Gangster Cinderella

Chapter Twenty Two: Talking to Ghosts

I come back to find Takemitchy dragging Matsuno out of the Valhalla hideout. He stops in front of me and asks, "Please help him."

I pull up the visor separating us, "Just get him in front of me so he doesn't fall off. I'll drive as slowly as I can but even that might not be safe for him." Takemitchy helps the barely conscious Matsuno to sit in front of me on the motorcycle. "Don't worry, I'll take him home. I know him."

"Thanks Chi-chan." He replies weakly before walking in the opposite direction.

I ride as slow as I can with my half unconscious passenger loosely clinging onto me.

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I receive an odd request from Mikey soon after the Valhalla incident:

To: Cinderella
From: Mikey
Would you mind coming with me to my brother's grave?

To: Mikey
From: Cinderella
I don't mind...but are you ok?

To: Cinderella
From: Mikey
I don't know...a lot has been happening. I just need you by my side.

To: Mikey
From: Cinderella
Then I'll come. I'll be there for you no matter what.

To: Cinderella
From: Mikey
Good, then meet me by the graveyard near Masushi shrine.

I close my phone, uncertain of if I should disclose that it's the same graveyard my father was buried at. I decide against it, since he's obviously dealing with a lot.

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I arrive at the graveyard on a rainy day with Mikey, Draken, Takemitchy and Matsuno. Mikey immediately notices that I'm going in the opposite direction of them, "Chi-chan, where are you going?"

"Well...it'd be rude to come here and not say hello to my dad...wouldn't it?" I reply.

"Your dad is buried here too?" He asks in shock.

"Yep...and I need to see him too." I reply as I fiddle with my umbrella.

"Ok...but be safe and come back here when you're done." Mikey says gently.

"I will." I respond back before going down the rows of dead bodies. I keep walking until I find 'Akira Hori'; I kneel before my father's grave and whisper, "Hey dad...I know I haven't been here in a while, I'm quite the awful daughter but I'm here now." I breathe in and steady myself, "I'm getting back into racing and...and I know about Hoang's secret. I get why you did it but it still hurt to know that you kept it all a secret. Anyways...I have better news to share with you, dad; I have a boyfriend, his name is Manjirou Sano but he prefers being called Mikey. I met him...well truly met him in a bizarre twist of fate. But I take comfort in that he loves me and I love him as well. And I'll start coming here more and I'll face the racetrack without fear of loneliness. I swear!"

"You are a daddy's little girl, huh?" I turn to find the source of the voice to be Mikey. "Hey, sorry I was waiting for a bit and the others already left. So...is this your dad?"

"Yeah...this is him."

"Mind if I talk to him too?" He asks as he kneels next to me.

"Go ahead."

"Ok...so mister Hori, I want to thank you for making quite the amazing girl. I love her so much for her free spirit and wildness. I've heard she got that from you. That's enough flattery, I will get down to business Hori-kun." He breathes in and out to steady himself, "I swear right here I will protect Chieko Hori's dream. I will be there to see her race and win, and anyone who tries to get in her way will answer to me. So rest easy sir that your daughter will be safe with me." He turns to me, "So how did I do? Does father approve of me?"

Tears fall with the rain as I answer, "Yeah...he does. He totally does..." I grip onto my umbrella and ask, "Mind if I meet your brother? I had to see my dad first but...I also want to talk to your brother, if that's ok with you."

He smiles bittersweetly, "Sure, that's fine."

He leads me to his brother's grave where I kneel in front of it, "Hello Shinichiro, I'm your younger brother's girlfriend, Chieko Hori. I've heard a lot about you and how you loved bikes and working on them; honestly if you were here right I probably would've had you working as my technician. But that would be a perfect world, where you and my father would continue living and doing what you love. So all I can leave you is this: I promise to look out for Mikey. I will protect and help him as much as I can within my abilities. I will make sure his dream is realized, this I swear." I bow my head before rising to look at Mikey, "Did I do well? Does your brother approve of me?"

He laughs a little and says, "He probably approved of you the moment you walked up to his tombstone. The guy was weak for pretty girls; if anything he's probably pissed at me for having such a cute girlfriend at my age."

"Oh, is he now?" I reply as I wrap my arm around his.

"Yeah, one time my brother had twenty consecutive rejections to his confessions. He was always weak when it came to women." He replies as he pulls me in closer.

I lean up and kiss him slowly, "Let's go to your house...I want to do something new..."

"Something new? Well now I'm curious."

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We quickly arrive to Mikey's home to find refuge from the rain...and to our pleasant surprise it is seemingly empty. Entering Mikey's room, feels different this time...maybe it was because I came here as a woman on a mission. A woman who wants to lose her virginity to the man she loves.

Mikey is sitting on the bed as I stand before him, "Mikey...I want to do something..."

"What would that be?"

I straddle his hips and do my best to look him in the eyes, "I want to lose my virginity to you."