On the way home

(chapter originally by Phantom Pen on writing.com)

Minako had been a bit disappointed when Mitsuru had to call off their plans, citing Student Council responsibilities, but she knew that such a thing was a possibility. Still, Minako was one to look for the silver lining in any situation, and she looked at this development as an excuse to head back to the dorm early and relax, maybe even catch a nap to make up for her poor sleep. It was just a quick monorail ride off the island and a few blocks back to the dorm, perhaps with a short stop on the way back for a snack or a short detour to the Naganaki Shrine. Minako wasn't sure why, but she felt as if the fortunes at the shrine actually improved some of her friendships, as odd as that sounded.

Stepping on to the monorail, Minako casually leaned against one of the poles for standing passengers, relaxing against it as she waited for departure. Opting to relax a bit further, Minako quietly slipped on her headphones and fired up her MP3 player letting the music take her away. Had she not done this, however, she'd have heard the announcement over the monorail PA system warning passengers of technical issues with the passenger car doors, urging everyone to make sure they were well clear of them before they closed. There had already been several incidents of the doors closing on purses and other trailing items, though nobody had been injured in any incidents so far.

As it was, Minako was completely oblivious to the dangers of the car doors, lost in the music as she was. The headphones stayed firmly over Minako's ears even as the monorail reached its destination, which the girl realized as she felt the monorail lurch to a halt. With her headphones still on, Minako casually strolled out of the car and toward her unfortunate fate. Her wardrobe suffered its first casualty-