A Firefly's Glow

Chapter Two: Part Three

Note: Oh, just a heads-up, the suffix/honorific "-sama" that's used a bunch of times after Hanabusa's name is sort of like a japanese translation. It shows utmost respect, like how it's more respectful to call someone by "Mr." instead of just calling them by their name.

"-sama" is the only honorific I use in this story. There are more but ehh--I don't use 'em.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Through the doorway across the room was a wide, curved staircase.

“Please watch your step, Miss.”

“No problem,” I answered, hopping onto the red carpet draped over the stairway. I held onto the golden railings as I freely climbed up the stairs.

I noticed the difference of this luxurious staircase compared to the pebbled staircase of the apartment building. They were so much cleaner, and the steps of this staircase didn’t exactly have large gaps in between each step that caused me to feel as if I might fall through them. As long as I never fell down these stairs, I didn’t mind them at all.

The surroundings of the first floor inched farther and farther away with every step I took. The pale, marble floors slowly curved out of sight.

“Miss, may I ask what your name is?” Megane asked, glancing towards me through the thick sunglasses that concealed his eyes.

“I’m Hotaru Fujioka,” I gave Megane a light smile.

“Oh . . . Fujioka-sama . . .” I heard Megane begin in a light murmur, but I interrupted his thoughts.

“You don’t have to be so formal,” I insisted, shrugging my shoulders. “Just call me Hotaru.”

“Hotaru?”

“Yes!”

Megane seemed uncomfortable lingering away from his usual, formal procedure. I glanced towards Megane with curiosity.

Megane seemed like a man in his twenties. He had dark brown hair that was brushed slickly over his forehead. With his pale, flawless skin, he seemed handsome—though I was very, very curious what was underneath his sunglasses.

“We’re inside,” I informed, wrinkling an eyebrow. “Why are you still wearing your sunglasses?”

“Hanabusa-sama told me to keep these sunglasses on at all times.”

“Why?”

“I’m sure Hanabusa-sama would be very irritated if I told you why.”

I glanced away from Megane and focused my gaze at the top of the stairway.

“Is “Hanabusa-sama” the blonde boy from before?”

“Yes.”

“So what do I call him?”

“’Hanabusa-sama’, of course.”

“How about his first name?” I suggested hopefully. “-sama” seemed excessively overformal. Plus, I felt a mild hatred for the guy for kidnapping me from my food-containing home.

“I don’t know, Fuji—Hotaru,” Megane squirmed the moment the words left his lips, but I silently thanked him for his self-control as he continued. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“I don’t wanna,” I murmured reluctantly, uncomfortably fidgeting with my fingers. “I told him he didn’t have to pay back any debts. It seems like way too much trouble.”

I glanced towards Megane, awaiting his response. He merely looked towards the stairs beneath his feet as he shifted his sunglasses farther up the arch of his nose.