⇲ 𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐎𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘,
𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐈 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇    〉 𝐉𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐍 !
XXXX.      ✿      CIRCA JUNE 2012.
𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐏 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂
GWEN STEFANI.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Miss Ayase! Incoming!"

Momo and Jiji turned sharply, their eyes widening at the slightly grotesque anatomy figure charging toward them.

Momo immediately prepared to use her powers, her body tensing as energy built up in her hands. But before she could strike, Jiji yanked her out of harm's way just as the model jumped over them. "What the hell?! Jiji, what are you doing?!"

In that split second, Momo's eyes caught sight of something—a small, glowing object attached to the model's buttocks. Her heart pounded.

Momo attempted to stop the anatomical model but got pulled along by its sheer velocity, dragging Jiji with her. He still clung to her waist, barely holding on.

"Okarun!" She shouted. "That's your other ball! He has it!"

Both Okarun and Odette's heads snapped toward the fleeing model. Okarun's blood ran cold as realization dawned on him.

"Shit!"

"Dot! Are you okay? That was a really hard fall!" Okarun barely had time to process what just happened. One moment they were enjoying their meal, the next, a literal science project had bulldozed them with his stolen artifact in tow.

"My legs are a bit sore, but I can manage... are you okay?" Odette asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

"I'm fine, but—" His soft reply was cut off by a distant yell.

"Okarun! Odette! Over here!"

Both teens whipped their heads around just in time to see Momo and Jiji being dragged out of the school gates.

Odette swore under her breath. "Looks like we'll be getting your ball sooner than we thought. Let's go, Kenny." Without waiting, she grabbed Okarun's wrist and sprinted after them.

"Come stop this piece of junk!" Momo shouted.

"Momo! Hang onto me!" Jiji insisted as if he hadn't already been clutching her for dear life.

While running, Okarun quickly removed his shoes and socks to prevent destroying them again. "Hop onto me, Babe. We'll go save Momo and that idiot."

Odette blinked. "Hmm? What makes him an idiot?" she asked, raising a brow.

Okarun didn't even hesitate. "You already know why... what a bummer."

Rolling her eyes, Odette climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as Okarun activated his speed. In an instant, they launched forward, dashing through the school gates and onto the bustling city streets.

"Damn you! I know you're trying to stop me, but I won't stop!" The anatomical figure yelled with determination as it bulldozed through pedestrians.

The orange-haired boy opened his eyes fully, only to see another scary figure. "Another monster showed up!" Jiji exclaimed. "And... Odette?! Why are you piggyback riding that thing?! Wow—you are prettier up close."

At a time like this, the comment caught Odette completely off guard. Okarun, however, wasn't having it.

"Only I can call her pretty," he muttered darkly seriously annoyed. "Don't—"

Odette sighed, tapping his shoulder. "Aht—not right now, boy. We gotta focus on getting Jin and Momo."

Momo attempted to grab Okarun with her psychic abilities, but in her panic, she accidentally slingshot herself and Jiji toward an oncoming bus.

"Shit—!!"

Just in time, Okarun leaped, catching both of them without breaking his stride.
Odette had no idea how Okarun managed that, but she sure as hell wasn't questioning it.

"The monster captured us! I'll protect you, Momo!" Jiji announced dramatically before repeatedly punching Okarun's back like an idiot.

Odette visibly recoiled. 'I see why he's the idiot.'

"Please stop hitting him." She huffed. "Kenny is on our side, y'know—the same guy you saw earlier."

Jiji immediately froze. "No way! For real?!"

"Yes! So stop doing that, dumbass!" Momo scolded, slapping him upside the head.

Together, Odette, Okarun, and Jiji assisted Momo in her struggle to reel in the anatomical model. But just as they were about to overpower it, the figure disassembled itself, each limb and organ scattering in different directions.

"Ew..Gross!! I did not want to see that." Momo cringed.

And just like that, the teenagers lost it.
Breathless, Odette clutched her knees, panting. "We did all that shit... just to lose it in the neighborhoods?"

She let out an exhausted groan, her adrenaline finally wearing off. "What should we do? We don't even know which way he went. All these houses are too narrow," Okarun said, reverting to his normal form. Jiji, witnessing it for the first time, looked thoroughly impressed.

Despite the setback, Momo was able to track the anatomical model using the cries of anguish that echoed whenever she struck its heart—the part it had left behind.

Eventually, the group followed the trail to a rundown junkyard.

The rusting metal piles and scattered debris set an eerie scene. The anatomical model stood motionless between towering stacks of broken-down vehicles and discarded appliances.

Odette's gaze roamed the area, her expression unreadable. "This thing could really use a makeover. Its condition is too worn out to be used for any kind of human body presentation."

Jiji raised a brow at her calm demeanor. "You seem way too comfortable in a place like this."

Odette shrugged. "My dad used to bring me to places like this. He'd find abandoned car parts and tools to fix up other vehicles. So this? Nothing new."
As she stepped closer to the figure, her curiosity piqued.

"Hey! Don't mess with that thing. We don't even know what it's capable of," Okarun whisper-yelled, eyes darting between Odette and the eerily still model.

"This thing ain't doing shit right now." She responded dryly, circling it, taking in its odd posture.

Momo, still holding its heart hostage, raised her voice. "It's not like we want to catch and eat you. If you promise not to run away, I'll give you your heart back. So can you show us that golden ball of yours?"

Silence.

Then, Odette burst into a fit of giggles.

Okarun's face burned bright red. "Dot, please don't laugh. It's embarrassing enough already."

Momo groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I was trying to be serious!"

Jiji, on the other hand, looked genuinely confused. "Are dirty jokes that popular nowadays?" He mumbled, glancing at Odette's amused expression. He remembered asking Momo about it the other night, but she never gave him a straight answer.

Still snickering, Odette wiped her eyes. "Nah, it's just the way you said it, Momo. Golden Balls is absolutely crazy."

Taro's desperate cries echoed through the junkyard, his mechanical body trembling as he scrambled over rusted metal piles. "Hana! Where are you, Hana?"

Odette's gaze snapped upward, drawn to the voice that had called out first. On top of the garbage heap, illuminated by a faint glow, stood another anatomical figure—but this one was female.

Her frame was slightly smaller, her synthetic features softer, and though her joints were still made of exposed wiring and plastic, there was an unmistakable sentience in her expression.

"No! Don't come back here!" Hana's voice trembled. "Please go back, Taro!"

But Taro refused.

"No way! I will never give up! I won't give up on you, Hana!"

The four teenagers stood frozen, watching the scene unfold like something straight out of a romantic drama.

Momo, her usual sharp tongue momentarily silenced, tilted her head.

"What... What is going on here?" Jiji, scratching his head, furrowed his brows. "I think... he's searching for that voice. Could that be his lover?"

Odette nodded slowly, her arms crossed over her chest as she took in the bizarre moment. "Looks like it. Kinda weird, but also... kinda sweet?"

Her words hung in the air as Taro finally spotted Hana—his entire mechanical body trembling with emotion.

"I finally found you!" Taro's voice cracked, his words overflowing with happiness.

But Hana looked distressed.

"Why did you come here?" she whispered, stepping closer to the edge of the garbage heap. "Why did you put yourself through so much danger?"

"Because I love you!" Taro's voice was raw, filled with unwavering devotion.

"Everything changed after I met you. My world used to be grey, but thanks to you, it became colorful!"

Those words hit hard.

Okarun stiffened.

His heart pounded against his ribcage as memories flooded his mind.

Meeting Odette for the first time at her family shrine.

Becoming good friends shortly afterward, and their first weird experience together was destroying her grandmother's dojo.

Every chaotic and borderline romantic moment they had shared since then.

Their first kiss..and every single one after that.

Every small thing about her that had become familiar, comforting, irreplaceable.

Momo's voice from earlier rang in his head.
"I'm sure she'd accept no matter how goofy you look or sound."

Okarun's throat went dry.

His face flushed.

He felt lightheaded, overwhelmed—because he knew.

His entire body tensed at that obvious but monumental realization.

"I love her..."
"I love her so much!"