Akatsuki Ruby (2)

꒰ঌ Akatsuki Ruby 2

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"Akatsuki." Ruby averted her gaze slightly and muttered quietly. "Akatsuki Ruby… That is my name in the human world."

"Aka… tsuki?

"Yeah, it is written with the kanji characters of 'Red' and 'Moon' signifying the dawn."

Hm… Akatsuki Ruby, huh…? Hmm… awesome. I got Ruby's real name! Good job, me! I got it out of her really easily too!"

"… Creepy. Why are you smiling like that?"

"Don't worry about it. Hmm, although… this'll take a bit of getting used to. I've been calling you Ruby all this time."

"… I suppose that's true. It also feels strange to me if you call me Akatsuki. I never thought I would see the day where I would told you my 'human' name. Just continue to refer to me as Ruby Rose."

"Yeah, I'll do that." I gave a deep nod…

"… And also, I should probably ask… why exactly are you two in my room?" I finally let out the question I had been holding in for the longest time. Just so you know, the first day of school had ended. And we were, of course, all gathered in my room.

"Hah hah hah! Haruto-chan, what are you saying all of a sudden!? Isn't that something you should have asked the minute we came into your room?"

What kind of gag are you trying to play, waiting until we've talked for so long before going smoothly into that question?

"Well, it's because I was so shocked that I just couldn't react properly until I could pull myself together, alright!? Okay… I'll ask then. I'll ask, you hear me? What the hell were you trying to do on that sheet you laid out on my floor!?"

"Well, obviously, I was doing a rough assembly of a Gunpla."

No, not obviously. Ugh, this is bad… I could feel my blood vessels bursting… Mio seemed to realize that I was getting annoyed, so she fixed her attitude and tried again.

"Well, obviously, I was doing a rough assembly of a Gunpla of Sazabi."

"I'm not getting annoyed because I wanted to know what kind of Gunpla you were working on!"

Why the hell did it seem like every once in a while, this girl stopped understanding Japanese? Let me explain the situation again. When I came back to my room, it was already like this.

Ruby was still in her uniform, and was lying on my bed reading my Dragon Ball manga. Mio had laid a sheet down on the floor, and was fiddling with a Gunpla model. I couldn't even react to that spectacle, and was left there standing in shock. And then… I opened my mouth to say something, but I was so stunned that I ended up asking Ruby for her real name instead, something I had been thinking about for the entire day at school. And that brings us right up to the verbal exchange we just had.

"Uh…" I massaged the bridge of my nose, and tried one more time to get my concerns across in an easily understood way. "Let's try one more time. Why exactly did you two come into my room, uninvited, and why are you now here occupying it without a care in the world!?"

"… Hmph. If you get worked up over every single little detail, people are just going to think you're a grouch. More importantly, you have guests, so why aren't you bringing them some tea?"

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't realize I had guests!"

Sorry for my incompetence! And also, don't just go and lie on top of someone else's bed like that! Although, after Ruby made those outrageous demands, Mio casually followed up with a statement of her own.

"Actually, Akachan invited me to come over. She thought you would be lonely, so she wanted to come and check on you. Isn't that right, Akachan?"

"If you would be so kind, please stop making up ridiculous things from thin air. And who the hell is Akachan? Do you want to die?"

"Fufufu… Ruby-chan is just so shy. Weren't you the one who wanted to visit today so you could show Haruto-chan how you looked in your uniform?"

"A-are you an idiot? Absolutely not. Anyways, he already saw me in a uniform this morning…"

"Hm? Hm Hm Hm? So that means… haha, so it's like that." Mio looked at Ruby as if she could see right through her.

"And when you showed him your uniform, Haruto-chan complimented you, didn't he? He said, 'it's pretty refreshing to see you in that,' or something like that, right? And then… Ruby-chan probably shot back with something cold, but she was happy about it on the inside, and so then she suddenly wanted to come and show Haruto-chan her uniform one more time, yes? Fufu, I hit the nail on the head, didn't I? Precisely on the head, didn't I? Because there's no other reason Ruby-chan would suddenly decide to stop wearing her trademark Blackrose outfit."

Mio began to give off a creepy-sounding laugh. Certainly, I had complimented Ruby on her uniform in the morning, and she had said something cold back to me, but Mio was over thinking the rest, wasn't she? The real Ruby also immediately denied that idea. She jerked up from her prone position on the bed.

"… Didn't I tell you that you were wrong? I just didn't feel like going out of my way to go back home and change."

She quickly turned the other way. Ah, and now she's in a bad mood. But hm, now I see… it was like that… Ruby had sisters too, if I recall correctly, and because these two people were kind at heart, when they remembered that Naruko… that my own sister wasn't here anymore, they were worried that I would be lonely. So, they came over, and Mom let them up into my room.

I really, honestly appreciated how they worried about me, so I was really happy. Nodding with satisfaction, I saw Ruby give me a displeased scowl.

"And this one over here is just making up his own mind by himself… I give up."

Ruby sat up in bed, and buried her head into her knees. On the other hand, Mio was busily working on the floor, and picked up the vivid red plastic model she was working on. She closed one eye and seemed to be inspecting it, until finally, she blew lightly on her handiwork.

"Well, I guess that's fine for now."

Mio stood the plastic model right-side up on the floor, her mouth curling up into a ω shape, and she gave me a cheerful smile.

"Haruto-chan, even if Orange-chan is gone, that doesn't mean our friendship has changed at all. Isn't that right?"

"… Haha." Feeling completely lured in, I broke into laughter. "Yeah. You're completely right."

I didn't even have to say it. I really, really loved these two. From an objective standpoint, you might think this was a pretty envious position to be in. But in reality, with Mio looking like the way she did, and with Ruby doing nothing but spitting out insults, it wasn't like this situation was going to go down any romantic paths. But now that Naruko was gone, from here on out I would probably have more and more opportunities to hang out with these two like this.

That wasn't bad at all. I straddled my chair backwards and looked back and forth between Mio, who was still sitting cross-legged on the floor staring at her plastic model, and Ruby, who was hugging her knees on the bed. I was thinking about what to do next.

It was at that point when I suddenly realized that Ruby was staring at my crotch.

"Ruby… where exactly are you looking?"

"Over there." Ruby pointed between my legs, at a spot under the table.

I stood up to take a look at the place in question, and I saw an eroge box under there. 'Sister x Sister: Siscon Love Story~.' A title that should never be found in the room of a guy who actually had a sister.

"That name rings a bell."

"Ahh… this? Uh, first off, let me just say: I didn't buy this. Naruko was the one who gave it to me… you remember, right? It was that time you wore a maid outfit to cheer me up…"

"Ahhh, so this was the present she gave you back then. Hahaha, that sure brings back memories." Mio burst into shrill laughter.

"… Did you beat it?"

"Ahh, no, I haven't played it at all. Naruko took her laptop over to America with her… and it's not like I can just use her desktop whenever I felt like it."

Yes, I hadn't played eroge even once since then. I wasn't even an otaku to begin with. I had considered trying it since it was given to me as a present, but until I got a new computer for myself, I just couldn't motivate myself to play it.

"Well, if that's how it is, then just leave it to me! If you're fine with something a bit older, then I can give you a computer."

"Ahh, no, it's fine. I don't really use computers that much."

"Fufufu, you don't have to say that, Haruto-chan. Just say thank you and accept it. Getting rid of a computer takes quite a bit of time anyways. So if you take it off my hands I'd be pretty grateful."

"R-really? Well, then, I'll take you up on that offer… I'll take the computer."

"Alright then! I'll send that to you later on, so next time let's set it up together."

"Ah, thanks."

I thanked Mio, and stared at the eroge box I had gotten from Naruko. A smile crept naturally onto my face. It seemed like the otaku in me hadn't vanished just yet.

"Although… that idiot, she left without even telling you guys…"

"Hmph, you could figure it out pretty easily by just reading her SNS profile updates… but that was it. Even after she left, I never heard from her."

"Me neither." Mio agreed with Ruby and nodded.

"So… what are you saying? She never tried to contact either of you even once after that?"

"Yes."

"Precisely."

Huh? What the hell did that girl think she was doing?

"Huh… so it's like that…"

Hmm… granted, I had a bit of a feeling that things were like this…

I mean, that girl didn't even say anything to Juvia before she went off. She honestly didn't tell anybody besides our mother before she went abroad. And then after that, she ceased all contact with everyone over here.

To be quite honest, I had no idea what my sister was thinking.

I let out a long, deep sigh.

"Geez, what a heartless thing to do… I know it doesn't mean much coming from me, but I apologize. Sorry, and to think you guys have been such a help to her so far…"

"… It's not like I really mind. Hmph, this is exactly what I'd expect from a friend I made online. I was getting tired of that girl anyways, so it's actually pretty convenient that she decided to leave."

It was a pretty sad sight to see Ruby sulking like that. She was acting like a guy who had just gotten dumped by his girlfriend. On the other hand, Mio's attitude was the complete opposite.

"If I may be allowed to speak freely… I'm fairly angry about it." Mio frowned and crossed her arms. It was a pose you would expect from Naruko.

"R-really?" I was incredibly surprised. This was the first time I had seen Mio being angry. It might sound silly, but up until now I had been under the illusion that the only two human emotions Mio possessed were happiness and joy. I could only really remember seeing her laughing gleefully, to the point where that had seemed completely plausible to me…

Mio spoke in her real personality tone. "Of course, I do admire Naruko-san's ambition, and I fully acknowledge that there are opportunities for her overseas. Also, this is not that unusual of a situation. I have friends in the past who did something similar, and went somewhere far abroad to study, so I understand. However… no, I guess I should say, for that very reason… even if I can understand the logic of it, no matter how hard I try I can't understand the feelings behind it."

Mio cleared her throat. "I… I thought of Naruko-san as a dear friend, and I believed that Naruko-san felt the same way about me. So, the fact that she didn't discuss her plans with us at all before leaving frustrates me, makes me sad… but most of all, having a close friend not be here anymore is difficult to deal with. I feel lonely when I think about the possibility that we won't be able to enjoy each other's company anymore… and I don't know what to do."

"Mio-chan…"

"And then, I don't get calls or emails from her anymore, her blog hasn't been updated in a long time, she no longer signs onto twitter or I'm… I'm just getting more and more annoyed… everyone ends up disappearing at some point or another, so doesn't she know that I'd definitely never forgive her for that?"

"I was at a loss for words. To think that she thought of Naruko like that…

I see. She had thought Naruko had finally warmed up to her and opened her heart to her, but Naruko ended up leaving without a word. She probably felt betrayed.

I didn't think Mio was being narrow-minded. Rather, she truly felt close to Naruko and so she could also feel resentment towards her too. I don't know how to put it, but she was a human being with human emotions, and most of all, she was a girl. This all just made me renew my affection for Ruby and Mio.

"You know, my older sister and her group of friends would often play survival games, watch anime together, built plastic models… and they would often go to Akihabara for fun. They became quite serious about it, and were collecting model guns, figures, and other otaku goods." Mio smiled, almost as if she had hit upon a fond memory. "It was because she always played with me. We were really very close. Just like the four of us."

"I see."

"But that group has already broken up."

"Why?"

Hey Ruby… is that really something you should be asking? I had my doubts, but Mio just continued talking with a quiet smile.

"For various reasons." Mio sounded a bit lonely as she spoke. "The biggest reason is that my older sister, who was the center of this group, married and moved overseas. Even what may seem like a strong group will easily fall apart once its most important person is taken away. There was someone in the group who made a debut as a manga author and decide to focus with her career… there was a person who went to college in Germany, where he decided to focus on his research and left all his beloved games and manga in Japan. There was a person who began hanging out in a different place because the survival game center she was familiar with got torn down. And then, I found myself suddenly alone. Completely alone, with only the many goods I had gotten from everybody and the fond memories remaining."

"Bang." Mio made a gun with her fingers and shot it into empty space. "So sometimes I feel that I have to play with them. Wondering if they feel lonely."

So that's why she put on that outfit and played survival games by herself when we came to visited her house last summer. I see. No wonder Mio had gotten angry when Naruko left without saying anything. Ruby probably realized that as well.

"A part of me was just resigned to it. I really loved each and every one of them… but those people had been brought together by my older sister's charm. Once my sister left, it might have been unavoidable that everything else would fall apart."

Mio was choked up with tears. It was a voice I would never expect from someone who was usually so cheerful. She looked up firmly and continued.

"And then… one day, I thought of something. Just like my older sister, I would form a group of friends and be that group's center. If I did that, as long as I didn't go away… as long as I was there to unite everyone and keep the community fun… my friends would always be with me. And then…"

"Then you made that SNS community… and met us?" Ruby spoke.

"Yes. I had to wring out every small bit of courage I had to do that, you know? For someone was shy as me to be a group leader… I really didn't know if I could manage."

"Well, haha, I'm a bit embarrassed. Truth is, this was the first time I organized something like an offline meeting… so I wanted to make a good impression on everyone and did my best to make a character appropriate for a leader…"

I seem to remember her saying something like that. Putting on such a bizarre outfit like that and speaking so strangely… at the beginning, I really just didn't know what to make of her. But Mio, at that time… she might have been trying her very, very hardest. So she put every ounce of her strength and enthusiasm into becoming a character like that…

I spoke while dealing with a flood of emotion. "… I see." Geez. Seriously, this girl was just… "Did you think we would just leave you or something?"

"…?"

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I won't stop being your friend. No matter what! And I'm sure Naruko also feels the same way."

"And… I say this time and again, but I don't have many friends… Ku ku ku… don't think that you can so easily escape from my 'curse'." Ruby also spoke her true feelings but in a twisted way.

Mio smiled and wiped her tears away with a finger.

"H-hey… don't cry…"

"But, I'm so happy…"

Now that I thought about it, up until now, we've relied on Mio so much. Whenever we wanted to hang out, she was the one who always put the plan together. Seeing her so happy about that actually made me feel a bit guilty.

Ruby held a handkerchief out to Mio.

"Thanking us for something like that makes us feel kind of strange too. We're only doing what we want to do."

That was the phrase that Mio often repeated when she was trying so hard to help us out

"Alright." I clapped my hands. "Now, let's just not think about that idiot today and just hang out. And you two, write what you feel on your SNS blogs. I'm sure that if Naruko reads them later, she'll feel bad about it."

"… Hm, that is a good idea."

"Roger that. Well then, what should we do now…?"

I saw a bit of cheer seep back into their faces.

My, my. Even putting me aside for a second, what was my sister thinking when she decided to abandon such good friends as these? Was there really a good reason for her to stop all contact with the people that she knew here? Inwardly, I let out a deep, deep, deep sigh.

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