Epilogue: Phantom Love
This is a love story hidden only in my heart, a love that would never come true.
The coziness of the bed, the billowy comforter wrapped around her body… The warmth was perfect and hard to leave. Who would ever want to step out of heaven? It felt so good. She could've stayed that way forever. Even though the setting was so perfect, all it took was the ringing of one doorbell to pull her from her bliss. She wasn't about to let such a silly thing knock her out of the ecstasy she was in. She focused in on that blissful feeling. She wanted to lay in it all day.
– Hey! Get up already! Don't you know what time it is?! – A loud man was banging on the door.
(Mmm... God. He's so much.)
– Come on! You're the one who called me out here! I've been waiting all morning! Wake up, Lydia!
(Mmm... Arata...?)
The banging on the door and the ringing bell snapped Lydia back to reality. She slowly began to wake.
– Why... is... Arata here? – She yawned. Lydia still seemed to be in a daze as she opened the door. – Morning, Arata. What are you doing here?
– Are you kidding? You asked me to come with you to go get that AiCure figure that just came out. I went over there, but you never showed up! I got worried and came down here to see if you were okay. – Lydia's sluggishness slowly left her. She was becoming fully awake.
– Oh, right. Haha! Sorry! – Arata started to quiver in anger just seeing how carefree she was about this. – I binged AiCure last night and overslept!
– Yeah, got it. Well hurry up and get dressed already
– What?
– Do I need to spell it out for you?
Confused, Lydia slowly began to look at her clothes. She didn't see anything wrong. She was just wearing her favorite anime shirt, and had some underwear on.
– AH?! – Lydia turned red instantly.
– Lydia, let me be the first to tell you that this was on you, okay? But, don't worry I don't really feel anything looking at you, so we're good.
– I hate you, Arata!
(So typical…) This was Arata's final thought before he fainted. Lydia's open hand met his cheek a lot more powerfully than one might've imagined. After a little while, Lydia, in a different outfit, came outside.
– Arata… I'm sorry…
– No, it's my fault too. Sorry.
– ...
– ... – An awkward silence lingered above them. Both of their eyes averted each other until Arata couldn't stand it any longer. – Well… should we go now?
– Alright...?
The Enigma offices were closed today. The day before, the pair were in a deep discussion about any and all otaku-related news. During their conversation, she'd mentioned a store in Akihabara that had a limited edition AiCure figure on sale, and asked Arata to accompany her. He waited at the store for an hour this morning. Arata and Lydia arrived at the store much later than they thought they would. Soon after arriving a cold announcement came over the PA.
– Attention, customers. The AiCure figure has sold out. We will not be restocking. Thank you. – Lydia, upon hearing the cruel words fill the air, fell to the floor and crumpled into a ball.
– Well, that's unfortunate.
– Arata, l hate you! You're the worst!
– Why are you taking it out on me! You're the one who woke up late.
– Well, yeah, but... – Arata started to feel bad when he saw tears beginning to stream down Lydia's face.
– Okay, let's just go eat, huh? My treat. You can pick whatever you want. – Lydia nodded silently.
…
– I mean, I know I said you can pick whatever you want, but does that even count as a lunch? – Arata and Lydia were sitting on a bench in the park. Lydia held an ice cream in one hand and a crepe in the other.
– It's a perfectly acceptable, delicious meal.
– I'm sure it tastes good, but does it count as lunch?
– Who wrote the rules on lunch, anyway? To me, lunch can be whatever you want. To me, that means sweets.
– Is that right? – Arata didn't have the capacity to keep arguing. And yet… – But... aren't you worried about putting on weight? I would've just gotten ice cream too, but, you know.
– Nope! I know the philosophy behind not getting fat. So, I'm not ever worried about that.
– Oh, is that so? Well, please enlighten the class. – Lydia confidently stood-
– Have you heard that people have a different stomach for sweets?
– I've heard of people saying that. What about it?
– So, you have a different stomach for that. And you know that anime where the cat robot has a pocket that goes to the 4th dimension, right? Seeing that made me realize something. Sweets get sucked into the 4th dimension! So, if you have a sweet tooth, you never get fat!"
– Really now? – Arata, a little tired, looked up at the sky.
– You didn't buy anything?
– I can't eat that many sweets, so I decided against it.
– You can have a bite of mine, if you want. – Lydia offered him her crepe. Arata felt a little shy, but leaned over to take a bite of the crepe she held before him. Lydia took the crepe away and bit it herself. – This is mine! You don't get any. Haha! How's that, Arata?
– You bastard...
– I'm just kidding. Here. – Lydia winked as she apologized. She offered the crepe again. Arata took a bite of the crepe.
– This… is pretty good…
– Right? I love this topping too.
– Give me another bite.
– No.
– You didn't even think about it! – As Arata and Lydia went back and forth, they both began to laugh.
From there, they browsed Akihabara together and window-shopped. They visited shops that were selling figurines, doujinshi, and anime. After going around the shops, Lydia stopped cold in front of the arcade.
– Arata! Look! – Lydia was pointing to a banner. – Strip Fighter Tournament. The grand prize is the limited figure from AiCure.
– Why is the prize something that has nothing to do with the game they're promoting? What's Strip Fighter, anyway?
– Arata, how do you work in this industry and not know what Strip Fighter is? SF is a fighting game where your clothes start to strip off when you get attacked, making you stronger.
– Uh. So, it's an adult-oriented game?
– No! It's for everybody! It's really popular!
– Oh... wait, really?
– Come on, let's go! – Lydia's eyes sparkled. Arata instantly knew what he was in for.
– You should know I'm terrible at fighting games.
– It'll be fine! Let's go! – Arata took Lydia's lead and entered the tournament. And then—
(I have no idea which character to use...)
– Hey, Lydia, which character should I pick?
– How would I know? It's not like I've ever played this game before!
– Are you serious?! Why did you sound so confident about it?!
– Well I wasn't confident~. I just want the AiCure figure. That's why I registered you!
– Oh. I see… – Arata quickly realized as confident as she was, she really had no chance at winning.
– I'm hoping for you to have some beginner's luck, Arata! Good luck!
– You shouldn't be relying on me this much... – Arata didn't bother calling her out for not participating.
– Mr. Arata Mizunashi, please report to the cabinet at Block A – Arata answered the PA's call and came to sit in front of the cabinet.
(Here goes nothing!)
Arata selected his character.
– Whoa! Mizunashi is going to use the Eromon's Bookstore!
(Seriously? What a horrible name. What was going through the developer's head when they named them?)
– Your opponent is... whoa! Bad luck! The famous fighter, the pride of Ochanomizu, the one... the only... Tea Water Bra!
– WHOAAAAAAA!
(They actually like that name? Rough.) Arata thought to himself.
– Good luck, Arata!
– Mr. Mizunashi is joined today by his girlfriend!
He could tell the spectators and the opponent were angered by this.
(I'm beginning to think the odds are not in my favor.)
– Are both parties ready?! We're all hoping Mr. Mizunashi is crushed. Let the games begin!
(These people take things so personally!)
Arata was at a total disadvantage at the start of battle.
…
Arata's opponent had a perfect win. People have been playing this game and ones like it for decades now. There was no way he would win against someone from this community, that much was obvious.
– Awww, I really wanted that figure...
– Sorry for sucking.
– Arata, you really need to play games more often!
– I can't he good at everything, you know
– But, you're supposed to be good at games!
– Yeah, RPGs maybe. We're not really playing to my skills here.
– The only reason you don't have skills for this is because you refuse to play!
– Well, maybe...
– Mizunashi, a first-class programmer shouldn't shy away from a game... no matter the genre!
– Are you doing an impression of Glock?
– Haha, you could tell? He's so funny.
– You're the only one who thinks that.
– Wow. You really do suck at fighting games.
– Ah. Sorry
– I Wanted the AiCure figure so bad... I just wanted to buy it...
– Don't put that on me. You overslept!
– Aw. Do you have to remind me?
– Hey, you never know. Maybe they'll make more.
– I hope so…
– Come on. You said there was some place you still wanted to go to, right? I'll come with you. Cheer up.
– Yeah, but doing that won't get me any closer to an AiCure figure.
– Do you want to go home?
– No, I wanna go…
– Then, let's go.
Arata and Lydia's days off were spent like this. Really, their daily lives were spent like this as well.
– Hey, Arata?
– Yes, Lydia?
– If I wasn't a human of this world... and if I was caught up doing some bad things... what would you do about that?
– ls this a story from a manga you're reading?
– Yeah, something like that.
– Well, if it really was a bad thing, I wouldn't be able to forgive you.
– I knew you'd say that...
– But, even if that was going on... it's you, right? I would just, you know, lecture you. You'd feel bad, and we'd go back to our lives. What more could I do? That's probably how I'd handle that.
– I see…
– Don't you hate being lectured?
– Yeah...
– Then you better feel bad. Or else I'll scold you again.
– I better feel bad… – Arata realized Lydia wasn't being her usual self. He began to feel awkward. They sat in silence for a short while, once again.
– Arata?
– Hm?
– If something ever happened to me, I'm gonna leave everything to you, so you can take care of this world, alright?
– The world? Well, sure! You can count on me!
– Okay! That makes me feel way better. – Lydia took in some deep breaths. She did this a few times and soon returned to her normal self. – Okay, Arata! Onward to the next shop!
– Really? There's more?
– Of course there's more! There are so many things I want to buy!
– But, it's already night time!
– Sure, but we have tomorrow off too!
– Come on. Wait, are you trying to go tomorrow too?
– Yes, and you're coming with me!
– I'm definitely not doing this again tomorrow.
– Aw, whaaaat?!
– Lydia?! – Arata was having a dream about this memory with Lydia. He jumped out of bed in a cold sweat. – It was... a dream… Damn it, Lydia. Why didn't you just tell me back then?
Now that he held this Pen, capable of fixing the world itself, it was so clear what Lydia was trying to tell him. The loneliness she must have felt, being unable to tell him... the pain of fighting alone all the time was here…
– I wish I could've saved her… – Lydia disappeared on that day. The reasons surrounding her disappearance still aren't known, but her old reality is now Arata's. – After I save you, you're never gonna hear the end of it, Lydia...
Feeling a new sense of determination, Arata held the Pen close to his heart.
End