Awkward Meeting (for Raiye-san)

Then and there, Masato knew what bitterness truly tasted like. He sped up his pace to open the distance between them and Haruka, knowing Zera would follow him closely.

"It's unfair," he finally muttered. "That's unfair. There should be another way. Isn't there another way? Can't we destroy that jewel or something?"

Haruka grimaced at Sindel. "Yeah, you could say that," she agreed, feeling the need to unburden herself of her long-standing cross. "She likes to tease me and often tries to get me into perverted matches with her. But she's protective and supportive of me, so I like her all the same."

Zera caught up with Masato quickly and suddenly let a smile upon her lips, not a sadistic one, not a evil one but a kind and honest one, her eyes suddenly diverting themselves to Masato.

" Another way... Sindel has been thinking of that day by day.. It can't be destroyed.. And it will always be found by someone.. Someone in the Era of Hell knows it aswell, however I can feel when the jewel reacts... And it's too late for her aswell, and it is not Asteria we speak of.. Cerbera is alot more violent with that stone in her possession.. I could tell you all that I know of it.. Where it came from.. But it's your choice if you wish Haruka to hear all of this. "

Sindel would nod, thinking back at the people she met and couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Haruka in perverted things.

" Haha, I bet you would look cute.. Uhh I mean, how awful! Hahaha! "

Masato found Zera's smile truly odd, but not unpleasant. It made the bad news a bit easier to bear.

"Tell me," he finally agreed. "But I won't tell Haruka. Not right now. I can't discourage her now. If she loses hope... I don't know what I'll do..." He shook his head sadly. It was all he could do not to look back.

Haruka blushed from forehead to tiptoe. She remembered all too well her matches with Silhouette, Lucy Lollipop and Sekki. "Sindel-san!" she scolded. "It's not funny! I can't ever go back home now after baring my body and doing all that!"

" I have Cerbera's jewel. I took it when I left to find her. "

Zera kept a calm expression upon her face, glaring at the numerous people they passed.

Sindel would start to laugh softly as she saw Haruka's blush, patting her gently on the top of her head.

" I bet you looked so cute and adorable all naked! "

Masato's head snapped up to stare at her. His jaw worked to get something out. "So she's going to go after you, too," he asked. "We're playing both offense and defense here..."

Zera didn't have to worry about people staring at her because said people were gawking at Haruka and Sindel.

Steam jetted out of the beet-red Haruka's ears. "Sindel-san!" She batted at Sindel's hand. "Mou! I'm not a kid anymore, you know! And it's not nice to say things like that out in public!"

" I don't think she wants the jewel, because she is corrupted by mine. However I do have a theory... If I can give Cerbera her own jewel, it should reverse the process of corruption and she will be back to her old self.. Even if it's only temporary untill you know what. "

Zera looked over her shoulder for a moment to glare at Sindel and Haruka, then releasing a heavy sigh and shook her head a bit.

" When it's not gaming, it's about nudity.. Sindel really has to grow up. "

Sindel didn't hear what Zera said, being to busy with Haruka and blinked a few times, then blushed and nodded quickly.

" Oh.. Right.. People. But I still think you'd look cute. Which brings me to one point I always needed to know and tell you something. You and Cerbera, are you two just friends orrrrrr.. "

Sindel suddenly showed a teasing grin.

Masato was about to reply to Zera about that matter when the new subject matter drew his attention- and blush. "Y-yeah, maybe... still, it's good to see Sindel-san is a nice girl..."

Haruka became even redder. "Cerbera-san and I are just friends!" she exclaimed. "Besides, I like Masato-kun!"

She caught herself too late. Masato gaped at her.

"H-Haruka?"

Zera also looked back for a moment, then shook her head and gazed up at the sky.

" ... "

Sindel nodded at grinned more, then blinked when her cell phone rang and took it out of her pocket.

" Aaah, Masato and Harukaaaa. Too bad my fantasy about cute lesbian sex between Haruka and Cerbera just ended.. "

Sindel then opened her cellphone and moved it to her ear.

" Hello, Sindel speaking. "

Haruka looked like she was on fire. Masato similarly glowed. Idol and manager frantically babbled at each other, unable to form a single coherent sentence out of their jumbled stutters.

"I'm not lesbian!" Haruka finally exclaimed, causing everyone within earshot to stare at her, further inflaming her embarrassment. Masato found himself actually imagining how Haruka and Cerbera would look like in a yuri entanglement; he promptly kicked himself and turned to Sindel -Zera looked like she was completely ignoring him- to ask:

"Ah... who is that?"

Zera looked over her shoulder when Sindel started to speak in a different language; Chinese. Zera then started out infront of her and decided to ask the two a question.

" So.. Where is this Ice shop thing.. "

Sindel had her eyes narrowed and spoke out a few names with the words she spoke, one being Cerbera. She then smirked and closed the cellphone and hid it in her pocket, shaking her head.

" Nothing. Nobody important. "