Chapter Twenty-One: Bitter Bitch:

-Ju-Oh-Cho-

Tatsumi and Christine waited in the hallway. Last night, they talked to the boyfriend.

“Does the name Cho Miki ring a bell?” Tatsumi asked.

“Yeah,” the boyfriend said. “How do you know my ex?”

“We think she’s caused your girlfriend problems,” the secretary said. The boyfriend rubbed his forehead.

“Oh crap,” he said. “Not this again.”

“Excuse me?” Tatsumi asked. The boyfriend sighed and puffed up his cheeks.

“Do you have the time?” he asked.

“Yes,” the kagetsukai said.

“Come inside,” the other shinigami said. Tatsumi followed him and Christine inside.

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Christine held her breath. “You think this will work?”

“We’ll have to see,” Tatsumi said. The female shinigami held her hand to her chest. Her boyfriend stood further down the hall. Everything was set.

The boyfriend looked when he heard footsteps. He stepped out and straightened his shoulders. Miki stood inches away. Her ex gulped.

“Hello,” he said. Miki narrowed her eyes.

“What?” she asked. Her ex tightened up.

“Uh… we need to talk,” he said.

“Why?”

“It’ about my girlfriend.”

“What about her?” Miki wrinkled her nose. Her ex stood his ground.

“Why did you take her book?” he asked.

“What book?” Miki asked.

“Please don’t lie.”

Miki snorted. “What’s it to you?”

“She could lose her job.”

“So?”

“Why would you steal her book?”

“I didn’t!”

“Please stop lying. Christine has nothing to do with this!”

“She has everything to do with this!”

Her ex gave her an odd look. “Why?”

Miki’s hair began it frizzed up. Her nostrils flared. “That was my trip!”

“Trip?”

“What trip?”

“That Okinawa trip we were taking this summer!”

Tatsumi turned to Christine. “What’s she talking about?” She rubbed her forehead.

“Oh that,” she said. “It’s a vacation Miki and him were going to take. But they broke up around Christmas.”

“Oh,” the secretary said. Meanwhile, the boyfriend rubbed his forehead.

“You’re still upset about that?” he asked.

“Yes!” Miki shouted. “That was my trip!”

“But we broke up.”

“So?! It was my fucking trip! Why is she going?!”

“Christine’s my girlfriend.”

“But it’s my trip!”

“I couldn’t cancel the ticket! It was nonrefundable!”

“So you gave away my ticket?!”

“Yes, but that’s not the point! You sabotaged Christine’s assignment over a vacation?”

Miki gritted her teeth. “Yes! Yes! Yes! If I can’t go on the trip, neither can she!”

“That’s enough!” Tatsumi said, stepping out. Miki’s jaw dropped. Christine stood next to the secretary. Miki gritted her teeth.

“You bitch!” she snapped. The shinigami lunged towards her rival. Tatsumi and her ex were quick to stop her.

“I said enough,” the kagetsukai said. “We’re taking a little trip to Daioh’s right now.” Miki’s eyes widened.

“No…” she said. “No!” Tatsumi hauled her  away with the help of her ex. He looked over his shoulder at Christine.

“Don’t worry,” the secretary said. “We’ll all take it from here.” Christine blinked as they walked out the door.

“Okay then…” she said.

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-Chijou-

Meanwhile in Osaka…