[Word count - 1,421]
A few days later...
Location - The Train
Your POV
It's my first day off from school in a while, and not only that, I get a day off from work as well. To celebrate, I decided to give myself a little adventure because why not? My homework is done for the next class, and I deserve to treat myself every now and then.
At first, I didn't know what to do or where to go. But thankfully, a certain parent gave me an idea on what to do.
My mom told me about a cafe that is opened in Inoshima, and I have been curious about it myself. And so, I decided to get to the train station as soon as possible. After waiting for a while, the train pulled up at the station, and I got onboard, while looking for a place to sit, I spotted two familiar people close by.
It was Layer and Chu2. I walked over to them to say hi.
"Hey girls, fancy seeing the two of you here."
"Oh, (Y/N)-san, good to see you." Layer said with a smile.
"Yeah, hi." That was all Chu2 said.
"Is it okay if I sit with you?" I asked.
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Chu2 said and rolled her eyes. Wow, what a rude little dwarf we have on our hands.
"Sorry about her. Feel free to sit next to me." Layer said and moved her stuff over.
"Thanks. Don't mind if I do."
I sat down next to Layer, and we looked at each other with grins on our faces. Meanwhile, I can tell Chu2 is not feeling the vibe at all as she speaks up.
"So, what brings you on the train this morning?" She asked.
"Oh, well, I thought I'd go on a little adventure since I don't have school or work today." I answered.
"Oh, and where are you going exactly?" Layer asked.
"I figured I would go to the one that opened up in Inoshima." I said, then pulled a picture of it on my phone to show the two girls.
"Inoshima, huh? That's going to be quite the trip." Chu2 said.
"Yeah, that's why I decided to leave the house as soon as possible." I said. "Gotta make the most of the day, you know."
"I guess that's clever." Chu2 added.
"I think Rokka and Masuki are also going to Inoshima." Layer said. "If you see them, make sure to say hi to them for us."
"Okay, but... who are Rokka and Masuki?" I asked.
"Oh, right. I forgot you only know us by our stage names." Layer said as she starts to blush with embarrassment.
"You see, Rokka and Masuki are Lock's and MASKING's real names." She explained.
"Is that so? Then what about you two?" I asked.
"Well, my real name is Wakana Rei, and Chu2's name is Tamade Chiyu."
Chu2 rolled her eyes and looked away in embarrassment. She probably didn't need Layer, or Rei, to say her real name for her. But at the same time, I had a feeling that she wasn't going to do it herself, so who knows, maybe it was for the best.
"But anyway, what about you two? Where are you off to?" I said.
"We're on our way to a live performance that's nearby." Layer said.
"Interesting. Who's performing?" I asked.
"We're checking out this band who has made a name for themselves for the last few weeks." Chu2 answered. "I heard they're good, but they're probably not as good as Raise A Suilen."
I had to chuckle at that. Looks like Chiyu's arrogant side is showing...
_____________________________________________
30 minutes later...
Location - Inoshima, Cafe
Now I am here in Inoshima. I told my mom that I managed to get off at the right stop, and she was proud of me. Only now, I need to actually find the cafe.
I pulled out my phone, and I looked it up on the map. It appears that it is a 30 minutes walk away from the train station. I start to walk there, knowing that even though it's going to take a while, it'll be worth.
Once I found the cafe, I spotted two more familiar people at one of the tables outside.
It's Rokka and Masuki. Rei told me that they'll be here today, but I didn't think I would see them this soon. Masuki spotted me, and I can see her grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, look who it is?" She called out.
Now Rokka saw me, and she was happy herself.
"You're right! (Y/N)-senpai, over here!"
Now Rokka is motioning me to join her and Masuki. Since she is, I walked over towards them, and sat down on the empty chair between them.
"Hey, you two." I said. "Are you here to check out the new cafe?"
"You bet we are!" Masuki said.
"It's been online lately, so MASKING-san and I decided to come here together on our next day off." Rokka said.
"Sounds like we were thinking the same thing, huh?" I said.
"Ah, so you also wanted to come check out the new cafe, right?" Masuki asked.
"Yeah, my mom suggested it." I answered.
"Marina-san, huh?" Rokka said
"In that case, why not order something with us? The more the merrier, right?" Masuki said.
"Yeah, good idea."
Rokka, Masuki and I took our time to look through the menu, and once we made a decision on what we should eat, the two made me order for them, and sneaky grins from both of the girls spoke for themselves.
Either I am too nice, or I can never win with any of these girls.
_____________________________________________
Sunset...
Location - Station Entrance
I had an interesting day in Inoshima. Aside from going to the cafe, I went to walk around the city a little bit. Rokka and Masuki was kind enough to join me, and we grabbed a few souvenirs to bring back for everyone. I hope my mom will like what I got for her.
As soon as I make it back into town, the sun was already setting. Once I got off the train, I began to make my way home. While walking, I heard a sad voice from up ahead.
"Oh, no... What am I going to do now?"
Up ahead was a very sad Pareo. She had her phone out, and I can tell that she's bothered about something. I don't know what, but I guess I can ask her about it.
"Pareo! Are you okay?" I asked while calling out to her at the same time.
"Oh, hi (Y/N)-san..." She sighed. "Don't mind me, I'm just a little upset."
"Oh yeah? About what?"
"Pastel*Palettes is having a live performance next month, and I don't think I have the money to afford a ticket for myself." She said.
"I take it you're a fan of them?" I asked.
"Of course! They mean the world to me, and I would give up everything just to watch them perform on stage." She sighed once again.
I guess I can understand how she feels. If my favorite band was performing, I would buy a ticket in a heartbeat. But the fact that Pareo can't just breaks my heart a little. I wonder if there's something I can do for her.
"Pareo, would it be okay if I bought the tickets for you?" I asked.
Her eyes lit up with shock.
"You'd... do that for me?"
"Yeah, why not."
She gave me her phone, and with all of the paychecks I got from all of my hard work, I was able to afford one ticket. Once it was purchased, I smiled at Pareo.
"There you go, Pareo. One ticket to the Pastel*Palettes concert that starts next month."
Pareo was over the moon when I got that ticket for her. The cute blush on her face speaks for itself.
"Thank you so much, (Y/N)-san." She said. "You're a real lifesaver."
"It's nothing." I said. "I'm just glad I can help."
Pareo and I waved goodbye to each other and headed home our respective homes before it starts to become even more dark.
To be continued
A/N: The next chapter is where Morfonica will appear, so look forward to that.
Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope you guys liked it and I'll see you in the next one. :)
Next book to update: The Princess of Darkness