Fists and Lipsticks 2: The Silver Crescent

CHAPTER 57: Saviors and Saving Acts

 CHAPTER 57: SAVIORS AND SAVING ACTS

Is it my fault that I take your breath away?

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"Wait a sec… You guys knew all along that Yoshida-chan was here and none of you told me?"

 "Wow, I never expected the sequel to last night's drama to come out too soon," Tomo remarked sarcastically, shying away from Yamada Hidemi as he stepped out to the porch to grab a smoke. Three hours after they found out that Yoshida Ayane was missing, Shizuki and the others had no other choice but to contact either Hidemi or Akio to fetch them in Crosse Williams' white beach house. For some unknown reason, Suzuki Akio was not picking up their calls. Hidemi, on the other hand, has not gotten himself a new car to replace the one Sato Yuken inadvertently demolished from the Silver Crescent Gang chase incident in Kyōto.

"Good thing Hidemi-kun and I are together today. We were on a date when you guys called," Ayanami Fuuko declared with utmost confidence, emphasizing the word 'date' rather than boasting about her so-called 'incidental yet noteworthy saving act'.

Hidemi frowned, "We're NOT dating."

Fuuko gave him a 'duh-whatever-no-one-cares-about-what-you-say-anyway' look, "The point is… we're here now because I drove fifty kilometers uphill and downhill along a steep, zigzagged road just to reach this place. My, it's really pretty here, but this place is too isolated…"

"That's why it's a 'hiding place'." It was Hidemi's turn to give Fuuko the 'duh' look. "And Yoshida-chan is hiding here."

"WAS hiding here," Yuken corrected. "She ran away this morning… took Shizu-chan's car… wore pink lipstick on… who knows what she could be doing now?"

"We should find Yoshida-chan right away!" Shizuki said anxiously. "With her current condition, she can't just be left out in the open!"

"Shizu-chan's right!" Makiko nodded. "Ayanami, let's go right away!"

"No," Fuuko replied firmly. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I have to talk to you first."

"E…Eh?" Makiko pointed to herself. "Me?"

Makiko led Fuuko to the shore, their bare feet touching the ripples of blue-green water over the fine white sand. She paused awhile to stretch her arms apart, tiptoeing as she inhaled the cool and invigorating sea breeze into her lungs. Makiko playfully ran past the flock of feasting shorebirds on the water's edge, startling them as she sent salty water splashing to every direction.

"How childish… tsk…" Fuuko watched her in disgust.

But Makiko did not seem to care about her opinion. Instead, she ran back to where Fuuko stood and made faces, "And stealing Swiss Chocolates isn't childish? Blehh…"

Fuuko automatically came up with the shrewdest retort, "At least I steal chocolates, not orphanage money."

"Don't start with that," Makiko steered the topic away. "Why did you want to talk to me all of a sudden?"

"Why did you bring them here?" Fuuko's inquiry was direct to the point, obviously pertaining to Shizuki and Tomo. "Crosse never told anyone about this place – not even me or you."

"I'm the Black Widow, Ayanami Fuuko – just to remind you in case you are forgetting," Makiko said proudly. "I know where this place is because I have my means…"

"But that doesn't mean you can just take everyone here like you were bringing people to a birthday party! What if someone from the Spectra or the Silver Crescent finds out about this place?"