Soundless Imaginings | One-Shots

We Didn't Sign Up For This! | UnchainedHeart's Contest

Jun wasn't used to this.

Whenever he and this author interacted, Scarlette had always been there, providing quality entertainment with her dry personality and subdued reactions to his adorable pestering. He could easily pass the time by picking away at her stoic outer layer.

Now he had to wonder what she had planned, because the lively Hayes sisters were nowhere in sight.

Kazue and Noriaki sat together in the small dango shop he'd been directed to (Miki-sensei had been pretty adamant he make time for this meeting), plainly oblivious to his arrival as they spoke over a single serving of dango that sat between them on the counter. They looked at ease, certainly not as though they'd been given any life-altering news, or subjected to any form of torture (Scar-chan had told him before how much her author enjoyed inflicting psychological trauma on her characters, though he'd had to respond that his own author was undoubtedly more vicious in her character development).

That was good. It told him nothing about the day's scheduled proceedings, but it was nice to know his teammates had hold of their mental faculties for the moment.

Stability was comforting, even when it wasn't your own.

"Kazue-chan!" he called cheerfully as he slid into the seat beside her, propping his chin on his knuckles. "You guys got called here too? Any ideas what's going on?"

Kazue shot him a vaguely alarmed look.

"Wait, even you don't know?"

Jun blinked, cocking his head.

"Why was I more likely to have information about... whatever this is?"

"That author likes you," Kazue deadpanned, as if this should have been obvious. "More than she likes me or Noriaki, anyway. I thought she might have told you something."

"Oh. Well, that's fair. She does think I'm pretty cute, and you guys aren't nearly as interesting - anyway," he went on, cheekily dodging the dango stick - stripped clean - Kazue jabbed at his eyes, "nope, I'm just as clueless as you. It's fun, though, right? Kinda mysterious, exciting, all that jazz. I'm looking forward to it!"

Kazue stared at him a moment, heaved an exaggerated sigh, returned to her chitchatting with Noriaki.

Undeterred, still buzzing with an eager anticipation, Jun spun towards the counter, lifting himself almost out of his seat so that he could peek into the kitchen area. He'd order something while they waited, and as his teammates clearly weren't fond of sharing, he'd have the plate to himself.

A young girl stepped through the curtained doorway, rushing a maddened apology behind her, her hands moving in wild gesticulations as though controlled by tremulous strings. Jun watched as ducked her head in apparent shame, working fingers through her flyaway hair in unconscious habit.

That was the first thing he noticed about her: the hair. It was an abomination, put bluntly - half fawn-brown, half russet-red, the latter of which looked faded to a degree (he had to wonder what the original had looked like, and if it would have resembled Miki-sensei's vibrant tresses).

He instantly liked it, and by extension, her.

"Hey, hey, miss" - he waved his hand, drawing her attention; her verdant eyes lit up, first with shock, then with a curious glee - "do you work here?"

"What? You think I- oh. No." She glanced at the doorway she'd just entered through, somewhat sheepishly rubbing at her wrists, then back at Jun. "Nope, I don't work here. I kinda just... popped in by mistake. I honestly meant to start by the Academy and work my way over here, maybe bumping into a few people along the way, but no, the damn MEP had to malfunction. I'm just lucky I didn't accidentally bring any sues with me; damn monsters woulda ruined everything."