After a brisk walk at the park, Peter Jackson eventually stopped over a corner to buy the daily newspaper, Le Sommiel. The headline was about a terrorist attack at Paris. "1,000 deaths during Paris terrorist attack". He scanned through the pages and reached to the sports section. Nothing was interesting but football, but his team lost. Saddened by the news, he turned to the end of the paper and read a few lines of a comic strip, tried to guess the words and arranged it mentally on his image to fit the boxes of a crossword puzzle. The mental image of the front page bothered him and he then made a sudden reaction. "I need to leave!"


The woman behind him, holding a pitbull, suddenly looked at him, puzzled. "Can I pass? You're blocking my way." There was no reaction from Peter but standing still with his arms flexed. "Excuse me, Can you please let me have the newspaper too?" 

Peter replied in a blank stare "Ok, Ma'am" as he moved to the left, leaning to the light stand with his right hand pushing against it.

"There are terrorists!" He added.

"I heard you, Sir Peter Jackson." announced in a monotone voice coming from a 2×2 mobile phone on speaker mode attached  on his chest vest.

As the woman got the newspaper and said something french to the kiosk attendant, two 6-inches tall male in black uniform approached Peter. "Sir, we need you to come with us."

Peter then put back the newspaper to the kiosk and followed the two uniformed men to the Mercedez benz SUV.

"Your flight is at 6pm. We need you to take your luggage prepared for your flight at ******** hotel." 
A note was posted on the front of a notebook given to him by one of the uniformed man.

The SUV went on to the trainstation at Metro 3, and another passenger went in at a full stop.

"I'm glad you're going to the airport, Sir Koufghani. Finally, you made it on time and just here with us, is Peter Jackson." The driver made a sudden open gesture to look at the backseat with his hands on the back of the front row seat. "We need to rush, put on your seatbelt, the police is on their way."

"Peter, I will have to get that notebook. I am one of the officers in charge for an assignment here but due to the terrorist attack, my team got dissembled. I still need to look for each one and see if they were kidnapped or there was a technology bug that disrupted our communication signals. Can you look for the code reference of your booking? Here, use my phone. If the power ran out, you can charge it by the receptionist and leave it there for me to collect afterwards. You need to confirm your details and get a seat on the aisle. A woman in red with a light maroon scarf will talk to you and please pretend you are hitting on her. She will slap you and call for the flight attendant's attention. The moment, one of the blonde flight attendants speaks french with you, say, Oui. She will give you a notice and write down your room number. Change your hotel. Write down the code. She will know what to do afterwards."

Peter handed the notebook to Koufghani. Silent, he flipped a few pages and then, boxed him on the face. Koufghani, evaded the punch. He grabbed Peter's hand and again, shouted, "You fool! I'm the one hired for your bachelor's party."

Pusheen is a female cartoon cat who is the subject of codmic strips and sticker sets on Facebook. Pusheen was created in 2010 by Claire Belton and Andrew Duff for a comic strip on their website, Everyday Cute.

On the official Pusheen website Pusheen is described as being a female domestic shorthair which is grey and tabby. The original comic strip series included characters modeled after Belton, Duff, their dog named Care, and Pusheen, a chubby grey tabby cat based on Belton's cat that now lives with her parents in Oregon. Pusheen's name stems from the word puisín, which means kitten in Irish. Pusheen is sometimes seen with her sister, Stormy. Occasionally Pusheen and Stormy are drawn in different themes, such as Pusheenasarus Rex, where Pusheen is a dinosaur and Stormy is in a dinosaur egg.

Pusheen has become well known for appearing in Sticker sets on Facebook, which are images that can be attached to personal messages or comments. The feature, including a set of Pusheen stickers, was introduced to iOS in April 2013, and added to the main website in July of the same year. In an article for PC Magazine on emoji and unicode, Sascha Segan referred to Pusheen as Facebook's "proprietary emoji", being used as a form of Vendor lock-in.

In April 2017, the Pusheen Corporation acquired office space in the Park Ridge suburb of Chicago. The offices are used as a workspace for artists and photographers.

Pusheen is an example of the popularity of Cat's on the internet. An exhibition at the New York City Museum of the moving image examined the phenomenon, highlighting Pusheen alongside other celebrity cats such as Grumpy cat and Oil Bub. The Facebook page for Pusheen has over 9.4 million fans as of July 2017. The brand has expanded with merchandise including an app. Pusheen has expanded and moved beyond just Facebook and now takes part in multiple social media platforms such as: Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. This cartoon cat also has many fan pages within the platforms and blogs dedicated to celebrating the comic. Its popularity has even allowed the Pusheen Corp to create an app that is an expansion of their sticker collection that started on Facebook. Within each social media account that is officially owned by the creators of Pusheen the cat has gained over a million followers and counting. Due to this rise in popularity the company has started releasing GIFs on their website several times a month.

The Pusheen corporation started selling Pusheen merchandise after the popularity of the cat took off in July 2010. The first Pusheen merchandising was sold on the Everyday Cute website as a charm keychain, and necklace. From there the Merchandising expanded and now Pusheen Corp have teamed up with many brands to create and sell merchandise in stores such as Barnes & Noble, Hot Topic, and Petco. They have even expanded their merchandising to the website Hey Chickadee with merchandise collections dedicated to the cartoon cat, which range from plush toys by manufacturer Gund, clothing, accessories, knick-knacks, and much more. They even have a quarterly subscription box (which is a popular trend within online shopping) that is filled with Pusheen Products.

Thanks Wikipedia <3
~Jay

On a dark night where even the stars do not shine in the dark sky, a person was observing a book, a comic strip belonging to the old world, its vivid colors and its hand-drawn images, an article worthy of being called a relic of ancient and prosperous times, the young man was lying in his bed with a flashlight watching the drawings, the young man had his body covered by an armor, This armor was dark color, either because of the poor visibility or the age of the armor, the armor had a distinctive sign on the back of the group that the young man belonged and honored, his hair rested on his shoulders, long and not very careful very remarkable to the naked eye of the color of the mud, his eyes one of red color and the other green were also very distinctive, bearing several scars on his face, reminder of the many battles passed, the seemed very entertaining and at the same time focused , almost as if in a trance it was, The young man was about to turn to the next page of the book until suddenly a female voice was heard in the night, shouting a name is entered the room and scream again.

"SHELL!" (Unknown girl)

The young man, of a fright, fell to the ground tearing the page that was between his fingers causing that this one shouted of grief cursing to the lady that had entered the room.

"But what's your fucking problem, Amiya!?" (Shell)

The lady who had entered the room was a soldier of higher rank and also of level 283, her long golden hair almost reaching her waist, her body worthy of being admired by all men and envied by all women as if it were a princess, but the reality was crueler than it seemed.

he really did not feel a bit of attraction to such a person, so his response was very common and with a certain tone of anger.

"It's you, again, what do you want Amiya, not once I'm on a very important issue?" (Shell)

Shell again observed his comic strip already broken and with tears in his eyes he said.

"It was a very good story, is that you can not have a little more careful when you enter the private space of other people?" (Shell)

Amiya walked to Shell and took the comic strip breaking the page that was still on his hand and threw the remains to the floor, then proceeded to take Shell from the neck of the armor and dragged him out of the room and on the way began to explain the situation and the new instructions.

"Maybe, if you dedicate yourself to be a soldier of your rank and your level, maybe you could take it into account but knowing that it's you, I do not have to be careful now listen, the situation changed and these are the new instructions given by the general."(Amiya)

Shell, is a soldier of lower rank, but even so that did not prevent him from reaching level 684, his first time carrying a weapon at age 14 and killing his first infected, considering him the youngest soldier of recent times and also his achievements on the battlefield, but despite that his vague and uninterested personality is the negative of him, in addition to the little affection he feels towards his companions, who nicknamed Shell (lone wolf), considering him a person who only seeks his own benefit at the expense of others, but even so his mind once again came back to reality and he raised his head to ask.

"You said the general has new instructions, what are they about?" (Shell)

Amiya simply shook her head from side to side as she dragged Shell down the long corridor in which there were some soldiers, some of whom also heard some comments.

"Shell again did something wrong?" (Male soldiers)
"What did that idiot do now?" (Female soldier

Most of the comments were out of curiosity because Shell was known to make mistakes and cause problems wherever it was at the base until Amiya responded to Shell's question.

"It's about the" Exodus "operation, according to what the general told me is that they require a perimeter recognition and protection team and you were appointed the head of the security team division." (Amiya)

Shell seemed unconvinced of such a thing, despite being called "Lonely Wolf" most of the high ranks in the base considered it an extremely important resource to be left out of such a matter so this fact alone made Shell mistrustful of his words which made his curiosity come to light.

"It's a joke, right?" (Shell)

Amiya quickly understood the concern of Shell, that despite being a minor soldier but at the same time he was unique with more experience in fast entries and extermination of creatures, so she decided to answer him with the truth.

"Look, I do not know what the general idea is but I know that the woman is looking for the best for everyone, considering that you work better alone than in a group this time, I think a group would be the best way to confirm that the world on the other side of the portal be sure, the plan is simple you and 6 others will enter as a group of aggressive infantry, any being that presents a threat should be exterminated and a fast outpost should be established and then drones will be released to observe The world that awaits us on the other side, if everything goes well, it is more likely that by the end of this year we will be able to leave this planet and leave."(Amiya)

Although Amiya's words sounded sincere, these were not true, the main command would surely look for a group that was easy to send and not surprising and would probably only be soldiers from lower ranks, or as Shell likes to call them (Extra change) as that he was referring to this were soldiers who were obedient and did what they were told without refusing.

"Hm understand, then let me go prepare my weapons, just drop me here." (Shell)

Amiya ascended with her head releasing Shell and he stood up stretching his body turning his head towards Amiya saying to her.

"In 30 minutes we will see each other in the command room, I will receive the orders and I will leave immediately if it is true what you say I hope the new world will be more gentle than this one." (Shell)

Amiya accented her head again and went to the control room but in the head of Shell was still around the doubts.

"If they think that they can send me to a hostile world and expect me to die, they are very wrong ... very, very wrong." (Shell)

After several minutes of walking down the hall Shell arrives at his personal weapons room and next to the doors there was a retina scanner this system was perfect to prevent other novices from trying to steal weapons and other equipment, although Shell never annoying such things.

"Well, I better prepare the trip, it will be long and it may only be one way, so I do not need to leave anything." (Shell)

In 2012, humans discovered magic, in 2030 humans managed to unite magic and technology, but 5 years later the world was plunged into chaos, an intelligent virus was created using dark magic and nano-technology and so on. the end of the humans began, after long years of struggle finally in the year 2092 the humans reached their critical point, their world no longer belonged to them and they looked for hope in a new world where to start again, our protagonist will be stranded in a new world where magic is less than what existed on earth and inferior technology.

"Charlie, have you gone sightseeing around the city yet?"

"Nope, I haven't had much time to…"

"Truly pitiful. It's your first time in the City of Tourism yet you haven't toured at all."

He pat my shoulder,

"Let's go."

"...Where are we going?"

"Where else? To the strip—"

My face turned dark and I punched his shoulder.

"Ack, I'm obviously joking!!"

He massaged his shoulder as I glared at him. 

"I am still underage."

"God damn, I forgot you're still underage. You're like a baby. So young. Too young, come here to uncle."

What's with this pedophile?

I raised my fist threateningly, with a smile, "You're a different person in real life."

He laughed, "I actually am how I am while streaming, I just don't know why I'm feeling active like this right now."

Eh? Did he take the wrong medicine today? Had too much coffee?

I stared at him as he explained his current behavior that he has never displayed before.

…

…

…

"So are we heading to the strip cl—"

He reminded me of his self named great idea.

"...Rykun."

My face blackened as I stared at him, thinking his mental age and physical age do not correlate at all.

He laughed nervously as I raised my fist again,

"Charlie charlie!" He waved his hands frantically, "I'm joking man! I've never even been to a strip club before."

"You think I care if you've been to one?" 

He laughed, "Anyways, there's actually a comic convention right now in Petra. Want to go? I heard there will be some pretty cool events and some actors for movies will be there."

Oh, what timing.

"...Rykun, I don't read comics."

"Ah, no problem, I don't either. Have you watched the movies, though?"

"Nope."

I can't remember which comics have passed through. I do remember it was either in between DC or Marvel.

He looked at me very offended.

"I forgot how uncultured you are. Let's go, then."

He called up a cab and in no time we were heading off towards the comic con.

In the car, he took a picture of us and posted it on his Twitter with the caption: We're excited to go to ComicCon!

"Really? We're excited?"

I stared seriously at the picture: my emotionless face staring at the camera while Rykun had a very happy smile in his face.

He laughed and pat my shoulder.

"Are you trying to get a fan meet-up in the comic con?"

He showed his pearly whites, "Yes. Let's meet some fans!"

…

With the distance closing to the convention hub, I saw exactly what I imagined. People dressed in costumes, very interesting costumes, hanging out with each other, and waiting for the event to start.

My heart began beating in anticipation as I noticed the rivers of people in the huge hall.

Hah, I underestimated the scale of this event. At first, I was hesitant to come here but now I just know that it's an easy achievement points farm.

I made a mental note to gift Rykun something for the grand service he's done to me.

Rykun was holding his vlogging stick and slapped my hand excitedly with the other hand while staring somewhere off over the ocean of people,

"Look, look! It's the actor for the freakin' Spiderman!"

I nodded my head. Marvel crossed over, then. Seeing as the comics for Marvel had a wide range, I could probably take a job up for acting in that side of the movies in the future.

He slapped my hand again, "Dude have you played Mortal Kombat?"

"I've heard of it."

He pointed towards a specific point, "I didn't freaking know Mortal Kombat was part of Comic-con!"

I nodded with raised eyebrows at the costumes all around us. They were very well done.

As we walked slowly and I looked very curiously at everyone, I heard a very familiar sound.

"Snap!"

"Click!"

I turned my eyes towards the source and saw people fanatically staring at us.

"So… you wanted a fan-meet?"

I stared at Rykun.

He took back the vlogging stick and turned off the recording to not awkwardly speak to people while holding a pole.

He presented a wide smile and waved at the people as they enthusiastically waved at us and came over.

"Uh, hello." They all presented themselves very shakily.

Underneath Rykun's confident exterior, I noticed his legs tremble very slightly so.

He's a shy person.

"Hey, how are you guys?"

I asked and saw Rykun's nervousness deflate. It's easier for him to stream to thousands of people worldwide, but seeing them in real life makes him very nervous.

It's very normal. All of a sudden, his fans from his virtual world suddenly are getting to know the real and physical him. He is wanting to make sure he doesn't break the image they have of him.

"We're good thank you very much." They said very shakily.

Seeing how nervous they were, I applied Blake's teachings and began leading the conversation, letting the picture flow.

Soon enough, people noticed our presence and more began to swarm over to us.

I greeted them all with a charming smile. My performance today determines my achievement points.

"I didn't know you liked Comics Charlie!"

People at the convention were startled to see me. Rykun answered for me,

"He actually hasn't watched any movies or read any of the comics. I had to drag him here, look at him. So uncultured."

As he spoke, he gained more and more confidence and even patted my shoulder to annoy me.

"Rykun," I turned to stare at him in mock wrath, "You'll be the first person I kill every time I'm an impostor."

The crowd laughed with excited smiles understanding the reference and we began taking pictures with them.

"AMONG US!"

Rykun yelled like a crackhead and stared at people coming in with Among Us costumes. I thought this was a Comic Convention and not halloween?

Putting up an act, I grabbed his arm and shushed him.

"Rykun, don't disturb the others."

He went along with my joke and acted as my little brother.

"But Charlie…"

"No buts or I'll tell Yvette."

Perhaps I'll have to record myself every time I do something like this just to put in a highlight vlog video. 

All just for Achievement points...

…

After taking selfies for a while, the organizers finally appeared and thanked us all for coming here. 

Some people thought I'd be a presenter or something; a flattering thought, but I acted like just another person hanging out at the convention.

I looked around and nodded appreciatively at the great costumes people had. Time and effort were not lacking whatsoever.

Maybe one day I'll be an actor for some of the characters whom people are wearing costumes of.

Seeing as there's already an actor for Spiderman, maybe I could be…

Definitely not Thor… and Iron Man does not suit me…

Haha, get it? Suit me. Iron Man. Suit. Haha. I rubbed my feet against the slippery floor, knowing how unfunny the joke was.

Still… Seeing as how comic movies are starting to quickly gain popularity, I have to get acting experience quickly. I wouldn't want to be rejected or not even given a chance for not being in the acting industry. 

Hopefully, I do not need to be a white American to fit the appearances of some of the major characters.

I shook my head out of my thoughts and started walking around looking at the organized and decorated building with great interest. 

Along the way, I bumped into a few fans every so often while I explored the place.

Exploring isn't good enough though. I need to somehow make sure I'll be able to have a connection to future movies.

I walked through mobs of people towards where I had seen the Spiderman stand earlier.

He was still there, signing autographs, taking pictures, and acting the hyperactive and funny character out.

Queueing up in line, I waited patiently with a smile as I waited to greet the red and blue superhero.

Sooner than later, I was finally at the front of the line.

"Heyy dude! What's your name?"

What a pleasant guy.

I waved with a smile and introduced myself to the superhero.

"Could we take a picture?"

He smiled and I walked next to him to take the selfie. Not bothering to take a good picture, I took it immediately and nodded at him in good humor.

"So how is it being a superhero?"

If he loves acting then he'll be excited to play his role out. If he doesn't then it'll be hard for me to make any sort of connection.

The guy's previous dull look brightened. I guess he really likes acting.

Today is my lucky day.

"Hah, dude. I get to save people and be awesome while at it!" He rubbed his chin a little and then continued, "But it's also because I believe that with great power comes great responsibility!" He finished grandiosely albeit with projected teenage immaturity.

I smiled and clapped lightly at his remark.

"Am I really speaking to the real Spiderman, th—?"

Before I could finish, he interrupted excitedly.

"Of course I'm the real Spiderman! I'm Peter P...Puh Parkinsons... Bah, don't you see it? The suit? The…"

And he kept blabbering and blabbering.

Alright, I'm not sure if I want to speak to this guy anymore.

I stared at him with a sweatdrop as he got way too into character and was possessed by the spirit of Peter Parker.

He noticed my weird stare and he coughed lightly.

"So uh… yeah. You want to be a superhero too?"

He coughed into his elbow again trying to get rid of his shameful disposition.

Pretending to have seen nothing, I presented a bright expression.

"Yes, yes," I went closer and planted my hands on his shoulders.

He puffed his chest proudly and patted my shoulder.

"Then you'll be a great superhero!"

I stepped away and our improvised tacit act came to an end.

He wiped his eyebrow with a bright look in his eyes. Probably the most fun he's had today, considering everything he's been doing is signing autographs and taking pictures.

"So Charlie, eh?"

"That is me, Spider."

He grinned, "You like acting?"

Of course, he's in a good mood now.

"Huu— Yeah, I enjoy acting."

Ever since Charlotte confessed that she really, really enjoyed acting, I'd taken a duty to help her practice her lines.

I'd gotten a little more practicality with Acting.

Besides, I more or less have to act while Modeling and Streaming.

"If you put some work into it, you'd get pretty good. Hey, wouldn't it be cool if you actually got into one of the future movies with us?"

He laughed and encouraged me, in his thoughts he probably thought there was a really slim chance of me getting there. Can't blame him though, he thinks I'm just another dude without the backing of a transnational agency.

"Future movies?" I inquired.

With a red face, he blocked his mouth and began cursing.

"No, nothing. Yes. Future movies. Maybe."

I looked at his face. He panicked and then found that he had no reason to panic at all. Maybe I truly am speaking to the real Peter Parker.

I nodded with a raised eyebrow.

"I see."

I saw Spiderman looking to the left and I followed his gaze.

Up in front of us was a guy holding a camera, probably vlogging the Comic-Con. He was staring at us with a fervent gaze and approached us quickly.

He's probably thinking of the number of views he's about to get.

"Tom Peterson, Charlie Yang, it is an honor to meet you both."

I stared at his outstretched hand and took it with a smile.

Noticing his inexperience, I'm assuming he's either just recording this for memories or is a newbie vlogger.

Seeing as how he was talking to the camera by himself earlier, I'm going to assume it's the latter.

He then shook Tom Peterson's hand as he looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze, probably wondering why the guy shook my hand first and why he knew my name.

I raised my hands with an unknowing gesture. 

I don't know either man. Maybe he feels more familiar with Youtubers and Streamers.

"Are you friends with Tom Peterson?" He wiped his face. "There just seems to be no short amount of people that you know."

For a second, I did not know what to think of his question and remark, nor what to respond. He seems a little like a paparazzi.

"Ah, haha. I'm just a fan of Tom Peterson," 

[DING! Lying has gained 10 points.]

Ignoring the system I saw both of them nod heavily. One probably thinking: Damn right, I'm awesome; and the other one thinking: How do I get the most amount of views out of this?

His eyes brightened dramatically.

"Charlie. Are you going to be in the next movie of Spiderman?!"

He practically yelled.

The others turned to look at us quickly and intensely.

And where the hell did he pull this out from? Sigh. Now he can clickbait his title… What a sneaky guy.

I stared at him with wide eyes,

"Haha… I sure wish I could…"

"Tom Peterson, could I get a confirmation?"

He spoke like a true paparazzi.

"Haha… I'm not sure…" Suddenly, he changed his mind. Still annoyed that he hadn't known I seemed to be relatively known and spoke to him like a casual fan, he smirked in preparation of what he was about to do.

"You know what, yeah. Cat is out of the bag now. Yep. He's going to be in the next mo—"

I covered his mouth quickly.

Though this made me seem a little more suspicious, I did not care. Not only might both of us get in trouble, him especially, but that was also incredibly random as well. 

Either way, it might end up helping me so I don't mind as much.

The vlogger with the camera interviewing us smiled as if what he had come for was finally given to him.

A clickbait worthy video!

Charlie Yang is suddenly pushed into a new unfamiliar yet familiar world with the memories of his alternate self! 

With a power no one else has, technology to be discovered, and famous works not existing in this new world, how will Charlie reach the stars? 

Rising through heartbreak, join Charlie as he and his Achievement System achieve greatness!

1-2 chapters daily. Will increase in the future.

Chapters are around 1,500 words in length.

Discord code: rvVt3sB3vn

Cover credits: @ksb_x4

Please contact me if you wish for the cover to be removed.

'All you need is love..
 
'But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt..
 
'Lucy.'
 
"Kaori, dear, if you keep going at that rate, your dad won't have anything left to sell tomorrow..", Miyazono Ryouko said as she glared at her daughter who was currently eating some of the bakery's chocolates. 
 
Kaori just responded to her mother with an awkward giggle while her mouth was stuffed.
 
"Something bothering you, darling?..", asked Ryouko again. 
 
'Why does my mom always had this superpower of reading my mind?..', thought Kaori before she swallowed. 
 
"You were always conscious about your weight..", added Ryouko, which immediately made her daughter push the chocolates away but taking one more for later.
 
"Did I get fat already, okaa-san?..", asked Kaori as her expression became darker. 
 
Ryouko just let a drop of sweat down. "You could actually eat some more. You're still skinny..", Ryouko replied with a blank stare. She took the chocolates away and washed the dishes in the kitchen sink as Kaori helped her too. "I already know when something's wrong even before you play that song, Kaori..", she added, referring to one of her child's piano compositions she plays whenever she had bad days.
 
"I'm fine, okaa-san. I'm smiling now. Nothing to worry!"
 
"Kaori.."
 
Kaori sighed. There was no use hiding it from her mother. She knew her very well. And besides, she did have to tell her everything for her to help her remember some things. However, she did not understand why she wouldn't want to share something in particular openly. 'I guess this is a first..'
 
Ever since that day in school before the break, Kaori couldn't help but be drawn to Arima Kousei's music. The moment he touched the keys, something stirred in her. She froze outside the door of the music room. She listened intently on how he played her song. She smiled at the thought of how he made it his own.
 
'The way he plays it is so soft and delicate.. that when I close my eyes, I could actually see the orange tinged ocean from my window in our California apartment..', thought Kaori as she recalled the fateful day he met Kousei in Sumiya's music prep room. 'It was so long ago when I wrote that song.. but hearing it from him made me remember exactly how it all looked like..'
 
Curiosity got the better of Kaori. She was going to approach this mysterious boy. But when she opened her eyes, she saw there were so many of her classmates watching him. 'I'm not usually shy.. but in that instance, I couldn't understand why I hesitated. I just went back to class instead after that.'
 
Good thing Kousei was still there when Kaori came back. He did not give her a good first impression at all though. 'Well, I guess it probably wasn't a first impression for him. He knows me. And I could tell that he knows me very well. I just couldn't remember. The lasting impact he left my family that day told me a story of a boy who was connected to my very precious but forgotten past.'
 
Just the other day, Kaori got invited by Kousei's friend, Watari, to watch him practice with the piano. She couldn't say no to the opportunity to hear that music again. She went there and listened. 'But once again.. I just stood outside the door. I didn't understand why I got shy. His playing was just so rich. I closed my eyes and smiled. He sounded like he was so in love..
 
'However.. I couldn't help but feel uneasy.'
 
"I feel strange about something..", Kaori said to her mother, looking down as she held on to the sides of the stool she was sitting on, while her feet swayed back and forth.
 
"Arima-kun, is it?..", Ryouko asked, which tingled Kaori's entire personality with so much electricity that it might have burned her skin to a crispy red.
 
"No! Absolutely not, okaa-san! Why would you!? Ugh..", Kaori desperately tried to deny, but it was too late. She was already as red as a tomato. She just looked away and scowled. But she could see her mom staring at her curiously. "Partly.. yes. But not entirely..", she sort of admitted, but her mother kept staring at her with that poker face. "Really, Mom!? Fine.. I think I'm drawn to his music. I don't know why.."
 
Then, Ryouko's expression changed into a smile. She already had a hunch to begin with. "Did you try to find out why, darling?"
 
"Hmm.. yeah. Sort of.."
 
Ryouko gave her daughter a skeptical look. She was zeroing down on her target. 
 
'Did I do something wrong? But why couldn't I be completely honest?..', wondered Kaori as she was flashing a cold sweated awkward smile that got her mother fired up.
 
"You were forcing him to tell you some things, didn't you? Kaori?"
 
"No! It's not that..", Kaori lied, but she was really curious about him. She definitely recognized him, but she couldn't remember. "The moment I saw him.. I knew immediately that I needed answers, but I didn't know why..", Kaori added with her smile disintegrating.
 
"So you kept asking him who he was in your life?"
 
"Yes..", answered Kaori with a forced giggle.
 
"Kaori..", Ryouko said with a worried voice.
 
"I'm sorry! I know that's wrong and unfair! I'm not gonna do it again.. I promise..", Kaori apologized while she bowed at ninety degrees, faking some tears.
 
Ryouko just shook her head. She smiled after that though and held her daughter's chin up. "You can wipe that faucet water off your eyes now..", she said, which made Kaori drop backwards. Her mischievous child's carefully made up fake tears never worked on her. "You can start by listening to Arima-kun's music again.. then maybe you could get your memories back by then..", she said right before smiling with her eyes closed.
 
However, it could be such a drag to actually find a way to listen Kousei play. That afternoon, she did call Watari if he could invite her to watch the piano prodigy practice, but he said that he left the house and may have practiced at Emi's place. 
 
'That's strange though. Even though they seemed to be dating, I heard that they were going to be opponents in their next competition..', pondered Kaori as she opted to have a walk in the nearby park instead. 'Speaking of those two, Emi-chan denied the other day that they were dating. But they seemed so into each other. It's really confusing. And the way Arima-kun practiced his piece, it sounded like he was so in love that he would pursue her to the ends of the earth.. 
 
'Then why aren't they together? I guess this was what made me feel uneasy. I could actually feel that pain in Arima-kun's music..'
 
"Oh.. I never thought I'd find you here..", a familiar voice brought Kaori back to her senses from the starry skies over the park.
 
"Yuujin A!..", yelled Kaori, frowning upon seeing Kousei. She didn't expect him to be lurking around a park near their house. "Are you stalking me, pervert?"
 
"Would it make you happy if I did?..", Kousei shot back with a smirk, surprising Kaori as her eyes widened and her cheeks suddenly flushing. He sat beside her and looked up towards the sky while she just simply stared at him. "I used to come here all the time at this hour.."
 
"Why this late?"
 
"My mom would never let me out of the house until I finished my piano lessons. It was usually night by the time I was done."
 
"Oh wow.. she must've been very hard on you.. reminds me of a certain someone at home..", Kaori said before giggling at the thought of her own mother.
 
"You have no idea..", Kousei replied with an awkward smile. And then, he looked at the sky again. "I never really hated playing the piano, although I never liked it as well. I just loved listening to my mom playing it..", he continued while he stared at the stars above with the reflection sparkling in his eyes. "Then one day, Hiro-chan told us that I should become a pianist.. I played anyway.. because this time, I want my mother to be the one listening to my music.. I played so she could be happy."
 
Kaori stared at the boy beside her as he looked straight at her with an awkward smirk. She couldn't help but smile as well with what he just said. 'No wonder I'm so drawn to his playing. It's so inspired. It reminds me of the bonds I have with the people closest to me.. even if I've lost a lot of precious memories about them.'
 
"That's why you play so well.. your music is so filled with the greatest love of all.. the bond between a mother and child..", remarked Kaori while they both stared at the sparkling night sky. The stars were shining unusually bright that night. "How's your mother, by the way?..", asked Kaori, which she regretted instantly when Kousei's spirits immediately went down.
 
"Oh.. okaa-san. She's been gone for five years now..", Kousei replied as he looked down.
 
"Eh? Gone..?..", squealed Kaori in surprised dread. 'I am such a stupid, stupid ignorant girl.. waah!'
 
"She was really ill.. so she passed away.."
 
"I'm so sorry to hear that.. really sorry I even asked.. okay. Change topic! Sorry..", Kaori apologized desperately. And she might've turned red and pale at the same time, if that was even possible.
 
Kousei just stared at Kaori with his eyes wide open as if all the stars from above went down on her. It didn't help since it probably made her fluster even more. Then, his lips curbed into a smile, which eventually turned into a chuckle.
 
"It's fine. Don't feel sorry for me. My mother will always be in my heart..", remarked Kousei. 
 
Kaori smiled at that with her eyes welling with a little bit of tears. 
 
"And if it makes you feel better, I don't just play for my mom anymore, you know..", added Kousei, which actually made Kaori feel excited.
 
"That's right! The piece you were practicing.. it was for Emi-chan, right?..", chimed Kaori while she swooned in excitement. "It was so heartwarming.. I wish guys would pursue and court me like that soon..", she added with hearts appearing and popping like bubbles above her.
 
"I wouldn't count on that.. You'd scare them first."
 
"Eh?! What's that supposed to mean?!!..", Kaori's mood went on a hundred and eighty degree turn.
 
Kousei just flashed Kaori with an eye closing smile. He didn't even give her a clear cut answer. She just really wished that him and Emi became officially together already. No one could ask for a better musical couple, and they looked so good together. 
 
'It's an automatic "A" for chemistry class!..', thought Kaori with a beaming smile.
 
"The stars are shining way too bright for a winter evening, don't you think?..", Kousei asked as he looked up once more, completely ignoring the topic. Kaori stared at him blankly, but he still ignored the question.
 
"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy..", muttered Kaori.
 
"Really? Who told you that?..", Kousei asked, not breaking his gaze towards the sky.
 
"Charlie Brown.."
 
Kousei suddenly stared at Kaori wide eyed as if he couldn't believe what she just said. She did not know yet why he gave such a reaction, but she just found it so funny and laughed at him. Then, he gave her that same confused look as he scratched his head. And that got her to laugh even more. Eventually, he just resorted to his usual awkward chuckle.
 
'Wait..', thought Kaori as she abruptly paused for a realization. 'What was that? His usual awkward chuckle? Usual? When did I? No, never mind.. I can't remember.'
 
Translation Notes:
 
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt - a quote said by Lucy, a character in the popular comic strip series "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz.
 
Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy - originally an Eskimo proverb, a quote said by Charlie Brown, a character in the popular comic strip series "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz.
 


The beloved story of the piano prodigy returns as he embarks on a journey from being an awkward boy to a full fledged adult. Although just barely on the cusp of manhood, Arima Kousei already studies in his dream school, has a decent set of true friends, and is together with the most popular girl in the campus. However, there is one problem. A vacuum of space lies in the middle of his chest that used to house something very precious to him. 

Join Kousei as he tells his story through his own eyes, along with a few friends to help him out, on how he faces the tumultuous life of a teenager trying to move forward from a painful yet colorful memory. It begins just barely four years after he met the love of his life, Miyazono Kaori.

Author's Note:

Some of the characters, places, events, and objects in this light novel are not owned by the author, but created by the great Naoshi Arakawa himself. The story is purely fanfiction and should not be treated as canon.

For more YLIA2 content and the author's extras, follow me on instagram: @eruma_sarushiro

　　The next day, Chu Yu asked for leave and came to the Xuangui Comics Club alone.
　　Inside Xuangui Comics Club, Li Xi has been waiting for a long time. As usual, wearing ol professional attire, the whole person looks capable and energetic.
　　As soon as Chu Yu walked into Xuangui Comics Company, he found Li Xi's office in a familiar way.
　　"Please sit down!" Li Xi said after seeing Chu Yu.
　　After getting up and pouring a cup of hot tea for Chu Yu, he closed the door by the way, and the whole room was in an airtight environment.
　　"Presumably, there is no need for me to say anything. Just yesterday, at the serialization meeting of the Xuangui Comics Club, your work Natsume Friends Account and another work Qianxing Mijing were selected by the editor-in-chief Deng He, plus another Three of the excellent works in the second-level journals of Bu Xuangui will be serialized in the current issue of
　　Shuiyuan in three weeks !" "Three weeks later?" Chu Yu's eyes narrowed.
　　Before coming, Chu Yu naturally knew about the fact that his work could pass the serialization meeting smoothly.
　　However, he did not expect that Xuangui's efficiency was so high. Only yesterday, he decided which works could be published on the Water's Edge, and the next day he immediately set the publication date of the works.
　　"This is the contract signed. If there is no problem, I will print it out and complete the contract." Li Xi placed a laptop in front of Chu Yu.
　　Entry is a long contract.
　　Fortunately, after the Song Jiayu incident and after dealing with cuttlefish, Chu Yu has a much stronger awareness of the relevant laws. Although he does not say that he is proficient in the laws of the Dragon Kingdom, he at least understands the relevant cases of contract fraud in the comics industry. Over.
　　He can see the pitfalls in the general contract.
　　Of course, for Li Xi, Su Lu's good friend, Chu Yu still has a certain degree of trust in him, but he must be defensive, so this contract...Chu Yu takes it very seriously.
　　Finally, after changing three cups of tea in front of Li Xi, Chu Yu finally looked away from the electronic contract.
　　I breathed a sigh of relief in my heart.
　　In general, this contract is quite satisfactory and there are no pitfalls.
　　The main key content is the following.
　　First, the comic manuscript is remunerated at two thousand dragon coins per page.
　　For this, Chu Yu didn't have any comments.
　　Although on the surface, the author's remuneration of two thousand dragon national coins is only one thousand yuan more than that of Man Ying.
　　Compared with the two periodicals of Manying and Shuiyuan, the gap between the two can be described by heaven and earth.
　　Each page is only a thousand yuan higher, and I am really sorry for the status of the journal Shuiyuan.
　　But when it comes to a cartoonist who can serialize comics in journals like Shuiyuan, who cares about the mere income of manuscripts?
　　It's not the same as Japanese manga in parallel planes, which is popular all over the world.
　　On the plane of the Dragon Kingdom, although the Japanese island side is still carrying forward the theme of comics, the potential power of the Dragon Kingdom mainland region to come from behind cannot be ignored.
　　At least, in the current Longguo comics industry, the entire animation market is extremely regulated, with a strong sense of copyright, and there are countless fans that have been cultivated.
　　In Parallel Time and Space, the works of hundreds of millions of books sold in one- line books can be described as the ceiling of the comics industry, and most of them are concentrated in Japan in that world. 　　But on the plane of the Dragon Kingdom, with a population of more than one billion people, the difficulty of breaking through one hundred million in a single comic book is much lower than in parallel time and space. 　　Moreover, in this world, the Dragon Kingdom is definitely a unique existence in the world's comic market. 　　In short, the cartoons of the entire world are imitating the Dragon Kingdom. 　　Therefore, sales in overseas markets should not be underestimated. 　　This has also created a large group of staggering rich people in Longguo comics. 　　There are many cartoonists who rely on single book royalties, adapt animations, and earn hundreds of millions of dollars in peripheral income. 　　It is not uncommon for the names of several old cartoonists to appear on the Long Country Rich List.







　　In such an environment, everyone will certainly not care about the comic manga remuneration in this mere mere.
　　In the contract, many cartoonists are concerned about the share of copyright.
　　Comics are serialized in periodicals, and the comics club helps you to promote the comics. Naturally, the comics club also has a share of the copyright revenue of your works.
　　In this contract, the percentage of royalties for the comic book issued by
　　Chu Yu was 8%... Chu Yu looked at Li Xi.
　　"Li Xi, this is about the proportion of comic royalties..."
　　"There is nothing to talk about!" Li Xi stopped what Chu Yu wanted to say.
　　"Genki comic agency, any of the first comic strip on the edge of the water this journal cartoonists in the booklet into the proportion of royalties, is the ratio!"
　　"If you want in on this issue and mysterious Kametan, at least that's after your comic has achieved impressive results and serialized the new work! At that time, 9%, 10%, or even higher royalties are possible, but it all depends on it. Because of your past achievements."
　　Chu Yu was silent for a long time upon hearing this.
　　"Understood!"
　　Chu Yu didn't bother with this. Ideas are very important, but we must also look at reality.
　　Now he really can't negotiate terms with Xuangui.
　　For the rest, the contract includes animation adaptations, other themes adaptations, and the sharing of peripheral products, which are basically the industry's normal standards.
　　"I have no opinion!" Chu Yu nodded.
　　"Okay!" Li Xi smiled at the corner of his mouth.
　　Print out the contract neatly and instruct Chu Yu one by one where and how to sign.
　　five minutes later.
　　Li Xi put away the contract and reached out to Chu Yu.
　　Chu Yu also stood up to respond to her, holding their hands together.
　　"You are welcome to join Xuangui!" Li Xi smiled and looked at Chu Yu.
　　After this moment, she is Chu Yu's comic editor, which means that the two have officially established a cooperative relationship. Chu Yu's physical and mental state, comic serialization progress, and personal private life all need to be involved in varying degrees. .
　　At the same time, the performance of Chu Yu's works is also related to her personal income on Xuangui and her career promotion prospects.
　　Among other things, if Chuyu's Natsume's friend account was cut in one or two months after being serialized because of poor popularity, then Li Xi from now on, not to mention working in Xuangui, even if he would change jobs to other comic companies in the future. Some people will use this to talk about things.
　　Signing Chu Yu is also a gamble for Li Xi.
　　But anyway, for Li Xi, she has been like this all the way.
　　The same was true when Tang Xin was excavated back then, otherwise Tang Xin's rise would not be so fast.
　　"Well, that's the case, then from today, you will be my partner for comics in Xuangui!" Li Xi looked at Chu Yu.
　　"Three weeks later, Natsume's Friends Account was officially published in the Shuibian. According to the rules, the new work was published for the first time, with two stories together!"
　　"Except for the three manuscripts you gave me before, in order to keep up with the serialization progress of the comics, Starting from the week when this work is serialized, you should also submit the manuscript of the fourth chapter of this work!"
　　"Every week thereafter, the deadline is Friday. I will visit when it is due. I hope you will not delay the manuscript. Don't be like someone..."
　　"Otherwise, you will appreciate my reminder method!" Li Xi seemed to say jokingly.
　　But Chu Yu could vaguely feel that she was serious. UU read www.uukanshu.com
　　just right, and since Li Xi talked about this, Chu Yu also spoke.
　　"Of course, if you are acquainted with Su Lu, you should be able to understand that I have never delayed the manuscript..."
　　"It's just that, as a native of Los Angeles , I am not familiar with the magic city.... In order to complete the comic creation with higher quality, I need to find a few comic assistants."
　　"I don't know Li Xi, do you have any good suggestions for this?"
　　"Comic Assistant?" Li Xi heard the words and thought for a few seconds.
　　"How many do you want?" Li Xi looked at Chu Yu.
　　"Two!" Chu Yu said.
　　Although one would be enough according to common sense, Chu Yu also had other ideas, and he was already a speed monster in the eyes of an ordinary cartoonist anyway.
　　And because of the systematic reasons, Chu Yu doesn't have to spend a lot of time conceiving the plot of the comic.
　　That being the case, why not try to see if you can serialize two works or even more works at the same time with enough manga assistants?
　　After all, there are so many excellent works in the system, and Chu Yu doesn't expect to serialize them all in this lifetime, but he can always serialize one more.

another work published by me {My Cartoonist Guide}

　Chu Yu, a senior two-dimensional fan, a dead house in the eyes of others, and a cheating comic book author in the eyes of readers!
On that day, he obtained the system that carries many excellent comic works on the parallel world earth... and
began his life as a comic artist who considered himself a legend, but was actually a silly comic artist!
Reader A, "Teacher, please, please finish drawing the full-time hunter first and then open a new hole? It's been three years, and three years later, three years have been opened for ten years. You want me Will my son burn me the full-time hunter's final chapter?"
Reader B, "Old thief Chuyu, you know what a fart cl. If you don't resurrect Furukawa, I will send you the blade tomorrow!"
Reader C, "Hehe, Xiangbei is down !" It's over in the top eight in the country? Chu Yu Lao Kengbi, do you want to pass by saying "the dream of youth is imperfect"? I swear, I will die for your works in the future, outside of death, from my house If I jump down, I won’t look at it again!"


if you would like to make a donation-----PayPal: lopesplayer2@gmail.com

Ivory and Viper resided in the living room. Viper was spending her free-time watching a movie while Ivory was on her laptop, obsessing over a pair of shoes.
"Viper, look," Ivory turned over the laptop. Viper observed the black cut-out boots. "Aren't they nice?"
"Oh, Ivory, those shoes scream your name," Viper put a hand to her ear. "I can hear them."
The two laughed.
"How did going back to the strip club work out?"
Ivory looked up from her laptop, remembering what Chris told her. "Oh, the man couldn't help me. He told me to not go against Blue."
"That's strange. Well, it looks like we're back to square one."
"Not exactly. See, his name is Chris, and Chris knows something about Blue. He might come back," Ivory smiled quietly, remembering the phone that he gave her.
Viper looked at the time on the television. "I'm going to go to bed."
"Right now? It's only six o'clock. And your favorite show is on: Criminal Minds."
"I'm not feeling good. Besides, I have to clean my room," Viper then left.
Ivory thought about what just happened. Ivory knew that Viper was hiding something. Ivory closed her laptop and took out her first every credit card from her wallet. Blue gave her a blue, shiny, credit card. Ivory had been working hard, and she was happy to start making some money. Ivory didn't want to use her money recklessly.
Ivory heard Red calling her from the hallway, and she followed him into the vast dining room. She guessed it was dinner time. She was content; giant growls ruptured from her stomach. Everyone but Viper was grabbing pizza, talking, laughing, and pouring drinks. Ivory took a seat by the corner and ate her slice of pizza in silence. She heard someone sit next to her, the sudden movement causing a breeze. She glanced to see Spike but said nothing to him.
"Where do you think Viper is?" a maid asked another.
"Who knows, but Harley always tells me that Viper's nothing but trouble," the second one said.
Ivory knew that the one that had just spoken was Harley's maid.
"Maria," Harley called her maid over, and the maid made her way over to Harley.
"Ivory," Spike said, and she faced him, "Where's Viper?"
"She told me that she was going to bed."
"This early?"
Ivory shrugged, "I can't help you, Spike, I just hope that she isn't breaking any rules."
"Why would that be a problem for you?" Spike raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I don't want to get into trouble."
"Viper has free-will. If she gets into trouble, you won't."
Spike then got up to get more pizza. Ivory saw Blue and Hawks talking in the corner, and Ivory could tell that the conversation was serious. Hawks quickly glanced but said nothing as Blue handed him something. Hawks put the item in his pocket.
Ivory felt that Blue and Hawks were gossiping about Viper, but she wasn't too sure.
***
After a while, the gang members slowly left the room until only a few people were left. Viper eventually showed up, which caught Ivory's attention because she said that she was tired and had to clean her room. Viper really was acting out of character. Viper was able to eat pizza but had to wash all the dishes.
Viper was grunting to herself about all the dishes and was obviously annoyed.
Ivory volunteered to help her but was stopped by Blue.
"Go in the living room," he ordered her, "and stay in there. Hawks and Lucky will be watching you. Where Hawks goes, you follow. Got it?"
"Yes, Boss," Ivory raised an eyebrow but didn't question Blue demand. He'd been extra snippy for the last couple of days, but no one seemed to notice for some strange reason. It was only directed toward Ivory and Viper, really.
"And Viper, I want those dishes done in ten minutes, so hurry up! Quit complaining. You're lucky I even feed you!" Ivory heard Blue bark at Viper. Ivory jumped in fright at the booming voice.
Ivory saw Hawks and Lucky sitting by the couch, with cigarettes, a couple of wine glasses, and a red wine bottle. She sat toward the corner, hoping that they didn't speak to her.
"Ivory," Hawks grinned ear to ear like the Cheshire cat. He took her arm and pulled her over. He picked her up and sat her by the couch's end crease, trapping her between Lucky and him.
"Why do you always do that whenever I sit on the couch?"
"Does it annoy you?"
"No, Hawks, it doesn't," she replied sarcastically. "I love it."
"Don't be sarcastic, dear," he took a puff from his cigarette. Ivory covered her nose with her hand. "I do it because you hate it."
"And it's easy to pick you up, the other girls are taller," Lucky chimed in. "And stop covering your face, all you have are two holes for that excuse of a nose."
Hawks burst out laughing as Ivory blushed. Lucky followed Hawks' lead as the dark-haired-boy poked the tip of her nose. She swatted his hand away as if he were a fly.
"It isn't my fault that my nose is small," Ivory defended herself.
"I never said it was," Lucky peered into the kitchen, seeing Viper rush to get everything done. "Look, Hawks,"
Hawks turned to look into the kitchen. "She's been productive," he turned back around, "for once," he took a puff from his cigarette before discarding it.
He and Lucky snickered.
"Making fun of her isn't helping."
"Gosh, Ivory, you're so uptight," Hawks said. "You need something to wind you down a little bit."
"Yes, Hawks, something to calm her down and loosen her up," Lucky picked up a glass and poured wine into it. "Here you are," he placed it into her hands. "Don't drink it too fast, you'll get drunk. It is your first drink."
She stared at him, wide-eyed. "You're no older than me, and you're drinking wine?"
"Whiskey," Hawks corrected.
"Bourbon to be exact," Lucky said.
"Bourbon?"
"Besides, I've done worse," Hawks shrugged.
"Really? Like what?"
"I don't think you're ready for my stories, Ivory. I'm one of Blue's favorites for a reason, Little Lady," Ivory didn't take a liking to Hawks' tone of voice. He also never referred to her nickname.
"Is it just you and Red?"
"Harley and Red and his most trusted," Lucky said.
"Yeah, they seem to know things that others don't."
"That's because they do. I wouldn't trust those two, Ivory. Whatever you tell them goes straight to Blue," Lucky whispered.
Ivory could tell that Lucky disliked Red and Harley.
"So, what would we be considered?"
"His top workers."
"Blue has connections everywhere. His top and most trusted workers —but Viper— stay here," Hawks said. 
"I'm not part of the gang."
"Yes, you are," Hawks said.
"I wasn't at first."
"Your proved yourself trustworthy."
"But how come Viper hasn't?" Ivory asked.
"You really need to stop asking questions," Hawks said, his light eyes slowly glancing into the kitchen as Viper quickly disappeared.
"Hey, Hawks, I got the newest Playboy in the mail today."
"Oh, really? Did you?"
"You know what Playboy is, Little Lady?"
"Yes, I do," Ivory said. "The older boys' at the foster home used to sneak them in and look at them."
The two boys chuckled but said nothing further as they drank and smoked in silence.
After about five minutes, Hawks stood up and looked at Lucky. "I have to go. Remember your job."
Ivory wondered where Hawks was going.                                                    
"I remember, Hawks," Ivory went to follow, Hawks, but Lucky put his arm out, stopping her. "Hold your horses, Little Lady. Where do you think you're going?"                          
"What horses? And if you had ears, then you would have heard Blue from the kitchen earlier, but then again, who really knows what goes on in that small brain of yours?" she insulted.
Hawks turned away, trying not to laugh as Lucky sent her a light glare, but said nothing.
"Move out of the way, Joker," she snarled, "Hawks is in charge, so I'll pretend to be his puppet since that's what he and Blue want."                                          
"About that," Hawks turned to her, after rolling his eyes to her remark, of course, "I have some errands to run, so Lucky's in charge of you until I get back."
Ivory sat back down on the couch, sighed, and crossed her arms. "Why does he have to watch me?"                                              
Lucky looked at aghast like she offended him.
Hawks turned to face her. "Because I said so."
Lucky smirked. "Yeah, Little Lady, maybe we'll get to know each other a little more."
"Nah, I'm okay."                                                        
Lucky seemed hurt, but he just rolled his eyes as Ivory smirked in victory. Hawks stood there with his usual stoic expression. "Tell me if Ivory behaves, which I'm sure she will,�� Hawks said to Lucky, changing the topic. He turned to Ivory, "Just listen to Lucky. I'll be back at around midnight."                                                                  
Ivory wondered where Hawks was going; he was never out late.
"Bye, Hawks," Lucky dismissed, and Hawks walked downstairs.
Lucky took a seat next to Ivory and picked up a book. Ivory turned away and thought about why Hawks' been extra sneaky lately.                                                                      
"Where's Hawks going?"                                                      
"It doesn't matter"" Lucky said, not looking up from his book.                     
Ivory sighed. She knew that sooner or later, she'd figure out what's going on. That is when an idea hit her. What if Viper had been with Roxie because she was trying to leave the gang? It would make perfect sense since she wanted Ivory to go back to the club with Swindle H — the reason behind that was because Swindle H is sneaky. No one would suspect her. Since Ivory was told by Chris, the man at the club, to not tell anyone of the cellphone he gave her, how exactly did he know that she would come back? But what about when she was injured, and Viper was acting strange?
What if they planned this ordeal all along? Blue must know about it, but it wouldn't make sense as to why he would allow it to occur. Then again, he never liked Viper, to begin with. Swindle H must have caught on and played along — which may be why Viper recommended her. It would also make sense why Swindle visited Ivory in the computer room and willingly took her to the strip club. It all puzzled together.
Ivory knew that Viper would never succeed, but if she did, the Blue Dragons would never fall. The gang had ties everywhere. The Blue Dragons were a mafia gang, they will make sure they stand.
If Ivory as correct, she would be angry. Ivory knew that Viper wouldn't change her mind because Viper was reckless. If Viper said that she was going to do something, she'd do it.
Leech crawled into the blonde's head, and she wondered where he came from and why he was around one time. Ivory didn't trust him, but it seemed that the Blue Dragons felt the same way. Ivory rolled her eyes because no one ever told her the details.
Ivory broke out of her trance and looked at Lucky, who seemed to be reading very slowly. She could have sworn that she saw him try to hold his laughter. Why would he laugh over a romance novel?
"Lucky, why is it taking you forever to finish a page?"
He looked at her. "It isn't."
"Yes, it is," Ivory eyed him suspiciously and stood up. "Give me the book."
Lucky stood up and held the book high in the air. Ivory jumped up, trying her best to reach it, but Lucky being around six feet tall didn't help.
"Lucky, you're not reading," she accused.      
"Yes, I am. What makes you think otherwise?" He raised a brow.                                        
"You've been on the same page for about five minutes. It takes me about a minute to finish two pages, come one now."                                                                
"Hey, Little Lady, everyone reads at different paces."
"Okay, but you're laughing. Romance isn't funny."
"It's corny," Lucky shrugged, throwing the book onto the couch.                                         
Ivory grabbed the book and saw what he was looking at. Why was she not surprised? "Lucky, really?" she picked up the comic strip that was between the pages. "A comic book?" 
Lucky grabbed it out of her hand. "They're funny."                                                               
"Next time, try to be original with your jokes."                                                          
"Being the Joker is hard," he pouted.             
"Then don't be Joker, be Batman," Ivory said sarcastically. "I mean, it's not like you're funny anyway," she said.                                                   
He rolled his eyes. "I'll need a pair of batwings, which I don't have," He said comedically, ignoring the insult.
Ivory sighed and sat back down.
All of a sudden, Blue walked in, "What's going on here? I can hear you both from the other room."
"Well, I just figured out that Lucky reads comics instead of real books," Ivory said.
"Hey, I do read books. Its comic strip hour, that's all," Lucky sounded insulted.                  
"At ten o'clock at night?" Ivory asked, not impressed. "Wow, no wonder why you're always hyper."                                             
"I have nothing else to do," Again, Lucky ignored her insult.                                                
"You could read a real book."
"Ha — a real book?" Blue scoffed. "Please, we all know that Lucky isn't the smartest person on base."                  
"...Hey!"
"Besides, you could recommend books to him. You know that I have a... wide selection to choose from," Blue smirked.
Blue knew that Ivory was in the library.
Ivory narrowed her eyes, wondering if Blue was in the library, or if Hawks was. Maybe Hawks happened to bump into her, but if that were the case, why was he in the basement? Perhaps Hawks was searching for something.                     
"Comic strips are way cooler," Lucky argued back, missing Blue's condescending remark.                                                                                                                         
Ivory leaned back on the couch and sighed. Arguing with Lucky about comic strips wasn't fun; her intuitive psyche warned her that something terrible would happen. Ivory was nervous and had nothing nor the knowledge of what would take place.
That was when a thought came to her. Ivory saw Lucky follow Blue out of the room, proving that he was actually smart while Blue ignored him. Ivory made sure that no one was around or would sneak attack her, and slowly took the phone out of her hoodie pocket. Ivory flipped the phone open and saw a random number, realizing that it was Chris'.
She sent him a quick but urgent message: "Roxie's taking my friend out. I think the two of them are going to tell on the gang," sent.
Ivory wasn't sure that she could trust Chris, but she knew he was her only chance.
***
Meanwhile, Viper made sure that no one watched her, opened the back door, and snuck out. The young rebel hopped into a car and drove off, not knowing that someone was following her. The person stepped out from the bushes and unlocked their own vehicle. The person was about to get in until they realized that someone was with them.
"Geez, Spike, you scared me," the voice said.
"Sorry, just want to wish you good luck."
The voice let out a sigh. "Thanks."
"You don't seem happy about doing this job," Spike said as the light from the upstairs window hit his face.
"It's not that I'm not happy to do it. It's Ivory —"
"Ivory? What about her?"
"Blue is having me follow Viper because he thinks that she is going to the police."
"The police?"
"Yes. And if those accusations are true, I hope that no one blames Ivory. Blue had Harley spy on them, and he even had Harley spy on Ivory, but Ivory hasn't been doing anything except explore the base."
"Explore the base? Oh, I see."
"Harley doesn't see Ivory as a threat, so Blue isn't worried about her. Blue's purposely keeping Ivory busy. Ivory's smart; I know that she'll eventually figure out what's going on, and if she does, just make sure she doesn't leave. Look, I have to go. Just make sure that she's safe, okay?"
"You got it. I'll make sure nothing happens. Lucky seems to be doing well with that at the moment."
"He's my best friend, but he isn't the strongest. So, if something happens, make sure you're there."
"I catch your drift. Don't worry about Ivory, she's fine. Go — you have a mission to complete."
The voice nodded and hopped into his car. He sped off, hot on Viper and Roxie's tail.
The person was curious to know if what Blue assumed about the two was accurate. Roxie hasn't been her cheerful and docile self. The man was ready and couldn't wait to find out the secret Viper, and Roxie kept from everyone. The man knew that what they were conspiring wasn't beneficial. Like Blue, he also had the feeling that it was about the gang, but the man wasn't sure why. Blue sensed that Roxie never liked the connection she had with the group and didn't want the two orphans living a dangerous life. Roxie had her regrets and perhaps didn't wish Viper and Ivory regretting anything. Red added that Roxie's rebellion may be toward Fox.
The man turned the corner and found the familiar car and smiled because the women didn't know that he was touting them; the man was excellent at sneaking around. The man was finally going to find out what Viper and Roxie were hiding. He felt a smirk crawl onto his face; he smelled victory.
The man was like a hawk, indeed.

Tags: #Scifi, #Romance, #Horror, and #Supernatural/Paranormal.
__
I. Bonded

Ivory McKay and Viper Lehmann are two orphans who are kidnapped by New York City's most dangerous mafia gang. The leader has a reason why he is interested in these girls but holds many secrets that he keeps unanswered. When Ivory realizes Viper's true intentions of betraying the gang, she is stuck choosing a vicious gang and her only friend. Will Viper and Ivory be able to save themselves or will their flaws lead to their downfall? 

***
II. Double-Dealing

Since Viper’s bitter fate, the Blue Dragons no longer consider her a threat. First, everything flows smoothly, but things slowly go downhill when coincidental stories and bizarre information are gradually exposed. As Ivory is trusted more and witnesses a realistic mafia lifestyle, an unexpected deed throws everything off-track. When processing the truth, Ivory is one step closer in discovering her captivity. When Ivory faces near death situations, which side will she choose: will she choose Blue and the gang or rebel like her former best friend? 

(Serializing)

***

A hickey. Finnegan McRyan gave me a hickey. I'm going to kill him. Thank God, San Francisco is permanently celebrating fall, so I'll get away with using a scarf as a fashion statement to hide the small purple mark at the base of my neck. The blue scarf doesn't match my spring jacket, but I have no more time to waste.

Cars move at a snail's pace on the street as I push through my building's front door and stop outside. I wore jeans and sneakers to make the walk to our brunch meetup easier, but now the task is overwhelming no matter my footwear. Yesterday on a map, the walk from Pacific Heights to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood didn't seem so bad. Today I'm already an hour late and the idea of walking all the way past Golden Gate Park for some Tahiti French Toast sounds impossible. It's all uphill.

I eye the road in front of the building and can't spot a single Taxi. Why is it so hard to get a cab in this town? Marissa had to drive in, but with parking there is no way I can ask her to get me. She mentioned in at least five of her last fifteen text messages that she and Amanda are already in line and are going to eat tasty brunch without me. I have no choice but to walk it. And walk it fast.

I turn ready to start my journey when a black Escalade pulls to the curb in front of me. The passenger side window rolls down and a familiar face smiles at me from the driver's side.

"Aspen! Are you okay? You look upset?" Jake is out of the car and in front of me before I have time to form an answer. Do I look that distraught over the walk?

I haven't realized how tall and imposing the man can be until I'm faced off next to him on a street corner. His black suit is pressed similar to the last few times I've seen him. It makes me worry aliens are about to invade and he's here to remove my memories.

"Oh, no. I'm fine. Thanks. I'm meeting friends for brunch and I'm late. I can't get a cab so I have to walk. I'll never make it in time." I turn away ready to start off again when he grabs my upper arm to stop my advance.

Jake pulls the backseat door open. "Come on. Hop in," he says.

"No. I'm okay. You're here for a reason. I'm sure Finn needs you." I try to pull my arm from his grasp, but Jake begins to slowly lead me toward the waiting vehicle.

He flashes me a questioning look. "Finn would want me to make sure you made it safely with your friends. He's going to meet friends as well. Trust me, he can wait. I'd get in more trouble for not giving you a ride." His makes a jerking motion with his head to suggest I get in the vehicle.

The whole situation is surreal and why is no one on the street stopping to help me? What if this big buzzed cut guy was kidnapping me? Just because he's in a suit doesn't mean he's not up to no good.

The truth is I don't have time to argue and a car will get me there faster, even in this ridiculous traffic. Plus, Finn gave me a hickey. He owes me. "Uurgh. Fine." I voice my displeasure but give in and settle into the backseat.

Jake closes the door and rounds the front of the vehicle before hopping back into the driver's seat. "Where to?"

"Zazie's? It's on Cole Street."

"I know the place. Great French toast." His reply is quick and then the car is back in traffic headed in the direction I'd planned to walk. Traffic still isn't moving much faster, but at least I won't be sweaty by the time I get there.

"Thanks, Jake. I appreciate this." I clip my seat belt. "Why are you working on a Sunday?" Does Finn's company make the poor man work seven days a week?

Jake laughs. "Finn and the other guys have a place they like to meet a few times a week. Spend money. Grunt at each other. You know, man stuff."

My thoughts run wild and I voice the first question my mind forms. "They go to a strip club?" I'm horrified and it comes through in my tone.

He loses it in the front seat and his boisterous laughter fills the car. "No. A strip club on a Sunday morning?" he questions me with disbelief. "Their place is more of the comic book variety."

I'm embarrassed that I jumped directly to the stripper conclusion. A comic book store never entered my thought process as somewhere men gather to spend money and grunt, but to each their own I suppose. I've never actually been in a comic store, so I have no idea what goes on in one.

Jake taps his fingers on the wheel to some imaginary song and turns to a side street with lighter traffic. "I think Finn has started to enjoy the use of a company vehicle. He asked for someone to pick him up this morning and I volunteered. Overtime and all that. He's starting to see his position has some perks besides not getting dressed daily or having to leave the house. You've been good for him."

I've been good for him? I've known Finn a week, I couldn't have had much of an impact. Rather than using my time questioning why Jake thinks I've been good for Finn, I spend the rest of my fifteen-minute ride holding on for dear life as Jake finds a way to dodge in between vehicles to gain a better position with each move. My stomach tenses each time his foot slams on the brake. Jake even speeds up around corners in an attempt to make up time. I try to close my eyes, but the uncertainty of my imminent death is too great. I finally resort to a death grip on the hand rest with wide eyes staring out the front window in case I need to scream before impact.

My legs shake as I exit the car, but I remain on two feet as I search the crowd for Marissa and Amanda. The line stretches outside the building and around a corner ending in some unseen location. Jake dropped me at the restaurant's front, a cute beige scalloped banner greeting customers as they wait. Two small patio tables sit out front, and both are already filled with people. As I walk by the large window, the inside is packed. Finn was right. Brunch is a serious ordeal around here. What have we gotten ourselves into?

I spot Amanda's bright yellow coat and short blonde hair halfway down the line and make my way to them. Marissa, cute as always, stands beside her. Her long straight brown hair frames her face and a large scarf covers the bottom half of her chin. I'm more excited about her scarf than a normal person because it means she can't question the one wrapped around my own neck — the one hiding a certain mark.

"It's about time you made it. I was so going to eat your share." Marissa pulls me in for a hug as I join them. The person directly behind us releases a loud huff at my line jumping, which I pretend to not hear.

"Sorry. It's been a rough morning, but you met Amanda so that's all good."

"Yeah, we've already caught up. We were here at eight as planned, but they didn't open until nine. The line has moved fast." Amanda joins our conversation and I'm glad the two seem to be getting along.

"Yup, Amanda and I are already all caught up, so why don't you tell us all about the sex you had last night." Marissa throws it out there in her blasé way. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it from her. I swear to God the woman has sex-dar, but sadly no tact.

"Marissa! I did not have sex last night," I scoff quietly. The people in front of us in line have turned around pretending not to listen. I don't need to give them more details.



A contemporary romance series full of hot nerds from USA TODAY Bestselling Author Megan Matthews. 
San Francisco is heating up this summer.

With grad school under my belt I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life. San Francisco is a brand-new city. I have an amazing apartment, a new job, family, and friends to keep me occupied. Life in the city will be easy. Or at least it would if I could figure out why my heart skips a beat every time I see my hot neighbor.

Handsome, funny, and always around right when I need him, Finnegan McRyan is my own personal knight in shining armor. The tousled hair and sexy glasses don’t hurt his appeal either. Finn acts like the perfect man, but there’s something about him that has me questioning if it’s too good to be true.
Can I count on him when it really matters or is Finn using his good guy image to hide the truth?
#explicit content
#Age 18+
The Boys of RDA is created by Megan Matthews, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author

Soooo... We got a large number of votes this week! This means 7 extra chapters this coming week! Yay!  As of now, as I am writing this, the vote count is 3062!  I want to thank everyone who is voting for this novel and supporting it. It truly means a lot to me as a writer to know people are enjoying my works. As some of you may know, I have a lot of titles, but because of Kana's popularity, the ones that were being written are on hold for the time being until Kana is finished.  
Now for the good stuff. Once Kana reaches the top 25  for 2 weeks. I will be going three chapters a day every day as long as Kana is in the top 25. From there, I will also adjust voting goals accordingly. I was thinking of doing it by rank at that time and something else along with extra chapters. What that is yet, I am not sure. Maybe I will get a short comic strip done or some artwork of the characters made up. Feel free to give me some ideas. I am always open to them.
Anyway, once again, thank you all for your support! It means a lot to me!
Invayne  


Orphaned at the mere age of seven and thrown out on the streets with no place to go. Kana lived the life of a street rat. She did what she could to survive from digging through the trash and stealing what she could. But even after almost ten years of surviving, her life still ended short. 

Holding her head feeling slightly dizzy, her lips slowly curled up into a sinister-looking smile as she let out a laugh. "Maybe someone was listening to me after all! I do not know which god heard my last dying wish, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I, Nagano Kana, owe you a debt of gratitude."

In a new world, reborn as a dragon, Kana will begin her new journey. She will experience many things along her path as she struggles to grow stronger to evolve and survive in this new world.


"That's another one!" Kana spun around in a circle, put her left paw on her hip, and gave a V sign with her right claws while winking… It was a strange pose indeed.

---
Updated Daily
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***Voting Goals!****
1000 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter a week!
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3000 Power Stones = 5 extra chapters a week!
4000 Power Stones = 6 extra chapters a week!
5000 Power Stones = 7 extra chapters a week!
For each month we stay in the top 50 I will do 6 bonus chapters per month. 12 if both Power Stone and Golden Ticket are in the top 50.
For each month we stay in the top 10 I will do 8 bonus chapters per month. 16 if both Power Stone and Golden Ticket are in the top 10.
 
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