Super GALS Fan Fiction ❯ Silence for Naught ❯ Unsociable Rei ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: Wow! Thanks for the support and input, guys! I love you all.

Just a quick note: I was spelling Ran's pet name for Rei, “Oto-chi” like in the CMX manga version, but then I realized that ADV subtitles it “Ototchi.” I prefer the former version, so for no more inconsistencies since this story is mostly based on the manga canon, I'm going to keep that spelling instead.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Thanks to Ginzamonster for the correction on Ikebukuro!

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Silence for Naught

Chapter Three - Unsociable Rei

When Kotobuki Ran was finished and satisfied stuffing her face with hamburgers, she looked around at her group of friends and finally realized something was off as they all gathered at the local fast food place.

“Where's Oto-chi?” she asked noisily with bits of food flying here and there. Of course, this was the great Ran Kotobuki, so no one got visibly disgusted with her behavior.

The only person who ever did was Rei, and the lack of his snide comments had finally clued her in on his absence.

“Ah uh, yeah, he is gone again today, isn't he?” Tatsukichi mirrored her realization.

With the mention of Rei's name, Aya began to look depressed. There were still residual unease in reaction to the Katase-kun problem, and Aya was hoping to see Rei's solemn face to cheer her up. However, as usual, Rei was Mr. Unsociable. Not meaning to show how Rei's absence affected her, Ran had immediately clued in on Aya's distress anyway. She gave Aya a sympathetic look and then narrowed her eyes. When Yuya was about to say something regarding Rei, she cut him off.

“Bah! Whatever! How typical…” She placed a soothing hand on Aya's shoulder, and then waved her other hand in the air listlessly. “He'll come around. It's no wonder he's not here today anyway.”

Her last statement seemed to pique everyone's interest, everyone but Mami, who was content to keep her eyes on Yuya to make sure he didn't delve too much attention on Ran instead of her.

“Why do you say that, Ran?” Miyu asked, and everyone focused his or her attention on Ran as usual.

With her normal nonchalance, Ran shook her head and said plainly, “Ah well, he probably doesn't want to come around me after I threatened him a bit.”

“Wha?” Aya exclaimed as everyone else gasp. “Ran, why did you threaten Otohata-kun?”

“Calm down, calm down. I only told him I'd punch him if he came onto me like that again.”

Now this time, Tatsukichi and Aya were the first to stand in indignant surprise. Ran wasn't one to lie, but the story didn't really fit Otohata's personality. Yuya only watched her with a worried expression; it was almost if he knew something like this was going to come up.

“He came onto you? No way! I can't believe it!” Aya exclaimed.

“Yah, yah, I knew it! He likes you, doesn't he Ran?” Tatsukichi inquired.

Ran stopped smiling and looked at them all seriously. Then, she got that same fire in eyes when she spouted off her speeches of justice. “No, he doesn't. I asked him about it, and he told me no.”

Everyone visibly relaxed, and Tatsukichi and Aya fell back into their seats in relief.

“Tch.” Mami said. “You all are so naïve.” She slammed her cup down and looked around at them all with commanding eyes. “He's obviously covering his ass.”

Ran didn't look into her eyes - which Mami found interesting - and then she stood up and lazily brushed off such a possibility. “Nah, the come-on was just a bad joke. It was the same as when we first met. He was bothered by me asking him questions, wanted me to leave him alone, so he thought he could get rid of me easily by playing that same old trick again.”

“Trick?” Tatsukichi seemed confused. Of course, he didn't know anything about the time Ran and Rei first met.

“Hrm…yeah, the first time we met Ran-chan,” Yuya explained, “Rei thought Ran-chan was just another cheap kogal after his bag. He came onto her, not expecting her to get all righteous like our Ran-chan.” Yuya sighed. “That's Rei, for you. He's a master at warped jokes.”

“Yep, yep,” Ran nodded approvingly of Yuya's response. She grinned evilly as she thought about it. “Ah, the fateful meeting: number one gal versus the clean cut jerk!”

Mami rolled her eyes at the dramatics as everyone giggled.

“That day is important for me as well,” Aya chimed in. “If it wasn't for Ran, I would be in a bad situation now.”

“Hmmm,” Yuya nodded. “Same for me. I became friends with Ran-chan about the same time as Aya-chan too. That's our Ran-chan for you.”

“Ran is SUPER great!” Tatsukichi yelled, jumping up from the table and rattling everyone's dishes. Everyone giggled and Ran nodded cockily soaking up the attention.

“Idiots,” Mami said under her breath. She wiped her mouth daintily and got up from her seat, an annoyed expression on her face. Then, she gave a stern look to Yuya and said, “I can't take this anymore. I'm going back to Ikebukuro. I expect you back there when you're done playing with these simpletons.” Mami shot Ran another bored look, and Ran could do nothing but give her a lazy smirk.

“Wait, Mami-Rin …” Yuya had called after his girlfriend stomped out. He prepared to follow her but Ran ended up going after her instead. She shot him back a look to let him know she wanted to talk to Mami alone first.

“Hey, Mami-Rin!” Ran bellowed as both girls exited the fast food diner. Mami seemed indifferent to acknowledge her, so Ran tugged at her arm to spin her around. Mami's face still seemed mildly annoyed.

“I can't believe you, Kotobuki, going on like that! Where's the merit in putting on that front about Otohata Rei?”

Ran released her grip on Mami's arm and got a pensive look on her face. “I had to. You don't know how sensitive Aya and Tatsukichi are. You don't know how they'd react if that were true.”

“So? They should learn the truth, no matter how much it hurts. What kind of gal deludes her friends like that?”

Ran smiled at Mami genuinely. “You really are a great gal, Mami-Rin. I always knew it.” She crossed her arms and looked serious now. “But I want to wait on revealing everything. I'm not sure about Otohata's intentions. It could be something he prefers to keep to himself. Until I know more, I don't want to get everyone carried.”

Mami looked at her and then sighed. “Huh, whatever. It's your problem. Still, if you want my opinion, I think Otohata Rei is better for you than tan monkey boy.”

Ran chuckled and folded her arms behind her head giving her a goofy grin. “Now, since when has your opinion mattered to me, Mami-Rin?”

Mami harrumphed. “Well, that's because you're an idiot, Kotobuki.”

Ran continued to grin at her as Mami prepared to leave. Suddenly, she ran back into the restaurant with her usual rushed disposition. “Yuya! What's taking you so long! We're leaving for Ikebukuro! Sheesh! Quit dawdling.”

“Ah, but…” Yuya looked stunned and embarrassed, and not to incite the wrath of Mami any further, he reluctantly complied.

“See you later, guys.” He sighed and then did the march of DOOM back to Mami's side. Ran nudged him playfully as he walked by her, and she made her way back into the diner to her friends.

For the rest of the evening Ran Kotobuki played it cool. None of her friends knew that Mami's words actually settled deeply within her brain.

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Otohata Rei was once again not sorry for missing out on another get together with Ran and the group. He was, after all, a little leery of seeing Ran again after their encounter the other night. He was grateful for any distraction that could pull him away from interacting with the boisterous group, and the fact that Tatsuki had reservations about his feelings toward Ran was unsettling for him.

He'd rather not see any of them, not Tatsuki, or Aya, or least of all Ran. Ran would play off their conversation as nothing, and although he wanted that, he could not deny her disposition would still hurt - and he'd be more prone to stay away from those feelings if need be.

So he immersed himself in his music. He had been getting more gigs as a DJ lately, and he was even getting more exposure beyond Shibuya. He had felt so inspired that he started composing his own works. After he finished work, he would go home, camp out in his basement and try his hand at mixing music on his computer. For several months he had been struggling with one track, and lately, since his conversation with Ran, he had been more inspired to go back to it - as well as start developing offshoot mixes in respect to it.

Overall, Rei was thoroughly pleased - his relationship with Aya and feelings for Ran were great for artistic fuel. He prided himself on the levels he had achieved and was even hopeful and determined to have his first track publicly released.

That opportunity didn't really present itself until Rei got a call from Rinjou Yumiko, a rising Japanese idol and consequently, the sister of an owner at one of the clubs where he DJed.

“Otohata-san, I would be pleased if you came up with a mix for my new single, “Blue Alive Beat”. My manager thinks it will be an instant hit, and I want to prepare my fans with the option of a dance mix as well,” she had asked him cordially.

He was shocked and inwardly ecstatic, but he couldn't help but doubt himself right away.

“I am thoroughly honored, Rinjou-san. But may I ask, out of all the DJs in Shibuya, why did you pick me?”

She smiled sweetly at him and winked. “I snuck out the other night of a boring award's dinner into a Para-Para event that you were DJing at. I was lucky that my brother knew you when I asked. You were terrific!”

Rei sighed, and smiled sheepishly. `If she only knew I hate Para-Para.'

“So, will you do it?” she asked eagerly. Her brown eyes lit up and she watched him with a hopeful expression. He couldn't believe that with a young singer this popular, she was still so innocent and genuinely effervescent. Rei admired her for it, for sure.

“Of course, I wouldn't think of refusing.” Then, Yumiko squealed and shook his hand excitedly.

And so, his career was beginning…

TBC…