Crescent Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Lover's Requiem ❯ Bad Days ( Chapter 2 )

I didn't think the last chapter was that big of a cliffhanger. Dang. I do that. A lot. Prepare to hate me.

 

A Lover's Requiem

Chapter Two: Bad Days

 

Junko's hand clasped around Mahiru's as she dragged the tired girl along.

 

“What am I doing here?” Mahiru asked. She rubbed her eyes wearily, breaking her grip from Junko's.

 

“You're my good luck charm,” Junko lilted, prancing through the huge crowd.

 

Junko had explained it all over the phone. To tickets for Nozomu Moegi's concert in Kyoto, one just had to find their way down to some odd location where a radio station was set up and win a raffle. Which was why she had dragged Mahiru down with her. Because Mahiru was, in short, a good luck charm.

 

It had started back in high school, when people first began to realize with her touch, good things came. It was soon after that when Mahiru figured out as others pulled luck off her, bad luck took its place.

 

So she was always apprehensive when Junko decided to use her as a rabbit's foot or something of that kind. But she went along with it mostly because the thought of seeing Nozomu Moegi in concert was something that seemed surreal, and it might make a good excuse to invite a certain someone…

 

Junko's sharp stop pulled her into the real world, and she looked up.

 

“Let's try and win the grand prize.”

 

---

 

“You're going to Kyoto?!”

 

Nozomu pushed Akira off him, glancing at the hyperactive puppy with a smile on his face.

 

“Now where did you hear that?”

 

He grinned. “I was eavesdropping. Plus it's all over the news.”

 

“I figured. I assume you're coming.”

 

“You'd die without my cooking. But I do have a request…”

 

Nozomu looked at him from beneath his glasses, grinning. “And what may this request be?”

 

“I wanted to visit some friends. We're staying for a few days anyway before we leave. They're only a short while away.”

 

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Are these friends cute?”

 

Akira laughed. “Maybe. It depends on whether you wanna come with me or not.”

 

“So this is like `meeting the parents?'” He laughed as his companion's face went red.

 

“No! I just…” His eyes became distant. “I don't ever really talk to my friends. And I miss `em.”

 

Nozomu quirked and eyebrow, but smiled. “Not like I can stop you.”

 

“Good! When are we leaving again?”

 

---

 

Mahiru glanced at her cell phone, letting Junko take her hand. The number flashing across was familiar…

 

“Oh.”

 

That was weird. Akira had not called any of them since he'd left not so long ago. She hadn't figured he would, after a while, but here he was, his number displayed on her cell. Hesitantly, she answered it.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Mahiru?”

 

“Yeah.” She passed a glare to Junko, who had begun rubbing her hands together. “Akira?”

 

“Ha! I'm remembered! I was worried you'd think I was some random stranger calling.”

 

She laughed. “How could I forget you? Keiko mentions you every other day.”

 

There was a tentative pause on the other end. “…Does she now? She's not answering her phone. Anyway, I'm calling because I'm gonna be in town soon!”

 

Her face lit up. “Really? That's great! When are you going to be here?”

 

“I think we're still figuring out the schedule…” He paused, and there was muffled shouting. “In two days, so says Misoka.”

 

“Misoka?”

 

“You'll meet him. I bring friends!”

 

“This is perfect! I was worried you'd forgotten about us. Where are you staying? How are you getting here? When are you going to come meet us? I—Hey! Junko!” She pulled away from her friend. “Hold on a second,” she said into the phone then turned to the girl beside her. “What are you doing?”

 

“Oh my god, Mahiru!” Junko jumped up and down, grabbing her friend. “I can't believe it! We just won!!”

 

“What?” Mahiru tried to stop moving around and work the phone up so she could talk into it. “Junko! Can we—“

 

“Yes! You know this means I owe you my life! This is—I can't even think of a word for it! Yes!”

 

It was, of course, at that moment that Mahiru's bad luck kicked in. From beneath the jumping and screaming, her phone slipped from her hand, landing with a clatter on the ground. Junko abruptly stopped, allowing her to frantically try and pick it up.

 

Mahiru sighed as she stared at it. The display had broken. Great. And Akira had hung up, or maybe that happened when it hit the ground.

 

The day could only get worse.

 

---

 

“…Oh.”

 

Keiko sat down and twiddled with her phone.

 

“I thought it was on. I must've forgotten after the movie.”

 

“Did he leave any messages?” Mahiru asked, noticing the depressed look on her face.

 

“No. Probably afraid he got the wrong number.” She shrugged. “I guess I'll wait for him to call back.”

 

“Yeah, Junko broke my phone.” Mahiru pulled it out. “It's probably going to be expensive… On the plus side we got Nozomu Moegi concert tickets.”

 

Keiko chuckled. “I never cared for pop. They had four of them, right? Who're you going to give the extra ones to?”

 

“I don't know. Junko's going to ask the guy she likes… I've got nobody.”

 

“Well…” She smiled knowingly. “You could ask the guy you like.”

 

Mahiru flushed. “I don't really…”

 

“Sure you don't.”

 

“But I—Fine. What movie did you go to?”

 

Keiko's smile did not go away, but she let the subject change. “Something I couldn't stay awake through. I went with Hokuto.”

 

“Lovey-dovey yet?”

 

“If anything he's getting more infuriating. But there's nothing I can do about that.”

 

“Oh. I thought—”

 

Mitsuru brusquely walked up to them, set down the empty glasses, and walked away, without a word. Both girls frowned at the workload he'd placed in front of them.

 

“He's…”

 

“…Grumpy.”

 

“I was gonna say rude, but your word works too.” Keiko stood. “I guess we should get to work.”

 

Mahiru's day wasn't looking up.

 

---

 

“You're not going to tell me what's eating you?”

 

“No.”

 

“'Cause I can tell when you're in a bad mood. It's usually all the time.”

 

“Go away.”

 

“Well, if you aren't going to tell me… My friend won these today.”

 

“What do you want me to do about it?”

 

“I don't know. If you want one…”

 

“No.”

 

“Oh. Okay. I'm gonna go home then. Bye, Mitsuru.”

 

She hurried out, waving one final time. He grunted, stashing the final things he needed to clean.

 

That damn girl was starting to grow on him.

 

Notes:

I wanted to end on a slightly fluffy note, and keep it going a little bit longer. Yay me!

Whoo! We're setting our characters up for something fun.

Right… “Fun.” That's the word they'd use to describe it.

Review, or something.