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*The story begins in Big City very late that evening, as we see a caption reading “Sometime in 2021”. A full moon was out, and there were also a few clouds in the sky. We then hear a sigh, and we see a particular caricature walking tiredly through the streets*
Thief: God, I’m so tired. I didn’t think I’d be held up at Dave and Buster’s for THAT long.
*Sudden cutaway to Thief watching as Kotori Itsuka is playing Pacman at the Dave and Buster’s*
Thief: Come on, Kotori, you’ve been at that thing for like five hours!
Kotori: Hold on, I’m gonna try and achieve a score even higher than Jake Goldberg’s!
Thief: Kotori, you died to the ghosts and even the glitch a few times. How have you not given up yet?
Kotori: That’s the difference between you and me, Thief! I BELIEVE IN DESTINY!!!
*We cut back Thief trudging through the streets of Big City*
Thief: Oh well, the sooner I get home, the sooner I can pass out in my bed and become Princess Aurora! …Okay, maybe not Aurora, but I’ll probably be in a deep sleep either way.
*But then, as he’s walking, he hears what sounds like someone singing*
?: Oh moon shining bright, shine on through the night, so my heart that was dark, can fill up with your light…
*Thief, entranced by the singing, goes off to check it out. It leads him to another part of town, and what he sees leaves him in a state of amazement. It was a girl looking up to the moon whilst singing. She had long pink hair, pale skin, blue eyes and was wearing a striped red detective hat with a bow on it. Thief swore that he had seen her somewhere before, and her familiar sounding voice made him think that even more. As he watched, she continued singing*
Chika: Oh moon please guide me, light a path so I see, cause my heart yearns to feel love again, and I’m waiting, so please hear my call, set me free… my heart keeps burning, as the world keeps on turning…
*The still entranced Thief walks a little closer as she continues to sing*
Chika: But I know, I will see you again. Cause your light, is my only friend…
*Thief was left speechless hearing the singing. Once she had finished, she looks down on the ground for a moment before turning her head, only to double take when she sees Thief*
Chika: Oh! I didn’t realize there was someone else here too.
Thief: . . .
Chika: Hello?
*Thief snaps back to reality*
Thief: Oh! Um, g-good evening!
Chika: Good evening. It’s a pretty night, isn’t it?
*Thief looks up at the moon and stares at it, almost blinding himself in the process*
Thief: Y-Y-Yeah, yeah it is!! Especially the moon.
*The girl giggles at this comment, and looks up at the moon for a few seconds*
Chika: Agreed. I’ve hardly ever seen it like this before. It’s so beautiful.
*She looks up at the sky for a second more, and then looks at Thief*
Chika: Say, mister?
Thief: Yeah?
Chika: I know it’s late, but would you like to hang out with me?
*Thief gasps upon hearing that, he wasn’t sure what to think*
Chika: I mean, as unorthodox as you look I’ll admit, you don’t seem to be that bad of a guy. In fact, you’re actually kind of amusing.
Thief: You think so, huh?
Chika: Of course I do.
*Thief thinks for a moment, then he says*
Thief: Well, alright. But I’m gonna need to get home soon, so don’t be too surprised if I end up deciding to leave early, alright?
Chika: Whatever works for you.
*So the girl begins to walk off, but stops and turns, noticing that Thief is still standing in the same spot, seeming almost catatonic*
Chika: Well, you coming?
Thief: Oh, right! Of course!
*So he begins to follow after her as she walks off. It then transitions to a little later with the two of them, the girl was sitting at a bench, whilst Thief was trying to get something from the snack machine. He tries to put a dollar in the machine, only for it to come back out. He then tries again, the same thing happens once more, and it happens yet again when he tries sticking it back in*
Thief: Come on you STUPID-
*Thief kicks the machine, causing a bag of Doritos Cool Ranch and a Twix bar to fall into where the vendee would get the food. Once he pulls both out, he says to the machine*
Thief: Let that be a lesson to ya, snack machine!
*He goes over to where the girl is and presents her the Twix bar*
Thief: You want it?
*She takes the Twix bar without a word, and Thief sits next to her, opens the bag of chips and starts eating. As he does, he begins talking*
Thief: So, what are you doing out here so late?
Chika: I could be asking the same thing about you.
Thief: In my case, I was at Dave and Buster’s with a friend of mine, and she tried to beat Jake Goldberg’s Pacman record, which caused us to be there for like five hours.
Chika: Oh, I see. Well, I strolled out here to get some fresh air, and when I saw the moon, I just felt like singing, so there I was.
Thief: You know, your singing reminded me of a singer I’ve heard. Not to mention, I swear I’ve seen you at least once before.
Chika: *giggles*
Some people I’ve encountered have said that about me, actually.
*Thief stops eating the chips and turns to the girl, starting to wonder something*
Thief: Really?
*The girl nods energetically, making Thief even more confused*
Thief: …
What is your name, by the way?
Chika: *sprightly*
Oh, forgive me, I never introduced myself! I’m Chika Fujiwara!
*Thief gasps in surprise upon hearing that, and we fade to see him internally screaming “OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!” like a little girl. Chika, however, seems oblivious to how surprised he is*
Chika: And you are…?
Thief: *snaps back to reality*
Oh, my name is Aloysius, or Thief, or Ally, or whatever you wanna call me! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Fujiwara!!!!
*He quickly realizes just how overly fanboyish he’s being and stops, blushing a shade of pink and feeling hella embarrassed*
Thief: …sorry.
*This makes Chika laugh*
Chika: *winking at Thief*
That's okay. I get that a lot, but please. Call me Chika.
Thief: A-Alright… Chika. I’m sorry, I was just so surprised is all.
Chika: I can understand that. I mean, it can be pretty surprising when you just happen to run into someone famous or anything like that.
Thief: Yeah. and again I’ve only ever seen you in person at least once before now. Most of the songs of yours I heard on Spotify, though oddly enough they didn’t have any of the album covers.
Chika: That’s strange. You think it was just a bad internet connection?
Thief: Maybe. But either way, it was odd.
Chika: And the time you saw me?
Thief: It was when a friend of mine took me to The Cantina, and you were performing Can’t Help Falling in Love there.
Chika: Oh yeah, I did perform that once there.
Thief: Yeah, I was there to hear it, and that’s when I basically became a fan of you and your singing.
*There is a beat, and then Chika says*
Chika: You know, for someone who’s a fanboy for me, you’re actually kind of a cool person.
*She then stretches out her hand*
Chika: Do you wanna be friends with me?
*Thief gasps, looks away for a second, and then looks back, and stretches his hand out*
Thief: Sure.
Chika: *grabbing Thief’s hand*
Great! If you want, you can visit me at The Cantina tomorrow. Once I’m done with a performance I’ll make sure we get the chance to talk.
Thief: A-Alright.
*He then thinks about something*
Thief: *inner monologue*
God, this is moving so fast! I didn’t know a girl could take a liking to me so soon, let alone Chika Fujiwara!
*Thief then proceeds to get up*
Thief: In that case, I’ll be seeing you around, Chika!
Chika: See you then, Aloysius!
*So Thief heads off whilst Chika goes another way. The next morning, Thief was fast asleep, seemingly having a dream about something. Eventually, he managed to wake up, though he was still a little tired given how late he returned home. We then cut to the living room of The Beatles’ Residence, where some of the residents were shooting the breeze when Thief enters*
Ringo Starr: Oh hey, Thief. You’re finally awake.
Zigzag: Why were you asleep for so long?
Thief: *yawns*
I ended up staying up a little late is all.
Pepper Merchant: Well, you are one of the most energetic ones here. Nearly as much as I can be!
Chihiro: But that makes it even weirder.
Kokichi: Yeah, what happened?
*Thief suddenly blushes*
Thief: …Uhhhhh-
George Lennon: Why are you so flushed?
*Unfortunately for poor Thief, Zigzag picks up on why he’s acting this way. He turns to the others*
Zigzag: Gentlemen. I believe our fellow Aloysius here had an encounter with a girl.
George Lennon: Huh?
Paul McCartney: Pardon?
Ringo Starr: I thought he already had Rin and Kotori though.
Phido: *squawks translating to “Hey, who knows? He could be trying to build up a harem of girls!”*
*Thief is blushing in embarrassment as the others continue chatting about the possibility. What none of them really notice is that Kokichi appears to be rather jealous, but he shakes his head to try and hide his expression*
Chihiro: *clears his throat*
So uh, who was it you met last night, Thief?
Thief: Why is that important?!
Zigzag: Because we’re all curious!
Ringo Starr: Yeah, you can tell us.
Pepper Merchant: *getting up in Thief’s face*
Come on, Aloysius. Tell us!
*Thief just looks at the cadre of characters staring at him. Then he finally speaks*
Thief: Alright, fine. It was Chika Fujiwara! Okay??
Kokichi: Say WHAT!?!?!
Ringo: You met that singer you’ve been idolizing for a while now?
Pepper Merchant: *laughs*
Thief, you sly dog! Woof woof!
*Thief is even more embarrassed now*
Zigzag: Oh come now, that’s wonderful. What exactly happened?
Thief: Well, basically she was singing about the moon, and I happened to be there to hear it. She then wanted to hang out with me after seeing I was there, and after a while, she asked if I wanted to be friends with her.
Phido: *squawks translating to “Well did you-”*
Thief: YES. And I plan to see her at her job later today.
Ringo: Well, alright.
Kokichi: *trying his best not to mock Chika*
Um...... Good for you.
Thief: T-Thanks?
Kokichi: *forcefully grinning*
It's.... No.... Problem......
*Phido eyes Kokichi suspiciously*
Phido: *squawks translating to “The fuck’s with you? You look like you’re gonna explode”*
Kokichi: I would say it, but Thief would probably end me if I did.
*Unfortunately, Thief, having a good intuition, picks up on what Kokichi was thinking, and decides to roast him*
Thief: Bold move to say Chika sucks when you like another girl popstar.
*winking smugly*
Ey, Sayaka fanboy?
*Kokichi blushes as everyone sans Thief and Chihiro go “Ooooooooooooooooh” at him*
Kokichi: What- I- Shut up!
Chihiro: Well, either way. I hope you have fun, Thief.
Thief: I hope I will too, Chihiro. Now if you'll excuse me, I’m gonna go eat something, I’m starving!
*So he goes off to do that. Later that day, Thief arrives at The Cantina, accidentally hitting his nose on the door. He then opens the door and enters*
Thief: I’m here! I’m here…!
*He goes up to the front desk*
Thief: I’m here.
Garfield: And what can I do for you?
Thief: I have a reservation here, this evening! I’m Aloysius J. Winters.
Garfield: Oh yes, Mister Winters. You’re the one Miss Fujiwara herself met after that competition, aren’t you?
Thief: Yepperdo! She asked if I wanted to hang with her sometime, so I figured I might as well come here.
Garfield: Right. Let me show you to your table.
*So Garfield leads Thief to his table. It's where the stage would be, second row, third to middle. After sitting down, he is served a drink by a waiter. Not long after, the notes of the piano are heard, and a spotlight shines on the singer/performer: Chika Fujiwara. She begins to sing Bless the Broken Road whilst playing the piano as everyone watches. Thief, in particular, is getting himself lost in her singing. They say when you’re happy, you enjoy the music, but when you’re sad, you understand the lyrics’ meaning, well in this case, Thief was both enjoying the music and understanding its lyrics. Once Chika had finished the song, everyone was in applause, while Thief was just lost for words. Chika makes her way down the stage to the tables when she spots Thief*
Chika: Hey, there you are!
Thief: Hey, Chika!
Chika: *as she sits with him*
I’m so glad I was able to meet you tonight.
Thief: Same here. So, how have you been?
Chika: Pretty good. Although, earlier, I had a run in with a fan trying to stalk me. He had brown hair and his top teeth were all protruding from his mouth.
Thief: Oh, you mean Buford? I know him.
Chika: You do?
Thief: He once went after a female friend of mine. Her name’s Rin by the way. From what I can tell, Buford doesn’t care about the age gaps, if he sees a girl, he wants them.
Chika: Oh christ, I just thought he was one of those sorts of fans.
Thief: Nope. He is a Class A woman addict. I had a similar problem once, but I don’t wanna talk about it, if you don’t mind.
Chika: Don’t worry, I understand. Anyways, I’ve been planning on making my own album full of originals.
Thief: That sounds nice. I’d certainly be down for that.
Chika: *giggles*
I’m sure most people would. Of course, there would probably be some who aren’t interested, but I'm fine with that. You can’t please everyone.
Thief: True.
*under his breath*
Especially Kokichi.
Chika: *blinks*
Who’s Kokichi?
Thief: Oh, uh, he’s a roommate of mine. Let's just say my love for your songs irritated him.
Chika: I see.
Thief: But I just don’t worry about it. And I hope the album turns out to be a success for you, Chika.
Chika: Thank you, Thief.
*Thief was surprised to hear her refer to him by his nickname*
Thief: You called me by my nickname…
Chika: I figured I’d might as well. You did tell me last night that it and Ally were names you’ve gone by.
Thief: Okay, yeah, that makes sense. Anyways…
*Thief tries to think of what to talk about next, but he can’t think of anything*
Thief: Crap. I’ve talked so much I cannot think of anything more to say.
Chika: *chuckles a little*
It happens
*She gives the “No thoughts. Head empty.” smile, for she too wasn’t exactly sure what to talk about either*
Thief: Although, I do have a question.
*leaning a little closer*
Why are the attendees here being so nosy?
*Chika looks around and sees that nearly all the customers are staring at her and Thief, which has been making him feel very awkward.*
Chika: Huh. Somehow I had a feeling this might happen.
Thief: Maybe I should get going.
Chika: No, no it’s fine, you don’t have to. If you really feel awkward about it, we can take this outside if you want.
Thief: Um, okay?
*They get up from their seats and proceed to try and leave, but while they walk, they’re stopped by a flying squirrel and a moose*
Rocky: Hey. Is this guy trying to do something to you?
Chika: What? Of course not! I just wanted to talk to him.
Bullwinkle: Well I don’t like the way he looks. He could be someone shifty.
Rocky: Yeah, look at his ears, and his skin.
Thief: Uuuuuuuuhh…
Chika: Look you two, I met him literally the other night, and he’s been nothing but respectful towards me then and now! So you two get your minds out of the gutter and quit trying to pry into my life!
Rocky: *sighs*
Fine. Take five.
Chika: Thank you.
*So Chika and Thief proceed to walk outside, and they stand outside the building to continue talking*
Chika: I’m sorry about them, Thief. They’re the owners of this place, and for some reason, they get all weird when I wanna talk to a friend of mine, especially when it's a male friend.
Thief: Eesh. Did they think something was going to happen between us or something?
Chika: Well in that case, they must think that about every other person I’ve met.
*They both laugh*
Thief: Anyways, I’m probably gonna head back to the mansion now. It is getting late.
Chika: Alright. Although, there is something I want to give you considering what just happened. Do you happen to have Skype?
Thief: Actually, yeah.
*Chika then proceeds to pull out a Post-it Note and a pen, and she writes down her phone number on the Post-it. She then hands it to Thief*
Chika: Here’s my phone number. Feel free to contact me on there, or just text me if you’re more into that.
Thief: *is just standing there, gobsmacked*
Chika: Thief?
Thief: Oh! Uh- Thank you, Chika! Thank you so much!!
Chika: *giggles*
It’s no trouble. I’ll try to get to you when I can once you get in touch.
Thief: Alrighty then! See you around, Chika!
Chika: Likewise with you, Thief!
*So Chika skips back inside The Cantina as Thief walks off. We then cut to The Beatles’ Residence, where Thief enters*
Thief: Hello, mansion! I have returned!
*However, no reply comes*
Thief: …Odd.
*walking through the house*
I’m not that late, am I?
*He begins looking around*
Thief: Hello? Anyone home?
*He continues looking around, when a certain bodyguard notices him*
Vasquez Sr.: Master Aloysius?
Thief: Vasquez!
*Thief walks over to him*
Thief: Say, what are you up to this fine evening?
Vasquez Sr.: Just guarding the house, per the usual, you know?
Thief: I know? But, where are the others?
Vasquez Sr.: They’re asleep.
Thief: Wha? You’re kidding! It’s only…
*pulls out his phone and checks the time*
…8:04!
Vasquez Sr.: Heh heh, they kind of melted a little
*Sudden cutaway to a massive house party being held at the mansion as Stadium Rave plays*
Kokichi Ouma: *after downing god knows what*
YEAH BABY!!! I’VE GOT PARTY FEVER!!!!
Phido: *squawks translated to “You just downed an entire bottle of liquor.”
*back with Thief and Vasquez Sr.*
Vasquez Sr.: I had to clean up everything and put quite a few of the residents in their rooms to rest up. Some of them have hangovers I think.
Thief: Christ. That makes me glad I was at The Cantina then. I got to meet and talk with Chika once more.
Vasquez Sr.: Huh. You must really like her, don’t you?
Thief: Well, I don’t know if I’d go to like-like levels, but she’s definitely a sweetheart. Pity the owners of The Cantina weren’t so much.
Vasquez Sr.: What do you mean?
Thief: Well, everyone was giving us weird stares, so Chika suggested we continue talking outside. But then, as we were walking out, we were stopped by this flying squirrel and moose, who were all nosy and shit about what’s going on. Apparently it wasn’t the first time either.
Vasquez Sr.: Wait, flying squirrel and moose?
Thief: Uh-huh.
Vasquez Sr.: Funny thing. Back when I was in the FBI I remember hearing an anecdote about a flying squirrel and moose being arrested for laundering, but apparently they’ve been let out for good behavior.
Thief: …Huh. You think it might be the same ones?
Vasquez Sr.: Maybe but I don’t know. All I’ll say is if you ever go to The Cantina again, be wary of them, and maybe tell Miss Chika about it if you can.
Thief: I’ll try to. Well, goodnight Vasquez, see you tomorrow.
Vasquez Sr.: And a good night to you too, master Aloysius.
*So Thief heads off to his room while Vasquez Sr. walks off. The next day, Kokichi, Chihiro and Thief are playing Twister. Thief is spinning the dial for them, all the while, he’s anxiously watching for the clock to strike 11:50, since that’s when Thief plans to see if Skype will work. Right now it’s 11:48. Thief spins the dial for Chihiro*
Thief: Green left hand.
Chihiro: Oh boy. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stretch that far.
*Chihiro was awkwardly positioned above Kokichi*
Kokichi: Come on, Chihiro! You can do it!
Chihiro: I’ll try.
*Chihiro tries to move his left hand towards a green circle, but he ends up losing his balance and falls onto Kokichi, causing him to lose his balance and fall face first onto the mat. Thief winces at what just happened*
Kokichi: Owwww…
Chihiro: Sorry! Sorry, Kokichi!
*The clock then strikes 11:50 and Thief gets up*
Thief: If you two don’t mind, I’m gonna head back to my room so, see you guys later!
Chihiro: Alright, see you Thief.
*So Thief heads off, but he doesn’t know that Kokichi seems suspicious of something. Chihiro notices this*
Chihiro: Hey, Kokichi. What’s wrong?
Kokichi: Chihiro, don’t you think something is up right now?
Chihiro: Not really, why?
Kokichi: I don’t know, something just feels… off to me. Come on, let’s check this out.
*So they proceeded to leave the living room, and meanwhile, Thief had put the phone number into Skype, and was waiting for an answer. It tools a bit, but Chika proceeds to answer*
Chika: *checking her camera*
Is this thing on? Hello?
Thief: Yep. It’s on.
Chika: Well in that case.
*looks in the camera and gasps*
Hi hiiii!!!!
Thief: Hi Chika! It’s great to see you!
*getting right into the camera*
You see me okay?
Chika: *giggles a little at this*
Thief: Hang on, just a second there.
*adjusts his computer a little, and then gets his eye right in the camera*
Is that better?
Chika: Looking at you straight in the eye. So, how are you, Thief?
Thief: Oh, I'm good. Just getting around to my usual stuff. For example, I was playing Twister with some others earlier.
Chika: That sounds nice.
Thief: How about you?
Chika: Eh, nothing much. Just the same old stuff that happens to me when I’m not around in town.
Thief: I see. Like?
Chika: Well, generally speaking I usually…
*Meanwhile, Kokichi and Chihiro were trying to listen in on the conversation*
Kokichi: Who do you think he’s talking to in there?
Chihiro: *shrugs*
It doesn’t really sound like anyone I know.
*then, Kokichi has a thought*
Kokichi: …do you think it might be…
Chihiro: …Chika?
Kokichi: …Yeah her.
*Kokichi is looking like he’ll snap*
Chihiro: Kokichi are you o-
Kokichi: For GOD’S sake! First he annoys me with her songs, then he gets to see her in person and now he’s gotten in touch with her on social media?? What the hell is he trying to plot on us?!
Chihiro: Settle down, Kokichi! Don’t you think you’re overthinking this a little?
Kokichi: *sighs*
I don’t know, it’s possible. But, Chichi, I’ll be honest, not only am I just not that into Chika as a singer. It’s just…
Chihiro: Yes…?
Kokichi: …Well… I miss Sayaka.
*Chihiro blinks. Then he says*
Chihiro: Look, I understand that, but what does she have to do with Thief wanting to be Chika’s friend?
Kokichi: Because… It reminds me of myself.
Chihiro: …What. How does that even make sense?? What does that have to do with you disliking her?
Kokichi: It reminds me of how I was when I first learned of Sayaka. I was all over her and I got the chance to meet her. And after that… I haven’t seen her since. That’s why I don’t trust Chika and why I dislike Thief’s appreciation of her, Chihiro. It reminds me of when I first heard Sayaka’s songs and got to meet her, and it makes me want to be with her again.
Chihiro: Look, Chika isn’t Sayaka and she won’t be. Just because Thief is able to meet her doesn’t mean you should have such animosity towards this. Besides, unlike you with Sayaka, he probably just sees her as a friend.
Kokichi: …Maybe. But I still have a bad feeling about it, either way.
*Back inside Thief’s room*
Thief: Honestly, living in a mansion on your own. It sounds more relaxing than I have, where I live in a mansion with a bunch of people. You would not believe how batshit crazy it can get here!
*Chika giggles at this*
Chika: *through her giggling*
When you put it like that, I can only wonder how it must be compared to my mansion.
*She continues to giggle as Thief also chuckles. Chika then decides to get a little playful with him*
Chika: Anyways, big guy.
*winking*
Do you ever think about pretty girls at random times?
Thief: *flustered*
H-Huh? What are you g-getting at??
Chika: Given you told me you know two other girls you’re close with, and now you’ve befriended me, you oughta be chasing something. You sly dog, you.
*Thief was blushing heavily out of embarrassment*
Thief: C-Chika, I- It’s not what you think-
Chika: *trying to hold back her laughter*
I’m just teasing!
Thief: . . . Oh.
Chika: That look on your face was priceless!!!
Thief: Damn it, I’m gonna have to get used to that.
Chika: Well, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I can stop with you if you want.
Thief: Um, okay. I will say, you are pretty good at that flirting stuff.
Chika: Why thank you. Fooling around like that is something I’ve developed a habit of doing, given what a strict family and contractual purity does to people.
Thief: Contractual purity?
Chika: It means as part of my contract as an idol, I’m not allowed to do anything immoral, especially if it involves… well, you know.
Thief: *realizing what Chika is talking about*
…Eck.
Chika: Yeah. Flirting is the most I’m technically allowed to do, though I would like to date someone at some point. I just don’t know when.
Thief: I see. Well, if you ever find someone, I’ll give you my blessing once you start dating them.
Chika: Thanks, Thief.
*Though Chika didn’t notice it, the way Thief said it sounded like he was trying to cover something up. She does notice something else though*
Chika: Say, who’s that guy by the door?
*Thief looks to the door, to which he finds Kokichi and Chihiro there. This leads to an awkward silence for a few seconds until Kokichi says*
Kokichi: …Um, do you want a latte or a decaf?
Thief: *looks at Kokichi, unamused, before eventually saying*
Kokichi, Chihiro. I’d like you to meet Chika Fujiwara.
Chihiro: *as he and Kokichi come over*
Hello! It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Fujiwara!
Kokichi: …
Yeah, nice to meet you.
Chika: *trying to whisper*
That gremlin is the guy who was annoyed by how you like my songs?
*Thief just nods*
Kokichi: So uh. What cha up to?
*Then, Chika gets an idea to shut Kokichi up*
Chika: Not much, hot stuff. How about you?
Kokichi: H-Hot stuff?!?!?!
*Thief blinks to Chihiro in morse code “Get ready for this, Chichi.”*
Chika: *acting all dramatic*
Oh how I've dreamed of a strong, cute man to take me into his arms.
Kokichi: B-b-b-b-but I- You, but I’m interested in someone else AND I already have a girlfriend!!
Chika: Why not explore more, hmm?
Kokichi: *blushing like mad*
Uh, I, um-
Chika: *winking*
You know, I tend to get pretty frisky with people I really really like.
*Kokichi ends up getting so flustered he runs out of the room, as he does he shouts*
Kokichi: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! THAT GIRL’S CRAZIER THAN I AM!!!!
Thief: *was laughing with Chihiro, but he manages to calm down*
Holy christ, Chika. You did NOT hesitate, did you?
Chika: Heheh, yeah, that’ll show him. I will admit though, he does look kind of cute.
Chihiro: Y-You think he’s cute?
Chika: Yeah a little. Though I feel like given what Thief told me about how he is about me, I probably wouldn’t like his personality if I met him.
Thief: Trust me, Kokichi can be a real menace. He probably thinks you and I are dating or something!
Chika: Oh yeah?
Thief: Yeah.
Chihiro: Well, I must say, if that's anything to go by. Kokichi might as well drop his worries about you and Chika.
Thief: Hehe, yeah.
*Thief chuckles as Chika and Chihiro giggle whilst the scene fades out. We then get a timecard reading “Four to six weeks later”. Then, we see Big City midday, where Thief, who was feeling a bit bored, was trying out another hobby: birdwatching. Unfortunately, he didn’t really know anything about birds, and it didn’t take long for him to wholeheartedly regret his decision*
Thief: What am I even doing here?? This is a waste of time!
*A few birds end up flying off after he shouts that. He sighs and walks off, not realizing that a certain someone had noticed him, and that someone, was indeed Chika. Thief, meanwhile, was just talking to himself*
Thief: Man, to think that finding a hobby that means I can go into town is so hard. Honestly, I should’ve done research on types of birds before deciding that was a good idea, I mean really. Oh well, I guess I could go see what’s going on at the community center, or buy some ICEEs, or even…
*Thief doesn’t realize that Chika was secretly following him, preparing to catch him by surprise. And then, whilst he’s still going on his tangent*
Chika: *pops up in front of Thief*
Surprise!
Thief: Whoa!!
*falls onto his back in surprise*
Chika: *giggles*
Hey!
*Thief looks up to see Chika grinning at him*
Thief: Oh, it’s just you, Chika.
*picking himself up*
I was trying to birdwatch until I realized I’m not a bird expert. The last thing I needed was for you to startle me like that!
Chika: Are you okay? You seem a little more irritable than normal right now.
Thief: Honestly, I’m just a little bored. I often like to come out here to escape the chaotic nature of Ringo’s mansion, but I wanted something more to do than just walking through town and seeing what’ll happen.
Chika: Well, now that I’m here, you can probably have just that.
Thief: …
What do you mean?
Chika: I was planning to text you over Skype, but since you’re here I can just tell you right now. I was going to ask if you’d like to hang out in person, considering it’s been a few weeks since we did that. I could even show you my mansion if you want.
Thief: Really?
Chika: Really.
*Thief thinks for a moment, then says*
Thief: Alright, I’m up for that.
Chika: *giggles*
I had a feeling you would be.
*This comment also makes Thief laugh, and he proceeds to walk off with her whilst they get to talking*
Thief: So just curious. How long have you been in Big City?
Chika: About half a year at this point.
Thief: Half a year?
Chika: I came down here to escape the chaos I had to endure in Los Angeles. Ironically, I moved there partly because of my politician family.
*Thief was surprised to hear that*
Thief: You’re from a family of politicians??
Chika: I was born into one. However, I didn’t take any interest in carrying on the lineage, and so with my sisters’ help, I moved to Los Angeles to start a new life as an idol singer.
*Chika pauses, before then saying*
Chika: Well, that was my life, but to be honest, as time went on, I didn’t really feel all that… happy.
Thief: …Oh.
Chika: Yeah, it’s the life of being an idol. It might be satisfying to see fans happy, but what producers can do is absolutely shady.
*Thief then stops. Chika stops and turns to see that he stopped. He then proceeded to hug her to try and comfort her*
Thief: I am so sorry you had to go through with that.
Chika: *giving into Thief’s hug*
H-Hey, don’t worry, it’s fine. I got used to their behavior after a while. But, that’s why I moved down here, I haven’t retired per se, but I’ve downscaled a little from how it was in Los Angeles, what with me performing at a Mexican style restaurant as a part time job. And to be honest, I’m a lot more content with what I have down here than what I had up there.
Thief: *letting go of Chika*
Well, that’s good to hear. By the way, you mind if I ask you another question?
Chika: *as she and Thief continue walking*
Go ahead.
Thief: How do you manage to put up with Rocky and Bullwinkle? Given how they were acting those weeks ago, I’m surprised you haven’t cut them off yet.
Chika: To be honest, I’ve thought of doing that, but their nosiness is really the only annoying thing they’ve done. Other than that, they aren’t THAT bad, I mean they haven’t done anything illegal.
Thief: …Right, um, about that. There is something I wanna bring up…
*As they talk, they’re just about to walk past The Cantina, when they both hear some familiar voices talking*
?: I mean, her performances have been giving us a lot of money.
?: Yeah, but that guy she’s been friends with, if she keeps hanging with him, soon he and she might know about this. We gotta keep sending the coke through the mail.
*Thief and Chika glance at each other, confused and concerned because of how familiar the voices sounded. They then sneak over to a gap by the restaurant, and what they see baffles them…*
Bullwinkle: I know that, but the feds are catching up to us, man.
Rocky: Man, the feds are absolute shit for brains. They won’t know.
Bullwinkle: You don’t know them like I do. They’ve been cracking down on this shit ever since what happened at Los Pollos Hermanos.
Chika: *whispering*
Cracking down?
Thief: *whispering*
Feds?
Chika: *whispering to Thief*
Should we do something?
Thief: *whispering back*
Well, I can do this for now.
*He pulls out a tape recorder and begins to tape Rocky and Bullwinkle’s conversation*
Rocky: Remember, this cantina shit’s only temporary. Unless we can have our coke mail operation keep flying by night.
Bullwinkle: Noted, and I agree. We’ll have to make the best of it if we’re to succeed.
Chika: *inner monologue*
Temporary cantina??
Thief: *inner monologue*
Mailing coke?!
*Thief stops the recording, and he and Chika were both shocked and livid*
Chika: *whispering*
I can’t believe it, they led me on!!
Thief: *whispering*
This is what I wanted to tell you! Ringo’s butler apparently knew these guys!
Chika: *whispering*
What?
Thief: *whispering*
When he was in the FBI he heard an anecdote about a flying squirrel and moose being arrested for laundering, but apparently they’ve been let out for good behavior.
Chika: *whispering*
Good behavior my right! We’ve got to do something!
Thief: *whispering*
You’re right. But what?
*Rocky and Bullwinkle continue to discuss on what they’re gonna do after they get the coke money, when they suddenly hear a familiar cheerful laugh*
Rocky: …Did you hear something?
Bullwinkle: Was that?
Chika: *suddenly appearing around the wall with her arm wrapped around Thief*
Hey heeeeeeeey!!!!!!
Rocky: Miss Fujiwara!
Bullwinkle: I-I thought it was your day off.
Chika: *putting on a smile*
Well I was just walking through town with Thief here when I overheard you two talking about the fact your restaurant is just a cover up so you can both be Gustavo Fring II.
Rocky: What?! Were you spying on us??
Chika: Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe. :)
Bullwinkle: …H-How much did you hear?
*Chika and Thief smugly grin at them as the latter pulls out the tape recorder and plays back what was said. Once it was finished*
Rocky: *sweating profusely*
…Uhhhh… this isn’t what you think-
Chika: I don’t want to hear your lies! You two have been using me and everyone else working at The Cantina just for your own selfish ends; it's no wonder you always acted so funny whenever I wanted to be with friends of mine.
*She then turns to Thief*
Chika: Come on, Thief. We’re going to the police.
*But suddenly, Bullwinkle pulls out a gun on them, surprising them*
Rocky: We wouldn’t do that if we were you.
Bullwinkle: Put the tape recorder down.
*An irritated Thief does just that*
Bullwinkle: Hands up, both of you.
*So Thief and the equally annoyed Chika do just that. The latter then spots an old hair drying chair, and gets an idea*
Chika: Say, where did you get the chair?
Rocky: That old thing? We got it at the thrift store.
Bullwinkle: That was where we spotted you. You were perfect for The Cantina.
Thief: I will admit, you two are criminal masterminds.
Rocky: Why thank you very much.
Chika: If you don’t mind me asking, how did you even formulate this scheme?
Bullwinkle: Well, it’s a long story. But since I’m gonna shoot you two anyway, what’s the harm? We are polite after all.
*Rocky and Bullwinkle clear their throats*
Rocky: You see, after Fearless Leader was defeated for all eternity, me and Bullwinkle were left working at Batta Burger in Atlantic City. We didn’t have two dimes to rub together, but we had big dreams…
*As they continue to talk, Chika turns to Thief and whispers something to him*
Chika: *whispering*
Do you have any newspaper and sticky tape?
Thief: *presents her some, whilst whispering*
Of course I do.
*Chika blinks, she didn’t expect him to actually have any on hand*
Chika: *whispering*
Where do you keep getting all this stuff?
Thief: *whispering whilst his mouth moves like a Muppet*
Not telling.
*Chika isn’t sure how to respond to that, but then she says*
Chika: *whispering*
Eh, no matter.
*takes the newspaper and tape*
I’m gonna use an old tactic I picked up when I was a teenager.
*Chika begins to fashion the newspaper and tape into a massive Japanese fan. Rocky and Bullwinkle don’t seem to notice*
Bullwinkle: …And as such, we needed to start sending coke through the mail in order to succeed like we have now.
Rocky: Yeah, and we were doing pretty good, until you two heard about it.
Chika: *turns back to face them, hiding the fan behind her back*
I’m sorry to interrupt but, wouldn’t one of you be more comfortable in the dryer chair?
Rocky: What?
*They both turn towards the old dryer chair, not noticing Chika sneaking up behind Bullwinkle*
Bullwinkle: We just thought this was a fancy chair, we didn’t know it was a dry-
*Suddenly, Bullwinkle is slapped square in the face by Chika’s fan, causing him to lose his grip of the gun, which Thief catches, and, deciding to come off a little bit imposing, points it at Rocky, who cowardly puts his hands up. Chika, meanwhile, was beating the crap out of Bullwinkle with the fan like there was no tomorrow. After a while, she goes up to Rocky and slaps him with the fan, causing him to crash into Bullwinkle, knocking him down. She drops the fan and walks up to them, who are both feeling rather dizzy after what just happened*
Chika: Well, well. Looks like you two’s coke operation just got cracked!
*We fade over to The Beatles’ Residence. Some of the people are watching a news report*
Realistic Fish Head: Notorious cocaine launderers Rocky and Bullwinkle have been placed under arrest today, thanks to Aloysius J. Winters and Chika Fujiwara. It turned out that the cantina they had been running was actually a front for their cocaine deliveries. The building is now being shut down, with its fate now up to be determined.
*We see some of the residents watching*
Ringo Starr: Sheesh! It seems to always be the same with some of these establishments.
George Harrison: You said it.
Kokichi: Well. At least Chika helped to take them down…?
*Some of the residents just look at Kokichi*
Chihiro: What I wanna know is how Thief’s holding up.
*We then cut to the exterior of another mansion, the one Chika lives at. Inside, she and Thief were talking about what just happened*
Chika: Trust me, Thief. I knew that they were assholes, but I had no idea they were going THAT far.
Thief: Neither did I. Well, at least they’re in the slammer now.
Chika: Indeed. Especially after they tried to threaten us at gunpoint like that.
Thief: Actually, about that. Do you mind if I let you in on a secret?
Chika: What secret?
Thief: I’m… actually immortal.
Chika: Really…?
Thief: *nods*
Chika: Huh.
Thief: Anyways, what are you going to do now that The Cantina is gonna be shut down?
*Chika thinks for a moment, and then gets an idea*
Chika: Don’t worry. I already know what I’ll do.
*We crossfade to a couple of months after Rocky and Bullwinkle were arrested. The Cantina has been changed to a new restaurant called Big Restaurant Greens. And inside, we see Chika performing Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra. Yes, she had managed to buy The Cantina and transformed it into her own restaurant/piano bar. Once she finishes, there is great applause from those attending, and even a few people from Ringo’s mansion were there. Chika then gets down from the stage, spots Thief sitting at a table and goes over to him*
Chika: Hi, Thief! Did you like my number?
Thief: Absolutely! You’re really good at giving a new spin on older songs.
Chika: Why thank you. I might not be as great as the originals, but hey, I don’t strive to be better, I just strive to entertain.
*As they talk, they both walk outside the restaurant to catch a breath*
Chika: …And honestly, I think buying The Cantina and turning it into Big Restaurant Greens was one of the best decisions I could’ve made. Now, even with the pesky producers contacting me still, I have a place of my own to perform whenever I want to.
Thief: It must take a load off your shoulders, I imagine.
Chika: Hehe, yeah. I still have to manage the place, but as long as I don’t have to deal with what I had to deal with in LA, I’m great!
*They both laugh at this. Then after a brief pause, Thief speaks*
Thief: Hey, Chika? You know that we’ve been spending time together ever since you said that I seemed like a cool person?
Chika: Mmhmm. And I still think you are, by the way.
Thief: I see. Look, I’ll just admit it, seeing you at The Cantina that night and hearing your songs a lot, I had… well… feelings for you. Like, very fanboy sort of feelings I guess. And I’m very glad that I got the chance to meet you. But, the more I thought about it, I realized that I think we should be…
Chika: Just friends. I understand that, Thief. I too prefer you more as a friend than a lover…
*She pauses, and then says*
Chika: …albeit a very platonic friend.
*She had the same grin she had when she flirted with him on Skype that one time, making him very confused on what that implied*
Thief: …
Are you trying to seduce me again?
Chika: Who said I was trying to seduce you?
*implying she’s not lying about what she said*
*This comment caught Thief by great surprise*
Thief: …
You mean…?
Chika: Yeah. I may not be interested in you romantically, but I do really like you platonically.
Thief: *inner monologue*
Am I hearing this correctly??
Chika: In fact…
*Chika then gets closer to Thief, and hugs him tightly*
Chika: I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but Thief, thank you so much.
Thief: W-What for?
Chika: For being there for me. You’re probably the first fan I met who didn’t just view me as an object to fawn over from afar, you treated me like an actual person. Even if you did act a bit fanboyish when you realized it was me that night we met, I could tell you were actually a decent guy, and that’s why I wanted to get to know you from there. And through your support, you gave me the most important thing I could want from a fan: You believed in me.
Thief: Well, that’s what friends do, they support each other to the end.
Chika: *smiling*
You’re right. And that’s why I’ll do the same with you, I’ll be there for you as you have been for me.
*She then kisses Thief on the forehead, causing him to blush a deep shade of red and look like he’s having catatonia, but he quickly snaps out of it, making her giggle*
Chika: Say, after my shift is up, you wanna hang out some more? We could go get some ramen, watch something together, whatever you feel like.
Thief: Well, alright. I’d like that, Chika.
Chika: Alrighty then!
*She proceeds to let go of Thief and walk back inside. Thief follows, and as he does, he thinks*
Thief: *inner monologue*
Man, I feel like a million bucks right now!
*He shuts the restaurant door, ending the story*