Happy Birthday to Uzumaki Naruto!
So yeah, my updating rate has been pretty bad as of recently. School's been a major pain. But, next update is November 10th (Naruto fans, you know why).
Before I begin, have you all read Nisekoi 141? I have one word for you.
HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGH.
That is all.
Also, the first OVA is out, and Season 2 has been announced! Get psyched!
EDIT: As I was writing, Chapter 142 came out. As far as the opening page goes…
...Fuck you Komi. That was not cool.
So we have a few filler chapters before we get back on the main story. The chapter after the one after this one covers Chapter 26 if the manga. I definitely look forward to that.
Fun Fact: if you haven't noticed, all the dates and times so far have been as accurate as I can possibly make them. Since the only date Komi-sensei gives us is June 7 as Chitoge's Birthday, and June 15 as Onodera's, basically, I've had to form my own timeline from scratch.
Also, you might want to have a YouTube tab open while reading. There'll be a lot of music this time around.
Hooh, alright. Here's Chapter 8.
Bonyari City
Streets
June 5, 2014
11:06 A.M.
It was spring. And it was beautiful.
Long gone were the never-ending showers of April, and in were the blossoming flowers of May and June. The birds were chirping, the streets bustling, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun shone brightly, and there was a light breeze, the smell of freshly cut herbs wafting through the wind. It was calm. Tranquil. Serene—
(*BWACHUUUU!*)
An irritant blond sniffed, "Damn, these scents are strong…" he glanced over at his partner, "See? This is why I didn't want to go outside today."
Said partner sighed, "Naruto, you can't just sleep in all day. That's what NEETs do."
He frowned, "Alright, first of all, NEETs are awesome. Some of my best friends were NEETs. Hell, back at home, there's a whole clan of 'em."
"Well, technically the Nara weren't NEETs," Kurama pointed out, "They had jobs; they were just lazy as shit."
'Yeah, I got it,' he thought back.
"Secondly, I have a job," he deadpanned, "It's the same as yours, remember?"
The open-air school had ended yesterday: Sunday. Now it was Monday. Every year, the day after the field-trip was treated as a holiday; the students got the day off. And so, our two protagonists (or was it three?) were out and about, walking the streets of Bonyari. To a disinterested onlooker, it may have looked like they were on a date or something.
Of course, if you would've told them that, the girl would've shot you in the leg, while the guy laughed nervously.
"What are we even doing out here anyway?" he laid his interlocked hands across the back of his head, "Where are we even going?"
"You'll find out when we get there! Now come on!"
She grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
"Ack! Hey!"
Bonyari Park
June 5, 2014
11:23 A.M.
(Raku)
"Haaaah…" Chitoge sighed, "Rakuuuu~! I'm bored!"
"Then leave," I muttered, throwing away an empty soda can, "Nothing's stopping you, right? The four-eyes isn't even watching us today, and neither is Tsugumi."
It was Monday. The good kind. Not the "let's-go-to-school-and-begin-a-5-day-torture-marathon" kind, the "we-got-a-holiday-for-insert-reason-here-let's-celebrate!" kind.
And yet… I was still kinda' irked me.
Why? Because it was obligatory-date-day!
Yes, since our usual dates were scheduled for Saturday, and we had the school trip over the weekend, we were going today. Despite the fact that I still had work to do, of course.
"I knoooooww…" she sighed, "but we have to keep up appearances, right? If I'm not gone long enough, the gang'll get suspicious."
"Geez…" I sighed as well, "So with the way things are, even if there's no one there, we're still being watched?"
"Pretty much, yes."
In case you hadn't noticed, we'd started using our first names. Something she suggested this morning after a couple classmates brought it up over the weekend.
She sighed again, "Aaahhh… I'm so bored..."
…
…
I shook my head, and jumped off the bench, startling her.
"Wh-What are you doing?"
I stretched out and yawned, "C'mon. Let's go do something. You said you were bored, right?"
Bonyari Park
Gazebo: Picnic Tables
11:27 A.M.
(Ruri)
"Hm… good for you. While I'm a bit disappointed you didn't go any further…" I paused to lick my popsicle, "...clinging to him all night is certainly a big step forward for someone like you."
"R-Ruri, please!" she cried, anime style tears streaming down her face.
I put a finger to my chin, detective style, "Now, to plan the next step. What's our plan of attack?"
"A-Attack!?"
"Yes, attack!" my eyes glinted, "You're far too passive, you know. If you're not aggressive enough, you'll lose!"
"L-Lose? To who?"
"...Not important. But really, just get together already!" I grumbled, "I swear, you two are more irritating than Naruto and Tsugumi!"
"Eh?" she looked confused, "Naruto-kun and Tsugumi-san? What about them?"
"...Are you serious?" I quirked an eyebrow as she nodded, "You really haven't noticed?"
"Well, it's quite simple, Onodera-chan!" someone said, "Naruto and Seishirou-chan totally have the hots for each other!"
My gaze hardened at the familiar voice as I spoke, not bothering to turn to face him, "Maiko-kun. What are you doing here?"
I could practically feel that unsettling smile of his. "Well, I was just strollin' through the park when I happened across two of my faaavorite ladies. How're you lovely flowers doing today?"
I tried to resist the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face. "We were doing fine, Maiko-kun," I growled, "And then we ran into you."
He grasped his chest in faux-pain, "Ah, Ruri-chan! Your words wound me so!"
"Is there something in particular that you wanted?," I glared, "Because if not, Kosaki and I have business to attend to."
"Business?" she asked innocently, "But I thought we were just going to walk around and— EEP!"
I elbowed her sharply, eliciting a yelp.
"He didn't need to know that…" I seethed.
"Hm? Oh, I'm just following Naruto and Seishirou around on their date," he said, completely ignoring our little exchange while holding up a camera, "Great for blackmail material."
Kosaki gasped, "B-Blackmail? Why?"
"Well, he's already got some dirt on me, and it's not like I really plan to use these," he said, "It's more like… insurance."
We both sweatdropped.
"Hang on…" I started, "Naruto and Tsugumi are on a date? Right now?"
He nodded happily, his '83' face of his, ever-present.
Now… when faced with a similar set of circumstances, most people would simply let those two have their time alone, and just leave them be…
Unfortunately, I was not most people.
I grabbed Kosaki's hand. "Lead the way."
He grinned wordlessly and walked off, the two of us hot on his heels.
Bonyari City
Mall
June 5, 2014
11:39 A.M.
(Naruto)
"This?" was my incredulous response, "You dragged me out of my bed at 9 in the morning… for karaoke?"
"Mhm!" she nodded, "But we're not just here to mess around. We have a mission."
My expression turned serious.
"A mission?" my hand crept toward the storage seals on my bicep, "Should I…?"
She waved my unspoken question off, "No, no, it's nothing like that. Claude says he has plans to send us on a few overseas missions during the summer, and you need to brush up on your English."
I frowned, "Well that's unnecessary. I speak English perfectly fine."
Which was true. Over the course of the 8 months I'd been in Japan, Chi-hime and Tsugu had both taught me English. With the near photographic memory I'd developed over years of Kage Bunshin and demonically-enhanced brain activity, it didn't take much work. I didn't even have an accent when I spoke!
"That may be true…" she conceded, "...but more experience couldn't hurt. And this seemed like the most fun way to do it."
"So we're not going in there on a drug bust or to clean out an underground fight club," I clarified, "We're actually going to be singing karaoke?"
"In English, yes."
I sighed, as the automatic door slid open.
"Where the heck did those ideas even come from?" she asked, as she stepped in, "We're hitmen, not police officers."
I shrugged, "That line tends to blur sometimes."
Moments Earlier
(Raku)
"Whoa, look!"
I followed Chitoge's finger across the crowd, where, standing before a karaoke place…
"Holy crap!"
She threw a hand over my mouth and pulled me behind a trash can. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice us, as they were deep in conversation.
"Wow…" I offered dumbly, after Chitoge had removed her palm from my face, "Are they on a date or something?"
"I dunno'!" she whispered back, "Should we follow them?"
"I'd rather we not," I muttered, "On the off chance that they are on a date, they deserve their privacy."
"Oh, privacy-schmivacy," she waved it off, "We don't get any of that and we're fine."
"I think we're kind of the exception to that rule," I deadpanned.
"Ooh, does this mean Tsugumi got all dressed up for a date?!" she squealed, completely ignoring my previous jab, "I'm so proud!"
Tsugumi had forgone her usual blazer, dress shirt, and slacks for something a little nicer. A white blouse with a black collar at the top, with two holes left unbuttoned. She also wore slim jeans that hugged her hips and showed off her lithe figure and slim legs.
Naruto was a different story. Despite summer being just around the corner, he wore baggy black cargo pants with a bunch of pockets down the legs, and a black muscle shirt with an odd orange spiral-pattern near the navel. The fact that he didn't appear to be sweating kinda' irked me.
"Ohoho!" we turned at the voice, "If it isn't Bonyari's Faaavorite Couple! Out on a date, I see!"
"Huh? Shuu?" I was visibly surprised, "Where the heck did you come from?"
"Maiko-kun! Wait for us!"
"Eh? That voice…"
Two familiar faces rounded the corner.
"Eeeh?! Ruri-chan? Kosaki-chan?"
I turned and glared at my friend, sending him a look that said:
'Dude, what the hell? What are you doing with Onodera!?'
He shook his head:
'Sorry man. Ruri dragged her along with her.'
"Hey, hey, no telepathic conversations, you two!" Chitoge said, "So what are you all doing here?"
"Well, Maiko-kun here was rather keen on following Naruto-kun and Tsugumi-san on their date," Ruri said, with a bit of seemingly-forced disdain, "So Kosaki and I set out to stop him!"
"Maa, maa, Ruri-chan!" he smiled, "Don't act like you weren't interested as well!"
The girl huffed, crossing her arms and turning her head, "Please. Only a creepy stalker like you could enjoy something like that."
"Speaking of which…" he turned to us, "Did you happen to see them come by? I kinda' lost them."
"What? You lost them?! Then what on Earth were we following you for?!"
He grinned, "I dunno'. Girls chasing me for once? Nice change of pace."
I sighed as she punched him through the wall of a nearby store.
"Well, they went into that karaoke place over there," Chitoge said, pointing across the street, "Should we-?"
The seconds the words left her lips, the two sped off, leaving a comical trail of dust behind them.
"H-Hey, wait for us!" she cried, grabbing Onodera by the wrist and dashing after them.
…
...
I blinked dumbly, "...Did my date just ditch me?"
It was too late to follow after them too. At some kind of unspoken signal, the crowd had begun to move, the wall of people blocking off my path.
I swore, "Dammit…"
'That teleporting trick of Naruto's would really come in handy right about now...'
Bonyari City
Kenji's Karaoke
11:47 A.M.
(Naruto)
"Hi! I have a reservation for two today?"
Tsugumi was getting our room from the woman at the front desk. Meanwhile, I was flipping through the songbook on the lobby's coffee table, whilst drinking said beverage.
'Ah...This is good stuff,' I thought to myself.
"Meh, I like that tea stuff better," said Kurama, "Though this stuff has more drugs in it."
'It's called caffeine, Kurama,' I thought back, 'And I'm surprised that you haven't commented on my not drinking alcohol in over 6 months.'
"Well, it was becoming a pain to burn the stuff from your system. Not like I'm complaining," he said, "Without me, and if you didn't have your stupid healing factor, you'd have died from alcohol poisoning about thirty times in the last year alone."
'Hey, that year was rough for me,' I argued, 'I blame Baa-chan for hooking me on the stuff.'
"Just like you blamed the Nara and that one Sarutobi for getting you hooked on cigarettes?" he grumbled, "Yes, with me in your stomach, you might as well have never smoked a day in your life, but still."
'Oh, c'mon, that was only for 2 months! And it wasn't that bad.'
"Yeah, 'only two months'," he growled, "The only reason you even stopped was because your girlfriend said she wouldn't kiss you while your mouth smelled like one of those casino things your Hokage frequents."
'To be fair, she was my personal doctor. She kinda' had the right to do that,' I thought, 'And I don't even wanna' think about what would've happened if she got Baa-chan to step in.'
I shivered at the thought of Tsunade chucking furniture about in a fit of rage.
"Naruto!"
I left my mindscape at the sensation of someone snapping their fingers in my face. Under most circumstances, I'd bite a few fingers and be done with it.
Fortunately for her, I'd recognize her hand anywhere.
"C'mon Whiskers, I got our room."
I nodded and stood up, following her.
"I worry sometimes. You just randomly drift off to dreamland," she pouted lightly, "What's that about?"
I shrugged, "I'll tell you about it someday. Don't worry."
She frowned, but nodded. We headed off to the room.
"Have fun on your date you two!" called the receptionist.
My partner blushed while I sputtered nonsense.
Kenji's Karaoke
11:57 A.M.
(Chitoge)
"Hey, Kenji, what's up?"
"Hm? Oh, hey Maiko! What's up?"
Our group collectively sweatdropped as Maiko reacquainted himself with the owner.
"I can't believe he knows this guy…" Ruri muttered.
I said nothing as I nodded, just as impressed.
"So, our friends just went in, and we wanted to know if we could get a viewing booth?"
"Well, it depends. Some rooms have 'em, some don't," he brought out a clipboard, "What's your friend's name?"
"Tsugumi. Seishirou Tsugumi."
He began skimming the list for the name, "Tsu...Tsugu...Ah, here we go. They're in room I-6."
He frowned, "Unfortunately, we only have viewing booths for rooms H and below. Sorry man."
Shuu slumped, "Well, damn. How'm I supposed to get him back now?"
(*B-TMMM*)
The door swung open to a miffed looking Raku.
I quirked an eyebrow, "Where were you?"
He gave me a look, "You all left me behind!"
I returned it, "Well, maybe if you weren't so slow...!"
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
(Raku)
"Hey, wait…" Kenji continued, "The two of 'em are registered for the couples competition this afternoon. I can get you all seats!"
"Great! Thanks, Ken!"
Chitoge leaned over to me. "A couple's competition?" she asked, the argument we just had completely forgotten, "Like, a duet?"
"Yeah, probably," I nodded.
Something occurred to me, "Say, can those two sing?"
She smirked a bit, "More than that. One time, Tsugumi sang in public and three different talent agents tried to recruit her."
I sweatdropped, "Seriously?"
"Yeah, she's that good," she affirmed, "And I remember hearing Naruto sing last year at the gang's New Years Party. He's really good too."
I sighed, "Geez'... what can't that guy do?"
She tapped her chin in thought. "Well let's see… he can't go through a haunted house without throwing up," she listed off on her fingers, "He can't go more than a day without some form of ramen, he can't go without wearing orange, and he can't do anything without making it more complex and difficult than it should be. Seriously, he's like a trouble magnet."
"...That was rhetorical, but alright."
Kenji's Karaoke
12:02 P.M.
(Naruto)
It was exactly what one would expect for a karaoke joint.
Our booth was a small room, with acoustic foam on the walls, a few chairs and a couch, and a mic hooked up to a monitor and speaker set. On the coffee table (ironic, since food and drink weren't allowed) was a copy of the songbook from the front lobby.
She let out a low whistle, "Nice place."
I nodded, picking up the songbook, "Hey, how recent is this?"
"Hmm… it should be everything up to June," she said, fiddling with the mic settings, "So we should be good."
She held out a mic, "Whenever you're ready."
I reluctantly took it, "...I still think this is unfair. Why do only I have to do this?"
"Because I've been learning English since I was 5," she said, like it was elementary, "But if it makes you feel any better, for every song you do, I'll do one too."
I blinked, "How is that supposed to make me feel better?"
She raised an eyebrow, "Look, do you want to do this or not?"
"Fine. But do I at least get a warm-up? You know, a Japanese song?"
She seemed to ponder this, "...Sure, alright. I'll do one too, but you're up first."
I nodded. That seemed fair.
Using the arrow buttons on the mic's surface, I selected a song.
(Play: Distance by Junko Takeuchi)
"You are my friend! Aa, ano hi no yume,
Ima de mo, mada wasurete nain desho?
You are my dream, aa hajimatta bakka,
Kimi no one longest way, Whoa~! ima tabidatsu yo!"
Slightly taken aback at the abrupt start of the song, Tsugumi took a seat and clapped along to the beat, smiling lightly as she did.
I continued with the verse:
"Everyday... kono saki mo shining days,
Kawarazu singing... hikaru asa no smile
Kore de, miosame no funny days,
Tobidatsu future, mezashita go far, kokoro no dream of!"
"I'll go the distance! Mihatenu sora wa blue
Norikonda star ship... Kore ga saikou no forever trip!
She cheered as the chorus returned:
"You are my friend! Aa ano hi no yume...
Ima de mo, mada wasurete nain desho?
You are my dream, aa hajimatta bakka,
Kimi no one longest way, Whoa~! ima tabitasu yo!"
"Thank you my friend, Aa ano hi no koto...
Ima de mo, mada oboeteru kara!
You are my dream! Aa mou nidoto sou
Modora nai days! Whoa~! I'll go the distance!"
The song devolved into a short guitar solo before it faded out.
I finished, smiling as I offered her the mic. "Your turn."
She smiled back, taking it with a small laugh.
(Play: Trick Box by Mikako Komatsu)
I nodded in silent approval at her song choice. It was the craziest thing, Tsugu's voice was a dead ringer for the Seiyuu's; something I pointed out whenever one of her characters showed up on the TV.
The song opened with a short guitar riff, before it went right to the lyrics.
"Memagurushii nichijou
Miotoshite shimai souna...
Chiisana hako ni wa
Attakai tomadoi…"
One of my eyebrows rose in slight confusion. I don't recall Komatsu-san ever singing this… but who cares; it fit Tsugu's range perfectly.
"Te ni tsukeranakutte
Mune ni shimai kondara
Bousou chuu, yakedo o shita
Nan kara shikunai yo ne?"
Her head began to bob lightly as she stepped side to side in time with the beat, hips swaying lightly as she did so.
"Ikisugita keikai wa...
Kanjita- koto- mo nai- youna
Kimochi- eto- kawa-tta!"
The background of the lyrics screen appeared to shatter before it turned into a cyclotron of color.
"Mamoritai mono hirogete korogatta IRYUUJON!
Doko kara koko ni? Magirete kimi wa kita no nankai!?
Kakunin shitemo, fueteru kokoro no SENSEESYON!
Kinou to wa chigau sekai, fumikomu saki ni wa yasashi sa!"
The same set of chords played again, in a much more passionate manner.
"Yasashi-sa~!"
Kenji's Karaoke
12:07 P.M.
(Raku)
"Ooh, ooh! Can I go first?"
"Sure, Chitoge-chan!"
I leaned back into the couch and sighed, "They're sure having fun, aren't they?"
Shuu nodded, smiling lightly, "Good. Better than having them bored in the lobby, right?"
Like he said, rather than just waiting around in the lobby for 3 hours, we'd decided to grab a booth at Kenji's insistence. Now...we were singing karaoke, I guess.
So we drew straws to determine the order. Chitoge'd volunteered for first, and Onodera would be after her. Then Shuu would go, the Miyamoto, then me. We'd cycle through until we ran out of time; when the Couple's Competition started. Kenji said he'd give us a call a few minutes prior and that he'd save us seats.
And with the blonde's selection, we started.
(Play LOVE KANON by: Nao Toyama)
"Mijikai kami wo nabikasete...
Ribbon kakumei okoshichau
Revo-Revo na mirai!"
I blinked dumbly at the fierce prominence of the guitar and drums. Meanwhile, Chitoge and the others, who'd probably been expecting this all: A) cheered, B) nodded in silent approval, or C) made a weird face consisting of numbers. As to who did what? I'll let you decide.
"Minna no koe ga kikitai no
Minna ni todoke ai no uta
Melo-Melo na Melody!"
She smiled widely at our positive reactions and tilted her head lightly with every beat of the drum.
"Ashita mo aeru ka na
Kitto aeru yo ne!
Mune no tokimeki wo
Tsu-ta-e-ta-i no
"I, My, Me, Idol!
Watashi Idol!
Minna wo! Ucchau zo!
Love Cannon de BAN BAN!
I, Me, Me Idol!
Watashi wo mite ne!
Minna no Heart neraiuchi yo…
Mou Hanasanai!"
At the end of the song, the display shifted to the results screen, indicating that Chitoge had broken the day's high score.
Kenji's Karaoke
1:42 P.M.
(Naruto)
And with the warm-up out of the way, both of us had moved on to English songs.
"We are Maverick!
We won't give in,
until we win This Game!"
Tsugu just sat back and watched with a smile on her face. Noticing, I grinned right back as the song continued.
"Even I don't know
what tomorrow holds,
But I'll make a bet,
and play my cards to win
This Game!
Unlike the rest,
I'll do my best!
And I WON'T EVER LOSE!
To give up this chance would be a deadly sin,
So let's bet it all!
I'll put all our faith in us…
So Let The Games Begin!"
I threw my head back as I let out a triumphant sigh, letting myself fall down into the couch.
"Ah...that was easy."
"...You're sweating," she deadpanned.
"Yeah. 'Sweating with ease.'" I said in English.
She sweatdropped, "The phrase is 'No sweat'."
"Oh...Well, whatever. Can we go for lunch now?"
She blinked, and checked her watch.
"...Yeah, sure. It's almost 2 already anyway."
"Wow, have we really been going for that long?" I got up and stretched, masking my secretly hoarse voice as best I could, "I'm not even tired."
She raised an eyebrow, "Yeaaaah, your voice is more cracked than a drug addict on a lazy Sunday."
She turned back to the monitor, "I was planning on doing another duet as practice… but I guess I'll let you rest up."
(Play: Meltdown by: EiEN)
"Wait, practice?" I looked up at her, "I thought we were done for the day?"
She smiled coyly as the song started.
"I feel the light appearing to be holding me,
I taste the bitter, chilly night air.
I lie awake, I can't believe it's 2 A.M.
But once again, there's nothing there."
"Oh, you're just gonna' ignore the question and— alright then."
She giggled lightly as it continued.
"There is no heat in my lighter
As if a fire could burn away from the inside.
Although my life has all been a lie,
Somehow I knew that this would soon be the end…
And in my dreams, you were laying there just scraping for air.
My fingers wrapped your throat in a wheezing kind of heaving,
All the air from your struggling body and soul,
While leaping cries were silently filling my eyes…"
I chose to play along for now, sitting back on the couch and just enjoying her angelic voice. She had what was called a "British accent" or something when she spoke English; either way, it was amazing.
"Let me jump into a core so deep,
So I can finally take the leap,
and maybe fly for once,
then the blue explosion
will swallow me amazingly!"
I blinked. I'd witnessed her incredible range (she could reach 4 octaves!) in action several times before, yet I was equally impressed every time.
"As I fall so far into the light,
With all its beauty I just might
feel all my tears again,
Please forgive all my sins
that are slowly melting into me!"
She put the mic down, and shut off the machine.
"So, lunch?"
Food Court
1:53 P.M.
(Raku)
It'd been 2 hours. Since you've last checked in, Chitoge'd sang two more songs, Happy Crescent and Koi no Shirushi, Miyamoto performing OrderXOrder, Onodera singing Renai Circulation and Kizuna no Yukue, while Shuu and I did our own rendition of Guren no Yumiya. The girls then did Kimi ga Yume wo Tsuretekita and Pre-Parade as a trio.
Anyway, putting all that behind us, we'd gotten hungry, and moved to the food court.
"Sho, Myko-kun," Chitoge spoke between bites of corn dog (bought by me, of course), "Wut tyme dosh the competishun shtart?"
"In about half an hour," he said cheerfully, not at all disturbed by her ravenous appetite, "So we have plenty of time."
"I didn't know Naruto-kun could sing!" Onodera admitted cheerfully, "And Tsugumi-san too! They're both so talented!"
"Yeah…" I murmured, "Apparently, the big guy upstairs wasn't particularly fair in divvying up the stats for all of us."
Suddenly, Shuu's eyes widened.
"Everybody, look down."
"Hm?"
"Look down, darnit! Just do it!"
We followed his example, making sure not to show too much of our faces.
"Why are we doing this?" Miyamoto hissed.
"Naruto and Seishirou just walked out! And they're heading right for us!"
Questioning the integrity behind that statement, I tilted my head slightly to check.
Upon doing so, I glared at him and sat up.
"You jackass, they're not even that close to us! They're headed in the complete opposite direction!"
He blinked.
"Oh. Well, they're hitmen and all. You can never be too careful."
He then flew into a pillar, as Miyamoto slugged him across the face.
Food Court
1:55 P.M.
(Naruto)
(*B-KRCK*)
I looked up as the loud noise echoed throughout the area. Seeing that nobody else had appeared to notice it, I turned back to the hot dog stand.
'Huh. Must've been my imagination...'
Food Court
1:55 P.M.
(Raku)
(*BRMM BRMM*)
"Oh!" he got up, seemingly unharmed, "Kenji just texted me that seating starts in 20 minutes, and he saved us all spots on the front row!"
Chitoge nodded in silent approval, "Nice, nice…"
"Ahh…" he leaned back, "Sure does pay to have connections."
Miyamoto gave him a look, "What exactly did you do to become so well connected?"
He chuckled, "Trade secret."
Food Court
2:01 P.M.
(Naruto)
Upon receiving our food from a vendor and paying for it, Tsugu and I grabbed a table in the corner, close to the Karaoke joint we were just at.
"So," I started, swallowing the hot dog in my mouth, "What did you say earlier about a 'duet for practice'? Are we going back in there?"
She nodded, "Claude signed us up for a duet competition later today. He thought it'd be a good idea."
I sweatdropped, "Ooooof course he did."
I took a sip of my cola, "So what exactly is this competition for?"
"Well, like the name says, it's a duet competition," she said, matter-of-factly as she took out a pen, "We'll be going up against a few other pairs in a…'sing-off', as it were."
She began drawing a small bracket on a napkin, "There'll be a few other groups there; if we pass the qualifier, we move on to the actual contest. There, 4 groups compete in a tournament-like fashion, moving forward through the bracket like so."
She drew a stair-like pattern to simulate ascension through the rounds, "And the goal is first prize. This is the mission part of it."
I raised an eyebrow as I took another sip, subtly motioning for her to continue.
"...Apparently, the owner of this place is one of the BeeHive's Executive's Apprentices. Ackerman's to be exact," she let out a sigh at this part, "And apparently, Claude lost something in a wager against him, and he needs it back."
"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow, "If that's the case, then why doesn't he win it back his own damn self?"
"He has more faith in our singing abilities, I suppose," she flushed, "Also, and I quote: 'You have a stunningly high register for a young man such as yourself, Seishirou.'"
I winced. Yup, that sure sounded like him.
"So, what exactly are we trying to win back here?" I asked, "Do we even know? Or is this one of those things where he doesn't tell us 'til the end?"
"If he ever tells us at all…" I muttered.
She shook her head, "No, this is an essential piece to one of our RDM Department's big projects. It's crucial that we get it back by tonight, or Braun will be furious!"
(Note: RDM stands for Research Development and Manufacture, and Braun heads that Division. Ackerman is in charge of finance and funding.)
I gave an incredulous look, "If it was that important, then what the hell was he doing gambling over it in the first place?!"
"Don't look at me. All I know is that we have a competition to win."
She stood up, crumpling the napkin and placing on her empty tray. I followed suit, dumping the garbage into the nearest trash can.
"Geez… I feel like half our missions are cleaning up after that guy's mess," I grumbled, "He's an adult, isn't he?"
"A busy one," she added, "There's a reason he never comes with us on ops."
"Yeah. Be grateful, brat."
'Shut up.'
Kenji's Karaoke
Performance Stage
2:20 P.M.
It was much bigger on the inside.
The entire place could seat about 50, which was pretty decent, considering. In front of every chair was a set of buttons that the audience used to cast their votes.
There were about 20 other people there, so… that meant 10 other competitors.
Most were chiefly Japanese, but among them, I saw a few Caucasians… 4 in total. There were a few more foreigners scattered throughout the crowd, but they were all part of the audience.
Speaking of, there was no rule as to what language you sing in. For example, if a Japanese group decided to sing in English and an American group did as well, both would be judged without that in mind. That is, they would be judged on how good it sounded, and fluency in the language was certainly a factor.
Basically, it was unadvisable for a competitor to sing in a language they were unfamiliar with.
And of course, we had a handicap.
"We have to sing in English again!?" I growled in the language, "Are you serious!?"
"Look, it's part of the agreement with Claude and Kenji-san. If we win the tournament singing only English, we get the item back. That's all there is to it."
I frowned, "But if Kenji's also BeeHive, then why even bother winning it back? Wouldn't it be kinda' shooting himself in the foot to not give it back to Braun?"
She shook her head, "No, Kenji will give it to Braun. But that's the problem; Kenji will be giving it to Braun. And that's a missed opportunity for Claude to improve his standing with him."
I scoffed, "So we're helping him brownnose?"
"Essentially, yes. But it's a mission, straight from a superior no less, so you know we can't turn it down."
I sighed, "This seems like a tragic misuse of power."
"Tell me about it. And it's not like we're the only ones. Other Executives have been offered the same deal; they've sent their apprentices as well."
"Wait, what?"
She tilted her head lightly in the direction of the others, "See the foreigners? Those two on the left are Takahashi's students. And the ones behind them work for Smith."
I grinned, "Heh. Looks like we got some competition."
She smiled challengingly, "Looks like it. Anyway, that's enough scouting for now; we should go and check out the dressing rooms."
"Dressing rooms?" I asked incredulously, "What is this, a movie set?"
"People take these things very seriously," she ran a hand through her hair, "And the prize for these people are possible raises or promotions. So I guess they have incentive."
Kenji's Karaoke
Dressing Room #5
2:30 P.M.
(Raku)
"I can not believe we're doing this…" muttered Miyamoto.
"Well, believe it," I muttered, quoting a certain blond, "What I can't believe is how quickly Shuu managed to find these."
The "these" I'd been referring to were elaborate disguises that Shuu'd somehow gotten for us. We had a whole room of costumes to choose from; considering we were only doing this to hide ourselves from the two hitmen, it seemed like overkill.
He shrugged, "The place already had dressing rooms, and they just so happened to have a free one."
"This place is fancier than I thought…" I mumbled.
"Ruri-chan! Look!" pointed Chitoge, "Wigs! We can do your hair and stuff!"
"Look at this, Chitoge-chan! This dress would look great on you!"
I sweatdropped, 'At least they're having fun with this.'
Kenji's Karaoke
Performance Stage
2:36 P.M.
(Naruto)
(Girl's lines, Guy's Lines, Together Lines)
And so, the preliminary rounds had begun! The Caucasian couple were the last group before we went on.
(Play Ah, What a Wonderful Cat's Life by SirHamnet)
I have dream that's nyan nyan nyan~
To explore outside this city that I've been in all my life.
Travel to the North where the land is far and wide,
And to see the aurora that's shining in the sky!
And if you could also nyan nyan nyan~
Be there by my side at the ending of my dream,
Although my wish won't be fulfilled it seems…
The way I'm living now is nyan nyan nyan
Not a thing that anyone can alter easily
Think of the girl who's taking care of me
There's no way I can leave her by herself so suddenly!
Hey I'm not done yet, nyan nyan nyan~
Where do you think you're going? Wait up a moment!
It'd be nice tomorrow if you would come again…
I'll wait for you 'til then!"
The crowd erupted into applause at the performance.
"Give it up!" shouted the announcer, "For Ross and Holly!"
I let out a low whistle that likely went unheard over the audience, "Looks like we got some competition!" I joked.
She shrugged, "Nothing we can't handle."
I raised an eyebrow, "Getting cocky, are we?"
"No, just confident."
Kenji's Karaoke
Performance Stage
2:39 P.M.
(Raku)
"And for our next contestants!" shouted the MC, "Please welcome to the stage, Naruto and Seishirou!"
We cheered as non-obnoxiously as possible (so still, really noticeable), but luckily, our friends didn't seem to notice our presence.
By the way, since I feel like I should mention this, Shuu was sporting a fake, poorly-executed blond Van Dyke, Chitoge had short black hair, Miyamoto took off her glasses and wore her hair in a bun, and Onodera's wig was a light-chestnut color that blended with her hazel eyes. I myself was wearing a monocle and a top hat with a fake handlebar moustache.
...Don't judge me; I didn't pick it out.
The two got on stage, picking up the mic from the departing Ross and Holly. As the lights dimmed, they took to opposite sides of the stage.
At an unspoken nod, the music began to play.
(Play drop pop candy by: JubyPhonic and Kuraiinu)
Chitoge, Onodera, and Miyamoto nodded lightly, having heard the song before from one of our classmates, who was a total Vocaloid-geek. I myself had never heard it, and neither had Shuu.
At the cue, she opened her mouth and began to sing.
"Umbrella at your side, it's raining but you close it tight."
"And how are you?" purred a cat just passing through."
"Those heels that you like are soaking, but is that alright?"
"Let out a sigh for another day the same as the last.
Come on let's try, dye it blue and change it up from the past.
Reflecting up from a puddle but then gone in a flash,
Is that the most that you can dream or wanted to see?"
"But look around – Dance up and down"
The world is now – Still going 'round"
Just feel it pound – We're skyward bound"
Move at the top - speed - of - sound!"
"Running to another day, I wanna break away and take the leap!
As you're stuck on yesterday, no sun to rise would be okay with me!
Every day, every day is okay
Taking it step by step, we'll always move ahead
Our love is growing red, need me more, need you more
You fall down seven more times, I'll be there seven, eight, nine
As we keep trying, we'll find – we're always singing the same tune!"
"Now falling to her side, the drops of rain that mix with light
Stealing a glance, hid a cat who turns his back
Their heads starting to sink, this boredom is too hard to fight
Just spinning lies with the only thread of kindness we saved
Or if we're blind and the truth is just a painting in grey
Drowning us out, all the noisy drops the fall in the rain
But fingertips traced every line and opened my eyes
I'll paint it blue – I'll play a tune
I'm wishing too – For something new
It will come true – With me and you
And then we'll finally break through
Swimming through the Milky Way, I wanna break away and take the leap
Since we're falling anyway, no moon to rise would be okay with me
Every night, every night is alright
Taking it step by step, we'll always move ahead
Our love is growing red, need me more, need you more
Cry to me, know that I care - lean on me and I'll be there
As we keep trying, we'll find –you're always gonna be there too
Shining down on me, you're my blue moon
Dreaming forever to find to now I'm awake
I need to find tomorrow, can you take me away
And go the top speed of sound?
Running to another day, I wanna break away and take the leap
As you're stuck on yesterday, no sun to rise would be okay with me
Every day, every day is okay
Taking it step by step, we'll always move ahead
Our love is growing red, need me more, need you more
You fall down seven more times, I'll be there seven, eight, nine
As we keep trying, we'll find – you're always gonna be there too!
We're always singing the same tune!
Every day from now on!"
And the entire gallery erupted into cheers.
"Wow, that was awesome!" Chitoge cried, eyes sparkling.
Miyamoto nodded, small smile on her face, "Those two certainly have chemistry."
"...It sounded great, yeah!" I agreed, "I had absolutely no idea what they were saying, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless."
"That's because music itself is a language," Shuu nodded sagely, "It doesn't matter whether or not you understand the words, the tune, the song, the singing… it speaks directly to your soul."
Miyamoto glared, "Oh, stop trying so hard to be cool."
He grinned, "I don't have to try to be cool."
I sighed as she punched him again.
"And, the results are in! Moving on to the next round are Pairs 1, 5, 9, and 10! That is:
Group 1) Arin and Suzy
Group 5) Hasebe and Lucy (Abbreviated)
Group 9) Ross and Holly
Group 10) Naruto and Tsugumi
The next round starts in 30 minutes folks! We'll see you then!"
Kenji's Karaoke
Halls
2:23 P.M.
(Naruto)
"What the?"
A short walk later, Tsugu and I had found our dressing rooms. There was just one problem.
"Why's there only one?" she muttered.
Yep. There was only one dressing room assigned per group, apparently. The other apprentices had already grabbed their own, leaving us alone to speak with the attendant.
"Yes, you'll both be sharing a changing room. Is that a problem?" she asked politely.
She flushed lightly, waving her hands in front of her face, "No, no! It's just that...well, I thought we'd get separate ones. That's all."
The woman tilted her head and smiled, "Ah, I see. Well, we don't have enough rooms for everyone, and this is a Couples Competition, so we thought it'd be more convenient to just have the groups share rooms!"
"Oh," I nodded, "That makes sense...Wait, what did you say?"
"Hm? Um...We don't have enough rooms, so—"
"No, no. After that."
"...That we didn't think you'd have a problem with this, since this is a Couples Competition? For Couples? Which you two are?"
I looked to Tsugumi, who looked oddly calm at the woman's assumption.
"...This is a Couples Competition? Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Well, if I told you, would you have agreed?"
"...Maybe?"
"Well, then you left me no choice!" she said, "And besides Claude's the one who signed us up."
"...That's quite the detail to leave out, you know..." I muttered, "Wait, he signed us up before telling us!?"
"I know right! The nerve of some people!"
Kenji's Karaoke
Performance Stage
2:38 P.M.
(Raku)
It was the start of the first round. The order was randomized, but Naruto and Tsugumi were still up last. Speaking of…
"Look out folks! Cause' they're coming in like a streak of orange and blue! Straight from here in Bonyari City! Give it up for Naruto and Seishirou!"
I facepalmed at the announcer's poor attempt at talking up the two. What was this, a prizefight?
Naruto and Tsugumi emerged, clearly having visited the dressing rooms. Naruto wore an odd orange and black jumpsuit with the jacket sleeves rolled up and the zipper open, showing off his necklace. Meanwhile Tsugumi wore a costume with a similar design, with the orange having been replaced by a light blue, the black with white. However, the jacket was made into a vest, and pants were shorts instead. She also wore a blue wig, much longer than her current haircut.
And the lights dimmed as the music started.
(Play Closer by AmaLee and PELLEK)
"All that we love and hold so dear,
Could disappear one day without warning.
But we fear if we get too close to it,
We'll lose it all in a heartbeat!"
"Can you reminisce? Can you recall
The last time you felt some joy at all?
Or maybe you are so blessed to a point
Where you can't remember anything?"
"The fact we're alive right here and now,
We take it for granted but that's how,
We'll find hope when we may need it most,
When we realize the miracle!"
"All that we love and hold so dear,
Could disappear one day without warning.
We fear if we get too close to it,
We'll lose it all in a heartbeat!
You know the closer you get to something,
The tougher it is to see it.
And I'll never take it for granted!
Let's go!"
"Some people may call the kindest deed,
An act of mere hypocrisy.
But never mind those who have lost their faith.
You shouldn't give in to what they say!"
"As a matter of fact, just hear me out!
Even if it was for a selfish cause,
A salvageable hypocrisy,
Is superior to murderous honesty!"
"Everyone tells you from time to time,
To never give up like a scene from a movie!
They tell you to stand up for yourself,
As if was always that easy!
There is a handful of courage in my heart,
That is waiting to shine on my darkest day!
And I'll never take it for granted,
Let's go!"
"All that we love and hold so dear,
Could disappear one day without warning.
We fear if we get too close to it,
We'll lose it all in a heartbeat!"
"You know the closer you get to something
The tougher it is to see it
And I'll never take it for granted
Let's Go!"
"Everyone tells you from time to time
To never give up like a scene from a movie
They tell you to stand up for yourself
As if it was always that easy!"
"There is a handful of courage in my heart,
That is waiting to shine on my darkest day.
And I'll never take it for granted!
Let's go!"
The audience broke into applause, we among them.
"Alright, we're tallying up your votes! Only two groups will make it to the final! Who will come out on top?!"
2:42 P.M.
"Now, moving on to the next round...With 22 votes, Hasabe and Lucy! Also moving on with 17 votes are Naruto and Tsugumi! To everyone else...You four can pick up your consolation prizes on the way out."
I saw the long-haired man next to me pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. I recognized him as one of the earlier performers, singing a... rather lewd song alongside a Ninja named Brian.
"God...Dammit Ross…" he muttered in English.
Group 10's Dressing Room
2:43 P.M.
(Naruto)
"So we passed…" I offered from my chair.
"...By the skin of our teeth," she muttered, as she paced back and forth, "Those two got over half the audience on their side. How'd they manage that?"
I grunted, "You said this'd be a piece of cake!"
"That was just me being optimistic."
"I thought you were a realist?"
"...Never mind. Anyway, we need to bring our A-Game next round," she nodded to herself.
I rested the back of my head on my interlocked fingers, "Oh well, whatever happens happens. It's not like it was that important anyway. Plus, I'm pretty sure I know why we lost."
She stopped pacing, "...You can't possibly know that."
"Think about it," I stretched out, "Between when we first saw them and when they performed, did you notice anything different?"
Her face scrunched up in confusion, "..."
'Shit, that's cute...'
"Noted."
'The hell, man?' I blinked, 'Where've you been?'
"Sleeping. Anyway, I've got some stuff to tell you about your mission. It can wait though."
'...Why not just tell me now?'
"Because your mate is going to start talking soon."
'SHE'S NOT MY MATE, DAMMIT.'
"I meant roommate on that one, but that works."
"...Alright, I give up. What was different?"
I grinned, "That's exactly it. Nothing was different!"
"...Not sure I get it."
"Basically, they didn't use the dressing room. So maybe their performance seemed more natural as a result. Just a theory."
"Natural?" she quirked an eyebrow, "If your plan at all involves either of us getting naked on stage, I will shove your nose-bone straight into your brain."
"Of course it doesn't," I grinned, "Wouldn't want half the audience to die of blood loss. They're our ticket to victory!"
I shook my head, "No, trust me on this. It'll work."
"So what are you suggesting?"
I just smiled.
Kenji's Karaoke
Performance Stage
2:45 P.M.
(Raku)
"And now! One of our two finalists! Please welcome, Lucy and Hasabe Yutaka!"
Hm. Those two were married? That was certainly news to me.
The two stepped up on stage, the man in a suit with a white trench coat, the woman in a male Japanese student's uniform.
(Play Inokori Sensei)
Sensei no koto sukidesuka?
(Haai hai hai haai hai!)
Te o age tenai hito wa
Inokoridesu yo
Kodomo no manma me tsuki de
nirande kitatte kamaimasen ga
Omae to wa chigatte sa
otonadakara ne tabun
Herikutsu bakka narabe ten natte gaki janai n datte
Majide namenja ne
Hitori de kaitou mayou na rotoo
hora yarerujan!
Na?
Sensei no koto sukidesuka?
(Haai hai hai haai hai)
Te o age tenai hito wa
inokoridesu
Sensei kiraidesu yo
tomodachi to wa chigau kankei
Sansei tasuuketsu de anta no kachidesu
Sensei erai ndesu ka?
Mitei shutsu no shukudai o
boku to tokimasen ka mukashi mitai ni ne?
Gaki no manma datte iukedo
setake mo sou kawarane ze ( ? )
Ren'ai datte shi terushi
otonadakara ne tabun
Tsuyogari bakka narabe ten natte tsugihagina no
barebare
Otonana nda yo hodo hodo kyori
Rikai shi na yo Na?
Sensei no koto sukidesuka?
( Haai hai hai haai hai )
Te o age rarenaidesu
uwattsura dakeja
Sensei kiraidesu yo
tomodachi to wa chigau kankei
Sansei tasuuketsu de anta no kachidesu
Sensei erai ndesu ka?
Mitei shutsu no shukudai o
boku to tokimasen ka mukashi mitai ni ne
itsumo mawari ni hito ga ite
itsumo dareka o warawa sete
Oikake teta no kidzui teru akogare nanda
itsumo mawari ni hito ga ite
daijina mono ga fuete iku
Tattoku nareba sono netsu no kowasa o shiru nda
Sensei no koto sukidesuka?
(Haai hai hai haai hai!)
Ari ori haberi ima so kari
Koten no jugyoo sukidesuka?
(Haai hai hai haai hai)
Te o age tenai hito wa
Boku dakedesu yo ne
Sen-nen kawarazu deai wakare kurikaeshi teru
sono saigobi ni demo kuwae toite
Sensei kiraidesu ka?
Seito to wa chigatta kankei
Sansei kojin-hyoo de anta no makedesu
Sensei omoidashite
Mitei shutsu no mune no ibitsu
boku to tokimasen ka
Okaerinasai mata waraeru
Mukashi mitai ni ne!
The crowd burst into applause. Apparently, they really liked Vocaloid.
Kenji's Karaoke
Performance Stage
2:48 P.M.
(Naruto)
"Our final performance today! Competing for the Grand Prize, here are Naruto and Seishirou!"
We moved to step onto stage before I froze. Slowly, my blank expression turned into an amused one.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing much," I shrugged, "Hey, you realize the whole gang's here and watching this, right?"
She smirked, "Are you kidding? I've known the entire time; you're just noticing now? You're supposed to be the sensor type?"
I sputtered awkwardly, "I-I've known the whole time too! What do you take me for?"
She laughed airily as she grabbed my hand and led me on stage.
I could see everyone, sitting front row, leaning forward on the edge of their seats.
Making small motions with my hands, I signed to my partner:
"Hey, they're here anyway, wanna' have a little fun? Why not put on a little show?"
She smiled, and nodded lightly, as we turned to the crowd as one.
(Play Melancholic by Nano feat. Neko)
He says: "There's gotta be more to this story!"
She says: "No, this is our happy end", yeah!
Once upon a melancholic time, they find that
Love's a game of give and take, yeah!
Are you ready? Whoo!
Put your hands up!
This is what they call a fairy tale,
a story about a girl!
This is when she wakes up to the sound
of the beating of her heart!
This is why she puts her make up on,
when he calls one Sunday night!
This is where she falls in love with him,
the Boy who lives next door!
It's not the car that he drives, or his money,
and she couldn't give a damn about the tattoos
on the arm he wraps around!
But if only every once in a while, he'd
take a second to hit the reply button,
life would be easier!
He says: "There's gotta be more to this story",
She says: "No, this is our happy end", yeah
Once upon a melancholic time, they find that
Love's a game of give and take
He says: "Where did I go wrong in this story",
She says: "Take a good look around, and you'd see", yeah!
Once upon a melancholic time, they find that
life's a game of love and hate!
It's Naru and Tsugu all over again!
Say it Na-ru-to and Sei-shi-rou yo!
Melancholic like you've never screamed,
Put your hands in the air and rock to the beat!
Put your hands up and Rock to the beat!
Put your hands up and Rock to the beat!
Rock to the beat!
Rock to the beat!
Rock to the beat!
Rock to the beat!
When tomorrow comes,
it'll be the same.
The same old game,
Rewind and Replay
Another smile,
Another mistake again,
We're turning a new page today!
Ever since you came into my dream,
I want you to know, you changed my life!
I won't say I love you!
'Cause
He says "There's gotta be more to this story",
She says "No, this is our happy end", yeah!
Once upon a melancholic time, they find that
Love is a game of give and take!
He says "Where did I go wrong in this story",
She says "Take a good look around, and you'd see", yeah
Once upon a melancholic time, they find that
Life is a game of love and hate!
FIRE!
And the crowd exploded into a frenzy of applause and uproars of cheering.
Kenji's Karaoke
6:31 P.M.
(Naruto)
So we won. That happened.
Upon bidding farewell to our friends (whom we exposed, disappointing Shuu in the process), per our agreement, Kenji led us to the back room, where the prize was kept.
"Well, you both won fair and square," he sigh/smiled, "So here you go."
He pressed a protruding screw on the light switch, revealing a secret compartment in the wall. Said compartment contained nothing more than a metal-coated suitcase resting atop some kind of pedestal.
I whistled, "Fancy. Seriously though, does that thing even serve a purpose?"
He shrugged, "I dunno'...Protecting the object from an eathquake or something? Or damage?"
"Then what's the suitcase for?"
"...Just take it."
BeeHive HQ
8:05 P.M.
(Naruto)
"We're here!" Tsugumi called, opening the door to Claude's office.
"Ah, Seishirou," he spoke, "I was getting concerned. What took you so long?"
"The question is…" I grunted, hefting the case off the ground and onto his desk, "What the hell was in this case to make it SO DAMN HEAVY!?"
I plopped down on the floor, utterly exhausted from lugging the thing twenty miles.
"That's entirely on you, Naruto," she muttered, "I offered to carry it too, but you turned me down."
"Nah…" I panted, "It wasn't...that hard…"
"Well, clearly Kenji-san forgot to disengage the weight mechanisms," the man muttered, pulling the case across his desk.
"...The what?"
He used the fingerprint scanner to pop the latch, "The weight mechanisms. It's an anti-theft device designed to change the weight distribution of the case, making it near impossible to carry, should its contents fall into enemy hands. Are you sure he didn't offer to? I could've sworn I'd told him about them."
I cursed, "Dammit, so that's why he was so happy about us taking it...Cheeky bastard."
I felt her pat me on the back, "Hey, well, we brought it, right? Mission complete, ne?"
Claude opened the case, "Yes, I suppose so. The appropriate amount has been added into your balance. Be sure to check your accounts for information."
We did so, confirming that the money had indeed been transferred.
"Well, if that's all…" I got up, cracking my back, "We have school tomorrow. We'll see you later then, Claude."
"Hm. Yes, you're dismissed."
(*K-TNK*)
I closed the door to his office behind us as we wandered back into the hall.
"Geez'...after all this time, and he's still that formal with me… Figured he would've cracked by now; almost everyone else did, you included."
"Oh, don't worry about it. He's been like that with everyone, ever since...that incident."
I gave a look, "You mean the one where his wife left him?"
"Which led to him throwing himself into his career, yes," she said as we walked.
"Hmm...That's something he and his brother have in common then," I noted.
We stopped before our old room, right next to Chitoge's.
"Hey, do you wanna' just stay here tonight?" I asked, stretching out and yawning, "I'm kinda' beat."
She raised an eyebrow, and looked around, as if to check if there was anyone else in the hall. There weren't any.
"Are you sure?" she asked, "I mean, we don't exactly have the same privacy here that we do at home."
"Why?" I asked innocently, "Were you planning on doing something that would need privacy?"
She sputtered incoherently as I laughed, pushing the door open.
(Claude)
(*TNK TNK*)
"It's open!"
I walked in, holding the suitcase.
"Ah, Claude," Braun looked up from his work, "Do you have what I need?"
"That I do," I placed the case on the desk, "There you are."
"Thank you," he grunted, getting to work on unlocking it, "Hey, what took you so long? I asked for this a week ago."
"My sincerest apologies, something came up," I said, pushing up my glasses, "Though I question the importance of the object in question, given that you've waited, as you say, 'a week' for it, and yet its absence has not seemed to hinder your progress."
"Oh, it's not exactly crucial," he said, opening it up, "But it's for more of a routinal purpose than anything else."
He withdrew from the case its contents… a piece of paper.
"Ah, there we are."
Using his fingernail as leverage, he scratched the paper's top, letting loose a small sticker, which he placed on the small gun-like object he'd been working on. The sticker read:
"Property of BeeHive: If Found, Please Call XXX-XXXX"
And for the first time in almost 15 years, I facefaulted.
He looked over at me, "Is something wrong?"
I managed to peel myself off the floor.
"You had me transport… a fucking sticker?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Yes. Is that a problem? And by the way, I owe you a favor now, you know, so is there anything in particular you want?"
I just sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
"You can start by making sure nobody ever hears about this… especially Naruto."
And we're done!
My GOD, this was a monster of a chapter. I almost didn't finish on time!
Anyway, next update is on November 10! That's a guarantee!
And here's more profiles for you too!
Name: Chitoge Kirisaki
Nickname: Gorilla, Girl-illa, Monkey Girl, Ojou-sama/Young Mistress
Nationality: Born in England, Raised in America
Gender: Female
Age: 14 (Birthday: June 7th)
Height/Weight: 160 cm/ (Could not be published due to fear of personal well-being)
Bloodtype: B
Special Skills/Traits: Incredibly smart; ranked 5th last exam period. Prominent physical ability, and can put up a decent fight, despite lack of training. Rather unskilled at practical things like cooking, cleaning, or anything involving precise measurements.
Likes: Kosaki, Ruri, Me, Tsugumi, making friends, when people compliment her, beating the snot out of her pseudo-boyfriend, eating, ramen, her ribbon.
Dislikes: The dark, Cross, dorayaki, Claude for being overprotective, the fact that she can't have a normal life, her fake relationship, Shuu when he's being disgusting.
Background: Daughter to the boss of the International Crime Syndicate, the BeeHive. Very smart, and rather strong to boot. However, she has a hair-trigger temper, and years of overprotective bodyguards have left her socially inept (though, she is making excellent progress on that front). Currently in a false relationship with Cross, in an attempt to quell the conflict between their group and the Shuuei-gumi. Has a key with a crown shaped bow and a crescent moon shape at the end of the blade.
Notes: Definitely one of my most pleasant clients yet. Chitoge and I are pretty "chill" (I believe that's the term?) due to our mutual loves of food (specifically ramen), among other things. She hasn't tried to hit me for doing something stupid like she used to, so that's always a plus. She always bags on Cross for his obsessing over his promise and living in the past, despite the fact that she herself does the same; the ribbon she always wears was a gift from her mother ten years ago.
She's pretty cool. Though I wish she'd stop trying to push me and Tsugu together…
Theme Song(s): She's Killing Me (A Rocket to the Moon)
Quote:"No… I just think it's lame when people get hung up on old mistakes and stuff that can't be changed. You holding onto that pendant so long… I think it's romantic."
"I wanna' see this movie! The trailer for it had lots of explosions and looked super-rad!"
"Thank you for saving me. I'm sorry… I shouldn't have hit you…"
"I'll have an extra large BBQ pork bowl plus corn, bean sprouts, spinach, bok choy, hard-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, green onions… oh, and extra noodles."
"Is there anything you and your magic tricks can't do?"
"Me and Naruto? Please, this isn't some bodyguard-falls-for-the-princess crap. This is more like some the-princess'-two-bodyguards-are-bloody-perfect-together-but-won't-admit-they-love-each-other bullshit."
Name: Kosaki Onodera
Nickname: Angel/Tenshi, Magical Confectioner Kosaki, Goddess/Megami
Nationality: Japanese
Gender: Female
Age: 14 (Birthday: June 15th)
Height/Weight: 157 cm/43 kg
Bloodtype: O
Special Skills/Traits: Rather smart; ranked 88th last exam period. A bit frail, and absolutely no experience in fighting. Though she works in a sweet shop, she's a terrible chef; but with decorations or design, she's a wiz.
Likes: Cross, Ruri, Me, Chitoge, Tsugumi, her sister and mother, candied sweet potatoes, working in her sweet shop,
Dislikes: Konnyaku (to an astonishing degree), not being able to cook, being unable to help her friends
Background: Her family owns the sweet shop 'Japanese Confections Onodera', which is run by her mother (head chef), her sister (assistant chef), and herself (decoration specialist). Rather smart, naturally kind and sweet (pun intended) to her peers. Has an enormous crush on Cross; apparently, they met in middle school, where she tripped and spilled a steaming hot Chinese rice bowl over his head. Has a key with a heart shaped bow and a cross shape at the end of the long blade.
Favorite Subject: Home Economics
Least Favorite Subject: Math
Favorite Foods: Candied Sweet Potatoes, Japanese Confectionaries
Least Favorite Foods: Konnyaku
Strong Points: Skilled with her fingers
Weak Points: A little bad at cooking
Theme Song(s): Ai Kotoba (Lizz)
Notes: Kosaki and I are good friends. She's actually a very pleasant girl, without any form of tragic backstory that usually accompanies girls like her (something I learned from my many experiences and travels). She also has a massive lady-boner for Cross (little does she know, he shares said lady-boner), but she hasn't told him yet.
Quote:"P-Promise not to let go, alright?"
"Ruri-chan… this is what I love… about Ichijou…"
"Nope. I've never shown this place to anyone before. It's my way of paying you back for today… It's our little secret; don't tell anyone, alright?"
"We have a special deal this weekend; Thirty Percent Off of Anko Wagashi! You should swing by!"
"Ichijou-kun… is a good person. He's always thinking about other people, and when he sees someone in trouble, he can't leave them be. He'll immediately stop caring about himself. Ichijou-kun is that kind of person."
Name: Ruri Miyamoto
Nickname: Mermaid of Bonyari High School
Nationality: Japanese
Gender: Female
Age: 15 (Birthday: December 24)
Height/Weight: 144.5 cm/ 90 lbs.
Bloodtype: A
Special Skills/Traits: Quite smart; ranked 23rd last exam period. She's a National Level Swimmer, and as such, quite strong for a girl her size; not afraid to 'discipline' Shuu whenever he runs his mouth.
Likes: Kosaki, Chitoge, Tsugumi, me, her family, Kosaki's family, swimming, her grandfather's maid Satonaka
Dislikes: Shuu, Cross' ignorance, her grandfather when he's being embarrassing
Background: Kosaki's best friend since middle school, Ruri is generally overlooked by her peers and dismissed as plain and normal, creating confusion as to how she manages to fit in to our little group. Fortunately for her, she's had a lifetime's worth of experience when it comes to dealing with crazy, though she's not at all hesitant to slug Shuu in the face for his antics. Her grandfather is apparently very wealthy, and owns a large plot of land a few train stops away.
Theme Song(s): Accidentally in Love (Counting Crows), Think About It (Melanie C)
Notes: Ruri and I actually get along pretty well. She's got that whole cold-shouldered-by-society thing going on, and trust me, nobody knows how that feels more than I do. So I guess we have that in common.
Quotes:"Being in love sure seems like a lot of trouble. Elated one minute, full of doubt the next... With happiness almost within grasp...if only you had the courage to reach out and seize it."
"I don't really understand this thing called 'love'. One person grows to like another. I'm sure that should be excruciatingly obvious, but to someone like me who has no experience in the matter, it's an emotion that I can't understand at all."
"Just this once...maybe you're right, my four-eyed friend."
"NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN! EVEN IF YOU'RE JOKING!"
"Who...Who would care about someone like him…"
"I-don't-really-care-but-take-this-punch!"
"Welp, I'm not feeling to well. I've had a stomachache all day after all! Why don't you two go together?"
And as for the chapter title…
...The answer is "Date", by the way.
November 10th, people! Save the date!
Til' Then!
-Objection234 (Akane Sasu Sora on YouTube)
