Rom's Love Story:
"Hmm~ Not this one"
"Whatcha doin?"
"Oh, Miss Neptune" Neptune approaches Rom, who has made 2 piles of books on her left and on her right.
"Wow, are these all the books that Nepgear has? It's almost Ram's height" Neptune said her astonishment as she taps on the one of the pile.
"So, whatcha doing piling them up like this? Separating the good ones and bad ones?"
"Mm hm. All of them are good" she said.
"Eh? So…"
"I don't think my friend would like them"
"Ooh! A friend! So that's why you've been going out all excited" Neptune said sitting down beside her.
"So your friend like books, eh?"
"…Not really"
"Eh? So you just want to tell your friend some stories"
"…Mhm. I made a promise"
"Aw, that's a punddingly sweet thing to do. So, have you decided on what story you'd read?"
"Mm hm. I can't decide" she shakes her head.
"Oh right" Neptune said, remembering the purpose of Rom's segregation.
"Then how about you follow Neptune's Nep idea?" an idea suddenly popped into her head.
"…What is it?" Rom is genuinely curious.
"How about you make your own story that your friend would definitely like"
"…"
"I mean, if you can't decide which one is a good story then make one yourself right?"
"…Um, but reading the one I made is kinda embarrassing" she said so honestly.
"Oh, right. You're the shy girl type" Neptune quickly reminded herself how easily she can hide behind her little sister.
"Then, don't worry about it. If you think about too much then you won't tell your friend a good story and you'll bite your tongue. I'm sure your friend is going to like whatever story you're going to make"
"…Really"
"Really, really, reals. And as a bonus, as CPU of Planeptune, I'm going to give your story the Nep swag so your friend would like it even more!" she proudly says.
"…Mhm" she nods, feeling a bit more confident.
"So go get your crayons and papers, let's make a good picture book together!"
"Mhm!"
"…gh"
"…! You're awake, thank goodness"
"…!"
"Ah! Don't sit up! Just lay down on the bed" the boy feels pressure on both of his shoulders and was pushed gently back down on the bed.
"All right, I'm going to go and call mister doctor"
"…" the nurse, which he assumed the nurse assigned to him, left his side and peeks out of the door to call his doctor.
"…" his eyes finally regained focus, finding himself staring at the ceiling above him.
His ears don't pick up any sound indicating that he's alone right now. The window seems to be closed, as he can't feel the fresh wind outside. The chill breeze of the air conditioning touches his skin, his sense of touch regained. What suddenly happened last night? He doesn't know, all he knows that it hurts, and it's worse than last time.
"…That was the second time..." he said to no one in particular.
"…There won't be a third time" he adds.
"Um, Sis…"
"Oh, you're awake Nep Jr!" she said. in her usual energetic way.
"I don't mean to be a killjoy, but what's with all the paper"
"We're making a story for Rom's friend"
"…Mhm" Rom nods with a determined look.
Nepgear had woken up from her nap of playing with Ram today and as she came down from the floor above she is astonished to see that state of the living/dining/study room. The room is now littered with papers, upon papers, on papers. There are so many papers that one might mistake that the tiles have suddenly lost their color from over bleaching. And there are scribbles and colors on each paper that a famous art critic might conclude that the painter is perfecting his "Noodle art".
"I… see…" she wants to get it and at the same time not.
"C'mon Nepgear, don't just stand there. Help us out"
"And it's decided that I'm going to help them…" Nepgear said that to no one.
"…Please, Miss Nepgear"
"*Sigh*…Can't help it. But promise me that we're going to clean this place up before dinner"
"Okay!" the two choirs. It's as though Nepgear is the mother of the two.
"So, what story are you going to make?" Nepgear crouched down and takes a look at one of the drawn pictures.
"We don't know yet!" her big sister said.
"That's kinda…"
"Ahahaha. You know we haven't decided on how the story is going to work out. We were thinking of making the characters first"
"I don't think making the characters first is the whole point of making a story" she said.
"…But characters are important in a story right?" Rom said.
"Well, how we think of a theme?"
"Theme?"
"I mean, doesn't most stories think of the theme first. Like for example, when there's war they normally write one about it right?" Nepgear said.
"Oh, you're right. But what kind of theme should we use? Pudding?"
"I think that's your theme, Sis"
"…Theme… Theme… Theme… Oh" after thinking for a while, she thought of something.
"Oh you thought of something"
"Animals"
"Eh?" the sisters have their mouths open.
"…Um, because all of the stories I've read have animals in them"
"Oooh…" the sisters chorused.
"…Is it… not good?" she asked nervously.
"Well, it's not its bad. But what are they going to do?" Neptune asked.
"…Ah, I haven't thought of that"
"Oh, then how about robots?"
"Ooh, Mecha. Huh? What kind of mecha do you want to make?" the big sister inquired.
"Of course it's about robots punching each other. And they get to show off their armaments by firing everything at each other"
"Uwaa, Nepgear switch is up. Let's drop this before we get too deep" she said. Knowing the fact that Nepgear isn't going to stop anytime soon.
"…Then what are going to do first?" Rom asked.
"Oh, I know. How about we decide what kind of ending that we want to have. Then we work our way there!" Neptune suggested.
"Eh? But wouldn't that be a little…" Nepgear cringes at her Sister's idea.
"Come on. Since every writer knows how the story would end, wouldn't it be better if we write backward?"
"…I think it's a great idea" Rom agrees.
"Right!?" Neptune is excitement is rising.
"But who's the writer of the story?" Nepgear asked.
"Of course it's none other than Rom! So little Rommy what kind of ending would you like?"
"…Eh? Um…" she thinks and thinks. But being asked so suddenly was a little unexpected and can't find anything on the top of her head.
As she thinks, her eyes unconsciously laid eyes on a drawing that she made a little while ago. It was a drawing of the moon and the stars, the celestial beings that watch over the night. And below it is city alive for its nightlife.
She first saw the boy watching the moon. She always catches the boy looking at the city. She always catches the boy looking as though he is through with it all. Their talk is short and uneventful. Short answers bounce back and forth between them. Asking if they're actually having a conversation at all. The boy sees gray, the girl sees color. They have never seen eye to eye. And probably never will.
"…I think…"
"Oh? Going again?" the passerby said to Rom as she was about to leave.
"Ah, mhm"
"Alright. Wait just a sec there" he stands up from his chair and disappears into the kitchen. It didn't take long for him to reappear with a canister on one hand and a steel thermos on the other hand.
"Here's your lunch and juice, there's some cups on the bottom canister" he said.
"…Eh, Ah, Mister…"
"You want to have more fun right?"
"…Mhm"
"Then here's some lunch to get you through the day"
"…Ah, thanks, mister"
"No prob. Can you carry both of them, though? You do have a bag and all"
"…I can manage" she takes the canister and turns to around to signal the passerby to put the thermos on the bag's drink holder. He tucks it in.
"And before I forget. I'm going to put some pocket money into the bag alright" inside the bag there's a small pocket. He takes out a few bills from his wallet and slips the money inside.
"All right. Be careful on the road and don't follow strangers, alright?" he said closing the bag and giving a gentle tap on the back.
"…Mhm. I'm going" she started to run off.
"Oh yeah, you're Big Sis is going to pick you twins up the day after tomorrow"
"…Mhm. Thanks, mister!"
"Take care"
