home? it was a warm saturday afternoon when kaamu sent the message. "mischief night. meet at the food court in 30. don’t be late, bitches."
kaamu always had a way of making the most ordinary days feel electric, and her friends—hitari, and rida—knew exactly what she meant. kaamu had a brother, tsura, who was conjoined to her at the back and didn’t speak, but that never stopped her from enjoying everything and being the most energetic in the room. all together, they were a team, inseparable. there was rida, whose height was so extreme that sometimes she made people stop in their tracks. not that she actually cared. she was used to being the tallest in the room—mostly because she always stood out, not just for her height but for the metal that took place where her skin once was. and lastly, there was hitari. hitari was just... weird. she had wild, untamable hair in a deep green color, complete heterochromia, and she was always coming up with wild ideas that no one else would ever think of. she was the one who would say, “what if we just spray-painted the entire town square purple?” or “i bet, if we went into town, i could steal an entire pizza without anyone noticing.” when she wasn't even hungry.
today, they were going to cause some serious chaos.
by the time kaamu and tsuranashi arrived at the food court, the place was buzzing with people. rida, as usual, had already arrived early, sitting, with hitari, at the largest table with her legs stretched out and elbows on the edge, towering over anyone who happened to walk by. her height made her look like some kind of living statue, but she had an easygoing, almost serene smile on her face.
kaamu bounced over to them, grinning from ear to ear. “alright, girls, we have the whole shopping center to ourselves. it’s time to make some memories.”
tsuranashi, standing quietly behind his sister, glanced around with his usual detached gaze. kaamu gave a small push, her hand gripping on her brother’s shoulder. she always felt connected to him, in a way only siblings like them could understand, and she knew he would probably hate the idea of today, not that she cared.
“let’s do it,” hitari said with a mischievous grin. she flicked her long hair over her shoulder, revealing a single silver hoop earring that caught the light. “what’s first on the agenda?”
kaamu didn’t need to explain. she was always the planner, the schemer, the one who turned the most boring afternoons into unforgettable nights. she gave a nod toward the nearest store. “let’s start with some supplies.”
and so, the four of them—hitari, rida, kaamu, and tsuranashi—set off on their adventure. they started in the electronics store, slipping inside under the guise of window-shopping. the girls casually strolled down the aisles, and before anyone could notice, they started “testing” all the gadgets. kaamu grabbed a set of headphones, slipping them on, and loudly started singing to an imaginary audience. rida was busy setting off a display of remote-controlled cars, watching them zoom around as if they were all in competition.
meanwhile, hitari, ever the quiet one, grabbed a handful of candy from the unattended counter, slipping it into her pockets with practiced ease. tsura, silent as ever, sat near his sister, observing everything with a calm detachment. they made their way through the store, laughing like no one else existed. after a while, they grew bored, and the group decided it was time to move on. but not before kaamu made a mark.
with a can of spray paint she’d swiped from a forgotten shelf, kaamu wrote in bold, bright, yellow letters: "we were here. #kaamtarida .ᐟ" across the back wall. it was both art and chaos, and it made her laugh even harder than before.
from there, it only escalated. they snuck into a clothing store, grabbed a handful of random items, and raced through the aisles, hiding from store employees and laughing when they were almost caught. they grabbed sunglasses, scarves, and sparkly hats, all while downing the energy drinks they’d picked up from a convenience store.
at one point, rida made a ridiculous bet with one of the security guards—she dared him to race her through the mall. naturally, the challenge was accepted, and while he was distracted, kaamu, hitari, and tsuranashi made their getaway with more snacks, drinks, and a stolen bottle of perfume.
by the time the sun began to set, the shopping center had become a battlefield of forgotten items, misplaced snacks, and the faint echoes of their laughter. they’d run from store to store, wrecking havoc with no real destination in mind. and in the midst of the chaos, they drank, smoked, snuck bites of stolen food, and reveled in the thrill of it all.
it was only when the mall was beginning to clear out that they found themselves sitting at a small café booth, looking out at the empty spaces where families and shoppers had once been. it was quiet now, the aftershocks of their madness still lingering in the air.
“alright, what’s next?” kaamu asked, her face flushed with excitement.
hitari glanced at the others, then at tsuranashi, who was still silent but content beside kaamu. “maybe... we go somewhere quieter,” she suggested. “somewhere we can... breathe. i want to get fucked.”
kaamu snapped her fingers. “perfect! the field. the one near the outskirts of town.”
rida grinned, and chipped in. “i was just thinking that. let’s go.”
and so they left the mall, an undeniable energy still buzzing between them, and made their way to the empty field. as the stars began to twinkle above them, they stretched out on the grass, letting the cool air settle around them like a blanket. the only sounds they could hear being their breath, their laughter, and the distant hum of the city beyond.
kaamu lay on her back, staring at the sky, a contented smile curling on her lips. "today was perfect."
rida chuckled, her long, metallic limbs sprawled out beside them. “we were absolutely devious. oh those poor store workers.. how could he ever think he would catch up with a girl whose seven foot tall?”
“i can’t believe we didn’t get caught,” hitari said, her voice soft but with a trace of awe.
tsura rested his head against kaamus shoulder, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the grass.
“that’s the fun of it,” kaamu said, sitting up just a little to look at her friends. “we do things no one else dares. and when they talk about us, they’ll never forget the chaos we left behind.”
the night stretched on, and they all took turns pointing out constellations, laughing about the ridiculousness of their day. they’d stolen things, graffitied walls, and drank + smoked a lot more than they should have. but in that moment, surrounded by the stillness of the field and the quiet glow of the stars above, it didn’t matter.
they were young, reckless, and unstoppable. the world was theirs for the taking, and for the first time, they all knew they’d always have this—this crazy bond, the thrill of being together, and the knowledge that no matter how strange, how wild, or how chaotic their adventures got, they would always have each other.
and in the silence of the field, as the stars winked down upon them, they laughed again, their voices blending with the night, carrying their story to the heavens.