.
.
.
In no time at all, the day for the offline meeting arrived. We rode a train from the nearest station for around an hour and a half.
Right now, we were standing at the Akihabara Electric City exit on the JR line. It was just past noon on a holiday.
I was expecting something consistent with the rumors, that Akiba would be messy and congested, but it wasn't really like that.
At least inside and in front of the station, it gave off an impression of a well maintained, orderly place.
"It's a radio studio! And a gamer's flagship store!" Naruko tried to restrain her voice, but couldn't completely hide her excitement.
She sure is having fun, isn't she? It seems like, just like me, this is her first time in Akihabara.
Up to now, her experience with Tokyo has been limited to Shibuya and Harajuku, I think.
She might have a lot of anime goods, but as an otaku she might be a relative beginner.
I checked the time on my cell phone. "Hey, Naruko. This isn't the time for that, alright? If you want to go to the shops, do that after the meetup."
"I know, I know. By the way, don't stick so close to me."
As she uttered those cruel words to me, Naruko seemed to be tensely preparing for her first offline meeting.
Her shoulders were held high, and she was wearing clothes that made her seem very mature.
Underneath, she had on a miniskirt and boots. But she also wore a good deal of expensive-looking accessories.
Even to someone like me, who did not really understand fashion, she looked quite stylish.
She looked more suited for somewhere like Shibuya or Odaiba. But I mean…it's already too late so I won't say anything, but…going to the meeting in that getup…
I mean, certainly it's pretty cute, but…will you really be alright like that?
"Alright. Then from here on let's split up a bit. You were supposed to meet up here, right? I'll head off to the café first and I'll be on standby there."
"Huh? Ah… alright. I got it."
"Don't look so disheartened. I'll definitely be watching out for you."
"I-I don't look like that at all. Don't be an idiot, shouldn't you be going?"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, see ya."
Lightly raising a hand as a goodbye, I turned my back on Naruko. Passing by the shop Naruko had called a gamer's flagship store, I went out into the main street.
Soon, I could see various games and cords and such lined up in the storefronts that I passed by, although with such a brief glance I didn't really know what exactly they were selling.
I was reminded of a cheap sweets shop I used to pass by often as a kid. I didn't really plan on buying anything, but I still felt a fluttering of excitement.
Odaiba is an island accessible via bridge in Tokyo that holds a lot of attractions, including a bustling shopping district, an amusement park, and the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.
It's pretty lively around here, isn't it? As expected, it was pretty busy here. At its most busiest times, Akihabara's main street even had places where bands would play.
Compared to that, I would say that today's atmosphere was somewhat more subdued, but…it's really like a festival around here, isn't it? That's really what I thought.
As I was admiring my surroundings, I took out a printout map from the bag hanging from my shoulders and looked at it.
Ah, this isn't the right street at all. It's in the opposite direction. I turned around in order to retrace my steps, but I saw Naruko still standing there.
Having gallantly come this far, it just wouldn't do if I made a U-turn now. Without facing the main street, with its row of electronics stores, I turned left.
I made another left at the intersection, and continued straight. I passed under a railway bridge and still continued, and soon I could see a thin tall building on my right. It was the Shosen Book Tower, according to my map.
The influence of otaku culture seemed to lighten here, and the surroundings gave off an impression not unlike what you would find outside a very normal train station.
I crossed the pedestrian crosswalk, and came to a stop close to the entrance of the Book Tower.
Hmm, it's this way, right? Like that, I continued to follow the road. Following the map, after walking for a few minutes, it looked like I had entered into what looked to be, judging from the houses around me, a quiet residential neighborhood. If the map was correct, the café would be right around here…
"Ah, here it is." I stopped, and looked up at a building that looked a bit like a lodge.
The café was named "Pretty Garden," and its exterior gave off the impression of an elegant little cabin.
After I went up the very short staircase, I opened the wooden door and was greeted by the pleasant sound of a bell.
Ring ring.
"Welcome home, master!"
I was greeted simultaneously by the voices of many aproned maids. Trying hard to pretend that nothing had happened, I shut the door again.
"Wh-wh-what…is going on…?" Still holding onto the door with both hands, I muttered to myself.
No, it was clear what was going on. I knew what was going on…but…seriously, just wait a bit.
My mind still hasn't quite caught up to the situation yet. Because the neighborhood outside had seemed so normal, I had completely forgotten that I was still in Akiba…
So, the rumors were true…this was…what do they call it… was this a maid café!?
Finally having come to this realization, I took stock of my situation in my head. Inhaling and giving a huge sigh, I timidly opened the door a second time.
Ring ring.
"Okaerinasaimase, goshujinsama!"
It is the standard greeting for all maid cafes.
"Welcome home, master!"
It was the same scene as before… damn it, it wasn't an illusion, was it? To welcome me, a cute maid-san approached with a pitter patter.
She was wearing a fluffy white apron. Her skirt was excessively short, although her socks were very long. It was definitely an outfit that was designed for cuteness.
I couldn't help feeling that I wanted to get out of here, but I had made a promise to come here and be on standby.
What's more, turning back here would just not do at all. I braced myself and took a step into the café.
Namikaze Naruto. Fifteen years old. My first time at a maid café…
"Is it just one guest, master?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Well, then, please come this way~"
I was lead by the maid-san to a table for one. The interior of the place had the look of a normal coffee shop.
The slightly dim shop was illuminated by a number of orange lamps. The furniture all somehow looked like antiques, and the atmosphere felt really Western.
Also, even though it was lunchtime, the place was relatively empty. Maybe the people who were going to the offline meeting had reserved a lot of tables.
"Would this seat suit you?"
"Yeah…thanks."
The maid-san pulled the seat out for me, and I sat down. I felt quite self-conscious. Every maid in the place certainly was quite cute.
"Here is the menu, master ~ ~. Could I take your order for how you want to be addressed?"
"Huh? Wh-what do you mean?"
"Well ~ ~, please decide how you would like me to address you. On the menu, you can see all sorts of options like "master," "danna," "-kun," "-chan," "onii-chan," "onii-sama," and others ~ ~."
Maid cafés are really terrifying. How is a mere high school student like me supposed to get through this?
Well, let's just let nature take its course. Putting on a bold smile, I responded.
"It doesn't matter. Whichever is fine."
"Is that so? Then, how about I call you Onii-chan? Onii-chan ~ ~"
Well, now the maid-san was being a bit overly familiar with me. I guess it would be a bit boorish for me to point out that at this point, she didn't seem like a maid at all anymore…and what's more, it was obvious that she was over twenty years old…
"Did you say something, Onii-chan?"
"No no!"
How terrifying. Was she reading my mind or something?
The maid brought over some water. As I gratefully sated my thirst, I looked at the menu. I had yet to eat lunch, so let's see what I could fill up on…and…
With a bewildered expression, I glanced roughly at the menu items. Why was I confused? Well…that is…for now, let me give a few examples.
Lunch
· The maid's lovey dovey omelette rice (ketchup or otafuku) - 900 yen.
· Little sister's handmade curry (parupunte flavor, begiragon flavor, zaraki flavor) – 1000 yen.
· The tsundere school president's specially prepared ramen – 800 yen.
Drinks
· Spirit of Saiyan – 300 yen.
· Super holy water – 300 yen.
· Juice from the divine essence tree – 300 yen.
I have no idea what's going on. At least the lunch items sound similar to actual food items, so whatever, but I can't even begin to imagine what any of those drinks are.
What should I do? I had to look this up, but Otafuku is apparently a Japanese company that produces various sauces. I guess I have no choice but to ask.
"Excuse me…what exactly is this… Spirit…of…Saiyan?"
"That would be vegetable juice, Onii-chan ~ ~"
Then write "vegetable juice," damn it… The menu was what the menu was, I guess.
I also ascertained that "Super holy water" just meant "cider" and "Juice from the divine essence tree" just meant "mixed fruit juice."
"Have you decided on your order? Onii-chan."
"Not yet… sorry." In my confusion, I stupidly apologized…
"By the way, I have a recommendation. You should try the little sister's handmade curry. I made it with my own hands, Onii-chan ."
"A-alright, then I'll go with that."
Damn it. This damn girl, picking out the most expensive thing on the menu so casually… although, it really was my fault for going along with it…
"Your order has been entered in ~. Little sister's handmade curry. Zaraki flavor ~ ~"
Zaraki flavor, huh? That sounds pretty dangerous…well, whatever. But, still, what they bring out to me might be completely inedible…
Having exhausted myself just by ordering, I took a breather. Tilting my chair backwards, I stared at the ceiling. Then, the door once again opened, and a group of people entered.
Ring ring.
"Welcome home, master!"
Ah, so they came. I took out a baseball cap from my bag, and wore it low over my eyes. Nonchalantly, I turned my gaze towards the door. In succession, a group of girls entered.
I still couldn't see Naruko. Hm… as I thought, they were relatively plain looking, most of them really didn't seem very refined. There were also a few girls here or there in cosplay… Hm? Whoa!
I turned my gaze to the girl that stood at the front of the group. Well, let's see… first things first. She was tall. And her breast is huge. Really huge. Seriously huge.
She was a young woman who appears to be in her late teens with white long crimson hair that reaches down to her thighs with an Ahoge sticking out from the top.
She had to be around 180 cm tall. She looked like a supermodel…but what was more startling was her getup.
She looked extremely like an otaku. Her head was wrapped in a bandana, and she wore a checkered long-sleeve shirt, tucked into a pair of trousers.
She also bore a rough-looking backpack on her back. To make matters worse, a number of rolled up posters poked out from her backpack.
To sum it up…she was the image of the stereotypical otaku that I had seen on TV, while having a figure like a supermodel…
I'm not lying. I really didn't believe it myself, but there she was, right in front of me.
Heh, Tokyo is truly a frightening place, isn't it? I've definitely learned that today.
Feeling myself getting agitated, I gulped down some water in an attempt to calm myself.
And in front of my eyes, that aforementioned huge breast girl began to talk to one of the maids.
"I have a reservation for 1 PM, please."
"Alright. Would you please give me your name?"
"Rias Satanichia"
Wha-!? I did a spit take, and held my throat, coughing violently.
Hack! Hack! Cough! Cough! Hack!
"Ah! A-are you alright, Onii-chan?"
The maid-san patted me on the back as I continued to cough in agony. Damn it, that definitely went down the wrong pipe! Hack! Cough! Hack! Damn it, I feel like I'm going to die…
This was the person with the username "Rias"!? But, Satanichia!? what kinda name is that!
Ah, I know. It was just her alias in the online community. I mean, even I could understand that people often had different identities online and in real life. But no matter how you looked at it, her name was obviously fake.
And she also wasn't quite the prim and proper lady that I had imagined her to be… she really fell very short of that expectation!
This was perhaps the biggest surprise I've had in all my 15 years of life! Well, this was a bit of a dreadful outcome right from the start, wasn't it?
What the hell. I haven't even talked to her, and yet I'm making such nasty comments already…
Cough. Cough. Cough.
"Thanks… sorry for being so noisy."
"Oh no, it's fine ~. Alright, I'll go get another water for you, 'kay? But Onii-chan? If you do that again I'll get angry, okay?"
Blop. The maid tapped my head lightly with her fist. Even in such unexpected situations, she didn't panic and stayed in character. She's really a seasoned pro, isn't she?
"Yeah…I really am very sorry…" I blushed and I realized that all the eyes in the place were now looking at me.
I felt the jealous stares of the other guys here and there in the bar, as if they wanted to say "Well aren't you pretty clever?"
Ring ring. Turning my gaze once again to the entrance, I saw Naruko crossing her arms and giving me a fierce glare, as if to say "why the hell are you being so conspicuous, idiot!?"
Well, I couldn't help it, could I!? It was all Rias's fault! I tried to explain it to her just with my eyes, but…
"Hmph!" whether she understood what I was trying to say or not, Naruko quickly turned the other way.
But seriously…she really doesn't fit in with that crowd…excluding the big one, the girls of the "Otaku Girls Unite!" group, whether they looked plain or were wearing some kind of cosplay, all looked like quite docile girls.
Also, there were barely any who had dyed their hair. Mixed into the middle of that group, there was a teen model who had obviously tried very hard to coordinate her clothes…she really stood out.
As the community members were standing near the entrance awaiting further instruction, two maids went up to them and bowed.
"We are very sorry about the wait ~. Please allow us to lead you to your seats ~ ~."
At the maids' directions, the group slowly entered into the middle of the café. Naruko and the others were shown to the very middle of the café.
A number of other tables were attached to that one, and chairs were brought and placed appropriately.
The group split up into smaller groups of 10 or so, and picked their seats while chatting away.
From the bit of conversation I could overhear, it appeared that this was this group's first offline meeting. So, this was probably the first time any of these girls were meeting in person.
"…"
Isn't Naruko a bit cut off from the rest of the group? In one corner, Naruko was sitting by herself. Her posture was strangely stiff, and she was anxiously looking around.
It was like in elementary school, when people separate into groups of friends, but one person ends up being left out…
Damn it, this was a pretty miserable situation…I felt a pang in my chest as I clenched my teeth.
"Umm…" In that state, as soon as Naruko tried to timidly strike up a conversation, the same conversation would end after two or three words.
It seems like Naruko was wary of her companions, and they thought the same of her.
Even though this was a group that presumably shared a hobby, it didn't seem that way at all.
It was as if her words just weren't getting heard…or if there was an invisible wall…
I clicked my tongue. Well…it's not like I wasn't vaguely expecting something like this to happen… Naruko had always exuded a haughty aura that screamed "Servant, don't come near me."
She seemed like the type who would push away anybody who wasn't similarly beautiful and refined as she.
Of course, that's fine at school. There are people of all sorts at school, and it wasn't difficult to form a group with similar people and hang out with them.
But Naruko, at school, was not only part of the most popular group, but was a leader of sorts in that group.
In that position, it was good that she could so carefully pick her clothes and be so charming.
This aura of a cold princess that she exuded helped her charm and attract people with similar sensibilities.
But, here, the people were not that way at all. Here, the people that Naruko was trying to make friends with were completely different than the people in the crowd she hung out with at school.
That was pretty obvious. It was as if in the middle of a flock of sheep, the wolf who wanted to make friends with the sheep had been left out.
No matter how desperately the wolf tried to speak, the sheep would get nervous, and would think "why is this wolf mixed in with our flock?"
Irritated, I bit my lip… Ah, Naruko ran away from another conversation.
She really can't hold a conversation for longer than two or three words, can she?
Whomever she was talking to would nod idly for a bit, and then get drawn in to another group's conversation, and would stop talking to Naruko.
And anyways, from what I could overhear, I really had no idea what any of these people were talking about. It felt like I had gotten lost in a foreign country or something…
As I rubbed my forehead and let out a sigh, Naruko looked in my direction as if asking for help.
Don't look at me with such a miserable expression…that's so not like you! I began to clench my fists, and then…
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Your little sister's hand-made curry is here, Onii-chan!"
"Ah, thanks."
This damn maid…she really chose a great time to bring this to me, didn't she? Oh God, Naruko just heard this maid call me "Onii-chan," didn't she!?
Ah, how terrible! I looked at my sister. It seemed that she hadn't been looking this way, but it was all the same to me.
Clenching my fists, I watch her table. Hey, Naruko, I really can't do anything in this position. But, I'll definitely watch you from here. Do your best! Do your best Naruko!
Damn it… what was that crap about "hand-made"? This taste, this curry obviously came from a can, didn't it…!?
(◕ω◕✿)
The offline meeting continued for around two hours, and ended with what looked to be a gift exchange.
Of course, without being able to communicate effectively with anyone at all, Naruko had not managed to make a single friend…
What's more, the final blow came when Naruko received her gift from the present exchange, and it turned out to be some shabby toy magic hand.
Wh…what the hell was this? No matter how you looked at it, that was just a bit…it didn't have to be a perfect gift, but seriously, shouldn't you prepare a more serious present?
Feeling all alone and looking downwards, Naruko dejectedly opened and closed the magic hand, and I couldn't help but pity her a bit.
I was now outside the café, standing only slightly removed from the gathered girls.
And then, the community leader and also the organizer of this offline meeting, Rias, began to make her closing remarks.
"Thank you all for your cooperation in making this first memorable tea gathering pleasant and seeing it through to a safe conclusion! From me, I offer you the most heartfelt thanks."
The crowd raised a delighted cheer. As expected from her, her appearance and manner of speech gave her a commanding air, not unlike a teacher talking to his students.
"With that, this tea meeting has come to a close! We can now go on each of our ways, but because the day is still young, please continue to congregate with friends you have made! Also, as for the next official event, I will post up a topic on the community boards, and be sure to attend that one as well! Alright then…dismissed!"
With that, the crowd came to life. Farewells flew left and right, along with invitations, with a "hey, do you want to head to Toranoana now?" here to a "where do you want to go?" there to a "hey, let's go and talk seriously about those Seed couplings" somewhere else.
But, in that energetic throng, my sister, Naruko, was nowhere to be found. In groups of two or three, the larger group dispersed.
Also, Rias, after giving her farewell speech, made a mad dash out of there. Did she have some urgent business to attend to?
Like that, the area slowly emptied of people, leaving a lone Naruko standing stock still in the middle.
She may have been hopeful that someone would invite her to go with them, and would not allow herself to give up.
Now, looking completely exhausted, she dropped her shoulders. Her cute clothes, which she had so carefully picked for today, had been exposed as being completely ineffective…in fact, they may have had the opposite effect to what she intended.
It was a scene of a desolate battlefield, with the wasted arrows and broken blades of the losing army strewn about. And in her hand she still grasped that magic hand.
Slowly, I took off my baseball cap and approached my dejected-looking sister. I place my hand on her head in comfort, "You definitely tried your best, Naruko."
"I…I couldn't talk to them at all."
"Yeah, I saw. Well, this was your first time after all. Don't worry about it."
"It's not that…wh-why? I… was just trying to act normally…why were they avoiding me? Uuh…I'm so annoyed…so annoyed. Annoyed annoyed annoyed…"
Looking truly irritated, Naruko ground her teeth while stamping her feet.
It's not like I could blame her. I've also been in situations like this. Sometimes, when I was frustrated or depressed, I couldn't find any way to distract myself other than changing those feelings into anger…but, I had pretty good knowledge of my sister's anger… especially since she started kicking me out of anger just now.
I know you're hurt, Naruko, but… "Stop using your heel so much!"
Damn it, can I really be patient with this!? I really can't tolerate this much longer! Suddenly, an unexpected figure appeared.
"Hey! Naruru-chi! …phew, I'm glad! You're still here!"
"Ah…you're…Rias-san?"
Panting from having run all the way here, the community leader Rias stood before us.
"Hey, hey, what's with that 'Rias-san'? It's as if Naruru-chi doesn't know me or something! I told you already stop being formal with me you can call me 'Rias Onee-chan.' Ahhh, but I'm glad I caught you. I was just about to try to reach you by cell phone, too." Rias smiled widely.
From her appearances, Naruko was equally stumped, and timidly tried her best to respond. "W-what did you want with me?"
"Ah," Rias nodded and held up one finger and said this. "Truth is, I wanted to invite you to another gathering."
"Huh?" Naruko looked bewildered at the strange invitation. Right after she made this statement, Rias turned her eye to me.
"Naruru-chi, by the way, who is this? If I'm not mistaken, earlier he was in the shop watching you… ahhhh, I see…"
"Definitely not!" Naruko and I raised our objection at the same time. Of all things, what in the world are you thinking!?
"So, I was mistaken? I apologize then… it's just that this little cute fellow a little while ago was intently staring at Naruru-chi inside the shop, right? I was so certain that it was the gaze of a lover…"
"There's no way! Stop that! Just thinking about that grosses me out!"
Wow, Naruko…isn't there some nicer way you could tell her she's wrong?
While I was thinking these things, I added on my own thoughts. "I'm Namikaza Naruto, and I'm her older brother. Please don't make any bad assumptions."
"Oh hoh, I see I see, you're Naruru-chi's…brother," nodding in understanding, Rias faced me and gave me a light bow.
"Alright, my mistake then. I think you already know this then, but my name is Rias Satanichia. You can call me 'Onee-chan' if you want, Naruto-chi."
"… Er, I rather not,"
"Fufufu, you're no fun. Well, Naruto-chi, would Naruto-chi like to come with us?"
"Would I mind…you mean, to the meeting?"
"Of course! How about it?"
Whoa, suddenly her face came really close to mine. I took a step back in surprise, and in my place Naruko began to speak with a slightly uneasy tone of voice. "Um…this meeting…will there be a lot of other people?"
In other words, she doesn't really want to go, does she? And I understand why.
If she goes and feels left out again, it would hardly be a good time. And, in Naruko's case, because she was pretty spoiled in general, this was very hard for her.
But, with a "oh no no," Rias shook her head back and forth in a hugely exaggerated way. She put up four fingers on one hand and spoke.
"Including Naruru-chi and Naruto-chi, there are only four people. It's a meeting for people I had wanted to talk to, to make friends with, but didn't have a chance to. I guess for a 'gathering,' it's a bit small. Let's go chat a bit at a Starbucks, and then go shopping together. How about it?"
"U-uh…" After hearing the details, Naruko seemed a bit interested and began to think about it.
If it's like this, then she wouldn't be left out of the group, so it should be fine, right? That's what Naruko was probably thinking.
After realizing this, because I felt I should encourage Naruko a bit, I faced Rias and spoke.
"I don't mind, but it depends on what Naruko says."
"Hm, well how about it? Naruru-chi?"
"Mmm…"
Showing us her thinking face, after acting like she was thinking hard about it, Naruko blushed.
"A-alright. If you put it like that…I'll go then for your sake."
Her words sounded so childish that it was very difficult to restrain my laughter.
Naruko had always acted mature for her age, but every once in a while she showed her younger side, and the cuteness made me smile.
"Ahh, then that's good! Well, let's go! The last member of our gathering is already waiting at the Starbucks."
Removing one of her posters from her backpack as if unsheathing a lightsaber, Rias pointed straight ahead.
Rias—the beautiful girl who dressed like an otaku. Honestly, I can't think of any way to describe her other than weird…
But…maybe…if she weren't really the way she was through and through, then it's unlikely she could be as respected as a leader of the otaku community.
(◕ω◕✿)
With that, we set off to meet this last person.
We were now seated on the second floor at the Starbucks nearest the Pretty Garden café, on a couch in one of the corners. Two tables were joined end to end, so four people could sit down together.
Naruko and I were sitting side by side, Rias was across from me, and the last person at the meeting was sitting across from Naruko.
There were drinks set in front of each seat. Naruko, Rias, and I had just come up from the first floor after buying drinks a few seconds ago, and had just met this fourth person.
But since all four of us had gathered here, not one person had said anything.
… But, this last person…she was also really strange, although not in the same way as Rias. As soon as I saw her, my eyes widened.
Although, I couldn't really see her face…in the corner seat across from Naruko, she was fiddling with her cell phone.
Because she was motionlessly looking downwards, I couldn't see her face, but she definitely had a beautiful head of black hair.
But…she was one of those cosplayers, wasn't she… She wears Gothic Lolita fashion with a frilly black gown and jacket, red ribbon bow tie, a red bat symbol design cross from the front to the back on her dress, another red cross on her shawl and bottom half, black pony heel boots with a red cross, and a red ribbon on her right ankle. She really looked like she was going to a ball or something.
"It's been on my mind for a while, but…when I look at you closely…that's a really great Suigintou, isn't it…"
At least, those were Naruko's impressions. But, whatever you might think, Naruko, she stands out in an entirely different way than you do…
I had no idea what she was cosplaying, but however I looked at it this just went way overboard…she was taking cosplay a bit too seriously…
As soon as she saw that all of us had sat down, Rias began to introduce us two.
"These two are Naruru-chi and, as a special guest, her brother Naruto-chi. And, this is a member of my community—"
"My username is Kuroneko." the final person at the meeting raised her head and vacantly introduced herself. What an emotionless, indifferent manner of speaking.
"Um…I'm Naruru. N-nice to meet you," Naruko spoke nervously. It was a nervousness that didn't really suit her, but this was probably how she felt during the offline meeting too.
"I'm Namikaze Naruto. Sorry for intruding on this meeting so suddenly."
Following this, having introduced myself like my sister, and a gloomy voice responded.
"… I see. Well, for the time being, nice to meet you," she spoke bluntly, but this black haired Gothic Lolita girl was really quite a beauty.
Although, her personality did not match Naruko's at all. Her bangs consisted of long black hair.
Her skin, pure white. Her eyes, long and thin. She had a beauty mark under her left eye. I'm not sure if this is the right way to say it, but she was a somewhat ghost-like Japanese-style beauty. The red contacts she had put in also probably were a part of the cosplay.
From the looks of it, she also seemed to have a difficult, gloomy personality…in this atmosphere, I was half-expecting her to start using black magic.
She was definitely pretty, but she had none of the charm that Naruko had, and a foreboding aura rose up from her entire body.
"Everyone seems to be here, so I'll ask quickly…what exactly is your intention for inviting me to a place like this, manager-san?"
"Ha ha ha. Didn't I tell you before? I wanted to invite you to a little afterparty. Ahh, but that was a pretty close call! The minute I finished speaking, you started briskly walking away, so I had to run after you! Geez, if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have been able to invite you!"
Rias repeatedly nudged the Goth Lolita girl, but she remained completely expressionless.
Since we first saw her, she had not changed her facial expression in the slightest…it was really eerie. But I understand now, this is probably why Rias took off running earlier.
… I see. Gradually, I'm starting to see what Rias is trying to do here…but, Naruko and this Gothic Lolita girl…the reason she deliberately picked these two to bring here, I still didn't really know…perhaps it was that this meeting was organized by the community manager for the sake of the attendees at the offline meeting who failed at making many friends.
That's why there were no others here. As Rias had said, it was a meeting "for people I had wanted to talk to, to make friends with, but didn't have a chance to," right? That's a nice way to put it.
Hmm. You couldn't tell by looking at her, but she really knew how to take care of people in a discreet way, didn't she?
And, also, she never asked exactly why I had been accompanying Naruko, and furthermore received me as a "special guest," so she probably had vaguely guessed what I was doing there.
So really…hah… just as her appearance would suggest, she was a pretty charitable person.
Slurp. Still having not let her guard down, Naruko silently sipped at her soda.
It seemed like Naruko had not yet realized what was going on… but "Kuroneko" I think had already figured it out.
That might have been why she suddenly looked so ill at ease after first seeing us.
On the one hand, I would be grateful, but on the other hand, once I guessed Rias's intentions, no matter how I looked at it I felt like I was being pitied. It was an incredibly difficult situation.
Kuroneko's inner thoughts were probably pretty complicated. Honestly, my mood was also a bit complicated right now.
The people who weren't doing well at the first meeting would probably not go to the next meeting, right?
As Rias, I really would have been fine with that. That's what I thought at least. So really, Rias was a pretty good person, wasn't she?
"By the way, stop it with the manager-san and the reserved manners. Just feel free to call me Rias or "Onee-chan" Kuroneko-chi. We all went through the trouble of meeting here, so let's drop the formality and have fun."
"How could you dare to call yourself 'Onee-chan' with that body? How shameless."
The minute Rias gave out this invitation to drop formality, this Gothic Lolita had to say such a thing.
"Hey hey, that's the first time someone's said something like that to me."
"But it's true, isn't it? When you're online, you put on that 'pure princess' act …but really, it's like this, isn't it? However you look at it, you're a fraud. It's unfortunately laughable. I'm just trying to give you honest advice, so just change your name to "Betty" after this, alright? In that case, there would be no problem…and also, what's with that weird outfit…"
"You feel like some gross otaku from the past." Like a timid cat, Naruko huddled in her seat and spoke bluntly what we all were thinking.
"Hey you two when she said you could drop the formalities, she didn't mean you could just freely insult her. Even after she took the trouble to invite you two who didn't fit in at the offline meeting…why are you saying such cruel things to her."
Especially you Naruko, if you want to act mature, should you be saying stuff like that?
"Hey, hey, Naruto-chi, there's no need to get that angry. I'm glad that you got so fired up for my sake, but…these types of insults feel like nothing harsher than a soft breeze to this body. Rather, they're almost pleasant. So, don't worry about it, Naruto-chi. I don't mind if you insult me either!"
"Don't talk like that, Rias-san I really think that you're a good person…"
As I sent her a dumbfounded stare, Rias raised one finger and leaned forwards.
"Well, at least we can be open with each other. So, how about we each introduce ourselves again?"
"I'm a bit skeptical that what just happened you could call 'being open'…"
It wasn't a bad idea, though. However, at Rias's words, the place fell deathly silent.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Come on, guys, say something. Even if it might be awkward. Seeing no other way, I took the initiative and urged them on.
"Come on, isn't this a good idea?"
As I thought, I got no response. It seems like both Naruko and Kuroneko were completely bewildered and at a loss for words.
For one, no matter how I looked at her, Kuroneko didn't seem to be the type of person to do this kind of thing…and Naruko was still dealing with the failure from before.
Hmm…I mean, even if you tell them so vaguely to introduce themselves, they're still going to be shy.
As an outsider, I really shouldn't be butting in here…but it really can't be helped now. So, I proposed an idea.
"Well, how about for each person who is about to introduce themselves, we take turns asking them questions? That way, it should be easier to talk. Ah, of course, you can pass on asking a question if you want. And then, we'll gradually rotate through all of us."
"Hm. That's a nice idea, Naruto-chi. Then, let's start with Kuroneko-chi!"
"Oh yeah, just feel free to pick me first…"
At Kuroneko's fierce glare, Rias, with a "well, well," made exaggerated gestures in an attempt to calm her down.
Kuroneko blew on her hot coffee, and after slowly taking one sip, muttered with an uninterested expression.
"Alright, fine…well, I believe I already gave you my name, so what should I talk about after that?"
"Hmm, well first. I have a question…yeah."
I was sure that she was going to start with the obvious question about her outfit, but Rias did nothing of the sort.
"Hmm, well, could you tell us a story about an event recently that made you really nervous?"
"That doesn't sound like a question appropriate for self-introductions. It sounds more like something a guest would be asked on a talk show…"
Geez, I felt the same way. I did not understand at all why Rias would ask such a question…but with a "whatever," Kuroneko played along.
Really? She's pretty impressively calm about this. With that, the flow of conversation began to smoothen.
"Hm, an event that made me really nervous, right…if I had to pick one…" Kuroneko pondered expressionlessly for a little while, but before long began to mutter in an disinterested tone.
"I was planning a submission to NicoNicoDouga, so I put on cat ears and a tail and was dancing around, when my little sister saw me…yeah, I guess that made me pretty nervous."
I didn't know what Niconico-whatever was, but I did understand that she had lost her cool, quite contrary to her calm demeanor now.
Still, I could only really understand half of what she said, so I couldn't comment.
"Hahaha, Kuroneko-chi is surprisingly mischievous, isn't she? And then your sister came in?"
"Yeah. She was staring at me as if she was witnessing something inexplicable and her mouth was half open."
I can believe it. I mean, that's pretty much how I felt just now, right? I can relate to her sister all too well.
The conversation then turned onto Kuroneko's little sister, but Naruko continued to be silent the entire time. As always, she's just too nervous, isn't she?
And then, with good timing, Rias turned the conversation to Naruko. "Alright, it's Naruru-chi's turn now! Please ask Kuroneko-chi a question~!"
"Uh, me? …uh… uhhh…" realizing that she was suddenly being pointed at by Rias, Naruko blinked in surprise.
"I-I…don't really have anything to ask…so…I'll pass."
What an idiot. What the hell are you doing!? All this after Rias, being considerate, didn't ask Kuroneko about her outfit so you could have an easy question! Ask it, won't you!? Ask about her clothes!
But it didn't seem like my mental wishes went through, and Naruko curled up tightly on her chair while casting her eyes downwards.
Well…this might be something else. It might be that Naruko is still traumatized from being excluded from the previous meeting…maybe…
What should I do? Scratching my chin, I threw a suitable question at Kuroneko. "What kinds of food do you like?"
"Fish…is that a good enough answer?" Kuroneko begrudgingly answered me as if she was just fulfilling some sort of unwanted obligation.
It seems that this girl also doesn't have enough respect for other people, does she…?
"Alright. Next, it is Naruru-chi's turn to introducer herself!"
"M-me…? Uh…uhh…I'm Naruru." Naruko had become quite stiff, and continued to look downwards as she gave her name again.
Sensing that the tension was not decreasing at all, Rias raised her voice with good timing.
"Alright, then it's time for a question for Naruru-chi! Kuroneko-chi, if you would please!"
"Why exactly are you wearing such an out of place outfit? I would understand if you were meeting friends in Shibuya or something, but for going to an offline meeting in Akiba, that kind of fashion is just unheard of."
Well, she doesn't mince words and goes right to the difficult questions, doesn't she? This Gothic Lolita! This will just further traumatize her, so don't ask such a thing!
Certainly, I wanted to tell someone to ask about clothes, but that someone definitely was not you.
"Wha-" as expected, Naruko, seeming dejected, looked offended and tried to refute Kuroneko's statement.
"Well, I'm sorry…I can't help it, this is just the type of clothing that suits me. A-and, I mean, you too…"
"Me too? What's that? Please tell me," Kuroneko whispered this with a sneer.
Whoa…what an amazingly condescending atmosphere.
A blood vessel rose to the surface on Naruko 's forehead. Whaaa, stay in control, please, stay in control.
Naruko, normally having a quick temper, was showing an almost unheard of level of self control, and was deeply breathing in and out.
She was probably on the verge of blowing up inside, but on the surface she still didn't seem that angry. But even the smallest thing could set her off now. Damn, I'm worried…
Hoping that she would be able to defuse this dangerous atmosphere, I looked at Rias, but…she was sitting there with her neck cutely inclined to the side, with an expression of feigned ignorance that said "Oh dear, how will this turn out?"
It seemed like she was just going to sit back and watch… Damn it, what is she trying to accomplish?
As the smell of gunpowder hung in the air, Naruko and Kuroneko's exchange continued.
"I think I'll have to take back my pass from before. I have a question for you too. That costume…what cosplay is it supposed to be? Suigintou from Rozen Maiden…right?"
"Ah, this? It's not Suigintou. That's completely wrong, where exactly are you looking…? Blazblue's Rachel Alucard…could it be you haven't heard of it?"
I had no idea. Even if she acted surprised that people hadn't heard of it, I had no idea. Naruko also didn't seem to have heard of it.
"Hm? I think I've heard the name somewhere before…it's an anime based of fighting game, right?"
"Yes. Blazblue. It's an action anime, and the story and artwork are both the best out of the current season. It airs in the evening every Friday, so watch it, alright?"
"Ah, that…isn't that competing with Madoka in the same timeslot? It's that Shounen anime with those emo super power anime boys, right?"
Ping. I could have sworn I saw a vision of a skull and crossbones switch being pushed.
"What in the world do you mean by emo? I hate that word with all of my being. Just labeling it with a word like that, idiots criticize it without even trying to see the show for what it is. You said something there…'Madoka,' could you possibly mean Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica'? Hah! Children anime like that is not cool at all. Other than idiot boys, or stupid adults who are satisfied as long as there's cute anime girl in it, I can't think of anyone who would watch that rubbish. Also, if you take into account the ratings, it's Madoka that's the inferior one, isn't it? Please don't say stupid reckless things."
"Children anime you said!? Madoka is not a children anime idiot! And also, by your remarks, you haven't even seen Madoka, have you? If you watched the first three episodes, you definitely wouldn't be throwing around insults like that! Ahhh, how pitiable! Someone who hasn't even seen Madoka! And together with that ultra-cool soundtrack from Kalafina that will make you want to die, everything is just so Awesome! Don't you dare make fun of Madoka!"
"It's you that should be more respectful. That stupid anime only love by people whose like to watch loli girls dress in pervert clothes. Could it be that you're one of those pigs?"
What the hell is happening? Why did an argument suddenly start?
"Waait wait wait wait wait! You two, don't get up and stay in your seats! Calm down! It's just anime, isn't it?"
"IT'S JUST ANIME!?"
Kuroneko and Naruko simultaneously turned to face me.
"How rude!"
Crap, otaku are scary when they get serious. I looked to Rias for help, but she just went on sipping her orange juice without concerning herself with me. I leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"R-Rias-san do something, won't you?"
"Opening up to each other like this…hehe, don't you think they're strangely suited for each other?"
"Where the hell do you see that!?"
Of course, without anything stopping them, the verbal argument continued.
"Hmph…well, you just have a great personality, don't you? That's why you couldn't make any friends at the offline meeting. Were you self-conscious or something?"
"Look who's talking. I saw you, and all you did the entire meeting was fiddle with your phone by yourself. How gloomy! If you do that, nobody's going to talk to you, you know!"
"Shut up, you…I just suddenly wanted to check the funny pages in the morning newspaper…"
The two girls stared each other down while holding imposing poses. They were both very pretty but…this was quite a stupid argument.
But honestly, they're both to blame, aren't they? Geez…why do all the pretty ones have such problematic personalities?
Because of you two, my own prejudice against good-looking girls is just getting stronger and stronger.
As I thought, normal girls are the best…suddenly, I really really wanted to see Karin's face again.
As I began to escape from reality, the battle of insults had come to a standstill, and Rias interrupted.
"Well, it seems that the discussion has completed the first stage, so let's proceed to the next phase, shall we? Let's see…it's my turn next."
With her boomingly clear voice, Rias attracted the attention of everyone in the place. The corners of her lips upturned, she smiled.
"Alright, so one more time. My username is Rias Satanichia. I act as the leader of the 'Otaku Girls Unite!' community. This is already written on my profile page, but I'm a sixteen year old and currently in her second year in high school. I believe that Naruru-chi is around the same age as Kuroneko-chi here, right?"
Rias had casually changed the subject to Kuroneko, but Kuroneko showed no reaction. She was completely expressionless.
So she was older than Naruko, Kuroneko, and me. I could guess that Kuroneko would be somewhere around Naruko age. But Rias…?
She didn't look like a 16 years old girl at all. Not really believing it, I took a good look at Rias.
"By the way, my measurements are, from the top, 99, 57—"
"You don't have to tell us that!" I shouted
"But but, they're the same as the idol Eli Ayase's."
"Listen to what other people are saying! Stop speaking so boastfully!"
Damn it. Why am I the only one who is reacting? One way or another, I really didn't know how to handle this…
"Alright, alright, someone quickly ask her a question." Exhausted, I pleaded for someone to help me, and surprisingly, Kuroneko was the one who answered.
"Alright then, I'll ask the question everyone has on their mind, Rias-san. What the hell is with that gross otaku outfit and manner of speaking?"
I really wanted to hear her answer to that one too! In my heart, I applauded Kuroneko's nerve, but what should I do when the question is answered honestly?
I should take my sister and get away from this weirdo, right? Thankfully, my fears were misplaced. Rias responded.
"Well, haha, I'm a bit embarrassed. Truth is, this was the first time I organized something like an offline meeting…so I wanted to make a good impression on everyone and did my best to make a character appropriate for a leader…I mean, normally I'm a bit more reserved than this."
Seriously? You can't just make a character out of an outfit, but you have to change how you speak too?
The remarks I wanted to make here were absolutely countless…for now, I'll just say that I can't even begin to believe that she's a bit more reserved normally. She might think it, but it's probably not true.
Kuroneko blinked her red eyes in surprise.
"If you did your best, how it became something like that, I can't even begin to understand. But, at least, it's a bit preferable to a certain someone who came armed to the teeth with brand-name clothes, who tried so hard but just ended up being ignored."
"What the hell? Annoying…you shouldn't be the one talking. What the hell is up with that overdone Gothic Lolita outfit!? Even in Akiba, I didn't think I would see an idiot wearing such an outrageous thing at the meeting!"
"What did you say?"
Once again, Naruko and Kuroneko were glaring at each other. Whatever, I'm just going to leave them be. Dealing with each and every argument is just too tiring. Also…I just realized something.
Naruko had picked some truly cute brand-name clothes for today. Kuroneko had come in a full-blown serious cosplay. Rias had wrapped her body in the clothes of a gross otaku.
Three people, three kinds. Yet, even though their appearances and personalities were so different, these three had common ground.
And that is…that all three of these people, wanting to do well at the offline meeting, had each very carefully and with great effort picked their outfits.
As I listened to Kuroneko and Naruko sling insults at each other that I couldn't quite understand, I reflected over these past few hours.
Today marked the first time I had come into contact with otaku outside of my sister…but honestly, they were completely different than what I had imagined them to be.
When I say "otaku" here, I'm using the strict interpretation of "otaku." That is, people who like games or anime, who are really into what we call the "subculture."
I think I'm saying something obvious, but they are people who love their hobbies, and that's it.
Yes, that's all there is to it. It's not different from liking music, or sport, or mystery novels, or calligraphy. But, up to now, I didn't think that.
An "otaku" was something that went beyond just attachment to a hobby, that had some special extra quality to it. Even though I really didn't know what that extra quality was.
Even now, at my side, Naruko and Kuroneko were still bickering feverishly, probably about anime stuff.
Is there really a difference between this situation and a bunch of girls talking dreamily in a karaoke box about their most beloved idols?
Is this really any different from members of high class society sitting in a corner of a stylish café, talking about romance novels?
Well…there probably isn't any major difference, I think. Am I wrong?
Naruko had said that because she had to worry about her public image, she couldn't pursue her hobby in public.
I understand her reasoning. Thinking back on how I thought of otaku before today, it was quite clear to me that society holds great prejudice against them. Especially amongst junior high and high school students.
… But, not all of it is completely prejudice…like, weren't these people a bit weird? At the very least, they weren't normal. Yes, prejudiced as I am, I dare to say this. But, I underestimated them! They were weird beyond belief! Well, I mean…these three are the only otaku I know, and it might be hasty to use them as a basis for judgement.
The typical otaku may be quite different from these three. So, by this point, it's pretty clear that any thoughts I express on otaku from here on out will be affected greatly by the prejudices I harbor against them.
I think otaku definitely have their good points too. Although they still are a bit weird.
I looked at the unmistakable otaku, For instance, even though Rias isn't really much older than me, she is very considerate of others and good natured, isn't she?
But also…she's weird in every possible way! Yet it was admirable that she could play the role of a leader so well in order to make sure everyone else was satisfied.
There were other good points as well. Going over the day's events again in my head, I understood this well.
For example, take the maid café where the offline meeting happened. Take the festival-like main street in Akihabara.
And then, take this second meeting here. Apart from the sad scene of Naruko getting left out of the conversation, I didn't think there was anything bad about these things. Rather, they seemed like fun.
To have people who like the same thing gather, to hang out together, to play together…if you can't participate in that, wouldn't you regret it too?
Are you worried about public image? Terrified of prejudice? Don't worry, come join us. Together, we'll have a huge party and have lots of fun! I could imagine them saying this with arms outstretched to the ceiling.
Who's "them,"? Well, I don't really know…although, if I had to give an answer, I'd say that "them" would be everyone.
Although, I might just be talking to myself. So, these people are here to fulfill that hope, aren't they? They came here to find friends, just like Naruko did.
I mean, just take a look at this heated verbal exchange between Naruko and Kuroneko here.
They had only met today, and they could already get so seriously into a deep argument like this…that's amazing in its own way, isn't it? Right?
And that's because, between these two, there is something very important that they both strongly believe in.
Although, from the side, well, some people might still see them as quite strange. But it still definitely wasn't a bad thing.
It's not something to be looked down on, to be brushed to the side as not having any redeeming qualities. No matter how strange they happen to be.
"Ugh…the likes of you…to just keep going on and on as you like. Alright, let's take this outside, bitch. I'll etch true fear into your body there. I'll make you regret this in the next life."
"Shut up! Do whatever the hell you want, you chuunibyo nonsensical woman."
"C-c-chuunibyo… N-n-n-n-nonsensical…? …you've finally said something you shouldn't have… Ahh, how pathetic, you don't know what you've done, do you…even if you regret it, it's too late. Even I won't be able to stop it…"
"Are you an idiot!? You, don't you want to stop being such an embarrassment? Wouldn't it be better if you went off and died somewhere?"
I take back what I said before. Otaku…are definitely terrifying people.
(◕ω◕✿)
It was a little while after that. Having left the Starbucks, we followed Rias's plan and went for some light shopping in Akihabara, during that time, Kuroneko and Naruko never ceased their foul-mouthed arguments. It was generally tangled in otaku subjects though.
They started from anime, then went to games, then to manga…this couple and that couple…the artwork is yadda yadda, the DVD's price is blah blah…but through it all, I was amazed at their everlasting string of verbal abuse and bitter insults.
It was evening, and the get-together had just disbanded. Even though they had already said their formal farewells earlier, the battle between super power boys and magical girls continued.
"Hehehe, Naruru-chi and Kuroneko-chi are really hitting it off, aren't they?"
"Where exactly do you see that?" those words came out of my mouth, but…I sort of understand where she's coming from.
Watching as Naruko and Kuroneko threw verbal abuse at each other, I couldn't help but turn up the edges of my lips a bit.
I'm glad, Naruko. I'm glad that you found someone to talk to about your hobbies in such a loud, unrestrained way.
Although, you'll definitely deny that this has happened…but you've made a friend here, haven't you?
"Well, then," trying not to get pulled into the otaku anime dispute, Rias and I stood a bit to the side.
We stood on a walkway at the side of Akihabara's Washington Hotel. Soon, there was a crosswalk in front of us.
As Naruko's older brother, there were words that I definitely had to say to this person. With as much sincerity as I could muster, I lowered my head to Rias.
"Thank you."
"Huh? What exactly are you thanking me for?" a question mark floated above Rias's head and she inclined her neck.
Although, I'm pretty sure she understood. But, saying anything past what we've said would be inappropriate.
But I said what I had to say. And I definitely believed that my feelings were transmitted successfully. I smiled.
"As I thought, you're a good person, Rias-san. I really grateful for what you did to Naruko."
"I don't know what you're saying, but…hehe, I'm not as good as you make me out to be. I've always just only done what I want to do, and not anything more…but if you really think like that, then probably, that's because Naruto-chi himself is a good person. Other people are just 'mirrors' of that, aren't they?"
Having said that, Rias took out a poster from her backpack and wielded it like a light saber.
The poster gleamed under the light of the setting sun. Squinting at the shining point of her makeshift sword, I shrugged my shoulders."Hm, say whatever you want."
"Exactly," Rias smiled and turned her back to me. In her head wrapped in a bandana. With her checkered shirt tucked into her trousers.
It was a terrible, gross otaku fashion. I couldn't believe how out of fashion it was!
Rias, with a swish, swinged her sword to the side, and resheathed it into her backpack. "Well then, let's be sure to meet again sometimes. Naruto-chi."
The traffic light turned green. Akihabara station was tinted with the glow of dusk.
Rias confidently strolling away from me, not afraid of what others might think, she was an impressive sight.
Not wanting to be outdone, I puffed up my chest and walked to Naruko's side.
.
.
.