*briiiiiiing briiiiiiing*
No answer.
*briiiiiiing briiiiiiiiing*
"Maybe you should answer that."
"They’ll hang up eventually."
*briiiiiiiiing briiiiiiiiing*
"Hideaki..."
"What?"
"Just answer the damn phone!"
"Fine, alright!" Hideaki picked up the phone. "Yeah?"
He heard a voice, but could hardly understand words through the sobs from the voice.
"Who the fuck is this?"
Through the sobs he managed to make out ‘Angara’
"What the hell do you want? I’m busy, alright?"
He half listened to the sobs. ‘Minami’... ‘Program’...
So, Minami was in the game. Or better yet, Minami’s class was in the game.
"Oh, honey, that’s terrible!" He said, half-faking his sadness.
He was upset that his girl was going to die, but this could also help him.
More sobs.
"Oh, honey. I’ll let you go. You sound horrible!"
Hideaki hung up the phone then dialed some numbers.
"What was that about, sexy?"
"Nothing big."
He heard a voice on the other side of the phone.
"Yeah, is Katashi there?... Hey, Katashi! What’s up?... Yeah, I’ve been good... Yeah, uh huh, yeah, but I called about the program... Yeah, I know that, but you can set up some connections for a friend, right?... Thought so.... Put me in for Keizou Tomochika... Thank you very much."
"The program?"
"Yep. I’ve got connections everywhere, baby."
Hideaki pulled the girl down again back under the covers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minami found herself in an old worn-down building. She closed her eyes and felt a breeze. She could somehow sense he was there.
"Phantom?" She whispered.
No response.
"Phantom?" She repeated, a bit louder. Still, no response.
She suddenly heard marching sounds coming closer, and closer.
"Phantom!" She yelled. She needed him. He would protect her.
She ran around the building searching for her phantom. She suddenly realized the building was the theatre, but as if it hadn’t been used in years. Minami ran to her old dressing room. She ran inside and locked the door. The room was full of dead flowers, as if no one had touched them in a thousand years from the final night of her performance. It seemed as if the theatre hadn’t been touched either. Something must have happened to suddenly run everyone out of it. She went to the main table and was shocked to see some color. A red rose. Full bloom, next to a note. She opened the note.
My dearest Minami,
I’m dead without you.
O.G.
The lettering was written in a rich red color, it almost looked like...
Blood.
Minami turned around and noticed something, or SOMEONE, she hadn’t seen before. A black cape on the floor, with something apparently underneath. She lifted up the cape, and saw a figure, it looked human, covered with the same red. Blood red.
Minami quickly woke up, gasping. It was... it was just a dream. She looked around.
That’s right. We’re in this dreadful game. What if... something DID happen to him? What if something does? What if you never see him before something happens to him?
She had to find him.
Minami quickly went down the stairs.
"Feeling better now?"
"Yeah, I guess. I just had a horrible dream though."
"Really? What was it about?"
Oh crap. I walked right into that one.
"That someone I’m looking for died."
"Who?"
She just kept digging herself deeper. She couldn’t avoid that one.
"I... I really don’t know who. I guess I better explain..."
Kyo grew more attentive.
"Well, you weren’t the only person who sent me a note during the play."
"Really? Wow, popular!!!"
"Yeah, I got a note after every performance signed by an O.G."
"O.G.? Umm... Opera Ghost?"
Minami nodded.
"And in his last note he said he’d reveal himself to me during this trip."
"Who do you think it is? Obviously it’s not me."
"I... I don’t know. But I do know I need to find him."
"Hm... Unless..."
Minami perked up.
"Opera Ghost..." he continued. "Where else would be better for the Opera Ghost to reveal himself?"
"Yes?"
"Come on, Minami, think this through."
She still had a blank look. If you were trapped on an island killing people, where WOULD you go? She went to the first building she could find.
"What does this island have that would be a perfect venue for him?"
She had yet to look at the map. When Kasumi Ren had been talking about it, she wasn’t really focused. She was probably watching Toshio hoping she could see him again. She shrugged. Kyo pulled out his map and circled a building at the top right of the map.
Theatre.
"There’s a theatre here?" She asked excitedly.
A theatre. In Battle Royale. At least she could enjoy the last few days in a place she loved.
"Yes."
"I have to go there."
No doubt the Phantom was lurking there somewhere.
"Do you want company?"
"This is a meeting I need to make alone. But I wouldn’t mind company on the way there."
"Okay then. Was there anything worth salvaging upstairs? Any canned foods?"
"I think I saw a few."
"I’ll go and get them." He pulled out her gun. "Here, your gun."
"You can keep it."
"I'd rather not. If I'm going to have another weapon, I'd rather that I'd-"
Minami gulped.
"Kill?"
"...Yes. Killed the person I'm taking it from. Even in this screwed up game, I'd rather not leave anyone without a weapon if I can possibly help it."
"You can hardly protect yourself with your shuriken, and the Phantom will protect me. Please, I’d feel horrible knowing that was all you had."
"Okay, let's compromise. You take it now. When you find the Phantom, then you can give it to me."
Minami paused.
"Alright."
"Okay then." Kyo handed her the gun. "Let’s go."
"Wait... What if we run into someone on the way there, and they try to kill us? I don’t know how to use this."
"And you think I'm a good shot? I've never fired a pistol before. I can take it if you want, but I'll probably be a really crap shot."
"Probably better than mine."
"... Okay then. Shall we go?"
"Sounds good."
Kyo picked up his bag and walked out of the fire station. Minami grabbed her bag and followed.
She kept thinking. She had been looking forward to this day for a while now. Ever since that first performance...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minami stood backstage listening to the music. She still couldn’t believe she was the star. She was the one who would get all the cheers, all the flowers. She stood in the dark, peering out of a small gap in the wall, waiting for her cue for curtain call. She suddenly felt a hand grab hers.
"It’s me," Takehiko whispered.
Minami didn’t know Takehiko all that well, but he seemed like a really nice guy. They had spoken a few short conversations before she got the role. "You enjoying the show?" "Yeah, it’s a lot of fun." "Cool." Stuff like that. She was looking forward getting to know him better.
She saw Kiyoshi go out on stage. That was their cue. Minami and Takehiko rushed on stage. Everyone stood up and cheered and whistled. Minami smiled. She wasn’t use to this kind of attention. She usually just got a few claps, because people felt as though the chorus needed some recognition.
Then they all headed over to the lobby after the director dismissed them to greet people.
"Minami!"
Minami turned around, Takehiko was behind her.
"You were amazing!"
Minami blushed.
"Thanks."
"Seriously! You really were!"
The crowd rushed in.
"You were so good!"
"Your performance was spectacular!"
"That was your first show? Wow!"
Minami’s face grew redder and her smile became bigger.
After the crowd had left, and notes from the director, she rushed down the hall and went to the door of the chorus dressing room and stopped.
That’s right, I have my own dressing room!
Minami turned back around and saw Takehiko standing there, chuckling.
"Did you forget?"
Minami nodded.
"You’ll get used to it. Yours is right there." He pointed to a nearby door.
"Thanks."
She rushed inside and quickly changed into her normal clothes.
As she started to leave, something caught her eye. A red rose and a note. Probably from a cast member congratulating her. She opened the note.
Minami-
Your singing reached the heavens, tonight. You are truly an Angel of Music.
O.G.
Apparently this person didn’t want to be known. A clever signature... and way of presenting their feelings. A note. And a rose. From an Opera Ghost. Minami smiled. For some reason, this seemed to touch her more than the praise she had gotten the rest of the evening. If they didn’t want their identity known, then... then just maybe, they might like her. What if it was from Toshio? Oh, wouldn’t that be great? Was Toshio there? She hadn’t seen him. Maybe, while she was greeting people, he was back here, and then left. Maybe... No, it couldn’t. Luck concerning love was never in her favor. She set the rose down.
If it wasn’t from him, then who?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minami looked up. There was a tall building in front of her, with stairs leading up to the front door. She held her breath.
A place I can call home.
She knew that he’d be there, too. This was the Phantom’s realm. This grand building was his, and his alone. She looked up. A beautiful design on front. The whole place was just, magnificent.
"What? What is it, Minami?"
"It’s just so... so...."
She couldn’t describe it. Just something about it made her feel at peace, as if she were back home.
"So big? Grand?"
"Yeah."
She turned to Kyo.
"Thanks."
She paused, knowing this would probably be the last time she’d ever see him again. She couldn’t just leave him on that note. She had to thank him in more than just words... She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Kyo blushed.
"What was that for?" He asked, pleasantly surprised.
"For everything. For protecting me."
"Hey, no problem. It was my pleasure."
She had grown a bit fond of Kyo. He was nice, and he protected her, and he was cute, but... She had to find her Phantom.
Minami took in a deep breath. This was the moment. She walked to the theatre
"So. Is this goodbye, or just farewell?" Kyo called out to her.
"Farewell, I hope."
Kyo waved and walked away. Minami continued on to her destination, her heart beating faster with each step she took. She carefully reached for the door handle, and slowly opened it. She looked around. Everything was dark, and she could barely see. She could still see two curved stairways leading to the balcony on either side of the room, and an entrance in the middle of the room. She walked into the performance space and walked down the aisle. This room was nearly completely dark, it made her a bit nervous. She closed her eyes and felt a breeze blow through her hair, the same breeze in her dream.
Look for me in your heart. If it is your wish, I am there.
He was there, she could feel it. She knew.
Angel of music, my protector.
*creeeeek*
Minami opened her eyes. The breeze vanished. She quickly turned around, but she couldn’t see anything, or anybody. Maybe, maybe it was just her imagination. She hadn’t taken into consideration someone else might be in there too, or that the phantom might not be there yet. She wished Kyo had stayed with her. She continued to the stage. If she could get backstage, she could go in a back room and turn on some light there.
*creeeeek*
That time, it was a bit louder. Someone was there. Someone was behind her. Minami started walking faster. Maybe... Maybe they didn’t know she was there. She suddenly ran into something and fell on top of it.
The stage!
She stood back up. She could feel a warm breeze on her neck. Then it stopped, then came back. Minami froze, her heart beating wildly. He was right behind her, planning his kill carefully. Should she turn around, or try to keep running? Before she could decide, she felt an arm suddenly grab her and a hand quickly cover her mouth.
Then, everything went black.
((OOC: PC control approved! Hope everything's alright! Oh, and btw, Kyo now has the gun.))
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