* Note that if it wasn’t made obvious before-hand, New Tako Town in this story is a fictional town and does not exist in real life.

“... it appears we’re expecting a partly-cloudy day with a high of twenty one degrees celsius accompanied by a fifty-four percent chance of showers by the evening. Afterwards, our forecast predicts mostly warm and humid weather for the rest of the week. So, enjoy the outdoors while you have the chance, New Tako Town! With that, we go back to Yuka for our morning news.”

Mirai laid by the TV, listening to the news intently. She scooped her hand into the large bowl next to her, shoveling a handful of the delicious buttery carb that she always started and ended her days with. Popcorn. To her, there was nothing better than to start the day with the daily news, a salty snack, and a cup of tea.

At the kitchen, the estate’s house maid washed the dishes that were piled high in the sink. “Ehhhh, I really hope Mister Keikan would rinse his dishes off.” She groaned, scrubbing the plates harder. “I know it’s my job to do this, but it becomes quite the hassle…!-hey, Mirai?”

Mirai sat her empty bowl to the side and turned her head. “Huh?”

“Don’t forget the daily mail is outside, Mister Keikan left in a rush and forgot it this morning.”

“Hehehehe… I don’t blame him for being so eager,” Mirai chuckled.

“Of course you don’t, you two are so alike…” the maid chuckled, then redirected her focus back to the stubborn egg stains that clung to the sides of the plates.

After some thinking, Mirai figured it’d be better to get the mail now to not end up forgetting later. So, she lazily stood up and stepped outside of the Keikan Estate. The mailbox was in dire need of oiling, so it made quite the horrendous screech when Mirai opened it. “Bills, bills, junk mail, oh? A pizzeria? I’ll have to try that some day… huh, a magazine.” Mirai stopped shuffling through the mail. “New movie coming out! It’s… a romance?! Bleh– Akane would like that, but not Mirai! Though…” Mirai began to think about it some more. This was a good opportunity she didn’t want to give up, so Mirai grabbed the door and reentered the house. “Mooooom! There’s a new movie coming out!”

“Oh? What is it?” Her mother was freshening herself up in the bathroom, so she had to raise her voice an octave for Mirai to hear her.

“Uhhh, ‘Kara Omo presents Snow in the Spring’.” Mirai read the magazine and walked over to her, placing it by her side. “It’s not my cup of tea… but I know it’s yours!”

“Ohhh, ‘Snow in the Spring’? Your father and I were going to see that later tonight… if he didn’t have to work late.” Her mother stopped to examine the magazine’s cover. “You would make Akane very happy if you took her to it.”

“Bleh! I don’t watch romance!” Mirai gagged, “Kissing is wweeeeeeird!!!!”

“Hehehe… oh Mirai, you’ll have to do it someday or another.”

“Nuh uh! No way!” Mirai shook her head and fled down the hallway, shouting: “I’LL NEVER KISS ANYOOOOONEEEE!!!!”

Her mother sighed. “Yep, you are so much like your father…” she softly muttered with a contented smile, which soon soured into a slight frown. “...maybe too much.”

Mirai entered her bedroom to change out of her pajamas. After a brief fight with her jeans, Mirai reentered the kitchen to inform her maid of her absence: “I’m gonna go to the arcade!”

“The arcade? This early?” This struck the maid by surprise, so she temporarily halted her chore.

“Yeeeaaaah? I’m not giving up on that crane game! I need that Super Joe plushie!”

“I thought you never read any American comics…”

“I don’t! I watch their movies instead!” Mirai smirked with a playful wink. Before she left to spend all of her yen on a crane game, she wanted to take one last visit to the pantry. Keikan looked over the shelves, examining each one from the breads to the vegetables. Her mind was looking for one thing and one thing alone: “Popcorn… popcorn…”

“It should be on the top shelf.” her maid assisted before returning to her duties.

“Top shelf…” Mirai looked up and investigated. Yep, sure enough the popcorn was there. She grabbed and pulled out the box, immediately noticing that it was light… too light. Mirai gasped and reached her hand inside as far as she could. After a defeated sigh, she groaned. “Uggggh! Who left the empty box?!”

“You. You did.”

“O-oh… right, hehehehe… my bad.” Mirai giggled, tossing the box away. “Welp! Nothing a simple shopping trip won’t fix, huh?”

-_-

“I’m oooout!” Mirai announced as she ran out of the door, through the gates, and down the sidewalk. The further she ran, the smaller the towering triple-floored Keikan Mansion shrunk until it was just a fine spec in the distance. While Sector 3 is where the neighborhoods are, a portion of these neighborhoods were much grander in size and on the wealthier side; but none were like the Keikan Estate, which towered above them all. It had the greenest of lawns, the tallest of cherry blossoms, and a paved pathway from the gates to the front of the mansion. The Keikan Estate bordered the less-rich side of Sector 3, the house across the street being where her best friend Akane Zakuro lived. Mirai passed Akane’s house and turned around the corner, disappearing into Sector 6. There, in the midst of the morning traffic, awaited the infinite warehouse of unending goods… The SuperMarket!

The scent of fresh fruit blessed her nose as the automatic sliding doors parted way for Mirai’s entry. “Ahhh! GOOOOD MORNING ‘The SuperMarket’!” She grinned from ear to ear. Her nose never lied… she could smell it. It was near.

Mirai didn’t hesitate to start searching the aisles for her required items. From the fruit to the vegetables, to the meat, to the grains, she had many rows of groceries to interrogate for the whereabouts of her favorite snack.“Where is it… where is it…” Mirai scanned the bread aisle until alas, her eyes caught sight of it! “AAAAHAAA! POPCORRRRN!!!!” Her mind immediately cleared and a wash of relief flushed her doubts. At last she could breathe easy, knowing that her beloved guilty pleasure of carbohydrates was…

…wasn’t… there.

“EEEEHH!???!” Mirai exclaimed, “WHAT HAPPENED TO MY POPCORN!!!??? IT’S AAALLLL GOOOONE!!!! HOW CAN YOU RUN OUT OF POPCORN AT THE SUPERMARKET?!” Mirai snatched the nearest chip bag. “All we have are these stale corn chips! Come on!!! The store has never run out of popcorn before, they have to have SOME somewhere!” Mirai, increasingly weary, walked out of the aisle and up to the front of the store. Maybe the employees will have an idea of where to find them…

“Heeey!” Mirai walked up to an employee, poking her in the shoulder.

“E-Eh?!” The worker jumped and spun around. She froze up for a brief moment, fumbling over words to say to the surprise appearance of this girl. “H-how can I help you?”

“Hi lady! The popcorn’s all gone! Do you have any more in storage?”

“Uhhhhh…” The worker stared at Mirai, then looked up at the front desk. “They’re sold out? I’ll go check in with management.” thus the worker turned around and walked away, muttering softly to herself (“Yeesh, that girl almost gave me a heart attack…”)

Mirai tapped her foot in wait for the return of the store employee. The seconds drew by and she began to grow fidgety and impatient. “There’s nothing to do here! Waiting is boring… wait–” Mirai paused. In the corner of her eye she caught the glimpse of something… something she just had to have. She’d tuck this item under her arm when the employee returned with her answer.

“It turns out that we’re all out of popcorn, sorry for the inconvenience.” The worker bowed.

“It’s fine! It’s fine!” Mirai waved with a stifled giggle. “Don’t sweat it really,”

“But it’s strange, management said the shelves were full yesterday.”

“They… were full yesterday?”

“That’s right. They were filled to the brim with boxes, but they’re all gone now. The store just opened an hour ago…”

“That’s… odd…” It’s just a little past nine o’clock in the morning, how can so many boxes be bought so soon? She could only wonder.

-_-

Mirai strolled down the sidewalk of New Tako Town with her new item, a smart watch, inside of a grocery bag.

She was definitely bummed out, which she expressed by curling her lips into a frown. “I caaaan’t believe this! It’s all goooone! What am I supposed to do? Start eating healthy?!-- oh I can hear Akane already!” Mirai straightened her back up and made her best impression of her best friend: “Mirai, if you stopped shoveling empty calories into your body and fed yourself something better, then you’d beat me more often!”

Mirai has an impressive talent of being able to copy other voices, even capable of pulling off a decent impression just by hearing a voice only a few times. This talent made her rather popular in the Junior High and Senior High drama clubs, even allowing her to do a few guest appearances in some plays. Legend has it that Mirai once copied Akane’s voice for a whole day, and she accidentally got Zakuro in trouble! She wanted to have some fun and take her impression a little further, but stopped at the sound of fussing and a familiar male voice adjacent to her.

Mirai halted and fixed her gaze on the well-dressed male assisting a few others with hanging up a poster. “Yo, what’s this?” Mirai walked up to the group, looking up at the poster. “Is that… ‘Kara Omo presents Snow in the Spring’?”

The well dressed male, Damian Stradale, answered with a leery: “That’s right, why? Are you going to be there for its premiere, Keikan?”

“Ehhhhh… romance isn’t my cup of tea, hehehehehe…”

“You’d make Akane very happy if you took her…”

“Yeaaaah… that’s what my mom said, hehehe.” Mirai awkwardly replied, scratching her neck and nervously blushing. Truthfully she never enjoyed having conversations with Damian Stradale. To her, something seemed… indescribably off about him. Maybe it’s how he talks, he speaks and carries himself like the typical stuck-up self-entitled rich boy, except for when he’s around Haruna where he is all ‘lovey dovey’. ‘Lovey dovey’ people make her feel sick just like self-entitled rich boys, and Keikan knew they never wouldn’t. As much as it bummed her, there are just some kinds of people Mirai can’t understand and get along with. To cut the discussion short, she dismissed herself. “Well… see ya! Have fun in the rain, Stradale.” She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked off, hoping that the forecasted rain would come soon… and rain hard.

Though, now that Stradale and her mom have both mentioned it… the movie theater wasn’t that far from here, and the crowds were small…

-_-

BING!

The door opened, revealing a drowsy girl still dressed in her footie pajamas. Her eyes were a shade darker, her skin a pale hue.

“Yahooooo!” Mirai exclaimed.

Akane curled her hand over her face and let out a weak cough. “Oooh! Mirai… hi,”

“Yo! Did you see the new movie coming out?”

“New movie? Wait, are you meaning ‘Snow in the Spring’?”

“Y-yeah…” Mirai revealed to Akane two tickets, “Wanna go see it tonight? My mom said it’d make you happy because you like those kinds of shows…”

“Awww…” Akane chuckled. “I mean, sure! I’d love to…” Akane said before coughing again, “...if it weren’t for the fact I caught something. I think it’s from our last training session at the gym.”

“Oh…” Mirai sighed, lowering her tickets. “Man… I bought these for nothing.”

“Not really! It’s the thought that counts. Thanks, Mirai.” Akane smiled, “I’ll see you when I get better.”

“Y-yeah… you should do that… hehehe. Well,” Mirai spun around and walked away, “See you later, Red!”

“Sorry to disappoint, Mirai.” Akane briefly bowed before shutting the door. With that, Mirai was back at square one. Two tickets and none to share them with.

“What am I supposed to do with these?” Mirai glanced down at the tickets. “Hmmmmm… this really is a dilemma for Mirai… wait… Mirai knows exactly who to take these to!” A lightbulb shone brightly at that moment. Mirai was sure of herself that her problem had its easy solution. She was going to see that movie tonight… and who better to ask?

-_-

“Thank you so much for taking me, Mirai!” Mirai’s new movie friend thanked with a soft smile. “I honestly wasn’t sure if he was going to ask me to see it… Damian told me he’d be busy today.”

“Aaahhh that little rascal! He’s always busy with somethin’ isn’t he?” Mirai asked whilst lightly nudging Omo with her elbow. “Mirai ‘outta teach the rich boy some manners!”

“That… won’t be necessary!” Omo sheepishly smiled, “He is well mannered, just… busy. Speaking of busy, what’s the backpack for?”

“This?” Mirai raised the backpack she held, “Ahhhh it’s nothin’! Just a few blankets!”

“You bring your blankets to a movie theater? Is that even allowed…?”

“Yeah! Who DOESN’T?!”

“It does sound like a good idea…”

The two stood outside of the movie theater with the rest of the early crowd. The movie wasn’t going to show for another hour, but everyone here was eager to get their hands on the first seats. In a few minutes the doors swung open, revealing Damian Stradale and a finely dressed woman. She wore a black blouse and skirt with her long black hair braided into a bun, topped off with a white bow headband.

“Oooh- she’s pretty! Who is she?-- wait, she stole my white bow!”

“Your hairstyles are nothing alike… anyone can use a white bow,” Haruna spoke up.

“EerrrggG! STYLE STEALER! MAYBE YOU WERE THE ONE WHO STOLE THE POPC–” Before Mirai could make a scene of herself with her loud accusations, Haruna covered her hands over Mirai’s mouth and pulled her back.

“Shhhhh! Miraaaaii! You’re gonna get us kicked out before we even walk in!”

“Sorry…” Mirai stood still.

Damian and the woman, Lucy, stood in front of the crowd. Lucy took the lead of the announcement and greeted everyone.

“Good evening everyone, and thank you very much for coming to see this wonderful project that Kara Omo let us be a part of! I am Lucy May, and that is Damian Stradale, and we are very proud to show you Omo’s debut film, a romantic masterpiece that was two years in the making.”

“As to not keep you waiting any longer, we will not drag our introductions out. So, please come inside, get yourself a snack or two, and put your hands together for the debut of our cinematic masterpiece ‘Snow in the Spring!’.” Damian announced, shortly followed by the two opening the doors for the crowds of people to enter.

“Woooow! Lucy is so elegant!” Haruna gasped when she passed by her, “She’s almost like a princess… I’ve never seen her like that outside of the Boxing Club, then again I don’t see her outside of the Boxing Club.”

“Yeah yeah she’s nice and all, but where’s the snacks–” Mirai paused upon entering the doorways to the movie theater. The heavenly… delicious… buttery… salty smell, there’s no doubt about it. It was here!

“M-mirai?” Haruna stared. “You’re… drooling…”

“H-huh?!” Mirai dabbed her face with her sleeve, “Sorry about that- heheehehhe- NOW!” Mirai sprinted up to the front of the snacks booth and slammed her tickets down on the desk. “One large popcorn, please!”

The lady looked at Mirai with a long and disturbed look. “That will be two thousand and eight hundred yen, please.”

“THREE THOUSAND YEN?!” Mirai exclaimed. “EEEHHH?! FOR POPCORN!?” Mirai examined the menu and read the prices, “and this is a special deal?”

“Yes, we normally sell them for four thousand yen.”

“I-I–...” Mirai froze up until she was as still as a stone statue. (“This… this is ridiculous! How can popcorn be THAT expensive?! I’m from a rich family and even I feel like I’m being ripped off! This is almost criminal…”) Mirai thought for a moment. It was then a lightbulb went off in her head for a second time. (“criminal…”)

“Mirai… are you okay?” Haruna walked up to Mirai and tapped her on the shoulder. “That… wait, I know that face!”

“Hehehehehehehe”

“Good god Mirai, you’re up to no good again, aren’t you?!”

“Stay there, Haruna!”

“H-huh?! B-but I can’t do that, I’m hogging the line!”

“Just do it! Okay? Thanks!” and before Haruna had a chance to protest, Mirai already vanished down the hallways.

“H-HEY! MIRAI!!!-- There she goes again…”

Down the halls of the movie theater, Mirai ran. She was careful where she stepped so as to not give away her location under the echo of the tile flooring. Like a prowler in the night, Mirai stuck to the shadows, only to emerge when none were suspecting.

Meanwhile, Haruna stood at the front of the line with bright red cheeks.

“S-sorry guys!” Haruna frantically waved her arms at the increasingly impatient crowd of people. “I really really am! But, my friend will be back soon!... I hope…” What was her friend doing? She couldn’t have gotten herself in trouble already, could she? Errrg, that no-for-good troublemaker! Haruna only wondered what ran through that girl’s mind.

“Omo?”

Wait… she knows that voice.

The very mention of her name caused the crowd to gasp.

“It IS you, Omo!” Damian, fighting through the crowd, greeted Haruna at last with a gentle smile. “I thought you were going to stay at home and study!”

“Omo?! Is she related to Kara Omo?” The person behind the two asked.

“Kara Omo…” Haruna muttered to herself, “I doubt we’re related! I’ve never met this ‘Kara Omo’ before.”

“I don’t think so either,” Damian shook his head. “They just share a last name, that's all.”

“Oh…” The person behind them sighed with disappointment at the anticlimactic answer.

“Speaking of Omo,” Damian turned towards Haruna, “You’re not studying for math?”

“I was… but I thought you were going to ask me to see the movie today!”

(“Crap, I forgot!”) Damian thought to himself while maintaining a calm and cool exterior. “Heh… well…” Damian chuckled, rolled his head, and sighed. “I was. But, I thought that I shouldn't disturb you.” He held his hand out for Omo’s, “Take this as my apology. Lucy’s saved us some spots in the back, which is the best place to see the big screen.”

“D-Damian…” Haruna blushed. “You’re embarrassing me!” She nervously giggled,

“Lucy and I have plenty of snacks and beverages. Soda, crackers, popcorn–”

“POPCOOOOORN!”

Both Damian and Haruna stop to stare at the emerging noise from the hallways.

“-Let’s go.” Damian said with a disturbed frown.

(“W-wait… Mirai… what is she doing?!”) Haruna wondered, only to get pulled along by Damian. She’d be too far down the hallway before she had the chance to see Mirai dressed head-to-toe in the movie theater staff attire.

“Wait– you work here?!” The person working the counter exclaimed to Mirai.

“Thaaat’s right! Mirai is a professional movie-theater worker!” Mirai pointed her thumb at herself, boasting: “I know the ins and outs of a theater better than anyone!”

“I… I don’t believe i–”

“Hey, when I got my uniform on, I heard some of the employees saying that there’s a guy smuggling some chocolate buttercups in theater room 5B. Personally, I wouldn’t let them get away with that.” Mirai whispered to the person.

“Why… why don’t you stop them?”

“Just go! Go! Shoo! People need their popcorn and I am The Great Popcorn Handler!” Mirai gestured to the person, gently nudging them out until Mirai was the only one running the snacks booth. “Alright! It’s time for a REAL discount!” Mirai exclaimed to the customers, “WHO WANTS SOME POPCORN?!”

The eager customers lined up one after another. Mirai slapped a sticker on the menu reading: ‘1,000 YEN POPCORN!’ which the customers happily paid whilst she worked the machines.

The warm scent blessed Keikan’s nose, and she couldn’t help but sneak a few kernels for herself whilst serving. “Mmmmm…! The butter is perfect!”

The crowd gradually shortened whilst the hour started to pass. As the crowd began to disappear, so did the amount of fresh kernels for Mirai to pop and serve… until alas, the amount grew to none.

“We’re out?!” she exclaimed, then looked at the line of at least twenty people. “Uhhhhhh… how many here are going to buy popcorn?”

Everyone raised their hand.

“Well shoot… uhhhh….” Mirai, shocked, tossed the empty popcorn box to the ground. “Please wait a few moments! The Great Popcorn Handler has to restock!” Keikan exited the main lobby and sprinted down the hallway from whence she came.

(“Mission complete, Mirai! Selling popcorn for that much money is criminal!-- and that brings me to the next mission.”) Mirai stopped at the same door where she got her staff outfit. She opened the door, revealing her backpack she stuffed into the closet, said backpack tumbling with a ‘THUD!’.

Mirai gripped the handle to her backpack, then curiously looked left, then right. Good, the coast was clear, thus… Mirai shut herself inside the closet with her backpack.

She tugged at her backpack’s zipper, stuck her hands inside the bag, and ravaged through its contents. She pulled out a bundle of white and blue clothing. Not just any cloth, but it’s the first time she gets to utilize her new outfit! She pulled the heavy-duty white top over her head, swapped her jeans for a cyan and white skirt, tied a big red ribbon on her back, and topped her design off with a white mask. This wasn’t a bundle of blankets… but Mirai’s own… superhero costume! Hand sown by her maid under her request.

“HOOOOH YEAAAH!” Mirai thrusted the door open and rocketed down the hallways. The wind blew through her hair and she wore a pleased grin on her face. “Look out world! Your Aquamarine of Justice is BACK!”

-_-

“Wow! The scenery is so pretty…” Haruna gasped.

“It is. You know, it was difficult shooting this single scene of a flowing lake.” Damian stated.

“Really?”

“You have to time it just perfectly. One day it could be raining, the next a brewing windstorm. I remember sitting and planning for multiple days about dates to try visiting New Tako’s Lake. But, each time, it rained on us! Talk about frustrating…”

“Yeah… I don’t know if I have the patience to be a good film director.”

“Just try, and you might get there one day. Though, with the name ‘Omo’, you might have some competition, heh.”

“Oh stop it! You know I want to be in the NTT Symphony one day!”

“I know you do… and you’ll do just nicely.” Damian softly replied. (“..as a side-job, I doubt you of all people could manage a sufficient living off of playing an instrument.”)

-_-

Blue Star stopped her running and threw her back against the wall. She raised her white-laced gloved hand, showing off the metal gauntlet just below it. This metal gauntlet extended from her wrist to the middle of her lower-arm, and had a small screen in the center of one of them. When she held a gauntlet towards the light of a nearby lightbulb, it bounced off of the hyper-reflective surface, triggering a small laser to pierce the steel lock in front of her.

(“The staff uniform didn’t have a key, so I can’t get into doors without these babies.”) Blue Star angled the light so it’d pierce through the keyhole. Awkwardly she stood whilst trying to maintain this, occasionally glancing behind her to make sure no one spotted her. “Come oooonnnnn... Come oooooonnnn!!!!!”

PLING!

“HAHAAA!” Blue Star sprinted towards the door, throwing her full body weight into a side-kick to blast the door wide open. “STOP RIGHT THERE!”

But there was no one to be stopped… the room was empty of people. Which was good, because that meant less interference in her ‘professional hero work’.

Blue Star gave a good look at the large room. It was about as wide as a theater room, lined with tables, each table filled with cardboard boxes. Blue Star walked over to one and tore it open.

“Popcorn! Right here!” Blue Star exclaimed. She tore open the one neighboring it. “More!” One after another she seized the boxes. “Hehehehehehehehehehehe! This is… this is…” Blue Star gasped, trying not to tear up at the overwhelming beauty. Never once has she seen a room with so much priceless buttery gold in it before. Bags and bags were stacked high, just waiting for her to reach out and just… take. Blue Star snatched a bag, ripped the plastic covering off, and tossed it into the snack room’s microwave. While the bag gave its satisfying POP!, Blue Star turned her attention back to the room.

“I knew there was a popcorn shortage in New Tako Town, but now I know where they all went. But how did they get here?” She raised her arm up and tapped on the screen of her left gauntlet, then aimed it towards the room. With a few taps, the runaway supply of this greasy movie classic was captured in still-motion for archiving. “Now to do my job as a heroic vigilante of justice and report it to the authorities!”

Blue Star used the screen of her gauntlet to dial a number to send these pictures to, and then…

A glitter of silver captures Blue Star’s attention, followed by a sharp wind. The screech of metal on metal made her jump. She shakily turned her head over her shoulder, spotting the unsettling sight of… a shuriken wedged into the microwave.

“WHAT THE–”

BOOOOOOM!!!!

The microwave ignited! Shrapnel, glass, and burnt popcorn littered the room.

“HEEY!” Blue Star looked up at the ceiling where she initially noticed the shuriken. “That was MY popcorn, Nightshade! Not very cool to blow up a superhero’s snack! Better yet…”

Blue Star struck a series of well-rehearsed poses, announcing heroically “I am the Cyan Smasher! The Cerulean Striker! The Aquamarine of Justice! I am… The Blue Star! Resist my fists of justice and I will beat you bl–” Blue Star paused. “N-Nightshade?”

It was dead silent.

“Hey! HEY! CAN YOU HEAR ME, NIGHTSHADE?! DON’T YOU LEAVE ON A SUPERHERO MID-SPEECH! THAT’S ILLEGAL!”

But sure enough, Nightshade was no longer present. It was only Blue Star in this room.

“Darn. What am I going to do with all of this popcorn?... and that microwave…”

-_-

Meanwhile at the movie theater, Haruna folded her hands in her lap. The movie was coming to its end, but to her it felt like it just began. The climax fast approached, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it.

“Want some?” Damian politely offered his bucket of popcorn, but Haruna shook her head. He just shrugged and shoveled a handful into his mouth.

Omo’s arms eased on the sides of her chair. She looked back at Damian and expressed a look of peace. “Thank you.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for watching it with me, silly!” Haruna nudged Damian, “I’m glad Mirai brought me in time.”

“Oh. Wait, Keikan invited you here?”

“Uhhhh…” Haruna stuttered, “Y-yeah…”

“Huh…” He exhaled with slight agitation, “I must have just missed her, that’s a shame.”

“Do you two know each other?”

“Well… it’s kind of complicated.”

(“The fact that Mirai personally knows Damian concerns me.”) Haruna thought, (“I just hope they aren’t enemies…”)

“It’s nothing to be concerned about, don’t worry.” Damian, as if he could tell by her face, knew she was troubled by it.

Vrrrr

Vrrrr

A vibrating noise erupts from Damian’s pocket. He slid his hand into his slacks, removed his phone, and read the message he received. There was brief hesitation in his movements, like if what he read was unbelievable. “I’ll be right back.”

“H-huh??” Omo tilted her head, “Is there something wrong?”

“Don’t worry, please enjoy the movie.”

“B-But!” Omo gently reached for Damian’s hand, “The movie is almost over! Can’t we see how it ends together?”

“Hehe. I know how it ends… I’ll let you see it for yourself.” He softly patted her head, then spun around and left for the door.

“D-Damian–! Wait!” Haruna arose from her seat, quickly following him. “Tell me what’s going on!”

But, Damian kept walking in defiant silence. When Omo’s pace quickened, so did his.

“Damian! Talk to me!”

The silent and stern-faced Stradale halted at the front lobby.

“Heeeere you go! Enjoy your movie!” Mirai, dressed in the movie-theater uniform, smiled at the customer, handing them a bucket of popcorn in exchange for five hundred yen.

Omo stood right next to him, both staring jaw-dropped in awe. “M-Mirai…”

Mirai stopped mid-scoop to look to her side, noticing Haruna and Damian. “O-OH! Omo! Stradale! Hehehehe–”

“What… did you do…” Damian muttered.

“Me?” Mirai repeated, “Nothin’! Just helpin’ out with the popcorn!”

“You… you did something you shouldn’t have, didn’t you?” Damian growled. Just as he mentioned that, the wailing of sirens and red lights from outside emerged. His face flushed its color. “Keikaaaannn!!!!!”

“OOP! LOOKS LIKE THIS IS MY CUE!” Mirai grinned, snatched Omo’s hand, then sprinted for the door.

“W-WAIT! M-MIRAII!!!” Omo exclaimed just before they exited, the two disappearing into the night.

“Damn it…” Damian sighed, “It’s a shame Omo is friends with such a nuisance, hanging around idiots only makes you become one. Though… this may be a good thing… I’ll have to see how this plays out.”

-_-

The next morning arose and Mirai woke up with a giddy grin. “Goooood morning Mirai!” She greeted herself whilst brushing her hair in the mirror. “New day, new chance at doing something great!”

Keikan slid down the railing and walked into the kitchen, greeting her maid with a short bow. “Good morning!”

“Good morning, Mirai! Did you sleep well?”

“Suuuuure did! I think the bed has a monster in it, because I was trapped there aaaaallll night! Hehehehehehe.”

“Wonderful to hear. Your breakfast is already prepared.” the maid gestured to the tray of food sitting at the massive dining table.

“Really?! Thanks!” Mirai skipped over to the table and took a seat. “Your food’s the greatest, let’s eat!” She nodded, readying her chopsticks, then started to dig into the rice dish until an idea hit her. Mirai walked over to the living room, turned on the TV, then sat down and ate her breakfast in front of it.

“--and this is how we make an American Hamburge–”

-channel switch-

“--Welcome to the Morning Cooking Show with Kai H–”

-channel switch-

“Where’s the news?” Mirai asked, impatiently flipping through the channels and mountains of food shows.

“You know Mirai, consuming too much of that depressing news can be harmful. Why don’t you watch some anime?”

“Naaaaah! Not this time!--AAAAHAA!” Mirai exclaimed in glee. Alas! The TV displayed the news channel… and there on the headlines shone brightly a new name for New Tako Town to know: “Masked Vigilante ‘Blue Star’ Solves Mass Shortage of Popcorn.”

“The Police were scratching their heads the entire day and night. A sudden disappearance of the salty snack left authorities dumbfounded, until New Tako Town’s Police Senior Superintendent Ren Keikan received numerous screenshots by an anonymous messenger who names herself ‘Blue Star’, who later reveals her appearance in a selfie in front of the missing boxes. It is still unknown who Blue Star is or how the numerous boxes of snacks got there, but Yuka is with the owner of New Tako Heights SuperMarket for more.”

The news switches to the reporter, Yuka, who stood with the owner. They were outside of the SuperMarket, which could be seen in the background just behind them.

“The entire section was full the day before yesterday. We always cram our shelves full just before the weekends, yet we come back in the morning, unlock our doors, and find that the section we just filled was gone! I don’t know how it happened, and quite frankly no one does.”

“Do you have any ideas of who could have done it?”

“Well, maybe… actually, nevermind. I don’t.”

The report cuts back to the original reporter.

“Authorities say there were no signs of a break in nor foul play. However, the New Tako Heights SuperMarket is just one of many others who will be filing to sue the movie theater for what they can only conclude is millions of yen worth of stolen popcorn… and the one to discover it all was a single masked vigilante. Will we see ‘Blue Star’ behind another mystery again? Will we figure out who the culprit behind this mass-theft is? Only time will tell.”

“Yeah…” Mirai nodded. “You will see Blue Star again. She’s just getting started.”