By: Riyuji
Disclaimer: I do want to own Get Backers but, unfortunately, I don't. This is for entertainment purposes only, thus I'm not getting paid for doing any of this. But I would gladly take any sum of money offered to me.
Author's Notes: This is actually part of Rabid Lola's Jealous series. This takes place somewhere between Jealous and Reflection.
"Ne, Master, could I have a pepperoni pizza?"
"Why don't you just use that money you won to pay off all the debts that you and your damn partner still owe me?"
Ginji simply grinned his all-too-innocent grin as a reply to Paul. It was just his way of shoving it into the face of the café owner. He, Natsumi and Madoka did win the bet after all.
Paul just answered with a grunt as he unfolded the newspaper and got back to his reading.
"I'll get that for you, Gin-chan," chimed Natsumi, also reminding Paul that she got some money from him. The tone of her voice noted that the money wasn't part of her pay. Sure, it was just 2,500 yen from him, considering the fact that Ginji had gotten the other half, but it still called for bragging rights.
Everyone had wagered 5,000 yen for the bet… Most of the others had wondered how the hell Ginji had money on him but decided to wave it off as soon as Himiko burst into the Honky Tonk… and the three winners divided the total of 35,000 yen among themselves. Madoka decided to give up her part having found no use for the money, being as rich as she already is, so Ginji and Natsumi simply halved the sum.
For Natsumi this was quite a huge add to her weekly allowance from her dad so it was taking her some time to decide what to do with it.
For Ginji, on the other hand, well, he was already thinking of some good places to eat in for the next few days. Ban had suggested some places to him in the past (always at a time when they ran low on cash) and he wanted to try them out. The only problem was… he couldn't recall the names of the restaurants. Talk about lousy timing.
A pizza was placed before the Get Backer, ending his train of thought.
"Here you go, Gin-chan!"
"Thanks, Natsumi-chan," a very happy Ginji said. He immediately paid up for his meal, making sure Paul would see it and not add this to the tab.
Paul did see this and blinked in surprise… Well, it was quite hard to tell if he really did blink, not being able to see behind his shades and all. He was genuinely surprised that one of the Get Backers actually paid for a meal. He then realized that Natsumi and Ginji were grinning at him yet again, forcing him to go back to his newspaper.
The other two chuckled in response.
"Itadakimasu!" Ginji grabbed two slices of the pizza, turned to the right and took a bite of the pizza on that hand. Then, he turned to the left and nibbled on that slice. He wolfed down both pieces in what seemed like a minute and snatched another from the plate.
"You eat like you haven't been fed in days."
Ginji stopped in mid-chew and smiled at the waitress. "Three days, actually," he said after he swallowed.
"Wow. How do you and Ban-san last that long?"
Ginji took a few seconds to think.
And came up empty.
"Actually," Ginji said, reluctantly. He shifted into tare form before adding, "I have no idea."
Natsumi let out a giggle.
Ginji, back in his normal form, couldn't help but admire the girl before him. 'Natsumi-chan's real cute, isn't she?'
Unfortunately, his brain joined in on the conversation he was having with himself. She sure is.
'Hey, who invited you?'
Ginji swore that he could almost see the smirk his brain was flashing at him.
"Gin-chan, if you don't finish that soon it'll get cold," said Natsumi, pointing at the half-eaten pizza slice he held in his hand.
The Get Backer felt heat rise up to his cheeks. Hoping that the girl before him didn't see that faint shade of pink on his face he scarfed down the pizza slice and immediately went to his fourth serving.
In his hurry, he nearly choked on a chunk of pizza he had swallowed. He emitted some sort of gagging noises for a few seconds then started hitting himself on the chest with a closed fist. He used too much force as he hit himself causing him to fall of his chair. Hitting himself one more time, he let out a gasp as he got his breath back.
A soft chuckle came from behind the counter and Ginji knew that Paul was laughing at him.
Natsumi leaned over the tabletop, trying to see in the dakkanya was all right. "Ah! Gin-chan! Are you okay?" she asked. She confronted a questionable expression that was etched on the Get Backer's features. It made her wonder if he lost any more brain cells. Ban contributes to his loss of brain cells, hitting him on the head every so often anyway. She giggled inwardly at her private joke.
He got back on his seat using the stool as leverage. "Could I also have a Coke?" he said, his head falling onto the tabletop.
Putting on her usual smile, Natsumi slipped a Coke can into his hand. "I guess you should slow down when you eat, right?"
Ginji nodded in response. "I think the past finally got me back. Probably because of that time when I choked Ban-chan when he ate the last slice," he exclaimed with a sigh, opening the can.
"I remember that! The first time we met, you and Ban-san were fighting over the last slice of pizza that Master made." A giggle. "Then, you electrocuted Ban-san!"
Laughter erupted from the two, recalling that instance. Both were laughing so heartily that if the Honky Tonk had customers, the two would probably receive uncanny stares from them. But considering if there were customers then the conversation Ginji and Natsumi were sharing wouldn't have began in the first place.
"Oh yeah, I haven't paid for the Coke yet." Ginji reached for his wallet in his back pocket.
Natsumi leaned down and whispered, "You don't need to pay, Gin-chan. It's on me."
In the same low tone, he asked, "Are you sure, Natsumi-chan? Imagine what Master would say if he finds out." He didn't want the girl to get into trouble because of him, for varying reasons, of course. She could lose her job for one thing and… the other reason, well, was something he found hard to admit to anyone but himself. Which made him curious… How the hell did Himiko know?!
"It's okay, Gin-chan," she said, taking a few loose coins from her pocket. She then slipped them into the register. "I'm not sure what I'm going to spend all this money on anyway."
Natsumi glanced at her watch and gasped, recalling something. She went over to Paul's corner in the counter. "Master, could I have the rest of the day off? I have a project to finish with a couple of classmates."
Paul looked up from his newspaper. "As long as you're here tomorrow."
Natsumi smiled, her hand rising to her forehead in the form of a salute. "Hai, Master!" She then gathered her belongings and packed them into her schoolbag.
Some part of Ginji's brain decided to appear again in the form of an even smaller Tare Ginji. He walked around the blackness of his owner's mind until a stick came into its path. It picked the stick and began poking Ginji mentally in an attempt to allow him to make his move. Aren't you going to go with her?
'Huh? Why should I? Natsumi-chan can take care of herself.'
If his brain had a mind of its own… it would let out an exasperated sigh right about now. Hello? What do you expect yourself to do for the next who-knows how many hours? If you just sit here I'd bet Paul would just try to get you to pay up that debt of yours and you'll be broke again for who-knows how long!
'Good point.'
He got the last two slices of pizza from the pan and placed them on top of each other, much like how a sandwich would look… only triangular in shape. He devoured both pieces, wiping his mouth with a tissue afterwards. "Wait up, Natsumi-chan. Let me get the door for you."
Natsumi giggled at the retriever's friendly gesture. "Why, thank you, Gin-chan."
The bell jingled as the door opened, Natsumi stepped out and Ginji followed her, shutting the door behind him. That short scene made Paul wonder… 'What the hell is going on lately? First, Ban. Now, Ginji.' He just shook his head and waved the thought away.
The schoolgirl and the Get Backer made their way down the streets of Shinjuku toward wherever the girl and her classmates were supposed to meet. They walked in silence until Ginji spoke up.
"Where are you meeting your friends?"
"Nowhere special. Just a local cake shop around here."
Somehow, Ginji could tell she was hinting at something… he just wasn't sure what. Before long, it hit him. It was probably that place where he and Ban and promised to treat Natsumi a week's worth of cake. He had forgotten about that bet already. "Natsumi-chan, that wouldn't happen to be the place wher-"
"Un!" Natsumi nodded her head in glee. She'll finally get the free cake that she's waited for quite a while now. Fortunately for her they were only two blocks away from Minami-Sanjodo's.
"Wai!" was Ginji's reaction as they entered the place. Sweets, cakes, bread, muffins, cookies and practically anything that could be baked seemed to fill the store.
Natsumi looked around to see if any of her classmates had arrived yet. "Looks like no one is here yet. I know! I'll just get some cake. You're paying, right?" she said, turning to face her companion, who suddenly went missing. "Gin-chan?"
Ginji was looking right and left, leaning on the glass that separated him from the sweet taste of… whatever was on the other side. He moved back and forth through the shop like he was a little child in the middle of a branch of Toys'r'us.
The high school student giggled as she went up to the counter to order. "I'll take that as a yes. Could I please have a slice of Chocolate Mousse?"
The clerk didn't seem to hear her. He was too busy taking notice of the weirdo who had his face pressed against one of the glass cases.
"Excuse me, miss," he said to Natsumi. "Could you please tell your friend not to lean on the glass?"
Natsumi giggled again. "Gin-chan, I think he's talking about you."
"Huh?" Ginji asked, snapping back to reality. He pushed himself off the case, his cheek and handprints leaving a temporary mark on it.
The cashier turned to Natsumi again. "What will it be, miss?"
"A slice of Chocolate Mousse please!"
"And a slice of Strawberry Shortcake," added Ginji not being able to resist the call of food and finally making up his mind from the many selections it started with.
He then turned to Natsumi. "Why didn't you tell me about this place, Natsumi-chan? I would've tried to come here long ago!"
Natsumi raised an eyebrow. "But if I did, would you and Ban-san given me what you owe?"
Ginji then began fiddling with his index fingers. "Well, it would depend…"
"I was just kidding!"
"Eh, Natsumi-chan? Exactly what time did they say they'd meet you?"
"Supposedly twenty minutes ago. What's taking them so long?"
Two empty plates, a couple of tissues and a receipt lay before the schoolgirl and the Get Backer. Ginji had his chin leaning on the tabletop while Natsumi had begun sending text messages to her classmates.
Natsumi wasn't even able to finish the message when her found began ringing.
"Hai? Sayuri-chan, where are you already? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay, see you in ten." She closed her phone and slipped it into her bag. "They got caught up in something. They said they'll be here in around ten minutes."
"I see. But we can't just sit here."
"What makes you say so?"
He pointed at the cashier boy behind him. "I think he's been dropping hints for five minutes now," said Ginji, a sweatdrop forming.
"Okay. Then let's just go to the arcade!" She stood from her chair and grabbed her companion's arm, dragging him to the arcade across the street.
"Sugoi!" exclaimed Ginji as he entered the bustling facility.
Natsumi tilted her head to the side. "Is this your first time in an arcade, Gin-chan?"
"Un," he said with a nod. "Ban-chan would never allow me to go to a place like this. He says I might finish up our money here." He scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Then allow me to introduce to you the world of gaming!"
It took a while for them to find an empty game to play and an even longer time to teach Ginji the controls by the time they had found one. But as soon as Ginji got the hang of it…
"Ne, Natsumi-chan? How about we make a bet? If I win, we cut down the rest of the cake-buying week by half."
Natsumi grinned. "And if I win, you help me wash the dishes at work tomorrow!"
Apparently, Ginji wasn't thinking when he agreed to the terms… Natsumi won anyway. Unfortunately, Ginji let out a small electric spark after the loss… The spark seemed to have shorted out the gaming unit.
Silence.
Ginji bit his bottom lip. "Do we run?"
Natsumi gulped. "Let's!"
Though the two made a run for it, they both ended up laughing their heads off outside the complex.
"Natsumi!"
Both Ginji and Natsumi turned to Minami-Sanjodo's to find a couple of petite schoolgirls waving. "Natsumi! Over here!"
"Well, I guess I have to go."
"It's okay. I'll just go back and wait for Ban-chan."
"Oh, by the way… I'm just curious but where did you get the money for the bet about Ban-san and Himiko-san?"
"I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone it was a bluff." Both his hands were together, begging her not to tell.
"Hai, Gin-chan! Your secret's safe with me!" She said with a smile
"Arigato. Ja, Natsumi-chan!" Ginji folded both his arms behind his head and walked back to the Honky Tonk.
See! Told you that you were gonna like that!
Ginji tried to shush the nagging voice in the back of his brain.
But you enjoyed it anyway, didn't you?
Inwardly, Ginji smiled.
One of Natsumi's friends nudged her when she reached the other side of the street. "Was that the guy you were telling us about?"
"Natsumi! Why didn't you tell us he was this cute?"
Natsumi covered her face behind her brown schoolbag, hiding the blush that began spreading across here cheeks. "Well…"
It was already early in the evening when Ban had gotten back. The bell over the Honky Tonk door announced his arrival. He was greeted his partners happy-evil-grin. 'That smile's so damn unnerving!'
"Took you long enough." A tone of mischief in Ginji's voice.
Ban waved that comment away and sat on the bar, lighting a cigarette.
"Did you stop in any dark alleyways on the way?" asked Ginji.
"Idiot," exclaimed Ban. "Then he realized something… Something was missing. "Where's Natsumi?"
The mischief in Ginji's voice slowly dissipated. "Oh, she had to go already."
"Eh?" Ban felt a little mischievous himself. But he wasn't able to make a comeback as soon as he noticed the slice of ham and egg sandwich in front of his partner. "Did you mooch off Paul again?"
"He paid for it," said Paul, wiping a plate clean.
"What!"
"He did."
"Ginji! Where did you get the money?!" A furious Ban shouted, hovering above a now Tare-Ginji.
"Gomen, Ban-chan." Tare-Ginji had his hands raised before him. "But I can't tell you where it came from."
"Then where's the rest of it…"
"There's still a bit. I used it on food and… a couple of games at the arcade."
"How could you be so foolhardy about things like that!" Ban growled and slumped on the bar, mumbling and cursing beneath his breath.
Ginji just let out a nervous laugh.
It seemed as if Ban was too preoccupied to have noticed that their cellphone (which was with Ginji at the moment) just received a message. He would usually lunge at it, thinking it was another possible job.
Ginji opened the message. "Eh? It's from Natsumi-chan."
The message read: Thanks for the fun time, Gin-chan! We should do it again sometime. Oh yeah, don't forget that you're supposed to help me with the dishes tomorrow.
Ginji simply sighed. Not a sigh of exasperation, but a sigh of contentment.
Author's Notes: Well, that was kinda random. If you guys don't get the brain cells thing... my friends and I claim that each time you get hit on the head you lose brain cells. I don't know if it's really true but... Err... Please review.