kanari blue) situation indeed.
Putting on her platform getas, styling her hair with a couple of sakuras and red orchids, and holding her good luck bag, Ran walked out the door. As she left, she wondered if she should head to the same temple she had been heading with her family? Or should she…? She then finally thought, "I haven't been to Ayu's grave, so…I guess I'll head there."
Ran took a 30-minute ride to Yasukuni-Jinja. As she got off the station, she walked though the trees, looking for Ayumi's grave. After searching, she found a half-ring of trees. In front of the trees, or in the center, lied a headstone with a stylized "A" on top. Below it read: "AYUMI HAMASAKI, 1978-2002. HERE LIES JAPAN'S GREATEST ANGEL. WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, AYU. FLY HIGH." There was no one in the vicinity of the area, everyone was somewhere else.
When she found the headstone, she went to it, got on her knees, and hugged it. Then she closed her eyes, stammering a few lines from Ayu's first song, "Poker Face," before weeping bitterly. After she hugged the gravestone, she opened her eyes. To her surprise, the gravestone-no, the grave itself disappeared!
"What the…" Ran rubbed her eyes, and looked at where the grave still stood. "It's not …here? How…is…this…possible…?"
"Hello, Ran," said a voice inside her head. Ran closed her eyes, still kneeling, now in meditation. "Do you know who I am?"
"You sound like Ayumi," replied Ran to herself. "Wait a minute. Who are you."
The voice giggled, then said, "Don't worry about a thing, Ran. It's me. Ayumi Hamasaki. Remember?"
"Ayumi Hamasaki!!? But, isn't Ayumi dead?"
"Now look here. I may be dead and forgotten in the hearts of many people in Japan right now, but how can I be dead when people like you, Ran Kotobuki, remember me, and want me to come back?"
"Remember? Come back? Wait a second! I still don't think you are who you think you are. I mean, I think you are."
"Open your eyes, Ran. I am here."
Ran opened her eyes, and a ghost in human form arrived. She was wearing an angel's outfit. The face and hair seemed familiar, it must be…
"AAAAAAHHHH!" Ran jumped a few steps back. "A ghost! I am scared of ghosts!"
"Oh, please, Ran," Ayumi's ghost said, a bit exasperated.
"A-Ayu? You're alive…?"
"Of all the people that ever adored me, it was you who still believed in me. That's why I'm still here, and I'm waiting for you, and you've arrived."
"Ayu-sama, why are you speaking to me? What is this?"
The ghost put an assuring hand on Ran's shoulder. Ran felt warmed, as if a real hand was on her shoulder. "You shouldn't worry about things too much, Ran-chan. I'm here."
"Ran-chan? First you arrive out of nowhere, now you call me Ran-chan? I must be dreaming or something."
"Come. Get up. Let's take a bit of a walk." The apparition got Ran up, in which she was surprised, and they took a walk through the trees.
********************
"So, Ran-chan," said Ayumi (author: I won't call Ayumi's ghost "Ayumi's ghost", I'll call her Ayumi from now on, or Ayu), "you're starting a band, right?"
"Uh-huh," she said, a bit scared. "The…Platform Surfers. But, before we got to that, tell me how you…you know…"
"It's a long story," she said, the two of them walking. "I was finished chatting with my friends the other night, and Nagase-kun was ready to take me home. But you should realize, Nagase-kun was a drunken punk. He never really cared about me. He just wanted to drink, and drink, and drink sake. Taking some LSD and mushrooms didn't help either. Nagase-kun wanted me to jump in his car; he was gonna take me home. I wanted to take the train home, but Nagase-kun? He assured me that he was sober. So I accepted. That was the worst decision of my life. A fatal one."
"A fatal one?" Ran asked to Ayumi.
"Mm-hmm. And then, Nagase was driving out of control. I begged him to slow down, but he was full of road rage. He went so fast, he crashed into a wall. The next thing I knew, I became like this. I was told by the man upstairs that I should come to his place, but he also gave me the alternative of becoming a guardian angel, as a gift for all my work I did."
"A guardian angel?" Ran asked again.
"A guardian angel controls the person's conscience he or she guards."
"So what you're saying is…"
"I'm gonna control every part of your body from now on."
"What the…no way!"
Ayumi laughed. "I'm kidding. I'll be in your body, but I'm gonna combine my persona and integrity with your persona and integrity. You and me will be in the same body, and, well…"
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," said Ran. "You got it all wrong."
"Hey, if I don't control half of your conscience, the world will not be what is was before I got killed. Besides, I'm gonna use me to help you become a better person, and eventually, a true protégé of me. Got it?" Ayumi winked.
"Ayu…I'll do whatever it takes to keep your spirit alive."
"Good. All you have to do is hug me."
"Hug you?"
"Just do it. It won't hurt."
Ran slowly put her arms around Ayumi, as if she was a real person. A few seconds later, she hugged air. "Ayu-chan…where are you…" She suddenly felt herself being controlled. She ran, jumped, skipped, twirled…."What is going on…"
"Yay!" said Ayumi in Ran's head! I am a human being again! I guess this is what reincarnation looks like! Make that, FEELS like! Yaaaaaaay!"
"Easy, easy," said Ran, who settled herself. "Man, I can't believe I'm doing this…" She was still skipping and jumping, when she tripped. "See what you made me do?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ayumi, who immediately made Ran punch herself in the gut.
"Ouch! Please, relax, Ayu…"
"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Well, now that I'm in you 24/7/365, where to next?"
"I'm gonna head over to the Hachiko statue. My friends Miyu, Aya, Rei, Yuuya, and Tatsukichi are waiting there."
"Miyu? Aya? Rei? What the…? Who are these people?"
"Come, I'll show you." She immediately took the train to Shibuya Station, and walked over to the dog-shaped monument.
"Ran-pyon!" said Tatsuki, waving in the distance, coming to her.
"Tatsukichi! Sup!" said Ran.
"Wait a minute…what's with the hair, the complexion, and your voice? You don't sound like Ran, but yet you do, and you sound like Ayu, too…I get it! You had surgery on your voice box! And you decided to trash that hairdo of yours, with the red mesh being intact."
"Is this your boyfriend?" said Ayumi. "Looks cuter than Nagase-kun…"
"Yep. I didn't know that my hair is down to my shoulders…Tatsukichi, can you hand me a mirror?"
He handed Ran a mirror, and when she saw herself, her eyes went wide! "Oh…my…god!!! My hair…it's like Mamirin's…"
Ayumi's voice in her head snickered, then said, "Kawaii, ne?"
"You're telling me, Ayu-chan…"
"Are you talking to yourself, Ran-pyon?" Tatsuki quizzically interrogated.
"No, just the voice in my head…"
"Oh. Uki."
"Why is this guy acting like a monkey, Ran?" asked Ayumi.
"That's his nature," came the response.
"Some gentleman he is." Ran punched her head. "Itai!" whimpered Ayumi.
"Uki?" asked Tatsuki. "First, you talk to yourself, then you punch yourself? Are you all right, Ran-pyon? Very inauspiciousususussus way to start the year, ne?"
"It's really nothing!" said Ran, who now had Ayumi's high-pitched voice in her, waving her arms. "I…uh…gotta go, but first…" Against her will, Ran gave Tatsuki a long deep, passionate kiss (author: ! Already!!?), before leaving. "Ayumi! What the hell did you just made me do? You know I can't kiss a guy unless I am truly in love with him."
"Gomen, Ran-chan. I'm in love with him. Maybe you are, too…" was the reply.
"Look. Rule one: When you're in my body, you have to compromise with my soul. Rule two: I didn't even expect rule one to be implemented, because I was just leaving a hug at your grave, then leave. Rule three: Tatsukichi's mine. Okay?"
"I understand the first two rules, but not rule three. Ah well, I guess I'll let it slide this time…"
"This time? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, not just this time, ALL THE TIME."
"Sorry, sorry. You know what, Ran? How about going back to your room. You have a little surprise waiting."
"Oh great, first you come back from the dead, then you make me act stupid in front of my Tatsukichi, then I get a surprise in my room? God, and I thought my days at Kounan were bad, geh…" She hesitantly walked back home, upstairs, and slumped back in her bed.
"Open your closet," directed the spirit. Ran followed.
"What the…what are these clothes!!?" she exclaimed. "These are not mine's, they're…"
"Mine's," said Ayumi.
"No way! How did all this stuff come to my closet?"
"Apparently, your parents went to Avex Studios the day before they closed. All of my costumes were still there, and your father apparently decided to buy everything, and now they are in your room."
"Geh, I wonder if this will bit me," said Ran, taking off her kimono, putting on a pink half-kimono with kanji symbols and black jeans with skirt. "Hey, this actually fits me."
"This is what I wore at the MTV Asia Music Awards in Singapore," Ayumi explained.
"Machi? Chou kakkoii! Now it's mine! Hee, hee!" She immediately tried on every costume that Ayumi wore, before settling on a white jacket with white top and pants, bedecked with silver and diamonds, white platforms, and a fan. "Ayumi, I want to show you something." She took out from the pile of clothes her Kotocaster.
"What's this?" Ayumi asked.
"A Kotocaster."
"Kotocaster?"
"A shamisen-looking electric guitar that can be adjusted to look like a small koto. Has a whammy bar, too. Sounds like a cross between a guitar, a koto, and a shamisen."
"Chou cute!" How do you play it?"
"Like this." Ran strummed a few chords from "Walk, Don't Run" and "James Bond."
"Impressive! My concerts never had stuff like that."
"Looks like I'm at least one step ahead of the curve, hee, hee…"
"Okay…"
"Uh…" Satsuki started to stir a bit. Her eyes were still a bit bloodshot, but she felt sheer radiance in her. "Oh…Ran-chan…" She crept up to Ran and hugged her, before falling asleep, her drool staining Ran's new dress.
"Satsuki, what the hell are you doing? GET OFF!" said Ran, shaking Satsuki away. "Geez, the Satsuki I know has been replaced with a lecher!? Damn!"
"Oh! Sorry," she said, wiping the drool off her face. "I was dreaming about me surrounded by thousands of senpais…ooooh, I feel like I could throw myself at them. I don't mind having a companion or two…" Her voice was clearly drunk.
"Have you been drinking anything…?"
"No…just sake. The mild one, that's sweet. I love that stuff…ah…" She went back to sleep, still drooling from her rather uncouth fantasies. Ran let out a groan of disgust.
"My god, what a freeloader…nah. I'll leave her alone here." Her telephone rang immediately. "Um…moshi-moshi?"
"Ran…"
"Oh, Tsukino-san! How's your holiday?"
"It couldn't have been any better." said Usagi. "Wait a minute…your voice. Ran, have you been taking some type of estrogen pill that changed your voice to higher-pitched, almost nasal, like…Ayu's?"
Ran let out a giggle. "Don't worry too much, Tsukino-san. I'm just fine and dandy. So, what news?"
"Well, this evening, everyone of your band will be heading to Serenity to record a song. I've contacted everyone, and they want to do the songs for the demo as the first single, and as the first two songs on your forthcoming album in a year."
"Perfect. At what time should we be there?"
"16:30 the latest."
"Great. I'll see you there, Tsukino-san."
"Ja!"
Ran immediately called Miyu. "Hey, Miyu?"
"Ran-chan! Sup?" came the response.
"Listen, you won't believe this, but you remember what happened to Ayu last month, right?"
"Right…"
"Well, I was thinking, maybe we should do a tribute album to Ayu, as a bonus album. I know a few of the songs, but, it's still on the drawing board. What do you think…?"
"Ran! That's some intense words from you. No one has ever done something like that. Many bands do not want to cover Ayu's songs because only Ayu can sing that. I don't know…"
"Well, how about this?" Ran sang a few opening lines from Evolution.
"Oh…my…God…is this Ayumi on the line???" Miyu starting to squeal so loudly, it seemed as if she was on the brink of a orgasm. "Ayumi? Is that you? This isn't Ran, is it? I gotta pinch myself. This can't be Ayumi on the line? Ayumi is dead. SHE'S DEAD! But it sound as if this is actually her! WHO IS THIS!?" She felt as if she was on the brink of no control.
"Relax, relax, relax," said Ran. "It's me, Ran."
Miyu started to calm down. "Ran, you gotta explain what's going on here! Come to think of it. Tatsuki called me earlier and told me that you were acting strange when you talked to him at Hachiko. You even kissed him! (thought: Good for you!) What is going on here?"
"Okay, take a deep breath." She did. "Here's the story. Early this morning, I was heading off to the place where Ayumi was buried, and while I hugged her gravestone, it turned to air. Then this apparition of Ayumi-"
"APPARITION!!?" Miyu was shocked. "Are you joking here? Cause I know if you're joking or not…"
"Let me continue. So, after the apparition talked to me, she went in my body-"
"EEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! No way! That's freakin' impossible! How in the world…" Miyu was overwhelmed so much, she fainted.
"Miyu! MIYU!! Are you still there? Miyu!"
She regained consciousness after a few seconds, then said, "How could a dead person's spirit be inside your body!? HOW COULD IT!!?"
"Miyu, please! Calm down. Anyway, now I have Ayumi's voice, and sound a bit like her. I look like her, talk like her, think like her, I am her! But I still have Ran in me too! Weird isn't it?"
"Ran, you've…you've…you've…"
"I've what?"
"YOU'VE BECOME THE MOST WEIRDEST PERSON I EVER MET! How did something this crazy happen! And I thought your sister buying that good-luck bag back a couple of years ago was bad. Now this! You've done so many things that are crazy, but this tops them all! What about her grave?"
"It vanished. You won't see it anymore. Not even the casket or her body."
"Which means…" She was trembling hard.
"I…am Ayumi Hamasaki. I'm back. How are you, Miyu Yamazaki?"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" She was crying hysterically. She was back! "Oh Ayu-chaaaaaaaaaaan! I've missed yooooooouuuuuu! Thank the stars that you've returned! Oh, oh, oooooooooooohhhhhhh!!!!"
"Relax. Miyu, you know where to go later tonight, right?"
"Right…Ayu…" She giggled hysterically, too.
"Don't tell anyone. Well, tell Aya, but don't tell anyone else, okay, Miyu?"
"Right! I'll see you later!"
"Bye!"
"Ran, who were you talking to?" asked Yamato, who returned back from his trip to the temple in Ueno.
"My friend," said Ran.
"Hold on…your voice…and your hair…am I dreaming, or am I seeing Ayumi in front of me…?"
"Mmm-hmm," said Ran, in a rather seductive (author: !) tone, her finger on her lower lips ticked lip. "How are you, Yamato-kun? I know you want me. You're more cuter than Nagase-kun, you know. And I can raise your mojo higher than Miyu's. So come, let's get it on…" She laid on the floor, still in her clothes, acting like a snake-charmed seductress. Yamato sweated like a stallion, even though his hormones were spelling: "Adultery/incest alert! Adultery/incest alert!"
"Wha…Ayumi? What the…? Wait, I already have a girl! Ran, are you fuckin' mental or something? Who is this? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Ran shaked her head. "Sorry, aniki, my alter-ego is just happy to be here. I'm so sorry."
Yamato nodded, and quickly left the room. "Man, Ran, don't scare me like that. Fuck, now I'm getting boners just seeing you. Shit…"
"Uruse, hentai bakayaro aniki!" yelled Ran, waving her arms in dissident rage. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, you ultra kusoyaro aniki!"
Ayumi giggled. "Hey, Ran, nice job! I'm so happy!!!"
"You too, Ayumi! Why did you make me do this? Gosh, to have you in my body really is a pain in the ass. Baka. Plain super baka."
"I couldn't help it. I'll try to calm down next time."
"You made me do some very weird things. Kiss Tatsuki against my will, and now act as if I want to do my older brother…fuck! I hate you, Ayumi! I HATE YOU TO HELL!!!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry."
"Hey, Ran, can you keep it down?" asked Satsuki. "I'm trying to get my 20 hours of beauty sleep…"
"Yakabashi, Satsuki."
"Okay." She went back to her fantasy, the drool all over her face.
**********************
END CHAPTER 5.
My god, this was about a month in the making, and I've made it even weirder. Satsuki is now drunk, a bit of a love triangle is involving Ran/Ayumi, and Miyu is basically freaked out at Ran becoming Ayumi. Damn, Ayumi has become a bit evil. This has gone completely weird! What will happen next?
Next Chapter, the Platform Surfers record their first single and begin the project for their debut album! Of course there are some…um…caveats…ho boy…
Chapter 5:
Moving in, and a funeral.
********
A few days later, Ran was at her house, plucking at her Kotocaster. The sun was shining, and Kiyoka was busy cleaning the kitchen, Yamato was sleeping, daddy Taizou was playing go-ban, and Sayo was watching the news, when the doorbell rang…
"Coming," said the girl with the pink meshes. She opened the door, and she saw a girl in semi-ragged uniform, carrying a large suitcase of clothes, personal stuff, and makeup, her blonde hair still intact, though dirty, and she was wearing a very downtrodden expression. "Wh…who the hell are you?" she said, quizzically.
"A friend of your older sister's," she said in a monotonous voice.
"Oh? You mean Ran?"
"Hai."
"Okay, I'll get her, tachuu!" she said gleefully. "Older sister, it's your friend!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Ran said, skipping down the stairs. She came to the door, and when she saw her, her energy started to falter. "S…S…Satsuki? What happened to you?"
"What's going on over there?" asked Taizou, getting out of his chair and coming to the door. "Excuse me, but you have to leave, all dirty and stuff…"
"Father! She's my friend!"
"I don't give a wolf's ass is she's your friend! She needs to get cleaned NOW!"
"That's why I'm taking her to the bathroom to clean up and change. Come along, Satsuki," said Ran, dragging her dogged friend upstairs.
"Father," asked Sayo, "…what just happened?"
"I don't know," was the response, with a scratched head.
"But father always know everything!" She was jumping, waving her arms a bit.
"Sheesh…"
***********
Satsuki took a 30-minute bath, and changed into some clothes that Ran gave her. Now she looked like an exact twin of Ran, in a way, without the red mesh. For Ran, though her heart sank like a stone in vinegar. As if having to head a band was bad enough, now she had a homeless friend to take care of.
"Satsuki," said Ran, "what is this I hear about your failings at Waseda? I thought you were a very good student!"
"Actually," she said, "here's how it goes: I couldn't pass the entrance exam to Waseda, despite my high standing at Kounan, and then some middle-aged asshole from off the street takes 10,000 yen from my possessions, and then my parents just did not accept me because of everything I had been through as of late."
Ran nodded.
"I tried everything to get money back," she continued. "For a few months, I was an enjo-kosai person, then I worked at every cheap job I could find. All I received was enough yen to call Rie to call you, and then arrive at this house. I slept of the sidewalk, slept in cars, slept at stranger's homes, did everything to survive…I'm an outcast to society." She was crying bitterly, the tears staining her milky white face.
Ran drew her close, and hugged her tight, comforting her while she was crying. "Satsuki…" she whispered. "I will take care of you from now on. Don't worry about it. You've got me. I'll make sure you get back on your feet. Just don't worry, everything's gonna be all right, Satsuki. Everything's gonna be all right." She felt like a mother caring for her child, only the child was her friend, crying like a lost child, wanting to find refuge in heaven.
"Please, Ran-chan," she choked, through the tears. "Please let it be so…"
Suddenly the door slammed open.
"Ran…" said Yamato, "what th…WHAT IN THE NAME OF KAMI!? ARE YOU TWO LESBIANS!" Ran went up to her brother, and slapped him.
"Ultra baka aniki! This is my friend, she needs some friggin' shelter. You had no right to barge in, you asshole!"
"Wha…I'm sorry, Ran. I'll leave you guys to yourselves. Damn…"
"Hello, we're GALS, not…" He slammed the door. "…guys. Satsuki, why don't you rest for a while. I'm going downstairs. Good night."
"G…good night, Ran." She closed her long-tired eyes, and began to dream into heaven.
************
"Hello, father, mom, how are you?" said Ran as she went down to eat breakfast.
"Young lady," said Kiyoka, "what is the meaning of this situation? Why did you bring a stranger to our house?"
"Stranger? What are you talking about? She's my friend, and she homeless, and I need to take care of her, mom. She has no place to go, she has no money, and I am her last grasp of happiness!"
"I don't care," said Taizou, with a irate rage. "We do not allow strangers to our household, you understand that?"
"Look, Dad, Mom, I know having another member in our house is bending the rules, but you guys are police officers, right? You have to give some hospitality to my friend! Please?"
"Taizou," said Kiyoka to her husband, "I think our little pumpkin's right. We may need to help her and her friend out."
"Never fear my dear," he said with a grin. "Okay, Ran, you may let your friend stay here for a while. But if she causes any trouble in our house, and basically destroys the integrity of this family, she is gone, period. Do you understand this, Ran?"
At that point, Ran hugged her parents so tightly, they almost choked. "Oh, sankyu, sankyu, sankyuuuuuu!" she whined gleefully.
"Hey, minna, check this out on the news," said Sayo, watching intently.
"This just in," said the news anchorman for TV Tokyo. "Japan, and possibly the world, has lost its greatest angelic star a star which is now in the heavens. 24-year old singing superstar Ayumi Hamasaki, died of injuries at Fujiyoshi Medical Center at 8:10 A.M. this morning. The singer was sent to Fujiyoshi after suffering a car crash on the way from a visit with her friends, in which she wore her seatbelt. The car's driver, fiancée Tomoya Nagase, apparently was driving under the influence of alcohol, and went 235 km/h on a 2002 Toyota Camry before crashing into a wall. Nagase was declared dead at the scene. He was a member of the band Tokio.
"Hamasaki's 5th album, Rainbow, is expected to be released in 3 weeks. Once again, a nation, and the world, mourn the loss of Asia's greatest singer. She is survived by her mother, father, both separated, and younger siblings. More details at the 9:00 hour. In other news…"
Sayo was stunned, but when Ran heard the news, she went hysterically postal. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Not Ayumi! Not her! She was so cool with everyone. And now she's gone!!? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!??????" Ran began to unravel crazily. It seemed as if her heart had been ripped apart, into pieces, and burned into forgotten ash. Sayo also shed tears as well upon seeing this. "Dammit, no! What the hell has happened to the world I lived in?" She was now on her knees, full of hopelessness and despondence.
"It's okay, Ran," Taizou said, hugging her still-tearful daughter. "It's okay."
"Oh father," whimpered Ran. "My favorite idol, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone…WHYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!????" She cried so loud, and so long, that she started to faint, and then sleep. She was now lifeless, still conscious, but drained, and still crying, as if her life had been stripped of her.
"Hey, everyone, what's going on here," said Satsuki, yawning. "Are you okay, R-what the…Ayumi is DEAD!!? Shibuya is now in mourning. Oh, man, no! And I thought losing everything I had was bad…now THIS!"
"What? Ayumi is dead?" said Yamato, coming downstairs.
"Ran suffered a nervous breakdown because of that," said Kiyoka, comforting Ran, along with Taizou.
"Just my friggin' luck." His phone rang. "Hello?"
"Yamato-kun…" stammered Miyu over the phone.
"You found out, too…?"
"Aw hell, it's awful! I always looked up to Ayu-chan! Now she's dead! Yamato-kun…" Her heart was in distressful panic.
"Miyu, it's gonna be fine…"
"Yamato-kun…"
"The funeral for the now-late Ayumi Hamasaki will take place at 7:35 AM Sunday morning at St Ignatius Church in Kojimachi," continued the anchorman. "This will be a private funeral, with 200 expected to attend. 25,000 fans are expected to watch the funeral service from outside the church, as well as the convoy, which will transfer Hamasaki's body to Yasukuni-Jinja, where she will be buried, inside a circle of cherry-blossom trees, with the Imperial Palace as a backdrop. The funeral service will be in English and Japanese. Eulogy will be read by friend and singing sensation Namie Amuro. On the caravan, the Tokyo Imperial Dragoon Bagpipe Chorus will accompany on the convoy to Yasukuni-Jinja.
"A select number of Hamasaki's famous songs, such as TO BE and SEASONS, will be sung by the Juuban Koukou Memorial Choir. In lieu of flowers, the family and friends of Ayumi Hamasaki request that donations be forwarded to the Ayumi Hamasaki Salvation Fund and to the Ayumi Hamasaki Children's Relief Institute of Shibuya…."
Ran, suddenly stopped crying, and said, "You guys, I'm walking on over to my room. I'm pissed." She trod back to her room upstairs, Satsuki following.
**********************
The next few weeks were difficult. After the funeral of Ayumi passed, and the gravestone was placed, Avex, Ayumi's record label, was on the verge of collapse. And collapse it did. Just 1 week after the funeral. Masato "Max" Matsuura announced to the public that the company was closing its doors, and Avex would fold. In addition, the fashion trends set by her died down. Gone were the schoolgirl outfits, the Gothic outfits, any outward fashion expression. In their places were casual, informal clothes. And to add insult to lack of sophistication, the economy of Japan saw a downward spiral. The Nikkei Index dropped 760 points, and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was ousted from office. He would commit suicide a few days later, his funeral insignificant. It seemed that Ayumi was remembered, then forgotten.
Obviously, it was only a few weeks before the Platform Surfers would begin unleashing their first single, according to Usagi and Mamoru. The album would be created in a year. Miyu and Aya were busy writing and composing their songs, and Ran was still feeling very depressed. Her genki self, the Ran Kotobuki that everyone had been familiar with, had been destroyed into billions of granular pieces, and she was locked in her room, Satsuki sleeping, after watching MTV Asia film a 3-hour documentary on Ayumi's life.
It was a very cold January 1st, and her parents, Sayo, and Yamato were already at a New Year's celebration, so she took a bath, and then asked to herself, "What kimono should I wear? The red one with sakuras? Or the blue one with purple orchids?" She wrestled with the two thoughts, and then decided to go for the blue one, since this was a depressing (read: kanari blue) situation indeed.
Putting on her platform getas, styling her hair with a couple of sakuras and red orchids, and holding her good luck bag, Ran walked out the door. As she left, she wondered if she should head to the same temple she had been heading with her family? Or should she…? She then finally thought, "I haven't been to Ayu's grave, so…I guess I'll head there."
Ran took a 30-minute ride to Yasukuni-Jinja. As she got off the station, she walked though the trees, looking for Ayumi's grave. After searching, she found a half-ring of trees. In front of the trees, or in the center, lied a headstone with a stylized "A" on top. Below it read: "AYUMI HAMASAKI, 1978-2002. HERE LIES JAPAN'S GREATEST ANGEL. WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, AYU. FLY HIGH." There was no one in the vicinity of the area, everyone was somewhere else.
When she found the headstone, she went to it, got on her knees, and hugged it. Then she closed her eyes, stammering a few lines from Ayu's first song, "Poker Face," before weeping bitterly. After she hugged the gravestone, she opened her eyes. To her surprise, the gravestone-no, the grave itself disappeared!
"What the…" Ran rubbed her eyes, and looked at where the grave still stood. "It's not …here? How…is…this…possible…?"
"Hello, Ran," said a voice inside her head. Ran closed her eyes, still kneeling, now in meditation. "Do you know who I am?"
"You sound like Ayumi," replied Ran to herself. "Wait a minute. Who are you."
The voice giggled, then said, "Don't worry about a thing, Ran. It's me. Ayumi Hamasaki. Remember?"
"Ayumi Hamasaki!!? But, isn't Ayumi dead?"
"Now look here. I may be dead and forgotten in the hearts of many people in Japan right now, but how can I be dead when people like you, Ran Kotobuki, remember me, and want me to come back?"
"Remember? Come back? Wait a second! I still don't think you are who you think you are. I mean, I think you are."
"Open your eyes, Ran. I am here."
Ran opened her eyes, and a ghost in human form arrived. She was wearing an angel's outfit. The face and hair seemed familiar, it must be…
"AAAAAAHHHH!" Ran jumped a few steps back. "A ghost! I am scared of ghosts!"
"Oh, please, Ran," Ayumi's ghost said, a bit exasperated.
"A-Ayu? You're alive…?"
"Of all the people that ever adored me, it was you who still believed in me. That's why I'm still here, and I'm waiting for you, and you've arrived."
"Ayu-sama, why are you speaking to me? What is this?"
The ghost put an assuring hand on Ran's shoulder. Ran felt warmed, as if a real hand was on her shoulder. "You shouldn't worry about things too much, Ran-chan. I'm here."
"Ran-chan? First you arrive out of nowhere, now you call me Ran-chan? I must be dreaming or something."
"Come. Get up. Let's take a bit of a walk." The apparition got Ran up, in which she was surprised, and they took a walk through the trees.
********************
"So, Ran-chan," said Ayumi (author: I won't call Ayumi's ghost "Ayumi's ghost", I'll call her Ayumi from now on, or Ayu), "you're starting a band, right?"
"Uh-huh," she said, a bit scared. "The…Platform Surfers. But, before we got to that, tell me how you…you know…"
"It's a long story," she said, the two of them walking. "I was finished chatting with my friends the other night, and Nagase-kun was ready to take me home. But you should realize, Nagase-kun was a drunken punk. He never really cared about me. He just wanted to drink, and drink, and drink sake. Taking some LSD and mushrooms didn't help either. Nagase-kun wanted me to jump in his car; he was gonna take me home. I wanted to take the train home, but Nagase-kun? He assured me that he was sober. So I accepted. That was the worst decision of my life. A fatal one."
"A fatal one?" Ran asked to Ayumi.
"Mm-hmm. And then, Nagase was driving out of control. I begged him to slow down, but he was full of road rage. He went so fast, he crashed into a wall. The next thing I knew, I became like this. I was told by the man upstairs that I should come to his place, but he also gave me the alternative of becoming a guardian angel, as a gift for all my work I did."
"A guardian angel?" Ran asked again.
"A guardian angel controls the person's conscience he or she guards."
"So what you're saying is…"
"I'm gonna control every part of your body from now on."
"What the…no way!"
Ayumi laughed. "I'm kidding. I'll be in your body, but I'm gonna combine my persona and integrity with your persona and integrity. You and me will be in the same body, and, well…"
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," said Ran. "You got it all wrong."
"Hey, if I don't control half of your conscience, the world will not be what is was before I got killed. Besides, I'm gonna use me to help you become a better person, and eventually, a true protégé of me. Got it?" Ayumi winked.
"Ayu…I'll do whatever it takes to keep your spirit alive."
"Good. All you have to do is hug me."
"Hug you?"
"Just do it. It won't hurt."
Ran slowly put her arms around Ayumi, as if she was a real person. A few seconds later, she hugged air. "Ayu-chan…where are you…" She suddenly felt herself being controlled. She ran, jumped, skipped, twirled…."What is going on…"
"Yay!" said Ayumi in Ran's head! I am a human being again! I guess this is what reincarnation looks like! Make that, FEELS like! Yaaaaaaay!"
"Easy, easy," said Ran, who settled herself. "Man, I can't believe I'm doing this…" She was still skipping and jumping, when she tripped. "See what you made me do?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ayumi, who immediately made Ran punch herself in the gut.
"Ouch! Please, relax, Ayu…"
"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Well, now that I'm in you 24/7/365, where to next?"
"I'm gonna head over to the Hachiko statue. My friends Miyu, Aya, Rei, Yuuya, and Tatsukichi are waiting there."
"Miyu? Aya? Rei? What the…? Who are these people?"
"Come, I'll show you." She immediately took the train to Shibuya Station, and walked over to the dog-shaped monument.
"Ran-pyon!" said Tatsuki, waving in the distance, coming to her.
"Tatsukichi! Sup!" said Ran.
"Wait a minute…what's with the hair, the complexion, and your voice? You don't sound like Ran, but yet you do, and you sound like Ayu, too…I get it! You had surgery on your voice box! And you decided to trash that hairdo of yours, with the red mesh being intact."
"Is this your boyfriend?" said Ayumi. "Looks cuter than Nagase-kun…"
"Yep. I didn't know that my hair is down to my shoulders…Tatsukichi, can you hand me a mirror?"
He handed Ran a mirror, and when she saw herself, her eyes went wide! "Oh…my…god!!! My hair…it's like Mamirin's…"
Ayumi's voice in her head snickered, then said, "Kawaii, ne?"
"You're telling me, Ayu-chan…"
"Are you talking to yourself, Ran-pyon?" Tatsuki quizzically interrogated.
"No, just the voice in my head…"
"Oh. Uki."
"Why is this guy acting like a monkey, Ran?" asked Ayumi.
"That's his nature," came the response.
"Some gentleman he is." Ran punched her head. "Itai!" whimpered Ayumi.
"Uki?" asked Tatsuki. "First, you talk to yourself, then you punch yourself? Are you all right, Ran-pyon? Very inauspiciousususussus way to start the year, ne?"
"It's really nothing!" said Ran, who now had Ayumi's high-pitched voice in her, waving her arms. "I…uh…gotta go, but first…" Against her will, Ran gave Tatsuki a long deep, passionate kiss (author: ! Already!!?), before leaving. "Ayumi! What the hell did you just made me do? You know I can't kiss a guy unless I am truly in love with him."
"Gomen, Ran-chan. I'm in love with him. Maybe you are, too…" was the reply.
"Look. Rule one: When you're in my body, you have to compromise with my soul. Rule two: I didn't even expect rule one to be implemented, because I was just leaving a hug at your grave, then leave. Rule three: Tatsukichi's mine. Okay?"
"I understand the first two rules, but not rule three. Ah well, I guess I'll let it slide this time…"
"This time? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, not just this time, ALL THE TIME."
"Sorry, sorry. You know what, Ran? How about going back to your room. You have a little surprise waiting."
"Oh great, first you come back from the dead, then you make me act stupid in front of my Tatsukichi, then I get a surprise in my room? God, and I thought my days at Kounan were bad, geh…" She hesitantly walked back home, upstairs, and slumped back in her bed.
"Open your closet," directed the spirit. Ran followed.
"What the…what are these clothes!!?" she exclaimed. "These are not mine's, they're…"
"Mine's," said Ayumi.
"No way! How did all this stuff come to my closet?"
"Apparently, your parents went to Avex Studios the day before they closed. All of my costumes were still there, and your father apparently decided to buy everything, and now they are in your room."
"Geh, I wonder if this will bit me," said Ran, taking off her kimono, putting on a pink half-kimono with kanji symbols and black jeans with skirt. "Hey, this actually fits me."
"This is what I wore at the MTV Asia Music Awards in Singapore," Ayumi explained.
"Machi? Chou kakkoii! Now it's mine! Hee, hee!" She immediately tried on every costume that Ayumi wore, before settling on a white jacket with white top and pants, bedecked with silver and diamonds, white platforms, and a fan. "Ayumi, I want to show you something." She took out from the pile of clothes her Kotocaster.
"What's this?" Ayumi asked.
"A Kotocaster."
"Kotocaster?"
"A shamisen-looking electric guitar that can be adjusted to look like a small koto. Has a whammy bar, too. Sounds like a cross between a guitar, a koto, and a shamisen."
"Chou cute!" How do you play it?"
"Like this." Ran strummed a few chords from "Walk, Don't Run" and "James Bond."
"Impressive! My concerts never had stuff like that."
"Looks like I'm at least one step ahead of the curve, hee, hee…"
"Okay…"
"Uh…" Satsuki started to stir a bit. Her eyes were still a bit bloodshot, but she felt sheer radiance in her. "Oh…Ran-chan…" She crept up to Ran and hugged her, before falling asleep, her drool staining Ran's new dress.
"Satsuki, what the hell are you doing? GET OFF!" said Ran, shaking Satsuki away. "Geez, the Satsuki I know has been replaced with a lecher!? Damn!"
"Oh! Sorry," she said, wiping the drool off her face. "I was dreaming about me surrounded by thousands of senpais…ooooh, I feel like I could throw myself at them. I don't mind having a companion or two…" Her voice was clearly drunk.
"Have you been drinking anything…?"
"No…just sake. The mild one, that's sweet. I love that stuff…ah…" She went back to sleep, still drooling from her rather uncouth fantasies. Ran let out a groan of disgust.
"My god, what a freeloader…nah. I'll leave her alone here." Her telephone rang immediately. "Um…moshi-moshi?"
"Ran…"
"Oh, Tsukino-san! How's your holiday?"
"It couldn't have been any better." said Usagi. "Wait a minute…your voice. Ran, have you been taking some type of estrogen pill that changed your voice to higher-pitched, almost nasal, like…Ayu's?"
Ran let out a giggle. "Don't worry too much, Tsukino-san. I'm just fine and dandy. So, what news?"
"Well, this evening, everyone of your band will be heading to Serenity to record a song. I've contacted everyone, and they want to do the songs for the demo as the first single, and as the first two songs on your forthcoming album in a year."
"Perfect. At what time should we be there?"
"16:30 the latest."
"Great. I'll see you there, Tsukino-san."
"Ja!"
Ran immediately called Miyu. "Hey, Miyu?"
"Ran-chan! Sup?" came the response.
"Listen, you won't believe this, but you remember what happened to Ayu last month, right?"
"Right…"
"Well, I was thinking, maybe we should do a tribute album to Ayu, as a bonus album. I know a few of the songs, but, it's still on the drawing board. What do you think…?"
"Ran! That's some intense words from you. No one has ever done something like that. Many bands do not want to cover Ayu's songs because only Ayu can sing that. I don't know…"
"Well, how about this?" Ran sang a few opening lines from Evolution.
"Oh…my…God…is this Ayumi on the line???" Miyu starting to squeal so loudly, it seemed as if she was on the brink of a orgasm. "Ayumi? Is that you? This isn't Ran, is it? I gotta pinch myself. This can't be Ayumi on the line? Ayumi is dead. SHE'S DEAD! But it sound as if this is actually her! WHO IS THIS!?" She felt as if she was on the brink of no control.
"Relax, relax, relax," said Ran. "It's me, Ran."
Miyu started to calm down. "Ran, you gotta explain what's going on here! Come to think of it. Tatsuki called me earlier and told me that you were acting strange when you talked to him at Hachiko. You even kissed him! (thought: Good for you!) What is going on here?"
"Okay, take a deep breath." She did. "Here's the story. Early this morning, I was heading off to the place where Ayumi was buried, and while I hugged her gravestone, it turned to air. Then this apparition of Ayumi-"
"APPARITION!!?" Miyu was shocked. "Are you joking here? Cause I know if you're joking or not…"
"Let me continue. So, after the apparition talked to me, she went in my body-"
"EEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! No way! That's freakin' impossible! How in the world…" Miyu was overwhelmed so much, she fainted.
"Miyu! MIYU!! Are you still there? Miyu!"
She regained consciousness after a few seconds, then said, "How could a dead person's spirit be inside your body!? HOW COULD IT!!?"
"Miyu, please! Calm down. Anyway, now I have Ayumi's voice, and sound a bit like her. I look like her, talk like her, think like her, I am her! But I still have Ran in me too! Weird isn't it?"
"Ran, you've…you've…you've…"
"I've what?"
"YOU'VE BECOME THE MOST WEIRDEST PERSON I EVER MET! How did something this crazy happen! And I thought your sister buying that good-luck bag back a couple of years ago was bad. Now this! You've done so many things that are crazy, but this tops them all! What about her grave?"
"It vanished. You won't see it anymore. Not even the casket or her body."
"Which means…" She was trembling hard.
"I…am Ayumi Hamasaki. I'm back. How are you, Miyu Yamazaki?"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" She was crying hysterically. She was back! "Oh Ayu-chaaaaaaaaaaan! I've missed yooooooouuuuuu! Thank the stars that you've returned! Oh, oh, oooooooooooohhhhhhh!!!!"
"Relax. Miyu, you know where to go later tonight, right?"
"Right…Ayu…" She giggled hysterically, too.
"Don't tell anyone. Well, tell Aya, but don't tell anyone else, okay, Miyu?"
"Right! I'll see you later!"
"Bye!"
"Ran, who were you talking to?" asked Yamato, who returned back from his trip to the temple in Ueno.
"My friend," said Ran.
"Hold on…your voice…and your hair…am I dreaming, or am I seeing Ayumi in front of me…?"
"Mmm-hmm," said Ran, in a rather seductive (author: !) tone, her finger on her lower lips ticked lip. "How are you, Yamato-kun? I know you want me. You're more cuter than Nagase-kun, you know. And I can raise your mojo higher than Miyu's. So come, let's get it on…" She laid on the floor, still in her clothes, acting like a snake-charmed seductress. Yamato sweated like a stallion, even though his hormones were spelling: "Adultery/incest alert! Adultery/incest alert!"
"Wha…Ayumi? What the…? Wait, I already have a girl! Ran, are you fuckin' mental or something? Who is this? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Ran shaked her head. "Sorry, aniki, my alter-ego is just happy to be here. I'm so sorry."
Yamato nodded, and quickly left the room. "Man, Ran, don't scare me like that. Fuck, now I'm getting boners just seeing you. Shit…"
"Uruse, hentai bakayaro aniki!" yelled Ran, waving her arms in dissident rage. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, you ultra kusoyaro aniki!"
Ayumi giggled. "Hey, Ran, nice job! I'm so happy!!!"
"You too, Ayumi! Why did you make me do this? Gosh, to have you in my body really is a pain in the ass. Baka. Plain super baka."
"I couldn't help it. I'll try to calm down next time."
"You made me do some very weird things. Kiss Tatsuki against my will, and now act as if I want to do my older brother…fuck! I hate you, Ayumi! I HATE YOU TO HELL!!!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry."
"Hey, Ran, can you keep it down?" asked Satsuki. "I'm trying to get my 20 hours of beauty sleep…"
"Yakabashi, Satsuki."
"Okay." She went back to her fantasy, the drool all over her face.
**********************
END CHAPTER 5.
My god, this was about a month in the making, and I've made it even weirder. Satsuki is now drunk, a bit of a love triangle is involving Ran/Ayumi, and Miyu is basically freaked out at Ran becoming Ayumi. Damn, Ayumi has become a bit evil. This has gone completely weird! What will happen next?
Next Chapter, the Platform Surfers record their first single and begin the project for their debut album! Of course there are some…um…caveats…ho boy…