Sooooo. Um. :D Apparently I've got concepts of the next few chapters planned out already. :3
Jer-bear~ I'm sorry I had to make you go read all the way back to chapter 5 but because you've become a busy onnakuma who's had no time to update her Wattpad stories you deserve it. I'm still waiting for those updates, onnakuma-chi. :3
Proceeding to the bigger picture!
Disclaimer: After countless of stories and still?
11: The Mutiny
Been bilged on yer own anchor now, have ye?
"I said date, idiot, not girlfriend," Almond eyes locked with onyx ones as Kazemaru cut in Sokudone's monologue. "You said I had a month to find one each for nine boys," Sokudone countered; her cousin raised his eyebrow, a gesture for her to make her point. "And what exactly is a hormonal boy to do with an early-chosen date while waiting for prom that's months away, hm?" Now Kazemaru Ichirouta was not a debate master, like Sakuma Jirou. But he was a man of dignity.
Thus he had decided to end the argument with as little scratched pride as possible. "That's a matchmaker's job to figure that out."
"Idiot, it's another hormonal boy's job to figure it out for this matchmaker!"
Sokudone sighed. Kazemaru was right about one thing: that he said she look for dates. Girlfriends were a better option, but they were not what he had initially asked for. But truth be told, she herself had a point – her stupid bachelor guy buddies weren't exactly like the rest of the kids who'd plan and execute (albeit dorkily) a simple but sickly sweet prom proposal just a week or maybe days before the real thing. The only way to get them to ask someone to prom and prove her worth to Ichirouta was if she got them girlfriends instead.
The matchmaker sighed yet again. 'Troublesome men.'
Sakuma Jirou had accomplished the nearly impossible feat a million hormonal boys have taken the challenge to and yet failed: to get a cute girl's number (and/or e-mail address) without flaw.
At the time, he had thought of Hono Aira as an interesting girl with interesting principles, no more and no less. Aira had found him a respectable boy with a mature personality for his age. It was normal for them to share contact addresses, was it not?
Sakuma believed it was.
Though best friends with the lion-like Genda Koujirou, and though they shared many things in common, Sakuma was his own self. He and Genda may have been arrogant being the rich kids of big companies, but Sakuma kept his words at bay. He and Kidou may have been the strongest kickers, yet Kidou knew his limits. He and Sokudone have been debate prodigies in their own rights, yet it wasn't the choice of words that made him win, like the girl, but it was how he made his point that turned things to his favor.
And unlike the brash Genda, Sakuma had long decided not to rush things, and that included relationships.
"Congratulations," Kidou and Sokudone slipped on one side of the booth at the cafeteria as Sakuma and Genda settled on the other. Sakuma looked up from his phone, as did Genda. Their companions sweatdropped.
"Why?" The tealnet wondered.
"You have your girls," The blackette grinned, ever so proud of her work. The Jamaican-haired brunette smirked as well. "And so as not to repeat last time's incident," He chuckled when he saw Sakuma reveal an embarrassed blush. "You should talk about them with us," He finished. "Sokudone's intent on keeping her mouth shut."
"She's not my girl or anything like that," Sakuma brushed off the tease surprisingly calmly. "Well it might be the case for Genda—" All three pairs of eyes glanced at a cheeky keeper, "—but I'm not so in a hurry to date someone I just met."
"Point taken," Kidou was nodding his head. Sokudone took out her phone. "And noted." She added.
"Why are you taking notes on this, you weirdo?"
"Aruto-san!" The addressee looked over his shoulder to see who had called him. It was a hyperactive Hayashi Yuu with a handful of pocky boxes, one of which was open and gaping at her. "Aruto-san, come quick! Really quick!" The redhead sweatdropped; didn't he put her on a no-sugar diet?
"I can't believe you're actually serious about that guy!" The ever girly-girl Claira was squealing a little too loudly for her male triplet's liking. Aira blushed beet red all the way to the tips of her toes. "Am not!"
"Gasp," Takahashi Saori had a sly grin behind her hand. "He's not even worth your genuine affections?"
"What a waste of a perfect guy!" Akira Jiyu, otherwise known as Sky in the team, felt disappointed; her face matched that of Claira's expression. The twintailed captain almost looked horrified. "T-That's not what I mean!" Never have her teammates ever taken this much interest in her lovelife (as far as she knew), and never had she planned on starting a relationship anyway, especially at the peak of the Prism Stars' career; she just didn't have time.
"Then what do you mean, Aira?" A deep voice was just as curious.
Inside the fair's employee lounge, the Prism Stars members' heads all turned to a steely expression Hono Aruto had put on. You know how protective older brothers are.
"Shachō, calm down, calm down!" Student Council President Kurokawa Maki attempted to hold down the flailing blackette while she waited for Kyogiaiko to rescue them both; Maki, from the President's chaos, and Sokudone from her anxiety attack. "Please wait a little longer while Kyogiaiko-san isn't here yet!"
"But my matchmaking business is in jeopardy! Failure waits for no one!"
"Shachō, you also have other responsibilities!" Maki felt as if she was fighting off an octopus.
"But they're not crashing like a 1920s stock market, are they?"
The doors finally creaked open to grant a twintailed brunette access to the private quarters. "Sokudone."
Immediately, the two stopped their unruly wrestling.
"Kyogiaiko-san!" Maki made a polite bow as she fixed herself. "Thank Kamisama you're here; Shachō has been pacing and speed-talking to herself ever since she came back from the cafeteria!" Nayujin raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "She didn't have classes since then?" Maki scratched the back of her head. "She was able to hold it in until the last bell." Maki couldn't blame the ex-Aliea student when she facepalmed. "Well, thank you, Kurokawa," She finally said. "I'll take it from here."
"Alright, Done," Said the brunette as she bent down and her blackette best friend sat up, "What happened?"
"Thuhpismstusmayntcomacktunazumehtonbecosothehconcehts!"
"Mhmm, and?"
"Thuhmeansakumadoesnavadate!"
"You won't look for someone else?" Then Nayujin rephrased her question. "Shouldn't you have seen this coming?" It was not a talent to understand a Megamino speed talk/stammer. It was difficult the first time. "You knew that the Prism Stars are a rising idol group, and you knew the fair was to raise funds for their promotion concerts outside Inazuma Town, so why did you even think about Hono Aira-san as Sakuma's possible date for the ball?"
"Because they were a match!"
'Oh, is that so? That's good then. I could ask my parents' company to sponsor if you'd like.'
Sakuma stared at the spinning icon in his phone as it indicated the sending process. Aira had just informed him they'd gotten a much too generous amount of cash to last them four concerts at the neighboring towns of Inazuma. He really did mean well to the Prism Stars' accomplishment, but for some reason, he wished they had taken their time in town.
"Done's not practicing today?" Kidou asked as he and Genda approached him. "She said she didn't want to see me," Sakuma recalled the oddly stoic expression on the matchmaker. The keeper snorted. "What'd you do?"
"I don't know, tell her I didn't have anyone in mind?"
"Anything else?" Kidou asked, goggles glinting as he wondered what could've happened to his osananajimi. "Might've been how you dismissed her and Aira," Genda rubbed his chin.
"Sorry to be the type not to rush things, then."
"No," The lion-haired keeper corrected him, "Apologize for poking fun at Done's matchmaking thing. She doesn't have to be your girlfriend, anyway,"
Sakuma shut his phone and urged his best friend to make his point. "She was trying to help you find a date, Sakuma. No harm in that."
'Will you girls come visit someday? Don't misinterpret it, but you do have fans here.'
Aira stared at the text message a little longer than her eyes could handle. "They're just teasing me, and he's just a friend I've made during our short time here!" She heard herself yell defensively at Aruto, "Onii-san, I know that the moment I started the Prism Stars I had made sure that career and studies are my top priority." She wasn't regretting that, right? She was right about standing true to her convictions even today, wasn't she? Oh, why was she even doubting herself?
'Thank you, Sakuma-kun,'
And like the rest of the past nights, the captain wiped a few stray tears, always emitted from the stress of everything and how unfair it was. "And I'm always true to my words! So, please, don't doubt me."
'But that I don't know.'
The Prism Stars Fair was closed within the weekend, and the idol group left for the next town the next day. The same day, at Sherry's, where Kidou, Sakuma and Sokudone sat on one side of the fishing boat booth, and Genda and Claire on the other, the two eye-covering students seemed unperturbed by the news. It didn't change the fact that they were slightly upset, though.
"Sokudone, you'll find someone else," Kidou tried to comfort his overly depressed companion. He turned to Sakuma as well, who, unlike Sokudone, was more on a devil-may-care disposition. "Sakuma," Claire found what Kidou said was funny, but Genda had to spoonfeed her in order not to break the tension. "You'll find someone else."
Oh, how traitorous of fate.
Well. I didn't expect this to be pretty long. This is the first third of the Triple Update that's been finished! Huzzah!
By the way, in pirate lingo (which I had really researched on), 'bilged on your anchor' means betrayed by someone close, or on more literal terms, your own anchor caused a problem in your ship. A mutiny would most likely be synonymous to that. :B
Remember, Done says she's playing "Japanese fate" or that she is the personification. The fact that the last line says fate was traitorous shows that Sokudone had been betrayed by her own hand/specialty.
Do you guys want me to put after-chapter explanations in my author's notes or you wanna figure it out yourself if you care enough to? :D
Please rate and review! :D
-Strawbeariiis
