Awkward Meeting (for Raiye-san)

"She's... she's doing something really bad to me..."

Haruka gulped. "What is it, Masato-kun? What's she doing to you?"

"She's... no, I like Haruka, not you..."

Words deserted Haruka.

"I mean, I do like you, but not that way..."

Haruka's face could have stopped traffic, she was so red.

Sindel couldn't help but blush faintly when she heard what Masato had said.

" Oh dear.. Looks like Cerbera is forcing herself upon Masato! "

Sindel giggled while she wrapped an arm around Haruka's shoulder and leaned in to whisper.

" But it sems prefers you THAT way. "

Haruka was too mentally devastated by Masato's sleep-talking to flinch at Sindel's first coo, or even when Sindel hugged her. Until:

" But it sems prefers you THAT way. "

"Masato..." She almost cried-

"Wait... what?" Masato moaned. "You're going to do Haruka?"

-only to go white as a sheet-

"While I'm watching?"

-and then red as a sunset again.

"M-Masato?"

Sindel started to blink, bringing her arm tighter around Haruka's shoulder to pull her close against her side.

" Maybe he wants you and Cerbera to do it together! I don't blame him, alotta people think that. "

Then she noticed Zera walking past them, looking down at him and poured a bowl of ice cold water all over his head, making the white haired girl widen her eyes.

" W-Whoa Zera it was just getting good! "

Zera merely turned around again to head for the counter.

Lute couldn't help but giggle, nodding at Zera while she went back to seeing if it worked.

" Usually that works, nice thinking Zera! "

Haruka was about ready to faint from visualizing just what Masato was dreaming of (and Sindel wasn't helping!) She was in no state to notice or stop Zera, but she did gape at the soggy mess that was Masato-

" W-Whoa Zera it was just getting good! "

" Usually that works, nice thinking Zera! "

"Ugh..."

-who was still asleep, usually notwithstanding.

But he did suddenly tense in Haruka's arms, though the stunned girl didn't realize it for anything important.

* * *

Masato... Masato...

Huh? What's that?

Wake up, Masato... wake up...

Soft lips fluttered upon his.

A song?

* * *

Masato shook his head. Then he shook it again. "Ugh... why am I wet?"

"Masato-kun! You're awake! I'm glad you're okay!"

He gulped as Haruka glomped him from behind. Blushed as the cute bumps of her breasts hugged his head alongside her slim arms. Wondered why he was dripping wet.

Wondered who the singer was.

He looked...

When Masato looked through the window of the shop, he could see a certain witch girl standing there, facing sideways. The voice was heard and Masato could possibly tell who that voice belonged to, it sung:

" Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high.. "

All of a sudden, Asteria turned directly to glare into Masato's eyes, a wicked grin upon her lips. Even though Masato was full awake, he could see faint images flash of Cerbera attacking Astera with the jewel, then an image of Asteria in a hospital bed.. Then another image with Asteria's eyes suddenly opening with a bright yellow glare and with a flash she was out of the bed, then another flash and she was three steps forward, then another flash and she was gone. Asteria's voice was heard once more, each word coming from a different direction.

" Not the end. "

Then another flash came and Masato would regain his full vision once more and with Asteria suddenly gone.

Horror after imaged horror drew Masato's eyelids wide open and held them open. Made his pupils pool like black bloodstains sucking in all the bright flash of a police photographer's camera. His mouth tried but failed to work out an epithet denying the wakeful nightmare implanted inside his head. The water coursing down his face felt like blood, and Masato felt like a corpse at a crime scene.

"Masato-kun? What's wrong?"

"Asteria-san..."

But when Haruka looked, there was no Asteria.

"Huh? Asteria-san? Where?"

Lute narrowed her eyes when Masato spoke of that name, for once she went serious, also looking through the window but seeing nothing.

" I think you're still trying to wake up, Masato. Asteria has been in a coma for months and hasn't woken up yet. "

Sindel and Zera looked at eachother, both of them didn't know much, Sindel had lost contact with Asteria after her fall and haven't seen her since while Zera didn't know anything about her, so it was best for her to stay silent.. Still, watching Lute's expression and Masato's expression, she was curious.

" Who is Asteria? " She asked.

"She's awake." Masato did not sound dreamy, didn't have to force it or shake his head or blink his eyes clear of nonexistent bleariness. He didn't think he could sleep for a while. Not after the terrors he had just witnessed. "She's just as awake as I am. She woke me up with a song. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... She told me..."

He knew the same thing as Sindel and Zera. Asteria was in a coma. He and Haruka had even visited her. No response. Asteria might have been good as dead.

"She told me it was not the end," he muttered.

"She's one of Cerbera's real friends," Haruka told Lute. "She was friendly to Masato-kun and me, too..."

"Asteria-san," Masato breathed again. "What's happened to you now?"

Lute nodded, though took out her cellphone and decided to see for herself, it was odd for Masato to say such things, even if she did just know her.

" Good afternoon, this is Lute. I'd like to know if you have a patient called: Asteria? ....I see, thank you. "

Lute closed the phone and hid it back in her pocket, looking back at Masato and Haruka.

" ..It seems Asteria was in the hospital but has been missing since this afternoon. "

Sindel looked at Lute before back at Zera, gently patting the top of the girl's head.

" I'll need you to keep me protected, Zera.. Just in case.. "

" Off course, Sindel. "

Even though Sindel had not seen Asteria for a while, she knew for a fact that Asteria was one of the people who had ambushed her, that is one thing she couldn't forget.