DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM
CHAPTER ONE
"THIS PLACE DOESN'T NEED YOU."
Kasumoto City.
A humble port town located right next to the beautiful metropolitan capital known as Kobe.
It was originally a flourishing agricultural city with a few beautiful historical hot springs that lured a good amount of tourists from Tokyo and other big time cities, but it was hit pretty badly during the Great Hanshin Earthquake and it never really recovered until the second Gunpla boom. Hoping to capitalize on the recent Gunpla Battle craze that took the world by storm and boost the dwindling economy and population, the officials of Kasumoto City, including the mayor, struck a risky deal with the newly-established Plavsky Particle System Engineering or the PPSE Company. Chairman Mashita, or at least his pretty blonde secretary, has given promise and hope to help the struggling city get back on its feet.
(AN: The Great Hanshin Earthquake was a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the southern part of the Hyogo Prefecture in 1995, leaving more than 5000 people dead. Kobe City was the most affected.)
Almost a decade later after the deal, half of Kasumoto City is now owned and run by PPSE and is currently striving to become the central Gunpla Hub of the Kansai region by extensively promoting and advertising PPSE Gunpla-related materials and products to tourists and Gunpla enthusiasts. The city is even hosting a few Gunpla Battle tournaments with numerous sponsors and foreign backings and that brings in a crapload of people and a crapload of people brings in a crapload of income and a crapload of income brings in a crapload of development and so on. These tournaments are usually treated like national holidays or something. It's almost hilarious and ridiculous if you think about it.
Slowly but surely, Kasumoto City is recovering its former glory as more and more Gunpla Fighters and Builders from various regions of Japan and even other countries move in to settle. There are even plans to build a Gunpla learning institute that will rival the official Gunpla Academy one day, but that's still a little far into the future and it's kinda somewhat a pipe dream to some skeptic individuals.
Of course, not everything is all happiness, sunshine, rainbows and puppies. This success story has a dark side and it's slowly becoming a big problem for the city's populace. Several of the city's youth cliques and criminal organization have begun to use Gunpla Battle as a means to settle territorial disputes and illegal control of Gunpla products. Several international Gunpla Mafia organizations are rumored to be involved and the city's authorities have refused to comment. It seems they rather just ignore the issue and not make a big stink about it in fear of losing face and profits. Typical.
All in all, I think it's safe to say that Gunpla is now Kasumoto City's main lifeline. For better or worse.
Oh and who the heck am I?
My name is Wakahisa Arisu and I'm just some 22 year old slacker who had just inherited a freaking dormitory here in Kasumoto City.
Oh and you think I have a weird and girly first name?
Yeah, I admit my first name is kinda weird and girly, and I dunno what my parents were thinking when they gave me that name, but I'm actually kind of proud of it to be honest. Proud to the point that I don't mind wearing a big ass name tag and I also smirk like an idiot every time people give me weird looks when I show them my ID card or something. Yeah. Proud indeed.
You see, Arisu is the Japanese form of the English name, Alice, and it means Noble or High Noble. I'm not exactly a noble person or someone from nobility or a noble nobility, but I think it's a splendid and refined name so please don't make fun of it or call me girly or Alice or Girly Alice or any insult that has Alice or girly in it or something. I'm no Kamille Bidan and I'll probably won't punch you in the kisser if do you make fun of my name. I'll just probably cry like a bitch and make you feel very, very, very bad about yourself because that's how Wakahisa Arisu rolls. Yeeeeeeah.
Anyhoo!
Yep.
I just inherited a dormitory. I still can't believe it myself and still trying to process the whole thing in my head.
The previous owner was my late uncle, who happens to be my all-time favorite uncle by the way because he was such an awesome guy who let me read uncensored American nudie magazines when I was eight or nine years old, who died in a mysterious car accident last year. Mysterious because it remains unsolved to this day and there were no witnesses or suspects. The cops, the useless asshats that they are, still got no single freaking clue and can only provide nothing but their deepest and sincerest regrets. This totally screams foul play to me, but it can't be helped I guess. My uncle was a bit of an arrogant asshole and he had many enemies so I guess this was kinda inevitable and expected as much I hate to accept it.
My uncle was a great man even if he was such a dick most of the time. He was reckless, stubborn, arrogant, selfish and just plain crazy sometimes. But he was also open-minded, adventurous, passionate and probably the most patient guy I had the pleasure of knowing. He was also a big Gundam nut and he was reason why I'm so into Gunpla right now.
So yeah…
I'm really gonna miss you, Uncle Souma.
But why in Gihren Zabi's blooming armpits did you make me the only heir and successor to your freaking dormitory here in the ass end of Kansai!? I don't even have the right to protest according to your will. How is that even possible!? We haven't seen each other for, like what, seven years until your untimely and unfortunate demise and suddenly I'm the new caretaker of the place that is considered your only source of income!? Why? Why me!? Did you trick me or something? Why can't you let one of younger siblings or-
Oh right. I forgot you drunkenly swore not to speak with them anymore after your second marriage and considered them the worst family ever. Yeeeesh.
You see, my Uncle Souma has cut all ties with his family after he divorced his nagging and bitchy wife and married someone who is, like, twenty years younger than him here in Kasumoto City. I really don't know the full story to be honest, but I know it cause quite a ruckus and nearly tore the Wakahisa family apart. This new young wife, this new step-aunt of mine, was still in high school when she and my uncle got together and my grandparents and uncles and aunts nearly lost their marbles after experiencing such insolent defiance and shame. My grandparents are the old-fashioned and traditionalist types so scandalous things like having a teenage girl for a mistress can be a little hazardous to their health and reputation. The name of my uncle immediately became taboo after that and you get a nice good whack on the behind if you uttered his name just once. You couldn't even get away with a whisper. Yeah that's how bad the situation was back then, but I think they kinda mellowed out now that Uncle Souma is dead because you can now mention his name for, like, three or four times before getting the butt whacking instead of once. So yay.
Anyway, back to me suddenly inheriting his dormitory. So why me? Uncle Souma, why the hell did you choose me as your successor?
Okay, I get that his family are out of the list, but why the hell did he choose an unmotivated slacker me? I haven't had any contact with him for years and to be honest, I kinda forgot about him and just went on with my life. Is it because I was the only nephew who still respected him after the shit he pulled? Is it because we both love Gundam and both collect Gunpla? Is it because I was the only person he regarded as the closest thing to a son since he's childless and all? Yeah. He didn't have any kids. The first wife was infertile I think and I dunno about the second one. So why me? Why me? Why!?
"Why meeeeee!?" I screamed at the top of my lungs while standing in front of my future home and place of work. I dropped my backpack and started flailing my arms like a child throwing a bitter tantrum because Mommy didn't buy me a new toy or a game. "This is just frigging ridiculous! I shouldn't be here! I don't wanna be here! I don't care about Kobe beef or the Arima hot springs, Mom! I don't care! I don't really, really care! I rather stay at home and watch anime or fix my Gunpla or play that new Calamity Princess game that just got released yesterday and aaaaaaaaargh!" I picked up my dusty backpack after five minutes of deep breathing to help calm myself and slung it back on my shoulders. My body was covered in sweat after almost a whole day of walking and searching and my throat feels really dry. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Daaaaaamn it! Daaaaaaaaaaaa...uh…okaaay I feel better now." I covered my face with both of my hands and massaged my forehead. "Shit." I cursed softly and then spat.
(AN: Arima hot springs is a famous hot springs in Kobe.)
It was still pretty early when I got off the train near Kobe, but I got lost when I was looking for this blasted place and it was already sunset when I finally found it. I was at least expecting a nice warm welcome, but there was not a soul in sight when I arrived. I mean that's just plain rude, man. Are they not expecting me? Do they even know I'm coming? Do they even know I'm coming to take over this place and do an awesome and stupendous job of fucking things up because I'm the best slacker ever? Do…uh…this place…uh…this place is not abandoned, is it? My step-aunt didn't just up and left after the funeral, right? I guess it'll be good news for my family if my step-aunt did leave.
"Who the fuck are you?" Someone suddenly said from behind while I was busy admiring the drab scenery and deciding if I should just get the fuck out of there and stay at a hotel or something or maybe just camp out near the river since I don't have much cash on me and I quickly turned around to see a beautiful young woman with long brown hair glaring at me. She was carrying a big plastic bag full of groceries with her right hand and her left hand was clutching her left hip like a disappointed mother after catching her son doing something naughty and inappropriate.
"I…uh…oh…uh…well…" I completely fumbled my words and her glaring intensified. Shit.
"I'm gonna ask you again, asshole." She clenched her jaw and titled her head sideways. "Who the fuck are you?" Her voice was so venomous that I nearly shuddered.
"I'm no one! I'm no one suspicious, ma'am!" I held up a hand and took a step back.
"Uh…huh." She was unconvinced and I can't blame her. I'm not exactly doing a great job here and not to mention I was screaming like a maniac a few seconds ago.
"Are you a pervert?" She asked. Ugh. That was pretty blunt of her.
"What!? Nooooooo!" I violently shook my head.
"You're not staking this place out, are you? You're not after Mayumi or Konoe, are you?"
"I…I don't even know those people!"
"I'm calling the cops." She smiled and pulled out a smartphone with her left hand. "Just stay right there. If you're planning to run then I'm gonna fucking castrate you."
"No, no, no, no, no! Please don't call the cops and please don't castrate me!" I slowly and cautiously walked over to her.
"Touch me and I'm going to break every bone in your body." She growled.
"I'm…not gonna touch you and…wait, wait, waaaaaaaaaaaait." I then stood up straight after finally realizing who she was and pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose while smirking proudly.
"What…" She slowly lowered her smartphone. "What's with that creepy smile?"
"Heh." I continued smirking and I could tell she was getting nervous, but I didn't care. "It's you, isn't it? You're my aunt, right? My step-aunt?"
"You're…" Her eyes went wide, but she remained on guard. Wowzers. This is just…awkward. Just really, really awkward. "Wait…you're…
"Yep." I nodded my head. "It's me! Wakahisa Arisu! Your nephew or step-nephew or something. You're…Shion-san, right? Aunt Shion?"
"Yes." She confirmed and finally pocketed her smartphone after heaving a sigh of relief.
"Oh good." I smiled. "It's me, Aunt Shion. Your nephew! I'm finally here and it's good to finally meet you and all." I offered my hand, but she didn't take it and continued glaring.
"Leave." She said sharply.
"Excuse me?" Did I hear that right? Did she just tell me to leave? Is she still suspicious?
"I said leave!" She raised her voice.
"H-H-Huuuuuh!? You want me to leave!?"
"Yes." She rolled those beautiful green eyes. "Out! Skidaddle! Get the fuck out of here!"
"But why?"
"Because I don't want you here!"
Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! This is…unexpected.
"You know I can't do that." I said softly. "I'm supposed to run this place now. I'm the new landlord." I jerked my thumb towards the dormitory while smiling bitterly. "Plus the lawyer said that you-
"Fuck that guy. That dickwad forced me to say yes and not to mention your pushy parents. Look, I don't need you here. I can run this place fine. This place doesn't need you." She quickly walked over to me and poked my chest. "You have to kill me first before you bastards can get this place. This is Souma's home. OUR home. I'm going to protect this place with my life so you run back to Tokyo or something and tell that old hag that she can go fuck herself and die. I know Souma likes you and all, but I can't trust you. I don't really give a fuck about the will so kindly fuck off, kiddo." She pinched my right cheek and poked my chest again. "Leave or I'll really call the cops. Next time I see that fucking lawyer, I'm gonna shove a thousand jalapenos up his ass and make him crawl like a baby while whipping his back."
"Wow…" I chuckled. "You're pretty intense, Aunt Shion."
"Uh-huh." She rolled her eyes again.
"You know, the funny thing is that…uh…I agree with you. I shouldn't be here." I said.
"That makes it easier then." My aunt tucked a wisp of hair behind her left ear. "Out."
"Oh no, no, no." I wagged a finger and she glared again. "I can't go back. It's not my choice anymore. You see, my folks kicked me out of the house when they received the letter from the lawyer last week because I was...uh...slacking around too much and getting fat I guess. I'm currently unemployed right now because I walked out on my last job and the folks weren't exactly happy about that. But hey, I was pretty professional about it at least even if my boss was a total ass. So Mom and Dad thought I should give this landlord thing a shot and maybe it will finally teach me how to become a proper member of society. Whip me into shape or some shit. To be honest, I think they just want me out of the house because I'm getting a little too dependent. So yeah, if I come back then they're gonna freaking kill me and I don't want them to kill me."
"I don't care." She hissed. "And you talk too much."
"Of course." I sighed deeply.
"I think the reason why your parents forced you to accept this responsibility is because they're planning to use you like a fucking puppet and take this place for themselves."
"But why? No offense, but this place is a shit hole. Why would grandma want this place?"
"Oh you should know. Your family's pretty rotten to the core. They don't really care about this place. They just want to get everything now that Souma is gone and…ruin me."
"Ruin you? You mean get back at you or something because of what you and Uncle Souma did and…uh…well I suppose you're right." I looked around and realized the sun has set.
"Glad you agree. Now get the-
"I'm not leaving." I cut her off.
She didn't respond and just continued turning me into goo with those beautiful green eyes of hers. That glare would be heaven if I was a complete masochist, but I'm not so boooooo.
"I'm not leaving." I repeated. "Yeah. I rather be at home right now so I can continue playing my awesome and epic porn games instead of arguing with you, but I'm here now. I'm not leaving this place. This is Uncle Souma's final wish and we should respect his decision no matter how ridiculous it is aaaaaand I can't believe I just said that because I was just doubting and cursing him moments ago because I really don't wanna do this job and so that makes me a complete hypocrite, but like I said, I'm here now. Let's just get on with it and man the fuck up I guess. I have no place to go anyway and my parents don't want me back. Look, you believed in Uncle Souma, right? You trusted his word, right? If what you said a while ago about protecting this place is anything to go by, I'd say you're very devoted to him."
I paused...and she took a deep breath.
"He entrusted this place to me for some reason." I continued. "I know you don't trust me right now and that's pretty understandable, but he trusted me and you should...respect that I suppose. I'm sure he told you all about me at least. I would never betray Uncle Souma. I dunno about grandma and the others, but I'm not here to invade this place and kick you and the others out. I don't really give a shit what they think of you. They're not using me and like hell I'm gonna let them use me and I'm babbling, am I? I'm babbling and I'm probably not making any sense and yeeeeah. Man, what the hell am I saying?"
"Tch." She clicked her tongue. "Idiot." She said under her breath.
"Sooooooo…" I fidgeted while steepling my fingers.
"Fine." She finally conceded. "Get in. I'm gonna prepare dinner soon." Her face softened.
"Dinner would be nice, Aunt Shion. I'm famished." I then bowed. "Please take care of me."
"So your folks think you'll become a fine and upstanding member of society if you become the caretaker here?" She sneered. "Well lemme tell ya something, Arisu-kun." She tilted her head sideways again and I gulped. "There's nothing productive about this particular dorm. You won't learn shit here even if you work your ass off. This place is nothing, but a nest for miserable people who are trying to escape the harsh expectations and pressures of modern society. There's nothing for you here." She said harshly.
"Wow." I let out a nervous chuckle. "That's pretty heavy." I said while stretching my arms and legs. "Aunt Shion, aren't you a little too young to be so…world-weary and cynical?" I joked. "You're, like, 26 years old, right? Turn that frown upside down and be super genki like most girls your age. Helps with the wrinkles I hear. Your hair will also turn white before you reach thirty if you keep up with that grumpy attitude." Ugh. That was just lame, Arisu. Super lame.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue again and kicked my right knee.
"Ow!" I yelped. "Okay, I deserved that."
"Come on." She gestured with her head and invited me inside.
Wakahisa Dormitory (yeah my uncle has a crummy naming sense) is a three-story building. The kitchen, dining room and bathing facilities are located on the first floor and they're pretty well-maintained, especially the kitchen. The kitchen was all sparkly clean and smelled like fruity fantastic lemon. Aunt Shion is actually doing a great job of keeping this place from falling apart. The dining room was pretty...uh...girly. Pink flowery wallpapers and lots and lots and lots of pictures of stuffed toys and melodramatic landscapes hanging on the walls. As a guy, it was a little too much for me, but it was still somewhat pleasant despite the feminine sensory overload.
The second floor was composed of eight moderately-sized rooms and that's where the tenants stay. Currently, according to my aunt, we have five tenants and they all pay on time and they never complain. That's good to hear. I really don't wanna deal with difficult people because difficult people usually tend to verbally kick my ass with their...uh...difficult verbally powers. My aunt is also staying on the second floor now that Uncle Souma is gone and it's for the best I guess. She can keep an eye on everyone there and is right on the scene if something happens.
The landlord's living quarters are on the third floor and that's where I'm staying. Yep. I got a whole floor all to myself. Yaytifications.
"Here's your place." Aunt Shion led me to my room and then pointed to a bunch of unopened cardboard boxes and luggage in the corner, near the huge window overlooking the backyard. "Oh and your stuff arrived two days ago. I just dumped everything in here." She said as she leaned against the wall and gave me a mean and smug look. "I was tempted to open the boxes and check what kind of crap you got there, but I decided not to because I remembered I'm supposed to be a sweet, sweet person now."
"Oh…" I chuckled. "Thanks." I hope she was just joking because that was just…ugh.
"I was actually planning to burn your stuff tonight to make a point but…" She smiled.
"Noooooooo! Oh no, no, no! Please don't! I-I need those!" I pointed to the boxes and gave her the puppy dog eyes of sadness. "I mean I can just buy cheap clothes anywhere, but not my precious collection! I freaking need those! I need my super high-end master race PC, laptop, tablet, game consoles, Gunpla and everything. Please don't burn them." I pleaded.
"My God…" She grimaced. "You're an otaku." She realized with complete horror. "Well your Uncle Souma is kinda like an otaku too, but he was cool."
"So what if I am?" I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Judge me all you want, but I'm pretty damn proud of myself. I live my life the way I want it to be!" I said with a booming voice and pounded my chest.
"This just keeps getting better and better…" She shook her head. "Geez."
"Anyway…" I fixed the collar of my shirt and bowed my head again. "Thank you very much for this, Aunt Shion. I'm truly thankful for your hospitality." My voice was syrupy sweet and I meant every word.
"Yeah, yeah…" She looked away and blushed.
"Sooooooooooooooo…" I stood up straight again and started looking around. "Where's everyone? I wanna meet the tenants and properly introduce myself. I'm the new landlord so I gotta make a good impression."
She laughed mockingly and poked my chest for the third time. Why does she keep doing that? It's making me uncomfortable. "They're out at the moment. Well except for one and you don't wanna talk to her right now and I won't let you, unless you want your pretty little head rolling on the floor and me laughing like crazy because the idea of me decapitating you with a kitchen knife is the best thing ever." She patted my left cheek and smiled. "The others won't be back until noon tomorrow because they're out partying real hard right now so be a good little boy and just sit tight. Play with your robot toys or something to pass the time. You like robot toys, right? Just like your uncle. Geez. This city is really crazy about those fucking robot toys that it's almost pathetic, but then again, those little things are bringing in the moolah and slowly developing this city so I can't complain."
"R-Right." I fidgeted again.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and whip up something…mediocre for dinner."
"O-Okay…" Mediocre? She's joking, right? She's messing with me, right?
"Auntie is such a bad cook." She pinched my cheeks again. "As in really lousy! So let's just make do with canned goods and ready-to-eat meals, yes? Hope you don't mind, Arisu-kun."
"N-N-No."
"Excellent." She rubbed her hands. "NOW SIT."
"Yes ma'am!" I sat cross-legged on the floor and clapped my hands like an idiot.
"Goooooood boy." She cooed while patting my head and finally left the room.
Oh boy. I think this place is going to be…hell. Based from what she said, the tenants might be a handful bunch and probably hard to deal with too. Miserable people who are trying to escape the harsh expectations and pressures of modern society? Yeesh. What did I get myself into? I really hope the tenants are normal people and not crazy like my Aunt Shion, but I have a nagging feeling that's not going to be the case. I should prepare for the worst I guess and grit my teeth.
Sullen and tired, I grabbed my backpack and unzipped it while mumbling all kinds of colorful obscenities. I then took out my beloved Gunpla and started cleaning it carefully while thinking of the impending horrors to come and what kind of future I'm gonna expect in this place.
Ah my beloved RX-78XX Gundam Pixie. At least, you're here to keep me company.
The RX-78XX Gundam Pixie first appeared in Cross Dimension 0079, a Gundam tactical role-playing game for the Super Famicom. I only played the emulator version since I can't find a good working copy of the game, and if I did found one it's probably gonna me cost a leg or two so yeah. Emulation for me, baby. Fuck you if you're not cool with that.
The Gundam Pixie isn't very popular with fans and the reason is probably because Katoki Hajime didn't design it. Katoki-san was the shit back during the mid-nineties and his work always gets recognized. Okawara-san was already in decline back then and more and more young mechanical designers have started to pop up to bring in fresh new work for a new generation. It was a new era for the sleek, the slim and the flashy. The bulky designs of the eighties were now obsolete and considered ugly and uncool. That's what I think anyway.
I like the Gundam Pixie. I love the simple design and I've always had a soft spot for obscure mobile suits and the Gundam Pixie was pretty damn obscure. Six out of ten Gundam fans today probably don't even know the unit exists. Poor Gundam Pixie. You'll never get the love you deserve, but at least you got me, buddy. We're partners for life, dude.
Anyhoo, my RX-78XX Gundam Pixie is equipped with a smaller version of the Jet Striker Pack, granting my machine atmospheric flight capabilities and better maneuverability. It was such a pain in the butt making those shoulder hardpoints, but it was so damn worth it in the end. It's also armed with an original beam rifle that I personally designed and made. Okay, maybe I had a little bit of help from some cocky kid named Mii-chan back home. He's a pretty talented Builder and we share the same taste when it comes to galge. I was pretty impressed with his work and I was glad when he helped me out with my machine. I treated him some ramen when we're done and we're like best friends forever after that. He even taught me how to adjust my glasses like a magnificent and awesome bastard. I wonder if he's doing fine and if he's still hanging out with that crazy lesbian. I suppose he's a pretty decent kid, but he can be a little annoying sometimes. Stay strong, fellow glasses dude.
Okay, back to my Gundam Pixie.
I ditched the standard shield and gave it a nice folding shield with beam coating. It's nothing special, but it's good defense. I also removed the beam daggers in favor of actual beam sabers. Sabers are better than daggers. Bigger is better. Unless you wanna be a fucking ninja or something and try to stealth kill the Big Zam from behind. I also got a couple of fragmentation grenades and flashbangs for good measure.
I spent nearly an hour cleaning my Gunpla and then just lazily rolled around on the floor when I was done. I also repeatedly poked my luggage with my pointing finger while imitating Aunt Shion's voice in an exaggerated manner because I'm such a silly, silly boy. Couple more minutes later, my aunt returned and told me that dinner was ready.
Wakahisa Arisu, Gundam Pixie, launching! Fwoooooooooooom!
Dinner was awkward as expected.
Aunt Shion just heated some canned miso mackerel and cheap tofu. There were also some pickled vegetables from the supermarket and…uh…instant ramen? I guess she wasn't kidding when she said the food is going to be mediocre. This really needs to change. I really need to exercise my power as landlord here and force her to learn the ways of the culinary arts, but I rather not because she'll probably stab me with a knife and send my body back to my family. Piece by piece. So yeah let's quietly eat our food and the get the fuck out fast.
"Sorry." My aunt suddenly said while I struggled to pick up a jiggling tofu with my chopsticks. "You probably thought I was joking or something. I really can't cook."
"It's…fine." I said. "This is not so bad." I lied.
"It's not fine." She said dryly and sighed. "Souma was the one who usually do the cooking. He makes a mean meat and potato stew. He was really a great cook and he really took care of the kitchen."
"Oh." I nodded and twenty minutes later I was done eating. "Thanks for the meal." I said flatly while I picked up my plate and slowly stood up. "I'll just put this in the sink."
"Hey." She suddenly tugged my pants when I passed by her on the way to the kitchen. "Wanna have a couple of drinks before hitting the sack, Arisu-kun?" She looked up to meet my eyes and I gulped. She's inviting me for a drink? No, no, no, no! Bad idea! Bad idea!
"I think I'll pass." I said.
"I bought a couple of high-quality Shochu from Kobe. I also got some whiskey."
(AN: Shochu is a type of Japanese liquor that's a little stronger than wine and regular sake, but weaker than whiskey and vodka.)
"I think I'll pass." I said again.
"Sit your ass down and keep me company until I get plastered, Arisu-kun." She ordered me.
"But…"
"No buts!" She shouted and tugged my pants again.
"Fine, fine…" I sighed. "I'll just put this in the sink and-
"Sit down." She said sharply.
"Yes ma'am." Defeated, I went back to my spot and sat down again while still holding the plate. "Geez. You're pretty hard to deal with, Aunt Shion. Are you like this with Uncle too?"
"Souma handled me pretty well." She giggled and produced three bottles of Shochu with such childish delight. "Now let's drink, my adorable nephew." She poured me a glass and slid it across the table towards me and I quickly caught it with my hand. She then raised the bottle and gave me a distant and lonely look. "Welcome to Wakahisa Dormitory."
I raised my glass too and drank it all in one manly gulp. "Oh sweet eternal fudge." I nearly gagged as I slammed down the glass on the table and slid it back towards my aunt so she can pour me another shot. "This shit is really strong." I said while still wincing.
"You're just a pussy." Aunt Shion bit her lip. "Shochu is really not that strong."
We continued drinking for like almost an hour, saying nothing and just staring at the walls and the ceiling. I stole a couple of uncomfortable glances and she just shook her head every time she caught me, like she's amused and irritated at the same time.
I was about to say something to dispel the awkward and uncomfortable tension, but she beat me to it. "What kind of name is Arisu anyway?" She adjusted her sitting position.
"Huh?"
"Arisu…" She put her hand under her chin as if it were supporting her head. You know, the pose people make when they're bored or something. "Like Alice, right?"
"Yeah." I nodded and smiled nervously. "Arisu is actually the Japanese form for the English name, Alice. Arisu means…uh…Noble or High noble or something." I explained.
"It's a girly name."
"I'm aware of that."
"Alice."
"Yep."
"Girly name."
"Indeed it is."
"Do you hate it?"
"Oh no." I chuckled. "I'm quite proud of it actually."
"I'm sorry."
"…"
"You sure are fun to tease."
I checked my watch while putting down my glass. "It's getting late." I said.
"Did your grandmother say anything about me before you left home?" She asked out of the blue while playing with her glass. "What about your parents? Your mom and dad? Did they say anything? You know, stuff like how Souma and I…uh…well you know."
"Uh…no. N-Not really."
"Do…you know the names they call me behind my back?"
"Can we not do this? I think you're drunk."
"Whore. Slut. Prostitute. Floozy. Nymphomaniac."
"Aunt Shion, I think we should retire for the night." I said softly. Retire for the night? Oh that's hilarious, Arisu. Real smooth.
"They're right by the way." She chuckled. "I am all of those things."
"Well…uh…you're not like that anymore, right? You've changed. You now got this dorm and you take care of the tenants and-
"Your grandparents, uncles, aunts, your mom, your dad and everyone in your stinking family… They want this place because this is the only memory I have of Souma. This dormitory is what is left of your uncle. This is our special place and they're gonna fucking take it away from me just to prove that they have won. They don't even care that Souma is dead. They don't really care about him. They just want to prove that they're superior. They're also probably gonna make me suffer because I seduced your uncle and shamed your family. I dunno about you, but I think the Wakahisa family is capable of horrible things." She gave me a look that sent a shiver down my spine.
"I wouldn't go that far." I looked away.
"You think?"
"I know gramps and grandma can be terrible sometimes. Believe me I know. But I think Uncle Souma's death is affecting them too. They're proud and stubborn and arrogant and mean, but they're not callous and heartless."
"That's a little too hard to believe, but then again I'm biased."
"Heh."
"You know, sometimes I think they're the ones who killed your uncle."
"Now that's just fucking stupid." I was taken aback. "Please don't say that again."
"This place…this place is a sanctuary for people like me and it's all thanks to your uncle. I will never hand this place to anybody else and I will protect it with my life."
"What about…me?"
"I…I still don't know."
"Aunt Shion, why did Uncle Souma choose me? Why did he make me the new landlord of this place when you're obviously the best choice since you are his wife after all? I mean you're already doing a great job of taking care of this place. I don't see any problems besides the food and the bitchy attitude. Oh and I take back what I said a while ago by the way. This place is not a shit hole after all and I'm sorry I said that. It's actually a pretty cozy and comfy place to live in. This is gonna sound stupid and corny, but I think this is a warm place full of love. Anyway, do you know the reason? Why did he not choose you? Is it a trust issue or something? Did you guys have an argument before he passed away? Please tell me the reason why he chose me. I really need to know because it's driving me nuts."
Aunt Shion laughed. It was a bitter and cynical laugh. It was a pretty damn annoying laugh. It was the kind of laugh that makes me wanna punch magical rainbow puppies. "I would love to know too, Arisu-kun. I didn't know until I saw the will two months ago and believe me I was pretty fucking shocked myself. Felt betrayed even. I pestered the lawyer for almost twenty-four-seven and even threatened to shave his pet cat if he didn't explain."
"Uh…huh."
"Damn that Souma… The hell was he thinking? Well we'll never know." She raised her glass and downed the contents in an instant. "Puhaaaaaaaaaaaa! Alcohol is the best."
"Shit." I cursed under my breath.
Aunt Shion then leaned closer and her expression got all serious. "You know what I think? Souma must have thought you can do a better job of running this place than me. He saw something in you as cliché as it may sound. He severed ties with his family except for you. He never stopped talking to you and never stopped talking about you. You're like a son to him and maybe something even more. He probably saw you as a younger version of himself."
"I guess it could be something like that, but I'm still…I dunno." I chuckled softly.
She laughed hysterically. "Say Arisu-kun…" She leaned even more closely. So close that I could almost see her cleavage and I quickly looked away. "Do you know the story of how we got together? How we met and fell in love?"
"No." I shook my head. "I really don't know the full details. My folks weren't so keen on telling me no matter how much I begged them and Uncle Souma just poked my forehead and called me names every time I asked. All I know you were just a high school kid back then and that's pretty much it."
"Yep. A high school kid. A high school girl who was into enjo kosai." She smiled.
(AN: Enjo kosai means compensated dating. It's a practice where high school or middle school girls date or give sexual favors to old men in exchange for money or stuff. It doesn't always involve sex, but it's still a form of prostitution and a big social problem in Japan.)
"O-Oh…" I'm going to regret listening to this story, am I? Enjo kosai? Should I be surprised? My parents did say Aunt Shion is a bit…uh…wild. Damn. This is heavy stuff.
"Don't gimme that look." She frowned.
"N-No…I…I'm sorry." Oh boy. This is going to be a doozy, but we're already here so bring it. "So why? Why did you do enjo kosai? Were you…uh…you know…lacking…funds?"
"My family wasn't poor or anything. Dad earned enough and we had plenty. We had a roof over our heads and food on the table. They didn't abuse me or anything. My parents were pretty darn boring and mundane to be honest, but they cared for me. I was just a very materialistic girl and I loved the thrill of it. I loved seeing old farts going gaga and crazy over an innocent and nubile high school girl. It was disgusting and amusing at the same time."
"Oh…" I lowered my head.
"I arranged dates via the internet and that's how I met your uncle. During that time, your uncle had just divorced his first wife and just moved to Kasumoto City. We had a very, very sexual relationship and he enjoyed every bit of it."
Ooooookay. This is really getting awkward and uncomfortable. I really wanna bail out now.
"Souma was a frequent client. Maybe because he was slowly falling for me or I really rocked his world or something, but he always kept bugging me almost every week after our first encounter. It was kinda annoying at first since I'm not very fond of repeat clients, but I really didn't mind in the end because he paid really well and bought me a lot of pretty stuff unlike my other scumbag clients. He gave me extra dough too for allowance and treated me to a lot of fancy restaurants. Little by little, I got to know him better and found him to be an interesting and likable person. He was passionate, patient and extremely hilarious. He was a jerk sometimes, but I loved that part of him too."
Darn right. That's Uncle Souma alright.
"One day, a client threatened me with a knife because I refused to do it in front of his friend. Your uncle happened to be in the area and he beat the guy up. I was thankful of course and offered free sex as a reward, but he declined my offer. You know what he did instead?"
"Patted your head like a puppy?"
"…"
"I jest, I jest."
She cleared her throat and continued her tale. "He told me to quit what I was doing and asked me out. He asked me to become his lover and stay with him. He promised he'll take care of me and buy me loads of stuff."
"Sounds like an awesome deal. Did you accept? Of course you did. You're here after all."
"I kicked him in the balls and stole his wallet."
"Time paradox!" I shouted.
Aunt Shion ignored me. "He kept following me around and six months later…I…I gave up. I just gave up and leapt into his arms. Just like that. Nothing fairy tale-like. Nothing dramatic. Just like that. The end."
"N-No regrets?"
"No regrets!" She shouted and raised both of her arms like she was praising something. "We abandoned our families afterwards and started a new life here. We bought this building after saving enough cash and turned it into a dormitory. Everyday was bliss until he was killed…" Her eyes started tearing up. "Until…"
"Aunt Shion…" I raised my hand and tried to reach for her, but quickly pulled it away.
"Do you…feel sorry for me?" She asked as she wiped her eyes.
But before I could answer, she suddenly drank half a bottle of Shochu, crawled towards my direction like a spider and kissed me on the lips after grabbing me by the collar!
Holy fucking shit! What the hell just happened!? What the hell is going on!? I could feel her tongue exploring the insides of my mouth and…she's making me…drink the alcohol…in her mouth…I…oh crap! Holy crap! This is bad! This is fucking bad!
"What the hell are you doing!?" I finally found the strength to push her away, but I then…slowly and gently kissed her back and…and…and…everything just went all fuzzy.
Why did I…? What am I…?"
Oh shit.
My head was throbbing like crazy when I woke up. I felt like shit. I felt like hammered shit. It was like a Zeon commando unit just entered my head via my ears and nostrils and started punching and kicking my brain because Zeonism was fucking crazy like that. Then they started planting explosives and Ensign Bernie Wiseman suddenly…
What the hell am I talking about?
What the hell just happened?
Did I just…
Did I…
Did Aunt Shion…
Wait…
Am I lying on the floor or something? Feels really cold and damp and…fuck. Oh man, that Shochu really kicked my ass.
I checked my watch while yawning to see that it was already four in the morning. I then quickly sat up after my brain finally registered the time and slowly looked down to check my body since I was feeling kinda chilly and somewhat…vulnerable.
Huh.
I'm naked.
No wonder I was feeling kinda-OH MY GOD! I'M NAKED! I'M FUCKING NAKED! WHY AM I FUCKING NAKED!?
Did I…
Did I actually…
I did...
I did, didn't I?
I fucking fucked my step-aunt!
"Not bad for a virgin." Aunt Shion rolled over to my side and she was naked too. Her sexy 26 year old body in full glory. "Oh my head is freaking killing me. I think we overdid it."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!" I screamed like a hysterical school girl on fire.
"Shut-up!" My aunt kicked me, but I kept on screaming. "My head is killing me! Stop screaming, you nincompoop. I know getting your cherry popped is a big deal, but-
"I am so not a virgin!" I pointed to her.
"No shit." She spread her arms after sitting up to reveal her perky breasts. "Congratulations. You're a man now, Arisu-kun."
"No, no, no, no, no!" I shook my head. "I already…oh Goddammit! What have I done!?"
"You slept with me, ex-cherry boy." She stretched her arms and tilted her head sideways.
"I slept with my aunt!"
"We're not…really related by blood or anything, you know." She reminded me. "Oh and don't worry. Today or yesterday was a safe day so no biggie."
"Uncle Souma is…"
"Oh I'm sure he'll be okay with it. Besides, it's you. He wouldn't mind since it's you and plus, a dead man can't get jealous."
"Then…I…uh…that's fucked-up."
"Oh and don't get any funny ideas just because…we…I was loyal to Souma! I never did it with another man when we were married. I loved him. I loved him so much. Arisu-kun, you're the first man I slept with after his death and-
"I…I'm going out!" I quickly put on my clothes and ran like the dickens.
"W-W-Waaaait!"
What should I do now? I…I can't go back! I can't face her! I…oh my God. Why did I do that? What the hell is wrong with me? Why did I sleep with her? Was it the alcohol? Of course! It has to be the fucking alcohol! Shochu is fucking evil, man. Fucking evil I tells ya. I should have stopped her when she was lip locking me, but…I…I gave in! I gave in to the temptation and did something so shameful and unforgivable and stupid and really, really stupid. Should I go back home? What should I tell Mom and Dad? They're gonna skin me alive if I told them I boinked my step-aunt because I was kinda drunk and her lips felt good and her tongue and everything. Oh and Uncle Souma! I'm sorry I touched your wife, Uncle Souma! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-
PONK!
Oh cripes. I was going crazy with guilt and shame that I didn't realize I was walking into a lamp post. Ouch. I fixed and adjusted my glasses and looked around to check the area. I just started walking and walking and walking while I was having a major meltdown when I left the dormitory. I had no particular direction in mind and now I think I'm lost. Again.
Wait…
This place looks familiar...
Is this the shopping district? Yeah! It is the shopping district. I passed by that cake shop yesterday and I remember that vending machine over there. This place is deserted though. Where's everyone? A shopping district should be like super busy and super noisy and stuff. Oh right. It's like four in the morning. Of course, it's going to be deserted. Silly me. I think I'm not fully awake yet and not to mention this killer headache.
"Hey dumbass." Someone suddenly said. "You okay? You totally look out of it."
"H-Huh!?" I swung my head in the direction of the voice and found a dark-haired foreigner squatting in front of a closed hobby shop. He was wearing a white hoodie and slurping instant ramen like there's no tomorrow. Next to him was a Gunpla. It was the RX-99 Neo Gundam from the Silhouette Formula 91 manga. Glad to see another guy who's into obscure mobile suits like me. I totally would love chat with him, but I'm pretty freaked out right now. Plus, he looked really shady and shit. He'll probably mug me or something if I approached him. I gotta get the hell out of here! I need to move!
"You okay?" He asked again in perfect Japanese.
"I…I'm fine!" I said and bowed my head. "I'm gotta go now!" I said and ran. "Bye!" I shouted in English while waving goodbye.
"Fucking weirdo." The foreigner shook his head in amusement and continued eating.
I found a twenty-four hour arcade center and reluctantly took refuge there. Thankfully, the place wasn't that crowded and tight. Nothing but a bunch of young punks and delinquents killing time since it was the wee hours of the morning. I found the beep-booping sounds, reckless clacking of buttons and the screeching screams of the rebellious youth somewhat comforting and soothing. I leaned against the wall, next to a poster of some old fighting game that I vaguely recognize, and finally calmed down. My hands were still shaking like crazy, but I was slowly gaining my composure and was thinking straight again.
How am I gonna face Aunt Shion now? She was acting like nothing happened and was pretty nonchalant about it. That actually scares me. How could she do that and not think about the consequences? Maybe my parents were right about her and...
No.
I...should go back but...
Not like this.
I need to face this though. I need to face this like a man and take responsibility. I should have a good talk with her, but I need to relax first. Maybe I should play some video games or something. Oh I know! Gunpla Battle! I'm sure there's a battle system around here somewhere since it's a freaking arcade and it's Kasumoto City and all. I wouldn't be surprised if the coffee shops around here have a battle system or two. Gunpla is the way of life here in Kasumoto City and Gunpla brings in the ka-ching ka-ching. Oh crap. I left my Gunpla at the dormitory. Should go back and get it? Hah! Like hell. I think I'll just watch a couple of matches and skidaddle when I'm feeling ready to face the music.
Finding the battle table was easy because it was smack-dab in the middle of the arcade center. Two people were using it and the match was nearing its end. A gloomy-looking kid with messy hair and dark bags under his eyes was the one winning and his customized white and grey MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam was totally in control of the match. His opponent, a big bald guy with numerous piercing on his face, grimaced with frustration while trying to find an opening to regain advantage, but it was already too late. The bald guy didn't see the Zeta Gundam coming from above and his AMX-009 Dreissen was sliced in half. Kaboom.
"Battle ended." The computerized voice announced and I clapped my hands.
"You cheating son of a bitch!" The bald guy suddenly grabbed the kid's right arm and pulled him closer. "I'm gonna fucking rip your head off, you fucking little-
"Hey, hey, hey, hey." I interrupted. "What gives? He won fair and square, man. He didn't cheat. How can you even cheat? You just need to accept your loss and git gud, son."
"Fuck off. This ain't your business, four-eyes." He spat.
I tilted my head and adjusted my glasses. "I don't normally stick my nose into other people's affairs, but I just can't ignore something that is so blatantly wrong and stupid. The kid won fair and square. Any idiot could see that. What the fuck is wrong with you, baldy?"
"Losing to this piece of shit…is the most embarrassing thing ever." The bald guy said.
"Embarrassing? What's there to be embarrassed about? The kid's actually good. You're taking this a little too hard, man. You need to relax."
"You're new here, aren't you?" The bald guy crossed his arms. "I could tell. You got that brand new smell."
"I got what now?" I scratched my head.
"Fumi-san here is mentally sick." The bald guy pushed the kid away and he stumbled down like a rag doll.
"Mentally sick?" I narrowed my eyes.
"As in mental? He's fucking retarded." The bald guy laughed. "Sick in the head."
"Is…that true?" I turned to Fumi for confirmation.
Fumi stood up and dusted himself. "It's not a mental problem. It's more like a social problem. I'm not crazy or retarded." He mumbled. "I'm…getting better now."
"Fuck you, Fumi." The bald guy laughed again. "You ain't getting better. You're still fucking retarded to me. Shit. I can't believe I lost to you. I can't believe I lost to this shit."
"Hey man…" I walked over to the bald guy and pointed at him. "That's not cool."
"You wanna get it on, four-eyes?" The bald guy's smile disappeared. "You wanna die? You want me to shove those glasses up your ass or something and rip your balls off-
"Kinky." I chuckled. "Sorry, man. I don't swing that way." I mocked.
"You fucking asshole!" He lunged at me and I was prepared to do the fisticuffs dance. Not that I have a lick of chance of winning though, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do yo.
"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPUUUUUU!" Someone suddenly screamed and we both turned our heads to see a short young woman with short wavy hair and a face full of freckles jumping around and waving her arms like a freaking maniac. She was probably an employee since she was wearing a purple uniform and a weird hat. "No fighting! You wanna get down and dirty then take it outside and don't bother the other customers. You wanna fight like real men then fire up the battle system again. This is Kasumoto City, you idiots! We settle things with Gunpla Battle."
"That's…actually a pretty good idea." The bald guy snickered and pulled out another Gunpla. It was a customized GAT-01A1 Dagger from SEED MSV. It was equipped with the Aile Striker Pack and armed with the Gundam X Divider's beam machine gun, but with a bitching wicked scope and other bells and whistles. The shield was new and probably an original design.
"I would love to, but I don't have a Gunpla with me right now." Gah! I hope I didn't sound like a coward. Should I run back to the dormitory and get Pixie?
"Not a problem." The bald guy snickered again and produced another Gunpla. It was a MSA-005K Guncannon Detector from Zeta MSV. It looked like a standard vanilla built, no modifications or extra new weapons or anything. It'll do I guess.
"Wow." I chuckled. "You sure have a lot of Gunpla with you."
"This is Kasumoto City, fuck face. Gunpla is ammunition here." He said proudly. "So we ready to rumble, four-eyes?" He handed the Guncannon Detector to me.
"Let's do it then." I nodded and smiled.
That day…
Five weeks before Iori Sei meets Reiji…
Months before the start of the Seventh Gunpla Battle World Championship…
Four days before Tachibana Isamu meets Vincent Harvey…
Weeks before Kamijou Akira encounter the mysterious Satsuki Akame…
Wakahisa Arisu's own messed-up wonderland was about to begin. The battles to come, the people he will meet and befriend, the rivals he will face with unrelenting determination, the women he will protect and cherish and the mystery of his uncle's death...
Arisu's life was just about to get a little interesting.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And here it is! My second Gundam Build Fighters fanfic which is also a spin-off to Moving Forward.
As you can see, Arisu in Wonderland is a little more...uh...mature? Nah. That's not the word I'm looking for. It's...uh...more seinen I guess? I dunno! Let's just say that this story will be touching some more sensitive and taboo subjects compared to Moving Forward. I'm afraid that might turn off some people and I'm sorry for that, but I'm still going for it because I really wanna tell this story. It's not going to be all gritty and edgy and shit like that. It'll still be lighthearted, quirky and funny like Moving Forward. The characters will still be dorky underdogs like Isamu and his gang. But yeah. It'll feature some really...uh...sensitive stuff. I won't make light of them of course and they'll be very important for character interaction and development.
I also used a lot of manga and other works for inspiration like Onani Master Kurosawa, Molester Man, Aku no Hana, the extremely terrible Velvet Kiss, Mon Seul, all of Masahiro Itosugi's train-wrecky works, a little bit of School Days and other unintentionally hilarious eroges and a shitload of ero-manga.
Yeah lol. I just hope I won't go too far with this.
Anyhoo! Did anyone watched the last episode of Gundam Unicorn? Oh man, it sure ended kinda weird. I didn't hate it, but they could have added more. The Newtype stuff was really bizarre, but then again, Newtype stuff is always bizarre and weird. The animation and action though was pure smex. The animation was just really freaking beautiful and the mecha porn was glorious as always. Oh well, Unicorn is now over and I feel a bit sad. But hey, there's Origin, Tomino's new Gundam and the second season of Build Fighters to look forward to so it's all good I guess.
Well I hope you all will enjoy this new story and be sure to post reviews. Thanks!