Author's Note: Hellooo! Oh my god, thank you guys so much for your reviews. I absolutely love and treasure each and every one of them. This second chapter is much shorter than numero uno, but the story actually moves forward. However, this is one of those thingies I call "passageways"; they're like; in-between chapters that don't matter much but sort of bridge the story together. I'm glad I managed to get a fast update up! I'm so stressed out and busy with school. EXAMS (suck).
Metamorphosis
Chapter 2: Wicked Plans
Just a day,
Just an ordinary day.
Just trying to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to the sky.
"Ordinary Day" Vanessa Carlton
Kyohei looked suspiciously at the little Sunako as she drifted dreamily about the kitchen, preparing hot ramen – his stomach rumbled at the thought, and Ranmaru threw him a disgusted look – for the four boys. Why does she look so…happy? Homicide made Sunako happy; bloody intestines hanging from the ceiling as some kind of creepy home décor made Sunako happy. But fortunately for humanity, she had not achieved either of these things, which was why her obvious delight was unnerving to Kyohei.
She was actually chopping up the onions as if she were tenderly running the knife through silk, instead of the vicious samurai act she usually pulled on them. The onions themselves were probably trembling at this unexpected kindness. Kyohei glanced at his friends, to see if they too had noticed Sunako's almost delirious behaviour.
Yuki was watching a desperate drama on the television, shedding 'secret', bitter tears at each and every broken heart, family quarrel, death and amnesia-struck sixteen year old damsel in distress. Yuki was very passionate about his soap operas. They appealed to his gentle, feminine nature – although he preferred calling himself a sensitive, metro sexual man.
Takenaga was actually bothering to do his homework. Kyohei rolled his eyes; trust responsible, mature Takenaga to do his homework, of all things. Kyohei tossed Takenaga a disdainful, disgusted look, and let his eye rove on, only to fall upon…
"Ranmaru! The hell are you doing?" Kyohei was horrified.
'I'm writing sonnets," Ranmaru replied calmly, never once looking up from his sickeningly pink, heart-shaped papers. Kyohei almost choked.
"S-sonnets? For who?"
"Well, one for Kira-chan, and one for that cute chick at Po's Coffee Shop down the street….do you think I should give Miyaka-chan one as well?" Ranmaru looked at Kyohei with complete earnestness, with sincere uncertainty as to this life-changing decision which lay before him. Kyohei could only gape and splutter in amazement. Takenaga diverted his attention from his precious homework for a second, to ask Ranmaru with a perfectly straight face and a suspiciously twitching upper lip:
"What does the sonnet say, Ran'?"
Ranmaru flushed with pride, and cleared his throat. And began to read, in what was supposed to be his 'sexy', husky voice. I hate the way girls always fall for that ridiculous voice, Kyohei griped grouchily within his mind. It's so fake.
"Your eyes are deep, azure pools
Into which mean like me, mere fools
Surrender soul, body, mind and all,
Into which blessed trap we fall.
Oh! Dear, sweet, tender love!
My fragile paper-winged dove…
You are the only one in life for me-"
Ranmaru stopped. "And that's as far as I got." He shrugged nonchalantly.
Kyohei glared at Ranmaru. "You are the only one in life for me? To three girls? Are you INSANE?" Ranmaru merely looked mildly stunned, as if what he'd done wasn't blatantly wrong.
"It sounds rather sweet on paper," he protested mildly. "And anyways, I can't help loving them all like I do; they're all so cute and sweet!" A collective groan rose around the room, and Kyohei regarded Ranmaru's soppy smile with the same arrogance and cynicism he did most things. He then went back to watching Sunako.
Sunako was definitely delirious. She was flitting about like a light-toed fairy, instead of slinking about like some sort of creepy ghoul. Kyohei glared at her through slits of eyes, narrowed with curiousity. What a girl! She's…psychotic! If it wasn't for the free rent…But when Sunako began to hum almost merrily, he couldn't take it anymore – even if she was humming a funeral dirge.
"Alright! That's it!" He leapt to his feet and pointed at Sunako accusingly, who peered at him curiously from behind masses of her tangled-up hair. "What is it? Why are you looking so…so…" He floundered about for the right word. "So…hyper? WHY?"
The pretty little picture painted of a peaceful Sunday evening was now frozen: Yuki's eyes were diverted from the riveting TV to watch the real-life drama unfolding before them; Takenaga was surveying it as he would a mathematical problem – did x (in this case Kyohei) and y (Sunako) really have a relationship? Ranmaru entertained no such thoughts; such petty tiffs held nothing but rancour for his romantic, chivalrous nature.
"It's….after….morrow," mumbled Sunako vaguely.
Kyohei strode to her aggressively, and shook the girl quite savagely. "Speak. Properly," he said through gritted teeth. "Don't hunch! Look at me straight in the eye! Get all that goddamn hair out of your face!" Be a lady, dammit…
Sunako took his shaking compliantly, like a little rag doll. When he stopped, she gave him a maniacal grin. "The day after tomorrow…is Halloween. My most favourite day of year!"
Kyohei groaned, and the groan was echoed three times.
Sunako hugged Hiroshi-kun tenderly, rocking him on her lap. I hope Josephine and Akira-kun don't catch his cold! It was very trying, for Hiroshi-kun to fall sick just before Halloween crept up. She sighed, a little sadly.
Ghosts…and spirits-oh yes! The spirits will be out in full force; I cannot wait to meet some! She was feverish with anticipation. "There'll be jack-o-lanterns everywhere, lighting up the night sky like a candle in the dark…" She fell asleep to dream romantically of meeting a ghastly spirit on Halloween, not realizing howunconsciouslythe poesy had entered her soul…
Kyohei giggled, while the other three stared at him morosely. Kyohei was usually not one to giggle. "I have an idea!" he chortled with a wicked kind of glee. Takenaga sighed, and asked patiently:
"What?" They watched Kyohei tolerantly as he burst out into unnerving giggles once more; this time actually falling onto the lush purple carpet with them. "K-Kyohei?" Stifling his laughter with some difficulty, Kyohei staggered up and dusted his pants in a last-ditch attempt to look cool and impress his buddies. He failed miserably, as a huge snort escaped him. Poor Yuki, Ranmaru and Takenaga all instinctively stepped backwards in shock.
"Let's take Sunako-" He erupted into hysteria again.
"Maybe Sunako put poison in his food…"Ranmaru mouthed to Yuki, keeping a wary eye on Kyohei all the while.
"Again? Hmm, maybe."
"Let's take Sunako," Kyohei began again, with an obvious effort. "Let's take her trick-or-treating. And dress her up in something she'll positively loathe!" He exploded with sadistic mirth at the very thought of Sunako being forced to dress up and beg for candy like a cute little girl.
And plus, if I can get some nice photos of her dressed up, I can send them to the landlady and convince her that Sunako is definitely becoming a lady! And maybe we won't have to pay half-rent anymore…I am so goddamn short of cash!
His wicked chuckles shook the night.
Sunako was actually shedding bitter tears, as she gazed at it; her mouth screwed up in rage and grief. The pink sparkled in her water-logged eyes, making funny shapes. She was emitting small moans.
"So…uh…do you like it, Sunako-chan?" asked Yuki feebly, moved by her blatant agony. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best of questions to ask.
It's so full of…light…and…pink. Sunako whimpered as a sequin caught the light and twinkled at her, and she hastily covered her eyes. It's too bright! It's blinding me! And it's still pink. Pink did to Sunako what red did to the most vicious of Spanish bulls. Kyohei snickered at her every antic, hastily converting them to coughs at Takenaga's stern glances.
"Oh, come on, Sunako-chan! The dress is stunning. You'd look gorgeous in it, trust me!" Ranmaru spoke with the best authority, and he lifted the spurned dress up and shook it 'temptingly' in Sunako's face. The upshot of it was that Sunako howled loudly and scrambled backwards with amazing speed. From some pocket in that grimy skirt of hers, she pulled out a large…garlic. The four boys stared. Not noticing their obvious astonishment, she proceeded to dangle it in Ranmaru's face futilely. Maybe garlic works on creatures of light, too!
Suddenly a pair of strong arms caught her shoulders from behind, and felt herself being lifted off the ground. She could feel hot breath on her right ear, hot, hot breath as Kyohei hissed venomously at her. "Stop struggling, you twerp! We need that free rent!" His lips were less than a millimeter away from the tip of her right ear, and she was very conscious of this fact. A creature of light…touching…me…I feel sick.
Sunako went limp in Kyohei's arms. She had fainted.