Behind a Cat's Smile [Discontinued]

Chapter 4: Entering a Maze of Lost Memories

((A/N: I'm sorry for the long absence!! I had a looong Writer's Block and I didn't know what to do next, so now I got a few new ideas, and here it is...))

Normal POV

A month has passed since Céline left C3 and became part of the Alicein's workers after Mikuni and Jeje found her all beaten up and almost drowned in a river and took her in, she has been doing fine serving them as an informant, mainly for Misono.

Her deep loyalty to Misono caused the others to trust her despite that she used to be C3's Informant, especially Misono's friends, also to the point that Misono gave her a new motorcycle and biker suit, along with a cat-like appearance of a helmet.

Céline slowly began to adapt with the currently peaceful environment and the people around her as she would often joke and express herself with a child-like full of wonder about the things she hasn't experience and is often seen excited about it.

One day, she went driving her motorcycle just for a free ride after being given some free time by Misono. People saw her driving and thought about how 'unique' her biker suit and how the helmet looks familiar like it's from a certain *anime.

Céline soon reached her destination as she parked her motorcycle. She walked up to a certain shop as she knocked. It was opened, but the person who opened it isn't the one who she was expecting.

"Welcome back, Miku-Miku!!~ Ah..." It was a tall man in a lab coat and somehow his appearance strikes Céline as odd, although her outfit doesn't make any difference, so she just let it slide for now. The man was seemingly about to say something until he realised that it was Céline instead of who he thought it was.

"Who are you?" He asked before she could say something. Céline took off her helmet and looks at him.

"I'm Céline Midnight. Is Mikuni in the shop?"

"Ah, I'm afraid he isn't here at the moment~ But what brings you to this place?~ Are you acquainted to Miku-Miku?~ Are you his secret girlfriend?~ You need to tell me!!~"

Céline was bombarded with questions that she decided to speak up before another adds up.

"One, I came here to pay a visit, two, yes, I'm acquainted to 'Miku-Miku', and three, no, I am not what you call his secret 'girlfriend'. Now, will you tell me who you are? I told you my name, so it's only fair if you tell me yours." Céline looks up at him with a business-like tone.

He looks at her then gave a sigh. "I see, you're rather strange, aren't you? Well, you're right, it's only fair if I tell you my name when I asked for yours." Then he gave a grin.

"Johannes Mimir Faustus, that's my name~ I'm a scholar of some sort. And my special field is studying vampires."

Céline's head perks up when he mentioned about vampires and how he studies them. Suddenly she felt a wave of familiarity. Céline began to feel like she knew this person somewhere like Mikuni. But since she cannot remember as her memories were getting fuzzy, she decided not to say anything about it as she wasn't sure if her guesses were correct.

"Oh? If it isn't Céline!"

Céline turned and saw Mikuni and Jeje in his snake form around his Eve's neck. Abel is still held by Mikuni as usual.

"Mikuni..." Céline began before she got interrupted by Johannes.

"Welcome back, Miku-Miku!!~ You see, this pretty lady came to pay you a visit!~ But I told her you weren't here, and I asked her a lot of questions until you're back!~ Although I'm quite suprised that she's not your girlfr--" Johannes babbles on until Mikuni kicked him on the back.

"What are doing in my shop again?! I told you not to just waltz in without my permission unless you're a customer!! Don't tell me you touched one of my things again?!" Mikuni yells as Johannes just grins.

Céline just watches them in amusement despite the blank look in her face.

"By the way, what brings you to my shop, Céline?~" Mikuni asked as soon as he stopped 'scolding' Johannes who decided to settle down a bit and watch them. Mikuni also had offered her a seat and she sat down.

"Oh, I came here to pay you a visit. You helped me, after all, and I just wanted to see if you're well." Céline said.

Mikuni chuckles a bit as he just leans on the counter while holding Abel, and Jeje slithers from his neck and went to Céline and wraps himself around her wrist.

"I see~ That's really nice of you, but you don't need to be all formal with me since we're friends, aren't we?~" He said as he looks at her smiling.

Céline couldn't tell whether if that smile means something or not, so she decided to brush it off her mind.

But as soon as he said 'friends', there was another flash in her mind, like as if there was a memory that is pushing itself back to her mind.

Céline began to groan a bit as she held her head with one hand as she stumbles a bit.

Jeje noticed this as he turns to his vampire-human form and catches her. "Miss Céline...?!"

Mikuni and Johannes quickly came to her aid as well as Céline lays almost limp in Jeje's arms.

Céline groans more as her head throbbed in pain like something keeps forcing it's way inside her brain like many lost informations.

She could hear them talking, but the voices sounded distorted. Before she knew it, she lost consciousness as everything around her went dark.

To be continued....