20 Days In The Past - Aikatsu Love Story (SenAka)

Rock Bottom

        Life is far from perfect.  From the moment a person is born life has an expectation to be tinted a rose coloured hue.  It is far from reality.  One minute you have it all, and the next day something goes missing.  You expect to live on however life keeps falling downhill, like the domino effect.  That was Akari's life ever since April 12, 2016, almost 10 years ago today.

        "I really am sorry to do this.  You truly are a bright girl, I'm sure you'll find a new job in no time." A man said holding out his hand.  Akari faked a smile, holding in tears.
        "Thanks," She said as she shook his hand, before seeing herself out of his office.  Her emotions were filled with emptiness, as if life had no meaning.  She stopped by the graveyard, leaving a bouquet of flowers by each headstone.

      "Hey mother, father.  Jeremy wasn't home when I left for work, which I feel blessed over.  He gambled again and lost 4,000,000 yen this time." She touched her father's gravestone.  "I'm so sick of working overtime to cover up for him.  He doesn't even care about me." She said, her eyes watering.  "I should never have quit being an idol.  If only you were here."  Akari sighed and walked away from the graveyard, continuing her walk home.  She dialled her husband's number.
      "Did you get a raise?"
      "No, I got fired." Akari said.  There was a dead silence.  "Jeremy?"
      "Stupid b*tch" He said hanging up on her.  Akari groaned.
      "He'll be passed out by the time I'm home." She mumbled to herself.

        The rain poured relentlessly over the night sky, the occasional wind gust hinting the ambience.  Akari swore under her breath, before looking at one of the big billboards gossiping about some designer's wedding.  She squinted at it.
         "Oh my goodness!" She spat out.  No, no....she was over him ages ago, wasn't she?  So, Tsubasa Sena was already married? She felt herself go numb.  Why did it matter to her though? She was married too, was she not? Akari loathed it.  If there was any man she'd rather be married to, it would be Tsubasa, not him.  She looked away and shivered, before she spotted the bottom floor of the building beside her light up.  

       "Oh you must be freezing! Come in, come in." A kind and elder lady with fairy wings said.  Akari assumed it was a costume.  She looked at the door sign, it read "The Fairy tale House". She nodded and entered the shop.  It was a store mostly of toys and costumes for children.  Akari followed the lady into the back.  "Now Akari-chan, how would you like some tea?" She asked.  Akari assumed that the lady saw her in her famous days, and didn't question.
       "Thank you, yes." Akari said.  The lady poured raspberry tea into a fine china teacup and set it before Akari.
       "The rain must  reflect your life right now.  Didn't turn out well did it? With you losing your job." Akari's eyes widened.
        "Wait! How did you know?" She asked, very weirded out by the previous statement..  The elder lady laughed.
        "I'm your fairy godmother.  Of course I know." She said.  She took a sip of tea.  "I also happen to know of that dreadful marriage." 
        Akari continued to stare, before taking another sip of tea, "Which marriage?"
     "Look, I understand this is a little weird. Which by the way, we don't usually do this."
     "I mean, how do you know so much about my life? Are people stalking me and writing magazines about me to this day?"
      "No, not that I know of.  I'll say this again, I'm your fairy godmother." Her godmother held up her finge, with had a small glow at the tip of her finger.  "I could show you some magic and prove it."
         Akari raised a brow.  The fairy godmother waved her finger and Akari's tea became a glass of orange juice.  "What-How did you...."

        "Like I said, I'm your fairy godmother.  Need me to explain what that is? I'm sure you've read Cinderella before.  Actually, not to brag but I actually was friends with her godmother."  Her godmother took a sip of her tea.
        "I-I don't know what to say...."
        "No need, I brought you here to offer you something."  She said.  Akari looked up at her, fixing a fallen piece of long mid-back length hair.  "So tell me, you had everything going for you in your third year of middle school, didn't you? After you won that starlight cup."
        "Yes, I did.  But life happened." She said.
        "And do you regret some of your decisions?"
        "I mean, based on what you said earlier, I think you know." Akari said with a sigh.  "My family meant well, but-"
        "--Going into marketing analysis was boring? Dreadful? Draining?"
        "Yes, very much."
        "Well, like I said, I don't normally do these things.  However, I think you deserve a second chance."
        "What do you mean?"
        Her fairy godmother pulled out a piece of paper.
        "I can send you back in time for a small period, to fix things."  Akari's eyes started sparkling.
        "You could do that?"
        "Of course! I am your fairy godmother, although you're all grown up I can't bear to see you so unhappy.  I say you should go, and redo your life."
        "If this is real, then thank you! Thank you so much!"
        "Oh honey I turned tea into orange juice.  You better believe this is real." She said playfully punching Akari's shoulder lightly, before her voice turned serious.  "There are conditions, however." She said.
        "Yes?"
        "Just like Cinderella lasted until midnight, my magic can only last 20 days, and things will go back to the present day, like it never happened." The godmother said.  Akari looked down in disappointment. "Hey don't pout yet, there is a loophole."
        "What is it?"
        "If you get a kiss of true love before midnight of the last day, the spell becomes permanent." She said.  Akari sprung up.
        "Okay I'll do it!"
        "Are you ready to sign this contract then?" She said handing Akari the contract and a pen.  Akari took the pen then hesitated.  Was this right? Isn't she a stranger?  Well, there was no small writing, and she had nothing to lose.  She signed it.  Suddenly everything started glowing, as Akari felt herself grow shorter, her long hair shrink to just past her shoulders, her body getting thinner.
        "I'll make this permanent like my life depends on it!" She said, before she found herself in her old room, in the starlight queen house.

       The fairy godmother checked the calendar, and marked April 20th.  She looked in the mirror, a much younger version of herself staring back.
      "Little does she know her life does depend on it."