10: He Leadeth me in the Paths of Righteousness for His Name's Sake:
12:55 PM
"'Forgive you'?"
Otome stands up from her seat, arms crossed as she addresses me. Her friends sit in a line behind her. Each girl's eyes are narrowed at the sight of me intruding on their conversation.
I hadn't really thought of how rude it was of me to barge in without any regard for their feelings. On the plus side, though, they're probably more upset that I came at all rather than the fact that I interrupted something.
"Yes," I bow. "I should never have said those things. I just wanted to let you know that I'd never really hurt you,"
Otome looks puzzled as I outline my purpose for talking to her. Hopefully, she's considering letting it go. Honestly, I wouldn't want this to eat away at me.
Problem is, Otome and her friends don't seem like the forgiving type; at least not when they're dealing with guys like me. If I push too hard, they might never stop tormenting me.
"Whatever," Otome rolls her eyes. "It's not like we were scared if anything,"
"Yeah, you're like a maggot," Obuchi elaborates cheerfully. "You talk big, but your existence is totally inconsequential; you couldn't really hurt anybody."
"What she said," Koisumi raises her eyebrow. "Kind of,"
"Yeah, now could you please leave?" Mouri asks. "We were in the middle of talking,"
"S-sure," I sigh, heading back towards my seat. That wasn't exactly the most earnest of apologies, but what was I expecting?
I place my hand on my forehead. Who's to say I deserve it anyway?
My eyes drift down a few rows. Kotonoha sits quietly, smiling to herself as she flips through one of our textbooks. It was kind of awkward the last time we talked. Maybe I can show I'm capable of more than asking her about boyfriends.
I walk down the steps and take a step into her pew. Immediately, I retract. My fumbled steps attract her attention.
As when I saw her before, she wears glasses that hang above the bridge of her nose. Her round, doe-like eyes stare innocently curious into my own. Flushed, I adjust my own glasses as I introduce myself.
"G-good afternoon," my eyes flutter. "I'm Ashikaga Yuuki? I talked with you the other day."
"Oh, yes," she gets up in a hurry and bows. Despite her initial hap-hazard stance, her bow is exceptionally precise. "Nice to meet you again,"
"Yes," I scratch the back of my head. "I'm sorry about the other day,"
"'The other day'?"
"Yeah," An awkward smile comes to my face. "It was wrong of me to just randomly ask you about Itou-san when I don't even know him. I . . . I'm sorry I was so insensitive,"
"It was a little awkward," she fiddled with the ends of her skirt. "But don't worry about it; I forgive you."
"Thanks," I'm tempted to sit down but refuse. After all, why would I randomly sit next to her? Wouldn't I be taking someone else's spot? "Since you two are together, how have things been going?"
"Pretty well," she turns her head away from me and looks at her right palm for a moment. "Awkward, but okay."
'Awkward'? "Well, that's understandable. I imagine people who are dating for the first have a hard time knowing what to do sometimes,"
"Yeah," she giggles. "I think it's about time for class, though,"
"Oh," I check the watch on my right hand. "You're right; talk to you later,"
"Good-bye," She bows once again as I head to my seat.
Well, that wasn't so bad. It almost seemed like she knew who you felt.
On my way, I notice Roka wave at me, a sympathetic glint in her eyes. I try my best to return her gesture cheerfully.
3:30 PM
The next few hours pass by quickly. With a goal in mind, it's easy to focus your mind on work. Since there's plenty of it in high school, the teacher's lectures do a good job of keeping me on my toes.
When school ends, I stop just before heading out. Something Obuchi had said during lunch bothered me.
"I was under the impression that Sekai was dating Makoto . . . And, I thought I saw them leaving for lunch together at one point."
"Katsura-san,"
I call to her from my position. She keeps her eyes on me as she packs up her things.
"Ashikaga-san? What's wrong?"
Subtly, I narrow my eyes. "What do you think of Sek—Saionji-san?"
She watches me curiously for a moment before responding. "She's a friend of Makoto-kun's and mine. She's the one who helped us get together because we were too shy to tell each other." She closes her eyes thoughtfully. "For a second, I thought because you called her by a first name, you might be her boyfriend,"
"No!" I shake my head back and forth. "I barely know her; I was just curious.
"Al-alright," she beamed just as fast as her anxiety started to show. "See you later,"
In about five minutes, I once again find myself in the library. It drags every once and a while, but there are enough books here I haven't read to keep it from being a total bore.
Stepping over to the counter, I see a piece of paper taped to its edge.
"Sorry, but I had a couple things to do. I'll see you in say . . . fifteen to thirty minutes?"
Kyouichi! I squeeze the paper in my hand. If you hated this job so much, why not just quit?!
I sit myself in the chair behind the counter. Since students prefer to come by during lunch or in between classes so they can cram such extra studying in, few people come by. This gives me a lot of time to think with no distractions.
I wonder if anyone would come by this late. I lean my head forward and close my eyes. I guess I was just being paranoid about Sekai. She and Itou-san were probably friends from first semester, so people must have gotten the wrong idea. Chie says stuff like that happens all the time.
I grit my teeth. Besides, what am I doing? Just after I said I was sorry for bugging her about that stuff, I quiz her on one of Itou-san's friends? I sound just as bad as Kyouichi.
But . . . I just wanted to be sure. I don't want to get caught up in high school melodrama without me even knowing it. If I had to get involved, I'd wanna know where everyone stood. Is any of it really my business, though? If this is what it will take to stay afloat in social circles, maybe I should just stick with Kyouichi . . .
On the other hand, though, I was able to talk to Katsura-san without sounding awkward. And, Sekai doesn't seem to mind talking to me. There's gotta be a way to make friends without knowing about all this soap opera stuff, right?
"Yo,"
"Ah!" I shriek, leaping behind my chair. Panting, I peek around the right side of the chair and just above the counter. Sekai stares blankly at me.
"You know, I was just trying to say 'hi'; I didn't mean to give you a heart attack,"
"N-no biggie," I get myself back on my chair. "I just wasn't expecting anyone to show,"
"No surprise," she nods to herself. "Only the most dedicated of students would show up right after school ends to head to the library. And that's not even counting the guys who involved with after school clubs,"
"Yeah," I frown. "It gets pretty boring around here."
"Isn't Kyouichi, that senior with the unkempt hair, supposed to be helping you?"
"He had 'things to do'" I quote him, an obnoxious tone in my voice. "Sometimes, I just wish he'd quit."
"It gives him an excuse to not commit to a club without looking lazy," she summarizes. "And since people don't usually come here, he won't lose any points on his reputation for being absent."
"He's surprisingly inconsiderate sometimes," I shrug. "Ah well, it's not like there's anything I could do about that. What's up?"
"Well, I wanted to apologize about my friend Setsuna,"
I meet her eyes, surprise obvious on my face. That's right . . . It's kind of odd I hadn't seen her today.
"She had shown scrutiny towards me," I sigh. "And I don't know why,"
"She was just being overprotective," Sekai waves her hand with a laugh. "I've known her since middle school. She'd inspect the cherry on my ice cream sundae to make sure it wasn't poisoned."
"Did she really do that?" I ask incredulously."
She guffaws before bursting into another riotous bout. "You're hilarious, Yuki. It was just a figure of speech,"
"Y-yeah," I blush. "I should've known that."
"No big deal," she watches my eyes fondly. "So, Kyouichi's been bothering you lately?"
"It's not just his tardiness; he's so coarse sometimes," I bury my face in my arms. "Sometimes, I wonder why he befriended someone so 'straight-laced'."
"He probably did it to boast his rep.," she taps her chin a couple times. "But I don't really mind the inconsiderate part specifically; sometimes, guys are just clueless. Like, take my friend, Makato Itou, who I set up with Kotonoha Katsura recently. He's a total novice with romance, so he actually consulted a 'date-help' book for advice."
"What?!" My mouth drops. "Did things go badly?"
"No, no, nothing like that. He just flirted a bit too strongly about things like hand-holding and stuff. I chalk it up to awkwardness rather than nefarious intent,"
"I hope you're right,"
"Why so suspicious?" A mischievous sparkle lights in her eye. "Did you have a thing for Kotnoha-chan? Aw, that would be so cute . . ."
"No," I shake my head fast. "She's just kinda shy and unassertive, so I worry about her. I wouldn't want anyone to treat her badly."
"Trust me, I wouldn't have set her up with Makato if he was a bad guy," Sekai winks, pushing herself forward by leaning her arms on the counter. "I'm sure they'll get along fine."
"I suppose so," Why am I so suspicious of this guy. "Katsura-san seemed pretty happy earlier,"
She leans a little closer. I stuff my face into my coat collar.
"Is there something on my face?"
"No," she stands up straight, tongue sticking out. "I just wanted to see how long it would take you to blush,"
I flinch. "Nice,"
"You really aren't like other guys," she places her elbow on the table. She doesn't seem that upset, so it must be a . . . good thing? "Oh, that's right. Since you were talking earlier about how annoying Kyouichi was being, would you like to sit with me and my friends tomorrow during lunch?"
"R-really?" The offer sounds too good to be true. "You'd really let me do that?"
"Why not, you're nice enough." She grins. "Besides, we could use someone to give us new discussion topics; Hikari, Nanami, and Setsuna don't have a lot of interesting things to say. "
"I wouldn't be much help at spurring conversation.
"In that case, we'll have to make do with what we have," she scans the room for a clock. "What time is it?"
"Let me see," I take a peek at my watch. "'3:48'?"
"Oh gosh, I better get going," she dashes out the library door. "See you later, Yuuki,"
"See ya," I wave after she's left. Clasping my hands together, I sigh with relief.
If she says there's nothing wrong with Makato . . . Then, maybe there's nothing to worry about.
6:10 PM
". . . So, while it was wrong for you to threaten them in such a way, you did the right thing in apologizing to them. It is in God's hands now whether they will forgive you or not,"
Father Tokugawa finishes his commentary on the day's events with an arm flourish. While the gesture is a bit over the top, most of us agree that his orator-esque movements are part of why he's such an effective speaker.
"Thank you for your guidance, Father," I bow as deep as I can. "Before I go, I have just one more question for you,"
"Of course," he nods as we exit the confession chambers to the church sanctuary. "What's on your mind?"
"Well, my older sister Chie has told me a lot about high school. You know, all the gossip, the rumors, the weird stuff that happens; and, whenever I hear the slightest thing that seems odd, I get all worried about what I should do next. Is there a way I can fix this?"
"The best way to deal with situations like that is to remember that following God's path for us can never go wrong. In other words, whatever is the right decision is the one you should make."
I look up at the stained-glass window of the Virgin Mary. I guess the choice really is that easy. "Thank you, Father; I'll see you on Sunday."
"Good-bye, Yuuki. Have a blessed evening,"
7:21 PM
Evening. Dinner done, I log into Phantasia's servers with the username "KnightoftheRound15" and begin my nightly session.
I'm a bit behind most of the other players in the game. The top fighters are usually mages, who reap the most benefits from having high levels due to their wide assortment of abilities. Against a paladin class like my own, distant fighters that use mana have a distinct advantage; especially since only rare physical items have the ability to defend against spells.
Instead, I spend most of my time joining a map started by a group of 4 that quickly turned their session into a closed group after reaching 15. I was lucky to get in when I did; each of the members sign on and off with the most difference being players who get in thirty minutes after or before the others. In addition, each were around my level at the time I spotted them, so there was no reason for me to hesitate in joining.
Our map is still largely unexplored; many a side quest, boss, and recruitable NPC await before we even get through half our game. However, we've been close friends since I started playing this game halfway through first semester, and that hasn't dwindled in the least since then. Recently, we've engaged in private Player vs. Player contests to see how our characters stack up against each other. While I've only won three out of seven battles so far, I've attained enough of information from these battles to know in which stats my Paladin needs to improve.
As soon as I complete my entry form, the option to enter my frequented guild comes up instantly. I click 'Yes' and enter our group's hub.
Our base resembles a typical tavern. Its major distinguishing features are the lavish rugs adorning the pathway leading from the front hall to the drinking area and paintings on the wall depicting our completed missions. Many veteran players have not only increased the size of their taverns but added marble staircases and exotic wines to the bartender's collection of beverages.
Nevertheless, we make do. I haven't heard a single player complain about our economic status, neither have I noticed anyone wishing we had more.
The pace we go at is the pace we go at. There's no reason we should let anyone else decide that for us.
Arturia Pendragon: Hey Yuuki! We just got this super cool sidequest from a 9 year old girl who lost her parents.
Normal Bob: Yeah, she says her parents were eating by the Dragon Lords.
KnightoftheRound15: Are those the men who sold their souls to the black sorcerer Tyrion in exchange for the power of dragons?
YoungWeakLing: The same. The girl says she got away because her parents yelled at the dragons when they were flying towards them, so they wouldn't notice she was with them.
KnightoftheRound15: Where are they now?
Arturia Pendragon: They're hiding out in huge caverns we fought where those ogres were. Man, at least those guys were unintelligent; no way we're outsmarting these dragons.
KnightoftheRound15: How difficult is the mission?
YoungWeakLing: A-class.
KnightoftheRound15: A-class?! I don't think any of us are strong enough to take on that tough of a mission!
Normal Bob: You're right, of course. We're going to need to level grind some more before we can fight them. YWL and WarrioroftheHeart located several stat upgrades hidden in the ruins of an underground cavern.
Arturia Pendragon: Which stats were they again?
YoungWeakLing: Strength, resilience, speed, and magic I think.
KnightoftheRound15: That's no good; we only have a couple members who are passable at magic. Most of us can't even use it.
Out of animosity towards the toughest players who competed in guild-wide PvP sessions regularly, we all agreed not to create a character who followed the mage class. However, there was no rule established that kept us from creating a character whose ethnicity was a dark elf or a dwarf, both species capable of wielding limited amounts of magic.
Arturia Pendragon: Every bit counts. Besides, YWL heard from a couple of well-dressed men that they're looking for employees to hunt for plate-steel equipment stolen by well-trained highwaymen. It's a B-rank; we could probably use that as a way to gain the power we need to fight the Dragon Lords.
Normal Bob: It's our best bet, anyways. We better get started,
The rules are simple yet overflowing with opportunity for non-linear gaming. Since it's one of the few mass-market games that has a low enough minimum graphics setting option that I can actually play on my dated computer, I appreciate it enough already.
Besides, this comradery with people whose personal lives I know nothing about helps me enjoy myself without having to worry about hurting someone else's feelings or making people think I was in a relationship with someone else. Compared to high school, the Dragon Lords would be a piece of cake.
KnightoftheRound15: Let's meet up with them at Castle Undrawt. I'll lead the way.