A/N: Thank you for your faves, reviews and follows!
Enjoy!
Chapter 4
A day in Akihabara.
...
Meanwhile on Earth…
Ryouta woke up and after stretching, he headed directly to the bathroom. There, he brushed his teeth and took a shower before heading downstairs wondering why the place is so silent. When he reached into the living room, he saw Ryouhei and Ritsuko dressed neatly in suits.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To work." Ryouhei responded. Ryouta internally face palmed himself. He was so used to his entire family working from home that he forgot. "Be a good boy and don't leave this house, don't answer to strangers, don't ―"
"Yeah, yeah and I shouldn't take the apple from the old woman dressed in rags." Ryouta sighed, referring to a fairy tale.
The two parents let out a chuckle and did to Ryouta what seemed to be a ritual ―ruffled his hair and kissed him on his forehead. Ritsuko then pointed to the microwave in the kitchen and told him that once he hears a 'ding' sound, he should eat his breakfast. But Ryouhei wrote down their numbers (both cell phones and work) for him to call them should anything happen.
Ryouta nodded, this was just like his parents back home.
But before they could have left, the doorbell rang. With a raised brow, Ryouhei went to answer. Opening the door, he saw a teenage boy, with an all too familiar face. Ryouhei actually grinned. The boy before him had neatly combed black hair with his bangs slightly covering his eyebrows in the gentleman hairstyle. His eyes were narrow shaped with his pupils being a very bright blue. He wore a black shirt with green cut-off jeans and matching sneakers.
"Good morning Hakase-kun," Ryouhei greeted. "What brings you here?"
"Good morning Kise-san," Hakase greeted. "Have you forgotten that Ryou and I had plans to go to Akiba today?"
Ritsuko and Ryouhei exchanged glances. Oh right…
But hearing this, Ryouta perked up. Using the verb he heard in the final part of the sentence, Ryouta judged that this 'Akiba' is a place. And if it's a place, he'll be able to leave this small matchbox. Add to that, there was a Hakase Mahiro in this world as well. No worries about trying to figure out what the other Ryouta was like around him.
"That's right!" he perked. "Let me go get dressed!"
"Wait just a minute!" Ryouhei shouted. Immediately, the blond froze. He turned around to see Ryouhei inviting Hakase into the house. Ritsuko then called Ryouta over and the conversation that took place next, left Ryouta gaping.
The two parents actually told the boy of his predicament.
In this world where there is no existence of magic, how could they tell someone something of this magnitude? Back home it would be quite believable, ―plausible rather, since there are teleportation circles used for travel.
"So that's why I couldn't get through to him on his cell phone?" He heard Hakase ask.
"Yeah, Ryou probably had his cell phone on him."
"This is…this is…I can't even find words to say. That Ryou isn't my best friend?" Hakase looked absolutely mortified. He then waved his hand in a gesture which signalled he needed some time. He turned his face away, and neither of the Kises could see what expression he made. They heard some heaving, and they even saw him shaking. But not wanting this to turn out into something nasty or heart wrenching, Ryouta stepped closer to the boy.
"Mahiro," he started. "It's true." He then raised a hand and after he did so, yellow Lightning crackled around it. "Can your Ryou do this?"
Hakase stood there frozen. He gaped at the boy's hand for what seemed like forever before being snapped back to reality by Ryouhei.
"You really are from another world…" Hakase breathed out. "Tell me! What's it like!? Are there dragons!? Are there Adventurers?! Are there ―" he broke off due to Ryouta placing a finger on his lips.
"If you want information on my world, I suggest you take me to this 'Akiba' place you and the other Ryouta were designated to go. Exchange is no robbery, right?" The Prince smirked.
Ryouhei and Ritsuko let out sighs of relief. The only reason why they agreed to tell Hakase was because they needed someone to aid him while at school. After all, the boy was from a different world, Ryouhei didn't want him to unleash his Lightning on anyone who pissed him off. This Ryouta seemed like the short-tempered impulsive type.
"Deal." Hakase grinned.
"Hakase-kun, this is dangerous. I can't have ―"
"Daddy~" Ryouta whined and clung to the man. "We'll be fine. I promise I won't use my spatial ring or my magic. Please let me see the world." he was begging, being all pouty and using the upturned eyes tactic.
"Gah!" Ryouhei said as he turned away his face. His son was just too cute to handle. "You can go, but not today."
"Why?" Ryouta whined. "I want to see the world! Don't be so stingy!"
"I'm not being stingy! You don't have a Japanese cell phone or rather, a chip from a Japanese network in that thing. The crowds are pretty heavy today, what if you get separated from Hakase-kun?"
"Ku…"
"Secondly, you don't know the area. You don't know the train lines; you don't even know your address." Ryouhei reasoned. "I'll let you go anywhere you want with Hakase-kun, but not today. Please understand."
"He's right, Ryouta." Hakase said, using 'Ryouta' instead of Ryou. "You came here yesterday, right? I'll give you some geography lessons and stuff. We can always go next week."
The Prince couldn't argue. He knew that Ryouhei was right, and gave in. He returned to the sofa and sat with a loud 'plop'. His face was downcast, but everyone present could tell that the Prince was eager to go out.
"Hakase-kun, please keep this boy safe and off the streets." Ritsuko said.
"Well, that's kinda steep. I mean, Ryouta can wield electricity. If he wants, he can electrocute me and escape." He said with a chuckle.
"Thanks for the idea." Ryouta joked.
"But I'll try my best." Hakase said to override what the Prince said.
"And I won't escape. After all, Mahiro can always teach me how to read a manga, unlike someone I know."
"I know what you're hinting at." Ryouhei said with a half-smile. "Remember, I am your father, there are places I can take you that Hakase-kun can't. Choose who you want to piss off wisely."
"Shit," he mumbled.
With that, the two parents left, but of course, Hakase was left in charge of everything. The poor boy didn't even know whether or not to feel psyched up about learning about another world or that he's been put on babysitting duty until the Prince gets used to the country (which he doubts is anytime soon).
"Great, now that they're gone, Mahiro," Ryouta said with a smirk. "Let's go to this Akiba place."
"Ryouta! We can't! You heard your father!" Hakase tried to reason. "If we go out and then we're found out, what do you think will happen to me?"
"Nothing." The Prince shrugged. "I mean, I can threaten to kill you with my magic if you don't do my bidding. Obviously, Daddy won't do anything to you." But then, the Prince's face darkened. "That said…" Lightning crackled all over his body as if signifying that Ryouta could end him within a flash. "Let's go or else…"
Hakase sighed. He knew that if he tried to argue with him, he really might get electrocuted. There was something about this Ryouta that Hakase could tell was different from his best friend.
"Your Highness," he started. "Go get dressed so that we can head to Akiba."
"Yosh!" Ryouta cheered and dashed up the stairs. Hakase followed shortly after him, to ensure that he dresses appropriately. Like Kise, Hakase thought that Ryouta's world was like those depicted in fantasy manga ―medieval like clothing and buildings, so he wanted to ensure that the Prince knew what to mix and match.
"Ryouta, I'm coming to help you pick ―" He broke off as he saw what the Prince was in, although he was more appalled about the speed at which he changed. Ryouta donned a red v-neck t-shirt and a white knee length pair of shorts. To secure his pants, there was a black belt with studs on the bands. Also, he wore a red converse to match his shirt. On his wrist was the watch he had arrived with from his world.
"Help me to pick what?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." Hakase replied. But then he remembered something. "You need to wear some sunglasses."
"Why?"
"To hide you from fangirls."
The Prince was lost at that statement and had asked, "Why do I have fangirls?"
"Because you're a model. Well, my Ryou was."
The Prince said nothing more. There are models in his world as well but to think that he was one in this world was really disheartening. He thought that the other Ryouta would at least invest his free time into something more worthwhile…like engineering or researching stuff. He twisted his face in disgust as he hasn't the time to be standing in front of a camera in pretty clothes and looking good.
"Fuck," he snarled, startling Hakase.
"Dude, what's wrong with you, now?" he asked. "We're going to Akiba, alright?"
"It's not that. I don't want to be a model."
"But Ryou likes doing it, so you have to."
"No I don't."
"I'm pretty sure that Ryou doesn't have a choice in your world, right? He has to become you, a Prince. At least you can do this much for him."
Ryouta hated that Hakase was right. "Tsch. Even in this world you manage to piss me off with your reasoning."
Hakase smiled. "Of course. But there's another me in your world?"
"Yes," Ryouta nodded. "But we aren't best friends. We're more like close friends who have similar interests."
"Heeh?" Hakase smirked. "Ain't that interesting?"
"You have no idea."
The two boys left the house, and walked towards the station to catch the next train to Tokyo. However, when they reached, Hakase noticed the unbelievable crowd. Since it was the weekend, this was to be expected. Add to that, there were many sales occurring in Akiba today so a lot of patrons wanted a piece of that cake. Ryouhei had warned them of the crowd and if he loses the Prince here, Hakase knew he'd be dead.
"Look, Ryou ―Ryouta," he said. He chose to call him Ryouta so as to not mistake him for his best friend the Japanese Kise Ryouta which he calls Ryou.
"Hmm?"
"Hold onto me. Anywhere is fine."
"Why?"
"You see this crowd? I can't lose you!"
"All I'd have to do is send a signal in the air and you'll come running right?"
"And if someone sees you do it, you'll be taken to be some lab rat!"
"I'll just bust myself out."
"And then they'll announce it on TV, this boy is extremely dangerous and should be caught immediately. Your life will be over."
"Fine." Ryouta succumbed and held the boy's hand, entangling their fingers together.
Hakase flinched away. "Don't hold my hand like that! People will think otherwise!"
Ryouta frowned. "You just told me to hold onto anywhere and now you're bitching about it? Make up your damn mind!"
"I'll just hold your wrist."
"Fine. As long as we get to Akiba, I don't care what you hold onto."
"That phrasing is…off."
"By the way, where's this 'Akiba' located?" Ryouta said to change the subject.
"First, Akiba is just a nickname. The city's real name is Akihabara. And it's located in Tokyo."
Ryouta gaped. "Huh? Then it's just like Yamato City and Kanagawa then."
"What are you talking about?"
"When I first came here, I was told that I was in Yamato City, Kanagawa. In my world, there also exists Yamato City, but Kanagawa isn't a prefecture but the capital city of my country."
"Woah,"
"Tokyo and Akihabara are cities in another country called Shutoku. Tokyo, being the capital."
"Well, at least your world got some things right." Hakase joked. "Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and Shutoku is a school that wears an abominable orange sports jersey." The raven-haired boy then smirked. "I see someone's in need of a geography lesson."
Ryouta let out a groan. "Tell me about it."
While waiting on the train, Hakase learnt about Ryouta's world. The Prince showed him his phone and Kei which left the boy floored. Hakase wanted to see Ryouta use a magic spell but he decided to leave that for another time and when they aren't in a crowded place.
Hakase was actually beaming, as this info goes against the majority of the fiction written here. He wasn't all that surprised since it was fiction, but to hear this calibre of information, the boy felt like he was in heaven. Add to that, he was fuming that Kise was currently living in that world and had no means of contacting him. He knows that the boy would have spilled everything to him.
In another minute, the train arrived and the people boarded it. However, due to it passing through other cities before making it here, the seats were all full and there were some people already standing. Hakase chose to enter the train as one of the last people as he wanted both he and Ryouta to be close to the door.
When inside, Ryouta was extremely uncomfortable. He had his back against the door with Hakase in front of him; both of his hands were pressed against the door to use as a brace.
"You know, the trains in my Kingdom are just as packed as this." Ryouta murmured. "But I've never experienced it."
"As expected of a Prince." Hakase said with a chuckle.
"My status has nothing to do with it." Ryouta countered. "It's just that anytime my friends and I take the train, it'll be outside the rush hours."
"I see. But what's a Prince doing taking the trains? Hell, taking public transportation in general?"
"Well, the people don't know that I'm a Prince. To them, I'm just one of the many pretty boys in the country."
"Why don't they know?"
"Dad wants us to feel for ourselves the emotions of the people and things like that without filters. A perk of that, we'll be able to choose the right girls to marry. Plus, I don't want to marry some gold-digging bitch."
Hakase shuddered. This Ryouta is frightening. "I see."
After a few more stops, their train had finally reached their destination. But, as soon as the doors flew open, the crowd rushed out, pushing and shoving the two boys all over the place. Hakase felt Ryouta slipping from his grasp, but tried to snatch his wrist back. However, another surge of people came out of nowhere and pushed Hakase forwards, closer to the stairs.
"Ryouta!" he shouted. But the Prince didn't answer. More like, the Prince didn't hear. "Oh shit." Hakase started to fret. He looked around quickly, hoping to spot Ryouta's bright hair. Sadly, no such luck.
Just then, he heard screaming and frantic chatter. Looking in the direction, he saw a ball of Lightning hovering. With a sigh of relief, he dashed towards it, thinking that this may be Ryouta's way of showing his location. When he pushed and shoved and made his way to the ball, he saw Ryouta standing by the pillar with a frightened look on his face.
"Ryouta, you aren't scared are you?" Hakase asked.
"Tsch, as if." Ryouta scoffed. "I just didn't want to become a lab rat. I have to blend in with the foolish masses."
"Yet, you still did that." Hakase said, pointing his thumb into the air. But by now, the ball had disappeared.
"Well, no one saw me do it. All I did was channel some Lightning along the pillar and then have it accumulate into a ball in the air."
"Thank God." Hakase sighed. He then grabbed the boy's wrist and headed up the stairs to leave the underground subway. But what weighed on Hakase's mind was a way to not lose the Prince. But that thought was quickly pushed away when he heard Ryouta let out a gasp of surprise.
"Amazing! This is Akiba!?"
"Yes Your Highness, feast your eyes on one of Japan's most visited cities."
"Wow, the Akihabara in my world looks nothing like this!"
All around, Ryouta could see tall colourful buildings with many attractive signs. As he and Hakase walked along the sidewalks, the Prince was in awe of the city's uniqueness. On both sides of the streets, there were many patrons as well as people dressed in clothing that the Prince could tell was not a usual thing. One type he could identify was the maids, they were distinct but there were others that stuck out like a sore thumb.
He saw one male dressed in an orange and black jumpsuit, with what seemed to be a metal plate attached to a dark cloth on his forehead. He had blond hair; Ryouta didn't know whether or not it was dyed.
"That guy, why is he dressed like that?" Ryouta asked.
"It's called cosplay. People dress up like characters from anime and manga all the time."
"Oh. And what's his story?"
"The one in the jumpsuit?"
"Yeah,"
Hakase groaned. "He's the main character with a nine-tailed beast sealed inside him by his father to protect their village. The father died in the process, but the blond boy wants to be the number one ninja in his village. That said, he went through all the layers of hell to achieve that dream."
"Nine-tailed beast? Ninja? Interesting. I want to read it."
"Good luck reading off seven hundred chapters plus the sequel."
"I take that back."
Hakase laughed at the boy's swift response. The two continued their walk; Ryouta was absolutely mesmerized by the city's lights. They passed by many electronics shops and many cosplay cafés which were no less than eye-catching. After they rounded a corner, Ryouta noticed one building that stood out the most.
This building boasted six floors with tinted windows. On the sides, there were five orange signs which seemed to take the shape of the staircases on the inside. On these orange signs were the words Sega.
"Mahiro, what's that building?" Ryouta asked.
"Oh, that's the Sega building. It's like the mecca of all things electronic." Hakase replied. "It has plenty of video games, anime, manga, you name it."
"So can we go inside? I want to see."
"But remember, we're strapped for time. Who knows when your father may drop in to check up on us?"
"Alright, just the first floor. Please?"
Hakase sighed. "Sure, let's go."
Gripping the Prince's wrist firmly, Hakase moved off towards the building. They crossed the street at the appropriate time, and swiftly made their way inside. Ryouta was appalled. On the first floor, there were many aisles of shelves which had stored a variety of things. To the left, Ryouta saw a shelf full of stuffed toys, which were surprisingly cute. In a way, they reminded him of Kei, only bigger and made of sponges (probably).
"Interesting." Ryouta said as he pressed his face against the glass. "Look, this one has a handcuff! Is he supposed to be a police?"
"Not necessarily." Hakase said. But seeing that stuffed animal, gave the boy an idea. They then looked to the right where there were glass shelves with small boxed figurines; a picture of an anime girl and what seemed to be her friends adorned the cover of the box.
After minutes of looking around, they left the building.
Continuing on the street, Ryouta's eyes were all over the place, getting distracted by all sorts of things. With a tug, Hakase pulled him into another store, which housed a myriad of costumes.
"Why are we here?" Ryouta asked as they walked towards the counter and cashier.
"I'm going to buy us a friendship bracelet." Hakase replied with a grin.
"Really?" Ryouta asked. "Is it necessary?"
"Yes, I don't want to lose you." By now, they reached the cashier and the poor guy managed to hear the wrong part of their conversation.
"You worry too much." Ryouta said.
"More like, I don't worry enough. Your Dad will kill me if anything should happen to you, won't he?"
"And as I said, you'll get off the hook."
Hakase didn't answer, instead he pointed at one of the goods which hung on a wall behind the cashier. Ryouta had already left to look around the store, so he didn't see what Hakase had just bought. After making the purchase, Hakase sauntered over to where the boy was and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I've got it. Now gimme your wrist."
Ryouta extended his left arm and within a swift motion felt a cold sensation. Looking at the 'bracelet' Ryouta glared at Hakase.
"This is a handcuff."
"I know. This way, you'll never be separated from me." The raven-haired boy then placed the other handcuff on his right wrist. He then smirked at the Prince, and the two headed out once again.
The cashier only looked on with a smile, "Young love."
Once outside, Ryouta asked, "Where do we go next?"
"Well, I just planned on showing you around. I can always make my purchases another day."
"Okay, I see."
Just then, they passed by a bookstore and something caught the Prince's eyes. Knowing that they won't be separated, without a word to Hakase, Ryouta dashed inside the book store, forcibly hauling the raven-haired teen with him. The Prince's eyes lit up with joy as he dashed towards a stack of books on display.
"Mahiro," the Prince said. "Look at this one!"
"You already have that at home."
"Really?"
"Did you not take notice of Ryou's bookshelves?"
"Yes I did, but I didn't get to look through them all. How come he has so much anyway?"
"Kise-san owns a publishing house. Of course his son is going to have tons of books to read."
"You're lying." Ryouta gasped.
"Of course not." Hakase chuckled.
"Then what are we doing here?! If I can get free books, then I don't need to be here!"
"Right you are Your Highness." Hakase joked. Quickly, the two exited the bookstore, and continued their adventure in Akihabara. Hakase took the Prince to all sorts of places, electronics stores, game arcades, anime stores and so forth. The Prince was enthralled by all this, especially whenever they came across a cosplayer, attracting customers for a particular store.
But in all this, he found out one horrid thing ―his world was pretty boring.
It was a fact that Sekai's technology far surpasses Earth's, but the amount of recreational activities these people have is astounding. Earth has numerous amounts of manga to read, while in his world, they only have novels and have to rely on their imagination. Earth has anime, Sekai doesn't. Earth has cosplay and cute maids walking around in the streets, Sekai doesn't. Maids are only found in the upper class homes, and some of these maids are humanoid robots. Earth has so many video games to choose from, Sekai doesn't even have one.
Ryouta was sorely disappointed that his world had nothing of this calibre. Due to the constant threat of the Bakemono, people in his world are more concerned about combating these creatures instead of creating anime and the like.
Mah, I hope Earth's Ryouta can bring some flavour to the Kingdom.
After extensive walking and shopping, the boys settled in a maid café. The two boys were welcomed like real Masters of a house. But being their first time at this café, they had received a card which was called 'Majesty Card'. Ryouta was totally unaffected by this, since he was a Prince by default. A maid led them to their table after which they sat down and Hakase ordered for them both.
"Oi, Ryouta, how are you still so calm?"
"Huh?" The Prince responded. "Am I supposed to be drooling at those maids?" He asked when he saw other males looking like love-struck idiots.
"Well, yeah. There are beautiful girls in maid clothing adding the honorific –sama to your name, how is that not making you drooling?!" Hakase said.
"This is my daily life. I have maids and butlers, bodyguards and all that stuff. There are some maids who even dress me. This is nothing new to me." Ryouta shrugged.
"Oh right," Hakase sighed in defeat. "Damn you."
Ryouta then smirked playfully. "How come you aren't turned on by this?"
Hakase shrugged. "I've been to other maid cafés before." Was his excuse.
"Heeh?" Ryouta leaned forwards to the table, resting his chin on his right palm. "So what was your first experience like?"
"I got a nosebleed." Hakase said shyly.
"You pervert." The Prince joked.
But the mood changed within an instant. "I've been wondering," Hakase began. "Is that watch real gold?"
"Yup! And diamonds too!" Ryouta perked. "It was a gift for my birthday last year! Daddy likes to be extravagant."
"Can I see it?"
"Sure." Ryouta extended his arm towards the boy and allowed him to examine it. Hakase was truly intrigued by it, but when he saw the watch face, he let out a gasp of shock.
"Why are there only sixteen hours here?"
"Because there are sixteen hours in a day." Ryouta answered in a matter-of-factly.
"Eh?! Only sixteen?!"
"What do you mean by 'only'? The hours are long as fuck."
"How can ― how many minutes are in an hour?"
"One hundred and fifty."
"Shit! We have twenty-four hours but there are only sixty minutes per hour."
"Twenty-four hours but only sixty minutes…" Ryouta said as he tapped his chin. "…I bet your days fly off before you can get started."
"You said it." Hakase sighed. "So, tell me more about your world. If you have such technology, how do you travel? I know you have trains and such, but do you travel to other countries? Or do you guys siege?"
"Yes we travel." Ryouta said. "And no, we don't siege anywhere unless we're pissed off."
"Oh. How do you design your aeroplanes?"
"What's an aeroplane?"
Hakase paled. He can't be serious? "An aeroplane is like a metal bird that carries people from one area to the next. A broader definition, it takes people from one country to the next."
"Oh, you mean those ancient flying vehicle with the fixed wings?"
"Yeah." Ancient? But then, he had an idea. Taking out his phone, he searched for a picture of an aeroplane and showed it to the Prince. His reaction, however, was rather bland.
"We don't have those anymore."
"Then how do you get around?"
"Traverse from city to city we use trains and buses and even taxis." The Prince said. "But from country to country we use teleportation circles."
"That isn't free right?"
"Of course not. Our teleportation circles are public transportation; naturally it'll incur a cost per usage."
"How does it work?" Hakase wanted to ask about how much it costs as well, but he didn't since Ryouta's world more than likely uses a different currency.
"Well, passengers go to a terminal with their tickets for a designated place and then they'll be transported. There are different terminals for different places, but some would need a transfer." Ryouta said. "For example, in Kanagawa in my world, there's a teleportation circle directly from there to Tokyo in Shutoku and vice-versa. However, there is none directly from Kanagawa to Sapporo City all the way up North. So, passengers would have to teleport to Yamagata and then use Yamagata's circle to get up to Sapporo."
"Hmm, that's similar to transfer flights out here. Some countries don't have a straight flight to certain areas so they essentially do the same thing as your world."
"Heeh, really?"
"But why do you have teleportation circles and not some super aeroplane?"
"It was created to prevent deaths during these long travels."
"Deaths?"
"In my world, there are creatures that suddenly appear we call Bakemono. These creatures can appear in the sky, beneath the earth and sea or in any forest ―anywhere really. Except for cities because barriers were built to ward them off." Ryouta explained. "So, to prevent people from being harmed when travelling, we use these teleportation circles so that people can arrive safely at their destination." He then added, "Plus, there are wild beasts out there too, you know."
"Woah, that's pretty cool." Hakase nodded. "So, these teleportation terminals, don't they get packed with people along with their luggage and all?"
"We have Inter-spatial devices." He answered as he waved his thumb. "They can be a ring, necklace, anklet, earring, purse, bag, et cetera. But the rings are the most popular, so people are seen heading in the terminals with no luggage so to speak. But, there is a scanner in the terminals which tells security what they have in the rings to prevent smuggling."
"I see. But these Inter-spatial devices, how do they work?"
"Depending on the storage capacity, they're able to store anything the user wants. By holding your hand over the item you want, it's automatically absorbed in the ring. For the purses and bags, you have to put the item in there." Ryouta then laughed. "Only the Military's devices are big enough to store cars and huge ass weapons. But these devices cannot be worn by people since they're bigger than our limbs."
"Oh…" Hakase was beaming. "Inter-spatial devices…that's really cool! I wouldn't have to carry a bag to school anymore if I had one of those things!"
"They're cool now." Ryouta said laughed. "Back in the day when they were just being introduced, people stole like crazy. It was almost as though 'Thief' had become the main occupation. And because of that, crime rates soared to catastrophic levels and the police and military were stressed out."
"Why?"
"Well, spatial devices allow you store anything in them. All you have to do is wave your finger over the item, if you use a ring. It leaves no fingerprint, no DNA, nothing. Obviously, people are going to steal."
"So how did they combat this?"
"Like the terminals, stores are equipped with a scanner. So when you enter the store and before you leave, the security scans it, and if you don't have a receipt for the item, you know what happens." The Prince answered with a shrug. "For some other stores, people have to leave their devices before entering the establishment."
"But what if others try to take it?"
Ryouta laughed. "Obviously people aren't just going to leave their devices out for the world to take. When you leave your device, you get a number that corresponds with it. But it's your bad luck if you lose it."
"Your world is pretty awesome!"
"Mahiro, I think you're glossing over something important. My world is dangerous; there are Bakemono in my world. They're monsters that are good for destruction."
"But you guys have magic and cool weapons right? So what's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that sometimes these creatures are more than we can handle. Either they come in massive waves or there's that one which is too powerful."
"Damn, so don't you guys have bombs or guns or missiles?"
"What are those?"
Hakase sighed. For someone who comes from an advanced society, he was surprised that Ryouta's world didn't have some of the things here. Once again, he searched for the weapons he just listed and showed them to the Prince. But, the Prince could only shake his head.
"You don't have these things? How come?" Hakase asked in shock.
"I don't know." Ryouta shrugged. "I guess it's because we have magic, we didn't think about these things."
"That sounds plausible."
Ryouta then smirked. "But I have a feeling that your Ryouta might spice things up a bit."
"What do you mean?"
The Prince shrugged. "If your Ryouta is the least bit like me, then he's not going to sit around being bored. I mean, I was constantly experimenting with chemicals in the labs to alleviate my boredom sometimes."
"Wait, you like science?"
"Of course! Well, I only like it because it gives me the little freedom that I don't have. Being a Prince, my future occupation was already decided long before my great-great grandfather was born. I can mix whichever chemicals I want, whenever I want without anyone breathing down my neck saying that 'You're the next head of the army and blah'." The Prince then grinned. "I just love the way you can make Nitrogen Tri Iodide from the reaction iodine and concentrated ammonia solution!"
"Ah, the explosiveness and shock sensitive properties are just to die for!" Hakase cooed. "Gawd!"
The two boys ended up shrieking which caused people to stare at them with confusion. Quickly, they turned their faces to the window, to hide.
"To think that we're both science nerds." Hakase chuckled. "Ryou didn't like science one bit. I often tried to scam him into joining the science club but failed every time."
"Naa, Mahiro," Ryouta started. "It seems like we can become best friends. Introduce me to this club of yours."
"It isn't that easy. You have basketball."
"Basketball? What's that?"
Hakase sighed. "It's a sport. And you're the ace of the team. In essence, you're ranked number one in our school."
"What's a sport?" The Prince asked. "But shit, does this mean I have to play basketball too?"
"Yeah, your club depends on you, you know?" Hakase said. "A sport is a competitive game done for entertainment. Some sports are more individualistic, while others are done in a team."
"We don't have any sport in my world. People are too busy trying to defend against Bakemono." But then Hakase saw the Prince chew on his right thumb nail. "Fuck! I want to experiment!" Ryouta started his repulsive whining. "Back in my world, I could only do science as an extra-curricular activity!"
"Oi, oi, calm down." Hakase tried to soothe by rubbing the boy's back. "You can be in more than one club, but it's just that basketball takes a lot of time. There's training, practice matches, tournaments and training camps that lasts for days…"
"I'll make it work. All I need to do is figure out how to play this damn sport, right?"
"I can't help you with that. I don't play basketball so I can't teach you."
"What the hell are you good for?"
"Science. Manga. Anime. Literature."
"Tsch, so how are we going to solve this problem? If I'm number one, then won't it be strange that I suddenly can't play the sport?"
"That's right. Maybe if we tell one of the regulars on the team then…"
"Meh, isn't that a bit too risky?"
"Moriyama-senpai has a flexible mind; Kasamatsu-senpai will just kick the knowledge into you or something."
"I don't want to be kicked by her." Ryouta said folding his arms and shivering. Well, he attempted to fold his arms but due to the handcuff, he couldn't. "Yukio is fucking scary, you know?"
"Her? Kasamatsu-senpai isn't a female."
"What? She's male over here?! That's disturbing!" Ryouta said twisting his face in disgust.
"Oh no, I think the female Kasamatsu is disturbing."
"Let me tell you something, she's one of the hottest girls in school. I have a picture." Ryouta took out his phone and instructed Kei to find Yukio's picture. When the small AI found it, Hakase let out a gasp of shock and horror. Yukio was indeed beautiful, and hella feminine. She had the right amount of fat in the right places, had a nice body, nice hair…everything.
"She's a package." Hakase said in awe. "She's your girlfriend or something?"
"Nope!" Ryouta denied proudly. "She's exclusively and strictly Yoshitaka-senpai's. I'm still searching for someone who loves science as much as I do."
"No…" Hakase gasped at the information. "Just imagining those two together is making me cringe! Dude! You didn't have to tell me that! I just can't imagine Kasamatsu-senpai and Moriyama-senpai together! No way!" he shrieked in disgust. But then he addressed the other part of Ryouta's sentence. "Good luck with that. In this world, those girls are rare species."
Ryouta gave Hakase a smug look after which he chuckled. "They complement each other. But don't worry about me. I have a feeling that the one I'm looking for might be closer than I think."
"Uh, huh." Hakase said without knowing what the Prince meant.
Soon, their sundaes arrived and the two boys ate. The Prince looked like he was in heaven with every spoonful he ate, but Hakase let him be. Asking him whether or not he had this in his world would probably cause another headache.
…
"Oh shit! The time!" Hakase screeched as he stood up. "We have to get back!"
"Eh? Really?" The Prince asked with a pout. "But I'm having fun! I don't want to go back to that matchbox!"
"Matchbox!? Ryou's house is one of the biggest on the avenue and you call it a matchbox?!"
"Come back to me with that argument when you've lived in a castle for sixteen years."
"Tsch, fine." Hakase said in defeat. "But really, we have to go back. Think about it, Kise-san can take you anywhere you want, like a beach or a hotel or even another country. If you piss him off now, he may never do it."
"Why didn't you say so before?! Let's go!"
The Prince shot up and attempted to head to the exit. Hakase halted the boy in time, and called over a maid. He paid for their desserts and then the two left, ignoring the 'when will you be home, Master?' coming from the maids present.
Ryouta dashed down the street, with Hakase struggling to keep up. The Prince was fast, far too fast for his age; hell he was too fast for a human being. Hakase's feet tripped over everything, and he was unable to gain back his footing.
"Prince! Slow down!" he wailed.
Ryouta came to an abrupt halt. "What? Can't keep up?"
"No! That was way too fast."
"Really? I can go faster, you know?"
"Don't! We'll draw attention that we don't need."
"But you said we need to get home fast."
"We can take a bus to the station and wait there."
"Tsch, I don't have the time for that." Ryouta harrumphed. "Where's the closest dark and secluded area?"
"There's a narrow space between the buildings over there." Hakase said as he pointed in the direction. "What are you planning?"
"You wanted to see magic up close, right? Well, you're just about to get a first-hand experience."
With that, Ryouta bent down and gestured for Hakase to get on his back, before dashing off once again. It was somewhat uncomfortable since their hands were still handcuffed together. But the Prince didn't care. The future of his travels and his only means of getting free books was at stake.
Ryouta slowed down upon reaching the area Hakase pointed out. After couple seconds, Hakase showed him the 'narrow space' and the Prince let out a sigh. The space was between one small store called 'Pocari Sweat' and 'Card World Akiba'. But it seemed as though not everyone can enter as there was a door there.
"Like I care." The Prince snarled. The blond jumped over, and landed safely on the other side. Without hitch, a magic circle formed at his feet, and the Prince jumped upwards into the air only to land on another one. He kept doing this until he was high enough not to be seen, but still low enough for Hakase to tell where they were.
Under the direction of Hakase, the Prince hopped from magic circle to magic circle, enjoying the bird's eye view of the city as well. When they had left out of Akiba's airspace, the Prince sped up. The circles were laid out in the air and as such, Ryouta only hopped on them since Hakase had already indicated to him the direction he should head in.
So, within a couple minutes, they had arrived back home, the Prince busting the cuffs with brute force, frightening Hakase. Ryouta only replied that he was stronger than he looked.
Hakase only slumped in the sofa looking half dead. It was a scary experience, this entire day. First he lost the Prince for a brief moment (which nearly gave him a heart attack), and on their way back, he was carried over Ryouta's shoulder as he jumped on his magic circles in the air. Suppose he had fallen?
But he's learnt a valuable lesson. Never take out the Prince without giving him geography lessons first.
Thank you for reading! Don't forget to leave a review!
