A story about four girls, an unfortunate incident
and some concert tickets and the strains placed upon them.
...Random usage of some Japanese...
Setting in Tokyo, Japan.
Chapter Six
If anything, Ryoko was in a far worse mood the following day. It was a Saturday so no-one had to see except her brother. She flounced huffing and puffing from room to room in a restless sulk. The patience of her brother, Yuki, would not last forever so on one of her flounces into the lounge he called out
‘Stop that now Ryoko. What is wrong with you today?’
‘What!’ she rounded on him offended
‘Just please…’ Yuki tried to reason with his sister. ‘What is up with you?’
Ryoko then had a very sudden mood change. Surprisingly sudden.
‘Oh onii-chan’ she wailed. Eve Yuki was taken by surprise at her pitiful voice
‘Hmm?’ he replied.
Ryoko sat herself on the couch, legs tucked under her body and she looked intently at Yuki with eyes as big as she could muster.
‘Onii-chan’ she continued.
‘Yes…what is it?’
‘I am really upset’
‘You don’t say’ he sighed. Her sudden pitiful mood was annoying and he swiftly turned his attention back to the tv. Ryoko, enraged by the lack of attention, snatched the tv remote from his hands and smartly turned it off.
‘Oi!’ he protested but Ryoko ignored him.
‘Something terrible happened yesterday’ she moaned.
‘Oh really?’ Yuki was by now only half-interested in her troubles.
‘Yes. First I got knocked over before school. It was horrible’
‘By who?’ Yuki decided at this point to give his attention. In his mind his first thought was of a car.
‘Misaki’ Ryoko almost managed some very impressive tears.
‘Yochino?’ he queried
‘Hai. Then she wouldn’t apologise. I lost some books. She wouldn’t even help! And I grazed my knee and tore my uniform’
Yuki rolled his eyes. ‘That does not sound like Yochino Misaki’
Ryoko looked indignant for a moment. ‘Well it is!’ she retorted. ‘Then later, Ami had a right go at me saying it was my fault and also…’ she sniffed.
‘Hitomi has bought some tickets for a concert. The thing is, she and Ami have been rowing a lot recently and she hasn’t bought Ami one but she bought me one. Now Ami and Misaki want my ticket for Ami’ she sobbed.
Yuki sighed deeply it seemed so unbelievable. ‘I know Ami is stubborn. Rika-chan mentions it a lot but…’
‘Please help me. Get them for me onii-chan’ Ryoko leant over grabbing her brothers arm. He immediately pulled away.
‘I can’t do that!’ he yelled incredulously at her. ‘I’ll try and talk to Rika ok and see what I can..’
‘Iie!’ she interrupted ‘Ami won’t talk to Rika. Please just do this for me’
‘Iie’ he said to her simply
‘Onii-chan…onegai’
‘Urusai Ryoko’
‘Demo onii-chan’
‘Ryoko…’
‘Onegai shimasu???’
Yuki stood up fed up of his sister’s whining. As he reached the door he sighed heavily. ‘I’ll talk to Rika’ he said before leaving Ryoko to stare at an empty space. Ryoko was stunned silent for a moment, after two seconds thought she lifted up a cushion and threw it smartly at the door in anger. She shot a few thunderous looks after he brother before resigning herself to the tv in an even bigger sulk.
Ami was not having a good day. She had slept little the night before and was with Hitomi at the harbour recounting her phone call.
‘I guess it’ll blow over’ Hitomi was saying. ‘Misaki said not to worry’
Ami snorted in disgust at this comment.
‘Misaki would say that. The glass is not half-full it IS full’
Hitomi smiled at Ami’s cynical joke. ‘Yeah’ she replied ‘when Ryoko proves it is in fact empty’
Ami smiled now. ‘I like being with you Hitomi. You’re like me’
Hitomi gazed over Tokyo Bay ‘Yeah’ she said with a deep sigh taking a long drag from a lit cigarette which hung from her fingers.
‘I don’t know how you get away with that I really don’t’ Ami pointed at the cigarette. Hitomi merely shrugged in response as Ami’s phone rang again.
Calmly the blonde gazed at the phone number.
‘Sakamoto’ she murmured.
‘Ignore it’ Hitomi replied. Ami answered and quickly pressed the cancel button cutting off the call.
‘Great, she’ll be really annoyed now’ she deadpanned.
‘Ah leave it’ Hitomi told
‘Hmm’ Ami agreed hoping that Misaki would somehow be right.
Misaki meanwhile was at her nearby arcade. She had called upon a friend from her drawing club, Tange Rei, and the two stood with guns poised in front of an arcade Biohazard game.
‘Oh Misaki-chan, you’re going to die’ Rei sang
‘Not if I get you first’ Misaki grinned
‘Oh I want to have a go at the UFO next. Theres a plushie I want, it’s soooo kawaii’ Rei smiled brightly
‘Which one’ Misaki enquired. Her question was cut short by Rei’s excited cry of
‘Here we go’
Neither noticed Ryoko enter. Not unusual, Ryoko was a regular to the arcade, and today she immediately noticed Misaki. She glared angrily then continued her way into the arcade. Rei had seen the glares though, and she watched the redhead disappear.
‘What’s her problem?’ she wondered
‘Who’s?’ Misaki directed her attention away for a moment. She heard a loud explosion from the screen. ‘Ohhh nooo’ she moaned as the screen read:
G-A-M-E O-V-E-R
‘Who?’ she asked again. Rei replaced her gun.
‘Some red headed girl. She gave you the nastiest look’
Misaki blinked, then without warning she walked off further into the arcade.
‘Heeey UFO’ Rei protested.
Misaki ignored her and it didn’t take her long to find who she sought. Ryoko stood playing ‘Time Crisis’, her stance overly aggressive as she fired manically at the game. With every shot her face contorted into a scowl and for one moment Misaki felt truly afraid of approaching her. After another thought and once Ryoko had replaced the plastic gun Misaki made her move. Rei had caught up with her but felt she should remain at a safe distance.
‘Um, konnichiwa Ryoko-chan’ Misaki ventured with a warm smile. ‘How are you enjoying your day’
The redhead very almost rounded on her but instead calmed herself.
‘Oh I’m fine Yochino’ Ryoko regarded the girl coldly.
‘I am so sorry for yesterday. I didn’t mean to and I hope we can put all this behind us. I think Hitomi-chan was a little upset and it would be so much better if we were all fr…’ Misaki tried to explain but then Ryoko turned to her interrupting her speech.
‘Well’ she placed her hands on her hips drawing herself up to full height. Misaki suddenly felt quite small and backed away a little.
‘You should think a bit more next time’ Ryoko reprimanded, then willed herself to fill up with tears. ‘How do you think I feel. It really hurt me. Do you understand Yochino. I can’t forgive you for doing that to me. Ever.’
The tears began to drip slowly down Ryoko’s skin. Rei watched aghast, she glanced at Misaki wondering what had happened.
Misaki’s eyes grew wide with embarrassment as she tried to escape Ryoko’s spectacle.
‘I didn’t think it was that major. I really am sorry Ry…’ she mumbled turning crimson.
‘Yeah well sorry hasn’t worked!’ Ryoko sobbed. Striding forwards she hit Misaki smartly across the cheek before running from the arcade, tears running in floods down her face.
Misaki was in shock. She stared agape at the spot where Ryoko had stood and gingerly touched her smarting cheek. She shifted to look at Rei, her eyes trembling.
‘What on earth was that?’ Rei asked amazed and in shock herself.
‘I honestly don’t know’ Misaki admitted very quietly ‘I really don’t know.’