POV Narrator:
Saturday, 23 June 2018, Chiba, Japan
Akko, Lotte, Sucy and surprisingly Diana arrive in Japan for their first summer holiday trip, leaving Kagari even shocked at the Cavendish's half unexpected presence in the land of the rising sun, which after it was revealed, they all headed to the Kagari family car leaving Tokyo International Airport, to the Kagari family residence in Chiba, in the middle of a point but away from the city, the car pulled up there and the Japanese woman was starting to introduce every corner of the family residence to her friends.
POV Akko:
I can't believe they came, I'm so excited, I can't wait to get out and walk around, I'll show them everything I can from Japan, wow, I'd forgotten how hot it is here, even in summer, in England it's quite calm compared to this, I get in and we get to the part of the house where I take my shoes off.
"Don't forget to take off your shoes before entering" I tell them.
"Ah so yer house has those too" said Diana taking off her trainers.
"Exactly, it's to keep the house clean" my mother says to the girls who also take off their shoes.
Then we left the shoes on the shelves and went up the stairs to the first part of the house that starts in the living room facing the kitchen, which doesn't have much to present, so I walk with them towards my room, where there was my cat Luna waiting for me and already meowing, so much that I take her in my lap and start stroking her.
"Oh Luna, look we have some new people here, these are my friends, Diana, Lotte and Sucy, say hello to them" I say to my kitten picking up her paw and waving to the three and then Sucy uses a spell on my cat.
"Animalia Fal" She said conjuring a spell that gives the power of speech to animals.
"Akko, please let go of my lap I just want to clean myself" Said my cat and I leave her on the floor, where then Diana reverses the spell, I even get weird after hearing my cat's voice.
"Ehhhhhhh... Let's see my room then girls" I tell them pulling the sliding door of the room and showing them everything.
My Chariot posters, my books, all my cards, miniatures, stuffed animals, I have everything of hers, even the rare PS2 game that was released of hers hahaha, made also by the same Saoirse games, I see Diana was even impressed, I really have a huge collection of Chariot stuff, that she had no idea about, even my cosplay, in which the girls go around taking a look, kind of Sucy was holding back the laughter, but she knows how cool it is.
"You really admired Chariot a lot didn't you?" Lotte said as she tried on the Chariot hat that was on the cosplays.
"I remember I was the only one who went to the Chariot event, nobody gave much importance to it, I still take care with great care of this cosplay, since it was a lot of work to make it, I learned with my mother to sew and made everything by myself, she is a seamstress, so she knows these things, I always borrow her sewing machine from time to time, my father works as a public servant, they both make a lot of effort to buy these things" I tell them, kind of showing the pride I have for each one of these things.
"This is really cool tae see ye talking Akko, it's a whole different reality, ye have wonderful parents and ye have all this, I admit that I would be jealous of ye, even though I have lots of money I could never have the things I wanted from Chariot, ye have nae idea how much I wanted Chariot dolls, arcor stuffed animals, you even have blankets" said Diana in amazement and Sucy was also taking something out of the drawer already checking it out.
"Even panties hahahahha, I don't believe this, where did you find a Chariot panty?" Said Manbavaran laughing as I blushed.
"These were made by my mother, she put the prints of Shiny Rod, but it's not a Chariot panty, she who helps to make many of my clothes, even the plush, it was all her who made, as you may know, there is no official Shiny Chariot plush, but luckily my mother can make real, if we knew each other since that time I would make one for you Diana" I say as she blushed.
"I never thought I would see so much Chariot stuff, you really must be the biggest collector you have" Lotte said in amazement.
"I don't think so, you have no idea of the collection that Holly McLaren has, I'm drooling over the amount of Chariot stuff, she is the person with the largest collection of Chariot in the world, her mother must have bought everything that is official product I'm sure, It's so much stuff that it takes up a whole room just for Chariot stuff, I want to go one day, it's kind of like the Shiny Chariot museum, to have an idea, she has one of the official clothes that she wore in a concert she performed in Ireland" I tell the girls, kind of turning on the computer, already giving that nostalgic feeling.
"I know her too, Shiny Holly is her name on Discord, on the Chariot fan server" I even make a mischievous expression at Diana at the time.
"And you know these things as in?" I say curious, now she's going to tell me.
"Pleased, Shiny Beatrice, I use Beatrix's name in another way tae hide the real one, ye've talked to me fae hours without knowing, Shiny Akko, I've known ye fae a while, when I heard ye were going tae Luna Nova I was even shocked, but meeting ye was kind of shocking, ye know why" She said and I started to remember.
Shiny Beatrice was my best friend in the server, the drawings that she made of Chariot are extremely beautiful, the magic tricks and everything else, I spent hours talking with this girl without having a clue, for the nine witches, not even with Shiny Holly I talked, there was even a meme in the server that nobody had idea who was Shiny Beatrice, but now I reveal that.
My computer turns on and I already see the rain of notifications, several ping were appearing in discord and messages, well I had warned that I was going to stay a long time without showing up because of Luna Nova, then I enter in the server and go to the pictures that Holly took of her room from the Shiny Chariot, showing to the girls.
"Do you think this is too much? That's because you haven't seen it" I say as I show them the Shiny Chariot museum.
"Holly's museum is really amazing, the worst is that I wanted tae visit too, but I never had the opportunity, we can go there one of these days" Diana said.
"What an exaggeration, you Chariot fans have nothing to do, mugs, dummies, even nappies? There's everything from Chariot here, this girl is a little crazy in the head, she must have a few screws loose" said Sucy, and we started laughing.
"Her mother is a suspect of mine, Holly could maybe be my sister" Diana said and I shocked generally, what do you mean that's too weird.
"What? What do you mean Diana? I've seen Holly's face several times, she's even the creator of the server, she has nothing to do with you, she's a redhead, you..." I say that while I go to one of the pictures she posted on the selfies channel, where the most recent one, she was even with her older sister.
"Akko, her mother Laura McLaren is one of my suspects, ye have nae idea of the stories she tells me, really, has she ever opened up tae ye? Because she told me that she came from a nae very consensual relationship between her mothers, I dinnae believe it at the time, but now I'm starting tae believe it, but it's kind of strange tae think that I can have a sister from that, besides that she has another sister, Hellene, she's one year younger than me and Holly is two years younger, but anyway, it's just a suspicion, the story behind Holly is very traumatic, her older sister comes from another origin, she's one of the few who knows my face too, she kept the biggest secret, before ye, I had already told Holly about my secret, she was the only one who knew I was a Chariot fan, but it would be extremely weird nae tae say the opposite, my second crush was her, I'm nae going tae lie, but she never showed love interest, if she was really my sister it would be really weird" Diana said what made me impressed and at the same time very shocked.
"Wow... But then it's an excuse for us to go to the Shiny Chariot museum, when we get back to classes, we'll both go together to visit Holly, talk to her and everything else, by the way you two are close you can even bring a friendship around, I want to know about all your crushes Diana" I tell her that was blushing.
Then I went surfing the internet showing the photos of the museum, even this revelation was shocking, but I admit that I also had a crush on her, even a little on her sister, I took the time to check the notifications and they were affectionate messages from Holly and other people from the server talking about my departure, then I said a nice hello to everyone.
"So Diana, ready to have your identity revealed?" I ask her with a smile on my face.
"I am, let's reveal this at once" She said with her mobile phone in her hand.
We took a selfie together, where she made sure to post the picture on the server, which was breaking, everyone on the server was starting to get shocked, without having the notion that Diana was Shiny Beatrice, I was just laughing, people started making jokes, saying that we were girlfriends, which we even turned our faces, Lotte and Sucy were laughing.
"Hahahahaha, seriously Akko, I can't believe that even the people there think you have chemistry" teases Sucy.
"How cute, really, you two are a great match" Lotte said and we both just stared at each other half blushing.
We hear knocking at the door, it was my mum, I let her in, she brings us some anko cupcakes, I love these cupcakes, I offer them to the girls, we eat them and I see the answers from the girls of the group, everyone talking about me and Diana being a couple, even Holly made fun of us, but seriously I can't wait to come back from the holidays and see this place closer, I know that Ireland is very close to Luna Nova, so it will be fine.
"Hey Akko, what happened to your mobile phone" my mother said and I got a bit tense.
"Mum... my mobile..." I try to complete.
"Miss Kagari, in Luna Nova technology is forbidden, which means that students are nae allowed tae use electronic devices, although many of us break this rule... And Akko ye dinnae tell her?" Diana said, stepping into the middle.
"I was embarrassed to tell them, my mother worked so hard to buy me the phone... And they just destroyed it after taking it from my hand" I say looking down.
"Oh my little bunny, you know I wouldn't be mad about that, so they took it from you and destroyed it? I know you take care of your things, that's why I was worried, but hey, mommy will get one for you, just be careful not to get caught with your mobile phone there, I want to keep talking to you" said my mum hugging me and I was even getting a little emotional, she's a sweet person.
A little while later, the girls finished eating and were watching Akko and Diana talking to the people from the Discord server, but then Kagari decides to call them out, telling her parents that she's going to visit Keiko, which makes the girls very curious...
I have to see this girl, we arrived in front of her house, there she was messing with the car as usual, there's not an hour that she's not doing this, it seems that this car is always broken, I arrive by giving her a pat on her raised ass to the point that she hits her head on the bonnet and I let out a little laugh.
"Hey Keiko" I tell her that she turns around a bit angry, but when she sees my face she comes in the biggest hug.
"If it isn't the little bunny around here" She said hugging me so tight I couldn't breathe.
"Keiko is squeezing" I tell her.
"It's really tight, my head is hurting until now, you silly girl, it seems you brought several friends with you, are they the girls from Luna Nova? It's been a while since I've seen any western faces around here" said Keiko waving to the girls.
"Ah these are my friends from Luna Nova, Lotte, Sucy and Diana, they are wonderful people and girls this is Keiko Yamaguchi, she is the car addict I told you about before" I tell them.
"Yeah, I know that very well when ye skidded the Chariot mini with us inside almost hitting the trees, I'll never forget the trauma it was tae stay inside the car" Diana said and I just laughed.
"Yooo that you got a mini do drift you had to be kidding hahahaha, hey what's it like to drive one? Did you try to drift FF?" She said and I just shrugged.
"It's very agile, those old mini cars, you know, Chariot thought she was going to teach me to drive and I gave her a lesson hahaha, it's very light, when you pull the handbrake you just go, but drifting doesn't work, the most you can do is skid, even more because we were on the land and you can't get out of this S13" I tell her.
"Oi girls, tonight I'm going to take a ride on it, if you want, come with me, you'll get to know a different side of Japan" Keiko said.
"Ohhhhhh, we will definitely go, they will love the culture here, there are many cool cars, drifting, everything, it is like a paradise, I don't even know much about cars, but Keiko here knows everything, I love all the cool things they have" I say in amazement.
"Oi Akko, it's good to see you back here, then tell me about Luna Nova too, you seem to have succeeded in being the witch you wanted" Yamaguchi said.
"And you still work at the gas station? I know you'll get into D1GP one day, it's your dream, you have driving talent" she nodded.
The girls were impressed that I have a friend around here, I felt all happy and excited too, to think that I'm here, introducing new friends to old ones, but in the middle of the way Mei appears, I thought she would never show up.
"Ora, ora, if it's Akko Kagari, what are you doing here? Have you given up being a witch and woken up to reality?" Said Mei being cruel.
"Did you come here just to harass me?" I tell her.
"A shame the boys aren't around, but look she even has little witch friends, Atsuko Kagari and the Baka Gajin" I just raise my middle finger and then see Mei's mouth getting a zip.
"Quiet ye speak better, dinnae mess with us witches" Woah, Diana defended me, she can even speak Japanese, how amazing.
Then we walked until we got home, I kind of signaled for them to stay, I went into my room where I got some money, let's have some fun here in Chiba, then I came back with a bag and the girls were kind of talking to my parents.
"Let's go to the arcade, just to warn you" I tell my parents.
"Ah good luck, take care, we will start preparing dinner, enjoy yourselves" said my mother.
And with that we left, kind of walking through my neighborhood, until we got to the station, where I paid the tickets for each one, so we would catch the train together for the first time, when we got there we stood next to each other, today luckily it's very empty and quiet.
"I have never taken a train in my life" Lotte said.
"Me much less, that arcade, where is it?" Diana asks.
"It's a little bit more to the center of Chiba, so soon we arrive, it's close to the train station, that's what's nice here, there are trains to go anywhere, one hour we'll go to Tokyo if you want, or we can even go to the beach, the one I always travel with my family is in Nagano, it's on the other side, but it's beautiful, maybe we'll go there this week" I tell them.
"I don't even have beach clothes, at most I had my swimming costume when I used tae swim in the lake near home, but it was very rare, the waters are too cold, I also used tae swim in the heated pool at home, swimming was an important part of acquiring witch skills" Cavendish said explaining nicely.
In the arcade...
Ahhhhhh, it's just like when I left Japan, all the machines here, I'm even amazed, I'm like handing over some coins for the girls, to enjoy the machines, which have everything, the initial D and Wangan Midnight with car, the dance dance revolution, the space channel 5, the street fighter that I've grown the eye.
"And then Diana let's play a street fighter? I know you have it on your PS3" I tell her who nods her head in agreement.
"Ah let's go then" she said.
We start playing, she chooses Ryu, I go as Juri, I know how to play a lot with her, the match starts and I see Diana still testing the moves, but soon I go up and the buttons start clicking, I'm making sure at least, it seemed that I was beating the buttons, but I knew what I was doing, I play a lot, until I beat Diana and I get all involved.
"You saw that! I did it!" I tell her.
"You just kept using the same moves and combos, let's see if against this other lassie ye win" Diana said when a girl arrives on the other side in her place, it's just a child, she must be 10 years old, so much that she chose zangief, who the hell plays with a grabby guy.
I was already getting confident, with my Juri no one beats me, so much that I was going up with a way, but she simply grabs me, she starts the biggest combo on me, with a grabbing face, I'm trying to defend myself, but she simply gives me the biggest chorus, winning in two rounds, I barely got hits and took life, but what a rage, so much that I lost in a humiliating way.
"Looks like Kagari is nae that good" Diana said mocking me while inflating her cheeks.
I even leave the Street Fighter machine, seeing the girl playing in the greatest calm of the world, even getting to adjust the glasses, gee, she looks like those kids that you don't give anything, but she is a monster playing, so much that we are even going to play in another machine, this time in the hammering machine, let's see which one of us is stronger.
"No magic huh" I tell them.
"Akko if we use magic we can get in trouble" Diana said and I quickly prepared my arms.
I hammer first and go slowly, getting a score of 70, then Lotte, 55, then Sucy, only 40, she is really weak, I think I won after that, Diana is much thinner than me, she won't go... The bell rang, she managed to reach 100, but how? Her noodle arms can't be that strong.
"What are those arms?" I say shocked.
"It's nae about strength, I've seen them use physics to hit, anyone can do it if they know how tae hammer well, ye're nae going tae go tae the full potential of...- I just put a cotton candy in Diana's mouth since she's a cool nerd now.
"Okay Diana, no need to explain this physics stuff, let's go for another one now, I just got some cotton candy if you want it" I tell them as I'm handing it to them, what we're going to eat.
We quickly finished eating and it was really delicious, I love spending time like this, then we went to the bongos machine, where Sucy was simply destroying the rhythm, I didn't even know she could play so much, it even shocked me, she hits the deals with pure precision, I'm watching everything amazed, today is being simply magical, I never thought that bringing them to Japan would make things cooler, it's really something to fill my heart.
And they spent a long time in the Arcades, having fun, playing all the time, until Akko decides to call them to go and buy some new clothes, also as a souvenir, as well as buying bathing costumes to go out on the beach and enjoy the summer as much as they can...
"Hey Akko, look at this one, if Diana puts it on you'll go crazy" said Sucy pointing to a micro bikini that honestly was in the adult session, so much that she got all blushed.
"Sucy! Stop thinking nonsense, this is the adult session" I tell her.
"I know, I just want to tease" she said laughing.
I decided to buy a new bikini and I also saw a beautiful one, with an orange bra and a white bottom, which was very cheap, but Diana opted for a white and blue one, it matched her, I approved, I can't wait to see when she tries it on... I mean... Akko! Lotte, on the other hand, got a yellow one with white polka dots, Sucy, on the other hand, was more hidden, opting for a discreet half black swimming costume with a long yoke, sure she will use it on her leg to hide it, she was still all purple.
"Honestly I don't know how you can walk around showing your legs so much, I'm so embarrassed," she said.
"I'm a bit embarrassed, but everyone is wearing the same clothes as me, sae there's nothing tae hide, but I still have a bit of a problem with stares" Diana said.
"The way is to ignore them, they are always weird, but hey, it will be fun, I'll buy some sunblock too, after all we have two here who will look like shrimps if they get too much sun, and Sucy... Honestly, Sucy, your skin is so pale and gray like this"
"My parents, according to what I heard, poisoned me to the point where my skin turned pale, I'm not pale like that, pictures from when I was younger show that I had a darker skin, my parents have it too, I'm the one who ended up a bit like that, but I don't really care" she said.
I was even shocked, I didn't know that Sucy was a brunette, I thought she was always pale and it was a witch thing, but it's curious to know that, but even so it's good to protect, or else we will fry in this sun, I get to the cashier and buy the bikinis for all of them, then we leave the beach shop and go to one next door which was a normal clothes shop.
"Ah we also need lighter clothes or at least some souvenirs for you from Japan" I tell them until Lotte picks up a t-shirt and I notice that it has a very explicit "baka Gajin" written on it.
"No! Not that one! Means stupid foreigner, I don't know why they still make these shirts" I say waving to them.
"Oh I love it, a nice little slut, do you have any more of those?" Said Sucy with her sadistic smile.
And we went there buying more t-shirts, Sucy was simply making a fool out of me, kind of picking up t-shirts with offensive phrases and I was kind of correcting her, seriously what kind of shop is this, in the end we managed to buy a few things yes, at least we'll look pretty when we go to the beach, I can't wait for when we actually go, it will be really fun, from there we go to the cashier and now it's time to go back home, soon dinner will be ready.
The four girls go to Kagari's family home, where at dinner time they enjoy a delicious Ramen prepared by Hayato and Saori who cook together, and they spend their time playing the PS2 game Shiny Chariot, until they hear the sound of a car arriving in front of the Kagari's and horns honking...
I go to the bedroom window and when I open it, there's Keiko with S13, honking, I wave at her getting out of the car, it's kind of late, I'm hardly waiting to go out with the girls.
"Oi Akko, let's go for a drive, call your friends, but one will be left out," said Keiko.
"Oh girls, shall we go? It will be really cool, but unfortunately I can only take two, Keiko's car only has four seats" I tell them.
"All right, I'll stick around, I get a bit carsick," Lotte said.
"Ahhhhhh, I hope she's nae as crazy as ye are" Diana said as I burst out laughing.
"She's not" in fact she's much worse, but I'll leave the mystery up in the air.
We went down the stairs, going to the outside, where we put on our shoes, my mum already looked at me a bit worried, she knows exactly what Keiko usually does, hahahaa, I hope she let us out.
"I will tell Keiko to behave Akko" she said.
And off we went, I opened the door for Sucy and Diana to go in the back seat and I sat in the front, I love these recaro seats of her S13, it seems to fit the body, it leaves everything glued, I even put the belt and my mother appears to talk to Keiko.
"Yo Keiko, no Touge, you don't take these girls to the mountain, you won't get into trouble again, behave in this machine there" said my mother.
"Haruna's ghost spoke" said Keiko mocking my mother who was getting the most puzzled look on her face.
"The ghost of Haruna no longer exists, I even moved to Chiba to escape that past, you know that" said my mother and then Keiko climbed the windows.
She started accelerating, I could already feel the strong noise, it was very different from the engine before, even stronger, it was a supra engine I am sure, I remember her saying that once, starting to walk lightly, she reached a straight line and accelerated, just to provoke my mother who must have heard it from far away, while Diana in the back was all terrified.
"Holy dirrrty lesbian beatrix akko, she's a bigger eejit than ye" Diana said angrily.
"Oh that's nothing, it's because you don't know Touge" I tell her.
"Hahahahah! That's cool, Keiko, you really know how to do those cool drift things" said Sucy, already pushing her.
"I know, we are going to my favorite point, by the way, do you like it Akko? I put a 1JZ on the S13, now it comes much stronger and maybe it breaks less than my SR20 hahaha" she said already starting to arrive at a curve.
I feel the kick in the clutch and Keiko starts to go sideways showing Sucy and I see her face that she was loving it, while Diana was all terrified, this is very good, I can't believe I'm here, she then goes slowly, where we arrive at the door of an old and abandoned factory that was open, when we get there we hear some cars skidding.
"Is that the touge?" Diana asks.
"Nah, the Touge is in the mountains, I won't take you there, here in the city it's quieter, who knows one day, but not now, today is drift day" said Keiko, we were parking the car, in the middle of the meeting.
I get out of the car and see the others, each one more beautiful than the other, some a bit beaten, I see two cars next to each other competing in a drift among the pillars of the factory, Diana is a little shaking, but I hug her to calm her down, I think Keiko's way of being a little crazy will leave her full of traumas.
"I'm kind of scared, but I dinnae know, it just seems sae... It gives ye an adrenaline rush, it's weird, by the way the cars are really beautiful, sae is that what ye meant?" she said.
"This here is just the tip of the iceberg, girl Japan has a rich car culture" Keiko said.
POV Narrator:
And so that was Akko and the girls' first day in Japan, where it ended with this moment in the car park, which Diana was kind of connecting the dots for why Akko was so into these things, where also Keiko was telling a bit of Saori's backstory that she used to be a street runner in the 90s.
See you, touge witches...