Chapter 6
Morning came. Aoi woke up, she was feeling really good; she could take on anything, fight anything, and laugh at everything just because today was her birthday. She smiled; wondering how she celebrated her birthdays in the past. She was certain that there was a guy who had the same hair color as hers greeting her a happy birthday. She sighed, what was her relation to that dude anyway? Oh, to hell with that… for now, she would forget to worry about her past, forget that she was mafia and enjoy the day of her birth like any normal girl would. Aoi skipped out of her bed, she wore her uniform and looked for Squalo. She found him in the middle of announcing that today was a holiday for the Varia, they could go wherever they wanted and the boss won't disturb them with any missions. She noted that Belphegor hadn't returned yet. Yes! Everything was going the way she wanted it to be. Aoi ran back to her room and wore her normal clothes. A white shirt, khaki-colored short pants, a violet vest and a green floppy cap would do to make her blend in the normal crowd. She decided that she would let her hair down once she was out of sight of the base. She wore her rings in a chain around her neck. For safety purposes, she tucked them out of view; she also dropped her box weapon inside her pocket. She grabbed her electric guitar, amp and headset, slipped out of the back door and headed to a park that was quite far from the headquarters.
While she walked, listening to music via headphones, she bought a hotdog to bite along the way. Finally she arrived to her destination. To her surprise, she saw a few people tweaking with musical instruments. They were people from a various bands holding their debut. A few of them were starting to play. Perfect. She would perfectly blend in. She chose a spot somewhat far away from the populace; it was under a tree, cool and shady. Attention was wasn't what she wanted or needed. She just wanted to play for the fun of it. A few people roamed around her, they were curiously watching the newcomer fix up her electric guitar. She slowly and gracefully (in the eyes of the onlookers) plugged her guitar to the amp and did experimental tweaking, checking to see if the volume was to her liking or not. It. Was. Perfect. Not too loud. Not too soft. Satisfied with the sound her guitar produced, she played the first song that happened to be in her playlist. It was "Dive to the World" by Cherryblossom. The first chords she strummed sounded superb; it demanded attention, overpowering the other people playing. All heads turned to the direction of the mute guitar player. Everything and everyone went still, the people dropped everything they were doing (literally and figuratively); the only sound heard in the park was the guitar Aoi was playing. Unaware of the commotion she had set, Aoi continued playing since all she could hear was the music and all she could see was the guitar. Suddenly, her mouth opened and sang the last verse.
Daiji na yume no hanashi wo shiyou furueru kokoro wo dakishimete
Zutto nozondeita ano koro kantan ni tsukamenai kedo
Junbi wa ii kai? iku yo eien ni kizamu
Arata na story kakedashite
Daibu(dive) suru show me fly the sky
Everyone was amazed at her voice which complemented her guitar capabilities. Aoi played the ending; she glanced up for the first time during the whole song and noticed the group of citizens watching her. She had attracted every passerby and stole the audience of the debuting bands by accident.
"More! More! More! More!" they shouted, they wanted her to play and sing more songs. Aoi pulled off her headset.
"Okay, okay, any song requests?" she asked.
"K-ON! K-ON!" a unison of voices screamed.
"As you wish," Aoi replied. More cheers and applause issued from adults and kids alike, "Ja, the next song is Fuwa Fuwa Time!" She played the guitar intro and sang. The people clapped to the beat reenacting the scene in K-ON.
Kimi wa miteru to itsumo heart Doki Doki
Yurero omoiro marshmallow mitai ni Fuwa Fuwa!
Itsumo ganbaru, kimi no yoko garo
Zutto mitetomo kizuka nai yo ne
Yume wo naka nara, futari no kyo ni
Jiji merareru no mina!
More whoops came from the people, anticipating the chorus.
Aa kami-sama onegai futari dakedo?
Dream time kudasai?
Ochi ni hini yorusachaun daite
Konyamo oyasumi
Fuwa fuwa time!
Fuwa fuwa time!
Fuwa fuwa time!
She smiled and ended the song. It was fun to play in front of people who appreciated her music. Unexpectedly, she heard a piano playing the intro. It was a girl from a band, and then the beat of the dreams joined in. A guy (who looked somewhat cute) was playing. Another girl who had long black hair started playing her bass like Mio Akiyama. A guy with wearing a loose shirt played the electric guitar he owned eight counts after the Mio-look-alike. Aoi grinned at this; she joined in with the instrument rally. She then screamed, "One more time!"
Aa kami-sama onegai futari dakedo?
Dream time kudasai?
Ochi ni hini yorusachaun daite
Konyamo oyasumi
Fuwa fuwa time!
Fuwa fuwa time!
Fuwa fuwa time!
Their audience roared in appreciation, "More! More! More!" they chanted. Aoi smiled again. She played the intro to Sorairo Days, and the crowd went wild. The drum, guitar, and bass players didn't hesitate to show off their skill in smooth playing.
Kimi wa kikoeru boku no kono koega
Yamini munashiku suiko mareta
Moshimo sekai ga imi wo mizuno nara
Kona kimochi mo mudare wa nai
She continued playing, singing in her clear and pleasant voice, while the people cheered. This was going to be one hell of an unplanned concert.
Meanwhile, inside the Varia Headquarters, Lussuria was looking for Aoi like an obsessed human being. He was running around like an idiot, popping his head in each room and randomly asking anyone who happened to walk past him.
"Ah, Aoi-sama? I think I saw her leave through the back door. It was as if she didn't want anyone to follow her," a maid answered.
"Oh my… Did she tell you where she was going?"
"No Lussuria-sama, but she was carrying something that looked like a guitar, if that information could be of help."
"Oh dear," Lussuria strode away. He gathered everyone for a meeting.
"VOOOII! What the fuck is your problem? This is the only we could get some rest and to not hear any missions from that damn boss and you disturb our peace?" Squalo shouted in extreme anger. Levi looked equally irritated and Fran just stood there with a blank look on his face.
"Aoi's missing!" Lussuria presented his problem, "Can you help me find her?" Lussuria asked.
"That idiot? Well, she probably left to avoid seeing our faces," Squalo dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. This was wrong, no Varia member asked for help from anybody. Something seemed to be bothering Lussuria immensely.
"Demo, I have something really important to tell her," Lussuria stressed, acting out each word.
"Then why don't you send your squad to search for her? If you're not satisfied with that, then why don't you go search for her yourself?" Fran suggested. The solution was simple, was Lussuria that airheaded?
"But, I'll reward you if you help me," Lussuria said, pouting, "You don't want a payment?" Everyone else was now listening.
"VOOOIII! Why didn't you say so? Let's go!" Squalo voiced out the thoughts of his companions. He quickly headed out the door.
"Baka-senpai, do you want to attract all the attention?" Fran teased, "It would be better if we wore normal clothes, not these itchy uniforms."
"Hah?" Squalo said, rubbing his chin, thinking, "Fine." In three minutes, Fran and the others were clad in jeans and shirts. Since Belphegor wasn't around, Fran wasn't compelled to wear his hat. He took it off and left it inside his bedroom. They left to find the only girl who was accepted into their team: Aoi.
They searched in the malls, the restaurants, dark alleys, inside the trashcans and in random stores but they still couldn't find a sign of the Cloud guardian of the Varia. They saw people flocking together, running excitedly towards the park as if they were late for something. They heard them whispering to each other that a guitar prodigy was gracing them with her presence. Fascinated, Lussuria, Levi, and Squalo who never heard of Aoi play the guitar, followed. They made it just in time to hear the musical genius announce, "Lost My Music!" The audience went wild and screamed, pounding their fists in the air to the beat of the fast-paced music. Around the Varia officers in disguise, the crowd watched with eyes full of awe at the girl's fast plucking. Even they (the Varia team) were captivated. The girl sang with a pleasing voice, once Fran heard her, he immediately distinguished her to be Aoi. All four of them stayed to listen.
I still, I still I love you
I'm waiting, waiting forever
I still, I still I love you, tomara no iyo ne
Hey!
Aoi scanned the number of people she was able to attract due to her playing. Her eyes fell on a certain green-haired guy accompanied by a man with spiky hair, a dude with long hair and a chap with shades. Oh shit…. why are Fran, Lussuria, Squalo and Levi here? She panicked, almost missing a chord. Oh well, who cares? They won't be able to recognize me anyway… she forgot all about these and focused on playing.
"Ne, Squalo, the lead guitarist and vocalist looks like Aoi," Lussuria said, "Do you think it's her?"
"Not in a million years, Aoi doesn't sing and she doesn't even look like a girl."
"But the maid said that she left with a guitar. It might be her, what do you think Levi?" Lussuria looked at the Lightning Varia Guardian for an answer.
"No, it's not her," he replied with conviction.
"Chigau, it's Aoi," Fran said. Many things were running inside his mind. If he told his gay sempai that it was Aoi, then he would be given a reward, probably money. If he didn't, then Aoi would owe him a favor. He picked option # 1. He would gain more benefit from that.
"What? Okay then. Let's wait for the girl to take off her cap so we can see the truth of her identity," Lussuria decided.
"Why won't they leave?" Aoi thought, she stared at Fran and sang,
I still, I still I love you
I'm waiting, waiting forever
I still, I still I love you
Mada ai no yo ne, Ne!
Wait… why did I do that?
Fran blinked. Did Aoi just sing those lines to him? He blinked again, he was probably hallucinating; she had absolutely no reason to do so.
"Whooo! More! More! More!" the crowd demanded.
"Eh? More? You still want more? Ja, what do you want me to sing next?" Aoi asked?
"God Knows! God Knows!" they replied.
"Hai, hai! Coming right up!"
"Bingo, it really is her," Lussuria thought.
"It's her, that brat has the same speaking voice," Squalo thought.
"Fran's right, it's her," Levi thought.
"Eh… I wonder if 'God Knows' is worth listening to, I've never heard it before…" Fran thought.
Their train of thoughts was interrupted by the guitar crying. People clapped and cheered in eagerness. Heck, the girl was really an expert. The spectators never knew that Aoi was playing by ear. It was the first time she heard any of the songs they requested. Yes, she truly was a genius. She sang the whole song and played all the epic guitar solos. It was a relief that the guys who formed a makeshift band could really back her up. She was grateful. This might be the best birthday yet! Once Aoi finished the song with fast plucking, the crowd was silent. She was too… awesome. Singing in perfect tune and playing in perfect precision? She was a goddess.
"Can I play 'I Can Make It' next?" the one with a red electric guitar asked for approval.
"Hm? Sure! But this time, it's your turn to sing," Aoi replied.
"My pleasure!" he said, and so they switched positions and played.
"Eh… he has a nice voice," Aoi reflected. It sounded like her brother's voice. Wait… hold up a sec, she had a brother? Was that the guy with the same hair color as hers? Yep, she was sure it was him. Her eyes glazed over as she was hit by this fact.
"Excuse me? Excuse me?" the bass player said, snapping her fingers in front of Aoi's face.
"Hmm? What?" Aoi said, snapping back to reality, they had just finished playing the guitar player's song demand.
"I was saying 'can we play the song: Aoi Yume?'" the long-haired lass asked.
"Huh? Sure!"
"But all of us need to sing."
"No problem."
They played the intro and reached the chorus.
Aoi, Aoi bokura no yume
Furikaetteru hima wa nai
Hashire, Hashire boku no kotoba
Yume wo nosete hashire
Takara mono wa hoka ni wa naiyo
Mada owacchanai kara
Ase to namida wa uragiranai
Ah~ Mietekita
The crowd applauded. It was getting late already. As much as they wanted to stay, they began leaving the park. As soon as the song ended, all who remained was the Varia officers excluding Bel and Xanxus.
"Arigatou gozaimasu!" Aoi shouted to the retreating audience. "Arigatou!" she thanked the people who played several songs with her.
"Iya, iya," the guitarist denied, "We're supposed to be saying the same thing to you for letting us play, the pleasure was all ours… hey, do you want to join our band?"
Aoi looked startled, "I'd love to but I already have a job that takes up most of my time, sorry. See you guys next time!" Aoi said, grabbing her amp and walked away, holding her guitar. Lussuria intercepted her.
"Aoi-chan, why didn't you tell us you played the guitar?" Lussuria pouted.
"How unsightly and un-Varia-like," Squalo grumbled.
Aoi blinked, "Excuse me? Who are you?" she played dumb, hoping Fran won't reveal the truth as she lied, "I believe you're mistaking me for someone called Aoi."
"VOOOIII! What do you take us for? Fools? Do you think you can deceive us by your playacting?" Squalo drew his sword. Aoi really liked to answer him back with a 'yes' but she pretended to be scared.
"Kyaa! Help me!" she screamed like any normal frightened girl would. The drummer of the makeshift band noticed and sauntered over, eyeing the dangerous weapon Squalo had in his hands.
"Excuse me," he intervened in a firm tone, "but it's bad to accuse a girl and point things like swords at her. Please put it away, she's nothing but a really good guitarist and a kawaii singer."
Fran almost snickered at his last two words but he bit his tongue when he noticed Aoi turn slightly pink. Aoi wasn't sure if Squalo would follow the drummer dude, but to her surprise, he did.
"Trash, let's go Lussuria, she's definitely not Aoi," Squalo said, and therefore, they left.
"Daijoubu?" the drummer asked, "Why were they threatening you? They looked really scary."
"I'm fine. I have no idea why they did that. They mistook me for someone called Aoi," Aoi said, "I'm off then!"
"Ah! Wait! My name's Kyou Asagana, what's yours?"
"Uhm…" Aoi hysterically thought of an alias, "Tsukiko, Tsukiko Mikoto."
"Thanks for playing with me Tsukiko-chan!" Kyou smiled. "Be careful on your way home!"
"Oh, you too!" Aoi a.k.a Tsukiko left. She sighed. What an unexpected turn of events. She took of her cap and purple vest then tied her hair up in a messy ponytail. She strolled over to a sushi place. "Oji-chan! Tuna please!" She ordered.
"Hai! Dozo," the man in charge of preparing salmon placed a plate of tuna sushi on top of the table in front of her.
"Ittedakimasu!" but before Aoi could take a bite, the bell in the doorway chimed and guess who entered?
"Aoi-chan! We were looking all over for you!"
"Ah, Lussuria-kun," Aoi greeted him, halfway through eating her sushi.
"Not –kun! It's Oni-chan," Lussuria replied, annoyed.
Aoi, grossed out by Lussuria, no oni-chan's proclamation, corrected herself, "Uh… oni-chan, I was just getting my guitar," and here, Aoi patted the instrument, "fixed in a music store somewhere around the area, you didn't think of searching for me there?" she asked reproachfully, quickly thinking for a cover-up. Fran grabbed one of the tuna sushi on her plate and ate it. Aoi complained and said that Fran would have to order her another batch of sushi.
"Eh… we thought you were the girl playing guitar in the park," Lussuria said.
"That's stupid," she replied, between bites, "I've only began playing that instrument a few weeks ago. I couldn't get to be so good in such a short amount of time." There was little truth in her words. She only did start the hobby when she was in the Ninth's mansion.
"Ah, senpai, where's the reward?" Fran asked.
"Hmm? That? I'll treat you sushi," Lussuria said.
"Well, that's cheap…" Squalo and Levi both mumbled.
"It's all too bad that Bel's not here," Lussuria continued.
"Ushishishi. What was that?" Bel asked, entering the sushi store in his Varia uniform. In one smooth move, he plucked one tuna sushi on Aoi's plate.
"HEY!" she loudly protested. All the customers' eyes widened. The Varia's here! And not just one, all six of them were present! They fled, afraid of the mafia. The Varia guardians were well-known in that particular shop.
"Ah Bel-senpai, done with your mission?" Fran asked.
"Hm? Of course. I was able to finish it in one day because I'm a pri-"
"Sempai, let's eat," Fran turned to Lussuria, losing interest in his conversation with Bel.
"Hai! Hai! Mister! I'll order everything in the house!" Lussuria literally bought everything the whole restaurant sold.
"Fran," Bel said.
"What is it sempai?"
"Where's your hat?"
"Ah. I left it in my room."
"Heh," Bel said, slowly removing his knives from his pocket.
"Ah, yabai…"
Food was forgotten, although the sushi was placed on their table. It was only Aoi who was eating. The usual fight happened between sempai and kouhai. Squalo joined in with three of his "vooii's!" Levi got kicked in the face and attacked the three as well. Lussuria was insulted by Fran and the sun guardian decided to get involved in the combat. Not soon after that, the restaurant owner stared at the damage done by the Varia to his shop. It had been sliced and hacked to pieces, on top of it all, it was burning.
Aoi smiled. It wouldn't be a normal day in Varia if there were no skirmishes that took place. "Yep, I guess this is the best birthday ever," she thought as they were walking home, the sushi shop owner was too scared to ask for payment.
A flashback appeared in her head. Blood was splattered on the walls of a room. People wearing white lab coats decorated the floor. Her brother with mismatched eyes, colored red and blue was holding a small trident.
Wait… whaat?