Author's Note: I'm just warning you guys- after this chapter, the story's going to change direction completely! That's because I'm going to introduce the actual plot. There's a hint of that at the end of this chapter.
Aaaanyhooo... enjoy! I know that this is a pretty boring chapter, but IT IS NECESSARY~
YAY
Chapter Three
The sun shone brightly, its light filtering down through translucent clouds.
A shiny purple motorcycle tore down the road, engine roaring.
Luka held onto Gakupo, digging her fingernails into him. Her eyes were squeezed shut against the wind that roared in her ears.
"Gakupo, don't you think you're going too fast?" she babbled into the helmet microphone. "I think you're going too fast. Isn't this bad for the tires? I bet it is!"
"Luka, calm down!" she heard him say, his voice echoing in her helmet. "It's just a motorcycle. We're not actually going that fast, y'know."
"Are we there yet?"
"No. Don't freak out, okay? Everything is fine!"
His voice, tinny and distorted through the speakers in her helmet, didn't console her. "How about now? Are we there now?"
"Almost. Just hang on!"
Luka bit her lip, shutting her eyes so tight that it hurt. Gakupo, feeling her nails sink deeper into his skin, grimaced in pain.
"Luka..." he said. "Would you mind-"
Luka clenched onto him harder.
Gakupo hissed in pain. "Hey! You did that on purpose!"
"Shut up and focus on the road, will you?" Luka yelled. Gakupo flinched at her shouts in his ears and was silent.
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"Okay." Luka said, crossing her arms and looking away. "We're just going to go, get a dress or two, and get out. Oka-?"
"Wow, Luka, look at that store!" Gakupo said, clapping his hands together. "Let's go there first!"
"Did you even hear a word I just said?"
Gakupo grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on, this'll be fun. You'll see!"
Luka stumbled as he half-dragged her away.
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It was later in the afternoon as they sat in a small cafe, steaming coffees sitting before them. Luka was wearing her new dress, of which she'd bought five. It was glossy, shimmering in the dazzling sunlight. Her golden boots also glinted yellow as she crossed them and uncrossed them, shifting uncomfortably.
"You're funny." Gakupo said, searching her face with his curious blue eyes. "You're a funny person."
"I didn't know you found me amusing."
"Why won't you meet my eyes?" he said, reaching across the table and waving his hand in front of her eyes. "All you have to do is turn and-"
"What, like this?" Luka scoffed, turning and fluttering her eyelashes at him.
"No, you're overdoing it-"
"I'm being sarcastic, you idiot!"
"Congratulations! You've apparently invented a way to convey sarcasm with your eyes. You're a pioneer in sarcasm."
Luka couldn't help but laugh lightly. Once she realized this, she froze and stopped immediately.
"You don't have to be so stiff." Gakupo said, rolling his eyes. "Lighten up a little. There's no point in being so serious all the time."
"You'd be sober too, if you lived like me." she muttered.
"Luka, look at me." Gakupo said. "Luka?"
She turned, reluctantly catching his eyes.
"Just because sad things have happened, doesn't mean you have to be sad all the time." he said gently. "Is that what you thought?"
His tone of voice caught Luka by surprise. "How... how would you know, anyway?" she said, a little sharper than she'd intended. "I mean- and why do you care? Who cares if I'm sad? There's lots of sad people in the world. Why don't you go and try to fix them?"
Gakupo leaned back, giving her a complicated look. "Both your questions have the same answer. Unfortunately, that answer's a secret."
"What?" Luka said. "Come on, I told you about my life. What happened in yours that could compare to mine?"
"Just the fact that you phrased it that way convinces me not to tell you even more." he said, raising his eyebrows at her. "You can't really 'compare' sad things. Just because one seems worse than the other, the lesser one isn't cancelled out. It just doesn't work that way."
"Oh?" she said. "Then how does it work?"
Gakupo chuckled, eyes looking elsewhere. "You've got a lot to learn, you know that?"
"Stop treating me like a child!" Luka said angrily. "And stop acting like you're my mom, all 'Oh, you don't know what's best for you.' It's disgusting!"
"Luka-"
"I hate you, you know that?" she yelled, standing up. By now, people were turning around, staring at them. "You can't possibly understand me, or what I'm going through!"
"Luka, sit down!" Gakupo said urgently.
Luka, still boiling with rage, sat down heavily.
"You must be tired." Gakupo said, standing up. "Let's go home."
Luka sighed. "We're using the motorcycle, aren't we?"
Gakupo nodded, a slight smirk curling across his face.
"Oh, shut up." Luka muttered, standing up. "Can we just get this over with?"
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They'd just started up the small walkway to the house when Luka stopped.
Gakupo turned. "What, what is it?"
"When I... broke into your house..." Luka said, fidgeting. "I left something outside, in the bushes."
"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "What kind of 'something'?"
Luka went over to the bushes beside the front door and pulled out a small, worn briefcase. She dusted it off and turned to Gakupo.
"Ahem." he said, holding out his hand. "What's in the suitcase?"
"Nothing important." Luka said quickly, looking away. Suddenly, she felt him snatch it from her hand. "Hey! Give that b-!"
Gakupo opened it.
Inside, there was a plush tuna fish. It had a light blue color and beady black eyes.
He looked over at Luka, who was reddening like a ripe tomato. "Uh..."
She snatched the briefcase away, slamming it shut. "Don't you dare say even a word, Gakupo." she hissed.
"So... what's the story behind Mr. Tuna?" Gakupo said, smirking.
"SHUT UP!"
"What, that's not his name? Oh, of course- Mrs. Tuna! Or could it be Ms. Tuna?"
"I'm going to punch your face in, you hear?"
Gakupo laughed as he unlocked the door and ushered her inside.
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"I don't believe it." the girl said, face shining blue with light from the computer before her. "It's her!"
"Hey guys, come here!" a boy said, leaning over her shoulder. "We've found her- and she's close!"
There were some cheers and shouts of aproval from behind her. But suddenly, a worried look swept over the girl's face.
"Oh no."
"What?"
"I hacked into their data- it seems we're not the only one's who found her."
There was a long silence.
"What do we do?"
The girl bit her lip, then stood up. A determined look set into her face.
"We help her."
