Punk and Goth Chapter 7

Honestly, I literally have no idea how I ended up accompanying them in their silver ride right now. At the moment, Kuroi and her aunt are currently occupying the front seats, while I just reside on the back, scrolling my phone in silence and sending messages to my gang members just to pass some time in this vehicle.

 “What you guys up to?” I sent.

I recieved replies after three minutes.

“We’re just chilling in our hideout.” (Lee)

“I’m watching a movie with Kei right now.” (Rei)

“I’m with Lee.” (Kazuo)

My gang members are busy for now huh? Leaning over to the car’s window, the atmosphere within the car is still tranquil as usual.  Her aunt gazes at the mirror to check on me, she starts to alter our moods vividly with a conversation.

“I never really introduced myself, did I?” She makes a secure turn by the right.

“Yeah, what’s your name by the way?” I just ask with caution.

“Well, my name is Kirika Kodokushi, Kuroi’s aunt and younger sister of her mother.” She smiles as she drives.

“I see, I’m Hisashi Tsukiyama, a salutatorian and classmate of Kuroi.” I just feel nervous for some reason.

“Hisashi? Kuroi has been talking about you before, right?” Kuroi is slightly blushing a bit.

“Y-yeah, even though it’s been a long time...” She just spaces out on the window.

I knew that Kuroi would be the type to talk about me, since I’m pretty much her only friend. With more rounds of driving to where our destination is, we eventually pass through a parking lot at the highest floor. The reason for that might be our current vehicle is a bit bigger than regular ones. Parking it slowly, the three of us climb out of the car to check where we are. Instinctively following them, it leads us to an entrance with a chain of coffee shops and frilly clothes stores, both Kirika and Kuroi chats a bit.

“Oh, you did promise me that I can shop for Lolita clothing right?” Kirika hands out her credit card.

“Yeah Kuroi, I’ve been busy so I had to make it up for you.” Kuroi gently takes it.

“Thanks Auntie, so is it okay if I just shop alone?” Kirika just pets her on the head.

“Sure, Hisashi and I will be waiting on the coffee shop next to that Lolita store.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later, and I love you Auntie.” Kuroi happily walks into that Lolita Store.

As I see Kuroi off going to a Lolita Shop, I ended up looking a bit shyly at Ms. Kodokushi, who is my current companion right now.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Let’s just head to one of the coffee shop she often enters.”

“Alright.”

Seeing as Ms. Kodokushi is my companion for now, both of us quietly enters a Gothic coffee shop just near the Lolita store.  The shop’s name is Le Cafe and the whole interior of is rather modernized than I expected. The luxurious Gothic lounge chair and table set, along with the portraits of scenes from London, this cafe gives me a very unfamiliar vibe crawling in my veins. Choosing seats, we occupy at the cornered part of the shop to obtain some privacy from the other people in the premises, which is a few... I never really knew that Kirika has her aunt as a guardian rather than her biological parents.

“Umm, Ms. Kodokushi, how long have you been a guardian to Kuroi?”

“Call me Kirika instead, please.”

“Sorry, well how long has it been, Kirika?”

“Ever since she graduated from Primary School, I look after her due to some complications.”

“Was she neglected in some other way? She never really told me.”

“I can tell it to her in her place, she doesn’t mind since she isn’t the type to share too much, but let’s just order some light snacks first.”

Shortly, a waitress calmly walks up to us to enlist certain treats and refreshments in her notepad. Both of us just ordered matching Strawberry Short cake and Chamomile tea sets that they have. Letting Kirika have her fill with the savoury tea on a porcelain teacup with full of manners, she is finally ready to share some stuff with me in place for her niece.

“My niece won’t mind me telling stuff, so I might be explaining now.”

“How are you certain that she doesn’t mind?” I rest my head on my palm

“That? It’s because if she still trusts you, why would she be with you in the first place?”

Despite of shutting her out by default due to hatred blinding me from reality, I came to realize that a person like Kuroi still cares about me, she is just too scared to make a move. Residing my thoughts elsewhere, I begin to listen of how Kirika became Kuroi’s guardian for almost three years now. It all started with Kuroi’s childhood explain by the girl herself to her aunt. Its source is set on Kirika’s office in her modernized yet normal house. Dismantling and tidying her weapons, the rapid vibrations of her phone grasps her attention, and she picks it up without a second though.

“Hello, Kirika speaking. Who is it?”

“Auntie, it’s me again. Can we talk?”

“Kuroi? Family troubles again, sweetie?”

“Yeah, just usual ignorance and scolding despite of the hard work I do.”

“And your younger sister gets most of the credit I see?”

“Yeah, just because she brings over friends and I don’t...”

On the other line, it was a pre-teen version of Kuroi, a straight cut bob with the black rimmed glasses she uses till today, she isn’t happy like usual as she just lays on her plain bed. This kind of situation that I hear from my niece, I just don’t get why my older sister can be this naive and ruthless to her own daughter, or maybe the things my older sister despises on me are all over her. I still feel sorry for her, but I can’t just get her out of there even if I want to.

“Well, how long are you going to be captive that way?”

“I don’t know auntie, but since I’m graduating in a week, I formulated a plan and I want to stay with you. I heard that we’re going to move in Europe, but I don’t want to be manipulated any longer...”

Feeling a little nervous about Kuroi’s attempt to fight against her own biological parents due to not loving her despite of all the hardships she did for them, she just replies with a serious tone.

“Are you prepared to abandon your own family for someone like me?”

“You may be one of those ruthless soldiers, but you loved me unconditionally since I was little, so I want to be with you...”

“In that case, I’ll be here to support your plan.”

From the ongoing phone call, my niece explains how it should flow. From calling a certain person to exchanging birth, baptism and other records with exact imitations of them from Kirika’s house. Both of them synchronize in giving each other a helping hand, like partners in crime. As graduation literally passed swiftly, the day of their international flight to Europe has finally breached. Kuroi was the first to wake up in the family as she gazes at the clock.

“To think today is the day where we move...”

Fixing and bathing her, alongside with wearing just simple clothing for the occasion, she carries down her own stroller quietly downstairs as she notices her younger sister’s bags carried by maids. She prefers to just show oblivion over that scene. Standing on the second floor, their parents were waving to them outside the shuttle bus. Loading the luggage at the back, the mother hugs the younger sister.

“Good morning, Yayoi.” She also gives kisses to her.

When she stares at me, all I get is a cold stare, what a routine I’m having. As the shuttle bus hits on the road to the airport, all I can do is to stare outside the window, thinking deeply into my thoughts just to pass time. After an hour of travelling, the airport is just ahead of our view. Removing the baggage, the four of us, along with a guide head straight to where the plane to Germany is. Since it’s early in the morning, we managed to go there straight away in an ample amount of time. As I let the others go first, gazing my eyes to the right, a woman with a long black sweater dress, leggings and boots smiled at me. I just give her a smirk and hurriedly catches up to them.

“You were right when you said that they’re utterly naive and stupid, my niece.”

Kirika turns around to see Kuroi sitting their quietly, wearing a white elbow length blouse over a black frilly skirt with white rabbit heads, white framed glasses, white thigh highs  and black Mary Jane shoes. Her straight cut bob was curled up inward with a white headband and her aunt starts to fawn over her due to the cuteness.

“I didn’t know you look so cute on Casual Lolita.” She instantly hugs her.

“Casual Lolita? What is that?” She looks on her clothes.

“Casual Lolita is one of the branches of Lolita Fashion, and it suits you.”

“Thank you Auntie. I never really wore something like this ever since 5, so thank you again.”

Loosening her arms off Kuroi, both of them slowly stands up, looking around to see if there’s anything to spend time with. Without another word, both of them just hold hands and walk around the airport, a period of sightseeing for the two of them.  The travel from Japan to Germany is a very long journey, so we might not get any phone call for now. They resided near a Belgian Waffle stand a 10 minute walk away from the airport. It was one of Kirika’s favourite treats whenever she has things to do in this area. Purchasing four of them with tea, they just stare up the sky as they take heartily bites off the waffle since it’s freshly cooked.

“Hey Kuroi, how long does it take for them to not notice?” She takes a sip of tea.

“They may be rich, but they’re naive, so they’ll only notice when the decoy reveals itself.” She just smiles in relief.

“I wonder what they will say. Will they be shocked?” She looks over to Kuroi.

“It depends, the only instruction we gave is to not talk much.”

“Agree you really don’t have free will in that household.”

“That’s why I seek for your help.”

Both of them filled up their stomach as they walk back to their car, which is parked slightly near the stand. Finishing up the rest of their breakfast, they drive away from the airport with smiles on their faces, since they fooled someone so easily.

Punk and Goth Chapter 8