Chapter 2:
-Burn-
Ring, Ring..!
"We're back!"
Yata Misaki grinned in pride as he entered the aging pub, holding up the two plastic bags in each of his hands as he waved it around to show his achievement. Behind him was Rikio Kamamoto, who was taking his time with two bags each on his arms as well. "Yata-san, if you keep swinging the bags, you'll break the eggs!"
"Oh, Welcome back. Thanks for doing the shopping."
"Welcome back you guys!"
Kusanagi Izumo stroked the rim of a cocktail glass he was cleaning as he sets it aside. Totsuka Tatara grinned behind the camera he was holding, as Anna teetered over to carry the white bags from the older boy's hands.
"Anna-chan…It's too heavy for you. Here, let me do it." Kusanagi reached for the dinner ingredients from the albino girl's arms as he sees her laden with it, only to be replied with a puff of her cheeks.
"No. I can do this."Totsuka laughed as he focused the lens on the petite girl."Anna-chan, don't hurt yourself now!"
Kusangi Izumo sighed, his scent of nicotine wafting in the air. "Come' on now…"
Ring, Ring…!
The second chime of bells resounded, everyone's attention turned towards the catching color of their King's hair who opened the door.
Izumo greeted the Red King from his bent position with a smile,
"Welcome back, Mi-... …Koto?"
Misaki glowed in happiness as he greeted his favorite leader,
"MIKOTO-SAN! Welcome ba- ACK?!"
" Welcome….?" Totsuka nearly dropped his camera.
Anna and Kamamoto merely stared with eyes widened, mouth agape as Anna accidentally lets go of her bag of canned juice on Izumo's shoes. ("Ouch!")
The King drawls lazily,
"I'm back."
It was as if the King wasn't carrying a sleeping girl in his arms,
With her disheveled hair,
Shredded clothes,
Make-up ruining,
Small bruises along the line of her legs, arms and both of her wrists,
And most importantly,
Lipstick on Mikoto's shirt.
"K-K-K-K-K-K-King?!"
Kusanagi Izumo stutters as he gags at the hints of what his King may had been doing.
Being the oldest one, he already has a clue, but whether if it's true…
"King… Who is she?" Totsuka asked in confusion, with his camera still up.
In reply, the Red King chooses to stay in silence as he looks at his right-hand man in the eye, past the lens. With no haste, he answered, "I'm going upstairs."
Walking past the stunned group, Mikoto proceeded to head to his room on the second floor of the bar, with the girl.
From upstairs, his rugged voice called,
"Anna, come up and help."
At the notice of her name, the 8-year old awoke from her daze and went to find her beloved king,
"Un."
Meanwhile, Misaki's face tinted red as the color slowly brightened to match the color of its owner's hair. "M-M-Mikoto-san, h-h-h-h-he…!"
The young virgin blushed deeply as Rikio recovered from his surprise, Totsuka placing his camera down on the bar counter.
The agitated youth grabbed Totsuka's shoulder in a flash, since he was the closest, and shook his senior harshly as his eyes turned swirly and cheeks flared red,
"T-T-Totsuka-san! D-D-Did Mikoto-san had s-s-s-s-se… WAAAAAHHH I CAN'T SAY IT!"
"C-Calm down Yata-chan!" Totsuka swayed back and forth badly from the young boy's strength as Kusangi and Kamamoto were trying to stop the skate-boarder from wringing out his life.
After a long moment, Misaki was mumbling and blushing as he paced back and forth in the room, clenching onto his beanie as he tried to calm his wild imaginations.(" M-M-Mikoto-san, he..!")
"Yata-chan…" Totsuka said for the umpteenth time that day as he pats the teenager whose face resembled a tomato,
"Yata-chan, listen…"
"Y-Yes? Totsuka-san?"
"Maybe King didn't do anything to her, because…." He gave a brief glance upstairs and smiled awkwardly, "We haven't heard any moaning so far..."
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Misaki lets out a loud cry unceremoniously before proceeding to faint on the spot.
The bartender sighs as Kamamoto merely picks his good friend from the floor.
"Yata-chan, you virgin…"
"So? Is she better now?"
Totsuka smiled from the door as he watches Anna rinse a wet towel before placing it on the girl who was lying on Mikoto's sofa, with the King himself watching over.
"Dunno…"
"Do you know her?" Izumo asked, standing behind a surprised Totsuka, as he just finished closing the bar. And the fainted Misaki had fallen asleep soundly in his room.
"I don't remember seeing her before." Since the three of them, Mikoto, Izumo and Tatara have been together since their high school days, he would have seen her before if Mikoto knew her.
"…." Suoh stared at both of his closest friends. Izumo moving over to give the girl an extra pillow he brought from the sofa downstairs.
"No." Looking at the extra pillow threatening to drop off from the bed, to her dozing face that had light bruises and cuts on her cheeks. He continued to stareas if he could burn her with his gaze if its long enough.
"Never seen her before."
"…..There is someone here."
Mikoto snapped his eyes wide open, the voice wasn't his.
And it was in his head.
He had slept upright on one end of the sofa, with Anna beside the girl as both of them curled up on the other end of the couch.
"….You're awake."
Suoh said to no one in particular. But Anna stirred in her sleep as she heard him. However, unlike Anna, the girl opened her eyes tiredly as she caught his voice. "….You are..?"
Knock Knock.
The girl jumped lightly, surprised from the sudden knock.
Without any permission what so ever, the door opened to reveal Totsuka and Izumo again.
"Oh! It's great to see that you're awake!"
Totsuka greeted her brightly as he shines a smile, Izumo exhaled his smoke before smiling to her as well, as a form of greeting.
The girl stutters as she tries to process what happened.
"….G-Good morning, everyone.."
"Yata-san, it's too early to find Mikoto-san, he's probably asleep!"
Kamamoto warned as he followed the half-naked boy.
"But I need to ask Mikoto-san about the girl!"
Misaki shouted as he managed to pull on his shirt properly before storming up the stairs.
Unexpectedly, there was a loud stomp and the sound of furniture being pushed,
"Stop her!"
What the? That was Kusanagi-san!
Worried, Yatagarasu gripped the knob and swung the door open harshly.
Yata Misaki was met with the sight of the girl holding a lighted cigarette, his hazel eyes met with her teary violet ones for a second.
She stood in the middle of the room. With her voice tender,
"It's fine if you don't need me."
Smiling painfully, the girl closed her amethyst eyes, and pressed the smoking end of the butt against her arm.
The sizzling crackle of fire sounded in his ears as she lets out a choked cry.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
Yata shouted without a thought, the Red King rushed forward to slap the extinguished cigarette from her fingers as Izumo snatched her arm, dreading her sting.
"….Why?" The skateboarder mouthed in disbelief.
The girl should be hurt.
A flaming cigarette of would have left an infectious burn.
Yet the shape of the cigarette head was fading away as a purplish glow basked it.
Mocking, the red color of her burnt skin healed itself as the glow gently went away.
Giving a choked laugh, the girl watched her skin return to its original tone with her purple eyes.
"Maybe, you should just Burn me."
Next chapter: -Burn-