Cherry Lollipop

1. A Taste

*****

The night grew cold as the wind blew the tips of her raven colored hair while she leaned on the side of a Japanese conbini. Restless, she continued watching the clock on her phone as minutes grew and grew. With one last bite of her ice cream, she flicked the wooden stick towards the trash can as it landed with a satisfying *ting* below. The woman was waiting for someone and was quickly getting impatient as she checked on her phone every 30 or so seconds.

As she looked at a distance, she finally saw who she was looking for. As the person passed under each streetlight getting closer, the swagger and confidence in her walk showed while she kept her hands tucked in her pockets. She had a Rockabilly biker look straight out of the 1950s with her black leather pants and jacket, black boots and wore a red and white striped shirt that matched her long black hair with crimson red tips. Her hair was tied in a ponytail with some of her bangs left hanging loose on her forehead, swaying with each step. She had a red lollipop that she’d occasionally moved around in as she kept her eyes straight on the woman leaning on the conbini.

As the person approached closer, the woman got more tense and she pushed herself off of the wall and stood firm as she crossed her arms and tapped on her elbow.

As the other person arrived, she stopped in front of the woman and they stood head to head as they began an intense stare down that spooked nearby pedestrians that walked near.

“30 minutes late but you finally came….”

“Quite brave of you calling me out like this ...Kang.” she spoke with as she grabbed the lollipop in and started twisting it with her tongue.

“This is the first time we spoke in years and I'm downgraded to my family name now? Pretty insulting, especially coming from you ..." She spoke with a questioning tone.

The other woman kept firm and didn’t respond as she kept her eyes focused on the woman in front of her.

"Okay, I see how it is. I can do that too…..Miyawaki. Just stay away from our girl…” she spoke back.

“You mean ‘her’? The last time I checked, she was a freelancer ...though my friend seems pretty interested in her lately and I don’t mean by her work. We maybe getting a new member on our team from the looks of it...”

“Is that so?”

“Why would I lie? If your group was really was interested in pursuing her, y'all should've tried harder. I’m sorry to break the bad news to you but you lost and we won.” Miyawaki reported as she continued to twist the lollipop in , now with an added smirk.

Kang narrowed her eyes into a glare as her now released her crossed arms and balled her fists beside her body.

“Fine, we'll take that as a lost however, you and your little group has been encroaching in our area lately ...gettin’ bold are we?”

“Last time I checked, it was a neutral area to scout soooo maybe get your facts straight eh?” she stated as she took the lollipop out of and gestured with a point in Kang’s direction.

“Close enough to our place to call our own...” Kang stated.

“And that’s where the problem lies ...your crew seems too rowdy for their own good and maybe I should do something about it.” she said as she took 4 steps closer and got within 2 feet of the former.

“.....we work in rival fashion magazines, you are making it sound like we are gang members in a turf war.”

“.....s-so...? I can have my fantasies ...”

The other women clicked her tongue at the woman’s imagination.

“Did you steal that outfit from a 1950’s fashion shoot just to act it out being one? I know how you walk and you definitely don’t walk like that.”

“…...nope, the outfit magically appeared on my body as I walked here. Henshin!” she then spun on the heels of her boots as she ended it in a Sailor Moon pose with added Jazz hands.

“Trademark Miyawaki humor at play here huh? I bet you wore it trying to intimidate me or something...didn’t work at all by the way...you dork.”

Miyawaki pouted as she looked away from the woman and started checking out her own outfit.

“N-no…..I just thought I looked cool in it and wanted to take it out for the night. I bet I can kick your in it.” Miya taunted as she puffed the collar of her jacket and dusted off her imaginary dust off of her shoulders.

“Oh really? Last time I checked, you were weaker than me…” Kang taunted as she took one big step and was now inches from Miya’s face.

Miyawaki didn’t flinch at all as grabbed the stick of her lollipop and continued twirling it as if nothing was wrong.

“That was High School and 6 years ago...or are you still stuck in the past? How about you let go and leave…..just like before maybe.” she said with a raise of a brow.

Kang shot her a face of bewilderment as she shook her head.

“I knew it! You’re like this because of that huh?” Kang spat out as her breathing got a little faster.

Miyawaki took out her lollipop, raised her arms in the air and shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe….maybe not.”

“Please...just give me a straight answer.”

“I’d rather give you a curved on-”

“STOP PLAYING AROUND!!” Kang yelled as she grew frustrated.

“I’m not...I don’t have my Nintendo Switch with me.” Miyawaki remarked with a small smile on her face.

Kang’s brows creased as she looked at the woman dumbfounded with what she just heard.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter