Chapter 13
This is yatsuiko-chan's alter ego. So don't be surprised that I'm posting lol.
Title: The 7 Faces of My Boyfriend
Genre: Romance
Characters: Shida Mirai, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Irie Jingi, Kamiki Yuu (Oizumi Yo), Yonemoto Mai (Kawashima Umika), Sakamoto Shougo, Nomura Shohei, [to add more, maybe]
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kamiki and Shida were childhood best friends. One day though, Shida had to go to another town and leave… so Kamiki promised that when they meet again, they’ll marry each other. Eight years later, and she’s back. But Kamiki is not the same. He was diagnosed with MPD and now has 7 personalities. What will Shida do?
Shida Mirai let her eyes wander around the small room filled with different clothes. Kimonos, gowns, uniforms... they've got everything! She really has to thank Jingi this time. Well, even though the idea still seems silly to her, it's a good plan anyway. She continued looking around as she waited for her companions to arrive.
Soon enough, the door opened to reveal three guys: Jingi, Kanata and Shougo. Two were smiling at her while the other was looking around boredly.
"Good morning!" she greeted, looking at each one of them. It's a Sunday and the three had agreed to help her out with her plan. Though... actually it was Jingi who convinced Kanata, and Shougo was simply just all ready to help. "Did you bring it, Jingi-kun?"
With a huge proud smile, Jingi took out a folder from his black bagpack. "I've got the script ready!" He showed the cover to everyone, obviously excited. The words [The Lone Master] was written in big black font on it. "I played through all the stages and wrote everything out properly!" Dark circles around his eyes showed how hard he's been working. He probably hasn't slept properly.
Shida stood up and took the script from him, bowing gratefully on the process. "Thank you for all your hard work!" She beamed brightly. "Rest properly later, okay?"
His eyes softened and he nodded. "Don't worry. I'm not part of the story, since Iinchou-kun knows me already. I'll just watch you guys do it." He chuckled. "This is exciting!"
She laughed as well, wondering how this plan would progress. She looked through the script, reading the lines and imagining it in her head. "Anou... there are lots of characters here..." She wondered how they would be able to pull it off. Who would be willing to cosplay with her, anyway?
Shougo, who has just been watching quietly since they arrived, tugged at her sleeves and said "We've got to show you the characters, ne?" He pulled her to the side and made her sit on the chair. "Ladies, come in~"
The door opened to reveal three familiar faces. "Mirai-chan, good morning!" they greeted with smiles on their faces. It was Hiharu, Nozomi and Riko.
"Non-chan? Riko-chan?" It wouldn't be surprising to see Hiharu come with them, since she's weird and helps out a lot, but those other two? Non-chan is confined in the hospital, isn't she? And Riko-chan! Shida promised herself not to make it harder for Riko! She was supposed to not make Riko remember about the sad truth anymore!
The two simply grinned at her.
Jingi then started explaining for them. "I called Shougo-kun to ask for his opinion and he said he wants to help. Then I asked for Hongo-kun's too. The three of us decided to get girls from school who would be able to help and can be trusted. Hongo-kun called Hiharu, Shougo-kun called Non-chan and I called Riko-chan."
It still amused her to think that Hiharu and Kanata could actually be real friends, but she set that thought aside for now. More importantly... "How can Non-chan be here? She's confined... And Jingi-kun! Riko-chan... she's..."
Nozomi was the first one to answer. "I'm okay!" She raised both hands to chest level and added "I want to help Mirai-chan!"
"Lately, Non-chan can go outside as she pleases, since her condition is getting better. Don't worry about it! I'll take care of Non-chan, so she won't get tired~" Shougo added with a sheepish grin.
"Okay..." Though still worried, she had to trust her friends. She needed all the help she can get anyhow. "B-but Riko-chan..."
Riko looked at her, blinking in confusion. "Am I not allowed to help? Irie-san just approached me in the library and when I heard about your problem, I wanted to help." She smiled. "I want to see the person Mirai-chan is so deeply in love with."
Shida's eyes softened. Riko really is such a nice girl. Even though they haven't talked about what happened to Sai, it seems like Riko knew already. It's like she had accepted it and she wants to make sure no other personality hinders Shida from meeting the one she loves.
"I didn't know who to bring." Jingi confessed, rubbing at his neck in embarrassment. "I was sure Hiharu-chan would help so I wanted to ask her, but then she told me that Hongo-kun asked her already..."
Hiharu has been watching all of these happen with large observing eyes. Upon hearing her name, she said "Ouji seldom makes requests. For Galactic peace, I obliged."
Shida could see Kanata's lips twitching, as if about to smile but restraining himself. "That's good ne, Hongo-kun?"
He simply nodded dismissively at her before looking at the other guy. "Jingi, can't we start with your explanation? The sooner we end, the sooner we'll be able to read through your script."
"Un." Jingi nodded, getting another folder from his bag. Inside it were several copies of the script. "This isn't an exact script, since we'll be moving according to Iinchou's moves. Just take your character's traits to heart and you'll be okay." He took the papers and started passing it to the other people on the room. Shida opened hers and looked at the different character names. "There are four girl characters in the story: Neko-tan the hardworking maid, Usa-pyon the sickly cousin, Inu-chan the cook's apprentice and Chou-sama the mysterious fiancee. The game is based on the manga, so we knows that the most popular path is through the Maid's Path. Mirai-chan will be Neko-tan." He pointed at Shida, and then at a frilly maid outfit at the side. "You'll have to wear that. Then Non-chan is Usa-pyon, Riko-chan is Inu-chan, and Hiharu-chan is Chou-sama."
[A/Note: Neko-Cat, Usagi-Rabbit, Inu-Dog, Chou-Butterfly]
The three simply nodded, looking around for their costume.
"This store is my family's." Nozomi said, looking at Shida. "So you can borrow anything as long as you like."
Shida looked around. "Non-chan's family owns this...? Costume store?"
Shougo chuckled at the side. "It's because they liked dressing up Non-chan as a child, and since Okaa-san was good at it. They make all kinds of costumes!"
She smiled and giggled herself. "Seems interesting." She stood up and moved to take the maid's outfit. "Is this all?" She looked at Jingi who was busy looking through the rack of clothes.
"Ah, no. There's one important part of the costume that you shouldn't forget!" He grinned playfully before moving to the side where a large box of accessories and wigs were piled in. He took three headbands, showing to everyone in the room. One had cat ears, the other had rabbit ears and the last one had dog ears. He then took a small bagpack from the pile and passed it to Hongo. It had small butterfly wings on it. "These are the most important parts of your costume. It will surely convince Iinchou if you have it on."
Shida blinked. Does she really have to wear a maid's costume with cat ears headband? That's so... weird. She remembered the anime shows with cat-like persons who stealthily move around. She wondered how her character acted.
"How about this?" Jingi was now choosing different suits at the other side of the room. In a loud voice, he said "Hongo-kun and Shougo-kun are both butlers in the story. For Chou-sama and Usa-pyon respectively. They don't have names so just call them butler-san. They're mostly just there to give more clues for the love points. Neko-tan works alone so she gets to be with the master more, which means her love points always steadily increase when the player works good enough."
The next few minutes were spent with them looking through different clothes and trying each one out, asking Jingi every now and then if their costume looks like the ones the characters wore.
"That's it!!!" Jingi jumped up from his seat when he saw Shida come inside the room from the dressing room outside. "That's exactly my image of Neko-tan!"
Shida was wearing a white frilly dress that reaches up to below her knee, a black simple apron on top of it and a large white ribbon tied to her back. On her head was the cat ears she was supposed to wear. On top of that, her hair was let down with the ends of it being slightly curled and placed on her shoulders. She smiled and showed a huge smile before placing both hands together in front of her chest. "Did you like it, master?"
"Moeeeeeeeeeeee~" Shougo hopped to the room, clutching his chest dramatically. "Mirai-chan, that's perfect!"
She smiled at him and exclaimed "Really? Neko-tan is happy!"
Jingi chuckled. "That's too perfect! Mirai-chan, you're really meant to be for that role!" He then looked around and asked "Where are the others?"
Shougo pointed outside. "Hongo-kun and Hiharu-chan bought some snacks, and Non-chan and Riko-chan are changing."
Just in time, Riko came in. She was wearing the usual chef outfit, all-white and simple. Her hair was up in a bun, concealed by a hair net.
"Your expression!" Jingi excitedly walked to her side. "Riko-chan's expression matches Inu-chan's." he said. "You both look stubborn and embarrassed at the same time."
Shida had to agree, though she hasn't seen this Inu-chan character. All she knew was that Riko had that embarrassed blush on and yet her lips were pursed in a determined, stubborn expression. It did really look rather animated.
The door opened once again to reveal a blushing Nozomi wearing a long white dress with a red and black striped scarf around her neck. It was simple but her natural look of fragility made it seem to Shida that she was perfect for the sickly cousin role as well. The bunny ears was a little out-of-place but it made her too cute anyway. Moments later, she heard praises from Jingi for how Nozomi looked like her role very well. Shougo was too busy stuttering to actually say any proper praise.
It took about fifteen minutes before Hiharu and Kanata went back, bags of snacks held by Kanata. Hiharu was already wearing her costume: a private-school uniform that looked like she was from a really rich family. On her back was the bag that had the butterfly wings. Her hair was up in a half ponytail. She was wearing a necklace that shone beautifully.
"That necklace..." Shida started, staring. "It's beautiful."
"It is... But it's not from this shop, right?" Nozomi blinked in confusion, looking at both Kanata and Hiharu simultaneously.
Kanata simply nodded, not bothering to explain.
Hiharu smiled brightly though and said "It was a gift from the Pluto Royal Family. They want their son to be a good servant to the Princess. Right, Ouji?"
Glancing at her, he sighed. "Yes, yes. Of course, Ojou."
Jingi clapped to catch all of their attention. "Now that we're all set, change into your normal clothes and just bring your costumes with you. We'll meet when Iinchou finishes the game!"
...
Even with all that excitement and planning, the act was not executed early. Iinchou was busy playing the game Mana gave him and was having too much fun with it. Mana also went often enough that Iinchou never got bored.
Probably because of this, Yosuke wasn't appearing at all.
And because of this disapperance, Shida found herself face-to-face with a frowning Mai. They were inside the home economics room, with only the two of them talking.
"What did you do to Yo-kun?" she looked like she was trying to be strong, but was having a hard time stopping her tears. Frail and yet wanting to fight.
Shida bit her lip and looked her in the eyes. "He hasn't come back" was her answer. It was true anyhow. She didn't have any idea of when Yosuke would be back.
"Di-did you..." She looked down, all ready to cry. "Did you make him disappear too?" Her voice was just above a whisper.
"I didn't do anything... He'll be back." Despite her calm voice, Shida was in turmoil inside. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, was all she could think. Guilt still overpowered her. No matter how strong her will is, her huge love for her friends make her want to think twice. She was so glad Yosuke didn't appear, because Iinchou was simpler. Going through Iinchou would not hurt anyone.
Mai's hands clenched at her sides. "Don't... you don't have to comfort me..." A sob. Tears continually falling from her eyes. "I-it's my fault... Everything is... I know it's not... But..." Sobs made her speech incoherent.
Shida walked closer to her. "It's true. Iinchou is just having a good time with Mana-chan so Yosuke isn't appearing."
"But when he appears, what will you do?" Mai looked up with a fierce look in her eyes. A little touch of anger and a little touch of fear. "You'll do it, right? You would want him to disappear!"
"I..." Shida clenched her hands into fists as well, trying to control her emotions and steadying herself. "I will do what I can for the person I love. Mai-chan, I know it's hard for you." She felt the weight in her stomach become heavier. "I know you don't want him to disappear..." Reaching out to her left hand, she added "Yosuke-kun isn't real. Mai-chan..."
"He is!" Mai harshly pulled away her hand and stepped back. "You don't understand! You weren't here when he needed you and yet you're here ruining everything for us... You're just a selfish girl, don't you see that? Have you ever thought how it felt for the class when Aki disappeared right before the cultural festival? About how Sai's band felt? You haven't, have you?!"
A deep frown graced Shida's lips. "I have!" she exclaimed, almost angry that Mai would actually think so low of her. "Do you think it's easy for me? Do you think I'm doing this just because I want to?" She inhaled sharply, calming herself. "Riko-chan... Riko-chan loved Sai so much, and yet she forgave me. That was when I saw it. She loved Sai so much but she knew that it would be better for Sai if he disappeared. She loved him so much that even if it hurts, she'll let go."
Mai was sobbing so much, not even speaking anymore. She started walking to the side, where her bag was. "I... I'm sorry Mirai-chan. No matter what, I love Yosuke." She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and looked at Shida. Her eyes were swollen from all the crying. "Riko-chan isn't the same as us. You just don't understand..." And then she walked away and closed the door of the room behind her.
Shida was left staring at her back, thinking about Mai's last words.
...
It was 7:00 in the evening when she first heard the news. Iinchou wasn't at home. Mana was seen crying at the gate, saying 'onii-chan!' repeatedly.
Shida rushed to their house and found Jingi and Mana already inside the living room. Yuu-sensei was at the side, talking to the phone. "She doesn't want to go home. Don't worry." He said. It must be Saaya'okaa-sama on the other line, then.
"Mirai'onee-chan..." Mana tugged at Jingi's sleeves and pointed at her.
He immediately looked and stood up to rush over to her side. "Yosuke is at Mai-chan's. I'm... I don't know why."
She nodded gravely, scared and irritated at the same time. Walking to Mana's side, she tried to smile pleasantly, knowing that she was probably sad of the fact that Iinchou ran away. "Hello Mana-chan. How are you?"
"Mirai'onee-chan... Is Ryu'nii-chan coming back?" Her eyes were full of childish innocence but she looked genuinely worried too. "He was Iinchou, wasn't he?" she muttered, looking down. "But another person came and I didn't know him..."
Shida's eyes went wide. "You know about your onii-chan's condition?"
Mana nodded, slightly confused. "Mama told me not to come here and explained to me why. Does Mirai'nee-chan hate Ryu'nii-chan too? I don't. I've got lots of fun onii-chans in one person so I'm happy!" She smiled widely, showing how much he loved his brother. "You shouldn't hate him, okay? Nee-chan, promise me!"
Blinking quickly, she raised her right hand and promised. She smiled at the small child as well. The words Do Mirai'nee-chan hate Ryu'nii-chan too? made her think, but she put it to the back of her mind for now. There were things she needed to settle first.
Jingi walked to her side and said "Do you want to go to her house?"
"Should I?" Shida asked, still not sure herself. "They're in a relationship. Barging in wouldn't be polite."
"But his father and Mana-chan..." he motioned at the two.
Looking around, Shida decided to go for it. Mana and Yuu-sensei were experiencing trouble, and she knows she has to do something. "Okay. Are you coming?"
Jingi smiled and nodded. "Of course."
...
Mai was busy heating the chocolate while Yosuke was mixing the batter. For some reason, Yosuke appeared on her door just a few minutes ago, claiming that he had to 'calm down'. Of course she was overjoyed. She's been missing him so much. They were now at the kitchen of their small shop. Mai closed it for them to have it all to theirselves.
"Mana-chan was there, right?" she asked.
He nodded slowly. "We were playing a game... But Mai-chan, I don't know how to play that game. I looked at the bar and I was winning. It was... confusing."
She immediately turned down the fire and went to his side, taking his hand into hers. Squeezing it supportively, she smiled and said "You're amazing at everything you do, Yo-kun. You just don't remember sometimes."
Smiling as well, he faced her and took her other hand. "I don't know where I could be without you. You're the one who's amazing." He moved towards her, placing their foreheads together. "You're the best person I've ever met." His eyes showed utter love.
She closed her eyes, expecting her first kiss with Yosuke.
Moments later though, she felt him back away and release her hand from his hold.
"Yo...-kun?" She looked up to see a frown on his face. He immediately took his bag from the side. "Yo-kun, what's wrong?"
"Can't even recognize me?" It was a different tone, and the kansai accent wasn't there.
"Aki-kun?" Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief.
"Tsk... Those guys always disappear when they're in these situations..." he muttered with obvious irritation. "On behalf of Yosuke, I'm sorry. He must have been tired because of Iinchou's continued playing. He barely sleeps." He yawned and slowly opened the door.
...
"...Aki!" Shida's eyes were wide as the door of the store opened. "Wait... You're Aki... then why..."
His eyebrow raised delicately. "What a surprise, Shida Mirai."
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Same goes to you, don't you think?" he asked back. "Yosuke was here. We shouldn't bother Mai any longer." He closed the door behind him. "Let's go home. That's why you're here, right?"
Shida and Jingi simply nodded. They walked side by side, silent. Aki didn;t speak.
Jingi then stopped and looked at Shida. "Can I-" He looked hesitant.
"Please do so." Shida's eyes were soft and understanding. "She needs someone to talk to. Just... support her."
"Thank you!" he said before rushing back to the store.
Aki watched with amused eyes. "Pretty nice to your rival, I see. That's definitely Mirai-like."
"I'm glad you have such a nice opinion of me, though you don't show it much." She giggled.
He kept quiet at that, and simply walked beside her.
...
The next day, Shida came to the classroom expecting Aki. What she saw instead was a very happy Mai and a very embarrassed Yosuke.
"Did I faint?" He hid his face on both hands, blushing. "This is so embarrassing..."
She giggled at him and took his hands. "You were just tired, Yo-kun. You shouldn't go outside the house if you're too tired."
"But Mai-chan's house calms me down. You never go inside my house too..." Yosuke pouted cutely. "Ah... but I don't remember much inside the house. Is it because Mai-chan isn't there?" He grinned. "Mai-chan is the best medication for my sickness, ne?"
She smiled brightly and blushed.
Shida ignored the two and sat on her chair. It was giving her a headache, those two.
Jingi placed a piece of paper on her desk, smiling encouragingly. "I've got a plan."
"Mirai-chaaaan~" Shougo, who just arrived in class, bounced to her side and looked at the paper she was holding. "What are you doing?"
"Ah..." She hid it a bit under her desk and whispered "Another plan from Jingi-kun."
Smiling widely, Shougo went to Jingi's side and ruffled his hair. "You'll be a writer someday, ne?" he laughed. "Just call me up when you need anything, okay?"
Shida nodded happily. Those that support her would always make her mood brighten up. It makes her realize that she's not alone in this.
Upon reading the note he gave her, she simply placed it inside her bag and waited for their teacher to come. She'll just wait for them to make a move.
Soon enough, the teacher arrived. "Class, it's just a week to the cultural festival. Let's talk about the preparations, okay?"
Mai stood up and went to the table. As the acting-class representative, she was in charge of doing these things. "As we talked about before, Shougo-kun is in charge of canvassing and collecting funds. How is it going?"
Shougo stood up and opened his notebook. "My friend is willing to give it a low price, so our budget right now is okay. You should really give me the design of the clothes though... It's getting nearer."
"We've got it here." A girl raised her hand and showed the sketchpad. "I'll give it to you later, Shougo-kun."
He smiled widely and said thanks.
They talked about the menu for a while, with the girls discussing what food would be the best. Yosuke raised his hand and asked if he can help with the food preparation.
Jingi raised his hand. "Anou... the principal will come in our cafe so we need to make something special for him. I think a cake would be a good idea."
A collective groan was heard. "That's too troublesome!" a few exclaimed.
"As the president of the culinary club, isn't it your duty to make that, Yosuke?" Kanata suddenly spoke up.
A few girls, not expecting him to give an opinion, almost clapped in delight. Kanata rarely talks when it comes to class projects and events. "Kanata-kun is right!" they exclaimed collectively.
Not able to stop them, Mai nodded and agreed. "I guess we have no choice. I'll help Yosuke-"
"But you're supposed to be in charge of what we will sell, Mai-chan." Jingi raised his hand again.
A rare angry expression appeared on Mai's face for a split second before it turned into a toned-down glare at Jingi. "I can do both."
"We don't want Mai-chan to get tired!" Shougo exclaimed convincingly. "It's bad if we only rely on you..."
The class nodded, knowing quite well that everything was being orchastrated by Mai already.
"No! It's okay!" She shook her head repeatedly, trying to convince them. "I can handle it!"
Kanata sighed and stood up. "Mai, Aki actually called me and asked me to help out."
"Aaah~" The majority of the class looked at him with enlightened expressions.
"He said you'll try to exert too much effort, so he wants you to focus on the cafe's food. On the other hand, he wants someone else to bake a cake." He continued.
Yosuke raised his hand as well and said "Kanata-san is right. You shouldn't over exert yourself. Just leave it to me and... Kanata-san, who was it that Aki-san told you about?"
Looking rather coldly at Yosuke, Kanata replied "Shida Mirai knows how to make cakes well, or so he heard." He pointed at Shida before sitting down again.
Blinking in confusion, Shida stood up and said what was on the small paper Jingi had given her. "I've been baking since I was a child, so I could help you..."
"The designs for the cosplay cafe, Mirai-chan. It's what you're supposed to-"
"I already finished it, Mai-chan." She raised a paper with a drawing on it. "I can help out in making the cake."
Yosuke snapped his fingers and smiled. "It's decided then! Let's work hard together, Mirai-chan!"
Shida smiled and bowed a bit at him.
...
Even though Yosuke wanted to plan the cake early, and had asked Shida to walk with him home, Mai came up with an excuse to make him stay in class with her a little bit longer. As such, Shida was left with no choice but to walk home with Jingi and talk about the other plan for now.
"Since you'll be spending more time with him, just be yourself and it'll be okay!" Jingi smiled. "Other than that, we have to plan about Iinchou's..."
"Did he play it yet?" Shida asked.
Jingi nodded. "I think he had. It was in the 'played' basket already when I checked yesterday. Maybe he played it without us knowing. Probably at night, when Mana-chan goes back to her house."
"So when will we execute the plan?"
"As soon as he goes home today!" Jingi smiled widely. "It's a full moon. A perfect setting, Mirai-chan. Get your costume ready."
Emotional rollercoaster, Y/Y?
I feel so weird writing this. But I wanted them to cosplay properly in this chapter *___* DAMN YOU MAI-CHAN. WHY MUST YOU RUIN MY PLAN :O /bitter. I'll write the next chapter better because it will SURELY be Iinchou-centric!
This is for nishoken who will make a 7Faces manga! HOHOHO.
Title: The 7 Faces of My Boyfriend
Genre: Romance
Characters: Shida Mirai, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Irie Jingi, Kamiki Yuu (Oizumi Yo), Yonemoto Mai (Kawashima Umika), Sakamoto Shougo, Nomura Shohei, [to add more, maybe]
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kamiki and Shida were childhood best friends. One day though, Shida had to go to another town and leave… so Kamiki promised that when they meet again, they’ll marry each other. Eight years later, and she’s back. But Kamiki is not the same. He was diagnosed with MPD and now has 7 personalities. What will Shida do?
Shida Mirai let her eyes wander around the small room filled with different clothes. Kimonos, gowns, uniforms... they've got everything! She really has to thank Jingi this time. Well, even though the idea still seems silly to her, it's a good plan anyway. She continued looking around as she waited for her companions to arrive.
Soon enough, the door opened to reveal three guys: Jingi, Kanata and Shougo. Two were smiling at her while the other was looking around boredly.
"Good morning!" she greeted, looking at each one of them. It's a Sunday and the three had agreed to help her out with her plan. Though... actually it was Jingi who convinced Kanata, and Shougo was simply just all ready to help. "Did you bring it, Jingi-kun?"
With a huge proud smile, Jingi took out a folder from his black bagpack. "I've got the script ready!" He showed the cover to everyone, obviously excited. The words [The Lone Master] was written in big black font on it. "I played through all the stages and wrote everything out properly!" Dark circles around his eyes showed how hard he's been working. He probably hasn't slept properly.
Shida stood up and took the script from him, bowing gratefully on the process. "Thank you for all your hard work!" She beamed brightly. "Rest properly later, okay?"
His eyes softened and he nodded. "Don't worry. I'm not part of the story, since Iinchou-kun knows me already. I'll just watch you guys do it." He chuckled. "This is exciting!"
She laughed as well, wondering how this plan would progress. She looked through the script, reading the lines and imagining it in her head. "Anou... there are lots of characters here..." She wondered how they would be able to pull it off. Who would be willing to cosplay with her, anyway?
Shougo, who has just been watching quietly since they arrived, tugged at her sleeves and said "We've got to show you the characters, ne?" He pulled her to the side and made her sit on the chair. "Ladies, come in~"
The door opened to reveal three familiar faces. "Mirai-chan, good morning!" they greeted with smiles on their faces. It was Hiharu, Nozomi and Riko.
"Non-chan? Riko-chan?" It wouldn't be surprising to see Hiharu come with them, since she's weird and helps out a lot, but those other two? Non-chan is confined in the hospital, isn't she? And Riko-chan! Shida promised herself not to make it harder for Riko! She was supposed to not make Riko remember about the sad truth anymore!
The two simply grinned at her.
Jingi then started explaining for them. "I called Shougo-kun to ask for his opinion and he said he wants to help. Then I asked for Hongo-kun's too. The three of us decided to get girls from school who would be able to help and can be trusted. Hongo-kun called Hiharu, Shougo-kun called Non-chan and I called Riko-chan."
It still amused her to think that Hiharu and Kanata could actually be real friends, but she set that thought aside for now. More importantly... "How can Non-chan be here? She's confined... And Jingi-kun! Riko-chan... she's..."
Nozomi was the first one to answer. "I'm okay!" She raised both hands to chest level and added "I want to help Mirai-chan!"
"Lately, Non-chan can go outside as she pleases, since her condition is getting better. Don't worry about it! I'll take care of Non-chan, so she won't get tired~" Shougo added with a sheepish grin.
"Okay..." Though still worried, she had to trust her friends. She needed all the help she can get anyhow. "B-but Riko-chan..."
Riko looked at her, blinking in confusion. "Am I not allowed to help? Irie-san just approached me in the library and when I heard about your problem, I wanted to help." She smiled. "I want to see the person Mirai-chan is so deeply in love with."
Shida's eyes softened. Riko really is such a nice girl. Even though they haven't talked about what happened to Sai, it seems like Riko knew already. It's like she had accepted it and she wants to make sure no other personality hinders Shida from meeting the one she loves.
"I didn't know who to bring." Jingi confessed, rubbing at his neck in embarrassment. "I was sure Hiharu-chan would help so I wanted to ask her, but then she told me that Hongo-kun asked her already..."
Hiharu has been watching all of these happen with large observing eyes. Upon hearing her name, she said "Ouji seldom makes requests. For Galactic peace, I obliged."
Shida could see Kanata's lips twitching, as if about to smile but restraining himself. "That's good ne, Hongo-kun?"
He simply nodded dismissively at her before looking at the other guy. "Jingi, can't we start with your explanation? The sooner we end, the sooner we'll be able to read through your script."
"Un." Jingi nodded, getting another folder from his bag. Inside it were several copies of the script. "This isn't an exact script, since we'll be moving according to Iinchou's moves. Just take your character's traits to heart and you'll be okay." He took the papers and started passing it to the other people on the room. Shida opened hers and looked at the different character names. "There are four girl characters in the story: Neko-tan the hardworking maid, Usa-pyon the sickly cousin, Inu-chan the cook's apprentice and Chou-sama the mysterious fiancee. The game is based on the manga, so we knows that the most popular path is through the Maid's Path. Mirai-chan will be Neko-tan." He pointed at Shida, and then at a frilly maid outfit at the side. "You'll have to wear that. Then Non-chan is Usa-pyon, Riko-chan is Inu-chan, and Hiharu-chan is Chou-sama."
[A/Note: Neko-Cat, Usagi-Rabbit, Inu-Dog, Chou-Butterfly]
The three simply nodded, looking around for their costume.
"This store is my family's." Nozomi said, looking at Shida. "So you can borrow anything as long as you like."
Shida looked around. "Non-chan's family owns this...? Costume store?"
Shougo chuckled at the side. "It's because they liked dressing up Non-chan as a child, and since Okaa-san was good at it. They make all kinds of costumes!"
She smiled and giggled herself. "Seems interesting." She stood up and moved to take the maid's outfit. "Is this all?" She looked at Jingi who was busy looking through the rack of clothes.
"Ah, no. There's one important part of the costume that you shouldn't forget!" He grinned playfully before moving to the side where a large box of accessories and wigs were piled in. He took three headbands, showing to everyone in the room. One had cat ears, the other had rabbit ears and the last one had dog ears. He then took a small bagpack from the pile and passed it to Hongo. It had small butterfly wings on it. "These are the most important parts of your costume. It will surely convince Iinchou if you have it on."
Shida blinked. Does she really have to wear a maid's costume with cat ears headband? That's so... weird. She remembered the anime shows with cat-like persons who stealthily move around. She wondered how her character acted.
"How about this?" Jingi was now choosing different suits at the other side of the room. In a loud voice, he said "Hongo-kun and Shougo-kun are both butlers in the story. For Chou-sama and Usa-pyon respectively. They don't have names so just call them butler-san. They're mostly just there to give more clues for the love points. Neko-tan works alone so she gets to be with the master more, which means her love points always steadily increase when the player works good enough."
The next few minutes were spent with them looking through different clothes and trying each one out, asking Jingi every now and then if their costume looks like the ones the characters wore.
"That's it!!!" Jingi jumped up from his seat when he saw Shida come inside the room from the dressing room outside. "That's exactly my image of Neko-tan!"
Shida was wearing a white frilly dress that reaches up to below her knee, a black simple apron on top of it and a large white ribbon tied to her back. On her head was the cat ears she was supposed to wear. On top of that, her hair was let down with the ends of it being slightly curled and placed on her shoulders. She smiled and showed a huge smile before placing both hands together in front of her chest. "Did you like it, master?"
"Moeeeeeeeeeeee~" Shougo hopped to the room, clutching his chest dramatically. "Mirai-chan, that's perfect!"
She smiled at him and exclaimed "Really? Neko-tan is happy!"
Jingi chuckled. "That's too perfect! Mirai-chan, you're really meant to be for that role!" He then looked around and asked "Where are the others?"
Shougo pointed outside. "Hongo-kun and Hiharu-chan bought some snacks, and Non-chan and Riko-chan are changing."
Just in time, Riko came in. She was wearing the usual chef outfit, all-white and simple. Her hair was up in a bun, concealed by a hair net.
"Your expression!" Jingi excitedly walked to her side. "Riko-chan's expression matches Inu-chan's." he said. "You both look stubborn and embarrassed at the same time."
Shida had to agree, though she hasn't seen this Inu-chan character. All she knew was that Riko had that embarrassed blush on and yet her lips were pursed in a determined, stubborn expression. It did really look rather animated.
The door opened once again to reveal a blushing Nozomi wearing a long white dress with a red and black striped scarf around her neck. It was simple but her natural look of fragility made it seem to Shida that she was perfect for the sickly cousin role as well. The bunny ears was a little out-of-place but it made her too cute anyway. Moments later, she heard praises from Jingi for how Nozomi looked like her role very well. Shougo was too busy stuttering to actually say any proper praise.
It took about fifteen minutes before Hiharu and Kanata went back, bags of snacks held by Kanata. Hiharu was already wearing her costume: a private-school uniform that looked like she was from a really rich family. On her back was the bag that had the butterfly wings. Her hair was up in a half ponytail. She was wearing a necklace that shone beautifully.
"That necklace..." Shida started, staring. "It's beautiful."
"It is... But it's not from this shop, right?" Nozomi blinked in confusion, looking at both Kanata and Hiharu simultaneously.
Kanata simply nodded, not bothering to explain.
Hiharu smiled brightly though and said "It was a gift from the Pluto Royal Family. They want their son to be a good servant to the Princess. Right, Ouji?"
Glancing at her, he sighed. "Yes, yes. Of course, Ojou."
Jingi clapped to catch all of their attention. "Now that we're all set, change into your normal clothes and just bring your costumes with you. We'll meet when Iinchou finishes the game!"
...
Even with all that excitement and planning, the act was not executed early. Iinchou was busy playing the game Mana gave him and was having too much fun with it. Mana also went often enough that Iinchou never got bored.
Probably because of this, Yosuke wasn't appearing at all.
And because of this disapperance, Shida found herself face-to-face with a frowning Mai. They were inside the home economics room, with only the two of them talking.
"What did you do to Yo-kun?" she looked like she was trying to be strong, but was having a hard time stopping her tears. Frail and yet wanting to fight.
Shida bit her lip and looked her in the eyes. "He hasn't come back" was her answer. It was true anyhow. She didn't have any idea of when Yosuke would be back.
"Di-did you..." She looked down, all ready to cry. "Did you make him disappear too?" Her voice was just above a whisper.
"I didn't do anything... He'll be back." Despite her calm voice, Shida was in turmoil inside. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, was all she could think. Guilt still overpowered her. No matter how strong her will is, her huge love for her friends make her want to think twice. She was so glad Yosuke didn't appear, because Iinchou was simpler. Going through Iinchou would not hurt anyone.
Mai's hands clenched at her sides. "Don't... you don't have to comfort me..." A sob. Tears continually falling from her eyes. "I-it's my fault... Everything is... I know it's not... But..." Sobs made her speech incoherent.
Shida walked closer to her. "It's true. Iinchou is just having a good time with Mana-chan so Yosuke isn't appearing."
"But when he appears, what will you do?" Mai looked up with a fierce look in her eyes. A little touch of anger and a little touch of fear. "You'll do it, right? You would want him to disappear!"
"I..." Shida clenched her hands into fists as well, trying to control her emotions and steadying herself. "I will do what I can for the person I love. Mai-chan, I know it's hard for you." She felt the weight in her stomach become heavier. "I know you don't want him to disappear..." Reaching out to her left hand, she added "Yosuke-kun isn't real. Mai-chan..."
"He is!" Mai harshly pulled away her hand and stepped back. "You don't understand! You weren't here when he needed you and yet you're here ruining everything for us... You're just a selfish girl, don't you see that? Have you ever thought how it felt for the class when Aki disappeared right before the cultural festival? About how Sai's band felt? You haven't, have you?!"
A deep frown graced Shida's lips. "I have!" she exclaimed, almost angry that Mai would actually think so low of her. "Do you think it's easy for me? Do you think I'm doing this just because I want to?" She inhaled sharply, calming herself. "Riko-chan... Riko-chan loved Sai so much, and yet she forgave me. That was when I saw it. She loved Sai so much but she knew that it would be better for Sai if he disappeared. She loved him so much that even if it hurts, she'll let go."
Mai was sobbing so much, not even speaking anymore. She started walking to the side, where her bag was. "I... I'm sorry Mirai-chan. No matter what, I love Yosuke." She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and looked at Shida. Her eyes were swollen from all the crying. "Riko-chan isn't the same as us. You just don't understand..." And then she walked away and closed the door of the room behind her.
Shida was left staring at her back, thinking about Mai's last words.
...
It was 7:00 in the evening when she first heard the news. Iinchou wasn't at home. Mana was seen crying at the gate, saying 'onii-chan!' repeatedly.
Shida rushed to their house and found Jingi and Mana already inside the living room. Yuu-sensei was at the side, talking to the phone. "She doesn't want to go home. Don't worry." He said. It must be Saaya'okaa-sama on the other line, then.
"Mirai'onee-chan..." Mana tugged at Jingi's sleeves and pointed at her.
He immediately looked and stood up to rush over to her side. "Yosuke is at Mai-chan's. I'm... I don't know why."
She nodded gravely, scared and irritated at the same time. Walking to Mana's side, she tried to smile pleasantly, knowing that she was probably sad of the fact that Iinchou ran away. "Hello Mana-chan. How are you?"
"Mirai'onee-chan... Is Ryu'nii-chan coming back?" Her eyes were full of childish innocence but she looked genuinely worried too. "He was Iinchou, wasn't he?" she muttered, looking down. "But another person came and I didn't know him..."
Shida's eyes went wide. "You know about your onii-chan's condition?"
Mana nodded, slightly confused. "Mama told me not to come here and explained to me why. Does Mirai'nee-chan hate Ryu'nii-chan too? I don't. I've got lots of fun onii-chans in one person so I'm happy!" She smiled widely, showing how much he loved his brother. "You shouldn't hate him, okay? Nee-chan, promise me!"
Blinking quickly, she raised her right hand and promised. She smiled at the small child as well. The words Do Mirai'nee-chan hate Ryu'nii-chan too? made her think, but she put it to the back of her mind for now. There were things she needed to settle first.
Jingi walked to her side and said "Do you want to go to her house?"
"Should I?" Shida asked, still not sure herself. "They're in a relationship. Barging in wouldn't be polite."
"But his father and Mana-chan..." he motioned at the two.
Looking around, Shida decided to go for it. Mana and Yuu-sensei were experiencing trouble, and she knows she has to do something. "Okay. Are you coming?"
Jingi smiled and nodded. "Of course."
...
Mai was busy heating the chocolate while Yosuke was mixing the batter. For some reason, Yosuke appeared on her door just a few minutes ago, claiming that he had to 'calm down'. Of course she was overjoyed. She's been missing him so much. They were now at the kitchen of their small shop. Mai closed it for them to have it all to theirselves.
"Mana-chan was there, right?" she asked.
He nodded slowly. "We were playing a game... But Mai-chan, I don't know how to play that game. I looked at the bar and I was winning. It was... confusing."
She immediately turned down the fire and went to his side, taking his hand into hers. Squeezing it supportively, she smiled and said "You're amazing at everything you do, Yo-kun. You just don't remember sometimes."
Smiling as well, he faced her and took her other hand. "I don't know where I could be without you. You're the one who's amazing." He moved towards her, placing their foreheads together. "You're the best person I've ever met." His eyes showed utter love.
She closed her eyes, expecting her first kiss with Yosuke.
Moments later though, she felt him back away and release her hand from his hold.
"Yo...-kun?" She looked up to see a frown on his face. He immediately took his bag from the side. "Yo-kun, what's wrong?"
"Can't even recognize me?" It was a different tone, and the kansai accent wasn't there.
"Aki-kun?" Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief.
"Tsk... Those guys always disappear when they're in these situations..." he muttered with obvious irritation. "On behalf of Yosuke, I'm sorry. He must have been tired because of Iinchou's continued playing. He barely sleeps." He yawned and slowly opened the door.
...
"...Aki!" Shida's eyes were wide as the door of the store opened. "Wait... You're Aki... then why..."
His eyebrow raised delicately. "What a surprise, Shida Mirai."
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Same goes to you, don't you think?" he asked back. "Yosuke was here. We shouldn't bother Mai any longer." He closed the door behind him. "Let's go home. That's why you're here, right?"
Shida and Jingi simply nodded. They walked side by side, silent. Aki didn;t speak.
Jingi then stopped and looked at Shida. "Can I-" He looked hesitant.
"Please do so." Shida's eyes were soft and understanding. "She needs someone to talk to. Just... support her."
"Thank you!" he said before rushing back to the store.
Aki watched with amused eyes. "Pretty nice to your rival, I see. That's definitely Mirai-like."
"I'm glad you have such a nice opinion of me, though you don't show it much." She giggled.
He kept quiet at that, and simply walked beside her.
...
The next day, Shida came to the classroom expecting Aki. What she saw instead was a very happy Mai and a very embarrassed Yosuke.
"Did I faint?" He hid his face on both hands, blushing. "This is so embarrassing..."
She giggled at him and took his hands. "You were just tired, Yo-kun. You shouldn't go outside the house if you're too tired."
"But Mai-chan's house calms me down. You never go inside my house too..." Yosuke pouted cutely. "Ah... but I don't remember much inside the house. Is it because Mai-chan isn't there?" He grinned. "Mai-chan is the best medication for my sickness, ne?"
She smiled brightly and blushed.
Shida ignored the two and sat on her chair. It was giving her a headache, those two.
Jingi placed a piece of paper on her desk, smiling encouragingly. "I've got a plan."
"Mirai-chaaaan~" Shougo, who just arrived in class, bounced to her side and looked at the paper she was holding. "What are you doing?"
"Ah..." She hid it a bit under her desk and whispered "Another plan from Jingi-kun."
Smiling widely, Shougo went to Jingi's side and ruffled his hair. "You'll be a writer someday, ne?" he laughed. "Just call me up when you need anything, okay?"
Shida nodded happily. Those that support her would always make her mood brighten up. It makes her realize that she's not alone in this.
Upon reading the note he gave her, she simply placed it inside her bag and waited for their teacher to come. She'll just wait for them to make a move.
Soon enough, the teacher arrived. "Class, it's just a week to the cultural festival. Let's talk about the preparations, okay?"
Mai stood up and went to the table. As the acting-class representative, she was in charge of doing these things. "As we talked about before, Shougo-kun is in charge of canvassing and collecting funds. How is it going?"
Shougo stood up and opened his notebook. "My friend is willing to give it a low price, so our budget right now is okay. You should really give me the design of the clothes though... It's getting nearer."
"We've got it here." A girl raised her hand and showed the sketchpad. "I'll give it to you later, Shougo-kun."
He smiled widely and said thanks.
They talked about the menu for a while, with the girls discussing what food would be the best. Yosuke raised his hand and asked if he can help with the food preparation.
Jingi raised his hand. "Anou... the principal will come in our cafe so we need to make something special for him. I think a cake would be a good idea."
A collective groan was heard. "That's too troublesome!" a few exclaimed.
"As the president of the culinary club, isn't it your duty to make that, Yosuke?" Kanata suddenly spoke up.
A few girls, not expecting him to give an opinion, almost clapped in delight. Kanata rarely talks when it comes to class projects and events. "Kanata-kun is right!" they exclaimed collectively.
Not able to stop them, Mai nodded and agreed. "I guess we have no choice. I'll help Yosuke-"
"But you're supposed to be in charge of what we will sell, Mai-chan." Jingi raised his hand again.
A rare angry expression appeared on Mai's face for a split second before it turned into a toned-down glare at Jingi. "I can do both."
"We don't want Mai-chan to get tired!" Shougo exclaimed convincingly. "It's bad if we only rely on you..."
The class nodded, knowing quite well that everything was being orchastrated by Mai already.
"No! It's okay!" She shook her head repeatedly, trying to convince them. "I can handle it!"
Kanata sighed and stood up. "Mai, Aki actually called me and asked me to help out."
"Aaah~" The majority of the class looked at him with enlightened expressions.
"He said you'll try to exert too much effort, so he wants you to focus on the cafe's food. On the other hand, he wants someone else to bake a cake." He continued.
Yosuke raised his hand as well and said "Kanata-san is right. You shouldn't over exert yourself. Just leave it to me and... Kanata-san, who was it that Aki-san told you about?"
Looking rather coldly at Yosuke, Kanata replied "Shida Mirai knows how to make cakes well, or so he heard." He pointed at Shida before sitting down again.
Blinking in confusion, Shida stood up and said what was on the small paper Jingi had given her. "I've been baking since I was a child, so I could help you..."
"The designs for the cosplay cafe, Mirai-chan. It's what you're supposed to-"
"I already finished it, Mai-chan." She raised a paper with a drawing on it. "I can help out in making the cake."
Yosuke snapped his fingers and smiled. "It's decided then! Let's work hard together, Mirai-chan!"
Shida smiled and bowed a bit at him.
...
Even though Yosuke wanted to plan the cake early, and had asked Shida to walk with him home, Mai came up with an excuse to make him stay in class with her a little bit longer. As such, Shida was left with no choice but to walk home with Jingi and talk about the other plan for now.
"Since you'll be spending more time with him, just be yourself and it'll be okay!" Jingi smiled. "Other than that, we have to plan about Iinchou's..."
"Did he play it yet?" Shida asked.
Jingi nodded. "I think he had. It was in the 'played' basket already when I checked yesterday. Maybe he played it without us knowing. Probably at night, when Mana-chan goes back to her house."
"So when will we execute the plan?"
"As soon as he goes home today!" Jingi smiled widely. "It's a full moon. A perfect setting, Mirai-chan. Get your costume ready."
Emotional rollercoaster, Y/Y?
I feel so weird writing this. But I wanted them to cosplay properly in this chapter *___* DAMN YOU MAI-CHAN. WHY MUST YOU RUIN MY PLAN :O /bitter. I'll write the next chapter better because it will SURELY be Iinchou-centric!
This is for nishoken who will make a 7Faces manga! HOHOHO.