"Okay the secret to fighting is choreography!"
Haruki yelled, dressed in a pink buttoned shirt with milk shorts.
They stood outside the house, the time 11:30
"Choreography, as in dancing?"
Hori asked dressed in a white
T-shirt and black pants.
"That's right! Without choreography, fights will look lame! Just imagine two guys duking it out with only punching and kicking!"
He lectured walking around Hori.
"Isn't that how fights normally are, Haruki-san?"
She interjected.
"Shut up! if fights were like that then no one would watch anime!"
"Ahhh, 'ANIME' I've heard of that Haruki-san! Although I've never seen one in real life before!"
She stated casually.
Haruki stopped circling her after hearing her.
".....huh?"
He asked in disbelief.
"From what I've heard its quite popular amongst children!"
Hori said as if proud of her knowledge.
"What kind of Japanese kid hasn't watched any anime?"
Haruki was going insane.
Hori was just too alien. She must have heard an unrealistically sheltered upbringing.
"Haruki-san? Is anything wrong?"
She asked, thinking she had offended him in some way.
"Okay, screw training, were binge watching Shonen today"
He said and headed inside the inn.
Hori trailed behind him.
"Ehmmm, Haruki-san...don't you think training is more important than watching cartoons?"
She asked, Hori had never watched anime but she knew they were called "Cartoons"
"....their not just cartoons. They surprisingly teach nice lessons. Dazzling audiences with captivating and iconic moments.... don't worry, you'll get it when you see it."
Haruki said reminiscing his childhood days, he still watched them, but not as much.
He closed the windows and put a curtain over the wall...that was STILL broken.
"Haruki-san, why are you closing the windows?"
She asked also helping him pull the curtains.
"Its for the right mood! So what genre are you into when it comes to cartoons."
He asked bringing out his phone.
"....ehm.....I've never really... watched a cartoon before..."
Hori admitted looking at her side, knowing Haruki would laugh at her.
".....Hori, where exactly were you raised?
He said with a worried expression, this was getting unnatural.
gasp!
Oh no! I can't tell Haruki-san I grew up in the kantei! But, I feel bad lying to him again!!
I don't even know what lie to tell!!
She panicked.
Narrator - Why don't you just say you grew up in the farms, there isn't much technology there.
Good morning Narrator! And thanks for the lie!
Hori appreciated, still staring silently as she properly arranged the lie.
She sure takes a while to answer my questions, almost like she's thinking of a lie or something.
Haruki thought with a suspicious face.
Ahem!
"I grew up in the farms Haruki-san, that's why I'm not familiar with television!"
She said proudly on her successful lie.
Haruki stared with an unimpressed look.
I'm obviously not buying it, her grammars way too good for a farm girl, she probably just doesn't want to talk about her past, so I'll play along.
"Oh really, the farms? No wonder you're new to modern life!"
He said with a surprised face.
Yes! he believed the lie!
She thought with a victorious face.
Narrator - Dear readers, good boys and girls shouldn't lie okay?
Haruki turned and searched some series.
"Since your a simple folk, we'll start with an isekai. Their pretty easy to follow. Okay! We're gonna watch 'My Blade' "
He said with an excited face.
Narrator - My Blade is another series by William Obeya, this is some desperate self promotion...
Whose William Obeya?
Hori wondered.
"Can't wait for you to watch it. It'll get you pumped! That's the beauty of shonen!"
He said punching air.
"Okay Haruki-san! I'm ready!"
Hori said taking a fighting stance, ready to tackle her first animation experience.
2 minutes later.
Hori screamed at the top of her lungs.
"This is so weird Haruki-san!!How is the tiny man moving in the screen?!"
She backed away from the phone like a caveman.
Nearly hyperventilating from the screen. What was the issue?
Narrator - Hori has never watched any piece of media whatsoever, be it movies, cartoons, sports or even the news. She was only used to novels, the radio and newspaper.
Narrator - So seeing a character on screen for the first time... might cause panic, especially an animated one.
"What do you mean panic?!!! This man is IN a screen!!! And he doesn't even look normal!!!"
Hori yelled carrying a hammer about to smash Haruki's phone!
"Woah! calm down!"
He dragged her away and quickly carried his phone.
"You can't tell me you've NEVER watched television before! That's just unrealistic!!!"
He yelled with logic, indeed,it would be weird, if not impossible for a 14 year old girl to have never watched television.
Hori replied.
"I've seen a teli before but not with people inside!"
Haruki yelled.
"WTF?! tv normally shows pictures!!! Wait, so your saying you've only seen switched off one's through out your childhood?!!"
He was shocked.
"We didn't have one!
Father also said it rots the brain so I always abstained from the whole thing!!"
"That's only when you watch too much tv!!! HOLY SHIT so you've NEVER watched something before?!! Not even the news?!That's just messed up!!"
Hori interjected.
"I read the News through news papers Haruki-san!!!"
"Now you just sound like an old man!!!"
Narrator - Some time after all the yelling, God my ears hurt.
Hori had calmed down, her fear now replaced with marvel.
"Wow, but who knew such devices projected imagery?! Almost like...magic!"
Hori yelled, fearfully admiring Haruki's phone.
She sounded like a caveman but a literate one.
Haruki thought to himself, still dumbfounded.
I'm sure she's the kind of person that thinks phones only make calls! This is way too weird, it's almost like she's some princess from a fantasy world!
He wondered looking at Hori
He squatted and asked her.
"Hori, have you ever had a smart phone before? Even just a cell phone?"
Haruki asked with a worried expression.
"I've never had a phone before Haruki-san..... you see, I wasn't quite smart during my time being home schooled...."
Her face turned slightly sad.
"So father forbade my from any source of distractions....like making friends, playing outside or having a cell phone."
gasp!
"Maybe that's why I've never seen a switched on 'TV' before."
Hori said while scrolling through Haruki's phone in astonishment.
Haruki stayed silent, seeing that he really didn't know much about Hori. Not even what her father was like.
"Oh, but I do know that you make calls with a smart phone. However I am more accustomed with the telephone!"
She showed some modern knowledge.
Now she just sounds like an old British lady.
Haruki thought with a sad face. He stretched his hand to pat Hori's head.
"...you've missed so much...no friends, TV or even school..... your life must've sucked...."
He said apologetically.
"Ah! I didn't mean to make my childhood sound bad Haruki-san!
I'm just not too familiar with technology that's all!"
Hori said trying to stop Haruki from pitying her.
He raised his hand and said.
"Don't worry your still a kid, were gonna have lots of fun!"
"Okay now what the hell were we doing? Oh yeah, were gonna watch an anime!"
Haruki spread their futon and placed his phone behind the wall.
"Okay Hori! let's start watching!"
He said as he laid down.
"Yes!"
She laid down beside Haruki trying to hide her embarrassment, as her body made contact with his.
My Blade synopsis:
Yutaka kenshi, a famous and legendary samurai from the Sengoku-era finds himself in another world! With the reward of resurrecting his mother. He embarks on a quest to slay the Demon king!"
I wonder if she'll like it
He thought peeking at Hori.
"A sengoku swordsman, this sounds interesting!"
Hori was surprisingly intrigued.
"Yeah, I don't usually like Isekai, but the creator tried to make this one cool."
He bragged like a proud otaku.
"Isekai means another world right?"
She asked facing him.
"...let's just watch okay?"
24 minutes later.
"Wow!! That was so! So! So cool!!
Hori yelled punching air. So that is an anime!!"
She blinked with excitement.
"Wow, I'm surprised you liked it."
He said carrying his phone.
"What your excited about is probably the impressive animation, if it's done right it'll get you pumped!"
Haruki said.
"Wowwwwww! So those dynamic moments...!"
She was mesmerized.
"Yeah everything you just saw wasn't real, their hand drawn images played in sequence, that's what an animation is!"
"No wonder everything looked....different, like a bright simplified reality! That's a cartoon! I have so much to learn!!"
Hori yelled with glee.
Haruki asked if she wanted to watch the next episode.
"So that's what their called! episodes! I'd love to watch the next one Haruki-san! I want to see what happens to Yutaka and Velma"
The two sat there binge watching the series, laughing at it's funny moments, and bitting their nails during high staked scenes.
Hori was a natural at appreciating media.
Haruki had already watched the series, but rewatching with a friend felt just as good.
3 hours later, the time 2:30 pm
Hori was entranced by the series, looking directly at the screen.
"What an unfair back story!!
She said with terror in her eyes. Witnessing the origin story of a major character from My Blade.
Haruki as well felt just as frustrated, despite him already finishing the series.
They had already watched half of season 1 which has 14 episodes in total.
Hori's stomach growled, they hadn't eaten breakfast.
"....are you hungry-
"Ignore it."
Hori cut Haruki off, looking fiercely at the screen with determination in her eyes.
Narrator - Relax, it's not a fight....Wait whats the point of all this? You guys are just watching anime!
Narrator, hush!
Hori hissed.
Haruki stood up and said.
"Okay, you keep watching, I'm gonna make us lunch."
He stretched his body that had turned stiff.
Hori said okay and continued watching.
Haruki went to the store to buy food stuffs they would use to prepare lunch.
Hori on the other hand was back at home, staring closely at the phone not to miss a single moment, she was hooked.
20 minutes later he came back with lunch ingredients, they were having udon.
The time 3 pm.
"Your still watching?"
He asked as he dropped the plastic bag at the kitchen counter.
"...mhm."
She answered without looking away from the screen.
Haruki paid no mind and got to cooking.
Hori changed positions every 10 minutes, still watching. Allowing the site to put the next episode after the previous one finished.
---------------
"It's done! Hori drop the phone, it's time to eat!"
He yelled carrying their bowls to the floor.
The time was now 3:30 pm almost evening.
"On second thought, I'm not hungry."
She answered still watching the anime.
"I'm gonna collect my phone! Just eat up and continue watching-
Hori immediately finished the entire bowl before Haruki finished his sentence.
She went back to the futon to continue the anime.
Haruki didn't say anything. This wasn't the first time she did something cartoonishly unrealistic.
Hmph! She didn't even compliment the food!
He sulked and picked up his own bowl.
Haruki ate his share in silence staring at the anime from behind. He sat there, casually admiring Hori's physique as she laid down.
Her muscle definition were slowly getting visible from her rigorous training, not too much that she turned bulk, but just right.
He stood up and carried their now empty bowls and cleaned the place.
Hori was STILL watching.
After some time, Haruki asked for his phone. He was done with house cleaning, and dusted his hands.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I've been using it for a while!"
She apologized handing the phone over to him.
He collected it, laid on the floor and started scrolling through dumb random internet videos.
"....ehmmm, what are you doing?
He asked, to his surprise she was laying right next to him.
"Oh, I'm waiting till your done using the phone Haruki-san!"
She answered.
"Yeah, I'm not giving you back now, I wanna relax with it soooo shoo!"
He said chasing Hori away.
She nodded and left him. Bored, she carried a pencil and an empty book and started sketching. She was drawing the army of trees that surrounded their inn.
About 20 minutes passed and she was done. But now what?
Haruki noticed Hori singing the opening song of the series out of boredom.
He sighed.
"Here you go."
He said handing the phone back to Hori.
"Ah, don't you want to use it Haruki-san?!"
She said not wanting to impose on his relaxation.
"Don't worry, this is pretty low quality content, I think I'll just sleep early today"
The time was now 4:30 pm.
"Isn't it too early to sleep Haruki-san?!"
She protested.
"Ugh!! You want it or not?!"
Haruki was getting annoyed.
"Forgive me for hesitating!"
Hori bent down and collected the phone with gratitude.
She brimmed with excitement as she put the next episode to play.
Like a child seeing their favorite show. Although My Blade was anything but a kid's series.
Haruki simply smiled seeing Hori happy.
Maybe I'll get her a phone.
He thought to himself, as Hori had now adapted to cell phones.
"Come on Yutaka-san! you can do this!"
She cheered for the protagonist of the series, he was in a serious battle.
Haruki was seated, sipping olong tea behind her.
Her peeked at her drawing of the forest. It was hyper realistic.
...woah.
He thought to himself looking at her.
The time 8 PM.
Narrator - No freaking way, did you just spend the whole day watching anime? I think we're meant to change you guys genre.
Narrator - This isn't a shonen series at all!
Hori ignored and concentrated on the series.
Haruki let out a natural yawn.
He stretched, tired of sitting still.
"Hori, I'm gonna sleep, charge my phone when it dies."
He said as he scratched his back.
"Understood Haruki-san! You can count on me!"
Hori was still watching, she was in the second season now.
About one hour passed.
[Battery in 15 percent, please charge]
"Oh no, I need to charge it!"
Hori carried the charger looking for a circuit.
Good thing Haruki-san showed me how to charge a phone!
She thought, remembering the quick demo he gave her.
"Okay!"
She placed the begining of the chord in front of the circuit.
"Now I just shove it in!"
Narrator - Kyahhh! that sounds naughty!
As soon as Hori plugged the charger in the circuit, a power outage occurred.
"What just happened?!"
She asked, seeing as the bulbs were not showing their usual light.
She dismissed the whole thing, looking at the Smart phone.
[Battery percentage: 10 please charge]
"Oh no! So soon?!"
She panicked.
Narrator - Well the time is 9 pm so you should probably just sleep.
"I know! I'll go look for a place to charge a phone!"
Hori decided.
Narrator - Nahhh, it's a bad idea for a 14 year old girl to go out by this time. Something might happen to you.
"Awwwn, Narrator are you worried about me?"
She teased.
Narrator - pshh...no? Stupid.
"Thank you, but nothing will happen to me. According to Haruki-san, I'm quite strong!"
She said with a proud smile.
Hori set out to find a place to charge Haruki's phone.