Cherry Blossoms Cry in the Summertime (APH x CoB)

Chapter 1: Glory City

      Kiku ran down the streets, dodging between people as he went, his white scarf flying behind him. A few people yelled at him to watch where he was going and others scattered out of his way. He couldn't help but offer apologies to the poor souls as he sprinted across the nearest crosswalk, barely avoiding oncoming traffic. Heart hammering in his chest, he ducked into the nearest alleyway and pressed himself against the wall.

      Trying to calm his ragged breath, Kiku stayed where he was for what felt like hours but was only a few minutes before peeking his head around the corner. The coast looking clear, he began to slink out of the alleyway hoping to blend into the nearby crowd, only to be yanked back violently.

       "Kuro!" he hissed, snatching the scarf out of his brother's grip. "I told you not to grab onto my scarf! You could kill me by accident one of these times."

      Kuro, whom was Kiku's twin brother, chuckled as he spun a dagger in his hand. Even though they were twins, the two were as different as light is from the dark or the sun is from the moon, and Kuro's very next words seemed to prove that.

      "Well, what have I told you before? A blank hunter could care less about how they catch you or the state you are in. We have to keep this training real, Keeks. Unless of course, you are backing out of trying to become a blank hunter?"

      "No, not at all..." Kiku responded, taking a calming breath to regain his composer. "It is just that we have tried and failed the final test six times. I am not sure we are ever going to pass it at this rate."

      Kuro sheathed the dagger and stretched as he lazily strolled out onto the sidewalk, not waiting to see if Kiku followed or even kept up with him. "You know...you are such a stick in the mud sometimes. Always be safe this and be safe that and no fun this and no fun that and-"

      "Alright! Alright! I get it. Can you please stop?!" came a snappy response. "How is it possible that you are more annoying than Joao and the Smiling Dog combined!?"

      "I am just special~"

      "You are certainly special." Kiku sighed, fixing his scarf as he walked alongside his brother. "So special that mom named you Hanak-"

      He quickly went silent at the sound of the dagger being unsheathed and instead looked extremely interested in the flowers nearby. Kiku considered apologizing, knowing very well that his brother despised his original name, when a loud scream of fear ripped through the air.

      "H-hey! Where do you think you are going?!" he asked as Kuro dashed past him, heading right for the screams of terror.

      "What does it look like I am doing? Dancing? I'm going to help!"

       Kiku shook his head with a sigh before he took off running after his brother. Why was it that Kuro always seemed to get them into trouble? Perhaps it was payback for when they were children....

       Suddenly, Kuro halted, his mouth dropping open at what he was seeing. He was so surprised that he didn't even snap at his brother as he ran into him. Instead, he just stood there, dumbfounded.

      "What is wrong with you now?" Kiku asked, peeking over his shoulder, only to have the same reaction as his brother. "Is...is he...."

      "Touching blanks? Yes, yes he is."

      "That type of gear does not exist yet, does it?" he asked, trying to gauge Kuro's response all the while watching the man in front of them push away every blank that tried to attack the girl behind him.

      "No it doesn't..." came the quiet response that told Kiku this was a matter they would discuss later. "For now, we should help him find something to cover that woman's face before a blank takes it."

      However, just as Kuro spoke those words, the strange man offered his jacket to the woman to cover her face only for a blank to appear and steal her face. Everyone around them started to panic as the blank ran off through the crowd, confused with the new face it had. Kuro grabbed on to Kiku's arm and dragged him away from the scene.

     "Where are we going?!" Kiku demanded, glaring at his brother as they ran. "You know we are going in the opposite direction of the blank, right?"

      "Of course I know that." he hissed in response. "However, I know these streets like the back of my hand. Therefore, we are going to find that blank before those two do."

      Kiku looked back over his shoulder in time to see the strange man and another woman running after a dog who was most likely sniffing out the blank's scent.

      "What are we going to do with the blank if we find it first?" he asked.

       Kuro sighed deeply as he raced around a corner. "I am not sure quite yet, but I think we need to help it hide."

      Kiku nodded in agreement as he chased after his brother, his breath already becoming ragged as he ran. Hopefully the blank was okay. Hopefully nothing had happened yet. And hopefully they could get that blank to safety.

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Name log:

Japan: Kiku Honda

2P Japan: Kuro Honda

Portugal: Joao Henriques