Hey Minna, Here is the conclusion to Love Trials – The Chronicles, please review and let me know what you think?
Thanks to all who have reviewed and a special Thanks to Tornado Reviewer who kept coming back!
Standard Disclaimer applies….
Love Trials – The Chronicles
Chapter 7 – And the Oscar goes to...
Nishino fought the heavy sinking feeling and tried to keep her head up. When her head finally crashed through she realized she was still under the effects of a drug. Her arms were throbbing underneath her and it dawned on her that she was on her back on something soft. A heavy weight was pressing her down and she could feel fluttering over her chest.
She opened her eyes and blinked trying to bring everything into focus. She could make out a hazy face above her grinning. Nishino tried to speak but it was impossible as it seemed her mouth would not obey her mind.
"Ah you're finally coming around." The voice sounded vaguely familiar and she tried to place it.
That voice, who is it? She blinked again and tried squinting. She could barely make out a dark head and leering grin. Think, think, I know that face. Who is it?
"Ezaki always has me inspect the goods." He grinned appreciatively and ran a finger over her cheek.
Suddenly everything came crashing back. Aya-chan and the whole mess they were in. She glanced up again and Toshi's face slowly came into focus. He was just starting to unbutton her shirt. She tried to struggle but found she could not get her body to obey the commands.
He was just reaching the third button that would expose her to his eyes when a shadow arose behind Toshi. She did not have time to react as he suddenly fell forward and she squeezed her eyes shut. Toshi landed heavily on top of her, his head missing hers by inches. She opened her eyes to see Aya pale and swaying the lamp still in her shaking hands.
Aya glanced down to see Nishino staring back up at her wide eyed. Jumping into action, she set the lamp on the bed and pushed the heavy body over and tried to move him off of Nishino. When she succeeded she grabbed Nishino by the shoulders and sat her up.
Nishino swayed dangerously and Aya threw her arm around Nishino to help hold her up.
"You're still under the effects of the drug but you have to try and fight it." Aya looked seriously upset. "Just a moment and we will have those handcuffs off." She laid Nishino back down and hurriedly dug through the unmoving man's pockets.
Nishino tried to speak but still could not get her mouth to work. Aya finally found the key and hurried back to Nishino. Sitting her up, she tried to steady Nishino while unlocking the handcuffs.
Nishino looked around for her jacket. She spotted it down near the foot of the bed where it had landed. Aya watched her closely as she rubbed feeling back into the girl's numb arms and knew Nishino was trying to tell her something.
When it finally dawned on her what Nishino was trying to convey she smiled. "Ah your jacket, is that what you want me to see?" Aya grinned when Nishino lazily nodded as best as she could.
"F…Ph…o…n…e,..P…ock…et." Nishino struggled to make her mouth obey.
Aya smiled with relief, "Okay I am going to grab it can you hold yourself up?"
Nishino nodded a little more control showing. She could finally feel her self regaining control of her muscles.
Aya slowly backed up watching to make sure she stayed sitting up and then hurriedly grabbed Nishino's jacket from the foot of the bed. Turning around she hurried back to Nishino
"Issh…he…dead?" Nishino glanced at the unmoving body beside her.
"I don't think so but we must hurry before someone comes." Aya was pawing through the pockets looking. When she reached inside the jacket she found a small pocket with something hard. She reached in and pulled out Nishino's cell phone.
Aya glanced at Nishino with a confused look. "Who do I call? Do I call one-ten or is there someone else?"
"Phone…book number ten...Manaka-kun." Nishino struggled sounding sluggish."
"Got it," Aya flipped the phone open and used the speed dial. She waited for an answer.
"Moshi-moshi," a harried voice finally answered.
"Junpei-kun, Nishino and I need your help. Please some crazy guy named Ezaki is keeping us prisoner." Aya spoke hurriedly keeping her eyes on Toshi for any signs of movement. "I smashed one guy over the head, but he could wake up anytime and then we are in big trouble."
Nishino tried to catch Aya's attention but she was focused on Junpei. Nishino stood without swaying too much and stumbled towards Aya. She grabbed the phone and yanked it out of Aya's surprised hands.
"Manaka-kun… we need help now." Nishino continued speaking quickly. "Red door building in hinjaku district, karaoke place, please come now."
"Nishino-chan is this concerning what you warned me about the other day?" Junpei suddenly sounded excited as everything made sense. "I know that building, I am on my way."
"Okay, we are on the top floor in the last room, Ezaki, who is the owner, has a gun, so please hurry and be careful." She hung up the phone and glanced at Aya.
"He is coming so everything will be fine." She tried to sound reassured even though she was worried.
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Junpei hung up the phone and grabbed his keys. He didn't stop to think just hurried on his way. Jogging through the streets of Tokyo he finally made it to the area Nishino had directed him to. He found the building and slipped inside. Glancing both ways he hurried up the hallway looking for an elevator. Junpei was surprised more people weren't coming and going but the late hour probably explained it. He slipped in when the doors slid open and poked the button for the top floor.
The building was eerily silent in the late evening hours. The quiet whiz of the elevator was the only sound he could hear. A ding rang out when the elevator reached the top floor. He jumped because it sounded deafening in the silence.
The doors slid open and he peeked out. No one was around but he could hear quiet voices down the hall.
He made his way quietly down the hall to the last door and stopped in shock. He could hear Satsuki arrogantly crowing.
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Aya and Nishino waited for Junpei and tried to stay calm. Aya glanced at Nishino curiously. "Shouldn't we tie him up or something?"
Nishino nodded, "The idea is good but what are we going to use?" Nishino glanced around the room idly looking for anything.
"How about tearing the sheet up?" Aya looked expectantly at Nishino.
"That is a great idea I hope." Nishino jumped up and removed the top sheet from under the bedspread. She tore the lightweight material with a bit of struggle. They tied Toshi's hands together and then his feet.
"We should probably tie them together." Aya suggested hoping it would make it more difficult for him to escape.
"Yeah and we need to gag him." Nishino tore a few more strips from the sheet. They balled one up and crammed it in his mouth and then wrapped another one around his head to hold it in. With the last strip they tied his hands and feet together making escape difficult.
They moved his tied body to the floor and made the bed back up. When they heard footsteps approaching they jumped into action. They struggled to hide Toshi, cramming his heavy body under the bed. Aya flopped back down into her spot and Nishino lay back where she had collapsed.
In mere seconds the door opened and Satsuki glanced at the girls with a smirk. They both eyed her warily wondering what she was up to.
"So how does it feel to know that you have lost Manaka-kun?" She smiled with triumph before she continued. "I will of course play the supportive friend and be there for him when you go missing." She laughed chillingly, "Just imagine, when he is upset I will be there to comfort him like a woman should." Satsuki watched Aya wanting to cause her more suffering.
"I will of course explain what a bad you person you were when it is discovered that you ran off with some strange creep."
Junpei hearing her hateful words from outside the door could stay quiet no longer. He stepped inside the room quietly.
Satsuki smirked seeing the hurt upon Aya's face until a voice at the door stopped her cold.
"Kitaouji-san…how could you do these cold things." Junpei glanced at the girls on the bed with trepidation.
Satsuki went numb as his fierce tone. "Manaka-kun…I did this for you; for our love!"
"Are you two okay?" Junpei moved into the room ignoring Satsuki for the moment.
"Manaka-kun, you have to understand. I love you unlike any other. It was for your own good. This gaki could never fulfill you." She motioned towards Aya with a dismissive wave.
Junpei glanced at her surprise etching his features. "Love…love…are you sick?" The look of horror on his face cut into Satsuki's heart.
At that moment another voice from the doorway spoke. "What is going on here?" Ezaki wandered into the room casually holding his gun. "Who are you?" He glanced at Junpei his face filled with only curiosity.
"I am Manaka Junpei and this is the woman I intend to marry." He moved protectively in front of Aya and turned to face Ezaki. "I don't know how much you paid this snake for her but she is mine." He gestured towards Satsuki with a negligent wave. "That girl is sick and needs help she has no right selling my fiancée."
Satsuki stared at him in shock tears forming in her eyes. "Your fiancée…? Demo…Manaka-kun what of our love?" Tears slipped down her face as the truth dawned on her. "You really, really love her don't you?"
Suddenly an odd look came over her face. "Well we can't have that, now can we?" She reached into her purse and withdrew a gun of her own. "I cannot stand that little gaki and if I can't have you neither will she." She pointed the gun at Aya and prepared to pull the trigger.
Ezaki turned and in a smooth motion fired hitting Satsuki dead on. She immediately crumpled to the floor where she stood.
Aya screamed in horror and began crying uncontrollably. Nishino gasped in shock at the careless way Ezaki handled things.
Ezaki glanced at Manaka with a careless shrug. "I will get my money back this way, no one ever crosses me." He smiled with a cold look. "Now I suggest you get these two out of here before the police show up."
Manaka turned around and began to try and calm Aya down. He gathered her close in his arms and murmured words of comfort until her tears died. He then turned back towards Ezaki.
"What about her?" He waved a concerned hand at Satsuki's body. Aya hid her face in the crook of his neck as he spoke.
"I will take care of the body. Your concern will be taking care of this little one and keeping her quiet." He gestured towards the girl in Manaka's arms. "Now I suggest you three leave."
Nishino climbed off the bed and Manaka helped Aya stand keeping a protective arm around her.
"AND CUT" Yui jumped into the room. "You guys did great, that was unbelievable."
Aya and Junpei stared in shock neither able to make sense of what was going on. Satsuki sat up from her crumple on the floor with a giggle. Aya fainted in Manaka's arms whenSatsuki arose from the dead.
"I bet their faces were surprised." She smiled at Ezaki. "Kazuki you did great that shot was fantastic. How was my death scene will I get an Oscar?"
Junpei stared in shock as Yui and Misusu began conversing about the final scene. Finally Yui walked over to where Junpei stood holding Aya whose eyes were now opening.
"Sorry guys' we needed you to believe it was really happening to get your best reactions." She smiled at Satsuki before continuing. "Satsuki scared me as a crazy person." She looked over at Nishino with a conspiratorial smile.
"Tsukasa was the only insider but she kept to her role." Yui then turned to walk back to Kazuki. "May I say Kazuki you did a great job too." All of a sudden she blushed. "Wait we forgot about Toshi. Someone should pull him out and untie him."
Manaka-kun looked puzzled for a moment. "Who is Toshi?"
Aya blushed profusely. "That would be the guy I smashed over the head."
Kazuki quickly began pulling a now awake Toshi out from under the bed. He smirked when he saw exactly what the girls had done to the poor guy.
Ayasuddenly found the floor fascinating until a thought struck. Her head rose and her eyes flashed."What exactly did you put in my drink?" She sounded really angry and Yui's eyes widened.
"Oh no worries, it was just some sleep medicine. We wouldn't obviously hurt our heroine now would we?" Yui waved a hand nervously blushing and stammered to a halt.
"Well um our heroine who didn't know she was in a movie." Satsuki, Nishino, Kazuki, and Toshi broke out in applause. Yui continued once the noise died down.
"We wanted your genuine reactions and that is why it all had to seem real. You two are marvelous. Please, please don't be mad." Yui watched Junpei and Aya to see them glancing at each other. He still had a protective arm around Aya and his face was stony.
"How much of what happened was this movie?" He looked a bit angry and Yui swallowed nervously, "Um…well…since you confessed to Aya-chan on the roof."
He grinned finally. "So that means no more weird situations right?" They all agreed laughing…
FIN
Author's Notes – Please don't use a gun on me, but if you saw the Ichigo 100 special with the alien panties you will understand my madness. If you have not please try and see it and this fanfic will make more sense.