Author's Note:
Doesn't this latest arc feel refreshing? I haven't checked but it's been about seven chapters already, and the story's just getting started! Crazy things are gonna happen to the Zanna Famiglia in Japan, some you might have never expected. Let's hope the progression is good!
Chapter 45: Field Of Autumn Leaves
Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan.
By the time we reached our destination, it was already late in the afternoon, with the golden sun, with its faint light, beating down on us as it began to set. I pushed each of my steps forwards, trying my best to ignore the boredom by looking around, staring at the sights as I looked up to see two great rows of buildings. At the bustling sight, I suddenly got hit by this feeling of familiarity, but I couldn't quite catch what it meant. Certainly, Kiera told us how crowded it would be, but words could not describe how many people we saw as we entered the city. It made the crowd we saw at the stations look tiny in comparison.
"Are we there yet?" A question that had been asked a lot of times already, Johann was the only one who continued his by-the-minute questioning. I couldn't quite blame him for it, though. The bright, stylish, modern streets looked spic and span compared to our stone-paths back home, and the tall, storied buildings were definitely a dazzling sight, standing tall and strong as opposed to our street-houses back home.
But, the sights could only impressed us for so long. Hm, kind of think of it, Dante and Vito never even looked impressed at all.
"Right, And here we are." Kiera declared as we stopped our tracks in front of tall building, which looked less flashy than the others that stood in Akihabara, but its chic, stylish and modern design, represented by a strong red panel hanging in a white wall with neon lighting definitely left quite an impression. The multiple glass and metal panes that was placed neatly from one side to the other made this one building stand out from the others. Stepping through the sleek, sliding glass doors, a breeze washed over us, strangely warming us up from the winter wind that occasionally left me shivering outside.
"The Akihabara Washington Hotel." Kiera told us as we wondered into the lobby, admiring the blend of cultures subtly used in its design. Despite being Winter, groups of people, whom I assume were tourists, filled the room itself. My first time in a hotel, fascination came over me as I found my eyes and my steps taking me all around the place as Kiera, Dante and Sergio took care of the booking of rooms.
"Yep, that's right. Sell all of those we had in hand, and buy the ones that just surfaced." A familiar voice drew my attention, surprising me as I recognized it. "Usual procedure, then?" I turn to see Hinata speaking on the phone in a corner, her dazzling costume's presence dwarfing all others in the lobby. Seeing her for the second time today already, I didn't know if feeling happy was the right thing or not. "Another profit." She mumbled to herself before noticing me a few feet away.
"Hey, Hinata!" I called out her name with a smile while walking to her side. It was strangely exciting to see her again.
"Zanna?" A one word answer from her was all I got as she raised her brow, her face still passive.
"Are you booking a room here as well?" Curiosity got to me as I asked out, turning our conversation into a little game to see how to get her to show her smile.
"C'mon Amato, time to go to our rooms!" Sergio yelled out from the reception area before dragging the luggage towards the elevators, with the rest of my Famiglia following his steps.
"Well then..." I gave out as I turn back to Hinata after hearing what Sergio said, grabbing my luggage tight in my hands. "It's nice seeing you again! Even if it's only been a few hours!" I exclaimed with a smile before trotting back towards the elevators myself, the bags dragging along with me. With every two steps, I glanced back to see Hinata staring at me as I hurried. Looking down to the ground as if deep in thoughts, Hinata's blank eyes brought forth a small tint of red to her cheeks. As the elevator door closes, the last thing I saw was Hinata shaking away what she was feeling.
"My room, my room..." I muttered out the words as we walked on, an endless row of doors in a sparkling corridor, my bags dragging behind me. Dante and Vito had already went to their rooms, leaving Aria, Sergio, Kiera and myself searching for ours. As Kiera stopped in front of hers and unlocked the door, I followed behind her as she walked, only to have the door slammed to my face as it closed in front of me.
"Ow..." I cried out as I rubbed my nose. My response only produced a face-palm from Sergio.
"Um.. Amato.. I know you.. um.. We can't share a room!" Kiera's stammering turned into an all out yell before silence fills the hallway. When I realized what I was about to do, my face flushed crimson, heat blurring my eyes.
"Wow... you're so.. direct, Amato.." Aria gave out as a tinge of red surfaced on her own face, her voice slowly dying off as she was surprised.
"Aha ha ha ha ha" Johann's laughter broke the silence. "I give an A for effort, too bad it failed though!" Johann's words popped out in between his laughs.
"N-no! I-I wasn't thinking! I didn't realize!" I whined, blaming myself for the stupid actions that led to the misunderstanding. Sergio only shook his head and sighed before handing me the keys to my own room, two rooms after Kiera's, down at the end of the corridor. With the keys in hand, the four of us finally went our separate ways to our own rooms. My face stayed red for a few more minutes as Johann's laughter could still be heard even as I closed my doors.
A few hours later, in the orange glow of the setting sun that washed over the big, blue sky, I had already unpacked all that needed, and yet, the stuff that happened lingered on in my mind, my cheeks still a bit red. Looking up to the sky through the big, stylish windows, I tried to get myself distracted in the sea of light that was the sky and numerous puffy clouds that floated gently across. Strange, if no one told me, I would've never believed it was Wintertime in Japan right now.
"I'll need to apologize to Kiera." I told myself as I stared into the mirror, adjusting my clothes after my bath. A simple look, a regular blue T-shirt over a white long sleeved one, over a usual pair of brown pants and a pair of leather shoes. They should be enough to keep the cold away, I hope. Of course, I had Fenris tucked at the back, he should out of sight.
"Ding Dong!" Suddenly, the doorbell went off, taking me to the door.
As I opened the door, her light-brown hair first came to my sight, followed by her deep, red eyes. It was strange at first, her elaborate costume replaced by a red long sleeved hoodie that scrunched around her elbows and beige pants that stopped below her knees. Even as she stood, her arms behind her back, her eyes looking to the sides, I could still recognize her. The air of familiarity was still there.
"Hinata? What are you doing here?" I asked as soon as I was calm enough to. Indeed, I don't get visits from cute girls like her very often. At least, not when I just met them a few hours ago, no matter how much I smiled.
"I thought I could show you guys around town? Akiba being my hometown and all..." She gave out her reason in a soft, gentle tone, sounding a bit reluctant. As she did, she started twisting the tip of her left shoe into the carpet. "D-don't get the wrong idea, it's not like I w-want to hang out with you guys or anything! I-I just want to properly thank you guys for helping me earlier today." She started stammering a little as she continued, blushing a little.
Looking at how cute she was as she waited for my reply, her apathy as well as the act of ignoring me from before seemed like they came from a completely different person.
"All right then, I accept your offer on behalf of my Famiglia!" I replied with a smile, giving her a thumbs-up. Whether she was annoyed or amused by the sight, she turned away and crossed her arms, her face turned ever so slightly that I couldn't see it. "Awesome!" I exclaimed as I walked out of my room, closing the doors and locking them up. One by one, the doors to the rooms beside mine opened, and my Famiglia stepped out, wondering what the commotion was.
Each member, as I saw it, was sporting his or her own new look.
Sergio had ditched his white jacket for a more form-fitting henley shirt, gray in color with sleeves that stretch to his wrists. His wristbands were also gone, replaced by two red wristbands. Worn over his legs were another pair of white pants with a nice pair of shoes.
Johann popped out with a baggy jersey on, green in color with white linings, retaining the sporty feel he had from the tracksuit he usually wears. He had a pair of windbreakers which ended with his usual pair of sneakers.
Dante walked out with a simple blue dress shirt whose color matched his hair with a black blazer wore over it, unbuttoned, giving off a very informal feel. He also wore a pair of jeans with two belt around his waist, as well as his usual fedora on his head, only this time, it's white in color.
Vito dragged his feet out with a black combat boots on, as well as a pair of cargo pants with camouflaged design all over it, and a windbreaker jacket instead of his usual flight-jacket. The jacket, with its light brown color, the hood pushed behind his head, looked a bit more warmer than his usual jacket, I guess.
Aria appeared with a pearl white overcoat on, orange linings running down her outfit with black gloves over each hand. Her legs ended with a pair of white boots that seemed a bit on the frilly side.
The last one who came out got everyone's eye wide with surprise. Kiera stumbled her way out, looking nervous as she fumbled the headband of her maid outfit, the only thing of her maid outfit that remained. Kiera had put on a pink T-shirt on, complete with a necklace around her neck. As I looked to her arms, I noticed a black, studded wristband over her left wrist. She also had a tight, and rather short leather skirt on with a studded belt, as well as her usual black stockings complete with black knee high boots. She slowly made her way to my side, the rest of my Famiglia lost for words as their eyes followed.
"Um.. Amato? H-How do I look?" Kiera mumbled out the words softly, her eyes looking to the ground as the red hue flushed all over her face. I was stunned as I stared at her. She looked confident, and cute. Her image struck me as a strong girl of her own right, but that was it. The thought of how feminine Kiera was kept screaming out in my head, snatching away all the thoughts that formed.
Before I realized it, my head was feverish as my vision blurred a little from the blush that appeared all over my face.
"Uh.. You.. uh.. look really nice!" I gave out the first sentence I could form from my blank mind, forcing a smile from my stunned face. Johann and Aria chuckled at my reaction while Sergio sighed once more, shaking his head. Dante and Vito just looked away from the awkward moment. Together, we began walking towards the elevator as I explained what Hinata and I were talking about.
By the time we step onto the streets, the blanket of night had fallen upon Akihabara. We strolled down the street, enjoying the cold winter wind that blew down hard on us. The streets were lit up in the night, courtesy of all the neon lights present form the various stores that filled the sides of each road. The crowds from afternoon were still there, if not bigger than before. It seems vehicles were a rare sight in Akihabara, with its paths and roads used by the people more than anything else.
"So how well do you know your hometown?" I asked out in between my steps as curiosity got me, looking towards Hinata. Out of her costume, she blended in perfectly among the other teenagers that filled the streets.
"I know the name of every shop in town, their owners as well as every short-cut possible..." She replied as she walked on in front of us, leading us without ever looking back.
"Wow..." Aria gave out. Indeed, Hinata's statement left most of us impressed. I think we were just glad we found a local to show us around.
With a sudden twist on her heels, she turned to face us as a small smile appeared on her face.
"You guys haven't seen the night-life in Akiba, right? It's not something you should miss!" She exclaimed proudly. From her words, how happy she looked when ever she spoke of her hometown as opposed to her usual apathetic look, I realized just how much she loves the town. As she realized just how she acted, she quickly turned back around, continuing her steps. The bustle of life continued on through the night as chatter and laughter can be heard from the crowds of people walking on the streets.
"Welcome to the Field..." As I jogged to her side, Hinata muttered the words after she calmed herself.
"What field?" I asked out the question as it popped into my mind.
"The Field Of Autumn Leaves."
What do you guys think of the Hinata? Does her personality feel realistic? I definitely hope so! I'm thinking of bringing some action into this arc, it's definitely been a while since the Zanna Famiglia faced off a dangerous threat, so keep your eyes open for the next chapter! NaNoWriMo's coming up as well, are my fellow writer's out there ready?