Chapter 476: Hope on Arrival (2/2) |
Hope smiled and reflected on everything.
Escaping the dreary and small town she had once called home in the Midwest. Meeting her idols and being able to stand on the same stage as them. Being in JAPAN of all places. Japan! And not just Japan, Tokyo too!
Hope giggled again. "...I could faint. I'm that happy."
Asako looked over, concerned. "Please don't. We have good healthcare here, but everyone would panic."
Yuri looked concerned too. "Yeah. If you're going to faint, let us know. We'll cut things short and let you sleep. Promise?"
"P-Promise." Hope nodded. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'll be fine. I am fine. This is the best day of my life, so-"
A soft chime echoed.
The elevator doors opened.
Then Rin's voice echoed. "She's here! One, two~! Itsudemo I love you~"
Light blue balloons the same shade as her hair. An archway wrapped with forget-me-nots, her favorite flower. Giftboxes piled high. A buffet spread of sushi, pastries, and sweets. Cheesecake squares, the kind she'd seen only once while she was busy setting up for Prom in senior year...
And then all of her idols. The girls of Project MirAIs.
Hope didn't know who was who just yet, but all of them were there, dancing that ridiculous dance to that tune with bright smiles on their faces.
Seeing all that...
"W-Wait!" Suzume looked over with wide eyes. "Why are you crying?!"
"N-No! No cry!" Shu panicked, waving her hands around in a fluster.
"Betttty!" Rin rounded on Betty and said, "What do we do?!"
Betty sighed. "...I warned you that it might be overwhelming..."
Hope laughed, then cried. And then she took a few staggered steps out of the elevator, hugging the first person she could reach. "Thank you... thank you so much...!"
That person ended up being Chihiro.
Chihiro squirmed and then spoke up in Japanese. "*W-Wait! Back up! You're ruining my makeup... you're ruining YOUR makeup! Chill! Wait, you don't understand...*" She groaned and said, "Chiru Carumu down!"
Hearing the accented English, Hope giggled and then those giggled turned into heaving sobs. She couldn't help it. All of it was just too overwhelming...!
===
"I-I'm sorry." Hope sniffed and wiped away her tears. "You all made this wonderful party for me and I'm being all mopey..."
"No problem!" Rin gave a thumbs up. "For you! No cry, be happy!"
Hope giggled and then gave a shaky thumbs up back at her.
Although it took a bit for Hope to compose herself, she managed to do so. And with that, everyone had gathered around her to get the party going properly.
Hope sipped on the milk shake they'd handed her and then took a look around to try and reorient herself. She'd read about how you could reduce anxiety by pointing out things you could see, so she tried it to calm herself down.
There was the table she was sitting at. The room itself was a two-floor lounge with a staircase leading up. There was the elevator where she'd come up with Asako and Yuri.
Then there were the decorations that she'd noticed earlier. Balloons, streamers, the arch...
There were also some high-tech drink dispenser machines, as well as a buffet spread of yummy looking food.
But more than that, there were the people around her. The 'senpai' she had now that Hope was part of Project MirAIs.
There was Hana- No. Rin. That was her real name. A deceptively innocent looking teenager with light brown hair and kind looking eyes.
...But eyes that definitely carried a hint of mischief.
Then there was the girl who Hope had cried into. Chihiro, a teenager with dyed blonde hair, make up, and fashionable clothes.
There was Asako and Yuri, who she had arrived with.
Then there was Alphy, who was looking at Hope with concerned and kind crimson eyes.
Seated at a table nearby with a wreath of paper cranes, there was a young woman with orange hair and a kimono. Suzume.
Finally, there was a tomboyish teenager with short-cropped black hair and a toned body. Shu.
It had been a whirlwind of introductions, but Hope had the names down at least. Though...
Hope giggled and said, "You all look really similar to your models."
...The fact that their models were clearly designed after them made it easy.
Chihiro rolled her eyes and looked at the others, speaking in Japanese. "*I TOLD you we should have changed clothes.*"
Shu crossed her arms in an X and said, "No! No clothes change!"
Rin rolled her eyes and then walked over to Hope.
Hope blinked. "S-Senpai? What are you-?"
Before Hope could even finish asking her question, she suddenly had a fancy chrome watch strapped on her left wrist.
"There!" Rin smiled and said, "Now you can understand us, right?"
"H-Huh?" Hope blinked and rubbed her eyes. Then she stared closely at Rin's lips. "Um... could you say that again, Senpai?"
"Eh? The translator should be working, right?" Rin frowned and waved her hand in front of Hope. "Hope-chan~ Can you understand me?"
That time, Hope was sure.
Rin was definitely speaking in Japanese. The way her lips moved didn't line up with the words Hope heard.
Because Hope DEFINITELY heard English.
But... Rin was speaking Japanese...?
Chihiro sighed. "Don't overthink it, Kouhai. I gave up months ago..."
Hope flinched, realizing that Chihiro had suddenly talked to her in English- Except she didn't. "O-Oh. Okay...? It's just... weird? Are you... hearing me in Japanese?"
Yuri walked over to the smoothie machine, hesitantly grabbing one. After taking a sip, she relaxed. "Of course. Miss Betty WOULD take my senses into account... Oh. And not all of us, Hope-chan." Yuri leaned against the smoothie machine and said, "I understand English, so I'm hearing you normally."
Hope blinked. "Is... that how it works?" She hesitantly poked at her watch. Then she started to sweat, wondering how expensive it must be...
Rin giggled and said, "Don't worry about it, Kouhai! It's suuuper expensive to buy, but it's free for us! I've already broken six different watches!"
Chihiro chimed in and said, "And made Titor cry six times."
Rin shrugged. "It's his job as IT!"
Yuri tilted her head. "Titor's job is IT?"
Rin blinked. "...Isn't it?"
Alphy set down a plate of sushi for Hope and then glanced back at Rin, giggling. "Uncle will be sad to hear that. He's research and development, not IT."
"Isn't that the same thing, Onee-chan?"
"Well..."
Hope took the plate from Alphy and then started eating, just watching everyone interact.
'This is nice.'
Was this what it was like to have friends? People who cared about her?
Even though Hope wasn't talking to anyone, she didn't feel odd or awkward. It just felt... right.
"Oh right." Chihiro snapped her fingers and pointed at Hope. "Kouhai! We have a bet going." She pointed at all of the Project MirAIs girls and said, "All of us had a weird encounter while with John either while being recruited or just before formally joining Project MirAIs. I bet that you were almost kidnapped."
Yuri sighed. "I still think that's excessive, Chi-chan."
"You say that, but Asako-senpai apparently almost died."
Hope gasped. "Wh-What?!"
Asako coughed. "...There was a power struggle. Long story. Betty patched me up."
Alphy teased. "And you had a crush on her for a while until I stole you~"
"You didn't steal me! I just... um... Okay fine, you stole me..."
"Teehee~" Alphy giggled and then nuzzled against Asako's side.
Asako just shook her head.
Rin nodded and said, "It's true! When Mister John recruited me, a lot of weird things happened! I mean, he stopped me from selling my body, then mom got better, and then there was even a weird ghost in my house-"
"Wait." Yuri held up her hand. "Hold up. Selling your body?"
Suzume looked up from folding some cranes out of napkins and said, "S-Senpai? You were what?"
"Oh! Well, Mom was really sick and I was going to do compensated dating. But since I was young, I couldn't do it legally. But there was this place that was going to pay ten thousand yen for an hour with a client, so..."
Alphy froze. Then her crimson eyes narrowed. "...Papa never said this."
Asako narrowed her eyes too. "...Yes. And you never said anything about this either, Rin."
"Eh?" Rin blinked. "Well, it never happened. Mister John told me that he beat up everyone there and bought my contract for the night. Then afterwards he gave me a real job and even helped pay for mom's bills!"
Silence.
And then, almost like all the other Project MirAIs girls had a sense of foreboding, they slowly looked at Hope.
Hope fidgeted in her seat. "N-Nothing too crazy happened when Mister John recruited me. I mean, the first time we met was normal..."
Asako frowned. "...I sense a but."
"...B-But when he came to pick me up..." Hope winced. "...There was a strange man with a knife who would have broken into my house when I opened the door? M-Mister John stopped him though!"
Dead silence.
After a solid minute of that, Alphy let out a deep sigh and covered her face. "Papa..."