Okay everyone, before I begin the new chapter, I just want to say what I thought of the first episode of the new series of Urusei Yatsura.

After seeing it for the first time, I couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed. I was expecting something much different. A story that could be told in 2022 that couldn't be told in 1981. The only things that changed were the visuals and the story structure and from the looks of it, takes place in the early 1980's. Otherwise, it offers much of a story that's been told before.

There was just so much potential that I thought had been wasted for lack of a better term.

I will continue to work my hardest on this story until I get tired of it. I will excel where the original work fails to deliver. I hope I do a good job.

With a crazy week behind him, Ataru did look forward to the weekend. A time where hopefully nothing crazy happens.

Something had been on his mind for a while, and he has never told anybody about it. He had been jogging the idea for about four months since before Lum had entered his life.

Not just Lum, his perverted side started getting all hostile soon after. So now there's two things that worry him.

He had never imagined himself being married to an alien princess, but the same can be said about him being a published author. At least, one who can compile together a list of short stories.

Ever since he began high school, pretty much everyday he had to fill in a blank sheet of paper with an essay about a certain topic. The first few times felt like an exhausting chore that he had no choice but to do, but writing slowly grew on him as he became better at it.

It's human nature. Once somebody does something enough times, they're bound to be good at it. It doesn't matter what that something is.

There was only just one problem. It took the form of a single question that he kept asking himself every single time he stares at the blank page of a comp book in front of him while also holding a black gel ink pen.

That question being: What do I want to write about?

It shouldn't be a hard question. He can write about literally anything. It's his story. But the same thoughts just keep repeating themselves in his head.

They say in order to overcome writer's block, just write what you know. The problem with that is, Ataru wouldn't know enough about something to write about it. That's what's keeping him from writing.

On early Sunday morning, instead of practicing music like he usually does, he's sitting down at his desk. Looking over that blank page again.

He isn't alone like he usually is. In the room with him, Lum had been lounging around watching a romance movie on his laptop.

The movie wasn't something that Ataru even owned. Lum had been aimlessly exploring YouTube before she stumbled across a compilation of movie clips and wanted to know how to watch the actual movie in full.

Thankfully, Ataru knows his mom's credit card number. She'll understand the charge for the digital rental, he's sure of it.

The movie that she had been watching is the 2009 film '500 Days of Summer.' Ataru had never seen anybody invested in a movie like she had. And that includes late 2021 with all the talk of Spider-Man.

Ataru ran his fingers through his hair.

"Why can't I write today!?"

"Darling… Don't you think our relationship is abnormal?"

He looks up from his 'work in progress.' Not wanting to write anything any time soon.

"We've been together for… a little more than a week and now you're saying something like this?"

Lum continues. "I've been paying close attention to this movie. They seem to have it more together than we do."

Ataru sighs. He hadn't seen the movie Lum was watching, but he does know enough to not take it too seriously.

"Maybe some music would help me." He reaches over to grab his phone with earbuds attached that had been charging near the wall for the last half hour.

Lum looks at him again. "Let's go on a date, Darling! It'll be just like being in a movie!" The longer she spoke, the more she raised her voice.

Ataru proceeded to put his earbuds in and ignore her. She couldn't be that desperate for a date, is she? What exactly would they be doing anyway?

He tries to drift away in the rhythm of a song he chose at random.

"Yeah, uh-huh. You know what it is!

Everything I do, I do it big!

Yeah, uh-huh. Screaming that's nothing!

When I pulled off the lot, that's stunting!

Reppin' my town. When you see me, you know-"

He didn't get the chance to continue singing, as Lum grabbed his earbuds and yanked them away.

"You may listen to your rap music at any time AFTER you take me on a date!" She yells at him.

She sure was persistent. That's what Ataru told himself as he put his earbuds back in his pocket.

"Well… if you really want to, Lum… then fine. You got me. I suppose we could go somewhere together."

The look on her face would end up being something that he couldn't see himself forgetting any time soon. He had never seen her as happy as she is before. Not only that, he is the reason for it.

"Hahaha!" He couldn't help but notice her fangs as she kept laughing. "I'm going on a date with Darling! Oh, I can't wait! I can't wait!" She yelled as she began playfully levitating in the air.

This all came to a halt, however, as Ataru raises his voice. "Hold it!"

As Lum turned her attention to him again, he continues speaking.

"Now before we go ahead and go forward on this date. There needs to be a few things laid out first! I have some conditions that I'm… gonna need you to follow, okay?

It's not going to be anything extreme, I promise."


Wearing human clothes was something that Lum hadn't expected she'd be doing today.

To be fair, going on a date with her beloved darling Ataru isn't something that she'd expected to be doing today either. Life is just full of surprises.

She lets out a small giggle as she remembers a funny movie she saw earlier in the week about some guy named Forest.

"So… Ataru…" Saying her darling's actual name only made her more excited. "Where do you plan on taking me? The pool? The movies? Maybe some karaoke?"

Ataru scratches his head with his free hand. As his other one is trapped within the alien's embrace. "I was thinking of something else. A place where the both of us could have fun… together. You know?"

Lum shuts her eyes as she kept smiling. "Oh… I'm so excited. It must be a special place! It must be!"

The two didn't have to walk around town for much longer. "Okay, we're here!" She hears him say.

"Yay! We're…" Lum opens her eyes. Only to find out that she's unfamiliar with the flashy establishment that Ataru had picked out for them on their date.

"Darling… What is this place?'

Ataru smiles at her. "This place right here… is what we Earthlings call… an arcade! A perfect dating place for people our age! There are a lot of fun things in there for us!"

He turns his head to look at the building. "It's great to see that this place is still open even after the pandemic!" He faces her again. "How about I show you all the games I enjoyed playing."


For the next hour and a half, Lum had learned a lot of things from the place Ataru calls 'The Arcade.'

He had shown her all kinds of games. There are games with the same kind of neon lights not unlike what was displayed in the entryway. These games especially, they pushed coins, or 'tokens' as Ataru would call them. There are also musical games in which players are required to stomp on arrows pointing in four directions at the correct time. There's even a game where you sit down and run a simulation of a fast moving vehicle. All of this was new to her.

Before they left, however, Ataru had one more surprise in store for her. Using whatever money he had left over, he had managed to win a fairly hefty sized plush penguin from what he called a 'claw machine.'

A memento of this day. She then tries to get his attention as they leave.

"Darling…" "Hm… what is it, Lum?"

"Before we go back home, can we walk around the town some more? I'd really like that."

Ataru smiles at her. "Of course. If that's what you want. You're still adjusting to this world and-"

He didn't finish what he had to say, as somebody nearby interrupted him.

"Um… excuse me. Are you Ataru Moroboshi?"

It was a woman's voice, which was enough for him to quickly turn his head.

The woman who called out to him truly was beautiful. He didn't know that the colors of red and black would look so well on a woman. Everything about her screamed beauty.

He made the decision right then and there: He has to know her name.

"Why yes I am! Hehe." In front of a girl this beautiful, he couldn't help but feel a little goofy, but he kept on. "Of course the world knows who I am! But let me say, while everybody knows my name, I don't think enough people know yours! How about we fix that!"

Lum, witnessing all of this, is not sharing any of Ataru's excitement. "Darling! What in the world do you think you're doing!? I'm right here!"

The mysterious woman focuses her attention on Lum.

"Ara ara… You're Lum the Invader… I almost didn't recognize you… You're wearing actual clothes instead of just a fur bikini."

Lum squints her eyes. "Hmm… Darling also told me to hide my horns. I am now indistinguishable from the average person."

Ataru was about to add on to Lum's statement when he heard a familiar voice in the distance. One he had just heard yesterday. "Ayumi-san!" "Itsuka…"

The woman, who the officer referred to as 'Ayumi,' waves at Itsuka as he approaches the group. After taking a quick look at his casual attire, Ataru concluded that the man is off duty today.

"Dude, why do I keep running into you? Like, were you even expecting to see me today?" He asks him.

The blue haired officer chuckles. "Well, I'm out here in these streets. I pay a lot for my apartment, yet I hardly ever use it! Hahaha!"

Ataru then sees Ayumi start to giggle alongside Itsuka.

"You never told me you were seeing someone."

"That's because I wasn't!" Said Itsuka. "I met Ayumi here just yesterday. I asked her out thinking she'd most likely say no, but it turns out that she said YES!"

Ayumi extends her right hand out to Ataru.

"I forgot to properly introduce myself earlier. My name is Ayumi Tokida. It's very nice to meet you."

After taking a second to look at Lum, Ataru accepts her handshake.

"Likewise… You know, I'm glad to see that Itsuka finally has someone else to talk to other than me."

Ayumi giggles. "Well… interesting people tend to get together with other interesting people."

Lum looks up at the sky. "There are introverts… and there are… the other ones. Darling, what were they called?"

"Extroverts, Lum." Answers Ataru. "People that are like us. Talking to people makes us want to talk to more people. It doesn't wear us out."

"Talking to people wears ME out." Said Itsuka. "I don't know about the rest of you."

Atumi moves closer to him and touches his upper arm, earning a noticeable exhale.

"Well, I'm glad to know you're putting in all this effort just to see me again. Now, how about you show me those karaoke skills you've been bragging to me about yesterday."

Itsuka looks at Ataru and Lum for a second before speaking again.

"You know, now that I think about it, we could have these two join us! I've actually performed with Ataru before… Last week."

Ataru crosses his arms. "Yeah, last I heard, Rei is starring in some upcoming Netflix show."

"You've heard the news too, huh?" Said Itsuka.

Ayumi giggles again, capturing everyone's attention.

"So it's a double date then? I've never been on one of those before."

Lum takes a step forward. "A… Double date? Darling, I know I sound pretty annoying, asking the same question over and over, but what is a double date?"

"A double date… Two couples doing stuff together." Said Ataru. "I guess this is a first for all of us."


It was late in the evening by the time Ataru and Lum decided to leave Itsuka and Ayumi. They're now walking alongside a river. Orange sky is above them.

"Ayumi seemed like a nice person." Said Ataru. "She was clapping as much as you were."

"You've… made me really happy today, Darling…"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Ataru kept walking with his hands in his pockets. "I know I did… Itsuka enjoys the same music I do."

What Lum did next took Ataru off guard. She began levitating in the air; just about ready to fly off.

"Hey, where do you think you're going!?"

"It's not right to go on a first date and go home to the same house is it, Darling!?" Answered Lum. "See ya!"

Seeing her fly off to an awaiting UFO, Ataru then tries to get in contact with his other, perverted half.

"Hey man? Are you seeing this? She's just leaving us like that. Can you believe it?"

There's no answer, so he spoke again.

"Hey… Hey… Are you there… Are you there… Oh, don't you start ignoring me."

That night, Lum fell asleep cuddling the plush penguin figure Ataru had won for her.