Rom's Love Story:
"Nepgear, we've come to play!"
"…Miss Nepgear"
"Oh, Rom and Ram, and Blanc um… Blanc's… as well, welcome"
"…Sorry for all the fuss" Blanc-I said.
"…We've come to stay for the night" Blanc-II said.
"Oh then, I'll just go and prepare the extra rooms" Nepgear leaves the living room promptly.
"Aww… Nep Jr. is always prompt and proper… guess I won't have to worry about Planeptune and just relaxe" Neptune said.
"You would, but I am"
"Oh, Histy. We're home!"
"Welcome home Neptune and you left a lot of work again"
"Now, now. We were visiting a friend… can't I lay off the work for a while?"
"If every day you just do a little bit of your work then I would have agreed to it. But now, it seems I can't stand it anymore~~"
"Nepu! Why is it getting hotter all of a sudden!?"
"…I'll go continue reading my book" Blanc-II said as she walks away.
"…I'll join you" Blanc-I followed.
"Hey you two, let's go play some games" the passerby urged the twins.
"Okay! I'm going to beat you this time Mister!" Ram agrees with enthusiasm.
"Nepu! Everyone left me! Wait… this is what exactly happened last chapter!" only is Neptune is going to be the victim here.
"I'll give you a thorough lecture, so sit down!"
"Nepuuuuuuuuu!"
"This place sure has not changed…"
"Oh, Noire-I when did you pop out" the passerby greeted the Lastation of this dimension's CPU, whose sitting by the dining table.
"I was here since the beginning"
"Right…Well, putting aside if you're a forgettable type of character or not, what brings you here?"
"…I think you just said something that I should be angry about. Well, I came here to get those documents that I commissioned this morning" Noire talks about work.
"I haven't had a look at it since it came after I my shift is up. I'll probably just e-mail you my response by tomorrow" he answered. Still lightly baffled that she brought a work related topic when it's time for shuteye.
"…Hrm, it's probably that…"
"Hmm?" Noire cocks her head.
"You just brought that topic up because you don't know what to talk about?"
"…Gah!" his words struck Noire like spears.
"I was right? Damn, I really should practice bending a damn spoon"
"Hey mister! The game's on!" Ram thugs on his clothes.
"Alright, you're on"
"I'm going to beat you like crazy!"
"Do your best… Ram… Mister…" Rom cheered for the both of them.
"Race start!"
"…It seems that your little sisters are fond of him" Blanc-II said.
"…I find it hard to believe myself…" Blanc-I said.
"...So are they going to continue ignoring me?"
The usual chatter, the usual scene, the usual atmosphere, the usual warmth. Colorful days and bright nights. In the innocent mind of a child every day is simple and fun. Where the mind is always wrapped in a sense of wonder, that is stimulated and even thrilled by the godlike possibilities that is laid down, and the wonders of existence. And yet, even the child shiver with weakness in awe and fear before those very same possibilities.
The following day…
"Hmmm…"
"Zzzz… Zzzz…"
"…You ready Rom?"
"Mhm"
"3… 2… 1…!"
"Hiya!"
"Yaaaah!"
"Zzzz… N…! Nepu…!"
The twins push the couch from behind, tripping it over to the front, its sole sleeping occupant falling. Neptune luckily falls onto the carpet. The twins cheer from behind the couch, their prank successful. Feeling all the adrenaline rushing inside her body, since the feeling of falling does make one's adrenaline rush, she shouts:
"Who dares disturb my sleep!?" she shouts like an evil overlord.
"Ahahaha! Neptune's stupid!" Ram sticks out her tongue as she runs away.
"Raaaa! I'm going to get you, you twerps!" and with fire in her mouth, Neptune chases the young CPU Candidate.
The twins are staying over at Planeptune for a short period of time. The twins said that they want to spend time around with Nepgear and everyone else. Thinking that it's in Blanc-I's favor of achieving some sort of temporary peace at her Basilicom she allowed them to stay for only a month.
Rom stayed and didn't show herself. A good strategic move. She peeks from the couch and saw that the two are chasing around the dining table. She looks around, trying to find another safe place to hide. And sitting by the work table, organizing the papers, is the passerby. Thinking that it might be a good idea, she hurriedly sneaks her way towards him.
"…Haa… Finally, I'm done with commissions…" the passerby stretches his arms.
"Next is just to organize them like always and I'm done… hm?" he notices a blue semi-round object beside his table.
"The hell?"
"Sssh" it moves.
"Holy shit, this thing just sushed me" baffled, he slightly moves away.
"Sssh!"
"W-whatever you are, I have a piece of paper with me, and I'm not afraid to use this"
"Sssh!" then a familiar little girl peeks from the side of the table.
"Rom? Haa… I thought it was something bad… What you doing there?" Rom answers by pointing to the dining table. The passerby obediently looks.
"I see…" understanding the situation, he returns to his desk.
"It's better if you hide under here" he gestures under the table.
"…Okay" Rom moves sits under the work table that the passerby works at.
"Okay there? Not too hot?" he asked.
"Mh hm" she shakes her head.
"Stay quiet now or Neptune might find you"
"Mhm" she puts a finger in front of her lips at him
"Sssh…" after responding to her with the same gesture he returns to his usual position, albeit slightly farther.
She stays quiet from under the table. She hears the rummaging and shuffling of papers and the noises her twin sister and Neptune makes. She also hears the clatter that kitchen, and the silent ambiguous noise of the air conditioner. Chaotic as it may all seem, it was the usual atmosphere, the usual chatter, and the usual scene that she enjoys so much.
"Big Brother I brought you some tea"
"Thanks. *SIIIP*"
"Are you done with work?"
"Yup. Just organizing them for tomorrow's grind… *SIIIP!*" he sips another.
"This tea hits the spot by the way"
"It's a blend that I found on the internet, it said that it can relieve some work-related stress. It worked out in the end"
"Oh? Can you show me the recipe?"
"Okay, once I print it out"
"Looking forward to it"
"…By the way Big Brother…"
"Yeah?"
"What's that under the table?" Nepgear peeks at the being that is under the table.
"It's Rom"
"…Miss Nepgear. Sssh" taking a look at Nepgear. She puts a finger in front of her and hushed to be quiet.
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"She means those two by the way…" the passerby points with his chin.
"I see" Nepgear slightly giggles.
"Ssh" Nepgear gestured the same to Rom.
"By the way, Nepgear. You're visiting Plutie this time?"
"Mhm. Noire and Vert of the Ultradimension said that they'll come along as well"
"I see…"
"They wanted to greet her since they heard that she's going to be released the day after tomorrow"
"…Can I come too Miss Nepgear?"
"Want to visit her again?" the passerby asked.
"…Mhm"
"Sure. Let's go visit Plutie with the rest"
"So I heard that you're going to be released the day after tomorrow…" Vert-II said.
"Mhm"
"Thank goodness… And how's your arm?" Noire-II asked.
"I can move it like this now…" she waves with her right arm.
"But I need a walking stick if I want to walk…"
"Big Brother already brought you two"
"Really? Jarey's so nice!" Plutia cheered.
"Be sure not to trip when you start walking"
"How mean Noirey-II! I don't trip!"
"…Sure you don't"
Rom sits on the chair, enjoying the happy chatter. Looking out the window, it's already nighttime with the stars glittering about in the sky. The night life of Planeptune had already begun breathing into life. The neon lights on the street flicker and dance, attracting attention to those who wants to
"..." suddenly she feels thirsty. It has been a while since she last drank.
"…Miss Nepgear are there any water left?" she calls out.
"Water? Oh… There isn't any..."
"If it's a drink there's a vending machine near the nurse's station" Vert-II said.
"There is? Then let's go together Rom"
"…Okay" taking the little girl's hand, they both walk out of the room and enter the lit silent hallway. They both walk, with their footsteps taking a form of an echo and reverberates throughout the empty floor. Reaching the nurse's station, they found a nurse shuffling and reorganizing some papers.
"Excuse me, are there any vending machines on this floor?" Nepgear asked.
"Hm? Ah, yes. Go down that hall and it's at the very end…" the nurse said.
"Thanks"
Passing the nurse's station, they peek through the end of the hall that the nurse points at. And true to her word there's a vending machine at the very end, up and functional, displaying its drinks for people to buy. They walk towards it, passing a number of doors and name tags.
"What would like to have Rom?" Nepgear asked stopping right in front.
"…Milk"
"Milk, eh? Do you like strawberry or chocolate?"
"…Strawberry"
"Okay…" putting some money in the vending machine, the buttons light up. Nepgear presses the button of Rom's order.
The vending machine sounds to life as a can of strawberry milk is being pushed from its respective slot. After a while, the sound of metal hitting metal abruptly erupts. At the bottom of the vending machine, the take out slot, lies a single pink can. Nepgear takes it and offers it to Rom.
"Thanks Miss Nepgear…" Rom takes the can of strawberry milk.
"Now what should I have…" Nepgear returns her attention to the vending machine thinking of what she wants.
And as Rom flips the tab, she notices something at the corner of her vision. She looks and saw that one of the doors in the hall was open, a bluish light coming out of it. It's one of the doors to one of the patients here on this floor. Was that door always open? Or did it just open by itself?
She silently walks towards the open door, enchanted by the bluish light that is coming out from it. Nepgear hasn't noticed, too occupied in her own thoughts. Rom was getting near, a few steps more; her curiosity has taken the better of her. And reaching the doorway, a white ball hangs in the sky. Majestically, it shines in brilliance before the little girl. As she stares at the moon, something caught her eye.
There, staring at the same moon through the window, was a person, a boy. And with the moon shining the dark room, she can see his features. A dark navy blue hair, pale skin, the greenish hospital gown. His age is 12 or 13 and his small back is facing her. The boy continues to look at the moon, unaware of the person behind her.
"…Um…"
"…"
Her voice suddenly leaks out from her. The boy turns around, responding to the sound. His light blue eyes, that seems to shine like gem, stares back at her. A gem that brilliantly shows many, many emotions.
The boy looks at the astonished girl and the girl looks at the boy.
And for an abrupt moment, though it is brief, in a deranged interval, where curtain parts of a scene, that has never been seen before is being devoured by their eyes, something successful has happened...
