Hey everyone, sorry I was late today. College work can be so freaking irritating. I'm a little bit shaky on this chapter since I feel this might be a big decision making chapter for you readers. Not to mention, I feel like the last scene was a bit rushed and might seem a little bit confusing.
On another note, you'll notice two continunity errors with this chapter in particular, but I don't want you to get serious about them. The first one is the mention of Comiket, even though with the anime, they are near the end of the of one particular year and I know when Comiket usually takes place. Lucky Star however is still a thriving manga with continuing plots based around the school. So I think the series is doing the wise decision of having time stand still. So I do know about this. Even though I am mentioning Comiket, I feel it can be altered because it is an event. And it is not something set in stone such as a holiday like Christmas or Valentine's Day.
The second is something I've noticed throughout the show...do the girls take the bus or the train to school? I'm confused cause it feels like they are taking both, and they have a decent number of scenes inside vechicles. I kind of alternatve between them both because we see them use both modes of transportation, but if anyone can verify this for me, I'd be greatful.
Disclaimer: I don't Lucky Star or any of it's characters.
Chapter 7: Confirmation
Nearly every morning since their encounter, Kaito had been taking the bus ride with Konata, Kagami, and Tsukasa. They would always sit in the very back so all five of them wouldn't be separated. Both otakus were incredibly bored though, being in front of illuminated screens all day. Kaito leaned backward and gazed at the moving terrain outside. The slight bumpiness of the ride with the cold metal touching his skin nearly made him daze off.
"Hey Kaito-kun…" Konata said, getting closer to the boy.
"Huh?!" Kaito went, the touch activating all of his senses.
The blue-haired girl looked around all of her friends. Her cousin was in the middle of the discussion with the twins to notice anything. It was the perfect timing.
"You mind if I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead." Kaito said with a cracking in his voice.
She slowly began twiddling her thumbs. "I was wondering about something. Comiket is coming in a few weeks; do you want to come along?"
Those words instantly bolted through his brain. It was a culmination of all things he had a deep admiration for. It was also a great way to see people outside of their anonymous masks on the Internet. He never really took the time to soak in the true flavor of otaku culture, so the choice for him was obvious.
"Of course go with you Kona-chan." He said confidently. "Not sure why you think I'd say no."
"Well I know someone like you would come." She looked over to the other three. "I just haven't had such luck in the past…"
"I know how you feel. Sometimes things are just better if you have friends to come along with. It makes the experience much richer."
"I've been used to that for so long, so I can't see myself doing something like Comiket alone." Konata said nostalgically.
Kaito had a quick burst of thought. "What about Patricia-san and Hiyori-san? Will they be going?"
"Patty-chan is definitely going. Hiyorin has been before, but I think you should go confirm with them before lunch. I would, but I still need to ask Kagamin and possibly get some of her homework to copy."
"I will." Kaito said happily. But as he said that, his mood subsided. "Makes me now wish Comiket wasn't so far away."
"Well, we can do something to pass the time."
Kaito looked over to see if there was anything to talk about. If he were to talk about games, he'd just anticipate this all the more. However, something caught his interest as he was looking over the Hiiragi twins.
"Hey, I have an idea." Kaito suggested.
"What's that?"
"How about we make a bet for today?"
"I'm listening." She said coyly.
"The loser has to cosplay during Comiket."
"O-ho…sounds fun. What are we going to bet over?"
"How do I make this fun…?" Kaito thought. He then saw a yellow piece of cloth near lavender hair. "Tsukasa is clumsy, right?"
"Oh yeah."
"How about we bet over how many times she falls down today? If she falls three times, I win."
Konata felt a bit surprised over that statement. "Even though I don't feel like I should bet against my friends, I can't pass this up. Kaito probably looks nice in a costume. Not to mention, the odds are in my favor because I don't think Tsukasa could fall that many times in just one day." She thought.
"You have a deal, Kaito."
The two shook hands and the bus stopped.
"Time for school." Kagami said. She moved first as everyone followed her to the door. As they exited, Tsukasa didn't take the step from bus to ground into focus.
"Whoa!" She screamed, as she had lost her balanced and fell to the ground. "Owwie."
"Tsukasa!? Are you ok?!" Kagami said.
"No way." Konata thought.
"That's one point me…" Kaito grinned.
The boy for once had all of thoughts together, so he immediately knew what to do as he walked again through the first year hall. He opened the door to 1-D ready to talk to his fellow otakus. He quickly spotted their blonde and black hair from the crowd.
"How do you think this pose looks?" Hiyori asked, pointing at her sketchbook.
"You are really improving Hiyorin!" Patricia said observing the drawing. "Good thing too."
"Good morning you two." Kaito greeted.
"Hey there!" The two of them said.
"Kona-chan told me that Comiket was going to be in a few weeks at I could go." He looked at the girl with glasses. "Are you going to go Hiyori-san?"
"Oh, better than that." She confirmed. "I'll be selling some of my work there."
"Nice…I bet you can make a lot of money off that."
"I'm going to have to go, cause of work." Patricia said. "However, it'll be my first time, so I'm a little nervous."
"Me too." Kaito said.
"Aw, you two have nothing to worry about. Konata-sempai and I are veterans so we can tell you everything when you go."
"I hope its fun…" Kaito hoped.
The door opened again, but to reveal a tiny, salmon-haired girl approaching the students.
"Good morning Tamura-san, Patty-chan, Yasuhiro-san."
"Hello Yu-chan." Hiyori said cheerfully.
"Did you guys have any trouble with last night's homework?"
"It was a real doozy…" Patricia said, irritated.
"Minami-chan understood it pretty well, maybe you should ask her." Hiyori pointed out.
"Ok!" She said, hearing those particular words. She scrambled over to Minami who was sitting quietly at her desk.
"Minami-chan!" She said in a needy fashion.
The girl lazily turned her head. "Oh. Good morning Yutaka-san." She said dully.
Yutaka took that moment to politely bow, as she had to ask a serious question. "Can you show me how to do the math homework?"
"Sure."
Two of the otakus were having their own conversation.
"I'm curious over the amount of selection of doujin will be at Comiket." Kaito began. "There's all that manga, but I heard there's events and people also selling other various items like figurines and cards."
"There will be tons." Patricia said. "However, you do have to keep an eye open over new releases. Not to mention they will be covering things you can't even sell in regular stores."
"Patty-chan, Kaito-sempai." Hiyori said in a strangely harsh voice. "Quiet and keep watch." She had a pencil and her sketchbook in hand.
"Hmm?" The two pondered. The mangaka was gazing at her non-otaku friends who were in near close contact with each other. Kaito and Patricia began to watch as well.
"So you see…" Minami was finishing up. "If you move the number here, x equals 6."
"Wow." Yutaka said. "Minami-chan you are so amazing at these, no wonder your grades are so high!"
"It's nothing really." She denounced. "I read a lot, so I suppose I tend to remember many things."
"I'm glad I can rely on you for these kinds of things." Yutaka happily said.
The three otakus began conjuring thoughts…
"Minami-chan…I'm in awe of your skills." Yutaka said.
"Yutaka-san, you always appreciate everything I do." She retorted.
"Everyone should treasure a talented individual like yourself."
"Not everyone does…" The androgynous girl said. "But you Yutaka. You make me feel so confident and strong. I thank you for that."
The short girl came close towards her friend's face.
"Minami-chan…"
"Yutaka-chan…"
Hiyori felt incredibly strained from had transpired. "Gah, I shouldn't think such impure thoughts about my friends!"
Patricia had the same empathy. "Why must my brain play these tricks?!"
Kaito however, was more curious on the subject. "Well this is interesting."
The two look stunned at him. "What?!"
"Well if I may. If you remember, I was curious over why Iwasaki acted the way she did, right?" The two nodded. "I did some research and made a few theories over it. One of the theories is that she could possibly have a big secret."
Hiyori did a double take. "You don't think…"
Kaito interjected. "Not really. However this could be the answer I was looking for."
"I don't know." Patricia said worried. "It's not right to make these fantasies about them."
Hiyori looked down angrily at her work. "Why am I even drawing these kinds of things!? I shouldn't be making a profit over these things! These evil things using my friends as the source."
"Now stop right there." Kaito said bluntly.
This got the two otakus attention.
"Kaito-san."
"You two shouldn't be worrying over these sorts of things. People think over these sorts and make those assumptions all the time. You are only human; don't look down on yourselves for being curious."
"But isn't it strange?" Hiyori said.
"Not at all. It's these sorts of thoughts that keep life interesting! Besides Hiyori-san. Without those so called evil thoughts, you would be able to make the beautiful artwork you create now."
Hiyori blushed and scratched her head from the praise. "That's true."
"I must say Kaito-san." Patricia said impressed. "You do seem to know a lot about these sorts of things."
"This is yuri of course. All men think about yuri."
"Really?" Hiyori said curiously. "So why didn't you feel the same way as us? You've had experience thinking these sorts of things before?"
Kaito sighed. "It's not that."
The girls were confused from that statement. Kaito glanced over at Yutaka and Minami.
"Just…look at them. They don't really have the kind of features to be a great couple for the men. It's just a severe lack of everything all around."
But as Kaito said that, he began to think of new thoughts. These new thoughts changed his cool, calm façade to a steaming red.
"Now, a cute pair of fujoshi like you two…" He said pointing at the girls making a devious smile.
The two looked at him completely thrown off guard. "Us?"
He couldn't say the next phrase aloud. "That's something I'd really want."
Lunch time had started for a good ten minutes, but the people at one particular table were already blank in expression. Nothing interesting had happened that day other than what happened at the bus. Kaito was busy with his own devious thoughts to care about anything. Konata was trying to think of things to say, already finishing her cornet. Kagami and Miyuki were discussing about class presidential duties. The girl felt disheartened not being able to talk. She had to reach for attention.
"Kaito?" She said.
Kaito only had a single word in his head at the time. "Want."
"Kaito?"
"Want."
"Kaito!" She ordered, pulling the sleeve of his uniform. His train of thought derailed actually listening to Konata's voice. He didn't even notice Tsukasa had left for the bathroom.
"Oh, what?"
"I was wondering…" She said, having the need to start a conversation. "Did you ever finish that study on Minami-san?"
Kaito regained some of his memory, after the other ideas were removed from his head. "Oh yeah, actually I have plenty of my thoughts printed out."
He reached from his bag to pull out a few sheets of paper. The girls could feel his pride as he slapped the pages on the desk. Kagami and Miyuki made sweat drops from his work.
"He actually went through with it..." They thought.
Kaito made a cough from the statements he was about to make. "Now concerning over Iwasaki Minami, I had taken into consideration the various traits about her personality and actions. There are some very basic facts to go over. Note how through her voice and speech that she has very little emotion in the various things she does. Yet she tends to excel in nearly everything she can do."
"Mmhmm." Kagami nodded with chopsticks in her mouth.
"She doesn't seem to have much confidence in things she does despite the fact about how good she is or that praise she receives. It brings up the question on how she feels. Is she embarrassed? Can she handle the pressure? Is she insecure about her talent?"
Miyuki decided to act in her neighbor's defense. "People can feel differently about their talent. While others are very proud, others can feel a bit more defensive. Possibly even ashamed. However, I don't believe this would apply to Minami-san."
"That's been the main confusing thing for me." Kaito said tensely. "Why would someone who has such a happy and successful life act that way?"
"Kaito-san, I can believe how you feel." Kagami said. "But you need to drop this."
"But that made me think…is it beyond her psychological control?"
All three of the girls showed interest from the statement.
"I have composed five different but possible theories explaining why Iwasaki could act the way she does."
"You've already researched this?" Kagami asked in a disappointed tone.
"Actually Kaito…" Konata admitted. "I'm a little bit curious on why Minami would act that way. Sometimes I look at Yu-chan and wonder. Why my cousin is small, sickly, and nervous and can be so happy. And oppositely, how Minami can be tall, talented and rich yet act so empty. I think Yu-chan has actually complemented her more than herself."
"Sheesh, Konata." Kagami thought. "Showing true opinions, eh?"
"Well, I can go over the theories if you want." Kaito offered.
"Go ahead Yasuhiro-san." Miyuki said. "There are some things you have to wonder when you place this much thought in it."
Kaito brought one of the papers to his face. "Ok then. My first theory suggests that maybe Minami could have suffered through a childhood trauma. Something that mentally scarred her that makes her act a certain way."
"That's believable." Konata said. "I've heard great news about a popular American show is about a forensic analyst who lives by night as a serial killer for justice. He doesn't question his actions or the way he lives, but that's because of his rollercoaster like childhood where he had to fight his various urges."
"Not sure if that principal really applies Konata." Kagami said.
She shrugged instantly. "It kind of makes sense."
"Sorry about this, but you are wrong Yasuhiro-san." Miyuki dismissed. "I've lived next to her as long as I've remember. If she would have experienced anything traumatic, I would know or it would have appeared as a news story."
"Fair enough Miyuki-san." Kaito said. He sifted through to his second paper. "The second theory states that should could have a type of mental disorder that keeps her from being social."
The twin-tailed girl scratched her head. "Wouldn't she be taking medication for that sort of thing?"
"It can sometimes." The boy said. "However, there are a ton of psychological problems like this. Some can be misdiagnosed or can purely be psychological and are not affected by the use of pills. What's amazing is the list of possibilities."
"Like what?" The meganekko asked.
"There are things like social anxiety or a social phobia that keep her from opening up to the public. She may have rejected society or communication with other people. Students from her school would tell me that she wouldn't talk to people and she would do silent/personal activities such as reading. The most curious however possibility is that she may have a rare disorder known as selective mutism."
"Why's that Kaito-kun?"
"People with this particular problem can speak normally but have trouble speaking in public. Iwasaki in shows many of the symptoms. Things like blank facial expression, difficulty in show emotion, anxiety over normal situations, and a stiff body movement are all signs."
"Why is this interesting?" Kagami asked.
"Probably because of its rarity. The only noted people with this disorder were famous celebrities and a mass murderer."
They all felt a shockwave from that statement. No way would Minami be capable of such evil thoughts.
Konata had trouble making a response. "Well Kaito…she has a ton of money so if she had any type of mental illness, she would either be on medication or would know about this. But considering how she's so nice to Yu-chan that can't be the case."
"Sounds right." Miyuki said.
"What has he been thinking?" Kagami's mind screamed.
"I didn't think it was." Kaito dismissed. "Now, my third theory seems the most believable. She has a dirty little secret that she had to cover up. Her social being depends on it!"
The blue-haired girl perked up. "Now that would make sense." She had read Hiyori's art; she had an idea or two.
"I think people generally have secrets to hide." Kagami said. "I don't think they are life threatening."
"Sometimes they are." Konata rebutted. "If some secrets were revealed, the fabric of society could completely unravel!"
"After personally seeing something earlier today, I'm leaning on that theory the most." Kaito said.
"What is it?" Miyuki asked curiously.
"Well…" The otaku scratched his face. "I'm not one-hundred percent sure if that might be true. But if I even utter this secret people will start make assumptions."
"You tell us all this and when it comes to a secret, you are quiet?" Kagami questioned. She then made a sigh. "You are a strange one Yasuhiro."
"So what are the other theories Kaito-san?" The pink-haired girl asked. "You said there were five."
"Oh, they aren't important. They are more physical than anything."
"What are they?" Konata inquired with a cat smile.
"The other theories were simple. She's either an alien or a man in disguise."
Kagami nearly spit out the rice she was eating. He had no shame in the quickness of his speaking. "WHAT?!"
The other two giggled at the theories.
"How absurd." Miyuki said. "But, my mom has a few memories of Minami doing strange things."
"You know…" Konata began to think. "The similarities between Minami and Nagato are astonishing. Both are very intelligent who love to do nothing but read books. They also have a severe lack of emotion to care about human life forms and other people. But in rare occasions, they may have an obsession over one person. Like her fondness of Yutaka. Yes, the concept of Minami being from out of this world is well within range."
"I don't think you can correlate everything to an anime Konata." Kagami said bitterly. She pointed sharply at Kaito. "And why would you even think she would be a man!? We have our measurements and Miyuki-san would easily know who she was!"
"Like I said, it was physical." Kaito said in his defense. "She's fairly flat all around, which is quite normal for men. Not to mention she wouldn't talk to people and act antisocial so people wouldn't be able to hear what she truly sounds like. It's very possible to hide all that. People have tried it before."
"Oy, glad that's the end of it." Kagami said.
From the other side of the room, Tsukasa came back from the bathroom. Perhaps it was a good thing she didn't have to listen to Kaito's strange theories. The intense psychological thought might make her start questioning her own existence. There was little time left for lunch, so she had to run to her desk in order to finish her bento. But doing so would cause her leg to get caught by one of the desk legs.
"Whoa!" She said as she hit the floor once again. This caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"Tsukasa!" Miyuki and Kagami rushed to her aid.
"Son of a…" Konata thought. Kaito smiled evilly.
At the end of the school the third year students were all waiting in anticipation. Even with the earlier actions of the day, Kaito had a bleak future of finding a costume to wear. They had to wait on Yutaka and Minami, who had began riding along with them at every possibility. The two otakus however still had their minds set on the bet and the various theories of the mint-haired girl.
"Ready to give up, Kaito-kun?" Konata taunted.
"It's not over until it's over." He warned.
Tsukasa turned her head. "Hmm? What isn't over?" She asked innocently.
"Oh, um, I've just be thinking about a gaming competition I've been having with Konata." He lied.
"You play games competitively Kaito-san?" Miyuki asked.
"I always do." He said confidently. "However, I've never really had a chance to go to an actual sanctioned tournament. Most of them are very underground or in extremely populated parts of the country."
"It's a good thing we don't play seriously, eh Kaito?" Konata said.
"Yeah."
"It does make me wonder though." Konata pondered. "I wonder if there are underground rackets of the various Wii and PS2 games. Big money is placed on the line with the leaders of organized crime creating the whole tournament. If you lose, you will lose either your diginity or your thumbs."
"It's best not to think those kinds of things exist." Kagami said.
"Well I know those things exist with casinos and such." Kaito assumed. "You think they same applies for games such as Mahjong?"
"If it does, I'm going to have to learn how to play." The smallest of the group said.
"Konata-san, I can teach you how to play Mahjong. I've learned how to play it online."
Kagami had to think about the chain of events. "Strange how the discussion of underground and dangerous activities lead to wanting to play a social game." She made a small smile. "I suppose the otaku's obsession can lead to some positives."
The group was then surprised from the arrival of the first year students.
"Sorry we're late." Yutaka apologized.
"It's fine Yu-chan." Tsukasa said.
The seven of them walked up the flights of stairs to the respected trains. Kaito, Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa and Yutaka were taking the outbound train, while Miyuki and Minami were taking the inbound train. But reaching the final stair, they were hit with an annoying occurrence. A cold wind blew through the uncovered area of the station. Even with their thick coats on, the frigid temperature felt bad on their skin.
"Stupid weather…" Konata said.
"It's so cold." Yutaka shivered.
"Are you ok?" Minami said concerned. She bent her knees down on her friend's level. "Do you have a cold?"
"I'll be fine Minami-chan." She said.
"I'm going to the train. Don't want to deal with another one of those." A panicked Tsukasa said.
But on the first step she made, her left foot tilted throwing off her steps. Her acceleration increased as she had to take control of her other foot to stay still. But after several steps she was able to make a strong stop. She gave a sign of relief.
Kagami smiled. "Glad you didn't fall over again Tsukasa."
"Hehe, didn't want to make you worry about me Onee-chan."
"Curses!" Kaito swore.
"Can't wait to see you at Comiket in your pretty costume, Kaito-kun." Konata smirked.
Everyone then went to their respected trains. But as the door was about to shut on them, Kaito noticed Yutaka furiously waving to her silent friend. She made delightful motions knowing she was going to see her again tomorrow. But looking at the people taking the inbound train goers, he noticed something very out of the ordinary. While Miyuki was acting in her kind attitude, he could see Iwasaki waving back gently. With the very faintest smile forming on her face.
The trains moved and Kaito's attitude shifted. He smiled at his final conclusion: "Iwasaki Minami, analysis complete. Theory three is well in range."
That was a tough chapter...but, I'm glad I'm passed it. I hope the ending will keep you Minami fans to continue reading. Feel free to criticize over this chapter since I didn't have a lot of time to process everything. Points to any of you who can name some of the references made.
Please Review!
