-  a p r i l  6  -

Kominato Ryosuke: A.M.

by Admin Eru // LazySleepingBeauty

_______ didn't need to know the taste of her hair, but when her boyfriend Ryosuke felt the need to turn on the fan, her hair still found its way to her mouth. She blew her hair out of her face and glared at her unsuspecting boyfriend.

"Smartasses, you see, are smart with an ass. But you sir, you're just an ass."

"Is this why fate brought us together?"

That did not make sense but by this point, no one is bemused at their conversation. The pair returned their attention back to their respective books. _______ was reading her favorite story while Ryosuke found a new ghost stories book to feast on.

It was already past evening. Thank the gods for a peaceful week with not much schoolwork.

"Why aren't there synonyms for me?" Ryosuke asked, frowning at his book.

She tilted her head unknowingly. "Because there's no one else like you."

If Ryosuke liked her response, he didn't show any hint as he returned his focus on his book.

Finally, _______ finished reading the book so she placed it down. Then, she placed her head on his lap, watching him.

"Hey," _______ said softly.

"Hmm?"

"If I cut off my foot and like swing it at your head, am I kicking you or hitting you?"

"I'll most likely be mentally scarred more than anything." he said, smirking at the idea.

It was worth asking the question. It wasn't easy scarring her pink haired boyfriend.

She shifted from watching Ryousuke to watching the ceiling.

Hey, that pattern reminds me of a trident.

This continued until Ryosuke finally set his book down. She still scanning the ceiling but she felt his gaze on her.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Ryosuke admitted, his pink eyes never leaving her.

"Is it me, but did you just quoted Winnie the Pooh? You're sick!" _______ jeered, placing her hand against his forehead in an attempt to check his temperature.

"I'm not sick, I'm twisted. Sick makes it sound like there's a cure." Ryosuke retorted, stifling back a chuckle.

Soon the two reposed, doing particularly nothing. She made a grab for her phone and scrolled down in Pinterest in boredom. Then, her eyes darted to the date. April 5. A good moment passed as realization struck her poor soul.

"Hey, Ryo-chan."

He grunted, hinting he was listening.

"It's your birthday tomorrow."

"Yes, it is."

"Go out with me then,"

"As if I'm not going out with you for years."

"Stop being a jerk. I mean, like literally out of the house."

"Where are we going?"

"Planning it at the moment," she was in a deep thought for moments. "A haunted house but where... it's not even Halloween so.. dang what now..."

"Do you know that mart blocks away?" Ryosuke found himself asking.

"The abandoned one?"

"Yes, they're going to use that as a haunted house base for the upcoming university day."

"Haunted mart," she mused, looking through what he said in her phone.

To no one's luck in particular, it would open tomorrow. It was decided the two would go there tomorrow after class.

~

Morning came, _______ was the first to get up from the lovely and comfortable bed.

When the birthday man woke up and left the bedroom in search of his girlfriend, he saw her already ready to head to class. He remembered she was in duty today.

"I fixed you breakfast." she said, motioning the food in the table.

He must have made a face saying, Great. Cereal. Since she continued.

"I know it's just a bowl of cereal, but it's the only thing I can't burn," she smiled at him. "Happy Birthday, Ryo."

~

"Ryo-chan? Is that you? It's been eighty-two years." _______ dramatically ran towards him, tackling him in the process.

He made a face as if saying You again. But she knew he was actually happy to see her deep inside.

She wore a black shirt with TO ERR IS HUMAN. TO "ARR!" IS PIRATE print. He wore the baseball team shirt SEIDOU written on it. It made her wonder if he went here straight after practice but that couldn't be possible. He was already retired, being a third year and all.

Together, they set off to the haunted mart. Out of nowhere, a song played in _______'s head.

"There'll be no more darkness when you believe in yourself, you are unstoppable."

She blinked, surprised to hear Ryosuke singing the song she was just singing in her head.

"Where your destiny lies..." she joined him singing.

~

The journey there didn't take long as it was nearly walking distance. When they arrived near the abandoned mart, there was less than a dozen of kids around.

A guy around her age or Ryosuke's seemed to be informing the crowd something. He was holding a sign that said Participants for A.M. here.

She assumed A.M. must be the shortcut for Abandoned Mart but who knows.

A long table separated the people in charge of the haunted attraction and the participants.
The sign holder guy cleared his throat and clapped loud to get anyone's attention. He greeted the participants and said some sugarcoated words for being there and all before proceeding to explain the mechanics of his- their haunted mart. 

"Horror and scary movies, stories are always set in creepy places like jails and hospitals, so we thought why not a haunted mart?"

"They think it's an original idea," _______ whispered to Ryosuke. "But in Pokemon Sun and Moon, they have the Thrifty Megamart."

"At any rate, please avoid contact with our ghosts at all cost. Do not attempt to be carried away by any nor touch them. Thank you very much! You may now proceed with your own deaths!"

Everyone was lead to start in different entrances. _______ and Ryosuke were lead to enter through a window opening.

The mart was quite spacious and dark. Some of the fluorescent blinked and others dimmed. Most of the aisles were empty except for aisle 13 which was full of disarrayed snacks and mixed items like shampoo, bike helmets, towels and etc.

She saw her favorite snack in there so she immediately walked towards there and took some. Ryosuke following right after her. "Just remember, if we get caught, you're deaf and I don't speak Japanese."

"I'm deaf, can't hear you." Ryosuke countered.

There was a figure ahead, standing in a counter. She was wearing heavy make-up, dressed in saleslady uniform.

Ryosuke looked bored, walking next to _______. The saleslady turned creepily facing them.

"Lady, clean up on aisle 13. It's a disaster." she implored, looking truthfully devastated.

"But ma'am.. there is no aisle 13."

After her claim, the lights blinked and then it went dark. Once the light came back, the saleslady was no longer there. They turned at the direction of aisle 13 but it was gone.

"Now, insert dramatic music." Ryosuke taunted no one particular.

Mystified, and as if on cue, eerie noise started to echo from the dusty and spider webs covered speakers.

"Hey, they obeyed you, Ryo-chan~" _______ said casually. If it was the three years ago her, she would be panicking and crying at this moment. But three years with Ryosuke made her immune to anything creepy.

She heard a scream from one of the aisles. They ran there, finding a woman panicking.

"H-Help!" she cried out.

Once again, the lights went off for a brief second and went on in the next. The screaming woman was gone. The two didn't notice that they were already holding hands.

Okay, that is creepy now.

Then there were cans and plastics shifting and falling in the ground. Neither of them saw it even though they were facing each other's back.

"My gods, this is fun!" _______ smiled happily.

A silhouette was making its way towards the two. They could only see it through the aisles. The fun part is there was no one there except _______ and Ryosuke.

"Hide." Ryosuke demanded firmly.

"Cool and all, but how are we supposed to hide from a shadow?"

The pair looked at each other and said in unison, "Run!"

Something told _______ that they were nearing the exit.

"Remember the rules?" Ryosuke questioned.

"What rules?"

"Don't let anyone touch you is the summary."

"What about it?"

Based on the noise and screams from every corner, people were getting abducted and dragged away.

"I think they have a way to tell whether you have been touched or not."

"Way to go, son of Athena." she cheered. "But what if I get kidnapped?"

"Trust me, they'd bring you back." Ryosuke sounded unconcerned.

"I've met some prick in my time but you sir, are a fucking cactus."

Ryosuke shrugged. "A prick in undercover."

"And I am a ninja."

"No, you're not."

"Did you see me do that?"

"Do what?"

"Exactly."

Suddenly, steps were everywhere in the dark room. Instantly, _______ knew that uninvited guests were there to drag her to heaven- or to the Underworld, doesn't matter. She could see the exit in a few more feet ahead.

"What's our exit strategy?" _______ asked her boyfriend.

Ryosuke was not amused nor bored at what was happening anymore. He could barely comprehend the words coming out from her girlfriend's mouth. "Our what?"

"Oh my Hades, we're going to die." she agonized, her hands in the sides of her face in a dramatic manner.

Being trained in martial arts and Ryosuke with baseball powered up their reflexes. One shadow monster walked up to _______. These monsters were pure black and took different shapes. They didn't seem to be human wearing black jumpsuit or anything. She let one walked near her. Dodging and observing till she realized that it was trying to take a hold of her arm.

How to defeat a monster without touching them.

She scanned around, noticing the stones and a wood in the floor. As if on cue, the eerie sound resounded out of nowhere again.

"That noise comes when there's like stuff going on. Once it's gone, so are the monsters." Ryosuke said based on his observation from the entire quest so far.

_______ did not hide her surprise, not once had the thought of any meaning behind those noises crossed her mind.

She picked up the rocks and Ryosuke took the wood. It was smaller than a wooden bat but better than nothing. He swung his wood while she threw with aim to the monsters.

Minutes passed, maybe even an hour before the monsters disappeared into nothingness. Relief haven't even struck the pair until _______ collapsed. She was tired. Her boyfriend went to her aid at once.

"I...." she let out a cough. "I left a million dollars under the...."

Eyes closed, breath slowly ceasing.

"_______......." Ryosuke looked concerned and all but he didn't yell, afraid he might attract more monsters.

~

"If you'd play along, then at least pretend that you were really in grief and hug me." she complained, seating next to Ryosuke outside the abandoned mart. 

"Well, be happy I played along." 

A smile from ear to ear never left her lips. "Well, did you have fun?" 

"So let it be written; so let it be done."

"I'll take that as yes."