#not only nara division

[naradivision]

Hypmic OC Halloween Party 2023 🎃 ~Part II

Disclaimer: Please note that these are not the actual titles to the songs, I just made them up of course. All these songs obviously belong to their respective artists.

And the OCs mentioned belong to their respective creators as well!

*see more notes from the part 1*

Meet the Halloween Shuffle Teams!

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Team R-rated B-Boy

Ren “Vox” Nakashima

Rintaro “Ignis” Himuro

Raiden “Tesla” Otoha

Ryuko “Mista Z.B.” Umemoto

#7 Parade of Horror ☠️

Real title: Bad Monster Original by UraShimaSakataSen Fun fact: This Shima is that same SHIMA who voiced Zen Gaho from paralive...

Team Heroic Youngsta

Joey “Joker” Kurusu

Saji “Street Dog” Buranka

Ryūnosuke “Fist N Fury” Sekiguchi

Haruto “Pheonix” Hirabayashi

#8 Justice In Action! 🚨

Real title: PANDA HERO Covered by mafumafu x nqrse x luz x soraru | Original by HACHI ft. GUMI Fun fact: HACHI the Vocaloid-P is later known as Kenshi Yonezu

Team SolaLune Fairies

Lola “Aphrodite” Takahashi

Evelyn “SPIRIT” Rose

Moriko “Carnopus” Himawari

Miku “Hex 13” Shirazuki

#9 Who’s the Fairest? 👑

Real title: ECLIPSE Original by Raon x DAZBEE Yeah, sorry again for not making the number of voice casts matched... They just look gorgeous together XD

Team Pop★Teen Sensation

Kanade “Spooky” Alarie

Criss “Paradox” Hiromi

Kirara “Cupid” Suzuki

Ririko “2cute!” Akihara

Makina “Screen Shot” Setsukura

#10 Supa☆Supa☆Halloween

Real title: Happy Halloween Covered by MORE MORE JUMP! ft. Kagamine Rin | Original by Junky ft. Kagamine Rin

[At the moment after the girls have already returned to the backstage, suddenly, the thick and hazy mist from nowhere then emerged into the stage from all directions, fogging over the entire scene as if it was curtain in the theater]

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the wonderful night of October the 31st,

...At long last, we’re going to reach the finale.

[Starting off with the sound of bells resonating in distants, the prelude music began playing before the hazy mist became dissolved —revealing the obscure figures of people standing there in the midst of stage]

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Team Curtain Call

Queen card

Kunio “Arsene” Kurome

Iwao “TRIXT4R” Masuda

Sanyu “MC Rogue” Inouye

Naoki “Stage Queen” Hamasaki

Mitsuru “Odette” Tenjo

Saigo “Tsukumogami” Fuyugami

Nishio “24/7” Tokishou

#11 To the Final Act 🪄

Real title: Finale Original by XYZ 2019 (luz, senra, mafumafu, soraru, nqrse, meychan, araki, un:c)

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Wait— Wait,

Even if this night is going to end soon, how should we forget something really really important…?

Yeah, we haven’t even got our treats yet!

If you want them, then why don’t we go get some?

C’mon, stand up & sing along~~

Team Bakemono:)

Asahi “SWEET-T” Tomoharu

Kohaku “KANDATA-KUN” Meguno

Taria “Misfit” Chinen

Honoka “Maniakin” Ajisai

Ayaka “Marionette” Kagawa

After Story: Are Ghosts Real?

Real title: 異世界混合大舞踏会 (I Wanna Be Your Ghost) Covered by StarLightPolaris (You Kisaragi, Relu, Coe, Kuni, Kottaro)  | Original by Gen Hoshino Unfortunately, you can only find subtitles in the original video

In this night where ghosts will emerge,

But they’re not all that bad

Ghost are real, you know? 

But they’re not as scary as the living!

They’re always watching from the sidelines, so don’t you forget,

Farewell mortals, and take care :P

🎃 Live Reports & Behind the scenes Pt.2

According to the interview from some audiences after the reveal of 6th’s and 7th’s cast, they thought it’s funny that team Bad Boy felt oddly cool to them, while on the other hand, team Hero were also cool but with even more chaotic vibes than the previous one —Everyone did wonder in unison that what went through the organizer’s head when they decided to put them together. Well, Raiden and Saji were the only exceptions since both of them were naturally pretty dedicated to their team titles.

Raiden got a bit carried away as he started laughing like some maniac by the end of his show. And in consequence of that, his temporary teammates were just… letting him be before all left the scene like nothing happened.

Since the beginning of the 9th show, the ladies of team “SolaLune Fairies” were seen solemnly walking out of the backstage with a dark long veil covering most part of their face and their outfits. Each of them were also noted to hold a bouquet with different flowers. Lola were red tulips, Evelyn were blue roses, Moriko were sunflowers, and Miku were moon orchids. But once the first beat of the song dropped out, they suddenly changed their moods and threw their veils away ...showing off their party dresses which were delicately designed just for each of them (ultimate kudos were given to those from the costume team). Thus, the true catwalk showdown began! 

After all the teasing to throw their bouquets to the audience like in the wedding, it was still unknown who those ladies decide to give their bouquets to at the end. Maybe it was their lover/ bestie or etc. Who knows anyway? But as the show title hinted, they might probably give it to their fairest…

Before the 10th show starts, the camera caught Kanade having a high-five with Lola in the same fashion as those two boys from the first half. 

Despite not being much active around these days, Hana Izanami (@snowmantita) was spotted coming here in secret to cheer for her friends.

The 11th show was obviously one of the best highlights of this event, given 6 of them were actually the famed performers to begin with! In addition, Queen card was the one who planned most details of the performance herself. Besides, some of them were really going all-out to the point where they attempted to compete with each other even. No wonder this show received very loud applause as a result, just like their team’s name implied.

There was one funny moment getting leaked out from the backstage. It was the photo of two gentlemen who literally had no idea why they were put in the same line with other talented showmen in the 11th show. Saigo seemed to be deep in thought about how much the staff have spent on props and special effects, while Nishio… He was caught flirting with other participants —Well, let’s hope that he wasn’t flirting with the wrong person there.

Despite the chill and anti-climax vibe that was very contrast to the intense impression from the previous show, the final show performed by team Bakemono was unexpectedly the children’s most favorite! Why was that? The secret of success not only lied in the lyrics of the song, but also its cute and catchy choreography. Moreover, they had also brought in the massive number of candies to throw into the crowd.

And due to some interviews with the parents, they told that this show truly deserved to be the closing show as it was in fact spoke the moral of this spooky event… 

Before the show started, it was a record of five of them chatting with each other. And although it was all according to the script, Asahi confessed that they had retaken it so many rounds he actually lost count of.

And just as the name of their team indicated, they were all wearing the yokāi costumes! For example, Asahi was the Oni, Kohaku was attempting to look like Kasa-obake (even if it came out rather funny), Taria was Karasu tengu, Honoka had animal ears so maybe she was bakeneko or kitsune, and Ayaka wore triangle headband with a kimono to represent the yurēi ghost.

From what live reports said, despite being the performers of the show, both Asahi & Kohaku were noted to really enjoy their time the most —These two spiritual(?) twins loved throwing candies like they’re playing with snow, while Honoka and Ayaka might seem a bit stiff due to their not so great experiences with people. However, Taria was the one making them warm up and enjoy the moment just like other children did —Who else would understand the kids best if not someone with a children’s heart?

Live reports by

Snowflake Sentinel News, Yoichi Shujo

Verne Publishing-house, Nellie Yukimura 

◀︎ SEE THE RECORD FROM PT. 1

Amazing OCs mentioned above are from:

@kobedivision @katsushika-division @chiyoda-division2 @suginami-division @kanazawa-division @megurodivision @naha-division @nagasakidivision @saitama-division @okinawa-division @gion-division @minato-division03 @kyoto-division @akihabaradivision @urayasu-division @nakanodivision @akihabara-division03 @kumamoto-division @sapporo-division @fukuokadivision1 @naha-division @nerima-division @naradivision @echizen-division @ota-division @gion-division @sagadivision @tokyo-division (@snowmantita) @hamamatsu-divison

P.S. Apologizing if I missed out some divisions or have made anyone sound OOC —I'm trying lmao.

...Happy Halloween & hoping y’all enjoy it :)

[city-of-ladies]

Empress Kōken-Shōtoku (718–770) has long been burdened by an undeserved negative reputation. Far from being a weak woman, she was in fact the last great empress regnant of Japan.

The Crown Princess

Her father was Emperor Shōmu, and her mother, Empress Consort Kōmyō, wielded significant influence. In 727, Kōmyō gave birth to a son, but he tragically died shortly after. In 738, Kōken, then known as Princess Abe, was declared crown princess—a historic first, as no woman before her had been officially named heir apparent, despite Japan’s history of female rulers.

Her early education was overseen by her mother, followed by a renowned scholar who taught her Chinese classics and statecraft. In 749, she ascended the throne after her father’s abdication.

Her First Reign

The Great Buddha Hall at Tōdaiji Temple was completed during her reign. Like her parents, she was a fervent supporter of Buddhism. As a patron of the arts and a sponsor of sutra distribution, she played a key role in establishing Buddhism as a cornerstone of Japanese culture for centuries.

However, Kōken also faced challenges, particularly the growing influence of the powerful Fujiwara clan, to which her mother belonged. After her father’s death in 756, he had designated a successor for Kōken, but the strong-willed empress chose her own candidate. She abdicated in 758 to focus on religious matters.

Machinations and Revolts

Kōken was thus free from the constraints of court ceremonies and quickly became a focal point for opposition to the Fujiwara clan. During this period, she formed a close relationship with the monk Dōkyō, who healed her during an illness in 761.

Legend claims that Kōken once lamented to her attendants that while a male emperor could take multiple consorts, she was expected to remain single. Whether true or not, she was likely aware of the societal constraints imposed on her.

Meanwhile, her successor, Emperor Junnin, sought to wage war against the Korean kingdom of Silla. Kōken opposed him, asserting that matters of such importance—war, rewards for merit, and punishment for wrongdoing—were decisions only she, as a former empress, was qualified to make.

Junnin’s chief minister, Fujiwara no Nakamaro, plotted a revolt against Kōken, but she acted swiftly. Her forces defeated Nakamaro in a decisive battle, leading to his capture and execution. Kōken then deposed Junnin, exiling him and reclaiming the throne in 764 as Empress Shōtoku. By this point, her authority was unchallenged.

Return to Power

During her second reign, Kōken-Shōtoku consolidated her power. She prohibited unauthorized land claims and banned officials from keeping private weapons. She also worked to integrate Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. Her reign saw Japan’s first examples of woodblock printing, which she sponsored in 764.

Kōken-Shōtoku granted significant responsibilities to Dōkyō, though his roles appeared more religious than political. The question of succession remained unresolved. Tensions escalated in 769 when an oracle from the Usa Hachiman Shrine declared that Dōkyō should become emperor. This tentative from someone unrelated to the imperial lineage to usurp the throne caused a scandal. However, sources documenting this event were written later and likely by Kōken-Shōtoku’s detractors.

Kōken-Shōtoku sent the courtier Wake no Kiyomaro to verify the oracle, and he returned with a new prophecy refuting the first. Furious, Dōkyō exiled Kiyomaro, further deepening court divisions. Kōken-Shōtoku withdrew with Dōkyō to Kawachi Province, ruling from there until her return to Nara in 770. She died later that year at age 52.

Following her death, women's roles at court changed and they were bared from ruling. It wasn’t until 1629, with Empress Meishō, and later Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740–1813), that women once again sat on the throne, though their roles were largely symbolic.

The controversy surrounding Dōkyō tarnished Kōken's reputation. Before World War II, schoolchildren were taught that her so-called "feminine weakness" was why women shouldn’t rule.

Yet Kōken was far from a puppet ruler. She was a decisive leader with a will of her own. As the last great Japanese empress regnant, she deserves to be remembered for her accomplishments.

Enjoyed this post? You can support me on Ko-fi!

Japanese empresses regnant: Suiko, Kōgyōku-Saimei, Jitō, Genmei, Genshō

Further reading 

Brown Norton Louise, Block Printing & Book Illustration in Japan

“Kōken, histoire de la dernière grande impératrice japonaise”

Tsurumi Patricia E., “Japan’s early female emperors”

Aoki Michiko Y., “Jitō Tennō, the female sovereign”,in: Mulhern Chieko Irie (ed.), Heroic with grace legendary women of Japan

[breakyourrxles]

❥between two breaths (m) | 𝟡

𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞

↳ The surprises keep coming, and after a barely-survived stint at Idol Radio and an unexpected confession from a bandmate; you become a little bit more willing to take on some risks of your own.

kim sunwoo x fem!reader (side lee juyeon x reader) — idol!sunwoo, fan/trainee!reader. forced proximity, forbidden love, friends to lovers, angst, slow burn, idolverse-typical themes regarding; dating, image, public perception, etc. happy ending, plot-heavy!! reader thinks she's nonchalant about it but she rly isn't. smut. [7,2k wc ongoing] cws: heavy themes of wanting-but-can't-having, mild jealousy, explicit sexual content, a little alcohol consumption, dancing on the edge of career suicide, poor decision making because of The Wanting.

❥ masterlist | ao3

"Arguably, that's precisely why we need more private time." Sunwoo grins and then says, "If it's going to keep happening, then it should most definitely be more private."

The door shuts behind you and with a blank stare you say, "This is a really bad idea."

Your manager looks up from the open laptop in front of him, and as if somewhat anticipating the pushback, he sighs heavily and asks, "And why is that?"

"It wasn't that long ago that we had a meeting where we discussed how the company wouldn't even let us be in the same room in front of cameras, now all of a sudden I'm going on his radio show?" Plopping down into a seat, you slump down into it like all of the life is slowly draining from your form. Not far from the truth. "What changed? It doesn't make any sense."

"Welcome to idol life, the company is going to make a lot of changes and decisions that don't make any sense to you. They don't have to. It isn't your job to make sense of them, it's your job to show up and do what you're instructed to do with a smile on your face and little fuss about it."

"So, that's it? Just shut up and let the pieces fall where they may?" you ask.

He pulls his glasses off from his face and sets them on the table, rubs his eyes with the pads of his fingers and says, "I don't want us to have a tumultuous relationship with one another, but there isn't much I can do about it. We are all taking orders from the top, myself included."

There is silence that follows thereafter, and though you understand where he is coming from, the unknown of what is soon to come does not sit atop you without its weight. He must not feel contented by the outcome of this either, because after only a short amount of time passed he speaks up again.

"It's going to generate activity. People who are aware of your history together are going to be tuned in to watch because they're curious about how it's going to look between you now. They want to find something, they want to see something; and if they can't, then they'll probably just make something up. Depending on how this goes the company will then make a decision about how the two of you will be managed as a unit in public going forward."

"Ah." You nod once, a sarcastic acceptance of the plan as it is paid out before you. "If the court of public opinion doesn't go ahead and lambast me online for something that I may or may not even do, then there's going to be more where this came from."

"Essentially, yes." He puts his glasses back on, turns his attention back to the computer and says, "So, let's do our best to minimize negative perception as much as we can. Who knows? Maybe the people will love you together."

You severely doubt that.

Jubi is a powerful vocalist and Nara is firm and outspoken in ways that tend to be divisive. Between the incredible raw talent and a tough temperament, the conversations of the evening tend to have little to do with you. All according to plan, and you're perfectly happy to sit back and bide your time as the minutes of recording tick down toward your freedom.

Watching Sunwoo work like this is fascinating. His idol persona feels like it is an extension of himself but turned up to eleven. Everything is explosive reactions and playful flirting with fans through the large window that looks out over the street. There are so many people outside—people here to see MVNE and Sunwoo alike—and while they appear to be pleased with the way the event is turning out, there is nothing to say that the conversations surrounding it online are anything close to the same peaceful understanding.

You try not to think about it. You watch Jubi and Nara hold their own with little input from you, but you cannot simply sit back in silence and bring nothing to the table. Doing so reeks of some air of guilt; a woman with something shameful to hide, regardless of the nasty truth behind that perception.

Nearing the end of questioning, Sunwoo's attention turns to you. There's a glimmer of something in his eye that you know to be troublesome. Surely, he is smart enough not to invent problems where there doesn't need to be any… Right?

"How does it feel? Being on the other side of idol and fan culture?"

Truth be told, you are not prepared to discuss this topic in any facet whatsoever.

But you cannot react. You are not afforded the luxury of expressing any feelings of discomfort or awkwardness in relation to this question. Everything is an act and playing it cool is of the utmost importance in all situations they may happen to fall upon you. Inside, you are screaming. You want to leap across the room and rip Sunwoo into a headlock, threatening to murder him in front of all of his precious onlookers and really give them something to post about once they get home.

Instead? You smile and cock your head to the side cutely.

"Well, it's different, of course. I would say it's impossible to anticipate what you're getting into when transitioning to the other side. It's easy to believe that you understand so much from being so close to it, but it really is quite a learning experience. Being in fandom was a beautiful part of my life that I could never come to regret, but I also wouldn't give this up for anything in the world, either. I think I'm right where I'm meant to be."

Jubi and Nara both look at you with soft smiles and proud eyes. It's a good answer, but more than that, it's a truthful one.

When filming wraps and you slip away into the green room for your belongings, there's a message waiting for you on your phone.

Manager [21:48]: Not able to accompany you back to your dorm, needed elsewhere for the evening. Sunwoo's manager will ensure that you get back safely. Great work tonight, rest well.

Okay, mildly annoying. Ultimately, this does not disrupt your evening too much though. Jubi and Nara have other late-night schedules to attend to and thus it makes sense that you are not sent to be dealt with by the other MVNE managers, but being sent off with Sunwoo presents a whole different set of difficulties that you are not so in the mood to be dealing with.

Specifically, being seen entering the same car as him.

You roll your eyes to nobody but yourself as you imagine it happening and the potential fallout as a result. Realistically, this should not be a situation, at all. The two of you are labelmates, and in any other job it is not so ridiculous to think that colleagues may share rides and be seen going places together.

Unfortunately, the idol life is no such career choice.

This could be a mess, but you don't really have another option.

Exiting from the venue, you and the other girls walk behind Sunwoo and maintain a substantial amount of space. Many fans are lined up near the vehicles that stand waiting for you, and through excited waves and huge smiles, the four of you continue on towards the moment of truth.

One girl from the crowd shouts Jubi's name and asks where it is that MVNE is headed to next. She says that she hopes you're able to enjoy a nice meal, and though you allow your groupmate to have this interaction, it also serves as the perfect opportunity for you.

Jubi frowns so big that you think it could be seen from space and says, "Nara and I have another schedule to go to! No rest for us, yet!"

"I'll go home and I'll be sure to rest well and eat well," you say, "but I have to go with the other car and send the girls off on their way, unfortunately."

The crowd whines in unison, sad for the fact that you must be split from your friends, and just as it begins dying down you feel a small touch to your arm. A manager urging you to come along and be on your way.

"Time to go! Thank you so much for coming out, it was so much fun! Get warm and have delicious meals together. We'll meet again soon!"

You waste no more time climbing into the van. Your head is down, eyes glued to the cement beneath your feet and trying not to think about any of the curious others that may be watching you on account of all of this. The thoughts have to be pushed away, the worry is not something that you can do anything about, nor is the aftermath of it. 

Sunwoo is standing just beside the open door, and though you pass him to get inside, you don't look at him, either.

Fan interaction carries on even once the van pulls away, and you have no other option than to swallow down the welling anxiety inside of you and engage with just as much enthusiasm as before.

Once the last face has disappeared into the dark distance, the windows roll back up and you all but melt into the leather seat beneath you.

There is no peace for you here, however.

Sunwoo—sitting in front of you—swings around and props his chin up on the headrest to look at you. 

"I have a surprise."

Slowly, your eyes close. "I do not like the sound of that."

"Oh, come on!" he whines. "I went through all of this trouble to do something nice for us and this is how you're going to repay me?"

"I just survived one of the most stressful nights of my very new idol career and now you're telling me about some surprise you have orchestrated? Forgive me for not immediately jumping for joy when all I really want to do is bury myself six feet in the ground."

Sunwoo is perceptive, despite his unwillingness to meet someone halfway with their emotional earnestness the majority of the time. He is more than capable of understanding when the vibes, for all intents and purposes, are off, but whether or not he feels like feeling with that can be a whole different kind of beast.

Still, he must be feeling especially receptive tonight, because his eyes narrow slightly as he stares at you and rather than doubling down on the humor he says, "You did really well tonight. Everyone loved you and you carried yourself impressively. This was pretty much a nightmare scenario for the both of us and it worked out in the end, let yourself have a sigh of relief."

As annoying as it may be when he is right, right he is. You do exactly that and try to breathe out all of the negative energy that has accumulated inside of you with one, swift sigh, and once it's done you find his eyes and ask, "Alright, what's the surprise?"

Sunwoo smiles big and wide, pleased by the outcome of this and says, "We're going to dinner!"

You shoot up from your lazy position, adrenaline and horror flooding beneath your skin.

"We're what!?"

"Don't worry so much! I have a spot, a kind of best kept secret among idols for where to go when you don't want to be bothered and definitely don't want to be seen. It's very discreet, much more so than the places we used to meet."

In the moment, all you can manage to give as a response is a slow, exhausted drawl of his name.

"You should trust me more! I wouldn't do something to put either of us at risk of something that will make things much worse for us."

"You literally have! You do! What was that stint backstage? The place was crawling with staff and our members and that certainly didn't stop you."

Sunwoo hums thoughtfully for a second and then, seemingly accepting defeat, says, "Okay, fair enough, but I was desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures! Besides, I wouldn't do it again, which is precisely why I have instead gone out of my way to arrange something smarter and safer." He extends an arm out, flops his hand in the air in your direction despite not being able to actually reach you. "I know you think I'm crazy and too risky, and that's kind of true, but I'm trying to reel it in for you! Is it a crime to want to see you more than just in the hallways of the company building?"

Looking at him and the subsequent pout that's now sitting on his face, you relent just a bit to his thoughtful intent. He's doing his best, even if it's simply not very good. 

And besides, he looks far too cute when he's pouting like this.

"No, it's not, but also… I don't know how good of an idea it is that we be given more private time, all things considered as of recent."

"Arguably, that's precisely why we need more private time." Sunwoo grins and then says, "If it's going to keep happening, then it should most definitely be more private."

Sunwoo's chumminess with his manager is something you have known for a while now, though you've never quite seen it in action with this much clarity.

The van comes to a stop in a narrow, unlit alleyway. There is so little space that you and Sunwoo have no other option than to shimmy your bodies between the concrete walls and the vehicle itself, and upon reaching the drivers side window, it rolls down and the man behind the wheel firmly informs the two of you that you have thirty minutes, and not a second longer will be spent here.

It's for the best, because Miyoung is at home and expecting your return. Already, you will need to think of an alibi for your lateness, but at the very least, you always have the Seoul roadways to blame when the time spent lost in transit is not so egregious.

Only a few steps are needed to reach the entrance, and after offering a couple of knocks to the door, it swings open and the two of you are met by a pretty young woman dressed all in black. She smiles and steps to the side so that you can go inside, but before you do, Sunwoo turns back to look at you and with a familiar slighted grin you have seen so many times before says, "Just like old times."

Not quite, you think in response.

Inside of the building, the lights are so dim that you find difficulty in navigating what lies ahead of you. 

Quickly you make your way past the kitchen and restrooms, into an area that is small, cramped, and filled with small rooms that have tables inside. All of them offer a curtain in front, and on your way through you glance inside one of them and make brief eye contact with a well-known actress sitting with her male companion for the evening.

Anxiety heightens within you, but just as it does you find that you have reached your destination.

With a smile that never falters, the hostess offers your table and both you and Sunwoo take seats opposite of each other. The curtain is closed, and even though you seem to be surrounded by people with what may be even bigger secrets than the two of you hold, you cannot help but feel that tumultuous twisting deep inside of your stomach.

The one thing that dwindles it, however, is a single glance towards Sunwoo. His sweatshirt is oversized much like his jeans and with a simple set of glasses clinging to his face, he almost looks like a simple, regular guy. Granted, much more handsome, but regular nonetheless.

Drinks arrive soon after, and once the woman takes her leave you look at Sunwoo once again and ask, "So, I take it you've been here before?"

A corner of his lip twists upwards and as he brings the glass to his face he says, "Sure have."

"I suppose that's promising, since I haven't heard anything about that before."

"Jealous? Thinking about all of the stuff I might have been getting up to before we met?"

You roll your eyes. "You're the jealous one between the two of us, not me."

Sunwoo folds his hands together atop the table and leans himself over it closer towards you. He appears far too amused by the events that have transpired up until now, and despite knowing you are in fairly safe hands here, you feel a chill crawl over your skin given the close proximity and your limited privacy.

"We'll see about that," he says, and then sits back normally against his chair. "I have a drama coming up, shooting begins soon. I wanted to tell you the good news in person, figured it was something worthy of a little celebration."

Your face lights up. "That's amazing news, and absolutely worth celebrating! No wonder you dragged me out here like this, and here I thought your intentions were always going to be something nefarious."

An eyebrow perks up, questioning and suspicious. He says, "My intentions are never nefarious, I just want to spend time with you." Sunwoo shrugs the tangential topic off and then continues on with the previous point. "Anyway, it's a pretty big deal for me. I don't have a lot of acting experience so I'm a little nervous about it, but what's really exciting is that it's a romance."

"That sounds perfect for you, honestly. The bad boy schtick never really did land with you, not for anyone who has known you for longer than ten minutes."

"You're being annoying but I'm going to ignore that in favor of mentioning the fact that there's going to be a kiss scene."

You don't like the way hearing that makes you feel.

It's acting. It is only as real as the physicality of ensuring that a scene is properly displayed to the viewer in whichever way it is intended to be. The logical part of your brain begins to work overtime in an effort to explain your feelings on this away, and while it helps a tiny bit, there is still an inkling of unfortunate displeasure lingering heavily in the center of your chest.

After a stiff sip of your drink, you place it back down on the table, force a smile that does little to sell the point and say, "I'm sure you're delighted by that fact."

"Should I be?"

Exhausted by this already, you sigh in an effort to express as much. "I don't know, Sunwoo. Should you? Are you? What difference does it make, it's your job. I doubt you're going to have that hard of a time kissing a beautiful woman on camera." 

He appears far too pleased by all of this once you have finished with your statement. More than that, Sunwoo leans over the table once again, folds his fingers together and while looking you dead in the eye he says, "I think it's about due time for an honest discussion about things going forward."

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

Your skin feels like it's on fire, throat dry as a result of the intense stare that Sunwoo has captured you in. He is rarely serious—especially this much so—but you know him well enough to know precisely when the switch has flipped from something light and comical to something far more urgent and necessary. These moments are uncommon; Sunwoo prefers to communicate in efforts and actions rather than words, so if he says it's time to talk, then you can only imagine what is waiting for you on the other side of it.

"It means…" he starts, drawing out the word at the end, "That I want to see you, and I think I've made that pretty obvious for a while now, but with it laid out plainly like this you aren't going to be able to deflect or pretend that you don't know. You're just going to have to face it head-on. We both are."

Sunwoo's voice is surprisingly firm when he says it, a stark difference to your own racing heart and shaky exhales as you do your best to steady yourself in the heaviness of his confession. He's right—right about all of it—a jagged pill to swallow going forward because just as intended, Sunwoo has trapped you in a circumstances where you cannot escape this, you can't run away and pretend that you do not know the thing that you very much do know, and frankly, have known for a while.

The problem therein is less with your understanding of him, and more with your inability to find the strength to cut free of the shackles of terror that bind you and meet him anywhere close to halfway.

Your lips part, though no words leave them immediately. Thoughts swim in your mind so muddled and messy that it's difficult to understand where one starts and another begins. You have to answer him, you have to reply, and all the while his gaze towards you never falters.

"I…" You stop, take a deep breath and then go on to say, "I'm terrified. I'm scared of the risk, scared of getting caught… I…" Another pause follows, because the thing that you want to say is something that you have never dared to utter to another person ever before. Now or never, you suppose. As good of a time as any, and if nothing else, Sunwoo deserves the honesty in exchange for his own. "I want to, but I'm just fucking scared."

"I know that, but as fun as stealing risky kisses is, not even I'm delusional enough to think we can keep getting away with it forever. At some point we're just going to have to make a decision… A decision to do this, or to not do it, and then put it to bed forever if that's the case."

Matching him, you lean across the table and close more of the space hanging between you. Like this, the two of you are so close to one another, but Sunwoo does not falter in any way despite your proximity.

"Why now? I just debuted, we have a comeback in less than a week… Why does it have to be now? Can't this wait until my group is a little bit more established? Until something like this being found out might not be the complete ruination of mine and the other girls' lives?"

"Is it fair to ask me to wait for a day that might not ever come?" Sunwoo asks, and along with it, he slowly stands and closes more of the space between you. "Are you asking me to wait forever?" His hand comes up to cradle your jaw, his face inching closer to yours. "Because I might, if you do."

Sunwoo kisses you then, and for the first time, the worry of who might be around to see it completely melts away.

Caked in stage-ready make-up, you look at yourself in the mirror and for a moment, you don't even recognize the person staring back at you.

It's been days since your last meeting with Sunwoo and the conversation that was carried out. The words have sat in your mind ever since—will you, or won't you—but the thought of making a decision leaves you paralyzed. The answer is an obvious one if not for the extenuating circumstances that you've now found yourself in; a chance at something that you never thought you would be able to have now waiting in your grasp, waiting for you to throw all caution to the wind and just say yes. 

But you have no other option than to make a decision based on the worst possible case scenario, and based on the responses from your stint on Idol Radio, you're simply unsure it's a risk that you're willing to take.

Lukewarm is the best way to put it, though surprisingly, the displeased responses are less about you, and more about Sunwoo. Many onlookers question his presentation of the topic in relation to your history together in general, and frankly, you don't really blame them.

You are lauded for responding well, professional and polite and it would appear that most do not press beyond it to see what might be hiding within the shadows. One commenter says that you can hardly even tell that she was ever his fan, and at the very least, it's an amusing take considering all that is going on behind the scenes.

Now, like so many other times, you have to put all of these thoughts behind you and prepare for your comeback showcase. MVNE are ready, standing by for their call and doing last minute fixes on headset microphones and appearances, but only a few minutes stand between your group and the start of the show. Will it be received well? you wonder to yourself, such a drastic change in song already when compared to your debut.

And there are already extenuating circumstances hanging overhead. Hyemi's small mishap and now yours. Things that someone, somewhere, will always make a point to mention should their intent be to disparage and destroy.

A woman on the staff knocks and then swiftly opens the door to tell you and the other girls that it's time, and thus, you all shuffle out of the room and to the backstage area in wait.

The staff on hand for this event is much smaller, and so the area offers far more room for comfort than that of busy festivals. You make your way out and navigate towards the stage, but not before catching the eye of someone that you have grown rather fond of over the past few months.

With cue cards in hand and slicked back black hair, Juyeon cocks his head in a delighted sort of way and greets you pleasantly.

"Nervous?"

You shake your head. "Not any more than the usual amount, but I suppose there is always reason for moderate concern. What if I break an ankle?"

"I don't think most jump straight to that. You're going to be great, I'm looking forward to it." He dangles the cue cards in hand with a smile and says, "Lucky me, wrestling the MC spot out of Hyunjae's clutches."

"You know, there's enough of you that the chances of getting someone I'm friendly with are rather low. Starting to believe you're becoming a fan."

Juyeon smiles and then says, "Oh, of course I am."

A staff member calls for him, he gives his last good lucks and goodbyes, and off he goes to begin the show.

With barely a moment going by between them, Nara steps up beside you with nervous hands and shaky eyes.

"What?" you insist, the evidence of something on her mind painted onto her features in ways you've not quite seen from her before.

She swallows hard. "Uh, you seem close to Juyeon." 

Oh no. This is really the last thing you need, all things considered. It's bad enough that Woori seems intent on believing that your circumstances with Sunwoo are spiraling out of control, but on top of it, her eye is keen enough to spot a budding interest in Juyeon, as well. Regardless of what that may, or may not, entail currently. 

Must you hardness all interactions you have with the people around you, even amongst your own band members and friends? Is it truly an impossibility to merely have a friendship with someone like Juyeon without it being placed under a microscope for dissecting? If Juyeon were less handsome, less desired, less personable; would this still be a problem you are now meant to deal with?

It's not even like that. At least, you are fairly sure of the fact.

Your hands fly up, waving around wildly in front of you. "Oh, no! We're just… We worked together not long ago, you know? It's not anything like—"

"I wasn't suggesting that, actually." Nara's fingers pick at the skin around her nails nervously, a habit frowned upon by the staff intent on keeping all of the members in tip-top physical appearance. You've never seen her like this, and before she begins to state the fact, you're already beginning to realize where it is that she is going with this. "I'm saying this because… Well, I'm curious about what you know about him. If he's seeing anyone right now, if maybe…"

"You're interested."

"Of course I'm interested!" Nara bites back, all but flying off the handle at the obvious statement. She quickly reels her reaction in, presses closer to you and drops to a whisper to say, "Who wouldn't be interested? Anyway, don't make a big deal about it! I'm just wondering."

Your heart sinks, and you're not quite sure what to make of that. Juyeon is your friend, and you have more than enough on your plate already with a man that desperately wishes for you to take the plunge like it appears that so many others surrounding you are perfectly willing and happy to take. Why is Nara so willing to risk it for a man that she barely even knows? you question yourself. Why are you completely unwilling to give that to someone who begs for it? 

However, it is not your job to reprimand Nara for her consideration. You are not the leader, you are her peer, and with this in mind you have no other option than to make a neutral choice.

With a pointed effort to steady yourself, you clear your throat and then say, "He's not seeing anyone, not to my knowledge, at least."

"Is he nice? He seems nice, if you're friends with him."

"Yeah, Juyeon is very easy to get along with. Very mature, he's not really anything like what he presents on stage."

Nara smiles wide hearing the news, and you wish you could feel even a fraction of the joy that she is in that moment.

"Maybe you could put in a good word for me," she says. "You know, something small. Something that might get him to see me."

The lights dim on stage, the sound system loudly booms to life, and you couldn't be more thankful for the jarring interruption.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do."

But truthfully, the only thing you have any intention of doing is messaging Sunwoo as soon as you can possibly manage it.

It's a little past eleven at night and you are wearing sunglasses.

Not just sunglasses, but two jackets with both hoods pulled over your head and a scarf. Granted, it's a bit cold outside, and maybe you can get away with dressing in such a way that doesn't draw too much attention. Is it overkill? Perhaps, but you're not really willing to take any chances.

To add to the already ridiculous situation you have landed yourself in, you're a few glasses of celebratory wine in and feeling a bit bolder than you usually might. A little dizzy and a lot loose as far as decision making goes. Nobody knows where you are, at least, not yet.

You knock on the door.

The time between doing so and the door opening feels like forever, but you aren't an anticipated guest and you have to imagine that there is a kind of due diligence that must be done when it comes to unexpected visitors. You look around the halls to ensure that the coast remains clear, and then finally, the door cracks apart.

His eyes are wide, obviously surprised by your standing there. Really, who can blame him?

Smiling awkwardly, you say, "Hi, uh…"

Younghoon blinks a couple of times but doesn't immediately say anything, either. He turns to look behind him, looks back at you and then says, "You should probably get inside."

You walk in, slowly begin disrobing from all of the excess things covering your body, and then hear Chanhee let out a cackle as he peeks around the corner to see what all of the fuss is about.

Fair enough.

He yells for Sunwoo shortly after, though he does not offer additional info in doing so. You hear a door down the hall swing open, then hurried footsteps following it.

Sunwoo enters the open space, turns to look towards the door to find you, and his eyes widen like he has just seen a ghost.

"You…" he begins slowly, like he isn't quite sure what to make of what he is seeing. "Are here."

"Yeah, sure would seem to be the case, wouldn't it?"

Younghoon remains awkwardly perched by the door, and upon closing it, covers his ears and makes his way out of the line of fire.

"I don't know what this is but I don't want any part of it. I'm just going to pretend I haven't seen nor heard anything and that's going to be the end of that."

Sunwoo moves towards you, takes you by the wrist and says, "He's right, the less they know, the better."

Once inside of Sunwoo's room he offers you his seat at his desk, and takes it upon himself to settle at the edge of his bed. You've never been here before—never imagined you would be—but now that you are, it feels incredibly surreal to experience.

There's a game up on the computer monitor and a couple of empty glasses littering the table. Some pieces of clothing litter the floor, but not nearly as bad as you might have expected when deciding to show up here.

"A message would have been good," Sunwoo says.

"Kind of a last minute thing."

"Those comeback drinks hitting especially hard tonight, huh?"

You shoot him a sort of mocking expression and say, "If I had known you were going to be annoying about it I wouldn't have come at all."

Chuckling a little, Sunwoo says, "That's not true, you absolutely knew I was going to be annoying about it, which begs the question…" There's a brief passing of silence between you, as if he hopes that you'll pick up the other half without his prompting, but when you don't, he proceeds. "Why are you here?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure, myself."

"Is that the truth?"

Sunwoo's voice is soft and careful as he says it, as if presenting something to the both of you that still remains unspoken. Inside of yourself, you do know the truth, but still you dance around it as if continuing to do so will change the fact of the matter. With your hands folded in your lap, you look down at them, inhaling slowly before choosing the words that you intend to move forward with.

"What's wrong with wanting to see my—"

"Don't say your friend," Sunwoo interjects, his gaze on you firm and resolute. "We're not friends, we haven't been for a long time. People don't take risks like this for their friends, idols don't dress up like they've taken bank robbery advice from movies to visit their friends."

You close your eyes and let the words sink in. You think of Nara and her interest in Juyeon—wonder if she would be willing to do this for a chance to spend time with him—the conversation from earlier still heavy on your shoulders as if only just having happened.

"How are you not mortified by your own existence?" you ask him, voice shaky as the words leave your lips. "How are you not terrified by what you've seen happen to other people in the industry? How can you just… Throw all caution to the wind and be willing to let the pieces fall where they may?"

Looking at you, Sunwoo's lips thin into what can only be described as an adoring smile. He watches you in silence for a few moments, truly taking in the sight of you being there and vulnerable with him. Bad boy schtick be damned, he never did quite sell it as what was meant to be intended.

"We're not the first idols to date," he says quietly, "and we sure as hell won't be the last. For every one couple that gets found out, there's ten that never do. You just have to make sure you're a part of the ten."

"It's becoming harder and harder to say no to you, you make it all sound so easy."

Sunwoo shrugs, all nonchalant about the whole thing and says, "Well, it's not exactly rocket science, you know? But it'd be a lot easier if you didn't make me resort to stealing you away backstage where anyone could just wander by."

"No one makes you do that!"

"You do!" he says, pointing a finger. "Your waffling is what's making this harder! Just jump!"

Exasperated, you let out a heavy sigh and fight back by saying, "I'm here, aren't I?"

Another grin pulls at his lips, and slowly he brings himself up from the bed and towards you. Sunwoo's hands grip at the edge of his desk and box you into place beneath him, his face mere inches away from your own. "Yes, yes you are."

"We could ruin a lot of lives if this goes wrong."

Pressing forward, Sunwoo's breath is warm against the skin of your cheek, and with his lips only ghosting against your own he says, "Then we just have to make sure that it doesn't."

When his mouth finds yours, it's softer than all of the other times. There is no urgency behind it, no time limit sitting at the back of either of your minds as you allow yourself to succumb to it. Instead, this time you revel in the feeling; your worries falling away with every gentle nip of his teeth against your bottom lip.

Satisfied, Sunwoo leisurely creates space between you once again and says, "By the way, we've started filming for my drama, might need all of the practice I can get." He steals another swift kiss and then pulls away entirely in favor of happily spinning himself back to his previous position on his bed. "So, you can think of it like it's work. Actor training, and all that."

With a racing heart and electric nerves, you try to steady your thoughts enough to give anything close to a coherent response. Your phone vibrates, which almost certainly cannot be anything good, and messily digging it out of your pocket with shaky hands you say, "You want me to be your training dummy for kissing another woman? How romantic."

Sunwoo's face drops and twists into a pout. "Well, it's not when you put it like that." His attention turns to the device in your hand then and he says, "Who's messaging you?"

And you desperately wish he hadn't asked upon seeing the name pop up in your notifications.

Unfortunately, your physical reaction betrays you, and Sunwoo is far too in tuned with the goings on in front of him to not notice the shift. He squints a little as he waits for your reply, a once innocent question he has posed now morphing into knowledge that he has acquired and seeks more of.

"It's nothing," you say. "It's not important."

"Not what I asked!" He leaps out of his seat and towards you, grasping at your phone in order to get a peek of the screen. You do your best to keep it away from him; limbs flying about and giggles filling the air on account of how ridiculous this has all become. With it expertly placed behind your back and Sunwoo's hand wrapped around the wrist that keeps it from him, he pushes his face close to yours again and says, "You're being super dodgy about this, which you wouldn't be if it was one of the girls. That only means…"

Sunwoo kisses you again, this time harder and with much more intent behind the action. His free hand slips down to rest atop your thigh—you know precisely the angle he's going for—yet it does little to grant you the ability to remain firm in your defenses.

After all, he is stronger than you, and he uses this to his advantage in yanking you up from the seat, spinning you to hold your back to his chest, and turning your arm so that the screen is on full display to the both of you.

It lights up, the notification looks so much bigger than you remember it being. You're projecting, sure, but it's really not the best time for this.

Not that it's even anything, of course.

"Oh!"

You feel Sunwoo reel physically from behind you, though his grip on you doesn't let up. Instead, his head dips down so that his chin rests on your shoulder and with his face right beside your own he says, "Pretty late in the night to be getting messages from a guy." Letting go, Sunwoo spins you around to face him, crosses his arms over his chest and glares at you. "Not really ever a good time to be getting messages from him, if you ask me."

"We're just friends."

"So were we! So you'll have to forgive me for kind of knowing where that whole thing leads!"

Rolling your eyes, you huff out a sigh. "It's different. Juyeon and I have never… Anything, and he has given me no reason to believe that he might, unlike some incredibly demanding people that I know!"

Sunwoo points a finger at you again, and if there were any intention to say something in that very moment, he ultimately swallows it down in favor of not saying anything of the sort. He is clearly disbelieving to some degree, though you can't quite fathom why given the circumstances at play. Ultimately, you know well enough that jealousy makes itself something of a mainstay in every fiber of his being, and beginning to traverse new, previously uncharted waters as far as you are concerned is the lifeblood of that exact inclination.

"We're just friends," you repeat. "One of my members is interested, though."

"And how do you feel about that?"

Thinking over the question, you do your best to settle on something that is honest and thorough. You don't like it, and there is a whirlwind of feelings inside of you in relation to it that you haven't completely been able to parse through just yet. New information that requires attentiveness that you haven't been able to give it, but you do know one thing about it all.

"Annoyed." Shoving your phone back into your pocket, you look at Sunwoo like you're a little bit defeated by it all and shrug with exaggeration. "Why am I the only one who cares? Why am I the only one willing to make myself smaller so that the rest can grow?"

"I don't think that's true," Sunwoo reasons, and extending his arm out, he gently pulls your hand into his. "But I do think you have somewhat unrealistic expectations of it all, because of your background in all of this. I know you feel like there's a target on your back—and that's not entirely untrue—but you can't just… Not live your life. No one else is doing that. They never really have. It's pretend, everybody is just making it up."

"Isn't idol 101 not dating?"

The expression that comes across Sunwoo's face is one of being humored by the words, but alongside of it sits a small hint of doting patronizing.

Shaking his head, he says, "No, man. Idol 101 is simply not getting caught doing it."

[chrimson-oc-central]

OC PROFILE - KAORI YUMENO

*~*~*

BASICS

Name - Kaori Yumeno

Birthdate - December 21

Age - 13-14 Years (Part 1), 17-18 Years (Shippuden), 20-21 Years (The Last), 21-27 Years (Blank Period), 33-34 Years (Boruto)

Birthplace - Konohagakure (Village Hidden in the Leaves)

Pronouns - She/Her

Nationality - Hinokoku (Land of Fire)

*~*~*

APPEARANCE

Hair Color - Pinkish Wine Red

Eye Color - Pink

Height - 4'10" (~147.32 cm)

*~*~*

PERSONALITY

Best Traits - Determined, Clever, Hardworking, Caring.

Worst Traits - Hot-Headed, Rude, Bottles up thoughts.

Mannerisms - Left-Handed, Crosses arms often.

What they hate the most - Failure, Snobby people.

What's most important to her - Her friends, becoming the best genjutsu user in the world.

Secrets - Cries often. She is constantly questioning herself and feels like a failure. Bottles up these feelings, and sometimes her emotions explode and she takes it out on the people and things around her.

Do they get along with or avoid other people - Avoids, even though she craves friends and attention. Will never admit this, but will always appreciate being included.

*~*~*

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Parents/Guardians - None (She might get a parent later but I haven't decided yet)

Siblings - None

Significant Other - Rock Lee (Boyfriend in The Last, Husband in Blank Period and onward)

Children - Metal Lee (Son), Jewel Lee (Daughter)

Pets/Animal Companions/Summons - Unnamed Snake Summon (They're a work in progress lmao sorry)

Teacher(s)/Sensei(s) - Suzume (academy sensei [kunoichi instructor]), Iruka Umino (academy sensei), Anko Mitarashi (Genin sensei)

Friends - Tenten, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuga, Akua Koizumi, Chihiro Osaka

Best Friend(s) - Tenten, Akua Koizumi, Chihiro Osaka

Enemies - Akatsuki Organization, Orochimaru, Madara Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi

Acquaintances - Kiba Inuzuka, Akamaru, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi, Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Sai Yamanaka, Hanabi Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga

*~*~*

OTHER AND FANDOM SPECIFICS (Naruto)

Occupation - Leaf Shinobi (Ninja, Kunoichi)

Rank - Genin (Part 1), Chunin (Shippuden), Jonin (The Last, Blank Period)

Chakra Nature - Wind

Kekkei Genkai - None

Affiliations - Hinokoku (Land of Fire), Konohagakure (Village Hidden in the Leaves), Allied Shinobi Forces (5th Division), Team Anko

Other Names/Nicknames/Aliases - Kaori Lee, Kaori Yumeno-Lee

Blood Type - AB-

Favorite Food - Ice Cream

Least Favorite Food - Unagi

Hobbies - Flower arranging, rock collecting

*~*~*

Brief Description:

Kaori has reddish-pink hair and pink eyes.

Her academy grades were nothing to look at, with Lee being the only one who scored worse than her during their graduation exam. She has very low stamina, and has little strength. She tries to push herself though, which causes her to pass out often. What she lacks in physical strength, though, she more than makes up in her ability to use Genjutsu. Poisons and Senbon are also incorporated in her abilities, to make her jutsu that more deadly.

Kaori is short-tempered, but it mainly stems from a lack of self esteem in herself. Hates talking about it, so if she's opening up to you, you're special no doubt about it. Really admires Rock Lee and his constant determination and positive outlook on life. Strives to also be like that, but it's hard to change her ways. Will mellow out a bit as she gets older.

[fukuokadivision1]

It was in the late afternoon when the enigmatic leader of MIHANASA had just returned home after some wander around the city of her beloved Fukuoka. And that was also the time when her best friend and third member of her team, Ming Kawanoe, informed her that she had yet again got another birthday present from other divisions.

And now comes the unboxing time! As the androgynous entertainer untied the wrapping cloth off her parcel, soon she found the two separated gifts consisting of a cute bento loaded with delicious New year set mosaic suchi and a handmade soap bar with funny quotes. Beside them was also one small card attached along.

“To Inouye-san of MIHANASA

Nice to meet you and Happy Birthday! This is our little B-day regards from Nara Division.

Life must be struggling but cheers to a fresh start!

Wishing y’all a year filled with health, happiness, and new adventures.

Sincerely,

Nara Division”

——— Meanwhile, somewhere in Nara

“Hey, human, just who did you send a birthday present to this time?”

“It’s Inouye-san in Fukuoka, you remember? By the way, it’s kinda suspicious considering why the government decided to place such an ominous act after her...”

“…Omnious act? Who? By Chuohku?”

“Erm, yeah...? It’s kind of unbelievable though. I heard she only works for a circus, so there’s no real reason she has to be charged with a bounty, hasn’t she? Here is her picture. I think you have already seen it when we are researching on other contestants?”

“… ?!”

.

..

…Strangely enough for an untouchable girl who could only exist in the form of electrical codes and data, but what in the world made her think there is something ringing on her mind about this person under the current name ‘Sanyu’ ?

W̶̠͒i̸̺͗r̸̰̓e̴̱̚s̵̖̾,̴̡̊ ̴͖̈a̷̧̋ ̴̹͘l̷̤̍o̶̫͋t̷͇̋ ̵͈̊ỏ̴̡f̸̰͋ ̵��̩w̵͋͜i̵̻͂r̶̼̕e̶̲̽s̵̢͊ ̵̲̈́M̵̫͊o̶͕̔n̶͔̈i̴̙͛t̷̟̀o̴͗͜r̸͚͊ȉ̴̩n̶̦͆ǵ̵̯ ̷̨̔Ś̶̰c̵̱̊r̷̥̈́ë̶͍́é̸͈ń̴͉ ̷̫͆H̷̼̑ẏ̵͍p̴̱̽n̴̠͋ȏ̸͇s̸̡͒ì̵͚s̴̬͆ ̴̱̕ṃ̵̀ì̸̙c̵̙͆r̵̰͊ȯ̵̤p̷̭̀h̸̊͜ò̵̢n̶̢̓e̵̘̾ ̶̝̔T̴͉͐h̷͉̓e̸͊ͅ ̸̡̓ş̸̚u̸͖͊d̷̮̉d̴̟͗e̴͔͆n̴̢̊ ̴̠̀s̵͉͐c̵̰̿ę̶̕ǹ̸̙ť̴̨ ̷̗͌o̴̝͛f̴̱̀ ̴̝͗a̷̙͐ń̵̲ë̵͖́s̷̜̍t̶͉͘h̶̑ͅe̷͎͝t̷͈̃i̸͚͘c̷̼͘ ̴͓̌…̸̡͛

Just a feeling isn’t scientific,

And with such unscientific hunch couldn’t be counted as significant, isn’t it ...?

"This was really nice of the Nara Division team!" Ming said, as she, Sanyu and Tasuku were gathered around the kitchen table, partaking of the sushi that was gifted to them.

After seeing the bento box, Tasuku literally begged Sanyu to share it with him and Ming. Not that he needed to since she was going to split it anyways. The reason for this was because food such as this was a delicacy, at least in their part of Fukuoka; New Year-styled sushi was something they only partook in once a year, twice, if they were lucky. And what kind of person would Sanyu be if she didn't share among the two people who took her in and accepted her?

"When this is over, we'll have to sit down and write them a letter saying 'thank you'."

"Hmhm!"

"Yeash."

At their separate responses, the matriarch of the team looked as both of her teammates were busy stuffing their faces with food from the box, making her frown.

"You know, the two of you could be a little more respectable. The food's not going anywhere!"

"Shurr id ish, id’sh goin’ in our shtu-machs!" Tasuku responded, his mouth full of food.

"Yeash, deffinitely." Sanyu said, nodding her head in agreement. Of course, this only made Ming frown even more, before she shook her head.

"Why do I bother?" She asked out loud, before sticking her pair of chopsticks in the bento box, partaking as well. Twas just another day in the life of the MIHANASA.

[edogawa-division]

The sun has long set over the city of Edogawa. As the darkness soon claimed almost every corner in the town, there was one vehicle with the color of the starless sky quietly halted in front of the Kuromiya residence.

*Clack*

Not even trying to hide it, the sound of something was carefully dropped at the house’s doorstep. However, if someone was coming out to check it up, the trace of the sender couldn’t be found at all.

Speaking about this mysterious parcel, it may looks suspicious but the inside was containing an elegant set for wax sealing and the delicate porcelain portable tea maker

There was also a neat-looking envelope with a proper handwriting attaching along with the parcel

“To Miss Kuromiya of Edogawa

Happy Birthday and perhaps Merry Early Christmas

P.S. Of course, those brats are the ones choosing gifts

Best regards

—Nara Division”

Yuriko stood in the kitchen her hair out of its usual bun having just gotten most of the cake out of it. The room was dark with the only light being the moonlight coming through the window and hitting Yuriko as she prepared a cup of tea. Her white hair and pale skin made it look like a ghost was standing in the kitchen whenever the moonlight hit her. 

So when Kaoru walked into the room it came to no surprise that she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of her adoptive mother. 

“Sweet Athena Yuriko warn a girl when you’re in here.” Kaoru wheezed out clutching at her chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“If anything is going to give you a heart attack Kaoru it’s all the caffeine you drink.” 

“If it hasn’t killed me now it ain’t killing me anytime soon.” Kaoru shrugged her shoulders. “But on my soul Yuriko, you look like a ghost haunting the kitchen right now.”

“Kaoru once again no matter how often you say it I am not a ghost. I just have albinism.” Yuriko rolled her eyes.

“Hey, I’m just saying there are myths about albinos and the powers they had all over the world.”

“Unbelievable.”

[akihabara-division03]

Andddd, at long last… The chill wind of late November has flushed through the ever buzzling afternoon of town announcing the super special day of Akihabara’s goofy hypnotherapist.

And as Anika was wandering out of her room during a small break before the last session of her day, she then saw her receptionist waving at her like he was having something to show her.

“Good thing you are here! Earlier the deliveryman has dropped some parcel addressed to you!”

Then the large box was slided to take a stop in front of the confused hypnotherapist,

…Oh right, today was her birthday. It must be some of her clients again, how kind of them to send in some gifts for celebrating with her.

But, somewhat the name of its sender was catching her eyes —Looking like this mysterious gift was from a certain boy who lived in Nara.

Eh… And what in the world would that boy send to her this time?

Knowing this boy’s whimsical sense of humor sometimes, she was kinda curious of what was packing inside this box. Hence that’s why she was going to discover it here and now.

And soon the mischievous presents were exposed to her sight…

Not only a goofy refresher candle was laying there to salute her day, there were also a bunch of comfy-sized pastries loaded in to fill her birthday party… But, oh well… They were all made of fluff and were in no way edible despite how realistic they looked.

“To Kiyozaki-san of Pixel Indicate

Hello there, Kiyozaki-san! Such regret that I haven’t made it in person again as I was starting my college now. It has been a fun ride picking some gifts for you though And In case you are wondering, here a certain Nara boy is the one writing!

The weather has now become colder and colder just as there are lots of wintry holidays waiting for us in this near future, so cheers for the first day of your another 365-day journey!

Happy Weekend and hope to see you again if there is an occasion!

—Yuuya Kanata, Nara Division

P.S. Last but not least, there is one more regards from my roommate as well! Pft, she has always bragged to me that you are someone who has a good taste, so she is itchy to send you something too. Hmm, I’m starting to wonder what kind of her pr— Oops, special present for you would be. May you check on your email when you’re ready!”

The letter from the familiar boy in Nara ended with that, but it looked like there was one more thing left for her to satisfy her curiosity

—And the phone in her hand was here for that sake.

As soon as the mailbox on her phone was opened, for whatever reason, the speakers in her entire clinic were starting to play the jovial tunes in unison

And from here on, the super special Happy Birthday Song exclusively arranged for her was echoing in her clinic…

Even if she can’t fully hear the whole thing, she could still see from her peers’ expressions that this song was no way an extraordinary one—

Happy Birthday Anika XD 🎂🎉

Horrified by what was presented to her, her coral eyes travelled back and forth between her phone and her interpreter in the room.

She had no idea what she was supposed to be hearing.

However the video playing from her phone was more than enough context clues.

Her interpreter, Kataoka, had sprawled out on the couch in the office and covered her face with one of the pillows that was shaped into loaves of bread.

Anika jumped up from her seat and ran over to her. “Why did I have to go deaf before I got to ever hear this song?!”

Kataoka kept the pillow over her face. “That’s what you took from that?!”

“No, but look! I see all over the internet of people getting Rick-rolled! But I have no idea what the song sounds like or what I’m missing out on! I know the meme but I’ll never know how funny it is!”

“You’re really not missing much…” Kataoka muttered through her swift sign language. “Okay, enough about the fucking rickrolling, what’re you gonna do about the other presents you got?”

“Well, the candle’s for me to keep, I don’t think it’ll be okay for me to keep that in the office around patients. But I think the younger kids especially will love these pillows during sessions.”

“I’m an adult and I love these pillows.”

Anika snickered.

“You’re right. I love them too. I need to thank that Yuuya when his birthday rolls around.”

Thanks for the gifts!! 🤣

[missmilkie]

Ninja From Another Land

Part Four

wc: 2.4k

During the days you waited until genin orientation, you learned some new jutsus. Naruto taught you the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The Body Flicker Jutsu, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu, and Temporary Paralysis Jutsu were also added to your arsenal.

If you have these natures you can learn:

Fire Style- Fireball Jutsu, Phoenix Flower Jutsu, Dragon Flame Jutsu

Water Style- Liquid Bullets, Wild Bubble Waves, Raging Waves

Earth Style- Double Suicide Decapitation Jutsu, Hiding Mole Jutsu, Earthquake Slam

Wind Style- Wind Scythe Jutsu, Gale Palm, Great Breakthrough

Lightning Style- Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop

You arrived ten minutes early to the orientation meeting for new genin. Other academy graduates filtered in as time passed, including Naruto.

“What are you doing here? This meeting is for graduates only.” Shikamaru approached Naruto.

“Don’t you see this headband? As of today, I’m a ninja too.” Naruto adjusted his headband. “What can I say? It suits me.”

Soon after, Ino and Sakura barreled into the room.

“Looks like I won again, Sakura.” Ino panted.

“What are you talking about? The tip of my foot got in one centimeter faster!”

“You’re blind!”

Sakura then turned to see Sasuke. Naruto blushed as he thought she was looking at him. The pinkette ended up pushing Naruto out of her way to talk to the Uchiha heartthrob.

“Good morning, Sasuke. Mind if I sit next to you?” Sakura asked as if she didn’t just violently shove Naruto away.

“Hey! I’m gonna sit next to Sasuke.” Ino argued.

“It’s first come, first served.”

“Well, I got in the classroom sooner!”

“I did!” Some other girl shouted.

“If that’s the case, then I did!” Another came up.

“I was first!”

“I’m sitting next to Sasuke!”

A small crowd of girls began arguing over Sasuke. He just sighed, annoyed.

Naruto hopped up onto the desk, getting right in Sasuke’s face. They stared each other down.

“Naruto! Don’t glare at Sasuke!” Sakura scolded.

The blond turned back to Sasuke to continue glaring. What’s so special about him anyways?

“Beat him up, Sasuke!”

The kid sitting in front of Naruto then suddenly jerked back, bumping into Naruto.

“Oh! Sorry!”

You giggled. Naruto and Sasuke were now lip locked in front of all the fangirls. They quickly separated, spitting dramatically. Naruto turned to the girls, sensing their rage.

“Naruto…You…”

“An accident…It was an accident!”

Sakura cracked her knuckles menacingly. After the blond ninja took a beating, Iruka came in and started the meeting.

“As of today, you have all become full-fledged ninjas. However, you’re still genin. The tough part is still to come. From now on you’ll be in a squad of three and carry out your missions under your jounin teachers. Though there will be one with four since we have an odd number.”

Chatter erupted at the possibilities of the squads.

“The groups have been determined so that the strength of the group will be balanced. Now for the assignments.” Iruka brought up a list.

You naturally spaced out for a while because none of the groupings mattered much to you.

“Group Seven will be…Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and (Y/n) (L/n).”

Hell yeah!

“Group Eight is…Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame.”

Sakura bragged to Ino about being on a team with Sasuke. Shikamaru didn’t understand why girls were so interested in Sasuke. Ino had just finished saying that she would hate to be grouped with Shikamaru when Iruka spoke.

“Next is Group Ten…Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. That’s all for the group divisions.”

“Mr Iruka! Why does an exceptional student like me have to be in the same group as Sasuke?!” Naruto stood up angrily.

“Sasuke has the best grades of the graduates along with (Y/n). Naruto, you have the worst!” Everyone laughed. “Of course, this is how it is when trying to balance the strength within groups.”

“Just don’t get in my way.” Sasuke side-eyed Naruto.

“What did you say to me?!” The blond fumed.

“You wanna fight?”

“Knock it off, Naruto.” Sakura told him disapprovingly.

“In the afternoon, I’ll introduce you to your jounin teachers. You’re dismissed until then!”

Everyone dispersed to eat lunch. You stayed in your seat and ate your bento before taking a nap. You didn’t want to deal with the drama that you knew was occurring outside the room.

Every other team’s teachers picked them up, so you guys were the last people there. You knew that Kakashi was notorious for being late, so you took a nap. Sakura and Naruto argued while Sasuke brooded at his desk. When you woke up, Naruto was placing an eraser in the cracked open doorway.

“Hey! What are you doing, Naruto!” Sakura scolded him.

“It’ll be his fault because he’s late.”

“You’re just asking for it..”

“A jounin wouldn’t get caught in such a weak prank.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“That’s right! You’re such an idiot.”

“I bet you 500 ryo each that our sensei falls for it.” You suggested with an air that drew them in. Sasuke and Naruto blushed profusely.

“It’s a bet.” Sasuke accepted.

Kakashi fell for it just like he was supposed to. You always theorized that he just didn’t care and let it happen. Kakashi told your group to meet him on the roof before disappearing. At least you made a quick 1000 ryo out of it.

“First things first, introduce yourselves.” Kakashi said simply.

“What should we say?” Sakura was confused.

“What you like, dislike. Your dreams for the future, hobbies, that kind of stuff.”

“Hey! You should go first.” Naruto suggested.

“Alright. My name is Kakashi Hatake. I don’t feel like telling you about my likes and dislikes. I haven’t really thought about my dreams for the future... And as for hobbies, I have a lot.” Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura looked at him in disbelief. They didn’t learn anything from that, just his name. “You next.”

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen, ramen from Ichiraku, and (Y/n)! My hobbies are trying different kinds of ramen. I dislike the five minutes you have to wait after you pour the hot water in your ramen. My hobby is eating and comparing ramen! My dream is to become Hokage, so that the people of the village will pay attention to me and give me some respect!”

“My name is Sakura Haruno. I like…*giggles* My hobbies are…*giggles* My dreams for the future are…*giggles* Oh, and I hate Naruto!” Every time she giggled she was looking at Sasuke. You mentally facepalmed. You were going to fix her.

“I am Sasuke Uchiha. I dislike a lot of things, but no likes in particular. What I have is not a dream because it will become a reality. I will restore my clan and kill a certain someone.” It was so emo.

“You do realize what you’re going to have to do to restore your clan, right? That’s a lot of se-“ Kakashi cut you off.

“Your turn.” Sasuke’s face had become beet red at your comment. He had an idea of who he wanted to help him restore his clan.

“I’m (Y/n) (L/n). I like food, and I dislike people who are mean to my friends. My hobbies are hanging out with friends and learning new jutsus. My dream is to save as many people as possible.”

“The four of you are…very distinct and interesting. Your first mission will be tomorrow.” Naruto perked up. “We'll do what we can with five people, a survival exercise.”

“An exercise? I thought this was supposed to be a mission.” Sakura pointed out.

“Yeah, what’s with that?” Naruto jumped in. Akashi began to laugh darkly, the sound making you sit up straighter.

“If I tell you, you’ll be disappointed…” The amused edge never left his voice. “Of the twenty-eight graduates, only nine or ten will be recognized as junior ninja. The rest will go back to the academy. In other words, this will be a difficult test with a 66% fail rate.” Everyone’s demeanors dropped a bit.

“I told you you wouldn’t like it.”

“That’s not fair! We’ve gone through so much. What was the graduation exam even for?!” Naruto exclaimed.

“It was to select those with the potential of becoming a genin.” Naruto shrieked incredulously. “I’ll be deciding if you pass or fail. Bring all of your ninja tools and meet at five in the morning!”

Everyone freaked out in their heads. No one was going to let themselves fail.

“Alright, you're dismissed.” Kakashi turned to leave. “Oh, and you should skip breakfast because you’ll throw up.”

The next morning, you woke up at six. You knew that Kakashi was going to be three hours late, so you took your time getting ready. You had a decent breakfast before going to the training ground. You arrived around seven forty-five.

“(Y/n)! Why are you so late?!” Sakura demanded a response.

“Oh, I just slept in on accident.” You lied with a smile before glancing around. “Looks like Kakashi isn’t here though, so it’s all good. Time is relative, you know.” The three of them stared at you in confusion.

Twenty minutes later, Kakashi finally arrived.

“Why are you three hours late?!”

“A black cat was about to cross my path, so I had to find another route.” Kakashi shrugged at his half assed lie.

“So, what’s our mission?” You asked. Kakashi set an alarm clock down in front of you all and removed three bells from his pocket.

“This clock is set to go off at noon. You have until then to take these bells from me. If you don’t get one, you won’t get lunch.” Your hungry teammates gasped.

“But sensei, there’s only three of them.” Sakura pointed out.

“At the very least, one of you will be sent back to the academy.” Naruto and Sakura were freaking out over how unfair it would be to be sent back to the academy. “Although one of you will definitely fail, all of you can still fail. You won’t get a bell unless you come at me with the intent to kill.”

“But sensei, that’s dangerous!” Sakura exclaimed.

“Yeah, you couldn’t even dodge an eraser!” Naruto snickered.

“In this world, those without enough skills tend to complain more. So don’t listen to that loser.”

Naruto was pissed. You could’ve swore he popped a blood vessel. The blond whipped out a kunai and charged at Kakashi. Almost too fast for you to comprehend, Kakashi caught Naruto’s hand and turned him around to be at his mercy with the kunai poised at the back of his blond head.

“Don’t be hasty. I didn’t say start yet.” The jonin’s voice was dangerously low and you felt your cheeks burn. Nothing beats hearing it in person. Why did you have to be twelve again?! He was so hot! Kakashi released Naruto after a moment. “But hey, you did come at me with the intent to kill.”

You all looked at your new sensei, anticipating his next words.

“I think I’m starting to like you guys.” Your team stared him down, hopeful. “Let’s start now.”

Everyone jumped away to hide. You were able to mask your presence well enough to begin concocting a plan. Nearby Naruto was out in the open and challenging Kakashi. You kept your eyes on Kakashi as a precaution.

If you remembered correctly, the purpose of this exercise was to work together. Sasuke wouldn’t be open to cooperating since he believed people would slow him down. Sakura might be more open to it, even if she can get a little distracted… You made your way over to her, careful to not make a sound.

“Psst. Sakura.”

She opened her mouth to scream, but you covered it.

“We should work together. None of us are good enough to get the bells on our own. Here’s what we can do.” You leaned in close to Sakura to whisper your plan.

Unbeknownst to you, Kakashi had a clone watching your every move. He smiled underneath his mask before diffusing into smoke. He wanted to be surprised.

While Naruto was getting his ass handed to him, you and Sakura took up your positions. Sakura would ambush Kakashi and put him under a genjutsu. In the second that he would take to release it, you would snatch the bells.

Kakashi had just finished dealing with Naruto’s dumb ass when Sakura pounced.

“Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Jutsu.”

Kakashi’s body went rigid. You had jumped out of hiding as soon as Sakura performed the last hand seal.

Wind thundered in your ears as you rocketed to your sensei. He drew close within seconds, your hands reaching out. Cool metal pressed into your skin and your hand closed. You let the momentum propel you away from him. It was your escape.

“(Y/n)!” Sakura called out.

You opened your hand to reveal three twigs.

“They were fakes! The real ones were somewhere else on his body.”

“What?!” Sakura caught up to your figure. “When did he do that?”

“Right before you put me under that genjutsu.”

The two of you whipped around to face your teacher.

“Well, it was worth a shot. We’ll just have to figure out a better plan.” You shrugged, knowing that the two of you had already passed.

Just then, the timer went off.

“Time for lunch. Except for Naruto.” Kakashi’s tone didn’t reflect how scary he was acting earlier.

The three of you sat down around Naruto with your bentos.

“Sakura and (Y/n) have already passed. You’ve got to step it up, boys.”

Sakura’s green eyes widened as a grin spread across her face.

“We did?”

“They did?!” Naruto exclaimed.

“Yeah. Don’t tell the boys your secrets.” Kakashi went from lighthearted to terrifying. “And none of you feed Naruto.”

With that you were left alone to eat. Naruto’s stomach loudly protested the lack of food. You just went for it, offering your food up after taking a bite.

“(Y/n)!”

“Relax. Naruto’s gonna need his strength if he wants to pass.” You alternated between taking a bite and giving Naruto one.

Hesitantly, Sasuke and Sakura joined.

“You still need to eat too, you know.”

The rotation of feeding Naruto didn’t last long before Kakashi returned, looking livid. The sky became dark as clouds rolled in and thunder crashed.

“You…all pass.”

Just like that, the dark clouds were gone. A pleased expression could be seen on what was revealed of Kakashi’s face.

“But how?”

“Those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”

After talking to Hinata and Ino, you and Sakura were informed that they didn’t have to endure a test. Kakashi was just being extra. Of course he was. You thought to yourself.

“So unfair.”

“He may not act like it, but Kakashi-sensei cares. You’ll see.” You assured her with a smile.

“If you say so.”

[uenodivision]

As close as the darkness of the night was going to veil all over the sky above the town, there was one vehicle with the color as dark as the starless sky driving through the scarlet wind in autumn and finally took its stop right before the peaceful sanctuary of a certain Christian fairy godmother in Ueno.

With almost silent pat on the chill metal, the furoshiki-style parcel was quietly left inside the mailbox in front of her residence until the doorbell is soon heard to the resident of this house, beckoning the nun to rushed over and found the package laying there without any trace of her mysterious sender...

Carefully untying its wrapping cloth, she then noticed a letter placing on top of a box;

“To Heisha-san of Sakurai Clan,

This is our joyous regards from Nara Division! It has been quite rough nowadays after so many events during Hallowern, but here we are delighted to find you the gift to celebrate your special time anyway! Happy Birthday to you, Heisha-san, and also to welcome many more in the future.

May your greatest happiness come find you in no time!

Sincerely,

Nara Division”

Gently glowing in the dark, inside the box was an astounding night light that took its fairytale-like feature after a certain flower known as ‘Lily of The Valley’. And even if this beautiful flower was known to be born with such lethal poison within itself, its flower language was otherwise…

‘The Return of Happiness’

"Wow," Aranai said, whistling as she looked at the nightlight, which was glowing in the middle of the coffee table in the living room. "I'll admit, this is pretty cool. I didn't even know plants could glow in the dark."

"They're, unfortunately, not real, Aranai-chan." Shisuta explained, with a small chuckle as she was sitting down on her living room sofa. "Some plants, however, are able to glow, but only after they've had their DNA spliced with an animal's, like a firefly's. They're called 'bioluminescent plants.'"

"Really?" Aranai questioned, before looking at the plant for a bit, then looking up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"What is it?" Shisuta asked, looking at her daughter.

"Nothing," Aranai said, still looking at the ceiling. "Just curious, you think we could make it so the cherry blossom trees here in Ueno are able to glow like this?"

"We could, but don't you think that would take away from the cherry blossom's natural beauty?" Shisuta asked.

"...Yeah, that's a fair point." Aranai nodded, before she and her mom sat in silence, letting the nightlight continue to illuminate the entire room.

[kofu-division]

*Ringing*

At one point in the morning, the residence of one novelist and the second son of the glorious Enjouji family was suddenly greeted by the loud but jovial doorbell outside of his house.

Reluctantly waking up from his slumber, the self-proclaimed sleeping beauty dragged himself toward the entrance to check o the sudden visitor

—Damn, the morning time was hardly nice for a writer, especially when they had to spend their hours all night long for the unfinished deadline.

However, when he reached his destination, there wasn’t even a single trace left to tell that there was anybody before —Until his viridian eyes spotted something peacefully placing inside the mailbox.

It was a cool-looking bag in the design of a dark fantasy grimoire!

And even if he felt bit dazed at who sent this surprise gift to him, Kei decided to take some look and found a card attached inside the bag

“Happy Birthday & Happy New Year

—From Nara Division”

—A few minutes after Kei went back into his home

There was an edge of something in a jet black color quietly sneaking itself from one blind spot around the corner nearby

“So, that seaweed bishounen is the member of that one division you recommend to keep an eye on?”

“*nods* According to the piece of information I’ve acquired, the leader of this division was somehow responsible for the case of provoking abuse and suicides in school before, and besides, nearly all of this division seems to have some… ‘questionable’ streak that we have to take caution to. However, I’ve never expected you to come along this time —my young master.”

“…Hmm, it was nothing much actually. I just couldn’t believe that the Enjouji had decided to adopt two kids from nowhere into their fucking family. Honestly, don’t you think that they have been a bit too indulgent to their only son?”

“You’re one to talk, my young master. Don’t most in your uncle’s family also come from adoption?”

Kei hummed looking at the bag, although he rubbed his eyes trying to lose that sleepy sensation (he has a reason to call himself sleeping beauty,he like sleep) and with the gift in hands the novelist returns to his bed and look at it again

"it's certainly nice and can be useful for me when i'm looking for inspirations or out in other divisions"-Kei said to himself with a little smile in his red lips

After it he looked at the note again

"Nara division? A nice city but i don't know much about that team"-he said again

After a few moments the novelist out of the bed and go to his walk-in closet with his new bag in hands

Thank you for the gift

[naradivision]

Hypmic OC Halloween Party 2023 🎃 ~Part I

Once the night of 31rd October has already come to the town, who knows? Something extra supernatural is bound to happen!

Disclaimer: Please note that these are not the actual titles to the songs, I just made them up of course. All these songs obviously belong to their respective artists,

And the OCs mentioned belong to their respective creators as well!

To be honest, at first I attempted to make the cast match with their headcanon VCs but considered giving it up at some point because if I did that, some names would be brought up too often *side-glancing at Yuuya, Saigo, and Yorii* 

Surprisingly, almost every song happens to have their own English subtitles available, so open them up if you’d like to know something. I’ll leave more details in your imagination then (¬‿¬)

If you feel tempted to do the fanarts, please feel free to do it XD

So, now. Isn’t it time to let the Feast begins?

3, 

[All lights in the stadium suddenly flickered on and off uncontrollably]

2, 

[One by one, every light in the stadium has eventually been turned off]

1, 

[Now, everything around was soon engulfed in the complete darkness]

.

.

.

#1 Answer The Call (Offer Your Soul)

Kureha “Eclipse” Koizumi

Sumire “Diabla” Shinomiya

Asuka “TREA$URE” Koizumi

Lyall “Corvus” Shiba

Kaoru “Arachne” Shinozaki

Kotono “Shiki” Ohara

Tasuku “Katame” Kawanoe

Eden “Ember” Yamamura

Kaori “Black Orchid” Narizuka

Real title: Dakini Covered by O.B.N.N (AeGJoongG, YangDoki, RaA, EASYDOG, Gogyeol, DALNODO, Seelight, EDEN, ZENRUA) | Original by twinkle, UtaP ft. Kagamine Rin

In the midst of the night, two pairs of red lights roam in darkness…

#2 Werehumans

Kanra “D. Vil” Akemi

Yorii “Sireen” Sakuma

Real title:  Kaibutsu (Monster) Covered by Amatsuki x 96neko | Original by YOASOBI

Dear pioneers, raise up your flags!

The land that no one has yet to know before…

Declare we’re now the ones in charge!

#3 Neverland Kakumei

Kosuke “Lumière” Furuhata

Lana “Facade” Alarie

Aranai “Ride or Die” Norikoru

Tomi “High Class” Chōten

Azusa “Onna-musha” Furukawa

Yuki “Ice King” Kuraokami

Ryūnosuke “Fist N Fury” Sekiguchi

Ace “MC Patriot” Douglas

Yudai “KILLA W” Toya

Asato “AR Master” Rikiya

Anika “Rush Hour” Kiyozaki

Yuuya “ARROW” Kanata

Kotan “Kamuy” Anchikar

Aoba “Guinevere” Yamamura

Real title:  World Domination Original by Hikifes team 2019 (mafumafu, soraru, luz, un:c, araki, nqrse, syounen T, amatsuki, urata, tonari no sakata, shima, senra, eve, sou) a.k.a. My favs all stars XD

——[ Interval: Fan Meeting Session ]——

Howdy~

And sorry for the wait, my dear mortals♡

Hasn’t anybody told you not to follow voices in the night?

#5 See me? See me? (Succubus ’s Lullaby)

Aika “VeeXn” Yumi

[For goodness’s sake, the extent of her show this time was only limited to singing and dancing… Thus, the minors can enjoy it too]

Real title:  Wiggle Wiggle Original by Raon

…Promise me one thing?

Don’t ever let yourself be drawn into this dreamy sweet trap, ‘Kay?

#4 Zombiz Fantasy ♥︎

Shuu “Men-H” Edogawa

Kaiji “Jinx” Sano

Touya “MC Darling” Kisaragi

Real title: Kokotsu ni Yamu (Ecstatic Breakdown) Original by alfakyun ft. takayan Welp, sorry for the unmatched number of voice casts

Exhausted yet?

…No? That’s great!

Why don’t we spice things up a bit before meeting the shuffle teams in the second half! 

#6 Lull X Roar

Yuuya “ARROW” Kanata

Yorii “Sireen” Sakuma

Real title:  Hell is mine Original by araki x luz Yorii did say in his interview that maybe they could work together so why not? I even pray for their voice claims (Amatsuki & Araki) to actually collab one day

🎃 Behind the scenes Pt.1

Even though there are other divisions and some participants which may not be mentioned above, they’re all invited and have their own parts in this event as well. For examples;

Himari Asami, Hiroshi Sakura, and Suzuran Minazuki (who was on the request of her non-blood-related cousin) were in charge of designing and making costumes with the assistance of three fashion interns; Aimi Miyazaki, Alice Shiroka, and Umi Kobayashi.

Akira Arai, Natsume Kurome, Kururi Yamamura and Queen Card’s team were noted to took part in making props. By the way, Kureha Koizumi was anticipated to participate in this as well but she unexpectedly showed up in the opening show —much to everyone’s surprise.

Reiaki Suzubayashi and Emiko Akaibara showed to work together on helping the cast prepare themselves before entering the stage.

Chiyuri Seiguni was tasked to be the main operator of most special effects on stage via the brief from the real technician, Raiden Otoha since this one had to take his part in the 7th show.

Aiko Mayeda was the D.J. and he got the party started! The 86 band and other musical units associated with other division members were also joined in to provide music for some songs.

Most choreography throughout the shows were designed and coached by Yeong Hajoon, Haruto Morikawa, and Kaede Iwasawa.

The representative of Snowflake Sentinel News, Yoichi Shujo; and the head of a certain publishing-house, Nellie Yukimura were assigned to deliver the details of this event. Please expect more live reports and some tidbits behind the scenes from them.

The foods and drinks in this event were all supplied by the alliance between Luis Kōkyū, Rashaad Young, Harumatsuya shop, and Rikiya farm.

The main sponsors of the previous event are Sigma Inc., Toi Pharmaceutical, and E.L. Medical Co. Therefore, this time it’s the turn of Wonder⇓anD Sound Systems, Arakawa Tech Industries, and the concert venue was organized by the entertainment agency “Kairiku Production” with the cooperation of Queen Card’s league. 

For some reason, a certain division was banned from participating —to be specific, it’s Ginza Division. However, Eiji Noguchi and his family were secretly invited because his children wanted to come.

At first Fusao Ise and Queen card were honored to be the MCs (or the hosts) of this event but because the latter had to ‘prepare’ for her own part in the 11th show, Reika Aichi was surprisingly nominated to take over this role once again alongside Fusao.

At the beginning, all the cast were seen wearing some kind of masquerade mask before their first show started.

Though not every division was present in the 3rd show, there were flags with symbols of each team ever participated in the D.R.B. showing on stage.

For whatever reason, Aranai Norikoru was the one who delivered the line “Toki wo (Shout)!” before the chorus “Kakumei wa matte (The revolution has succeeded)!” was sung by all divisions. Well, someone in the cast seemed visibly displeased with how this turned out.

Despite the 6th show being performed by Yuuya Kanata and Yorii Sakuma, the one who advised them on the lyrics was their senior musician, Ren Nakashima, and the music provider for this show was none other than the 86 Band

Before two boys of the 6th show left the stage, the camera caught both Yuuya and Yorii high-fiving Ren who was up for the next show…

▶︎ TO BE CONTINUE IN PT. 2…

Amazing OCs mentioned above are from:

@saitama-division @shinagawa-division @enoshima-division @niigata-division @edogawa-division @sendaidivision @fukuokadivision1 @hamamatsu-divison @toshima-division @setagaya-division @kawasaki-division @kyoto-division @uenodivision @aoyama-division @taito-division @sapporo-division @naha-division @okinawa-division @toyama-division @akihabara-division03 @naradivision @hakodate-division @kumamoto-division @minato-division01 @suginami-division @kobedivision @katsushika-division @miyazaki-division @harajukudivision @urayasu-division @nakanodivision @odaibadivision @chiyoda-divison @minato-division03 @chiyoda-division2 @takatsuki-division @megurodivision @koto-division @ginza-division @shizuokadivision

P.S. Apologizing if I missed out some divisions or have made anyone sound OOC —I'm trying lmao.

Oh, and there were part 2 of course! Maybe other OCs might join in the cast there~~

...Happy Halloween & hoping y’all enjoy it :)

[blue-15000]

Notes for Ch. 12 of To Be a Kunoichi

Hello all,

I took a minute to clear my head, did some plotting, and am now back!

First, I wanted to drop my musings on clan/village dynamics. It's really interesting.

In fics, there's often a council made up of clan heads or representatives, alongside Hiruzen's best nepotism friends and often civilian representatives as well. This is complete fanon: in canon, the council only consists of Hiruzen's old genin buddies, and I stick to canon wherever possible, and have a policy of only adding to canon where there are holes in information; for example, canon does not comment much on women's rights and sexism. There is no canon information that contradicts the idea that it is dangerous/extremely unusual for women to travel without their husbands or male relatives, an idea that is present in my fic.

That leaves the question - what do clan heads actually do? Being a liaison between the clan and the village is a sensible answer, but not one supported by canon. We see Fugaku and Hiashi handle some internal matters, and we also see that clans tend to segregate from the village. We also know that clans have their own cultural and sometimes religious practices (think the Uzumaki temple with the masks, or the Uchiha shrine with religious texts that can only be read with the sharingan).

We also know that clan techniques and kekkei genkai are often internal matters - a lot of this information seems to be highly secretive and transmitted culturally. For example, Kakashi seemed to have been unaware he had the Mangekyo Sharingan, because unlike Itachi/Sasuke/what have you, he did not have cultural access to the Uchiha shrine. There are other techniques that are WHOLLY a matter of culture: the Yamanaka/Nara/Akimichi techniques spring to mind, and the Inuzuka/Aburame techniques seem to be a blend of nature and nurture.

The glaring issue with clans and clan heads is that it creates an internal division within the village: what if the best interests of the clan are not the best interests of the village? What if shinobi are loyal first and foremost to their kin, their clan head, over the Hokage? This is compounded if they live in separate areas from clanless shinobi and civilians. Obviously in canon this came to a head with the Uchiha massacre. Clans probably only still exist because they have managed to keep their cultural knowledge from becoming general knowledge to the village: if any old schmuck could teach a shinobi how to use Nara clan techniques, the village would have no further use for the Nara as a distinct cultural and possibly legal unit (seriously - that's the only way I can imagine the Caged Bird Seal being legal, if clans are also distinct LEGAL units). The village is aware of this. The clans are also aware of it. It's a constant tension.

Then we get to my fic! Naruto, in my universe, has inherited the Uzumaki talent for chakra sensing, much like other characters like Nagato and Karin. She has also just realised some of the implications of her talent: it gives her a huge leg up in understanding the form and function of seals. If she had a living mother, or if Uzushio had not fallen, she would have grown up knowing not only that her extra sense is a chakra sensing ability, but that its purpose is to help sealing techniques. Even if Kushina, her mother, hadn't inherited the predisposition, she would have had aunts, uncles, grandparents, or cousins to teach her. By the time she was toddling they would have been honing her abilities, e.g. playing hide and seek to increase her sensing range, and by the time she could write her own name they would be starting her on sealing techniques.

I feel that a child like Naruto - who has inherited quite strong tendencies for the Uzumaki techniques - would have been considered a blessing, of good luck to her family, as Kushina was. Had Uzushio not fallen, Kushina and Naruto would represent a cadet branch of the clan's head family: in my fic, Kushina was the youngest of four siblings, not expected by anyone to inherit any positions, and thus sent to Konoha like Mito (also a youngest sibling of the main family - so Kushina's great-aunt) as a symbol of good will between the Uzumaki and Senju. Maybe some young Senju would also have spent time in Uzushio in a similar exchange - and that might be relevant later.

What Naruto has lost is not only personal: her mother, and earlier, her extended family, but cultural. The Uzumaki would have likely had cultural beliefs around sealing and sensing, ranging from etiquette (it's rude to use your sensory ability at a friend's house - means you don't trust them), to religious (e.g. creating seals as a means of prayer, meditation, or worship). This is a tremendous loss, one she is feeling in the fic right now moreso than the personal - she doesn't know about Kushina, at this point, but is aware that she belongs to a largely defunct clan.

I can't even remember where I was going with this. Ope. The point is that the clan system is difficult to understand, and that I am trying to make it make sense while also sticking to what canon showed.

This arc has been renamed to Red Sky at Morning, from the phrase "red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor's warning." Sometimes I hear shepherd instead of sailor, same difference, I suppose. Also obviously it has connections to the actual main villains of Naruto.

This chapter kicked my ASS. I got horrible second-hand embarrassment writing about Nart opening gifts. I got second-hand embarrassment when she cried in the kitchen, and when Itachi showed up, and in basically every scene. I cringed my way through writing it, it is intended to be awkward (tweenage girl has her first birthday party while her adult male teammates try desperately to both ignore and make up for what they all just went through). Shisui probably begged Itachi to go with him for moral support, realising too late that Itachi is even MORE awkward and shy than Naruto is. In earlier drafts, she came away from this party with a preadolescent crush on Itachi because he has nice hair and is polite. The crush might still happen, but at a later date. It will never be reciprocated or go anywhere, she just thinks he's pretty.

I found out too late that birthdays are not as big a deal in Japan as they are in the west, so I papered over the cracks by adding a line about birthdays being more important to shinobi than to the dominant culture, because shinobi die young more often. Oh well.

I think Jiraiya's character suffers from a number of unfortunate misunderstandings in the fandom. One - the english translation, which calls him Naruto's godfather. In Christian cultures, a godfather/mother has the responsibility to raise the child if something happens to the parents, which makes Jiraiya look like a right arsehole. But he isn't Naruto's godfather, but rather, the person who named him. Traditionally (as in, a long time ago, from what I can tell), an older family member/important family friend would choose a child's new name when they came of age. The "godfather" scene is just meant to show how much Minato respects Jiraiya, Jiraiya doesn't have more obligations to Naruto than, say, Kakashi or Hiruzen.

He also is written for comic relief in a time when misogynistic jokes were much more prevalent. We're not meant to take his actions seriously, although of course they amount to sexual harassment. I shall try to strike a middle ground with him: well-meaning, perhaps a bit chauvinistic (he DEFINITELY calls waitresses sweetheart), but ultimately a kind person. This is not to erase his actions in canon, but to try to interpret his character in the spirit in which it was meant. Kasumi hates him for unrelated reasons.

I'm actually kind of pro-Jiraiya, sorry guys. Maybe it's that he reminds me of my dad and his brothers, maybe it's that I find the idea of "Naruto, but he gave up on Sasuke" very interesting. And pervy sage is a banger of a nickname. He's also my dad's favorite character, we used to watch Naruto together when I was a little lad of eight T-T

Unrelated trivia: my mum banned me from watching Naruto Shippuden for several years because she thought it was too violent.

Tenzo <3

What to say about Tenzo? He's full of solid advice. He doesn't have nearly as much baggage when it comes to Naruto (Shisui has his younger cousins, Kakashi has... all of that), and, I think, treats her with the most respect of any of their teammates. He was a baby ten year old ANBU too, he doesn't disregard her because of her age.

OK I lied: his advice is not always solid, but he's doing his best. I imagine the "focus on what you can DO" attitude helped him a lot in his recovery from being Orochimaru's prisoner. It helped him not feel so powerless, and now, he's helping Naruto. Naruto, in my fic, struggles a lot with feeling helpless, because, well, she often is. This fic is about Naruto taking control of her own life and destiny as it is about anything else in the plot.

[saitama-division]

As the brightest orb in the sky was now leaning closer to the far horizon of Saitama city, the vast sky above the town was dyed in such enigmatic shades of pink, welcoming the special moment of a certain beloved butterfly mama of D.R.B. since today was apparently her birthday. And even if most of the trees here and there hadn’t yet changed their colors, it still couldn’t deny the fact that the new season after the summer gone had already begun…

Once along with plenty of thoughtful gifts being blessed to Miyuki residence, there was a parcel from a certain place far, faraway from Saitama lying still inside of the house’s mailbox.

Inside of it were a tidy roll of pink scarf which its rim decorated with flowery crochets internationally hand-made to resemble the cute and dainty cosmos flowers or the so-called “ 秋桜 ” (akizakura)’ of autumn.

And the scarf wasn’t not the only gift, there was also a pink paper bag packed with breads cutely stuffed with sweet cream and some fruities arranging after a certain cartoon character from ghibli movies

Looking on the side, there was a card attached along with the message written as such;

“To Miyuki-san of Saitama

First of all, hello Miyuki-san and let me wish you a happy birthday with some presents and regards from my division! And actually, my sister’s birthday is coincidentally on the same day as you too haha… But well, looks like the weather has turned a bit colder since it will soon be delving into the midst of autumn, doesn’t it? So, I think it would be great to keep our home warm and comfy during this period. Oh, and please don’t forget to take care of yourself as well! We hope you and your family will have a good time onwards in this year.

Sincerely,

Yuuya Kanata, Nara Division.”

“Oh nice, Yuuya and his team come up with some pretty cool gifts.” Kureha complimented as she sat on the table in the kitchen watching her mother prepare Yoshiko’s lunch for tomorrow, the brunette turned to her oldest daughter. “Oh, is he a friend of yours?”

“Not really, but I have heard of him, he was pretty popular at school and we only said hi to each other a few times before he graduated high school.” Kureha explained as she brought the bread rolls over to the older woman, earning a thankful smile in response.

“Well, that was kind of him, the weather is getting a bit more chilly so the scarf is going to come in handy and this bread looks so cute…hm…” After contemplating on it, Sayaka took one of the pieces and carefully placed it in Yoshiko’s lunch box, smiling in satisfaction, she wrapped the box up in a decorated cloth and placed it in the fridge for later, grabbing the plate with the remaining bread, she took another one for herself before handing out the last one towards Kureha silently asking if she wanted some. The artist looked at the plate for a second before shrugging and taking the last piece, the mother and daughter duo shared a smile and a light moment as they enjoyed each other’s company and feasted on some sweet treats.

Thank you for the gift!

[birinboom]

Hello dearest darling Em! I am here to ask about HoshiEm, because I think it's adorable and I would like to know more <3

You are taking a trip together - where are you going? What activities are you doing together? What are you most excited about on your trip? Which of you hates packing the most?

Also if you feel like it, tell me a little about your man, because I don't know him 🎤

🤍🫂

Aaaaaah, my darling Roxy-Rose, thank you so so much for sending me this!!! 😭💖💖💖

We’re going on a trip!

He and I met in Tokyo, but Hoshina is actually from the Kansai region (Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/etc). So we’re taking a trip back to his home. We’re mostly planning on sightseeing, which is something I enjoy a lot, and he enjoys finding new places to show me. We can easily spend a whole day just wandering around one of the older parts of Kyoto and taking in the sights. I’m really looking forward to seeing new things and eating new food, and feeding some tame deer, and also just getting to spend some uninterrupted time with him, he’s always so busy.

Which of us hates packing the most?

That’s probably me 😅 I always panic a little bit thinking I’ve forgotten something so I spend a lot of time making lists and double and triple checking everything, and I end up packing way too much. I don’t know why but I’m unable to pack light, even if I put genuine effort into it. Hoshina, on the other hand, can fit everything he needs into a small duffle bag and I hate him a little bit for it. 

Tell me a little about him

So, funny story. My husband and I watched Kn8 together. At one point he came into my office while I had a piece of fanart of Hoshina on my screen, and said ‘oh is that who you like now? Isn’t he kind of an asshole?’

And he’s right. Hoshina is kind of an asshole and I still love him.

I’m gonna put my ramblings under a cut ‘cause there will be spoilers. And I don't know how to be brief. Cue that drawing of me wordlessly crying while pointing to a picture of him.

Kaiju no. 8 takes place in a world where kaiju (ie. monsters) regularly attack humanity. They vary vastly in both size and the way they attack. Some are human-sized, or smaller, some are about the size of a minivan, and some tower over the tallest skyscrapers (this part is important for later) 

Enter the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force. Hoshina is the vice-captain of the 3rd division, which is centered in West Tokyo. He comes from a long line of swordsmen and kaiju slayers, but while he’s excellent with swords and very capable of dealing with smaller and mid-sized kaiju, guns are needed for the biggest ones. And he’s shit at using guns. 

Because of this, pretty much everybody in his life has been telling him that he should just give up. He’s not gonna make it, he’s just gonna cause trouble and get himself killed. The only one who believed in him is his now-captain, Mina. She’s the opposite of Hoshina, she’s excellent with guns but terrible with bladed weapons. And she believed that the two of them could compliment each other’s fighting styles enough to give him a genuine chance.

So this is where the asshole part comes into play. Because now Hoshina has the rank of vice-captain, he’s to a certain extent in charge of dealing with new recruits, and he WILL haze them. There’s one omake ending of the manga -which sadly never made it into the anime- where he’s overseeing a new recruit doing pushups as a punishment, he’s counting out loud, and then he starts counting backwards.

He’s an asshole in that whenever there’s a conflict that doesn’t directly involve him, he bursts out laughing. He will also quite readily tease people. But he takes his role as vice-captain very seriously. He’s ready to risk his life to keep people safe. He’ll go up against kaiju too big for him to handle if he has to, if nothing else then to buy time until someone better suited to fight them arrives.

It’s also shown that once he likes someone, he’ll go a long way to help them. It’s implied that he’s the one training the most promising of the new recruits (Kikoru) in using her axe, and he decides on his own to train the main character, Kafka, in hand to hand combat. 

(‘Course that last one only happens after Hoshina threatened Kafka with what turned out to be a very realistic rubber knife because he apparently holds grudges like a mofo)

I love him. I love his Kansai-accent. I love the way his voice goes nasal when he’s complaining about something. I love how he nearly always has his eyes closed. I love the shiver down my spine when he opens his eyes (shit’s most likely about to get serious!) I love his oversized canines. I love his stupid bowl-cut. I love the way he’s one of the few male characters (if not the only one) to use ‘boku’ about himself (and I have thoughts on WHY he does that!)

I love that he’s a bit of an asshole. I want him to tease me.

[minato-division03]

The sun was now starting to disappear from the horizon as the shade of numerous colors mixed in together at the time of dusk —And that was the same time Shirazuki household had been visited by some unexpected guest at her doorstep.

But when the ex-idol had gone out to check it up, she only found a package neatly wrapped in a beautiful piece of cloth hanging around the handle of the door instead of any sight of its sender.

Deciding to inspect it first for safety reasons, she cautiously unwrapped the parcel until she saw what had been sent to her residence.

First one she saw was a knitted scarf with the design of an adorable but insightful animal, the ‘Barn Owl’,

Next was a set of cute macarons which was actually the scented candles with a sweet and fruity mixed berries fragrance,

And last one was an elegant set of twelve necklaces in the theme of zodiac star signs,

Last but not least, there was a card written “Happy Birthday & Happy New Year!” submitted with the address from the people of Nara Division

—Somewhere in a car that was heading out of Minato ward—

“Really, you should put the birthday card outside of the furoshiki,”

the young(?) man with shades said as he just casually opened a can of tuna in his grasp, not even caring that he was in someone else’s car,

“or somewhere else more easier to see —Receiving something from the seemingly anonymous sender normally startles the person who used to be at the center of the limelight, you know?”

A cold glare was pointed to the speaker from the driver seat.

“I don’t wanna hear that from someone who almost caused a ruckus in Ms. Queen Card’s birthday the previous October,”

the much older man in his usual dark colored suit retorted with somewhat hostility in his tone.

“Aww~ Don’t talk about the water under the bridge, shall we?”

that enigmatic nonconformist shrugged in an unserious manner while he was savoring his quick supper.

“That queenie is already pretty smart on her own. I know she would know in a heartbeat that the little gift I added to Misaki’s thingies was more like a greeting toy than some real threat —Well, wouldn’t we all live for some excitement?”

As the shades he always oddly wore indoors and outdoors still covered all parts of his eyes, the older man couldn’t make a guess of what was actually in this shitty cat’s head.

Turning away from his troublesome accomplice, Chishio let out a long sigh as he fought down his own urge to pack this cat in some blank luggage and send it back to where he should belong. To be honest, maybe the reason why he often got disturbed by his antics was because it reminded him so much of himself when he was with his young master and the kids in his team.

…And he never understood what in the world had made Shūkaidō think that his earnest young master could replace him when the adoptive son of his was the troublesome person like THIS of all time.

Miku blew out the match and watched as the wick on her new candles that laid on top of some trays on her bedroom floor caught aflame. A small, delicate fire that allowed the mixed berry scents to fill her room.

Surrounding her on the floor was a ring of unscented candles.

With an exhale, she tilted her head back and closes her eyes, canceling out everything around her, including the owl scarf that rested on her shoulders. Cancelling the sound of her beautiful new With her nose, she breathed in the unfamiliar scent, her ears focused on the white noise that played on her computer and the light chimes from her new necklaces that hung on her jewelry altar, and zeroing in on the heat that rose from the candles around her.

“My circle is cast.”

Thank you for the gifts!

[shinagawa-division]

After silently arriving at his destination, the old attendant named ‘Chishio’ picked a small package wrapped within a neat piece of cloth out of his pocket and put it inside the mailbox in front of the Okada residence, not forgetting to submit a card with the message “Happy Birthday and Happy New Year! —from Nara Division” along with them.

The gifts that those kids in the division have picked for Ritsuko were a set of coasters designed after specimens of human’s brain and a bottle of colorful temari candies. For some tidbits, the candies were symbolized after some traditional ball toys called ‘Temari’ which were often gifted to children on New Year’s day to wish for their happiness. And apparently, one of many reasons why kids crave sweet things is because the principal energy for human’s brain is also glucose —the end product from breaking down most sugars. What a good match for the presents(?)

“And hey. If you seem that scared, why do you follow me here in the first place huh, little miss?”

Chishio frowned a bit as he noticed a small creature snuggling around his shoes after it spending a brief moment running around and checking the new environment it had visited.

…Wait, why was that kid’s kitty stalking him again today?

Gently picking the kitten up from the ground, the old man muttered something as if he was talking with her.

“I knew my master doesn’t really like cats much due to some allergy he has to your fur, but I’m sure that he has never done something rude to you as well. So, why can’t you just stay there and enjoy your time with your owner instead of running around like this? Outside is full of harm, just you know.”

The old man sighed. For whatever he had spoken out just now, there was no way the petite feline in his arms could neither understand nor answer him anyway.

—How ridiculous can this be? He could persuade that smart kid not to tag along with him in almost dangerous places but couldn’t do that with his cat.

“…Fine, let’s go home Ojou-chan. At least you make a less annoying companion than the other ‘cat’ I know.”

Ritsuko plucked a Temari from the bowl and rolled it around her fingers, inspecting the small treat. How amusing, she thought as she popped it in her mouth and began to chew, it was indeed sweet and it scratched at her sweet tooth nicely. Those specimens from Nara were quite intriguing, not only due to their gift giving habits but also because of the members themselves, the scientist made a mental note to do more research on them, she had a feeling that they may prove useful to her.

Thank you for the gift!