DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM
CHAPTER TWO
"YOU DON'T LOSE TO FUMI!"
"Please set your GP base." The battle table's familiar and monotone voice filled my ears after the female employee restarted the battle system. The bald guy crossed his meaty arms and cocked his head towards me while smirking evilly. God, this guy is such a thug. Frowning and clenching my jaw, I placed the GP base into the slot and it lit up as bright blue letters revealed the basic information of my Gunpla. I tried to calm myself so I can properly focus on the upcoming fight, but my mind was then suddenly bombarded by images of my naked and laughing step-aunt. The shock was still fresh and it's totally screwing with my concentration. Why do I have this nagging feeling that she's going to haunt my dreams forever? It's like she's taunting me.
"Not looking too hot, are you? I bet you're regretting this now." Baldy licked his lips and tapped the battle table with his fingers.
"Of course not." I groaned and let out a miserable sigh. "It's nothing really. Just a touch of hangover. It'll pass."
"If you say so." He continued smiling. "I don't care anyway. As long as I beat and humiliate your ass."
"Beginning Plavsky Particle dispersal." The blue holographic monitor screens and the yellow control orbs finally appeared. I double-checked the control panel in front of me and the surrounding screens to make sure everything was all-green and in good working condition. "Field Two, Desert." The computerized voice announced our place of battle and the Plavsky Particles wasted no time in giving shape to our awaited arena. The field was a lonely and desolate place. It was an endless sea of sand, dry rocks and dilapidated buildings for cover. The terrain was somewhat uneven and harsh as expected, but it wasn't really much of a problem unless you're a beginner or a complete moron. I'm not exactly world-class here, but I think I'm skilled enough to work this field to my advantage. Well I hope anyway. Everything is fair game so far and I'm ready to rumble. I got plenty of steam and frustration to let off anyway.
The computerized voice then asked us to place our Gunpla on the battle table and we did so without a word. I fidgeted nervously during the scanning process and quickly grabbed the control orbs while counting one to ten. It's been a while since I last battled and the suspense is getting to me. "Wakahisa Arisu, Guncannon Detector, ready for battle!" I cried out hoarsely after the system announced the start of the match and my Gunpla launched from the holographic catapult. The sand shifted when my machine landed on the ground and I quickly raised the beam rifle as I scanned the area, looking for any good spots to mount my attack or any potential cover.
"Let's fucking do this, fuckers!" Baldy screamed like a guy on steroids as he launched his Gunpla and did a few aerial maneuvers first to get his blood pumping before landing in front of me. Is this guy hopped up on something? Oh man, last thing I need is a druggie with anger problems.
"Yo." My Guncannon Detector waved its free hand. "Heh. Looking good there, buddy."
"The fuck? Your name is Alice?" Baldy laughed. "Your fucking name is Alice? Holy fucking shit, dude."
"A-RI-SUUU." I corrected, pressing my lips together. "It's different from Alice and totally not girly at all."
"Your name is Alice!" He ignored me and laughed louder while clapping like an idiot. "Out-fucking-standing! Dude, your parents must hate you or something."
"It's ARISU! AH-RI-SUUUUUU!" I stomped my feet and baldy just snorted derisively.
"Is this a Kamille Bidan moment?" Fumi whispered behind me. "Are you going to punch his face now?"
"I'm not gonna punch his face and make this guy my undying rival or something. I so don't need that right now. I got plenty of shit to deal with already." I chuckled bitterly. "Anyway, let's get this party started!"
"Let's fucking go, Alice!" The Aile Striker Pack's high-powered thrusters roared when the Dagger launched itself into the sky and baldy howled like a freaking maniac. The Gunpla did a mid-air backflip before landing behind me and I quickly boosted to the left to dodge the incoming rounds from the customized beam machine gun. The Gundam X Divider's beam machine gun was a pretty sorely underrated weapon if you ask me, nobody really appreciated how truly frightening the thing was. It has twice the firepower and twice the firing rate, since it was originally a battleship-grade weapon in the official setting. That thing could tear any vanilla Gunpla to shreds in mere seconds and the Guncannon Detector doesn't exactly have any decent defensive equipment so I'm totally fucked if I got hit by that thing. Baldy cursed and the Dagger flew again so it can charge downwards towards my position with the beam machine gun still fixed on me. I boosted to the left again and fired my beam rifle this time, but baldy quickly spun around as he lowered his gun and raised his shield to block my shots effortlessly. I jumped back and fired again while moving backwards and the Dagger countered my attacks once again as it landed on the ground. Throwing hesitation out of the window, I blindly charged forward at full speed after a running start and shoulder-tackled the Gunpla, staggering it completely. I then quickly followed with a fierce punch to the face that cracked the visor with the Guncannon Detector's free hand and the Dagger was down for the count, but it was still moving. "Asshole..." Baldy smiled widely as he tried to get up.
Baldy was still sitting up when he suddenly pulled out one of his beam sabers and lunged at me for a quick swipe across the neck, but I managed to avoid decapitation by ducking in time. I then jumped back again as I lifted the Guncannon Detector's head and retaliated by firing the Gunpla's right shoulder-mounted beam gun, but the Dagger leaned farther to the left to dodge the beam rounds, with only a shoulder getting scratched. I quickly moved sideways as I fired the beam rifle again, but baldy raised his shield in time to block all incoming shots while slowly standing up. I continued firing like crazy as I moved away to gain some breathing space between us and when I emptied the beam rifle's clip, baldy used that chance to fly again while I reloaded my weapon. I then hopped like a frog to avoid beam rounds from above and knelt on one knee after landing near a dead tree as I unleashed the power of my Gunpla's beam cannons. I raised the barrels high and fired away with reckless abandon, hoping to overwhelm him with continuous fire. The firing rate of the beam cannons is pretty high compared to the original Guncannon thanks to the cooling vents on the back which kept the guns from overheating. The satisfying hiss escaping from the back as I continued to bombard the annoying bald fly hovering above me was uber delightful to hear. It made my heart beat faster and a wide grin was now plastered on my face. The pounding noise of the cannons was just exhilirating.
Still, even with the high firing rate, the beam cannons couldn't land a hit because the A1 Dagger managed to time the shots and moved in an erratic but somewhat precise weaving pattern. "Crap!" I cried out when baldy managed to find an opening and dove in as he fired his beam machine gun, hitting one of the Guncannon Detector's beam cannons and destroying it completely. A few complicated flips and somersaults later, baldy fired his weapon again while hovering upside down like he was Kira Yamato or something. He then followed with a few bursts from his vulcan guns and another dose of the beam machine gun for good measure. I quickly ceased firing and skittered away to avoid the incoming rain of beams and bullets. Without missing a beat, he dove in again while I tried to take cover from behind a huge boulder and kicked my Gunpla hard, sending it flying towards a crumbling building that looked like an old large airplane hangar. The four-story building collapsed like a pack of cards when my Gunpla made contact and I was buried immediately. "This guy...is...really..." My eyes twitched and I felt like screaming. This guy is kicking my ass and making me look bad at the same time.
"I got you there." Baldy snickered. "Time to finish this!" He whipped out his beam saber again and charged. He twirled it like a marching baton while running and quickly picked up speed as he prepared to stab me in the cockpit.
"Don't get all gung-ho yet, you prick." I managed to raise my beam rifle while still buried in the rubble and fired the grenade launcher attached below the barrel of the weapon, hoping to hit the Dagger right in the face because I am so miffed right now and people who are righteously miffed tend to aim at faces. "Eat this!"
"Goddammit." He hissed as he avoided the incoming grenade and I fired the grenade launcher for a second time before he could react. He couldn't dodge this time, so he just blocked the second grenade with his shield and the impact of the explosion pushed him back, almost losing his balance. "You son of a bitch..."
I finally managed to dig myself out and fired my remaining beam cannon, but baldy quickly jumped out of the away to avoid the blast that could obliterate his Gunpla in one hit. I then moved towards his position and fired the beam rifle four times and a grenade for that final exclamation point. "How do you like that?" I smiled.
It must be because I was moving at full speed while firing or maybe because I was getting rusty after not playing in so long due to reasons I don't feel like sharing, but none of my shots hit him after all that aggressive badass shooting. Frustrated and slowly getting anxious, I fired my weapon again and still got the same results. Shit. He was just moving too fast and as if like he can read the movements. I guess this guy ain't all talk after all, but I guess I should expect all citizens of Kasumoto City to be this crazy good when it comes to Gunpla Battle. This is their lifeblood after all and it'll be embarrassing if an upstart outsider like him whooped their butts on their own turf. While I was carelessly preoccupied with my own thoughts, baldy used the Aile Striker Pack's thrusters to jump and landed on my right. I quickly dashed sideways while firing my shoulder-mounted beam gun and nearly collided with another building like a rank amateur. God, this is really freaking embarrassing. Baldy charged at full speed to give chase while avoiding my beam rounds with his well-executed twists and turns. He then boosted up and fired his gun in mid-air, but he wasn't aiming at my Gunpla. He was aiming at the ground next to my machine and a cloud of dust enveloped me, messing with my visibility. He then landed behind my Gunpla and fired his weapon at point-blank range, destroying my remaining beam cannon. "Hahahahahahaha! Now comes the good and juicy part." He stuck his tongue out in a very obscene manner.
"Fuck, fuck, fuckitty fuck!" I panicked and quickly turned around as I swung the Guncannon Detector's free arm, hoping that I could punch my way out of this mess, but it was a bad call on my part and became my undoing. Baldy blocked the approaching fist with his shield and the arm bounced back, the shoulder joint nearly popping out due to the force. The Dagger swung its shield again and repeatedly bash my Gunpla's head, smashing and denting the plastic like clay being molded. He then swung it upward like an uppercut after he was done slapping me around like a bitch and the Guncannon Detector got lifted off its feet after getting hit in the chin and landed on its back. Baldy followed with a straight kick to the face when I tried to get up and repeatedly stomped the head, reducing it to nothing but plastic pieces. I fired the beam rifle without bothering to aim, but baldy was expecting it and quickly dropped his shield after dodging the beam round and sliced the gun in half with his beam saber. The gun exploded, taking the hand with it. All but one of my weapons are now gone and I was done for. I have no choice, but to concede and go out with dignity. I took a deep breath and spoke the words as I closed my eyes. "I surrender." I said with clenched fists and flushed cheeks. "I surrender." I repeated and felt like crying. "Damn it. This is just the worst." I moaned. "I fucked up real bad here."
"Battle ended." The computerized voice announced and the A1 Dagger took a few step backs to admire its beautiful handiwork. The Guncannon Detector was a mess and could barely get up. That was just pathetic. This is one of my worst fights ever.
"Aaaaaand that's that." Baldy said proudly. "I fucked you good, son. Fucked you so good." He giggled.
"Eeew." I grimaced.
"Fuck you, four-eyes." He gave me the finger and I just shrugged.
I turned to Fumi and smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry, man. He done me in fair and square. I tried."
"It's alright." He pretended to be okay, but his disappointment was painfully obvious and couldn't hide it very well. He must have realized that I noticed and just lowered his head in shame. "Sorry." He mumbled.
"So...what now?" I frowned when I turned my attention back to baldy.
"What do you mean what now?" He scratched his chin and stroked it.
"What happens now?" I remained on guard and defiant. I'm prepared for the worst, baby.
"What happens now? I laugh at you and go home. Gwahahahahahahahaha! There! Well time to fuck off, kiddies!" He flexed his muscles.
"That...that's it?" I made a confused expression. "Well...I..."
"That's it. I beaten your ass and I feel satisfied now. I showed you what's up so I ain't mad anymore." He then pointed to the female employee and gestured with his chin. "I beat his ass, right? That makes this mess closed and finished, eh?"
"That was beautiful. Well done." The female employee gave him the thumbs up.
I was flabbergasted. I was expecting this guy to beat me and Fumi to bloody pulps after kicking my ass in Gunpla Battle. Come to think of it, why am I expecting that? I mean we didn't even bet on anything or agreed to force the loser to participate in a penalty game after the match. We just fought to see who was the better Fighter and...uh...he was the better Fighter. I guess my mind is a little warped right now. I mean I did bang my step-aunt not too long ago and ran screaming into the night. That shit does things to your mind, man. Life is nothing like ero-manga I'm afraid. I felt guilty for expecting such things and for stereotyping him like that because he looks like a typical meathead, but then I quickly reminded myself that he nearly punched a defenseless kid a few moments ago because he was a sore loser. So yeah, I think I have every right to expect the worse from this guy. First impressions last, buddy. First impressions last.
"What?" Baldy chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "You expecting a beat down after this? I'm not a thug even if I do look the part so don't give me that look. Do you think I'm that petty?"
"Yes." I answered without hesitation and pointed to Fumi.
"Well...uh...you see..." He scratched his head as he tried to find the best words to say. "He's...different."
"Different?" I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean different?"
"It's Fumi for fuck's sakes! You don't lose to Fumi! He's..."
"Fumi is a person, you shithead. I dunno what the hell is wrong with him, but that was a legit win. And you know that. You're not stupid. Are you stupid? You know damn well that was a legit win and you can't accept it because...uh...because he's...I dunno! Ah fuck! The point is that you don't need to be a fucking bully and acknowledge his win regardless of what other people say about him. You're an adult! You should know that."
He was quiet for a moment and was in deep thought. He then sighed deeply as he closed his eyes and opened them again when walked up to me. I grew tense and was ready to dodge a punch, but he just patted my shoulder and flashed a crooked smile. "Okay I apologize. Humiliation and anger got the best of me." He turned his head to give Fumi an apologetic look and the kid just nodded while looking away. "I'm sorry. I went too far and acted like an ass."
"G-Good. That's good. Mighty mature of you."
He then suddenly grabbed my right hand and shook it vigorously. "Arai Kunihiko." He introduced himself. "Just call me Kuni." Man, I thought he was gonna break my fingers or something. I nearly wet my pants there.
"Wakahisa ARISU. Just call me Arisu. Not Alice. It's Arisu. AH-RI-SU."
"Sure thing, Alice." He smiled mischievously. "I got it."
"Whatever." I said.
"You're not bad, Alice. We should fight again. What are you using right now if you don't mind me asking?"
"An RX-78XX Gundam Pixie." I answered with a proud smirk.
"A Pixie? That's pretty rare! Cross Dimension, Hooligans or Missing Link?"
"I was actually planning to get the Hooligans version, but decided to go for the original instead."
"I want you to use that when we battle again and make sure you're one hundred percent next time, man. It felt like you were a little out of it when we were fighting. It didn't feel right. Also, you look like somebody just ran over your beloved pet dog and humped it's corpse while making fun of your sexuality and your mom's hoo-ha."
"Yeeeah well...I kinda suddenly fucked my step-aunt after a night of drinking and now I'm having a meltdown. Was having a meltdown." I said with a straight face and pocketed my hands. Huh. I just realized I forgot to put on my underwear. Crap.
"What did you say? You fucked your aunt?" Kuni gasped and Fumi's eyes widened.
"Hahahahahahaha! Got you!" I pointed and laugh. "That was a joke, man. A joke."
"Dude, that was just so random and messed-up. It ain't funny." Kuni frowned and Fumi nodded in agreement.
"Lighten up. An inappropriate joke or two won't hurt you."
"Yeah. Whatever." He shrugged. "You two fuckers enjoy your morning. I have to go now."
"See you around, Kuni."
"Laters, Alice." He patted my shoulder again and playfully punched Fumi's arm. "Sorry again." He said.
"He wasn't so bad." I said after he left and Fumi stood next to me. "He just needs to fix that temper of his."
"Arai-san is a member of Banken, you know." Fumi said softly.
"Banken?"
"You really are new in town." Fumi sighed.
"I just got here yesterday. Anyway, what's this Banken thing you're talking about? Some sort of police or military force? Kasumoto City's own private army or something?"
(AC: Banken literally means watch or guard dog in Japanese. That's why Arisu thought it was a name of a military unit.)
"No." Fumi shook his head and smiled. "It's a gang. A street gang. It's led by a woman named Noruka."
"A street gang? You mean Kuni is a member of those Gunpla youth cliques I keep hearing about?"
"Uh-huh." He nodded. "Banken. One of the oldest and biggest gangs in town, dating back from the eighties."
"Are they dangerous? Do they, like, mug people using Gunpla or something?"
"What? No! I mean, how could you even do that? How can you mug people with Gunpla?"
"You...uh...you can use the pointy parts. Like you can use the Sword Strike's anti-ship sword to threaten to poke people's eyes out if they don't hand their wallets or watches or something. Or you can even throw a fistful of bits!"
"Dude. The fuck?" Fumi gave me a look. The look that you give to people when they act like their brain just jumped out of their skulls after calling it quits so they could embark on a journey of self-discovery. That look.
"It could happen, man. It could happen." I wagged a finger.
"Whatever. Anyway, Banken is not dangerous. They're just a little rowdy, but they're okay people overall. The cops don't really pay much attention to them. They're actually...kinda decent to be honest."
"Oh..."
"You know what's funny? Their current leader, Noruka, was actually a former elementary school teacher."
"That...that is funny. Now she leads a gang that plays with robot toys. Fucking hilarious."
"Oh...right." Fumi pounded his fist into his palm. "How rude of me. I forgot to properly introduce myself. Damn it. I guess I still have much to learn. Anyway, my name is Anami Fumimaro." He bowed his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wakahisa-san, and thank for you for standing up for me. I appreciate it. Really I do."
"O-O-Oh not at all. I just couldn't handle seeing him badmouth you like that and he was about to mess your face. Well it's good to meet you too, Anami-san." I bowed too.
"Please call me Fumi." He finally raised his head. "That's what everybody calls me."
"Then you can call me Arisu." I smiled and then my stomach suddenly growled. "Ugh. I think I need breakfast. A big breakfast. Preferably with lots of protein because this fucking hangover is killing me."
"I'm feeling peckish myself. C'mon I'll treat you." Fumi beckoned with his head and pointed to the door.
"Y-You sure?"
"Of course. You helped me out. It's the least I could do."
"Yay."
We decided to grab breakfast at a convenience store near a residential area since it was five in the morning and no decent restaurant was open for business yet. Fumi said there was a good 24 hour gyoza place next to the arcade center, but it closed down two months ago when the owner moved to Singapore. What a shame. Gyoza would be hella awesome right now and I could gobble dozens thanks to this blasted hangover. Well I have no choice but to settle for ready-to-eat convenience store boxed lunches. They're not so bad and they cycle through new flavors at a weekly basis so there's some variety. In fact, Japanese convenience stores these days put a lot of effort into their boxed lunches. They're above decent and you could have a great meal for a cheap prize. Anyway, I bought a fried pork cutlet meal set with green onion sauce. The rice was topped with dried anchovy bits, fried garlic and bonito flakes. Hot damn! Breakfast of champions! This boxed lunch is way much better than that crap Aunt Shion fed me last night. Ugh. The chilled jiggling tofu she served me was still giving me nightmares and I shudder every time I think about it. I don't wanna sound mean or anything, but me and my whole family kinda have high standards when it comes to anything culinary, because the whole Wakahisa line are involved in the cooking industry. My dad is a popular chef who studied in France and Germany and my mom is a master practitioner of Kaiseki-style cuisine. I'm no slouch myself, my cooking skills are almost pro level and I could make a grown man cry with my delectable creations of goodness. It sounds like I'm bragging, but I'm not. It's the whole gosh darn truth.
(AC: Keiseki-style cuisine is, like, the ultimate in Japanese cuisine. Think gourmet or haute cuisine.)
We went outside and sat near the entrance, next to a bunch of noisy kids who look like middle schoolers. They were smoking and drinking soda, talking about the latest fashion trends and music and whatever teenagers talk about these days. They didn't pay much attention to us and we tried to enjoy our food in peace. Fumi just bought a vegetable sandwich and iced coffee. I guess he's a light eater or something. I also grabbed five candy bars and some honey-roasted peanuts for dessert. "So what's the deal with you, Fumi?" I asked after splitting my wooden disposable chopsticks.
"What's the deal with me?"
"You know what I'm talking about, dude."
"Why Arai-san went all crazy when he lost to me?"
"I don't really wanna be nosy at first, but I'm really curious now after seeing Kuni act like that. It's okay if you don't wanna share. You have every right after all, but I sure would appreciate it if you humor me." I chuckled.
Fumi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry. I...look just forget about it, okay? Pretend I didn't ask."
"It's okay." He smiled. "I don't mind talking about it. It's part of the recovery process after all."
"Recovery process?"
"I'm a hikkimori. Well I was a hikkimori."
"Okay. You're right. That's not a mental problem, it's more of a social problem."
"The reason is because...well...I'm suffering from Anthrophobia. I fear people. I hate crowds. When I'm near to people, I just panic. As in really panic. I freak out really bad. I just go crazy and scream like a maniac."
"Well...you seem to be doing pretty well now. I mean we're outside with strangers and you're pretty calm."
"Yeah. I'm recovering. I think I'm recovering. I still freak out sometimes, but I'm doing pretty well these days."
"So why do you fear people, Fumi?"
"You see, I got bullied back in high school. It was really bad. The whole class was involved. Mostly everyone was in it and they treated me like their plaything everyday. The rest just watched, afraid to take a stand because they don't wanna suffer the same fate. Thinking about it now, I guess I can't blame them. I'd probably do the same if I was in their shoes. Anyway, I tried to stand up to them, but it didn't work. My parents tried to do something about it, but that didn't work either. The teachers and rest of the staff, believe it or not, ignored the whole thing because they were more worried about their jobs and reputation. They don't want the other parents to hear any kind of news about bullying and just kept a lid on it. They don't want the school's image to be ruined and are afraid to save face and deal whatever crap that happens when something like this gets out. I then transferred to a different school to escape that hell, but the damage was already done. I couldn't trust people anymore and I just snapped one day and stopped going to school. I was so terrified. I just couldn't face other people anymore. I was afraid they'll hate me and I don't wanna embarrass them with my presence."
"Kinda like TKS then?" I said under my breath and sighed.
(AC: TKS or Taijin Kyofusho is a social phobia in Japan characterized by fear of offending others.)
"Yeah." He nodded.
"So how did you manage to overcome it?" I asked and then drank my juice.
"A friend helped me out. A former classmate from my old school who felt bad and guilty for not doing anything when the whole class treated me like shit. He's not here anymore. He and his family moved to America last year. We still mail each other and he sends me cool stuff sometimes. I think he's planning to visit soon."
"Oh. That's...nice."
"The first time I stepped out of the house after two years of isolation was...it was the worst. Probably one of the worst days of my life. I felt like my throat was being choked by an invisible force as I walked the streets and people were staring and whispering while pointing to the sweaty, skinny guy with the messy hair and uncontrollable shakes, but I pressed on when I remembered my friend's words. I managed to calm down when I entered a hobby shop. I met this nice girl and we chatted for a while. I tried to avoid her at first, but she persisted and before I knew it we hit it off. For the first time after so long, I felt human again. I felt complete and loved. And then she invited me to a match of Gunpla Battle and I agreed. The first few minutes were awesome, but then a huge crowd of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Lots of big time professional Fighters and Builders were present and they were intently watching our match. Arai-san was there too. I didn't know why they all decided to congregate at that place that day, I was probably just really unlucky or something. The pressure of being watched by a bunch of established Gunpla pros was just too much for me and..."
"You freaked out." I said flatly.
"I started crying like a baby. I was bawling my eyes out and was screaming for my mom. I even soiled my pants. I think I cried for two hours and then passed out. I woke up in the hospital afterwards."
"And now you got this nasty reputation and people don't respect you even if you got the skills."
"Uh-huh."
"And yet you endured and now you're here with me! We even made that bald bastard apologize to you."
"He didn't mean it, but I appreciated it anyway."
"What happened to that nice girl you met?"
"Never saw her again."
"Fumi, you're a pretty strong guy." I patted his shoulder. "Something like this would probably destroy me completely yet you still endure. You're a lot stronger than you think, man."
"Am I? I still get panic attacks, you know. Last week I found myself crying next to a dumpster behind the bakery in the shopping district. Don't ask."
"At least you're doing something about it and you can talk to strangers now. You're improving! You're talking to me!"
"Heh." He lowered his head and chuckled. "I guess you're right."
"Okay, that's enough for now. This is just too depressing. Thanks for sharing your story, Fumi."
"No problem."
"Now let's see that Zeta Gundam!" I squealed.
"What? Oh! Sure!" He opened his backpack and took it out. "Here you go." He handed it to me.
"Very nice." I said after studying it for a full minute. "The leg thrusters are slightly different and it has a new weapon mounted on the back. Wait. Is this the DOM Trooper's Giga-launcher thingy? You completely modified it, removing the physical bazooka and turning the whole thing into a full-fledged beam cannon."
"It's hand-carried too." He added.
"Shit."
"You can mount it on the bottom when in Waverider mode. It can also fire charged shots like the Virtue's GN bazooka, but it needs to cool down for thirty seconds after every three charged shots."
"Wowzers. This is a pretty sweet weapon you got here, Fumi. Oh and you removed the grenade launchers on the forearms and replaced them with mini-gatling guns. Do these things fire physical or beam rounds?"
"Beam." He answered. "They can do a moderate amount of damage, but they're dangerous up close."
"I'm impressed." I handed the Gunpla back to him and he put it inside his bag again.
"Show me your Pixie Gundam next time." He said after finally taking a bite out of his sandwich. "Maybe we could even have a match and see whose Gunpla is better."
"No problem. Looking forward to it, but go easy on me, champ." I said and stuffed my mouth full of fried pork.
"Not a chance." He laughed.
We then ate quietly for fifteen minutes, just enjoying the sounds and sights of the early morning as people began to leave their homes to go to work or school. The kids next to us finally left, laughing while taking selfies and pointing out the most stupidest things as they walked away.
"Hey Fumi...uh..." I broke the silence and gave him a worried look.
"W-What? Something the matter?"
"C-Can we hang out some more after this? I...uh...I don't wanna go home yet." I chuckled nervously and shifted uncomfortably.
"S-Sure. Uh...did something happened if you don't mind me asking? You look kinda upset."
"I kinda fucked my aunt." I said with a straight face again.
"W-What!? Dude, not that shit again. That joke ain't funny, man."
"Hahahahahaha! Yeah! You're right. It's all a joke. A big fucking joke." I gulped and shoveled more food.
"Arisu, you're seriously freaking me out." Fumi finished his sandwich and drank his iced coffee.
"I was in the middle of a break down when I saw you guys. What am I gonna do now, Fumi? I fucked up."
"D-Dude...did you really..." Fumi turned pale and held up a shaking finger.
"J-J-Just Wild Beat Communication! I stand here and being pounded by the rain! I want to express this unfading passion with my entire body TONIGHT!" I suddenly started singing loudly while my eyes twitched.
"W-Why are you singing Gundam Wing's first opening theme?" Fumi slowly slid away.
"Is it...Just Wild Beat or Just One Beat? I don't know anymore! Aunt Shion, what have I done!?" I cried.
"Oh my God!" Fumi screamed in English.
"Ehehe..." Someone suddenly giggled and the two of us turned our heads to see a young girl standing in front of us. She was tall and looked kinda foreign, probably of mixed race. Her hair was red and fiery and was tied into a single braided pigtail. Her eyes were wide and big and her inhuman pupils made us pause like statues. I don't know if her eye color was natural or if she was just probably wearing fancy colored contacts, but her eyes were frighteningly creepy beautiful. We just can't help but stare at them with our mouths gaping wide open like a bunch of bloody idiots. It was like she was hypnotizing us or something. There was also that creeping sense of dread for some reason and it made us both very uncomfortable, but we tried our best to hide our uncertainty with fake and disarming smiles. Well I did anyway. Fumi just covered his face with his hands and continued shaking. Her clothes were kinda strange too, as if like she was cosplaying or something. She was wearing a black suit for men with a white shirt underneath and a striped tie. Her black pants looked expensive and her Italian leather shoes were so shiny that you could eat off them. Is she some sort of business woman or something? Maybe a bodyguard? Or maybe she was one of those Takarazuka Revue gals since she was wearing men's clothing? "Ehehe.." She giggled again and we gulped.
(AC: Takarazuka Revue is an all-female theater troupe in Japan. Some of them crossdress and play male roles.)
"Can I help you?" I asked, but she didn't reply. I glanced at Fumi and saw he was still shaking.
"M-Maybe...she doesn't understand Japanese." Fumi tugged my shirt.
"Right." I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. "Hello." I said in English and waved my hand, but she just tilted her head sideways and continued staring.
"M-M-Maybe she doesn't understand English. She could be from Europe or something." Fumi said.
"Crap. What a pain..." I scratched my head.
"You two are so cute." She finally spoke and in perfect Japanese.
"Cute?" Fumi raised an eyebrow and looked at me. I just shrugged and sighed.
"Tell me..." She put a finger over her mouth. "Are you two having fun?"
"Huh? Fun?" I grimaced and gave her a confused look.
"Are you two having fun?" She repeated the question.
"I...I guess...we're having fun right now." I answered and furrowed my brow.
"Y-Yeah. We're having fun." Fumi added while nodding.
"Good." She smiled and we both blushed. "Well bye-bye!" She waved goodbye like a child and ran.
Fumi and I just sat there and were silent for five minutes, trying to process what the fuck just happened. Who the hell was that girl and what's her deal? I mean, geez. "Well...that sure was strange." I finally spoke.
"Kasumoto City sure is full of whackos these days. Ever since this city became Kansai's Gunpla haven, we've been getting a lot of weird foreigners and they're causing a lot of ruckus. Last week, there's this Filipino guy named Muffin or something who got caught stealing lingerie because he claimed the ghost of a female centaur knight told him to because it was his destiny and if he stole enough he'll get to ride her as a reward. Man, they ripped his passport to shreds and totally deported his ass in a heartbeat. Yeeeesh. I mean I gotta admit it this place is developing pretty fast thanks to PPSE, but it's not all pretty. We're getting some bad stuff too."
"Man, I wanna ride a female centaur too. That would be so cool." I said while steepling my fingers.
"..."
"Ahem! Well let's get the heck out of here! I'm full now and feeling a bit better." I stood up and smiled.
"Where to then?" He sighed and also stood up.
"Anywhere but home." I said.
"And where is home, anyway? Where do you live, Arisu?"
"Karamorita district. You know that big building near Hayakaba Pharmacy? That one. That's where I live."
"Wait, isn't that a dormitory? I hear the owner got killed last year and-
"C'mon! Let's move out, Ensign Fumi! Let's go have some fun, fun, fun!" I then ran like a maniac.
"H-Hey! Wait up, Arisu!" He ran after me.
I spent the whole morning checking out the sights with Fumi being my guide. He showed me all of Kasumoto City's famous attractions and tourists spots. He got a little queasy when we went to crowded places, but I tried my best to keep him occupied and made him forget about his phobia for a while by dragging him around everywhere and acting like a total man-child. Little by little, he started to have fun too and didn't mind the hordes of clueless foreign tourists and chatty locals anymore. We even went to a large flea market near the harbor and he did well enough to dodge the mobs of shoppers and obnoxious merchants while keeping his sanity in check. We then went to a famous curry house to grab some lunch around noon and resumed after journey after a one hour nap in the park. My hangover was completely gone when I woke up and I felt refreshed.
We checked all the popular hobby shops during the afternoon. Kasumoto City has this one big district where it's all nothing but Gunpla shops and Gundam-themed restaurants. It was like Akihabara, but everything is exclusively catered to Gundam fans and Gunpla enthusiasts. For a hardcore Gundam maniac like me, it was paradise. Maybe I should drop the whole landlord shtick, find a job somewhere, stay here in this district and forget all about Aunt Shion. It was sooooo tempting. I could do it, you know. I could come back to the dorm, give my aunt the one finger salute, grab my things and get the fuck out of there and never look back. I'll even forget about my parents and their pettiness and just stay here and enjoy the hell out of my life. I mean I'm a single 22 year old guy! I'm in my prime! I should be enjoying life for fuck's sakes!
But...
Ah fuck! Fucking fuck. This better be worth it, Uncle Souma. I dunno why you chose me as your successor, but this better be worth it. Please be worth it.
I stopped thinking about my problems for a while and enjoyed the rest of my day with Fumi. We watched a couple of Gunpla Battle matches, teased a bunch of female Gundam cosplayers, ate a crapload of junk food, sang Gundam songs out in the open like we're the only ones there and even met a couple of famous Gundam voice actors! I mean it was just a fucking blast! One of the best days ever, I tells ya. Of course the fun had to stop when I parted ways with Fumi around dusk and I had no choice but to go back to the dorm. Go back to bitter old Aunt Shion and face the consequences of my action. God help me. Oh man...
I returned home around eight in the evening and tried to sneak back to my room without getting spotted, but Aunt Shion suddenly appeared from behind like a fucking ghost before I could even step inside the building and mercilessly dragged me into the dining room with one hand while cackling like a B-movie villain. Holy crap! She's pretty fucking strong! She didn't even break a sweat and I'm taller than the average Japanese male. Is she even human? She threw me on the floor like a ragged doll and planted her right foot on my chest while smiling sadistically. "Welcome back, my cute nephew." She licked her lips like a hungry wolf and I shuddered.
"I...I'm back..." I chuckled nervously and gulped. "Sorry I'm late."
"Is this the guy?" Someone suddenly said and I looked up. Five girls were seated around the dining table and they were eating cake. The cake looked really good, it was something a professional patisserie would make.
"Yep." Aunt Shion nodded.
"Oh you have guests!" I said and tried to get my aunt's foot off my chest with both hands, but she was like a rock and wouldn't budge an inch. "Look, just get off me and I'll scurry back to my room and won't bother you guys. I'm tired and wanna hit the sack."
"Guests? You didn't tell him, did you, Shion-san?" One of the girls said as she chewed.
"Hahahaha! I wanna see the look on his face when he finds out for himself." My aunt laughed.
"Brutal as always, Anego." The girl smiled and ate more cake.
"Aunt Shion, what's going on here?"
She finally removed her foot and helped me stand up. She then put her arm around my shoulders and I trembled like a child being cornered by an angry parent after getting caught doing something naughty. "Girls, this fine young lad here is my nephew. His name is Wakahisa Arisu and he's going to be the new owner and landlord of Wakahisa Dormitory." She said proudly, but her tone had this obvious hint of mockery and sarcasm. Of course, there was mockery and sarcasm. It's Aunt Shion for crap's sakes.
"N-Nice to meet you." I waved. "Please take care of me." I then bowed. "W-Wait..."
"Hm?"
"You mean these girls are the tenants? Just girls?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"T-T-Then this is an all-girls dormitory?" I was horrified, but at the same time I was also excited. "Uncle Souma didn't say anything about managing an all-girls dormitory."
"No, this is not an all-girls dormitory." Aunt Shion grinned. "We had male tenants before. It just so happens all the tenants staying here right now are girls. We haven't had a male tenant for, like, four years straight now."
"What? Why? How? No! This can't be true!" I took a step back and held up a hand. "You're...fucking with me. You're totally fucking with me, Aunt Shion. You just called up your friends and decided to mess with me. You're just doing this so you can just chase me away or something. Am I right? Right? I'm right, right?"
"Feh. I can't believe this idiot is our new landlord. Is this really Souma-san's nephew?" One of the girls sneered while glaring at me. It felt like daggers just pierced my body and she was twisting the handles.
"W-What the fuck is this, Aunt Shion? Is this some sort of sick joke? You want me to manage a dorm with nothing but female tenants? Young female tenants!? Do you think this is some sort of harem anime? I don't think it's right for a guy like me living under one roof with six women. It ain't right. It's inappropriate. People are gonna talk and I don't want that to happen. How did Uncle Souma manage this place? I mean what the hell, Aunt Shion!?"
"He managed it just FINE." She suddenly grabbed the collar of my shirt and head butted me. "Well if you don't want this job then feel free to fuck off by all means. We'd totally love that." She cackled.
"I...I..." I was on the verge of tears. I can't believe this is happening. I can't fucking believe it. I want to go home, but my parents will kill me if I did. If I stay here, then...aaaaaaargh! This is just fucking insane!
"What a weak man." The girl who sneered at me said and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"I can't believe you let this loser touch your body, Shion-san." Another girl said. She looked like a high schooler with a long black hime-cut hairstyle and cheek-length sidelocks.
"W-What did you say?" My eyes widened.
"Oh right. The girls already know what happened between us last night." Aunt Shion said nonchalantly, like our little tryst was nothing special. She then walked up to the girl with the hime-cut hairstyle and cuddled her from behind like a baby. "Manami-chan here saw us when she went down to grab a drink and she watched the whole thing. You enjoyed the show, right? You did, right?" She patted Manami's head and the girl frowned, but didn't say anything. Aunt Shion just laughed and hugged her tightly.
"So...she was the one who stayed home when the others..." Oh man, I think I'm gonna puke here.
"You are such a pig." A tall girl with brown shoulder-length hair approached me from the left and flashed a wide smile that's a little bright and cheerful. She was really pretty and stylish too, like a model. She had this confident aura around her and it was almost seductive. Her voice had a somewhat rude and rough tone and I could tell this girl likes to take control of the situation. A real aggressive go-getter. "Your first day here and you're already pulling down your pants and enjoying the all-you-can-eat smorgasbord." She said with such mischievous delight. It didn't felt like she was berating me, it was more like she was completely amused and intrigued.
"I...No! Aunt Shion was drunk and she..." I turned pale and the girl with the brown hair laughed so hard that she clutched her sides. My stomach lurched and I covered my mouth with my hand. Oh God...
"Go introduce yourselves, girls." Aunt Shion pulled up a chair, sat down and crossed her legs. The hime-cut girl served her a slice of cake and carefully poured her a cup of tea. She also added lime and a spoonful of sugar. "C'mon! No need to be shy now." She laughed again.
"Me first!" The girl with the brown shoulder-length hair said and shook my sweaty hand. "Enatsu Konoe. Nice to meet you, Arisu-kun. Do take care of me." First name basis already? Well I guess I won't be expecting any respect here then. Aunt Shion is still in control and I'm landlord in name only. Shit. What a fine mess this is.
"Yutani Manami." Hime-cut said as she stood up. "Thanks for the meal." She lowered her gaze and left.
"My name is Matsubara Mayumi." The girl who sneered at me said and frowned. She had long purple hair tied into a ponytail with a pink string ribbon. Her expensive clothing and snobby, but polite way of speaking suggests a rich and sheltered upbringing. She was a teenager like Manami, probably the same age too. This one is definitely a spoiled princess, there's no doubt about that. I wonder why she's staying here and not in some big mansion. Maybe I should ask Aunt Shion about it and hope she's willing to share her story. I mean I'm the landlord so I should know more about my tenants, right? It's my right after all. "I'll be honest with you, Arisu-san. I don't like you." Mayumi said sharply as she crossed her arms and cocked her head. "Just like Shion-san, I would like you to leave this place as soon as possible. I have a feeling you're only going to be trouble after finally seeing your stupid and pathetic face. We don't need someone like you here so please leave."
Wow. I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders.
"Orihara Chizuru here." A skinny girl with short dark hair raised her hand. She must be around my age or younger, probably a college student. She had this indifferent look on her face when she studied me intently and then smirked after finishing her food. "Well I'm outta here." She said as she stood up. "Just leave everything in the sink, I'll wash them later. Nice meeting you, Arisu-kun." She patted my shoulder before leaving. Well...at least she was...uh...normal. Oh God, I hope she's normal. Please let her be normal.
And finally the last girl. "Nitta Isumi." She was an older-looking woman with long, wavy hair and she was also wearing glasses like me. She was probably an OL or something. I wonder if she's older than Aunt Shion or maybe they're the same age. "I don't really care if you're the new landlord to be honest. Just do your job and don't bother me then maybe we'll get along. Maybe." She chuckled bitterly and drank her tea.
"So what do you think?" Aunt Shion raised an eyebrow.
"I think you're all planning to kill me in my sleep." I said coldly and dismissively waved my hand. Aunt Shion laughed again and nearly choke. Mayumi clenched her jaw and continued glaring. Konoe returned to her seat and laughed along with my step-aunt like they're the best of pals. Isumi continued eating and ignored our existence as she focused on her phone. I then left without saying anything and quickly went to my room. I could still hear Aunt Shion laughing in my head. Ugh. What did I do to deserve this? I can't manage this dorm. I can't manage these kinds of tenants. This is fucked-up.
Later that night, I started unpacking my things. Aunt Shion knocked on my door and asked if I wanted some cake. I told her that I'm not hungry and she just laughed. I think I also heard Konoe's voice too and I groaned miserably. These girls are so gonna torture me. Maybe if I worked hard enough and showed them I'm not such a bad guy after all then maybe they'll change their minds about me. Would that work? I doubt it. This isn't some romcom or galge, there are no flags to raise here or events to unlock. There's nothing. Nothing but misery. I opened the third box and a photograph fell on the floor after pulling out a bunch of old magazines. I picked it up after wiping my brow and my face sagged and felt like crying again. It was a picture of me and Mii-chan. It was taken around seven months ago after we beat a bunch of morons from Khushrenada High at Gunpla Battle. Minaguchi Keiko was also there and so was Masachika Griselda, sole daughter of Masachika Kimiko and heir to the powerful Masachika Group. I didn't hang out with them that much, but we got along just fine. Keiko was a little crazy, but she was a nice person and Griselda can be a little over-the-top sometimes with her Miss Justice gimmick, but she was a passionate person who truly loved Gunpla Battle. I miss them already. I wanna go home. I couldn't take this place anymore. Damn it...
I suddenly got a text from Fumi, asking if I wanna hang out with him again tomorrow. I replied yes without hesitation and he was happy with my answer. He said that there's this one place he wanna show me tomorrow and he was pretty excited about it. Fumi is a good kid. Probably the only decent person I met so far here in Kasumoto City. I sure hope he recovers from his phobia, he doesn't deserve all of that crap. The least I could do is be his friend and make him forget the awful shit he experienced and make new memories. I stopped sorting all of my crap and sat on the floor. I then started to wonder if the girls here loved my Uncle Souma. Maybe that's the reason why they're so hostile to me. Maybe they can't accept his sudden death. Maybe they can't accept the fact that someone from his family, the very same family that ostracized him, came to take over his work instead of Aunt Shion. If that's the case, then I kinda understand where they're coming from. Still, that's no excuse to treat me like puke. There's also that thing with Aunt Shion. That's entirely my fault though. I have no choice but to have a good heart-to-heart with her sometime.
Yeeeesh.
I wonder what's gonna happen next?
Later...
Around one in the morning...
Arai Kunihiko ran.
He ran as fast as he could.
He ran until his lungs and throat started to burn.
Two of his best underlings followed him from behind, but they were starting to slow down. Unlike him, they were slightly chubby and totally out of shape. They weren't physically fit like him. They didn't follow a strict exercise regiment like him or counted calorie intakes. They were dumb and undisciplined, but they were loyal and honorable. He couldn't ask for better companions. The Banken were his only family now and he will make damn sure that these two young boys will get to safety even at the cost of his life. He was the strict big brother everyone looked up to and Kunihiko loved maintaining that image. He'll die before anything happens to these two morons. "Aniki, just who the fuck were those guys?" One of them said while panting.
"That girl... Did you see that girl's eyes?" The other one whimpered.
"Just keep running, you fuckheads!" Kuni cried out. "Just keep running!"
"Aniki, that red-haired girl was fucking terrifying, man. I don't think she's human!"
"Shut-up! Just keep running!" Thunder shook the sky as it started to rain hard. "Fuck!" He nearly tripped after bumping into a parked bicycle in front of the station near the shopping district, but he quickly regained his balance and continued running. "We gotta tell Noruka about this! She needs to know! She needs to know that Prophecy Nine is real! They're not a myth and they're here to take over!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
And here's the second chapter of Arisu in Wonderland. Sorry if I was kinda late. I got distracted by video games and bought a bunch of books. Anyway, we finally got to know Fumi and he's going to be Arisu's best friend and wingman. We also finally met the tenants and they are going to make Arisu's life a living hell. But thankfully, Arisu is not a spineless git unlike a certain ronin who wants get into Tokyo University. He's not serious and rational like Isamu, he has his own brand of wackiness and charm, and he'll use those to make the girls of Wakahisa Dormitory to look at him in a new light. So yeah, prepare for some harem trope lampshading and other craziness.
Well I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and please post reviews. If you got any questions, criticisms, ideas, suggestions or anything then feel free to PM me.