HOW I DIED.

二

épisode two / ni.
AT HIDEOUT 92、002.

BEN SAN ALLEY, 1991

THE CONSTELLATIONS SIGHED at her as she gazed above. Spending time sitting at the roof while talking to the boy had already become a habit of her: like a cigarette to a smoker or a pencil to an artist. Just like those other troubled nights, she still had that wandering eyes fueled by a cup of coffee, but this time with a large paintbrush stuck in her locks and smeared paint tattooed on her knuckles.

Michiko heard little shuffling noises from the house beside hers, and in a minute, a familiar charming voice greeted her once more, "And we meet again, moongirl."

" 'Sup fluffcheeks," she casually replied to the boy sitting on the other roof.

Rin A-kio could only frown, "Fluffcheeks?" He brought his hands up to squish his own face. He always hated his cheeks, thought they made him look fat and weren't manly enough for his own liking. All the other boys he grew up with were already bulging as heck like boulders with sharp jawlines that could cut all his bullshit out. It was so unfair.

"God I look so hideous with these cheeks, I wish I could just get rid-"

"No," she cut him off with a stern look on her face. "You look beautiful with those cheeks, honey," she locked her eyes on him, "and don't you ever think otherwise."

Beautiful—it was a word more powerful than handsome or pretty, and it was a word that had never been said to him. He never thought he needed it anyways, nor did he deserve it, but she made him feel otherwise.

  "Thanks," he muttered shyly, hoping she wouldn't see his flushed face. Kio had always been that typical boy next door type; innocence as the colour of his eyes, a mixture of shy and cocky at the same time. He was a young man of a quiet demeanour, never fails to smile and make her day. Kio was such a sweet boy.

She only smiled in response, "so what brings you here tonight?"

"I'm feeling a tad bit nervous is all. Tomorrow's my eighteenth birthday," he nibbled on his plump lips, pondering how September 18 had arrived so fast that it's knocking already at his door again as if last year was just yesterday.

Her jaw went slack of disbelief, "Really? No way." Kio only chuckled while nodding his head, guessing that he ended up being the older one.

"Have you ever heard of lost boy shenanigans?" Kio popped with an expectant gleam in his eyes.

She hummed, "Absolutely. I've kinda heard some of their songs on the radio one time, and they were so good."

     "You really think so?"

     "Yeah, of course," she answered, because she really thought their music was good, great even. Their songs were the type to make her feel broken-hearted and pained and desperate even though she's never been in a relationship before. "Why? Are they on tour right now or something?"

"No, they're uh...they're gonna be performing on my birthday tomorrow night," he beamed. "I have always been a fan of them," said Kio with a grin.

     "No way," Michiko said in awe and disbelief. "How?!"

     Kio answered with a smile and a shrug. "Knew a guy who knows a guy...who knows a guy...that's it I guess."

"That's so cool! Now that's probably one of the reasons why you're nervous," she grinned, clandestinely slipping out a piece of paper from her pocket and quickly scribbling something on it before neatly folding it into an airplane.

"Kio, heads up," she swiftly let it fly into his direction in a flick of her hand, ending up with the boy luckily catching the origami.

"Still can't believe that Mr. Fluffcheeks is older than me," she murmured whilst shaking her head, watching him slowly unfold the paper plane.

He scrunched his nose mockingly, "Yeah, Mr. Fluffcheeks is definitely older than you. Isn't it a great idea to start using honorifics now?" he taunted.

"Says who? Don't be so cocky, you're just a day older than me, moonboy," she reminded. It was pretty crazy to find out that their birthdays were just one day apart: September 18 and 19 of the year 1974.

     "Anyway, I'll call you Kirby from now on," she pointed at him and winked playfully.

"Wha—" he cut himself off with a laughter, unintentionally showing off his cute eye-smile. "Kirby? Where'd you get that? It's not even close to my name!" he looked at Michiko so amusedly, almost forgetting about the paper plane in his hands.

"It is! Look, K-I came from Kio, and B-Y came from flubby. Don't ask me about the R, though," she grinned sheepishly as A-kio started to read her short message. She just hoped that the boy won't be disgusted at her poor handwriting and last minute doodles.

'Advance happy 18th birthday to you! Enjoy your day tomorrow :) ' it read, and beside the message was a tiny cartoon version of him and a birthday cake. Who would've known that such a simple thing could pull out a big smile on his lips?

"Maybe R for really handsome," he smirked charmingly and earned a scoff from her, "but I'd enjoy my day more if you would come tomorrow night." He averted his eyes to look up at her, waiting for her response.

She gulped, Michiko was clearly bad at those types of things: parties, talking to people, having fun. She had always been socially awkward, and she knew she'd have to pray to a hundred different saints the night before just so they could forbid her from creating a disaster. "Ah, let's see if I could make it. Where would the celebration be?" she queried under a pretentious calm voice.

"Meet me at Hideout 92, St. Clair de Lune."