"Yuriko! Honey, how are you today?" My mother kissed me on the cheek loudly, leaving a pink lipstick stain.
"Mm, good." Note the sarcasm. My life has been anything but good since I was ten. Since that accident…
"Dear, don't be so ungrateful. You should know that I had to make a lot of arrangements to come and see you today – you know how busy I am these days, with the divorce papers and everything. But just think, soon we'll be moving back to Hokkaido with Natsume! Ah, the sweet meadows, the summer beaches…" Urgh. It's sickening watching a middle-aged woman fantasizing about moving house. But I understand why she wants to get away from Tokyo. From Dad, should I say. They broke up four years ago, and Dad moved out, but only now have they bothered to get divorced – because Mum's getting married to Natsume.
"Honey, I have a present for you! Just a little present, before we go back to Hokkaido." She got out a parcel wrapped in pink tissue paper, tied with a green felt ribbon. I looked at her, and she smiled at me. I smiled back, and gently tore the parcel open. My mood dropped from around 40 degrees to -80 degrees.
Inside, was a pair of ballet shoes.
xxXxx
"Really, Yuriko. Making such a fuss about a pair of shoes! Honestly, I don't know why on earth you're that upset. Stop that stupid sobbing! Yuriko! Really, at this rate, I won't be taking you to Hokkaido!" Mum threatened.
"I don't want to go anyway!" I screeched. Mum's eyes were wide. "You and your stupid boyfriend can go there yourself! I don't want to be at your goddamn wedding!"
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that you'd rather stay with that no good son of a bitch than me!" she screamed.
I blinked and stared at her through my tears, nodding. "I'd be nothing but a burden anyway. I heard that phone call last time, I'm not deaf!"
FLASHBACK
"Mum? Mum, where are you going?" Yuriko wheeled herself into the corridor.
"Oh, I'm just going to call Natsume. I promised him I would, to tell him about how you're going with your therapy and everything."
"Okay," she replied, gullibly. Yuriko watched as her mother walked away and put her change into the phone. Yuriko listened in to the conversation for a while. They were talking about arrangements for the move to Hokkaido. Yuriko was about to go back into her room when she heard something…
"I know, darling. Yuriko's such a burden! But I can't afford to lose my daughter to him as well…Sigh, she can't even be moved without a wheelchair, when you pick her up she moans all the time…"
Yuriko wheeled into her hospital room and wished she had never been where she had been on that day. That fateful, life-changing day.
END OF FLASHBACK
Life wasn't always like the chaotic mess it is now. It used to peaceful, and full of love. Mum and Dad still loved each other, and they still loved me. Dad was a dance teacher, and Mum was his secetary, who managed all his lessons, and arranged his timetables. Of course, I started learning dance as soon as I could walk.
It turned out I was a dance genius, and my parents entered me in the international dance competitions for children, every year. I went to my first one when I was five, and I was among the most talented young dancers in the world. I was scared, but I tried my best anyway.
I won first prize, and several there were also runner-ups. My friend Sakura came second. I met her during the semi-finals – we swore that no matter who won, we would still be friends forever. Every year, I came first and her second. It was cool being the most talented young dancer in the world – and also to share the glory with my friend. But five years later, disaster struck.
I still want to cry when I think about it…I remember everything as if it were only yesterday. I remember the people crowding around, the splintered wood all around me, the ambulance sirens, everything. That's when it felt like my life was at its end. Well, the beginning of the end.
xxXxx
Keima's POV
Grrr… when is Elsie going to come back? Seriously. Me and Haqua have been looking for her for two days. Haqua is seriously concerned about whether she fell into a ditch or got kidnapped by some random gangster. Even if the gangster did offer her to us for a thousand yen for trade, she wouldn't be worth it. I'm saving up for my poor, poor PGP…*sob sob* Anyway…I really hope she isn't still upset about what I said to her…*gulp* I just need her back quickly so that we can capture all the Loose Souls and she can go back to Hell. I know that sounds mean, but that's just where she's from!
"Keima! When did you say Elsie's camp ended?" Mum asked. Yeah, that's our cover-up for Elsie's disappearance.
"Next week." I continued fiddling with my old console, PFP. I was acting a bit too healthy to be staying sick at home, so I coughed a bit. And sneezed. Now I have snot and phlegm all over my PFP! GAH. *wipe wipe*
"Keima! What are you doing to your T-shirt? Now I have to wash it!" She basically stripped me forcefully. = .. = *knock knock*
"Oga-san!" Elsie called.
"Keima! Get the door already!" Mum was obviously in the Land full of Laundry and of Noise and Disturbances, not knowing it was Elsie. I sighed, crawled to my feet and trudged to the door. This took five minutes. I lifted my hand slowly and turned the door handle. This took yet another five minutes. All the while Elsie was shouting and banging at the door. Finally, thirteen minutes later, the door was open.
"Kami-sama!" Elsie's pink-ness flushed into the house and basically pushed me over. Or maybe that was Elsie pouncing on me. Not sure.
"Kami-sama! Look! I have backstage passes for Kanon!" My eyes are wide open. "Kanon? Are you serious?" Elsie nodded brightly. "I have no idea who you are talking about." I said flatly. Elsie sunk into a deep state of depression. "Kanon! Pink hair! Yellow ribbon! Cutest idol EVER!" she squealed. Silence. "Kanon? You really don't remember? About the time when she turned invisible? The hunt and everything…?" I shook my head sadly, trying to sigh dramatically.
"Oh Kami nii-sama! How could you forget Kanon! But no need to worry, you'll remember soon!" Even though this was quite an impossible thing for Elsie to do, I swear I saw her flash a dirty smirk at me. Yeurgh.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! "Open up! This is the police!" a deep voice shouted. Me and Elsie were alarmed and cautiously opened the door, wondering what Mum had smashed now. A plump policeman stood at the door, a moustache covering his top lip. Next to him, was Mio Aoyama, scowling.
"That's him! The bastard who was stalking me and trying to sexually assault me!" she cried, pointing a manicured finger at me. I shrunk back.
"Whoa, whoa whoa…wait a minute. Me, sexually assault you? No way. And I don't have any interest in real girls anyhow, so why would I stalk you!" I yelped helplessly. Already, the urge was happening again. But I couldn't kiss her when she had already accused me of trying to sexually assault her to a policeman. I glanced towards Elsie, frowning. She smiled.
"Why don't we have a cup of tea first? We'll talk this over. Mm!" She guided the policeman towards the kitchen, and mouthed to me to "do it". Mio looked quite offended that she did not get a personal invitation to have a cup of tea, so she stood frowning, arms crossed. Her frown shrunk as I drifted towards her.
"Ka-ka-katsuragay…?" I staggered. So she still had a faint memory of me, but couldn't exactly score perfect.
"Katsuragi," I corrected her. I bowed, acting like a gentleman. She blushed brightly, and did a little shriek as I swept her into my arms.
"This will all be very familiar…" I whispered gently. Holding her in the exact same pose as the time that I kissed her, I leaned over, and gave the girl a romantic squelchy kiss, then gasping for breath after what seemed like eternity. Mio now hung unconscious in my arms, slightly smiling, and whispered my name. She was unbearably heavy. Yet again, I staggered. I propped her up on the sofa with a pair of sunglasses just as Elsie and the policeman came back.
"Well, young man, you are very lucky to not have any charges pressed against you. Elsie here has explained everything to me, but you'd better be careful."
"Mio-san, let's go," he called. The innocent girl lay still. Th epoliceman sighed. "Mio-san! Please come," he said again.
"Uhhh, she's going to stay over tonight…" I said lamely. The policeman raised an eyebrow.
"Sexual assault, huh…"
"She's going to stay in Elsie's room, you dirty bastard! They're friends at school!" I snapped at him. He frowned.
"Whatever, brat." He trotted out, and got into his car and drove off.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Elsie grinned. I sighed, and wiped my brow. "We need to get her home," I finally said after a long silence. We grunted as he lifted Mio up, and started our long journey to the Aoyama's flat.