The thoughts plaguing Akari's mind had thankfully gone away but Akari was more focused on something else. Did this man just call me Kiriya's child? As in Irisawa Kiriya? How does he know pops? "Sorry, what did you just say?"
"Hm? I said you're in front of my shop," the blond man with a cigarette in his mouth answered.
Akari looked above and saw a flickering red neon sign that read: Magique. "Oh." She stood up immediately, ignoring the whiplash she got from standing up too abruptly.
"You can also tell the fairy that had just transformed into a phone that it's fine to transform back into its fairy form," the man said, picking up Akari's phone.
"F-Fairy?" She didn't know what to say.
"I know about the Garden of Light and shit. I also know that there's another fairy inside of that backpack of yours," the man told her, releasing a puff of smoke. "You can enter the store. People are only able to find or even notice this place if they're searching for it, even if they don't mean to or don't realize it."
Akari stared at the man. But I swear...this man said pops' name...and dad isn't anyone famous.
The inside of Magique didn't look like anything special. In fact, it looked like a normal bodega. One of the TVs hanging in the corner showed a music video by Kpop girl group superstars POPPY. The other TV next to it showed security camera footage of the four sections of the store. Snacks and other usual things that you'd find at a bodega on the corner of the block filled the shelves. The only people, or beings in Lilu and Taro's cases, were Akari, the fairies, and the blond man.
"What makes this place so special?" Akari asked, holding the de-transformed Lilu in her arms as she followed the man.
"My shop looks ordinary, doesn't it?" The man took another puff of his cigarette before he put it out on the ashtray sitting on the counter where the cash register was. "Actually, I sell magical items. You just have to look closer."
Out of curiosity, Akari grabbed one of the bags of chips and read the label. "Oh. So if you eat a chip out of this bag, you'll have the ability to be invisible."
The man smiled. "Only for 10 seconds. So if you eat every chip out of the bag, you'll be invisible for, I dunno, 10 minutes perhaps? Really depends on how many chips are in the bag."
"This store is dangerously tempting," Akari mused as she placed the bag of chips back in its place on the shelf.
"Yep, which is why everything's pricey," the man answered.
Akari read the price tag of the chips. "Damn, that's a lot of zeros."
"But people are willing to drop the money for it. You'd be surprised by how many people come by here," the man said.
She faced him. "You said that people only find this place if they're looking for it, right? Well, I don't want to buy anything."
"I know you don't want to buy anything, but you do want to deal with that fairy in your backpack somehow, correct?" The man responded.
Akari blinked.
"Woah...he's good-lulu..." Lilu found himself saying.
The man leaned against the counter. "Hand it to me. I'll keep a good eye on it."
Akari grabbed onto one of the backpack's straps. "And why should I trust you? I literally just met you a couple of seconds ago."
"Oh. My name is Hikaru," the man, Hikaru, said with a warm smile.
His hair covered his eyes but Akari could tell that he was handsome. He probably had his customers swooning over him. Silver rings decorated his fingers and his exposed arms revealed his muscles and various tattoos. His body was definitely toned underneath the wife beater he wore. His voice was deep and husky with the ability to give anyone shivers. His hair covered his ears for the most part but a silver cross earring could be seen dangling from his right ear. He gave off a bad boy vibe, especially with the way he carried himself.
"I still don't know you," Akari said. But I do know for a fact that you mentioned my dad earlier.
"What can I do for you to trust me...?" Hikaru wondered out loud, crossing his arms.
The lights in the shop began to flicker and cold air filled in. Hikaru took a hand and brushed his bangs out of his face. As expected, his face was attractive and sculpted perfectly. His eyes were unique since they were an indigo blue color but the hand that he used to brush the bang up covered his right eye. Then, the power in the shop suddenly went out and his left eye shone red.
Akari stared into the red eye, the only source of light in the shop. She felt something whisper into her left ear as she stared but her body and limbs were glued to the position that they were in before everything went dark. She knew she should be freaking out but for some reason, the longer she stared into the glowing red eye, the more she intently listened to the whispering into her ear. Very slowly, she sunk into a dazed state.
Then, Hikari closed his eyes and dropped his bangs as the power returned to the shop. In the background, the TV that was playing POPPY started the music video all over, allowing the song to play a second time.
"I don't trust that man-lulu. You saw what he just did, right-lulu? We have to get out of here immediately-lulu!" Lilu told Akari quietly.
"Okay." Akari rapidly blinked away the dazed state she was in. "You can take Taro."
"Akari-lulu!" Lilu cried.
Hikaru smiled brightly. "Sweet! Hand over the bag."
"Why are you suddenly going along with this-lulu!?" Lilu cried. "Did he do some mind control spell on you just now or something-lulu!? His power seems dark-lulu!"
Akari placed Lilu on a shelf and proceeded to remove the backpack off of her back. "Lilu, don't ask me any questions cuz I don't know myself." She looked at Hikaru who had his hand held out to grab the bag. "I just think giving him Taro is a good idea, that's all."
It wasn't mind control. Something just whispered into my ear what to do...and by my own free will, I'm doing it. What did he do to me? She wondered as she handed him the bag.
vi: hoppity hip hop.
Kujo Hanako stood in front of the class at the beginning of first period.
"Hanako has an announcement to make so listen up! She'll only say it once!" Kawaguchi-sensei exclaimed.
Hanako smiled and began. "As we all know, it's Verone High School tradition that the first years take their trip during the first term. It has been decided that us first years will be going to Kyoto for a couple of days and nights!"
Takeru slid the door open with Momo peeking out from behind him. "What!? We're going to Kyoto!?"
"Takeru! Momo! You two are late!" Kawaguchi-sensei hissed.
Takeru ignored his aunt. "Why can't we go to Osaka!? I'm from there! I could show everyone around!"
"Because the people organizing this whole thing wanted it to be in Kyoto," Hanako answered with a glare.
"But everyone always goes to Kyoto for school trips! When we're second years, we'll go to Kyoto! And when we're third years, we'll also go to Kyoto!" Takeru whined.
Hanako crossed her arms. "You can voice your complaints all you want but it's all been decided. Sorry not sorry."
Momo had to drag the mumbling and bumbling Takeru to his desk, then drag him back outside after Kawaguchi-sensei kicked them out of the classroom for being late.
"I need to find a way to make Akari-sama notice me immediately," Takeru said as he and Momo sat outside of the classroom.
Momo rolled her eyes. "You and Daiki are still doing this? I thought y'all forgot all about that bet."
"Daiki saw the shrine that I made for Kumiko the other day, but I never made it for her, I swear. Bruh, I don't even remember making it for her," Takeru said.
Oh yeah. That whole Kumiko-mind-control-Bugaboo thingie, Momo thought, remembering the time Kumiko managed to get everyone to practically worship her thanks to the power Taro had given her.
"Now, he's saying that I'm unloyal and shit and that I should pay him his money immediately," Takeru said.
Momo thought back to the day that she had given Taro to Akari. During the first break, Daiki had grilled Takeru about the shrine and the boys kept on finding every opportunity to fight each other throughout the day. Now, it's a new week but the animosity has still continued.
"Do you have a plan?" Momo asked. "Cuz the last time I checked, we're not rich like Daiki."
Takeru slowly turned his head to face Momo and a smirk slowly painted over his lips. Momo knew what this meant.
"No! Absolutely not! I am not going along with any bullshit you conjure up this time!" Momo cried.
"Why?" Takeru demanded.
"Because why should I!?" Momo answered.
"You won't have to do a lot! All that you have to do is get close to Akari and find out what she finds attractive. You pass on the info to me and I try to woo her. By the time the class trip comes, she and I will be like this." Takeru crossed his fingers to signify him and Akari being a couple.
"So it's not about Akari noticing you anymore?" Momo asked.
"No! Now, I have to make Akari mine in order to prove to Daiki that my love has never wavered before!" Takeru cried.
Now that you think about it, am I even that close to Akari? Momo wondered. The only things we've talked about is Precure and fairy stuff. We've never hung out just to hang out and we've never had any other conversations. And now we're all about to go on a trip. I need to make Akari my friend. That way, she can hang out with Harumi and Kazuha and I. Plus, it would be nice for us to be friends. Alright. So by the time the day of the trip comes, Akari and I will be the best of friends.
With a new resolve, Momo faced Takeru. "Fine. I'll try my best to help you out, but I do advise that you start asking everyone you know for money."
During lunch break, Daiki pointed at his wrist as if there was a wristwatch on it and glared at Takeru as a couple of students handed him some money for the snacks that he had on his desk. Takeru glared back at him before turning to Momo and doing puppy dog eyes to the best of his ability. Momo did the okay sign and turned to Kazuha and Harumi.
"Y'all busy this weekend?" Momo asked the girls.
"Not really," Harumi said as she rewatched the Tik Tok dance video she had created during the last break.
"I am. Jun and I have a date," Kazuha answered, moving a piece of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear and bashfully looking down.
Akiyama Jun was Kazuha's boyfriend. They started dating right before the start of the school year. Jun was in Class 1-B so Kazuha would sometimes visit him between breaks. Back in middle school, Jun was the star player of the basketball team. It was common for the girls to make signs for Jun and cheer him on during the games. Momo remembers always having to help Kazuha with her signs and Kazuha fighting with the other girls on whose sign Jun had looked at whenever Jun would glance at the bleachers for a quick second. Kazuha was like a lovesick puppy when it came to Jun and so it was a dream come true when she and Jun became a couple.
Momo smiled at the memory of how she and Takeru helped to make Kazuha and Jun into a thing. Takeru was also on the Verone Junior High basketball team so he was friendly with Jun.
"Jun is taking all of the girls! 'Akiyama Jun' this and 'Akiyama Jun' that! They should be saying my name!" 3rd year junior high student Takeru ranted, making buckets left to right in the basketball hoop.
Since Momo had nothing to do, she had joined Takeru in the empty gym. She was laying on one of the benches of the bleachers and was scrolling through Tik Tok on her phone. "Oh, it sucks to be you."
Takeru made another basket. "You have no idea!"
"If Jun was taken, do you think the other girls would leave him alone?" Momo wondered out loud as she liked a Tik Tok.
"I don't know," Takeru said, running to grab the ball that had rolled off. Then, he turned around and looked at Momo who sat up and looked at him at the same time.
A smirk slowly formed on their faces as if they were the grinch.
It took the whole 3rd term and the break before the start of their first term of high school to make their diabolical plan a success. They chose Kazuha to be the one who takes Jun since they were friends with her and knew first hand how much Kazuha really loved him. They had planned all sorts of meet cutes and "coincidences" that would make Kazuha and Jun fall for each other and did their best to make the atmosphere feel like a romcom whenever they did face each other. Kumiko had thrown a wrench into their plan for a little bit when she learned about the budding romance between Kazuha and Jun but they had managed to prevail. And when they had gotten the call from Kazuha that Jun had asked her out, they celebrated their success. To this day, Kazuha and Jun have no idea that the reason they were together was because of Momo and Takeru.
"Okay. Then I guess it'll just be Rumi-chin and I." Momo pat Kazuha on the shoulder. "You enjoy your date."
"Now I'm curious. What do you mean it'll be just you and Harumi?" Kazuha asked.
"I wanted to see if we could go to the movies and see that movie that just came out," Momo answered.
"Ooh! Yes! I do want to see that movie!" Harumi cried, looking up from her phone.
"I'll be at the movies too, but it's to see a different movie," Kazuha said.
"We should buy our tickets, Harumi," Momo said, ignoring Kazuha.
"Hey! Did you hear what I just said!?" Kazuha demanded.
After Momo and Harumi bought their movie tickets, the girls began to talk about something else. Mid conversation, Momo texted Akari.
Momo: i think you should go to the movies this weekend
AI Girl: Why?
Momo: you know that new movie that just came out last week?
Momo: that movie that everyone's talking about?
Momo: you should watch it so you can be in with the times
Momo: people are calling it a cultural reset
Momo: also they say that you have to wear pink when you go see that movie
Momo: so are you gonna go?
AI Girl: I dislike going to the house that distributes the cinema
Someone please teach this girl how to write in modern Japanese, Momo thought as she squinted to read Akari's text. Then, she texted her back.
Momo: pleeaaaassseeeee go to the movies!
AI Girl: why do you wish for us to converge and go to the house that distributes the cinema?
Momo: i'm not asking if we can go together
Momo: but i'm down for us to go together
Momo sent the link of the website to buy the ticket.
Momo: we can meet at the movies
Momo: also, buy ur ticket right now
Akari looked across from the room and gave Momo a questioning look. Then, upon feeling her phone vibrate, she looked down and saw that Momo had texted her.
WusErName: thanks for inviting me to go to the movies with you!
"What?" Akari wondered out loud.
Takeru, who was impatiently waiting for Momo to go to Akari's desk and talk to her, glanced down at his phone and saw that Momo had sent him a text.
Princess Momoko: i got akari to go to the movies to see that one movie that everyone is talking about
Princess Momoko: buy ur own ticket and don't be late
Princess Momoko: buy it rn so you can have a seat next to akari since the only seat left is the seat next to the second to last seat wich is the seat next to the third and fourth to last seat
Takeru blinked as he tried to process what Momo had just texted him. Then, he looked up at Momo who was looking at him and they both smirked. Their diabolical plan has been put into action.
The weekend came very quickly.
Momo, Harumi, and Kazuha stood in front of the movie theater that was bustling with people. Judging by the amount of people wearing pink, most of them were here to see the movie that Momo had told Akari about. A police car was even parked out to make sure no juvenile delinquent activities were taking place.
"What time will Akiyama-san come?" Harumi asked.
Kazuha was busy adjusting her bangs with her phone camera as her mirror. "Our movie is actually an hour from now. I just came early cuz I wanted to."
"She joined us cuz she has FOMO," Momo answered for her.
Kazuha glared at Momo who sent her a mocking smile.
"Oh, look. Irisawa-san has also come to the movies," Harumi observed, watching Akari approach them.
"Yeah! Actually, Akari had told me that she was going and had asked if she could tag along with us. You know, since she's never been here before and would like for us to be her guides and everything!" Momo said as Akari joined them.
Akari heard the last part and squinted her eyes and Momo. "Wait, what?"
"Meet my friends Kazuha and Harumi," Momo said, ignoring Akari's confusion.
Kazuha went first. "My name is Nakabayashi Kazuha. We haven't really talked before." Her straight, chestnut brown hair was right at her shoulders and she looked mature for her age.
Harumi bowed. "Nice to meet you. My name is Kawaguchi Harumi." Like her cousin Takeru, she had a beauty mark but hers was over her upper lip to the left while his was underneath his lower lip to the left.
"Welp. Our movie will soon start so let's go!" Momo cried, hooking arms with Harumi and Akari.
Outside was already busy but indoors was ten times worse. The lone ticket taker was busy trying to scan the tickets of everyone that entered, and it was a lot of people. As a result, a line ended up forming and it even expanded outside. Past the ticket taker, people lined up at the concessions, placing their orders and waiting to be called to pick up their orders. The workers of the concessions were running left to right in the high stress environment in order to get everyone's food out on time. Buttery popcorn, of course, was a staple but the concessions sold other foods like hot dogs. On the other sides of the concession stands were the entrances to the theaters and ushers stood in front of the entrance to the theater area, ready to check tickets to make sure people were going to the right theater. A cop patrolled the area but would stop to talk to one of the ushers every now and then.
Momo, Harumi, and Akari got their buckets of popcorn and soft drinks and made their way to the ushers.
"Okay, you will be in theater 7," the usher told Harumi.
"Thank you very much," Harumi answered respectfully with a bow.
The usher told Momo the same thing. When it was Akari's turn, however, the usher told her that she'd be in theater 3 on the other side.
Momo blinked. "Huh?"
"Looks like we'll see each other after the movie. Please, enjoy!" Harumi told Akari with a smile.
I didn't even want to see this damn movie in the first place, Akari thought as she politely nodded at Harumi.
"Wait. Hold on. Akari, how come you're at theater 3? We should all be in the same theater." After handing Harumi her popcorn and oreo milkshake, Momo took Akari's phone to check the ticket that she had bought.
"All I did was follow the instructions from the link you gave me," Akari said, already eating her popcorn.
Momo froze. "Shit!" I didn't tell her which time to buy the ticket for! There are like 5 showings around this time!
Akari took her phone back. "Well, then." She turned around and left.
No! The plan! Momo fell to her knees.
"Momo? Are you okay?" Harumi asked.
Takeru should be sitting down already! I'll let him know about the situation! With newfound motivation, Momo sprung up and quickly made her way to theater 7 on her side.
Theater 7 was already full. Family, friends, couples, co-workers, and more had come out to see what was being called the movie of the year, coating the theater in a sea of pink. The previews were ending and the movie was about to start with the lights slowly turning off.
"Good, we made it just in time!" Harumi mused happily as she and Momo filled into their seats.
Momo looked around the row they sat in and frowned. There was no sign of Takeru. Eyebrows twitching in annoyance, Momo shot Takeru a text.
Momo: where are you?
Keru the Frog: wym?
Momo: the movie dumbass!
Keru the Frog: the movie doesn't start till another hour
Momo: hold on hold on
Momo: send me a pic of ur ticket real quick
Takeru sent a picture of his ticket. His movie time really was an hour from Momo and Harumi's movie time.
"Ahhhhh!" Momo yelled. Multiple audience members turned around to shush her.
"Momo, are you okay?" Harumi whispered to Momo.
"Peachy," Momo answered dryly, cracking her thumb knuckles before she returned to texting Takeru.
Momo: bruh
Momo: takeru you idiot
Momo: you had one fucking job
Momo: how could you fuck this up!?
Momo: you better start looking for ways to get money!
Momo: bruhhhhhhhhhhh
Momo: wtf takeru wtf bruhhhhh
Keru the Frog: why you so mad at me?
Keru the Frog: what did i even do?
Momo: get ur ass over here to theater 7 on the left this instant
Momo: i don't care how you get in just get here immediatly
Momo: or become daiki's dog in order to pay off the debt you're about to be in
Momo: your choice
"What's Momo's problem anyway?" Takeru grumbled to himself 30 minutes later as the ticket taker scanned his ticket to grant him entry into the building. He really could have made it in 15 minutes but he took his time, believing that Momo was being dramatic.
He was casually making his way to the concessions stand when he noticed Daiki placing his order. He immediately hid behind a random stranger. "Daiki's here too!?"
He quickly left his hiding spot and ran over to theater 7 on the left side of the building. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it very far as he was stopped by an usher.
"Ticket," the usher demanded.
Takeru opened the ticket on his phone and the usher checked it. "Okay, you'll be in theater 5."
"Thanks." Takeru began to make his way to theater 5. Then, he remembered that Momo told him to come to theater 7. He glanced at the usher whose back was turned to him and swiftly slipped into the theater.
Momo, meanwhile, kept on refreshing Life360 to see where Takeru was with her leg bouncing. She jumped and screamed when Takeru finally found her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Again, the audience members turned around and shushed Momo.
"Where were you!?" Momo whisper-yelled at Takeru.
"Making my way over." Takeru had to crouch down because he was tall in order to not block the audience members behind them. "Where's Akari?"
"Theater 3 on the other side," Momo answered.
Takeru frowned. "Why is she in theater 3?"
Momo ignored his question. "I texted her to tell her to come here and take my seat so you can take Harumi's seat and sit next to her but she's not answering her texts."
"So what are we gonna do?" Takeru asked.
"Simple. We'll go to her," Momo answered. "Let's go."
Harumi looked away from the screen and saw Momo and Takeru sneaking out of the theater. She was about to follow them and figure out what was going on when an enticing scene that had the audience hooked came on the screen.
They should be fine, Harumi decided, gluing her eyes to the screen.
"How will we find Akari though?" Takeru asked Momo once they were out.
"I dunno but we'll do our best," Momo answered.
They walked past the usher and entered the concession area. A new wave of movie goers had arrived and the place was even more crowded than before. A couple of familiar faces were in the crowd but there were no signs of Daiki. When they made it to the other side, the usher asked to see their tickets.
"Ticket?" Momo and Takeru shared a look.
"Yes, ticket. I have to check your ticket and direct you to the right theater," the usher said.
"It's all good. We can read the signs," Takeru said.
"I still have to check your ticket," the usher insisted.
"Why should you waste your time?" Momo asked.
The usher, who wore a large smile, dropped it. "This job is a waste of time, but at least I'm getting paid. Please, let me check your ticket so I can have something to do on this long shift."
Momo and Takeru nodded at each other. Then, they ran past the usher on both sides.
"Hey! You two can't do that!" The usher called after them.
Momo and Takeru ran into theater 3 and scanned the area. It was just as crowded as theater 7 and the audience were active participants.
"Let's start searching," Momo said.
She and Takeru separated and ran up and down the steps of the theater. They peeked through every aisle and even had to enter a couple in order to make sure that they didn't see Akari. However, they weren't the only ones searching for someone. The usher they had run from entered the theater and caught Takeru's tall figure.
"Shit!" Takeru cursed, hopping into an aisle when he saw the usher making their way up the stairs to him.
He crawled on the floor, doing his best to ignore the stickiness below him. Audience members gasped and quickly kicked their feet up as Takeru crawled. But there came a curse to his tallness: he had long legs. The usher had seen him dive into the aisle and quickly made their way over. Then, they reached out and grabbed Takeru's ankle.
Takeru let out a squeak as the usher worked to drag him towards them. "Caught you, you son of a bitch!" The usher yelled.
On the other side, Momo had located Akari...whose seat was next to Daiki.
Damn. What were the odds? Momo wondered as she walked down the aisle. When she made it to Akari's seat, Daiki and Akari looked up at her.
"Momo?" Daiki asked.
"Wassup?" Momo said quickly before grabbing Akari by the wrist and pulling her out of her seat.
"What are you doing?" Akari asked.
"Fixing things," Momo answered, looking for Takeru and ignoring the annoyed grumbles from the audience members, annoyed that Momo and Akari were blocking their view.
Takeru stood up and climbed over an audience member. "Momo! Abort mission! Abort mission!"
"Come back here!" The usher yelled, also climbing over the same audience member.
Momo ducked and ran down the steps with a tight grip on Akari's wrist. Unfortunately for her, the usher saw Momo running.
The usher pointed at Momo. "You!"
"Nope!" Takeru jumped onto the back of the usher. The usher lost balance and fell on top of a group of people with Takeru in tow.
Momo and Akari were able to successfully make it out, only to run into a cop.
"Fuck! It's the police! Scatter!" Momo cried, letting go of Akari's wrist and running off.
All the cop had to do was grab Momo's arm.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Momo cried, trying to fight the grip.
The cop sighed and dragged Momo into the theater with him. "Let's go and get your little friend."
Akari blinked and watched the scene unfold. "...what?"
On Monday, Momo and Takeru arrived at school in a bad mood. Kazuha couldn't contain her laughter as the two of them entered the classroom, late as usual. Harumi had to give Kazuha a little nudge to get her to shut up.
"Kazuha, cut that out!" Kawaguchi-sensei scolded.
"But this is funny! Get this! Momo and Takeru were at the movies last weekend and were causing trouble, of course! They got sent to the juvenile detention center and do you know what their moms did when they were called to pick them up? They left them there for the rest of the weekend!" Kazuha explained before throwing her head back and laughing.
Kawaguchi-sensei snorted.
"Auntie!" Takeru whined.
Kawaguchi-sensei cleared her throat. "Um, you two have already gone through enough. I'll let you two into the classroom just this once."
Akari could only shake her head as Momo dragged her feet to her desk with a tired and done expression on her face.
Random Fact: This chapter is a filler and a build up to the next arc...hehehe
Wassup? It's ya gurl sugarsugarrush! I hope y'all like this chapter! Let me know y'alls thoughts and opinions ina PM or review!