Crescent Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Lover's Requiem ❯ Screams ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

I've always really wanted to write a Nozomu/Mahiru/Mitsuru love triangle. I've finally got an idea that's sticking, so I'll be seeing where this is going.

I don't give Nozomu enough credit. I mean, he didn't even have a part in the last story. He's one of the main characters in this one.

A requiem, in case you didn't know, is a hymn for the dead.

A Lover's Requiem

Chapter One: Screams

There was not a person in Japan who did not know who Nozomu Moegi was. He was the number one pop star for the past year with no sign of a downfall. Girls swooned at his voice, and boys secretly wished they could be more like him.

Nozomu, for one, wanted to be someone else.

He was tired, overworked, and ready to pass out on his bed. It was unfortunate that his entire tour staff was bothering him at the moment.

“Moegi-san,” a petite woman nearly cowered beneath her clipboard, “Asagi-sama is looking for you.”

He rolled his eyes. “And where is the mighty Asagi-sama?”

For some odd reason the woman's face lit with a blush. “He, um, wanted to see you, um…”

“Never mind,” he shook his head. “I'll find him.”

It wouldn't be too hard. He was always in the same place anyway.

Nozomu opened the door to Misoka's office and turned on the light. He leaned over the desk and glanced beneath, where the short, bespectacled man sat.

“I hate you,” Misoka Asagi murmured.

“Same here. What's up?”

“You get to go on another tour.”

“I heard.”

Misoka climbed out from beneath the desk, settling into his chair. “Why do I have to go?”

“Because otherwise I'd be forced to spend the entire time with Akira, and his perkiness is only endurable when you're in the same mood.”

The vertically-challenged man smiled, adjusting his glasses. “I guess I'll have to go.”

“So,” Nozomu grinned in triumph, glad he'd gotten his way. “Where's stop number one?”

><><><><><><><

Mahiru picked up the phone and answered with a quiet, “Hello?”

Someone screamed.

She jumped back, fumbling with the phone and caught it before it hit the floor. Holding it a good six inches from her ear, she stared at it, trying to catch what her friends were saying.

“OHMYGODDIDYOUHEARHE'SCOMINGHE'SGOINGTOBEINKYOTOINTWO WEEKS…”

A smile. “Junko?” she said into the phone, hearing her friend's voice calm, “Take a breath.”

Her ears filled with static as the girl on the other end did just that. A moment later, she continued, without the yelling.

“He's coming, Mahiru!!”

“Who?” She leaned against the counter.

“Uh, duh!! Nozomu Moegi!”

Another smile. “He's coming where?”

“Nozomu Moegi is coming to Kyoto! That's only a few miles away!”

“In two weeks?”

“Yes!”

“Um, why should I care?”

“It's Nozomu frigging Moegi! Do you know how frigging huge that is?!”

There was something about the pop star that meant you had to say his full name.

“Junko, I hate to remind you, but we're both college students. Do you know what that means?”

“… No…”

“We're broke.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Mahiru shifted the phone in her hand, glancing at the clock. “Listen, I've got somewhere to be. You can call me with updates later.”

She hung up and jumped up, grabbing her purse.

She had a date.

><><><><><

It wasn't actually a date, since he hated her, and he was working. But now she was working there too, and she got all the opportunities she could wish for to annoy him.

“Hey, Mitsuru!” she smiled as she popped up before him, causing him to jump back. He scowled and pushed her aside.

“Keiko's manning the kitchen,” he said off-handedly as he gathered together glasses.

“With little luck!” came the woman's call.

They shared a glance, and she shrugged, stepping into the kitchen.

It was a mess. Food was set about openly, as if looking for a chance to run away. Pots were overturned and pans were resting awkwardly in the sink. Keiko was scrubbing furiously at the counter where she'd spilt something, and one of the pots was boiling over.

“Remember when we had Akira,” she sighed unhappily.

Mahiru shook her head and got to work.

Akira Yamabuki had used to work at the Moonshine bar, but had left unexpectedly on some “amazing trip that he couldn't pass up.” Mahiru was beginning to think Keiko really did miss him more than she should, especially since she was the arm candy of Hokuto Koudokiu. But Mahiru had only been working the bar for a month, while Keiko and Mitsuru had known him for an entire year. Yet, Mitsuru didn't seem too broken up about it.

She sighed and began the meal.

><><><><><

It wasn't until two that Mahiru was finally free, but she hadn't left yet. They'd cleared the bar, and she had her head rested across a table, arms folded neatly for a cushion.

Mitsuru jabbed her.

“What?” she groaned.

“If you're gonna go to sleep, do it where it's not in my way.”

They matched glares before she recoiled and rested her head on the table again.

“No.”

She'd never really bothered to talk back to him before, mostly because she was too busy with other things, or she just didn't have time for his insults. And he seemed slightly taken aback that she actually decided to speak up to him. His resolve strengthened though, because he rapped the table with the broom he was holding.

“Go home,” he said, a harsh edge to his words, but it was more advice, like something I friend would say. “You're tired.”

Drowsiness hit her full on and she shook her head. “I don't think I can drive.”

He frowned. She was probably right. She was ready to fall asleep right there, and putting her behind the wheel was probably not a smart idea.

“You can stay here tonight,” he decided for her, tapping her with the broom.

She paused, looking up at him. “What?” Had she misheard in her sleepiness?

“There are rooms upstairs,” he explained, “Katsura won't mind if you take one of them.”

She stared at him suspiciously. “…Why…?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you being so nice to me…?”

He turned quickly, as if remembering himself, and scowled. “Whatever. I just don't want you behind the wheel.”

“What about you, Mitsuru? Where do you sleep?” She smiled at him, because she knew he was unintentionally being nice.

“I live here,” he muttered, getting back to work on the clean up.

“Oh goody!” she clapped her hands together, moving to help him. “It'll be like a sleepover.”

She laughed as his face blanched and felt the heavy drowsiness lighten a bit.

><><><><><

About eight o' clock the next morning, Mahiru opened the door to her own apartment, yawning. Breakfast with Mitsuru was the oddest thing, especially when the man scowled at his own cereal.

There were some things she would never understand about him.

The phone rang, but she was too lazy to get it. She let the answering machine get it as she peeled off yesterday's clothes and got ready for a shower.

And that's when she heard Junko's scream.

Authoress Notes:

Good beginning? Yes? No?

My return to the Crescent Moon universe is a swift one. AUs are fun. I really like them.

So there you are, chapter one. Let's see where I can go with this.

I'm also working on the next chapter of Remedy. Let's see if I can't update that.

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