Chapter 20- Reo’s absolute happiness.
“How many ice-cream you ate this month, Yukina?” I asked after we got out of the cosplayer cafe. Yukina just giggled and continued licking her ice-cream. Reo was having the most fun and kept on taking pictures with every cosplayer he saw. Even at the street of Akihabara, there are many cosplayers wandering around. Akihabara is well-known as the town of electricity, more like gadgets and stuffs.
You can buy electronic gadgets at cheap price. We are now heading towards an arcade. On the way, I saw a very fascinating place. Weapons store. Tokyo I love you. While Reo’s busy taking pictures along the way, I slipped out of the group and entered the weapons store. The shopkeeper still recognized me.
“Hey Seikina!” the shopkeeper, Kayaba, waved his hand when he saw me. I waved back.
“Kayaba-san !” I smiled.
He got out of his chair and went to me. “The Murasame sword had arrived two weeks ago. Would you like to buy it ?”
“Whoa, what about the hottest Masamune figures you ordered since years ago ?”
He grinned. “Arrived last week, ma’am.”
“Show me!”
I followed him to the store room at the back. He went through some boxes and finally took out a red box. It’s 30cm in length and about 10cm wide with the height of 5cm. He removed the lid and I gaped.
“Holy shit !” I cursed.
Masamune figure. Fighting with Yukimura. Just like in the Basara. They were on air, with Yukimura’s spear aiming at Masamune’s eyes while Masamune aimed his six swords at Yukimura’s body. Blue electric and red fire was behind them, representing their spirit of fighting.
“How’s that ?” Kayaba smirked.
“Beyond awesome .” I said in disbelief.
“Akane Seikina,” a voice called. Kayaba and I looked up and saw a redhead standing there. “Don’t disappear like that again .” he said and entered. When he saw the stuffs on my hand he chuckled.
“Take your time, miss .” he patted my arm and went out. Kayaba looked at me.
“Boyfriend ?” he asked.
“Nooooo !” I answered. “Just a friend from Kyoto .”
“Oh what about um, Akito ?”
“Will meet him later .”
“Okay, so are you gonna buy that ?” he pointed.
“Oh, yeah, of course ,” I handed him the stuff and got out with him. “With the Murasame sword please .”
“On your service ma’am .” he nodded.
“Stop calling me ma’am, sir .”
He let out a small laugh and packed the stuffs whatsoever. After paying and thanked him, I went out and followed the group. The weather’s cold and luckily this time I didn’t forget my gloves. I exhaled and rubbed my hands together. Winter has arrived but snow is yet to rain down.
“Ah !” Kotarou exclaimed and pointed to a woman sitting on a chair with a big pearl-like ball on the table across the road. “Fortune teller!”
“Let’s go there !” Eikichi said and we crossed the road together. The woman stared at us. Silence surrounded us before Reo decided to break it.
“Ba-chan, good afternoon !” Reo waved his hand in front of the woman.
The woman widened her eyes and snapped back to reality. “You!” she pointed to Chihiro. He flinched. Reo blinked.
“What ?” Chihiro asked.
“Your future’s bright! Like the morning sky in summer! Your girl is faithful! You’re gonna have great kids !” she smiled creepily.
Chihiro scowled at her. “Yeah, whatever .” he muttered.
“Ba-chan what about me ?” Reo asked.
“And me ?” Kotarou butt in.
“And me ?” Eikichi raised his hand. Yukina, Akashi and I almost laughed. The woman stared at them and grinned.
“Mibuchi Reo .” she spoke.
Reo looked really shocked. “Eh!?!? How do you know my name –“
“You’re gonna have your absolute happiness later today .” she continued. Reo blinked and glanced at Kotarou. Kotarou just shrugged.
“Hayama Kotarou .” she said.
“Yes!” Kotarou saluted.
“You have nothing .”
“What !?”
“Nebuya Eikichi ,” the woman turned to look at Eikichi and he pushed Kotarou aside. “A rival on his way. You’ll have to find a way to beat him.” She said.
Eikichi frowned, nodded and walked to Reo who’s waiting at the lamp post, 5 meters away from the woman. I smiled and was going to walk to them when the woman spoke,
“Akane Seikina .”
I stopped and looked at her and she stared at me. After a time, she narrowed her eyes and shook. “Biggest disaster ever .” she muttered. I bit my lower lip, took Yukina’s hand and walked away.
But I still heard what she told Akashi.
=w=
“The one who called himself absolute .” the woman turned to Akashi. Akashi turned to her.
“Brace yourself for humiliation. Brace yourself for grief and sorrow. Brace yourself for the fate of your loved one. Your cruel fate. She won’t last.” The woman shook her head in disbelief.
Akashi chuckled. “Don’t worry. I can see the entirety of future. It is but a simple matter to change it.”
“A very.... cruel fate .”
Akashi ignored her and went to the group. He noticed the change of expression on Seikina’s face and knew she must have heard what the woman said.
=w=
I tried to mute what the woman said that has been echoing in my mind since just now. Thankfully, Reo broke the silence.
“OH MY FREAKING SOUL!” his face went blank and he gaped at what he saw. I looked at the direction he was looking and I chuckled. Across the road, were a group of high-schoolers just like us, walking, laughing and chatting with each other.
Only that they’re not merely high-schoolers.
“HOLY SHIT IT’S PHANTOMS!!!!” Reo shouted and crossed the road without looking left and right. I winced as the cars honked and stopped right in front of Reo. But he ignored it and ran straight to his target.
We followed him. The 5 students looked at us, smiling. “Phantoms!” Reo yelled.
“Yeah, we’re Phantoms .” a red-haired guy who looked a bit like Akashi nodded to Reo.
“I told you we’re gonna attract people, Ryuzen .” the light blonde girl nudged Ryuzen’s arm. She must be Ryuuki.
“It’s good what!” Ryuzen scowled and the girl glared at her.
“I am your biggest fan!” Reo said.
The black-haired guy turned to us and smiled politely. That’s Kaname I guess. And next to him is a girl with silver hair, hmm that’s Yukira. Behind them is Tetsuya, his hair is orange-red something like that and next to Tetsuya is Minami, their manager.
“We’re going for photoshoot, wanna come ?” Yukira asked. Reo gasped and froze.
“Of course, that’d be awesome .” I smiled.
“Yeay! Let’s go!” Ryuzen waved his hand in the air and walked followed by us.
“Looks like Reo is happy. Just like what the fortune teller told him.” Akashi said and I giggled.
* * * *
That night, we went for steamboat. Eikichi ate the most and to my surprise, Chihiro too! They even fought for the last salmon but Kotarou ate it before they even got the chance to make an agreement. Reo was still in heaven after spending the evening with his favorite band.
Ryuzen and Ryuuki played with Yukina earlier and she was exhausted. We took a taxi home and Yukina fell asleep on the way. Arrived, Yukina went to sleep with my parents and I decided to join the boys next door. Yes, beside my house, my father had built a guest house, slightly smaller than our house.
Since mom had gone to sleep, I made some hot chocolates for the boys. The weather is colder at night and I had to use two blankets for sleep. There are 5 rooms altogether. So Akashi slept alone, Reo shared the bedroom with Kotarou cause he’s a scaredy cat, Eikichi slept alone, Chihiro slept alone and I slept alone.
The clock showed 1.09am but my eyes refused to shut. I got up and went to the window, enjoying the city’s view. I can hear snores from the other room. That must be either Reo or Kotarou. My room is in between Reo and Kotarou’s and Akashi’s. I highly doubt Akashi would snore, that’d be awful.
A knock came on the door and Reo’s voice could be heard. “Seiki-chan, you’re still awake?”
I let him in and we sat on the couch right next to the window. “You can’t sleep?” I asked.
He looked away and cleared his throat. “That day, during the school festival.... Akito had said something about you. Something that you did not tell us. What’s that ?”
This time, I looked away. “It’s nothing, really .”
“I know you’re lying .”
“Reo, it’s none of your business .” I said sternly. He frowned and got up.
“You have to tell us someday .” he said.
“I will. You’ll know eventually .” I nodded and he went out.
=^=
Far from Tokyo, sat Kuriyama Sumire on her favorite rocking chair. It was past midnight and she couldn’t shift her gaze away from her computer screen. What she was staring at is the result of a blood test.
“Mum, when are you gonna sleep ?” Chiharu who fell asleep on the chair woke up and rubbed her eyes.
“I can’t believe this....” Sumire said, it came out more like a whisper. “No....”
“What’s happening ?” Chiharu asked, went beside her mum and looked at the computer screen. She frowned. “Isn’t that Seikina?” she asked.
“It’s her blood test .” Sumire answered.
Chiharu’s eyes widened. “No! You gotta be kidding me!” she turned to Sumire. “Mum you said she’ll last at least until 29 December!” her voice became high.
Sumire shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t know....”
“This is the craziest shit I’ve ever seen .” Chiharu wiped her eyes and ran out of the office.
Sumire buried her face unto her hands. Her heart beats faster and faster. Stressed, frustrated at the fate of this young girl. Then she screamed. She screamed and screamed her heart out and then banged her hands on the table before heading towards the bathroom nearby.