NBNM 16.5
Jiao reached out for Maka to come to him. She reluctantly let go of Kei’s shoulders and hopped into Jiao’s cradling arms. Lucky little monkey. She smiled my way.
“That gives me an idea. Why don’t we hang out here and you get the food?” He nudged his older brother with some money. “That way the monkey stays here, Riiko eats and you’re not lonely.”
Kei frowned again. “How come I don’t get to stay? She likes me more.”
“I don’t trust you with Riiko.”
“Oh, that hurt.”
Jiao finished the argument curtly with: “Be on your way,” before slamming the door in Kei’s face. We didn’t hear anything else from the older Amamiya.
He sighed as Maka got herself settled in. Jiao went on over and dropped himself on my couch. Good to know everyone is getting themselves comfortable. Why was it that the person who lived here was feeling the least comfortable? Oh, right. Because my boyfriend’s here and there’s a rather angry monkey in the same room. This explains everything.
Jiao reached forward towards the coffee table for something.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I forgot you didn’t have a TV in here.” I was sort of thankful for that. Didn’t want to turn into a couch potato. I wasn’t very healthy as I am now without it. “Want me to get you one?”
I plopped down beside him, startling Maka. “Y’know, Jiao. Most boyfriends would get their girlfriends a teddy bear. Maybe some flowers or chocolate. That’s not unusual. But a TV. A TV is rather unusual.”
Another reason I didn’t want a TV was because that’s all Jiao would pay attention to whenever he came by. Eventually, I believe he would buy ‘me’ some sort of game system so he could play. He’s obsessed, but I don’t have the heart to tell it to him straight. How could I with that face?
He looked a tad dumbfounded. “Really…? It seemed fairly normal to me. A lot of the guys buy things like TVs for their girlfriends. The more serious ones buy them cars or pieces of jewelry even more expensive than that.”
Of course, I forgot I was talking to a rich guy. “Oh. Well, uh…I’m not that high-strung. I’d be happy with…teddy bears, flowers, chocolate….chocolate cake.” Oh no, we’re not going off on a tangent, sweet tooth.
“Now, that sounds weird.” He made the oddest yet cutest face while staring into space trying to comprehend a girl wanting the items I just listed. “That’s like…like giving away a bag of flour.”
“No, it’s a little more than that.”
“Chocolate from France and Germany?”
“Supermarket boxed chocolates are fine.”
“But that’s…that’s weird.”
“You’re weird.”
He stared me down. “Riiko, wherever you come from, it must be easy-living.”
Jiao was close enough that we could…
“Speaking of which, where do you come from anyways? The subject always seems to change whenever I try to ask you.”
When speech becomes superfluous, a kiss comes in handy. Now if only…
“Oww!” Darn it! Maka! She climbed over Jiao’s shoulder and pushed my face away. Her little hand was powerful enough to slide me off the couch. So close, too! Maki, please find her a home soon!
------
Kei returned with excellent timing for once. I didn’t have to spend so much time in my quiet corner after that embarrassing little moment. Though he did inquire about it for a long time. Eventually, Jiao brought up whatever it was that he always threatens his brother with. I wonder if he’ll tell me if I ask him about it up front…
Dinner wasn’t much of a treat. Sure, it was pretty good for cafeteria food. At least compared to what I usually got at the cafeteria at home. Though I suppose that was to be expected. It’s a prestigious academy, after all. However, the way the twins were fawning over Maka was a tad unnerving. That monkey was such a brat around me, yet she was the sweetest little ‘girl’ around the guys. They always defended her whenever she growled at me. I wasn’t that bad a person was I? And what part of growling makes someone sweet? I don’t understand.
I don’t really remember what else happened last night, but I know it was getting late and Kei refused to leave. For some reason he was extremely energetic for such a late hour. Jiao and I were nodding off every few minutes before Kei would explode or Maka would screech. I think it might’ve had something to do with him still being on jet lag from China. Maybe he picked up something on the way back and was drunk? With him, it could be anything.
But it was morning now and the guys were…still here. I somehow managed to get myself in bed. At least, I think it was my own effort. Jiao was crashed on the couch and Kei was sprawled out on the floor. Maka was curled up at his side. I contemplated if she was the same monkey. No way that thing could be this cute little fur ball.
Wait, no time for compliments. We had class today. The twins were in my room, I had to find a babysitter for the monkey, and either Ako and/or Maki would walk in the door to wake me up. But I woke up early, right?
…not right. It was actually later than I usually woke up. Maki would be here any minute if Ako didn’t beat him to it.
I stepped over Kei to reach the door. He turned over at just that moment, nearly causing me to face-plant on the mirror. Part of me decided that he was already awake. As supporting evidence, he smiled in his sleep after turning.
I stuck my head out the door. No Maki yet.
“Good morning, Maki-senpai!”
Nevermind. I locked the door, hoping Maki would actually struggle with it this morning. I shouldn’t put much faith in hoping that it would.
“Guys, wake up!” I dragged Kei by his feet to wake him with some unpleasant rug-burn. He moaned and slapped at the air. He then curled his arm around Maka like she was a stuffed animal.
Jiao’s waking would be gentler. “Jiao? Wake up, please.” I shook his shoulder. “C’mon. Rise and shine. We have class. We’re gonna be late.”
“I don’t want to,” he murmured while reaching around him for a nonexistent blanket to cover himself with.
H-how cute.
I lifted him up to sitting position. “Sorry, Jiao. No can do.”
He rubbed his eyes like a little kid. “Riiko? What are you doing in our room?”
“It’s my room, actually.”
“Huh? But I…Kei’s in here too?” He didn’t sound too pleased about his brother.
I had no time to try to cheer him up about it. Maki was already keying the door. I started babbling my panic and started shoving him out on the balcony still half-asleep. Kei was still snuggling with Maka-stuffie on the floor.
“Princess-“
“Wait a sec, I’m not decent!”
Luckily, that excuse caused the door to stop opening. I dragged Kei out on the balcony with his brother and Maka hugged to him. Maki took the sound of me closing the door as an okay to come in. Good to know I’m safe if I don’t make closing object sounds. Not.
Maki stepped in hesitantly at first. Though the first thing he looked at was me. If I really had been changing I wonder how he would have responded…
“Good morning, Princess. Might I ask why you haven’t gotten dressed yet? You’ll be late if you don’t leave within seven minutes.”
Yeah, thanks for being so precise.
“I uh…was taking care of Maka. She got really attached to me last night, y’know.” Most false statement ever. “But I’ll be there on time. Don’t worry. Why don’t you go on ahead and take care of your business wherever it is other than here?” Voice shooting up…
Maki took a look around. “And where would she be?”
“She’s under the table or something over there. She got startled by you coming in and all.” Oh, shoot. I think I already heard her screeching outside. “Um, so no need to worry, right?” I thought about telling him that I would be to class on time, but lying to Maki straight out like that just seemed so…wait, then what was I doing now?! “You go on ahead, okay?”
“Sure, alright,” he answered slowly scanning the room once more. Soon enough, he backed out and the door was shut behind him.
I sighed, slapping my hand to my forehead.
“Oh.” The door popped open again. “I forgot to mention that we’ve found a place for Maka already. She’ll be going to an entertainer in town. So, please bring her by the office when you can. And be quiet about it if at all possible.”
“Can do.”
He left a second time and he didn’t come back in a third time. It was quiet out on the balcony. It concerned me somehow. One of the twins knocked on the glass door.
When I let them in, they were looking a bit sheepish and troubled. I had a hunch as to what happened, but I hoped with all I could that it wasn’t that. Though it being quiet didn’t help.
“Good morning, Riiko,” Jiao laughed.
“Mornin’, Angel!” Kei added.
“Who’re you calling Angel?! Shouldn’t you be bothering Ako with that stuff-“ wait, wait. Don’t get off on that. He’s trying to be smart about distracting you. “Guys, where’s Maka?”
“Who?” The twins did the…twin thing, answering at the same time.
“The monkey.”
“Oh. About that..,” Jiao trickled off nervously. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt with an anxious urgency.
“She fell,” Kei said.
“She what?”
“Fell.”
“Kei!” Jiao punched his brother in the head. “He’s kidding. Uh…sort of.”
“Sort of?”
This wasn’t getting to be a very fun game we were playing. Time was trickling away as class time rolled around and I needed to get that monkey to Maki sometime today. Don’t tell me-
“She ran away.”
------
A/N: Holy shaite. How long has it been? Maybe four months. orz Who knew I could leave this thing alone for so long? I noticed I did a really bad job of timing when I read through it, so I took a break so I could figure out some storyline to even it up. This is what they use fillers for. My writing turned crap in the meantime. Not to say that it wasn’t before. Uh…so I remembered I had that picture of Maki and Maka and actually inserted her in the story for now. The Maka arc will probably only go into the next chapter. From there I’m not sure if I’ll continue with another filler story or skip into fall. The beginning-of-fall chapter outline is already written out. Etc.
“That gives me an idea. Why don’t we hang out here and you get the food?” He nudged his older brother with some money. “That way the monkey stays here, Riiko eats and you’re not lonely.”
Kei frowned again. “How come I don’t get to stay? She likes me more.”
“I don’t trust you with Riiko.”
“Oh, that hurt.”
Jiao finished the argument curtly with: “Be on your way,” before slamming the door in Kei’s face. We didn’t hear anything else from the older Amamiya.
He sighed as Maka got herself settled in. Jiao went on over and dropped himself on my couch. Good to know everyone is getting themselves comfortable. Why was it that the person who lived here was feeling the least comfortable? Oh, right. Because my boyfriend’s here and there’s a rather angry monkey in the same room. This explains everything.
Jiao reached forward towards the coffee table for something.
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I forgot you didn’t have a TV in here.” I was sort of thankful for that. Didn’t want to turn into a couch potato. I wasn’t very healthy as I am now without it. “Want me to get you one?”
I plopped down beside him, startling Maka. “Y’know, Jiao. Most boyfriends would get their girlfriends a teddy bear. Maybe some flowers or chocolate. That’s not unusual. But a TV. A TV is rather unusual.”
Another reason I didn’t want a TV was because that’s all Jiao would pay attention to whenever he came by. Eventually, I believe he would buy ‘me’ some sort of game system so he could play. He’s obsessed, but I don’t have the heart to tell it to him straight. How could I with that face?
He looked a tad dumbfounded. “Really…? It seemed fairly normal to me. A lot of the guys buy things like TVs for their girlfriends. The more serious ones buy them cars or pieces of jewelry even more expensive than that.”
Of course, I forgot I was talking to a rich guy. “Oh. Well, uh…I’m not that high-strung. I’d be happy with…teddy bears, flowers, chocolate….chocolate cake.” Oh no, we’re not going off on a tangent, sweet tooth.
“Now, that sounds weird.” He made the oddest yet cutest face while staring into space trying to comprehend a girl wanting the items I just listed. “That’s like…like giving away a bag of flour.”
“No, it’s a little more than that.”
“Chocolate from France and Germany?”
“Supermarket boxed chocolates are fine.”
“But that’s…that’s weird.”
“You’re weird.”
He stared me down. “Riiko, wherever you come from, it must be easy-living.”
Jiao was close enough that we could…
“Speaking of which, where do you come from anyways? The subject always seems to change whenever I try to ask you.”
When speech becomes superfluous, a kiss comes in handy. Now if only…
“Oww!” Darn it! Maka! She climbed over Jiao’s shoulder and pushed my face away. Her little hand was powerful enough to slide me off the couch. So close, too! Maki, please find her a home soon!
------
Kei returned with excellent timing for once. I didn’t have to spend so much time in my quiet corner after that embarrassing little moment. Though he did inquire about it for a long time. Eventually, Jiao brought up whatever it was that he always threatens his brother with. I wonder if he’ll tell me if I ask him about it up front…
Dinner wasn’t much of a treat. Sure, it was pretty good for cafeteria food. At least compared to what I usually got at the cafeteria at home. Though I suppose that was to be expected. It’s a prestigious academy, after all. However, the way the twins were fawning over Maka was a tad unnerving. That monkey was such a brat around me, yet she was the sweetest little ‘girl’ around the guys. They always defended her whenever she growled at me. I wasn’t that bad a person was I? And what part of growling makes someone sweet? I don’t understand.
I don’t really remember what else happened last night, but I know it was getting late and Kei refused to leave. For some reason he was extremely energetic for such a late hour. Jiao and I were nodding off every few minutes before Kei would explode or Maka would screech. I think it might’ve had something to do with him still being on jet lag from China. Maybe he picked up something on the way back and was drunk? With him, it could be anything.
But it was morning now and the guys were…still here. I somehow managed to get myself in bed. At least, I think it was my own effort. Jiao was crashed on the couch and Kei was sprawled out on the floor. Maka was curled up at his side. I contemplated if she was the same monkey. No way that thing could be this cute little fur ball.
Wait, no time for compliments. We had class today. The twins were in my room, I had to find a babysitter for the monkey, and either Ako and/or Maki would walk in the door to wake me up. But I woke up early, right?
…not right. It was actually later than I usually woke up. Maki would be here any minute if Ako didn’t beat him to it.
I stepped over Kei to reach the door. He turned over at just that moment, nearly causing me to face-plant on the mirror. Part of me decided that he was already awake. As supporting evidence, he smiled in his sleep after turning.
I stuck my head out the door. No Maki yet.
“Good morning, Maki-senpai!”
Nevermind. I locked the door, hoping Maki would actually struggle with it this morning. I shouldn’t put much faith in hoping that it would.
“Guys, wake up!” I dragged Kei by his feet to wake him with some unpleasant rug-burn. He moaned and slapped at the air. He then curled his arm around Maka like she was a stuffed animal.
Jiao’s waking would be gentler. “Jiao? Wake up, please.” I shook his shoulder. “C’mon. Rise and shine. We have class. We’re gonna be late.”
“I don’t want to,” he murmured while reaching around him for a nonexistent blanket to cover himself with.
H-how cute.
I lifted him up to sitting position. “Sorry, Jiao. No can do.”
He rubbed his eyes like a little kid. “Riiko? What are you doing in our room?”
“It’s my room, actually.”
“Huh? But I…Kei’s in here too?” He didn’t sound too pleased about his brother.
I had no time to try to cheer him up about it. Maki was already keying the door. I started babbling my panic and started shoving him out on the balcony still half-asleep. Kei was still snuggling with Maka-stuffie on the floor.
“Princess-“
“Wait a sec, I’m not decent!”
Luckily, that excuse caused the door to stop opening. I dragged Kei out on the balcony with his brother and Maka hugged to him. Maki took the sound of me closing the door as an okay to come in. Good to know I’m safe if I don’t make closing object sounds. Not.
Maki stepped in hesitantly at first. Though the first thing he looked at was me. If I really had been changing I wonder how he would have responded…
“Good morning, Princess. Might I ask why you haven’t gotten dressed yet? You’ll be late if you don’t leave within seven minutes.”
Yeah, thanks for being so precise.
“I uh…was taking care of Maka. She got really attached to me last night, y’know.” Most false statement ever. “But I’ll be there on time. Don’t worry. Why don’t you go on ahead and take care of your business wherever it is other than here?” Voice shooting up…
Maki took a look around. “And where would she be?”
“She’s under the table or something over there. She got startled by you coming in and all.” Oh, shoot. I think I already heard her screeching outside. “Um, so no need to worry, right?” I thought about telling him that I would be to class on time, but lying to Maki straight out like that just seemed so…wait, then what was I doing now?! “You go on ahead, okay?”
“Sure, alright,” he answered slowly scanning the room once more. Soon enough, he backed out and the door was shut behind him.
I sighed, slapping my hand to my forehead.
“Oh.” The door popped open again. “I forgot to mention that we’ve found a place for Maka already. She’ll be going to an entertainer in town. So, please bring her by the office when you can. And be quiet about it if at all possible.”
“Can do.”
He left a second time and he didn’t come back in a third time. It was quiet out on the balcony. It concerned me somehow. One of the twins knocked on the glass door.
When I let them in, they were looking a bit sheepish and troubled. I had a hunch as to what happened, but I hoped with all I could that it wasn’t that. Though it being quiet didn’t help.
“Good morning, Riiko,” Jiao laughed.
“Mornin’, Angel!” Kei added.
“Who’re you calling Angel?! Shouldn’t you be bothering Ako with that stuff-“ wait, wait. Don’t get off on that. He’s trying to be smart about distracting you. “Guys, where’s Maka?”
“Who?” The twins did the…twin thing, answering at the same time.
“The monkey.”
“Oh. About that..,” Jiao trickled off nervously. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt with an anxious urgency.
“She fell,” Kei said.
“She what?”
“Fell.”
“Kei!” Jiao punched his brother in the head. “He’s kidding. Uh…sort of.”
“Sort of?”
This wasn’t getting to be a very fun game we were playing. Time was trickling away as class time rolled around and I needed to get that monkey to Maki sometime today. Don’t tell me-
“She ran away.”
------
A/N: Holy shaite. How long has it been? Maybe four months. orz Who knew I could leave this thing alone for so long? I noticed I did a really bad job of timing when I read through it, so I took a break so I could figure out some storyline to even it up. This is what they use fillers for. My writing turned crap in the meantime. Not to say that it wasn’t before. Uh…so I remembered I had that picture of Maki and Maka and actually inserted her in the story for now. The Maka arc will probably only go into the next chapter. From there I’m not sure if I’ll continue with another filler story or skip into fall. The beginning-of-fall chapter outline is already written out. Etc.