I don't own DNAngel. I wish. But I don't.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The orphanage attic was dark and smelled must. The smell was vague and barely noticeable. Boxes were stacked high, tape covering them, large black marker strokes. Sun streaked through the one small window. Two little girls rummaged through the boxes. One had long black hair pulled into a ribbon on the back of her head; she was outfitted with a red mandarin collar top with little pants. Her name, Cho, in curly font on the back. She coughed and looked at the other girl, Haruno, who was in a large black shirt and dark blue jeans. "Haruno-chan. . . What's this?" she pried open a box marked HIKARI and coughed at all the dust that emerged.
Haruno looked up at her friend, "Cho, your five. . . right?" she set down a book and stood up, reddish brown hair down and messy, and light brown eyes looking over her.
Cho nodded, "Well, yeah. . .Just turned five. . . " she lifted out a large trunk, but there was a loud clanging sound that filled the stale air. CLLLLLANNNNG! "Oppps! I'm sorry! It was too heavy!" Cho stared in the box and ran her fingers over the wood surface of the trunk. Carved into it, elaborately, were two feathers. "What's this?"
Haruno looked up from another box, holding a handful of clothes. "I. . . I dunno . . . open it."
"Haruno! I can't!" Cho answered grabbing the rusty hinges on the side and pulling upward. She left out and 'oof' when it fell back into the box once more, scrapping against the side and leaving a faint ringing in the girl's ears.
"Geez, Cho-chan. . ." Haruno murmured coming over, she grabbed a hinge and set her foot against the box. "Pull!"
Haruno and her friend pulled and pulled harder. Finally, the entire boxed tipped over, knocking the girl's onto their backs, and causing other cardboard boxes to fall in the process. I Whole mountain of old papers, clothes, etc. The smell grew stronger and the girls looked at the box. The lock had fallen off and from the box leaked a glossy pitch black ink. Cho sat up and looked around. "Those nuns are gonna kill us. . . I don't even live here. . . "
Haruno didn't answer. She watched the ink spread over the hard wooden floors. Like shadows consuming a barren desert. A spider tried to make its way across only to fall and became covered in it. "Cho. . . I don't. . . " She began after several seconds of watching the darkness descend upon them.
Cho didn't say anything. She bit her lip and looked into the trunk. There was a flash of white. "Haruno! What is that?"
"Don't touch it! You don't know what it is!" Haruno gripped her friend's arm.
Cho looked at her, big gray eyes staring at her friend. Something about the ink must've called to her. Told her despite her friend's warning . . . she reached over and gripped the white canvas. Black ink smearing her hand.
She let out a blood curdling scream and the canvas clattered to the floor. Dust flying up and the force pushing some of the ink back. Everything suddenly grew dark in the attic as a dark cloud passed over the sun.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Daisuke, oh Daisuke WAKE UP!" Takeshi yelled waving his hand in front of the spiky red haired boy's face.
Daisuke snapped back to attention." What?" he stared at Takeshi, blinking rapidly. He'd been thinking about . . . well, what had he been thinking about? Takeshi rolled his eyes and replied, "Your friends here, you know the girl."
Haruno glared at Takeshi, taking a seat next to Daisuke. "For once in your life, reporter, keep your mouth shut!" Haruno turned to Daisuke and smiled, "Hey, are you alright? Lately when I call your house your mom says your out."
"Uh, I've been busy." Daisuke replied quickly.
Everyone, meet Haruno Hikari, the new student I was talking about, she's nice in her own sort of way. . .
When Daisuke looked over and saw Takeshi and Haruno arguing loudly. Something about a race. And kicking Takeshi's butt. . . .
And other times she can get a little competitive. Of course there are other new students that have arrived here at Azumano middle school.
Takeshi pulled out his camera, "I will take a picture when I win and hang it on the wall! No sissy girl is gonna beat me." He put his arm around Daisuke's neck, "Your going to be cheering for me right, buddy?"
"Uh, sure Takeshi." The bell rang. Daisuke stood up and gathered his things, sighing deeply and glancing out the window. No clouds, anywhere. Only three more hours until Takeshi gets his butt kicked by a girl, in front of the whole school, because I know for sure Takeshi will go around bragging . . .don't get me wrong I do support Takeshi, I really do! It's just that for some reason I don't know, Haruno has an advantage.
"This'll be a good day." Takeshi was saying with a big smile. "First, I'll beat Haruno in a race and then I will get to take more pitchers of Dark at seven."
Takeshi's dad is a inspector, inspector Saehara, to be more precise. His dad has been helping capture the legendary thief Dark. Me, if we wanna be technical.
What's wrong Daisuke? Dark asked him, he seemed bored. Today's been boring tonight at least we'll have a little fun.
It isn't that . . . just that now we know Satoshi is Krad, we need to watch out more. . .Really, Daisuke didn't know what was wrong. He looked over to see Cho and Haruno standing in the doorway. She waved at him and Takeshi. "Hey, guys," she pushed black hair over her shoulder and nodded at someone who walked by. Haruno's gaze wandered as Cho said something about Satoshi. Eyes swept over the classroom until they landed on the blue-haired boy. He really should be suspicious; he should know his original last name. . . She looked away and she eyes landed on Daisuke. Daisuke froze in place as she smiled. He looked away, turning a shade of pink. Don't day dream! Dark snapped. It gets confusing!
Sorry. . . Daisuke thought back. Walking toward the door.
Cho made a sound and pulled out a red book from her bag, "Here's your book back, sorry I didn't give it back sooner," she smiled at Daisuke when she caught sight of him. "Hey, Daisuke, I'm sorry . . . are we in your way?"
Daisuke smiled, "Oh, Hey, Cho. . . No, you're not in the way. . ."
Haruno took the book and smiled, "Thanks for returning it."
That's Cho; she's another new student here. Everyone thinks she's Haruno's sister, because they moved here around the same time and have been best friends forever (Haruno explained it all to me when I asked). Takeshi, he likes her. He doesn't deny it either, that's on of the reasons he doesn't like Haruno. Well, my reason why, anyway.
"Hey, Cho, you wanna come watch me beat Takeshi after school?
Cho smiled. "Yeah, I'll come. Takeshi deserves it." She laughed.
Takeshi stared, aghast at her. "How, how could you Cho?"
"Sorry Takeshi. . . "Cho's smile faded, as she thought. "Oh . . . I have swim practice. So if I arrive dripping wet. ."
Haruno nodded, "I understand completely."
Cho grinned and looked at moved out of the way. "Well, come on, we can't afford to be. . . "
Daisuke watched the two leave, smiling to himself. Dark cut in abruptly, I thought you liked Riku. ..
I do! She's just in America. What can I do?
Dark remained quiet and Takeshi gave Daisuke a slight push, "C'mon, Niwa! We'll be late too! And Haru'll get the seat next to Cho!"
Daisuke sighed, here we go again. . .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a flash and Haruno blinked. Takeshi laughed, "Just wanted a picture before you lost babe!" she turned pinked and glared at Takeshi. She snatched the camera from around his neck and took another picture.
"What was that for!" he demanded.
"A picture before you lose!" she thrust the camera into his chest and sat back down, opened her book and acted as though nothing had happened.
"Pfft." Takeshi murmured, "As if she'd win."
Daisuke didn't say anything; he stopped sketching his picture of her and closed the cover. It was supposed to be Takeshi's turn to clean the classroom, Takeshi and Cho, but he'd planned all this on the day he could've been alone with her. Daisuke shook his head, "Takeshi. . . "He began.
"What?"
"Nevermind."
She's gonna kick his ass! Dark cut in, I bet all my money on Haru. Daisuke chose not to answer. What could he say? He wanted Takeshi to win, but, secretly, (or not-so) he wanted her to win
Cho tried not to giggle at some Haruno said, the girl's high-fived. "Girl's rule!"
Girls glared at Haruno. "We want Takeshi to win!" they said in whispers, "I'd die if she won. . ."
What's up with Takeshi's fan girls?
Daisuke said looked at Haruno talking to Cho and on of the girls Risa had hung out with.
He stole my fan girls! Daisuke! Don't day dream.
"Sorry."
"Sorry? For what?" Haruno was standing over him, hands on her hips. She leaned against the opposite desk and smiled. "Well?"
"Uh . . . Oh . . . nothing, I was . . ."
Smooooth. Dark answered, smugly. Real smooth Daisuke.
Daisuke chose to ignore his counterpart and smiled at Haru. "Anyway. . ."
Haruno looked over Daisuke, he had a nice smile. She'd remembered, briefly, when Cho's dad had asked if he'd been in a fight with the electrical sock--and lost, or if his hair was naturally like that. She supposed it was natural, so that's what she'd answered. Kudo had laughed and said, 'Wow, I wonder what his mom looks like!' Really, she'd failed to understand it. What did it matter what his mother looked liked? They dropped her off at the apartment and she been left to her thoughts.
Daisuke seemed to haunt her. Ever since she'd been going to Azumano Middle and the surrounding area and had first seen him sitting on a bench and sketching. . . Daisuke was all her mind would allow her to process. She'd lie in her bed, hugging her pillow, and listening to Cho clean and laugh at the TV show she was watching. The plate from the microwave dinners they'd prepared barely touched and clothes and other things she never bothered to pick up, littering the floor. The blankets tangled from her restless nights, dry nightmares. She'd stopped answering her telephone. No more money to pay bills. Soon, her phone would be shut off and the electricity shut off (It was a continuous cycle) and Cho would loan her money--money she didn't want--to pay everything.
Right here, is his presence; Daisuke was so wonderful to talk to. Even if she'd had the worse day. . . Haruno glanced out the window as they tried to scrap up a conversation out of nothing. Today, she'd been thinking about what Daisuke would say if she won the race against Takeshi. Would he praise her? Hate her? What he thought mattered, not what anyone else said.
Was she in love with Daisuke Niwa?
Daisuke looked her over, "Haruno. . .umm. . . "
Cho was seated next to another new girl, Mizuki. She caught herself staring at Satoshi, why was he here? Well, to cheer his little sister on, right? It sounded so strange, saying 'little sister'. Every since she'd found out her crush had spun out of control. Why would she like him more if he was Haruno's brother? What did it matter? "Satoshi is a cutie."
The voice cut through her thoughts like a knife cut through frozen butter, you press down at first and it's hard to cut, but a moment later the butter was severed and the thought lost. "Oh, what?"
"Satoshi, he is cute . . . hey, Cho, you wouldn't happen to be interested in the Phantom Dark cases, would you?" Mizuki asked.
Cho turned and stared at her. "Oh . . . um. . . I guess. Dad's a police officer on the . . . cases. . . " She said slowly.
Daisuke inclined his head, ears perking up.
Mizuki nodded, "Really?"
"Cho nodded, really?"
"Well. . . I know who the---" Mizuki was interrupted by two things, Takeshi announcing the race was beginning and Cho's chair clattering to the floor because a chill had run down her spine. The room went silent, the chair lying sideways on the floor and Cho apologized gently. Daisuke and Haruno turned to ask what was wrong when everyone was filing out into the halls but all that could be seen of Cho, was a massive amount of black hair, a swinging purse, and a clatter as a small round object hit the ground. Daisuke walked up to it, picking it up on the chain. It was silver with roses and small diamonds embedded. He opened it to reveal that the face of the watch was cracked and the long thin arms pointed permanently a 6:00pm. A piece of paper fell from it, landing at his feet. He could see the curly font from where he stood.
The time I died.
Scratched into the inside cover of the locket, was a feather. Painted a very, very, white color. Daisuke stared at where Cho and Haruno had stood. Where they'd disappeared.
Krad?
What did the two girls . . . .? What . . . how . . . He could hear the loud voice fill the room. Outside they were cheering for Takeshi--some, like Cho, were screaming Haruno. But that all didn't seem to matter anymore. It all seemed childish, like they didn't have a care in the world. Which, compared to him, they didn't. He looked out the window and saw Cho and Haruno--plain and clear from the window.