"Only three of us, huh? Guess I'm more hated than I thought." I looked at the two girls who had shown up and sighed.
We were supposed to meet at the entrance to the shopping mall, in front of the Vengeful Owl statue. The time was 1 p.m. on Saturday, and the mall was crawling with shoppers. I had no idea there even were that many people in this town. Two girls stood out to me beyond the hustle and bustle. These girls didn't know the meaning of the word "efficiency." I told them we could just come here together, seeing as we lived in the same building, but they had both refused.
Kohinata Iroha had her headphones slung around her golden hair. Her large eyes and casually exposed skin gave her a lively and cheerful appearance.
Next to her stood Tsukinomori Mashiro, a shy looking girl, whose shoulders were hunched against the crowds. Her silver-blue hair shone with an almost metallic gleam, and her skin was so pale it was like she'd never seen sunlight. Despite the early summer heat, she was wearing knee socks and long sleeves, as though trying to protect herself from the outside world.
Ozu and Sumire didn't show up, the bastards. Ozu was apparently watching a presentation on foreign technology that he couldn't tear his eyes away from. Sumire said she was preparing for the next doujinshi convention and she needed to "study" by watching a lot of shota anime.
I couldn't win. Not against the combined forces of technology presentations and little boys. I guess they really weren't my friends after all. I suspected that Ozu thought he was being delicate by refusing, but that just wasn't the case. He probably wanted me and Iroha to spend some alone time together. But why? We weren't even dating. He was totally barking up the wrong tree, and even if he wasn't, it was a nonsense plan to begin with.
Because Mashiro was here, too.
The girls were standing next to each other stiffly, neither of them talking to one another. It looked awkward as hell. I had been texting Ozu right up till
the last minute, trying to get him to come after all, but my tardiness allowed this to happen. I stuck a smile on my face, hoping beyond hope that my presence would help smooth things over.
"'Sup."
"What the hell, Senpai?! You took ages! Don'tcha know it's rude to keep a lady waiting?"
"Go die in a fire," Mashiro added.
"How come you guys are only in sync when it comes to abusing me?" You wouldn't have thought they'd been practically ignoring each other
until I showed up. At least this time, Mashiro sounded slightly less aggressive when she told me to go die in a fire... I think.
"I told you guys I was gonna be late, didn't I?"
Last night at the party, I finally got Mashiro's LIME ID. When I glanced over at her screen and noticed I was her first friend, my heart ached for her. She probably only made the account in a hurry when I asked her for it.
Anyway, the point was that I warned them I was going to be late, because I was busy trying to convince Ozu to drop his stupid presentation.
"I don't care. I hate being kept waiting," Mashiro said, glaring at me.
There was that word again. "Hate." Maybe, just maybe, "being friends with these two" and "having any semblance of self-esteem" were mutually exclusive. I wasn't about to give up yet, though.
"The movie theater's on the next floor up, right?"
I was pretty confident in the plan for today. First, we'd watch a movie at the mall's theater, "TOKO Cinema." Then we'd discuss the movie and eat junk food in the second floor's food court. After that, we'd go round the shops and look for clothes or accessories, or we'd head to the arcade.
By the time we'd be done, we were sure to be the best of friends! At least I hoped so, but I still had no idea how I was gonna get any closer to these two in particular. Maybe it'd be enough to just get Iroha to see we were closer than she thought.
"Since everyone who's gonna show up is already here—Ow! What are you doing?!"
"Duh! I'm linkin' arms with you, just like regular ol' pals!" Iroha grinned. "Maybe regular ol' girl pals! This is just weird for opposite-sex friends!"
"How would I know? I've only ever had girl friends! I dunno how much skinship is okay when it comes to boy friends!"
"G-Gimme a break!"
Iroha was grinning at me with all the cheek of a Cheshire cat. That she was wearing a bra this time wasn't saying much when I could still feel the soft curve of her breast against my arm!
It was not fair for her to pull a dirty trick like this! Sure, I could tell my male instincts to pipe down, and that this was neither the time nor place to get worked up, but I didn't know how long I could keep it up for... and that scared me.
All I could do was glare at the mischievous gremlin trying to manipulate my chaste sensitivities, but I needed something more to pull me away from the tempting magnetism of her boobs.
Unexpectedly, it seemed someone heeded my mental call. "H-Hey."
Mashiro grabbed onto my other arm, her face screwed up in
embarrassment. Sorry to say, there was no softness at all coming from her "chest." All I felt was the delicate fabric of her clothing.
The soft feeling of her skin against me calmed my libido, and the sweet, milky scent coming off her was overwhelmingly soothing, like I was being rocked to sleep in a comfy cloud by a gentle breeze.
What were these two up to?!
I could feel the people around us staring at the guy with a beautiful girl on each arm. I tried to shake Mashiro off, embarrassment clawing at my stomach.
"C-C'mon, guys..."
"This is what... 'pals' do, isn't it?" Mashiro asked.
"It's really not!"
"B-But Iroha-chan is doing it. So I have to as well."
What was I supposed to say to that?
It wouldn't be fair for me to refuse Mashiro while allowing Iroha to keep
clinging to me (which I wasn't doing by choice, mind you). Mashiro's face was beet red, and Iroha was clinging to my arm like she was competing in the National Championship of Arm-Clinging. I wanted to tell Mashiro she could let go if it was too embarrassing, but that probably wasn't the issue here. All I could do was give up and let her hold on to me, too, all while the other side
was bouncing up against me.
"Haha! Look at you, Senpai! You got yourself a harem! When does your
anime start airing, huh?!"
She wouldn't stop laughing, clutching at her stomach with her free hand. "Y-You bitch!"
"Qu-Quit it! My stomach's killing me!" Iroha howled.
"It's not even that funny! You know this looks weird, right? So let go!
Don't tell me you're perfectly fine with people staring at you?"
"My own embarrassment is a small price to pay to get you makin' that
grumpy face of yours!"
Ugh! What if someone from school saw us? Or worse, what if we ran into
Tsukinomori-san? I tried to shake them off as soon as those possibilities popped into my head, but both of them were stuck to me like glue. The most I could do was squirm helplessly. Iroha grinned, before pointing a finger in the air.
"All righty then! Let's get goin'!" ***
"Dammit. It's been ages since I've lost..."
I stood in front of the ticket machine at the cinema, hanging my head. Luckily, both my arms were free now. Jealous and suspicious stares had followed us all the way to the theater, where Iroha decided to cut me a deal. If I footed the bill for the tickets, popcorn, and juice, she'd let me go.
I bit right away. If I hadn't, I would've snapped. In the first place, since I was hanging out with a pair of girls, I was expecting to pay for something at least. I just wish it hadn't come as a result of Iroha's scheme.
"What movie d'you guys wanna see?"
Iroha and Mashiro were looking up at the electronic screen showing the movies on offer. The two of them thought for a while before...
"His Name!"
"Classical Jaws: The Shark Who Dances Gracefully to His Own Tune!" "You guys have completely different tastes, huh?"
"Mine's about a girl and a guy on different sides of a war who swap
bodies! They gotta try and bring peace to their countries, and then they fall in love at the end! It made more than 20 billion yen at the box office and was a
huge hit! Every couple needs to see it!"
"Funny, I don't see any couples here."
"Even better if you go as just friends! You can look around and be like:
'Hey, I'm the only dude here who's not in a relationship!' Forever Alone Brigade represent!"
"You really don't think much of me, huh?"
Mashiro stepped forward. "Mainstream cinema is boring. Right now is shark season!"
"If your movie's so good, how come it's not as popular as mine? I bet it's trash!"
"You don't get it, Iroha-chan. Think of the poor directors who pour their hearts and souls into those B-movies, which underperform just because of the low budget."
"It's not like anyone forced them to make those movies!"
Personally, I didn't care what we saw, but the girls kept arguing.
"What, so you'd rather watch something where they could spend as much
as they wanted, without even putting any thought into it? That stuff's overproduced, not to mention robotic!"
"C'mon Mashiro-senpai, quit tryin' to force your hipster views on the rest of us!"
"Okay, then. Tell me what's so good about 'His Name'? You only think it's good because that's what everyone else says!"
"What, now you wanna make somethin' of it? Let's go, then! Just don't come cryin' to me when you lose! I've seen movies for days, y'know!"
"Yup," I confirmed. "She sneaks into my place and uses my subscription account."
"What's his is mine! That's why!" Iroha explained.
Mashiro twitched. "You watch movies at... Aki's place? All... All the time?"
"Yeah! Like, every single day!"
"Quit it, Iroha."
Mashiro had been a shut-in until recently, and she was probably pretty
sensitive about it. Being reminded that other people were out having fun while she couldn't bear to leave the house must have hurt. I was right, too: She was staring at the floor, her face pale. I couldn't let Iroha continue to harass her like this.
"You guys don't have to fight. There's a simple way to settle this." "Really?" Iroha asked.
"Uh-huh." I cleared my throat. "We can all go see the movie we want, and
meet up here after. Genius, right?"
It was normal for everyone to have differing tastes, and there was no
reason for anyone to compromise this way. My plan was a perfect solution to the inefficiency of having everyone dragged to one person's preferred choice.
Neither Mashiro nor Iroha said anything in response to my marvelous suggestion.
"No objections, I see. Okay, now let's—" "Hold it!"
"Yeah, wait up!"
"What's wrong?"
"Are you kiddin'?! Who the hell takes their friends to the movie theater and then decides it's a good idea to split up?! A dumbass, that's who!"
"Go die in a fire, but study up on how to be a gentleman first."
Iroha's crude ear-splitting remarks and Mashiro's thorny jibes combined were enough to shatter me into pieces. I wish they'd give me some sort of constructive criticism, instead of just hurling insults...
In the end, we took it to a vote, and ended up going to see "His Name." The movie had it all: guns, emotion, explosions, romance, horrified screaming. It was a jam-packed two-and-a-bit hours, and by the time it was over, even Mashiro looked like she was having fun. Iroha looked awfully smug when she saw this, but I was enjoying things too much for it to bother me.
The three of us headed down to the food court to grab some lunch and discuss the movie. We decided to start by finding somewhere to sit. It was super crowded, but we eventually managed to squeeze through and find ourselves a four-person table by the window.
"Mind if I come back in a bit? I drank way too much cola!" Iroha announced.
"You need to take a whiz?"
"That's it, you're officially the worst!"
"Seriously? Everyone has to pee sometime. Girls are way too sensitive
about that kinda thing."
"Uh, actually, you're being way too casual about it! Wanna come with me,
Mashiro-senpai?"
"I-I'm okay, thanks."
"Guess you've got a bigger bladder than me. Okie-dokie, then, see you in
a sec!" Iroha raced away.
So it was fine to talk about Mashiro's urinary habits, but hers were
untouchable?
The moment Iroha was gone, Mashiro let out something that sounded like
a sigh of relief.
"She make you nervous?"
"Yeah. I still need to get used to her."
"Same. She's a special kinda annoying." I smiled wryly.
"That's not it. I know she's not trying to be mean or anything. I'm just not
used to dealing with people in general."
Mashiro and I had been getting along much better since her welcome
party. She didn't mind me speaking to her anymore, and actually treated me like a human being now, even if she did still throw her defenses up when I went too far. I guess a lot of it came down to the fact that we were cousins, and so it didn't take much for us to pick up where we left off. It would take a little more time until she was comfortable with the other members of the Alliance. Especially Iroha: personality-wise, she and Mashiro were polar opposites.
"To be honest, I think most people have a tough time with Iroha," I said.
"No, that's not what I meant." Mashiro stared down at her lap, and when she spoke again, her voice was strained. "She reminds me of... some of the girls from my old school."
I could see the sadness in her face as those painful memories came flooding back. Those girls were the reason she shut herself away.
"I'm not gonna ask you about your past. But if you wanna talk about it, I'll listen." I leaned forward expectantly.
No matter how heavy-hitting those events were, I was prepared to listen. I saw it as one of my duties as her fake boyfriend.
Mashiro stayed silent. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and she looked like she was on the brink of tears. To me, it looked like she was trying to search for the right words, but it was taking a long time.
"Huh?! Tsukinomori-san, is that you?"
The silence was forcefully broken. Mashiro trembled, and the blood
drained from her face as her expression stiffened. I'd never seen her like this before, not even when I walked in on her in the bathroom.
She didn't look angry or annoyed... in fact, she looked scared.
"Ooh! And you're with a guy!"
"So you can't even go to school, but you can come out on dates like this
no problem? Omigod, haha!"
It was a couple of lowbrow teenage girls. One was nothing more than
your typical prep, complete with dyed blonde hair. The other had dark hair, and looked like a respectable girl at first glance, but she wasn't bothering to disguise the scorn on her face.
I knew they were bad news right away. They began to crowd Mashiro. "U-Um..." Mashiro stuttered.
"Hey, speak up or we can't hear you!"
"Is this guy your boyfriend, huh?" The blonde girl leaned over to study me
with no respect for my personal space.
Her fake tan was half hidden under a layer of poorly-blended makeup. I
couldn't tell if she was going for a natural look or something glamorous, but either way, it didn't work. A sickly sweet smell (probably perfume) assaulted my nostrils.
"Omigod! He's so perfect for you!" She laughed. "He looks like he spends all his time holed up in his room reading those anime books! I bet he's obsessed with idols, too!"
"They're just as ultra nerdy as each other!"
Was it normal for people to speak so badly about others right in front of their faces? If this was what they were like right now, I shuddered to think what their futures would be like. Some people could survive using only their looks, but these two didn't even have that going for them.
It only took one glance at the way Mashiro was trembling and shrinking back to know that these were the girls who used to bully her.
Why? Could they be jealous of her? It was probably Mashiro's natural beauty that made them see her as an enemy. Wasn't their school meant to be prestigious, though? I didn't realize these sorts of people attended those kinds of schools in real life. At the very least, I'd never seen them in anime or manga. I guess times were changing. I couldn't help but watch them with pity in my eyes.
"Hey. This guy's startin' to piss me off, lookin' at us like that."
"He's probably just salty that we guessed how pathetic his hobbies are! So what? You think you can win against us with the power of God and anime?!"
"Omigod, shut up! He does look like that sort of kid!"
I didn't know about God or anime, but there wasn't anything stopping me from walloping her. And so I did, right in the middle of her laughing face. As if it weren't ugly enough, her makeup-slathered face twisted under my fist and her nose bent to one side. I continued to punch her bleeding face even when she was down on the floor, only stopping to launch myself at her friend who was screaming next to us. I punched and punched them, only stopping when they were no longer able to move.
Isn't the gift of imagination a wonderful thing?
Just seeing the terror in Mashiro's eyes made me want to silence them for real, but unfortunately public morals wouldn't allow it. It didn't count as self-defense if you were defending against words alone.
I didn't want to end up in prison, just because these girls were currently lording it over us. They were the ones who were going to end up in society's trashcan in the future, after all. I decided to be just a little more civilized about the whole thing.
"Hey. Ever heard of a little thing called 'not being a bitch'?"
"Huh? Whaddya talkin' about?"
"Ooh, look, Tsukinomori-san! Must be nice to have a boyfriend to stick up
for ya, huh?"
Though the blonde girl was looking uneasy at this point, her friend wasn't
slowing down just yet. It would take more than a little glaring to get her to stop. This one was a pest. Suddenly, she changed the subject.
"Hey, so does your boyfriend know?"
"Oh, yeah! Did he read your li'l story, huh?"
Mashiro looked up in shock. There was more than just fear in her eyes
now.
"D-Don't talk about that now..." she pleaded hoarsely.
"What? Can't hear ya!"
"So he doesn't know, huh? And it's a secret? Whoopsie! Sorry for
tellin'!"
The two of them burst into laughter again. I could feel a dark, unpleasant
emotion welling up inside me, as though I was the one they were making fun
of. If I was feeling this bad, just how much worse must Mashiro have been feeling? To think this was how they treated her every single day. I suddenly realized that Mashiro wasn't really shy or weak-willed. Even the strongest kid would stop wanting to go to school if they were treated like this.
I didn't know what they meant by her story, but it must have been directly related to her non-attendance. I was curious, of course, but there were more important things to deal with right now.
"Stop it." I glared at them with as much strength and authority as I could muster.
Usually, I made a point to avoid conflict, since it interfered with the efficient way I liked to live my life. This time, I was willing to make an exception.
"C-C'mon, why you gotta be all serious?"
This time, both of them faltered. Even a couple of pigs like them had the instincts to know when they were in danger.
"Your voices, your faces, your personalities... everything about you is pathetic. So get lost. Now."
"Wh-Whadda you know?! You think you're tough shit, nerd?!"
"We got a lotta friends, y'know! Strong guys, way buffer than you!" "Yeah? Well, so do we. Wanna pit 'em against each other?"
I wasn't lying. Well, maybe I was twisting the truth a little bit. But can you
give me something that's scarier than a teacher who spends all her free time drawing young boys and older women together?
"Y-You do, huh?" one of the girls pressed.
"H-Hey, maybe we should quit. What if he's with some really shady types? He looks serious!"
The girls took a step back as the color drained from their faces. I was just glad they were more scared of me than they should've been.
To be honest, I was hoping to provoke them into hitting me, after which I'd have grounds to call the police, but it looked like there was no need.
"E-Ew. I can't believe he's takin' us so seriously!"
"C'mon, let's go. I don't even wanna look at his face anymore."
And leave they did.
"Glad that got rid of them. You okay, Mashiro?" Once I was sure the girls
were really gone, I turned my attention to Mashiro sitting next to me. She didn't reply. Instead, she sat there trembling. She must have been
really frightened. Apart from asking her if she was okay, I didn't really know what else I could do in a situation like this. Maybe if I was as smooth as my uncle, I could manage to put a comforting arm around her or something, but I wasn't.
It was just like Iroha was always saying. I didn't have the first clue about girls.
"They were the girls who forced you outta school, right?"
"Yeah..."
"What was that story they were talking about?"
I was still wary of digging up too much of her past, but I felt like the
answer to that question would help me to support her somehow. "I'm sorry."
The next moment, Mashiro sprang up from her seat and raced away. "Hey!" I reached out to grab her, but my fingers closed around thin air. She was moving much faster than she had when I chased her yesterday.
Why would she go off on her own if those girls were prowling about? The answer was simple: She'd rather risk running into them again than talking about that "story."
It was at that moment that Iroha came back.
"What happened, Senpai?"
"Did you see those girls just now?"
"I saw them yeah, but I couldn't make out what you guys were talking
about. They looked kinda dumb, and then when they left, Mashiro raced off —"
"Great. That saves me having to explain."
To think that this was supposed to be a day of fun and strengthening the bonds between us.
I couldn't let Mashiro wander off on her own. She was clearly shaken, and I wanted to get to the root of her situation so I could help.
It seemed I wasn't alone in my feelings.
"Let's look for her, Senpai!"
"Right. I'll take this floor, and you go downstairs." "Yessir!"
We immediately set to work.
***
Mashiro was nowhere to be found.
I scoured every corner of every floor, but not once did I catch even a glimpse of her silvery hair. Maybe she darted into the elevator while I was going up the escalator.
Should I turn back in case I missed her?
No, there was no point. Iroha was already searching downstairs. I should leave it to her, and focus on searching the upper levels.
Chasing after Mashiro seemed to be a common trend with me nowadays. Just how many times was Snow White planning to run away from me?
I raced forward, the sweat pouring down my back and the complaints echoing through my head.
But she was still nowhere to be found. I'd searched every single corner of this damn place. Just where could she have gone?
There's no point just searching at random.
That was the conclusion I finally came to. I stopped and began to think carefully.
I was used to chasing after Mashiro by now. Were there any clues in my past experiences that I could use to work out where she'd gone? To escape me the previous day, she ran through some backstreets. Then, she ran up the river bank.
I didn't have enough information to know for sure, but unreliable as it was, it was the best answer I could come up with for now. I had no choice but to go with it. It was still better than searching at random.
Mashiro ran into the alleyways; alleyways were dark. She then went up the river bank, which was slightly elevated.
Where was the highest, darkest place in this mall? The movie theater.
Had she snuck into one of the screening rooms? Wait, wasn't there a movie she wanted to see?
I was starting to realize why a movie like that appealed to her so much.
I'm right, aren't I, Mashiro?
She was probably enjoying watching the stupid humans scream for mercy as guts and blood streamed down their faces right about now.
***
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
"Gaaaaaargh!"
"Oh my God!"
"Noooooooooooo!"
As I made my way into the dark room, I could hear the confused, abusive
American screams mixed with monstrous roars and a desperate thrashing as they struggled to cling to their lives.
It was a small theater, which could probably fit only a hundred people or so. Even then it was practically deserted, with no sounds of reaction to the horrible onscreen screaming. Once the attack was over, the characters were rewarded with a short break, accompanied by a soundtrack which was far too peaceful, considering what they had just been through. The characters discussed and lamented just how terrifying it was, and how glad they were to still be alive.
Now that things had calmed down a bit, I took the opportunity to stroll through the movie theater and sit down next to the pale-haired girl I had spotted the moment I came in. She was in the back and highest row. She was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, totally engrossed in the shark flick.
"How's the movie?" I whispered.
"It's great," she replied in a low voice, not looking my way.
"You look like you're enjoying it."
"The girl who died just now was a cheerleader. She bullied the nerd
there."
"Those types are always the first to die. They deserve it, too."
"Yeah, they do." A small smile appeared on Mashiro's face.
I turned my attention to the screen. There was a blonde girl who I'd wager
would get eaten next, a nerdy guy who'd probably survive, a Chinese girl, and an easygoing black man. It was the most standard group of horror movie heroes.
The movie switched to a pointless scene of the group driving around in a car, the music never stopping. Mashiro opened her mouth, as though she knew this car journey served no purpose and was set to go on for at least another five minutes or so. I could see that this wasn't her first shark-based rodeo.
"Why are you here?" "To see the movie."
"You mean to stalk me?" Mashiro paused. "I'm sorry for being mean all the time."
She scowled as though angry at herself.
"It's better than keeping it bottled up inside. Whether we like it or not, we're stuck 'dating' anyway, so just take it all out on me if you want."
"Aki..."
"You wanted to go off at those girls just now, right? Tell 'em to mind their own business and leave you alone. Tell 'em to quit stalking you and if they wanted to hate you, they could keep it to themselves. Right?"
"Yeah." Mashiro nodded, still clutching her knees. Her shell-shaped earrings shook with the movement. A small, derisive smile formed on her face. "In the past, I was... kind of afraid of people, I guess. I couldn't stand to look them in the eye, or even talk to them. I never made any friends, and was always alone."
Mashiro continued, saying that was when the rumors started. Rumors that she thought she was better than everyone else. She only became more and more isolated, and though it was difficult, she continued going to school out of respect for how much her parents were paying for it.
"L-Life was so hard for me then, that I started writing a story to escape. Usually I wrote at home, but sometimes I would write secretly when I was alone in the classroom. Then those girls found me one time, and started spreading it around." Mashiro's voice began to tremble.
That must have been the moment that changed everything. The moment Mashiro's courage shattered, and she could no longer face going to school when she had fought for so long.
"I didn't want anyone to find out about my story. Everyone said I was a loner, that I was pathetic... It was horrible. I have my pride, too, you know. I'm not good at anything, especially being happy and stuff, but even then, their words hurt..." Mashiro buried her face into her knees, her shoulders trembling as she started to cry.
I could sympathize. She wanted to protect her pride. That was why she was crying. She was scared of appearing weak.
To Mashiro, everyone around her was strong. In her mind, she was the only weak person in the world. Whether consciously or unconsciously, that was how she viewed things.
"Y'know, I like stories. Especially ones that make you forget the real
world." "What?"
"There's someone else I know who started writing to escape reality. He's a professional now, and I'm a huge fan of his. His name is Makigai Namako- sensei. D'you know him?"
"O-Oh, um... Yeah... I mean..."
"Yeah, he's a pretty big deal in nerd culture, right? He's one of UZA Bunko's best newcomers!"
Plus, for some reason, he decided to join our game-development team.
"I remember in one of the afterwords, he said he wrote to get away from his shitty reality. It really stuck with me. Wanna know why?"
"Wh-Why?"
"Because I could sympathize with the story a hundred percent." "Huh?" Mashiro looked at me, puzzled.
"The values represented in the story really resonated with me. The
sickening characters who couldn't be satisfied with just winning; they needed to ruin the lives of the 'losers' around them, too... It reminded me a lot of how society is, and how frustrating it can be sometimes."
"You think so too, Aki?"
"Yeah, and I'm sure a lotta other people do, too. That's why the book sold so well."
I read occasionally, but I was pretty careful about what I read. I didn't want to waste my time reading something that wasn't worth it, after all.
This book was definitely worth it. It resonated with me right to my core, and I found myself relating to the author more than any other. Finding the right book could sometimes be like finding a needle in a haystack, but even then I hadn't given up on reading altogether. It really spoke volumes about Makigai Namako as an author that he managed to hook me, when I was such a casual reader and mostly considered the time finding something to read wasted. I continued to sing his praises to Mashiro, but she cut me off.
"O-Okay. I get it, so you can stop now." She was bright red for some reason, right up to the tips of her ears.
"Sorry, I guess I kinda got carried away. Y'know something, though? I think the author reminds me of you a little, too. I know he's a guy, so you might think it's different, but he wrote to escape reality, too, and he wrote something that a lot of people related to. I'm just saying that there's nothing
embarrassing about you writing stories. This guy's proof of that." "I don't know... He's using a pen name, right? So he's gotta be
embarrassed. That's why he's hiding his true identity."
"Sure, maybe he's shy about it. But that doesn't stop so many people, just
like me, appreciating and accepting his work."
"Oh..." Mashiro brought her hand up to touch one of her seashell earrings,
her face pinkening a little. Almost immediately, she started to frown. "You're fine, Aki. But Iroha-chan... To me, she's just like them..."
"The girls who were harassing us just now?"
"Yeah. Sorry, I know it's not really fair to say. She just gives off... the same sort of vibes, I guess. I kinda feel like we could never get along..."
I could see that. The way Iroha messed with me was probably similar to how the girls at school messed with Mashiro, especially the way she liked to pick on me with no regard for my feelings. Anybody who saw her doing that would think she was bullying me.
"I start thinking that, if I ever made friends with her, maybe she'll start picking on me like that, too. It makes me freeze up and want to stay away from her."
"You don't gotta worry about that."
"What?"
I placed a hand on Mashiro's head, which was trembling along with her
voice.
"Sure, Iroha's annoying, but she's not like those bullies."
"But—"
"I don't think she would, but if she ever says or does something to hurt
you, you just gotta let me know. I'll chew her out till she breaks down." "Aki..."
"So don't worry, okay? She's annoying, but she's not a bad person. I mean, I put up with her, and I can't stand anything that wastes my time. Even though she's my friend's sister, if she really was that horrible, I'd be avoiding her at all costs."
Don't worry, Mashiro. Just stay with us.
I held my hand out towards her. For a while, Mashiro said nothing, but simply stared at it. Then...
"Okay."
She reached out her trembling hand, and placed it on top of mine.
Mashiro and I left the theater before the movie was finished, and made our way down to the first floor. I sent a message the moment I met up with Mashiro to let Iroha know, but she hadn't seen it yet. She was probably still busy searching. Iroha must have been worried sick. The sooner we could find her and let her know Mashiro was safe, the better.
I cast my gaze this way and that, holding on to Mashiro's hand who was stiff with nerves beside me. The size of this place really wasn't helping us find Iroha. Her golden hair was similar to the shades in vogue with high- schoolers nowadays, and so unlike Mashiro, she was hard to spot in a crowd. Just then, I heard a guffaw that caused me to stand stock still.
There, on a bench under the stairs, sat two high-school girls. In front of them was a third girl with bright hair chatting with them. Those three were the source of the laughter. As you may have guessed, the group consisted of Mashiro's two bullies and Iroha. Pulling Mashiro with me into the shadows, I listened closely to their conversation.
"Hey, are you Tsukinomori-san's friend or something?"
"Friend? No way!" Iroha laughed.
The girl who'd asked grinned. "Yeah, didn't think so! So, she in your
class or somethin' at her new school? Izzat why you're looking for that creep?"
"Or... Wait, are you looking for the guy who was with her?"
"Oh, yeah! You know, she was with her boyfriend!"
"Oh? Her boyfriend, huh?" Iroha grinned at the two girls.
"See? They're the same. She's getting really into it, too..." Mashiro
whispered from behind me.
"I dunno. Let's keep watching." I nodded to the group of girls as Mashiro
blinked at me in confusion.
"Oh, so you two are the piece of shit losers trying to get in their way?"
Iroha's grin didn't waver.
"What?" The girls gawked at her.
So did Mashiro. It seemed no one knew what Iroha was playing at except
me and her.
"So lemme get this straight. Mashiro-senpai, who's gorgeous by the way,
was out on a date with her awesome boyfriend. Then two ugly bitches show up, and decide to waste their time by bothering a couple leagues above 'em? Did I get that right?
"Well, guess it is kinda unfair. You guys are gonna have nothing in life, while these guys who actually deserve somethin' are gonna go really far, huh?" Iroha spilled out, her shoulders heaving.
The girls scowled at her and jumped up off the bench. "What the hell?! You tryin' to start something?!"
Iroha jabbed her finger into their chests and glared as she brought her face closer to theirs.
"Mouths shut, ears open. Mess with the bull, you get the horns, shitbags." Iroha's tone was dark and threatening, rumbling like a mob boss in a crime movie.
It was a far cry from her usual dumb, sugary-sweet voice. If you blind- folded me, I wouldn't know it was her. I wouldn't be able to see the terrifying glower on her face that sent shivers down my spine, either.
"Wh-What is she doing?" Mashiro asked.
"That's a special trick of hers she keeps up her sleeve. It's just a bluff, but it's super effective."
Iroha was the 05th Floor Alliance's secret weapon: the girl of (probably more than) a million voices. Male, female, and anything in between and outside that, it didn't matter. She voiced every last character in our game, among them a powerful delinquent who conquered a country awash with assassins.
It was a good thing I mentioned to these girls earlier that I had powerful "friends," since it made Iroha's act even more convincing. The girls fell back onto their rears, staring up at Iroha in terror.
"W-Wait... A-Are you one of her boyfriend's friends?"
"I didn't know Tsukinomori-san was involved with such shady types!" Iroha squatted down in front of them and continued in a threatening tone.
"I know what you two did to Mashiro-senpai. Trash like you should be incinerated, not walkin' around and pretending to be human."
"I-I thought you said you weren't her friend!"
"I ain't. Yet. But that don't mean shit," Iroha growled menacingly. I could practically see the gang tattoos on her arms. "You guys've pissed me off. You, and your shitty personalities. Hope that tango foundation on your faces goes well with blood. Better clench your teeth!"
Image Here
"Eep!"
"W-We're... We're sorry! Please... Please don't..." The girls squeezed their eyes closed in terror as Iroha raised her fists.
"That's enough."
I grabbed Iroha's wrist to stop her. She turned and looked at me in surprise. I stiffened. Even though I knew it was an act, the look in her eyes was horrifying.
"W-We're sorry!" The girls were still gasping and squeaking in fear.
They collapsed to the floor from relief once they realized I stopped Iroha. I looked down at them. I didn't need to work to make my gaze scornful; I was sure the contempt I felt for them was clear enough already.
"I told you not to mess with us. Don't ever show your faces in front of Mashiro again. If you see her in the street, leave her alone. I'm not gonna force you to apologize or turn this into anything, as long as you promise to treat her like a stranger from now on. Okay?" I was sure to make it sound like I was doing them a favor.
Considering how they bullied Mashiro, they deserved a much harsher treatment from me. They were so scared already, though, that it probably wouldn't make much difference.
The girls nodded desperately, their faces white as sheets. "Good. That concludes negotiations. Now get lost." "Y-Yesssssir!"
"We're sorry!"
They wobbled to their feet and scrambled away on tottering legs. As soon as they were out of sight, the tension in Iroha's arm drained.
"Nice timing, Senpai. I was kinda worried there for a sec!" Iroha collapsed to the floor, exhausted, all traces of her terrifying persona gone.
"You really shouldn't do that kinda thing by yourself. If you actually punched them, you'd be finished."
"Yeah, 'cause I can't fight for shit! Lucky you showed up before they found out."
"Ugh. You can't expect me to come to your rescue every time, y'know."
Even if Iroha put on a super-convincing voice, she was no stronger than your average feeble high-schooler. If those girls found out, they'd easily beat her with numbers. There was only one reason Iroha was willing to take such a huge risk.
"They really pissed you off, huh?"
"Duh. I mean, they bully someone into hiding themselves away, and then go on living their lives like they haven't just ruined someone else's? It's disgusting. I always held back before, 'cause I didn't wanna cause trouble. But then, when I'm with you, I don't have to worry what everyone else thinks, right? And that means I can get away with threatening violence!"
"You only got away with it 'cause I'm here to clean up after you!"
"I thought you said it was okay to leave that kinda thing to you, though?" "W-Well, maybe I did... Anyway, Mashiro. Whaddya think? This is the
real Iroha."
"Huh?" Iroha said as I called over my shoulder into the shadows. Mashiro tottered out, at which point Iroha grimaced slightly. "Uh oh! You
saw all that? S-Sorry for tryin' to be cool and stuff..."
"I'm the one who should be apologizing," Mashiro said.
"You? Why?"
"I thought... I thought you were just like them. But—"
"You thought wrong."
"Yeah."
Iroha's teasing, which Mashiro had been scared of, was harmless. When
she was really mad, you knew. She'd throw all her acting ability into turning into the thing you hated or were most scared of and then use that to torment you. That was when you knew she really had it in for you.
Her harassment of me on a daily basis was just a fraction of what she was capable of. Having said that, this horrifying side of her wasn't something you needed to worry about too much.
Because Iroha had a good heart.
She wasn't the type to antagonize someone without a very good reason, and I was sure Mashiro understood that too.
Though still a little stiff, her entire face was lit up with a smile. "Would you... be my friend?"
"Hey! I was just about to ask the same thing!" Iroha giggled.
And that was how Mashiro became my friend's sister's friend. It didn't really bode well for my quality of life, though...
***
Murasaki Shikibu-sensei: I wonder how they're doing?
OZ: Worried, are you?
Murasaki Shikibu-sensei: They're both cookie-cutter character
archetypes. Iroha-chan's the cheerful one, and Mashiro-chan's the gloomy, antisocial one. They're super attractive, but in completely opposite ways. That means they'd probably clash on a lot of things too, right?
OZ: Don't worry. Since they're opposites, it means there's a nice center point between them. Y'know, like the darkness the cheerful one keeps trapped inside her, or the light that the gloomy one is just waiting to release. That's where they'll be able to relate to each other. That's how Aki managed to get all of us together, like we were orbiting around him. I'm sure he'll pull it off this time, too.
Murasaki Shikibu-sensei: Still, it means he's got another contender to be his girlfriend...
OZ: Let's just hope that battle's one that's fought with smiles and rainbows instead of them getting pissed at each other. That'd be fun.
Murasaki Shikibu-sensei: LOL! I was just thinking that.