DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM
CHAPTER THREE
"YOU'RE A RAINBOW, NII-SAN."
"Yo! I'm right over here, Ensign Fumi!" I hollered loudly and waved my right hand after spotting my new friend. He didn't respond and just kept on walking like his ass is on fire.
Weird.
Maybe he didn't hear me or maybe he's got some headphones plugged in and is listening to some rocking tunes right now to block out the whole world because we are all edgy people living very edgy lives because this little story of ours is oh-so-full of edgy edginess.
Heh.
Anyway, I was standing right in front of the game center near the shopping district and I stood there for almost an hour. The very same game center where I fought Arai Kunihiko or also known as Baldy the baldest of all bald bastards or also known as the guy with the severe anger issues and probably needs a hug. It was our meeting place. I mean I guess there are better meeting places out there and this game center will always forever remind me of my humiliating defeat, but this is the only place I know that's near to the dormitory so I guess it can't be helped. I frowned and clicked my tongue when I noticed Fumi mumbling something that's probably incoherent and hanged his head really low. So low I could barely see his face. He was also walking kinda weird and wobbly, like he was trying to poorly attempt a break dance routine or something. Oh man, he's not really looking too hot right now. Well I can't blame him because the streets are really crowded today and it's quite suffocating even for me. Fumi then yelped like a terrified little puppy after nearly bumping into an elderly woman because he was desperately trying to avoid eye contact and the poor kid quickly scrambled away to hug the nearest wall.
Man, this is just a little too much to bear and so I ran up to him and grabbed his arm before he explodes and go crazy with fear. He flinched and almost jumped after my hand landed but my grip was firm and strong and he slowly relaxed after realizing it was me. A few seconds later, he was standing up straight all steady-like and his breathing seems to be normal and stable now. I let go of his arm and nodded my head. "You okay? You ain't freaking out or anything? You wanna cancel this little date of ours? We could always do this some other time and I got plenty of free time." I said gently and turned around to see if anybody was staring at us. Nope. Everyone was just walking on and minding their own beeswax. Good. Last thing I need is drama on the streets of Kasumoto City.
"I'm fine, Arisu. It's just...it's just one of those days, you know. I promise this won't be a problem so no need to worry about me. I can manage now...somehow. Oh and thanks for the concern. I...uh...I really appreciate it." He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. He was wearing a classy blue striped shirt and black pants. His hair was messy as always, but it suited him for some weird reason. Oh and he still got those dark bags under his eyes and it made me wonder if he's suffering from some kind of sleeping disorder. He's not taking medication, is he? I can't bring myself to ask him that question because it could be a touchy subject and I don't get along with touchy subjects. No siree.
"Just keep soldiering on, kiddo." I patted his left shoulder. "But don't overdo it. Take it slow."
"That is a nice jacket by the way." He pointed to the brown bomber jacket I was wearing. Did I mention I'm a big bomber jacket nut? I own fifteen of them including a very rare one from Australia and it was signed by some semi-famous Australian rock star whose name I always tend to forget.
"You like it? I'm going for the Bernie Wiseman look. Maybe I should dye my hair blonde or something."
"Nah. I don't see you as the Bernie Wiseman type."
"Eeeeeh..." I raised one of my eyebrows. "R-Really?"
"Oh they showed Gundam F91 late last night. Did you see it?" Fumi snapped his fingers and repeatedly started tapping his right foot as if he was following some sort of musical rhythm. The tone of his voice was now clear so that means he's fully recovered from whatever ordeal he was suffering from a couple of minutes ago. Well I'm glad he's fine now. I really don't want to deal with his problem because I really don't know what to do if it gets worse. It probably won't end well and I'll probably get myself in trouble and I so don't want that. I just need to make sure he's all relaxed and distracted. I'm no therapist but I think the simple and genuine act of being good company could go a long way. Especially to people like Fumi. You don't need to cry it out or numb yourself with prescribed drugs or whatever. Sometimes having someone beside you is plenty enough.
"Sorry, I missed it. I was busy unpacking my stuff last night. I do love me some F91 though. I'm quite fond of Late Universal Century stuff, especially Crossbone Gundam. Man, I freaking love Crossbone Gundam."
"I wish they'd make a Crossbone Gundam TV anime."
"Dude, people have been wishing that for years."
"I'd even settle for an OVA. Irregular release schedule and all like Gundam Unicorn and The Origin."
"Including Skull Heart and Steel Seven?"
"A couple of chapters of Skull Heart would be fine I guess but, man, they have to include all of Steel Seven. The last few chapters of Steel Seven were ten kinds of epic."
"Damn right." I nodded my head again and approvingly this time. "What about Ghost?"
"I'm not a fan of Ghost to be honest because the author included some really weird stuff and made some really unnecessary decisions. Steel Seven should have ended the Crossbone saga. It was the perfect and fitting conclusion if you ask me. Just the right amount of bittersweet and hope."
"But...but...but the Phantom Gundam!"
"Y-You like the Phantom Gundam, Arisu?" Fumi gave me an amused look.
"I...I like the design and...uh...well you gotta admit it looks cool, right? It looks cool, right?"
Fumi checked his watch and smiled. "I'm enjoying this chat and all but we're burning daylight. Shall we go?"
"Fumi! Hey! You're avoiding the question, Ensign Fumi! The Phantom Gundam is cool, right? It looks cool, right? I mean you gotta love the ghostly effects and...and...and...hey are you listening?"
"Arisu, we're running out of time here. C'mon. I really want to take you to this place." He beckoned me to follow and I just let out heavy sigh as I watched him walk ahead. "Keep up, old man!" He cried out and laughed.
"Not funny, dude. I'm, like, only two years older than you." I cried back
"Old is old." He stuck his tongue out and beckoned me to follow again. He took a deep breath as he turned around to face the incoming pedestrians and slowed his pace so he can evade the large traffic of people. I guess a playful Fumi is better than a freaked-out Fumi. I should be happy that he's all energetic now. The road ahead is long and perilous, kid, but I'm sure you're going to be fine. Just try not to pick fights with bald people with anger issues. Anyhoo I should get moving as well. I quickly opened my yellow sling bag to check the contents one last time. The plastic case containing my Gunpla is looking safe and tight and everything seems to be in order. Nothing missing or broken or whatever. Well we're good to go, folks. I cracked my knuckles after zipping up my bag and followed my younger compatriot. Now let's see this place Fumi wanted to show me.
Thirty minutes later, I found myself standing in front of a three-story building, near one of the more bigger train stations in the city. Fumi explained to me earlier that this part of town is one of the city's most busiest districts, especially during rush hours and weekends. I was looking at a fancy coffee shop-slash-bakery called Lapin Blanc and it's smack dab in the middle of an area that's full of business offices and small company warehouses. What the hell kind of name is Lapin Blanc? It looked like a place that was probably populated by ambitious and arrogant yuppies and bored rich housewives looking to past the time because their husbands are busy banging their much younger secretaries. Oh what am I saying? I sure have a fucked-up imagination. I glanced at Fumi and the kid just crossed his arms and smiled warmly. "I work part-time here." He declared proudly. "I'm...I'm a waiter. I decided to work here because I thought it could help with my problem and I guess it's kinda working. I mean...I am kinda improving."
"I..I see." I said dryly. "So...uh...this is the place you wanted to show me? Your...uh...workplace?"
"Let's head in." He patted my back.
"Uh..."
"Don't just stand there, Arisu. C'mon! I'll introduce you to the owner. She's a little rough around the edges, but she's really a nice person who takes good care of her employees. She's harsh but fair." Fumi then opened the wooden door and gestured with his head. "Coffee is great too and they have the best garlic baguettes."
"Okay, okay." I shrugged and the two of us went in.
Whoa.
Swanky!
The coffee shop looked kinda tacky and intimidating outside, but I gotta admit the interior is pretty impressive. I'm talking about cool Victorian neo-goth something something designs and decor here. Well...uh...something like that I guess. Not really sure but I sure as hell am digging it. The wallpapers have this nice purple diamond floral pattern thingy and totally nothing like the dormitory dining room's pink and girly sensory overload. It's quite tasteful and...uh...homey. The lighting is good too. Just the right amount of dim that makes you just wanna sit down and absorb all of the warm and cozy atmosphere. Of course what really got my attention were the large Gundam paintings hanging on the walls. Portraits of famous scenes from the anime like the RX-78-2 Gundam's Last Shooting and the first flight of the Freedom Gundam. Man, it's like they're straight out from the MS Era art book, but this time covering even the alternate universes and not just Universal Century.
I looked around some more and noticed some of the customers. They were building Gunpla while enjoying their fancy and probably expensive coffee and pastry. I walked around and stopped to watch a young woman building a High Grade Clanche. I watched her for a while before moving on to the next table where I watched a boy teaching a much older man about the intricacies of rubbing off nub marks. I quickly scampered away when the man shot me a sharp look and I realized I was being a creeper. Fumi patted my back again and laughed while giving me a cautionary and admonishing look. Well that was embarrassing.
There was also a large flat-screen TV near the corner seats and a couple of people were watching an intense Gunpla Battle match. Judging from the rapid English commentary, it was probably a foreign program. Gunpla Battle is a world-wide sensation these days so they sometimes show foreign programs that features Gunpla Battle matches. Even if we don't understand what they're saying, what matters is the Gunpla Battle match itself and the Fighters and the Builders too. I find it admirable that some sport or game or whatever that's based from a robot anime is helping us improve our relationships with people from other countries. I met a lot of foreigners back home who learned Japanese just so they can come over here in Japan, the birthplace of Gundam, and play Gunpla Battle with Japanese Fighters. It's really something alright.
So I took a closer look and quickly recognized one of the Fighters on the screen. It was Iris Fontaine, an 18 year old Canadian Fighter and a rising fan-favorite who's slowly working his way up the ranks in his country. His fighting style is somewhat recklessly brash and super aggressive, but he always comes out on top. He's just fucking relentless and a go-getter. I'm quite fond of him because he has a girly name too. That and he's a bonafide asskicker who don't take no prisoners and just completely wrecks his opponent. I feel he's the kind of person who goes full out without any regrets. That's what I feel anyway, I could be wrong. I wonder if he's gonna enter the Qualifiers this year. I really want to see him go toe-to-toe with Canada's best Fighter and Builder, Fox. That would be one hell of a match.
Anyhoo...
Let's go meet the owner of this place.
I nudged Fumi and told him I was done gawking around like a clueless tourist. He then led me to the cashier table right next to the door leading to the kitchen and behind it was a tall foreign woman wearing a simple patissier outfit. Her long dirty blonde hair looked shiny and silky smooth and her sharp eyes made me incredibly nervous. She was a beautiful woman, but it's pretty obvious age is starting to catch up. She was probably in her early forties or late thirties at least. I could tell this woman was the one calling the shots here because she had this serious air of authority around her. That and she looked kinda mean.
Fumi composed himself before clearing his throat and the woman slowly raised her head to face us. She was about to light a traditional Japanese pipe when we interrupted her. She stared at us for a couple seconds before grunting in irritation. "Fumi-kun, what are you doing here? You don't have work today and who the hell is this? This guy better be a customer." She lowered her pipe as she spoke. Wow. Her Japanese is perfect. Not a single hint of accent. It just flows out smoothly and fluently like she's a native and her Kansai-ben is just as rough and harsh. Improving relationships, people. Improving relationships. Gunpla Battle is a revolution. I wanted to smile, but I'm afraid she'll take offense and rip my head off. Probably my testicles too.
"Manager, you're...smoking again. You know you can't smoke in here. You need to...uh...well..." Fumi was too flustered to finish his sentence and I just looked away while fidgeting.
The woman mumbled something in...uh...something foreign and slammed the pipe on the table. We both jumped and squealed like terrified school girls.
"Manager, you...well...I'm sorry, but...uh...oh man." Fumi was trembling now.
"Who is this?" She asked again and pointed to me. Oh man, is she pissed? She's pissed, isn't she?
"A-Allow me to introduce myself." I bowed dramatically. "My name is Wakahisa Arisu. I just moved here two days ago. I met Fumi here yesterday and he's been pretty good to me so far."
"Wait, did you just say Wakahisa!? Your family name is Wakahisa?" The woman's eyes widened with shock and her jaw dropped. "Are you his... No. It can't be." She then mumbled something foreign again.
"Yes. Wakahisa Arisu. Is something the matter, Manager-san?" Does she know about my family? Well it's not really surprise given how famous we are.
"No..." She shook her head. "Nothing is the matter. Please ignore what I said. Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you, Wakahisa-kun." She offered her hand and I shook it without hesitation. Wow. What the heck was that? That was pretty ominous, but I'll just ignore it because that's how main characters roll. That's how Arisu rolls. Oh yeah. "My name is Bianca Guillory and, as you can see, I am the owner of this humble establishment. Please make yourself at home. Any friend of Fumi-kun is a friend of mine and I am so glad the boy is finally making new friends. He worries me sometimes and he is like a son to me. I take it you know his situation?" She raised one of her eyebrows.
"He told me." I smiled. "He told me yesterday when I met him."
"Please do take care of him. He's a sweet kid."
"Of course." I continued smiling.
"Y-You hungry, Arisu? You want some coffee or something? Maybe a slice of cheese cake?" Fumi rubbed his hands uncomfortably. "M-M-My treat."
"Any recommendations?" I asked Bianca.
"French-style cafe bombon and some toasted Pain Aux Raisins if you don't mind, Fumi-kun." She smiled.
"R-Roger." Fumi saluted and quickly made his way into kitchen.
"Please sit down, Wakahisa-kun." Bianca pointed to a nearby empty table.
"Okey dokey then." I parked my butt and stretched my arms. I then put my sling bag on the table. "So...uh...Guillory-san...
"Please. Just call me Bianca."
"Okay and you can just call me Arisu. So if you don't mind me asking and all, just what kind of name is Lapin Blanc anyway? It's French, right? I think it's French. It sounds...Frenchy or French-ish. To me anyway."
She covered her mouth as she laughed and my face reddened due to embarrassment. "Yes. You're right, Arisu-kun. It is indeed French. Lapin Blanc means White Rabbit in French. My daughter was the one who came up with the name."
"Y-Your daughter? You have a daughter? Wow." I chuckled.
"Oho yes. Oh my precious Odette. I've missed her so much. She is a smart girl, but she can be a little rowdy and insolent. She is quite the tomboy and a troublemaker too sometimes. She is just too much like me I'm afraid. I sometimes wonder if that is a bad thing."
"So...uh...is she...uh...is she here?"
"Oh she's not here. She's in Yokohama City right now with her father. She's attending Rigney Academy."
"R-Rigney Academy!?" I nearly stood up. "You mean THE Rigney Academy? The Rigney Academy that's now owned and operated by the Masachika Zaibatsu? Holy cow! That's a school for the super elites and the rich."
"Hah! My daughter is no elite, young man, but I assure you she is better than those pampered rich brats. She may lack grace and has a dirty and vulgar mouth like me, but she makes up for her stubbornness and adaptability. She doesn't need money or influence to make her talents shine. She's also an excellent Fighter and Builder. Oh the way her Bertigo dances when she obliterates her opponents. Truly magnifique!"
"Man, now I wanna meet her."
"Oh that would be amusing indeed." Bianca covered her mouth again and laughed.
"Huh?"
"Here's your order, sir." Fumi came back with a tray laden with my coffee and pastries. He carefully placed my steaming hot beverage right in front of me like a pro and the aroma that filled my nostrils was just heavenly. I prefer my caffeine cold most of the time, but hot coffee is not so bad once in a while. I grabbed one of the Pain Aux Raisins and took a bite and sweet merciful fudge! This is good. Did Bianca bake this bread? It's so good.
"How is it? I can see you're really enjoying one of my lovely creations." Bianca giggled as she watched Fumi taking a seat at the opposite side of the table from me. "I'm not good as my husband but..."
"I don't know much about baking, but this is absolutely delectable. I love the crispy texture and it's not too sweet. The cinnamon powder was a good touch too. Kudos, Bianca-san. Kudos."
"Why thank you. I'm glad you like it."
Fumi was about to say something when the coffee shop's front door suddenly burst open. We turned our heads to see the mysterious red-haired girl from yesterday stepping inside the establishment and she was accompanied by a big scary man wearing a black leather jacket. The man was also a foreigner like her and he looked like someone who could eat me for breakfast. He was really tall and totally jacked up and ripped. Look at those muscles! He's built like a brick house! He could probably easily kill me with one hand or maybe even just a finger! His brown hair was short and was almost a buzz cut. I'm probably over-thinking it, but the way he moves his body and his posture suggest that he probably had military training or something. Oh what do I know? What the heck am I thinking? He's probably just a fitness junkie who loves to lift. I think I've been reading too much military manga lately. Anyway, the girl blinked when she noticed us and smiled. Man, her eyes are still creeping me out. I mean they're beautiful, but they feel so wrong for some reason. They look so wrong. Unnaturally wrong. That's the only way I could describe them.
The girl just kept staring at us until the man grabbed her hand and led her to an empty table near the TV. A waiter cautiously approached them and took their orders. She still kept her gaze fixed on us and I felt like melting. I don't wanna sound mean here, but she's really, really, really freaky. I wish she'd leave.
"Arisu, that's the girl from yesterday. The weird girl with the scary eyes." Fumi said with a shaky voice and he looked like he was about to hyperventilate. "What is she doing here? Did...did she follow us? She followed us, didn't she? I knew there's something shady about her. It's...just...oh man. I think I'm gonna puke."
"Dude, you need to relax. She's probably just here for the coffee and the yummy pastry. What? You think she's stalking us or something? Kept tabs on us after our encounter? She's just a regular girl despite her odd get-up and freaky eyes. I think she's completely harmless, Fumi." I lied. Well I think I lied because what I said is definitely not the truth. I'm not really sure myself to be honest. Is she really harmless? Am I just saying this to reassure myself and Fumi? I mean what am I so afraid right now? She's not doing anything for fudge's sakes! She's just staring at us! Why am I flipping out here? It's her eyes! That's gotta be it. It's her Goddamned eyes.
"I doubt it. I don't think she's harmless, man." Fumi said and his voice was strained.
"What makes you say that?" I snorted.
"Gut feeling."
"Gut feeling?" I frowned.
"Gut feeling." He repeated.
"Dude, listen to yourself." I groaned.
"I agree with Fumi-kun." Bianca joined us and I found her standing to my right. "There's something odd about that girl. Something wrong and rotten. Gut feeling is right and it's not just the eyes." She gritted her teeth. "Can't you feel it? Her aura is terrifying. It's almost like she's a doll."
"So what? We're all Newtypes here now?" I rolled my eyes. "Please. I don't think we're being fair with her here."
"Don't get fucking smart with me, you idiote. I'm serious here." Bianca raised her voice.
"Okay, okay, I admit there's something weird with her and it's raising all kinds of alarms, but what can we do?" I almost hissed. "It's not like we can chase her away. That's asking for trouble and her beefy bodyguard might break our necks. Plus, it's bad for business, right? A customer is a customer after all."
Bianca shook her head dismissively. "Yes. What can we do?" The Frenchwoman massaged her temples and then ruffled my hair with such warm motherly affection while smiling. "Please do forgive me for raising my voice, Arisu-kun. Enjoy your coffee." She grabbed her pipe off the table and disappeared into the kitchen.
"I trust the Manager, Arisu. When she say something is up then something is up." Fumi said solemnly.
"We don't know what that something is yet, Fumi. For now, let's ignore her, okay?" I grabbed my sling bag and unzipped it. "Anyhoo, onto more pressing matters, wanna see my Gunpla?" I grinned broadly.
"Y-Yeah." He nodded and I quickly took out the plastic container. I slowly opened it and Fumi whistled with delight as he studied and admired my Gunpla with his own two hands. "So this is your Gunpla, Arisu. Your Gundam Pixie. Wait this is...this is a Jet Striker Pack, right? It's equipped with a Jet Striker Pack."
"Uh-huh. It's a smaller version but it's enough to grant my machine flight capabilities. I also replaced the beam daggers with actual beam sabers." I carefully tapped the Gunpla's waist. "Not really a fan of daggers."
"Reinforced kneecaps, thicker shoulders, the beam rifle is original too and the shield...the shield is based from the Zephyranthes' flexible shield but it folds differently. Arisu, this is...this is really well-made. At first glance, it might look simple, but the improvements and modifications are very subtle. Amateurs could even mistake this Gunpla for a snapfit or straight vanilla. I'm really, really impressed here, Arisu!" Fumi's fanboy mode has been turned on and I can't help but laugh.
"Well I can't take all the credit here." I chuckled. "A good friend of mine back home, Mii-chan, helped me build this thing. In fact, he mostly did all the work and he's the one who designed the beam rifle and the shield. I only painted it and did the finishing touches and some extra reinforcing."
"Dude, I wanna see this thing in action. Like right now." Fumi gave me a pleading look, the pleading look with the puppy dog eyes. He then suddenly stood up before I could say anything and pointed up. The table shook violently and I quickly grabbed my cup of coffee to prevent spilling its contents. Man, I didn't realize you were this crazy for Gunpla, Fumi. Maybe you're even a bigger fanboy than me. "Look, we have a battle system upstairs. Customers and employees are free to use it and we don't charge. The Manager wants everyone to play. How about you show me how you pilot that machine, Arisu? Sorry if I'm giddy right now, but I really, really wanna see it in action."
I slowly stood up and grabbed my Gunpla and its container. "Whoa there, Fumi. Did my Gunpla flipped your switch or something? Alright. I'll give you a demonstration if that's what you want. I could shoot down a few practice targets for you or maybe a couple of computer-controlled Zakus or Balls or some other thing."
"Now that would be very boring. How about I challenge you to a match instead?" Someone said behind me and I quickly turned around to see who. It was a young man with dark hair and an average build body. He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans. Very casual yet very snazzy in its own reasonable way.
"Hey it's..." Fumi pointed.
"You know this guy, Fumi?"
"Tsuruya Norisuki." Fumi told me his name. "He's a regular here and plays Gunpla Battle quite often."
"Is that so?" I smirked. "Name's Wakahisa Arisu." I introduced myself and offered my hand.
"Nice too meet you, Wakahisa-san." Norisuki smiled as he took my hand and shook it. He had a good grip, solid but not too overwhelming. "So? You up for it? I'm hankering for a good fight here. It's my day off and I'm very bored right now. So you in, man?"
I sighed as I glanced in Fumi's direction. The kid just nodded his head and he still had that pleading expression on his face. I turned to face Norisuki again. "Eh what the hell? Sure. Let's go for it."
"That's what I wanted to hear, Wakahisa-san." Norisuki said and happily produced his Gunpla. His machine was a XXXG-01S Shenlong Gundam. It was a straight up vanilla build of the Katoki Hajime or Endless Waltz version. It was even equipped with the Liaoya Sword from The Glory of Losers manga. "Well let's go then."
The second floor battle room was very different compared to the coffee shop below. No fancy floral wallpapers. No posh luxurious furniture. No super expensive big-screen TV. No beautiful Gundam portraits. It was just empty. Empty and bare save for a couple of old Gundam posters plastered on the wall and a large glass display case containing all kinds of Gundam model kits. They're mostly High Grades, but I see a couple of Master Grades and Real Grades. Oh and there is even one Perfect Grade. The battle table was in the middle of the room as I expected and it looked like it was well-maintained. A young woman wearing a waitress outfit was sitting cross-legged on the floor and she was reading a thick novel while drinking a bottle of orange juice. She quickly closed the book and stood up when she saw us entering the room. Fumi waved a hand and the woman almost growled. "Fumi-kun, what are you doing here? Today is your day off." She said in a loud and obnoxious voice.
"Hi O-chan." Fumi greeted her. "I-I'm not here for work. I'm...uh...I'm with my friend here and now him...uh...him and Tsuruya-san are gonna battle."
"Friend? Eeeeh? You got friends now, Fumi-kun? Should I cook some Sekihan for you?" She giggled. Yowzers. What is up with this girl? I don't think I'm gonna like her.
(AN: Sekihan is sticky rice with Adzuki beans. Usually cooked during celebration, especially when a girl reaches her first menstruation period. O-chan is pretty much mocking Fumi here.)
"T-That's not funny, O-chan." Fumi whimpered. I glanced at Norisuki and he just shrugged.
"Okay! I'll fire up the battle system. You two get ready." She walked towards the battle table and started tinkering with it while mumbling to herself.
I approached Fumi from behind and gently elbowed him. "Who is that?" I asked.
"She's part-timer too. Her name is Sumeragi Otoha. We call her O-chan for short."
"Is she..."
"She's a little mean, but she's not a bad person."
"Right."
We inserted our GP bases into the slots after some minor preparation and the battle system started dispersing the Plavsky Particles. "Field Four, Mountain." The computerized voice announced after revealing our place of battle. It was a rocky mountainous area with a lot of potential hazards and annoying obstructions. It was a very dry place with very little vegetation and plant life. It was almost like a desert or a wasteland. I love how the Plavsky Particles managed to simulate the lighting effects of the blazing sun and the realistic shadows. Oh you gotta love how the system managed to cast realistic shadows. Oh and don't get me started on the whole particle plastic manipulation thingy. That's a whole another beast to tackle. Gunpla Battle is indeed the ultimate video game and I think we barely just scratched the surface here. Seven years have passed and we still haven't reached the peak yet. Gunpla Battle still has a lot of things to offer and I wanna experience everything. "Please set your Gunpla." We placed our Gunpla on the table and the system immediately started the scanning process.
"So what's the name of your Gunpla again?" Norisuki asked.
"Pixie. Gundam Pixie." I replied.
"So...uh...what series is it from? Doesn't look familiar."
"It's not from an anime actually. It's from a video game."
"I see." Norisuki chuckled, but it was devoid of humor. "The truth is that I'm not really a fan of Mobile Suit Gundam. I just can't get into the anime, but I do enjoy building Gunpla and playing Gunpla Battle. It's a good stress reliever for me and very addicting too."
"Nothing wrong with that, Tsuruya-san." Fumi said. "You can enjoy Gunpla without knowing a lick about the anime show. Gunpla is freedom after all. You enjoy it the way you want to enjoy it."
"Well said." I muttered under my breath.
"Battle start."
"Here we go, Wakahisa-san! Let's do this!" Norisuki launched his Gunpla and quickly pulled out the Liaoya sword after landing on the ground.
"Wakahisa Arisu, Gundam Pixie, let's kick some ass!" The Gundam Pixie's eyes flashed brightly with life as it launched away from the holographic linear catapult and landed in front of the Shenlong Gundam.
"Haaaaah!" Norisuki was the first one to make the first move. His Gunpla charged forward with reckless abandon and swung its sword hard, hoping to cleave my machine in half. I managed to block the blade with my flexible shield and quickly jumped back when I saw the two upper claws of the Shenlong Gundam's Dragon Fang opening up. Norisuki lunged the right forearm forward, attempting to crush the Gundam Pixie's head, but I jumped back again and further this time.
"Crap!" I feared Norisuki would fire the Dragon Fang's flamethrower if I got caught and melt my Gunpla into plastic goo. Fire is bad. That is always a golden rule, children. Fire is fucking bad.
"Go Tsuruya-san! Go get him! Kill that glasses guy!" O-chan screamed like a maniac. "Kill him to pieces!"
"O-chan! That guy is...is...my friend." Fumi frowned.
"Yeah? Then go cheer for him or something." She shot back. "I'll go cheer for Tsuruya-san because I know him and he's a decent Fighter even with a snapfit."
Yep.
I am so not gonna like her.
I dashed sideways and fired the Gundam Pixie's 60 mm vulcan guns at the Shenlong Gundam, but Norisuki quickly raised the Gunpla's round shield and deflected the bullets like they were nothing. I then jumped high using the Jet Striker Pack's thrusters and landed on high ground. I aimed the beam rifle and started firing like crazy, but Norisuki was fast and he avoided all of my shots with ease. "I don't think so." He said with a cocky tone and rubbed his nose. I really need to keep my distance here. The Shenlong Gundam is a machine that emphasizes on melee combat and I'm toast if I get close. That Dragon Fang is no joke, but my main concerns right now are the Liaoya sword and the beam trident. I need to focus on those. I need to get some breathing space between us. Breathing space, Arisu. Breathing space. "Raaaaargh!" Norisuki screamed crazily as he ran towards my position and jumped after getting enough momentum. I swear I saw the Gunpla's eyes flash red as it threw its sword at me and I quickly side-stepped out of the way to avoid getting pierced in the chest. "Tch." Norisuki pulled the sword back using the cable attached to the bottom of the hilt and twirled it like a baton. Oh man, I am so thankful the Katoki version of the Shenlong Gundam's Dragon Fang doesn't extend. That would be a problem. I then took a deep breath and repeatedly fired my beam rifle again and Norisuki still managed to dodge my shots while moving around. "You can do better than that, Wakahisa-san." He taunted.
The Shenlong Gundam closed in again and I quickly threw a flash bang grenade before it could do something. Norisuki cursed loudly as he got blinded by the flash and I used that opportunity to jump down and attack him from behind with a beam saber. I know I just said I needed to keep my distance, but he's incapacitated right now and I was tempted to do some stabbing. My plan sounded so good in theory anyway, but somehow my opponent managed to anticipate my attack even if he was blinded and easily blocked my beam saber with his Liaoya sword. Kasumoto City breeds 'em strong. There is no doubt about that. "You are good, Tsuruya-san. You are really good. I guess every man, woman and child here in Kasumoto City is an able Fighter or an expert Builder regardless of their Gundam lore knowledge. Am I right?" I said in an almost mocking tone.
"Don't be silly, Wakahisa-san." Norisuki scoffed derisively. He then used the Dragon Fang to smack the left side of the Gundam Pixie's head with a sickening cracking sound and attempted to crush it again. I fired the vulcan guns and the Shenlong Gundam was forced to back away. I continued firing as I slowly move towards the retreating Gunpla but not too close this time because I was afraid I'd get more Dragon Fang head smacking. Norisuki twirled the Liaoya sword again to deflect the bullets. Oh yeah. This guy ain't fucking around. He then moved the Shenlong Gundam's right foot forward and swung the Gunpla's right arm. At first I thought he was trying to grab the Pixie's head again so he can crush it but instead he unleashed the flamethrower. Yep. He's definitely not fucking around. What's the golden rule again, kiddies? Fire is bad. Fire is fucking bad. I jumped back and Norisuki followed with the sword again while still spreading the heat. I barely evaded the first couple of mean swings and blocked the fifth one with my shield. The Shenlong Gundam stopped spewing flames and focused on attacking with the sword. It just kept on swinging and swinging and I kept on blocking and evading. Each attack was getting more relentless and wild and vicious and savage and I'll probably won't last too long if I don't do something and I better do it fast before I'm minced meat.
Norisuki was smiling widely now and his eyes have started to twitch uncontrollably. His breathing was getting pretty bonkers too. I think this dude is slowly getting swallowed by his own bloodlust. He seemed in control a couple of seconds ago and now he was like a completely different person. Pretty funny now that I think about it because it's somewhat a cliché. That or he has a lot of pent-up feelings to release and express. Yeeeeesh. If he's drowning in bloodlust then he'll lose his focus and if he's losing his focus then...aha! An opening! Norisuki, you're a little worked up right now and that means you're bound to get careless, buddy.
I quickly crouched to avoid another swing and activated the Jet Striker Pack's thrusters again as I jumped so I can smash the Shenlong Gundam's face with devastating knee attack. "Boo-yah!"
"Shit." Norisuki staggered backwards, but he recovered quickly and fired the Dragon Fang's flamethrowers again. I took it to the skies to escape being incinerated and fiercely fired my beam rifle like there's no tomorrow. "Eat this!" Norisuki cried out after dodging some of my beam rounds and threw the Liaoya sword at me again like a spear, but this time I was ready. I was anticipating this attack. I turned my Gunpla around as I avoided the blade and quickly did a back flip so I can hover upside down. I narrowed my eyes as I aimed my gun and pulled the trigger. The first shot severed the cable attached to the sword and the second one destroyed the weapon itself. "You'll pay for that." Norisuki let out an irritated sigh as he fired the Shenlong Gundam's vulcan guns and he managed to damage the right wing of the Jet Striker Pack before I could hover normally. I finally took out the sword but he fucked up one of my wings. I guess that's a fair price to pay. I think. I was forced to land my Gunpla because flying would be difficult and pointless now and immediately jettisoned the damaged Striker Pack after reaching the ground. With the Liaoya sword gone, Norisuki reached for the Shenlong Gundam's other main weapon, the beam trident, and charged at me with all his might.
"Oh boy..." I gulped as the Shenlong Gundam repeatedly tried to stab my Gunpla, but I somehow managed to time his piercing attacks and expertly blocked them with my shield. He got past my defenses a couple of times of course and scored some hits. Half of the Gundam Pixie's face and most of the right shoulder are now damaged beyond recognition. He also tried to make me lose my balance with surprise shoulder tackle, but I managed to pushed him back with a counter shoulder tackle of my own. A few short bursts from the vulcan guns also kept him at bay, but I only have so much ammo right now. He took another swipe at me, but stopped midway, and I bit the feint like an idiotic amateur and easily fell prey to his head-butt attack. He then grazed the Gundam Pixie's chest with a smooth upward slash. The tip of the trident melted the plastic like hot butter and I almost gasped. He could have finished me off by then but I suppose he's not done with me yet. Plenty more pain and punishment to dish out. I gotta stay on my toes if I wanna survive this.
The Shenlong Gundam raised the beam trident above its head and started spinning it. Norisuki then swung the weapon fast and I ducked to avoid getting decapitated. I surprised him with a knee to the gut as I stood up and punched his Gunpla twice in the face. I then followed up with another knee to the gut attack. I folded my flexible shield as I watched the Shenlong Gundam stagger and bitch slapped it a couple of times. He tried to find an opening but I ain't giving him one and continued with my humiliating onslaught. I then swung the shield sideways, but he managed to evade it in time and used his beam trident to slice it in half before I could swing it again. Uh-oh. He turned the tables! Norisuki fired his vulcans and severely damaged the left shoulder of my Gunpla. Both of my shoulders are now thoroughly fucked, but thankfully the poly-caps are still doing a-okay and the Gundam Pixie's arms are still functional and moving fine. "You're one persistent bugger, Wakahisa-san." Norisuki said as he swung his beam trident upward again. "I like persistent buggers."
I tried to go for another punch with the right arm, but Norisuki caught it using the Dragon Fang. The claws clamped down hard and the Shenlong Gundam ripped the arm off with such force that I nearly screamed. I jumped back and fired the beam rifle in retaliation, but Norisuki blocked all of my shots with his shield and fired his vulcans again. I dashed sideways to avoid the bullets while still firing my weapon. "Shit, shit, shit."
The Shenlong Gundam attacked with the beam trident again and I dashed backwards to avoid getting skewered as I reloaded my beam rifle. Norisuki jumped high and fired the flamethrower while in mid-air and again after landing on the ground. Half of the Gundam Pixie's body was now charred and black and all...melty or melt-ish. I wasn't entirely set ablaze, but the damage was still bad. He charged again and fired the flamethrower for a third time when he got close, but I managed to kick the Shenlong Gundam's right arm away and aimed the beam rifle at point-blank range. No Pixie BBQ for you this time and one beam shot to the face coming right up, you fucking bastard. Eat it! Eat it all up, Tsuruya Norisuki!
But no.
Life is just too cruel for Wakahisa Arisu.
"Try harder!" Norisuki ducked as he avoided the beam round that was meant to put a hole in the face of his blasted Gunpla and fired his vulcans until they ran out of ammo. My beam rifle immediately got riddled with holes and I tossed it away before it exploded. He then tried to stab me in the face, but I ducked too and quickly pulled out one of my beam sabers. I cheered loudly as I swung the blade upward and severed the arm holding the beam trident. Now we're even, buddy boy. Now we're even. But then out of nowhere, Norisuki's Dragon Fang finally found the target it's been coveting since the start of the match. It mercilessly grabbed the Gundam Pixie's head and slowly crushed it. My face lost color because now that the Dragon Fang finally got a hold of me, it'll be only a matter time before the flames come out and that would be it. That would be fucking it, people. Show's over. Well-done Gundam Pixie for all. "Time to finish this." He said under his breath and cracked his knuckles as he prepared to unleash the righteous flames of justice. Heh. Righteous flames of justice. Yeah. You know, I make myself cringe sometimes. It's a good thing nobody can hear my thoughts.
"Like hell you will." I whispered and stabbed the Shenlong Gundam's right forearm before the fires could turn me into an extra crispy delight. The blade went through and completely disabled the Dragon Fang, but the claws are still crushing the head. I tried to fire the vulcans, but they're kaput now. What to do? What to do? Damn it.
Ah fuck.
This is it.
Now or never, Arisu.
I pulled the beam saber out of the crippled arm and repeatedly stabbed the Shenlong Gundam's cockpit. I didn't stop stabbing and screaming until the whole Gunpla exploded into small plastic bits. The explosion completely consumed me too and all I could do is pray to whoever god or deity is listening and hope my Gunpla is still in one piece after all of this. Pray and hope that Mii-chan's Building skills are actually worth a damn.
After the smoke cleared out, a heavily-damaged and completely armless Gundam Pixie slowly and triumphantly rose up from the rubble and remained standing like a proud warrior. What was left of the Shenlong Gundam's Dragon Fang was still gripping the crushed head.
"Battle ended."
Oh you are so getting some Kobe beef, Mii-chan. Well not the Grade A stuff because I don't have much money.
The battle system shuts down and I suddenly found the creepy red-haired girl standing close to me. A little too close. Really, really, really close. So close I could smell the fruity fantastic shampoo on her hair and feel the warmth of her breath. "Uwaaah!" I shrieked. "What the hell!? What are you doing here? When did you get here? Were you watching the whole time? Were you watching? Good God." This is just too creepy. Did she sneaked up behind me or something? This is just too fucking creepy.
She turned to face me and her super disturbing eyes widened. "That match was fantastic, Nii-san. I love how you ruthlessly stabbed your opponent like that. It was so delicious. Your ruthlessness was delicious."
"Ruthlessness? What are you talking about? I wasn't ruthless. It was more like I was desperate. Besides, this is Gunpla Battle, missy. It's no fun when you're not going all out."
She blinked. "The joy of destroying things is the best thing ever, Nii-san. Do you agree with me?"
"Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay. You are creepy. Stop saying creepy stuff. Are you playing a character or something? Is this role-playing? I mean you gotta be role-playing." I chuckled uncomfortably and the girl blinked again.
"You know this girl, Wakahisa-san?" Norisuki asked.
"No." I shook my head.
"You..." She then pointed to Norisuki. "The sparkly stuff isn't following your tune anymore. Something is wrong with you. Something is very wrong with you. Your heart is clouded right now and your emotions are out of control. Very out of control. I could tell. I could tell by your dull and predictable moves. The sparkly stuff doesn't like you anymore. You need to do something about it or else you'll lose your color and that's very bad. Losing your color is bad. Very bad." She tilted her head sideways. What the hell? She's talking like she's a child or something. I really don't want to have anything to do with this girl. Please leave. Please just leave already. Is Fumi right? Is she following us?
Norisuki didn't say anything. He just stood there, glaring at the girl like she just killed his pet dog and started sodomizing the corpse with a sticky stick.
"What is up with this freaky girl?" O-chan made a weird face. "She's talking bullshit and her eyes. My God. There is something wrong with her eyes. They look pretty, but it's like they're rotten or something. Her eyes are scaring me."
"You." She pointed to the annoying waitress and narrowed her gaze.
"What? Don't tell me I'm losing color too." O-chan rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.
"No. Your color is fine. You're just an idiot." The mysterious girl giggled.
"What? Why you little bitch! I'll fucking strangle you!" O-chan tried to attack her, but Fumi quickly grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. "Lemme go, Fumi-kun. I'm gonna kill that brat."
"O-chan, don't be stupid! She's a customer!"
"I don't care! Nobody calls me an idiot and gets away with it!"
Norisuki picked up the pieces of his shattered Gunpla and hastily left the room. He didn't even say goodbye to me or Fumi. Not even a wave or a nod. He just left without saying a word. The girl must have upset him really bad and I don't blame him. There is definitely something wrong with her. Bianca is right. She's...bad news.
"W-What about me?" I then said with a wavering tone. "What about my color?" What am I doing? Arisu, what the hell are you doing? Why are you asking that question? Leave! Get the hell out of there! Grab Fumi and go!
"Your color?" The girl pressed her soft lips with her pointing finger. "You're a rainbow, Nii-san."
"A rainbow?" What. The. Actual. Fuck. "A rainbow?" I repeated.
"Oh I know what color you'll be after I'm done with you! Black and blue!" O-chan struggled to pull away from Fumi's tight grip, but she quickly got pulled back. "Black and fucking blue!"
"Apple!" A loud and booming voice shook the room. Loud enough to silence O-chan's incessant blabbering.
"Tch." The girl made an annoyed expression and crossed her arms. "Great." She hissed. So her name is Apple.
Her beefy bodyguard or companion or whatever entered the room and the floor creaked with each step he made. He turned his head to face me and I nearly wet myself. I was too flabbergasted and frightened to say anything so I just took a couple of steps back until my back is leaning against the wall. "Apologies." He said softly, but he didn't look apologetic. No, he looked pissed. Really pissed. He approached Apple and the girl tensed up. "You didn't finish your meal." He said sternly.
"I'm not hungry, Windy!" She whined and kicked his foot. The man reacted with a long and tired sigh. Oh and the man's name is Windy? The hell kind of name is Windy? Apple and Windy? This city has so many issues.
"We're leaving." He suddenly grabbed her hand and tried to drag her back downstairs. She struggled but to no avail. The man was just too strong and the girl was nothing but sticks compared to his body.
"I'm still-
"APPLE!" He shouted and the room shook again. I swear I could hear the windows cracking.
"Ugh. You..." Defeated, she finally gave up and let him drag her away. And then they were gone. Just like that.
The three of us just stood there, dumbfounded and our mouths gaping wide open. A minute later, I finally snapped back to reality and turned to face Fumi and O-chan. "Soooooooo you two wanna grab some lunch?"
After a boring afternoon of nothing but exploring the city with Fumi, I finally returned to the dormitory and was ready to face whatever torment is awaiting me. There was some sort of commotion in the kitchen when I set foot in the entrance hall. Lots of shouting and things clanging and there was a weird burning smell wafting through the air. Instinct told me to ignore whatever is happening and just go up and lock myself in my room. That would be definitely the smart move, but unfortunately, curiosity got the best of me and this cat is probably about to get skinned. So I tiptoed into the kitchen and see what the holy heck is going on and I found all of the tenants huddled behind Aunt Shion and they all look terrified. My step-aunt was holding a spatula like it was some sort of weapon and she was facing a tall pot. Smoke was coming out of it and I'm hearing all kinds of unnatural noises inside. It's safe to say that my step-aunt attempted to cook something that's outside of her very limited skill range and it ended in a disaster that would require half of the UN forces to clean up. Wonderful. I cleared my throat loudly and they all faced me. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Go away." Mayumi rudely waved her hand and gave me the evil eye.
"Okay, I'm calling you Princess Grumpy from now on." I pointed nonchalantly.
"What? You insolent insect." She fumed. "I'll shove a butcher knife up your ass!"
"Classy." I smirked.
"Ignore him." Manami said. Her voice was calm and almost...lifeless. Like she didn't care.
"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" I asked again and I raised my voice this time.
"Shion-san is trying to cook curry." Chizuru the college girl said.
I walked towards the pot and took a peek. I raised an eyebrow and slowly turned my head to face Aunt Shion. "Why is the curry purple?" I wrinkled my nose.
"I...I don't know! I'm sure I did everything right." She said and brushed her hair away. "I followed the recipe!"
"It all makes sense now."
"What?"
"Aunt Shion, you're actually a member of a terrorist organization and right now you're developing a super dangerous biological weapon. Mankind is doomed. Doomed I tells ya." I said with a straight face.
"Are...are you mocking me!?" Her face turned ultra red and I struggled so hard not to laugh. "Are you making fun of me, Arisu-kun? I'll...I'll...I'll..." She was too angry to finish her sentence. Yay.
"This is dinner I take it?" I scratched my head and Aunt Shion nodded angrily while tightening her grip on the spatula. "You really need to learn basic culinary skills, for the sake of your tenants. What if you poison them? Their family will definitely sue our asses and have us arrested, especially Princess Grumpy's family over there, assuming she's really a princess and filthy stinking rich. You don't want a bunch of men in tactical suits rappelling down from helicopters and kicking down our doors and shoving machine guns in our faces while screaming all kinds of colorful obscenities and threats because we've unleashed something diabolical that would make survival horror games look like kid's stuff."
"I...I...STOP TALKING, YOU MONGREL!" Mayumi screamed.
"Yeeeeeeah! Bone of my sword, baby." I made clicking sounds with tongue and winked at her. She then threw something at me, but I quickly ducked.
"I didn't need to learn anything because Souma took care of everything. Especially the cooking." Aunt Shion said and loosened her grip on the spatula. She looked tired and spent.
"Uncle Souma is gone, Aunt Shion." I said under my breath.
"You really need to stop acting all high and mighty, you brat." Isumi, the oldest of the tenants, said with sharp disdain. "It's pissing me off."
"Yeah." Konoe agreed. "Like you can do better." She said smugly.
"Heh." My lips twitched.
"What?" Konoe looked annoyed and surprised.
"Heh...hahaha...haha..." I slowly began to laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Then it became full-blown maniacal laughter.
"Okay, this guy has officially lost his marbles. Call the hospital and let's be done with it." Konoe threw her arms up in exasperation.
"Of course I can do better, you peasants!" I shook a fist.
"Really?" Aunt Shion raised one eyebrow and glanced at everyone.
"Aunt Shion, you of all people should know."
"Know what?"
I fell silent and shot her a perplexed look.
"What? C'mon, Arisu-kun. Don't fuck about. Should I know something here?"
I sighed. "Aunt Shion, you do know about our family's line of business, right?"
"Uh...I think you folks own a bunch of fancy restaurants in Tokyo. I think one of them is a super famous sushi place in Shinjuku. Souma didn't really talk much about his family and you guys because he was really upset he was disowned and that was fine with me because I didn't really give a fuck. I didn't give a fuck back then and I still don't give a fuck now. You are all nothing but a bunch of snobby fucks who look down on people. That's all I need to know."
I then stood up straight and adjusted my glasses. "Okay people, listen up and listen good."
"Ugh. Do we have to?" Isumi groaned and Manami just frowned.
"Yes." I nodded.
"Is this going to take long?"
"Maybe."
"Ugh." Isumi groaned again and Manami's frowning intensified.
"Okay, I will tell you everything to clear everything up. So listen up, ladies! Clean out those ears and listen the hell up and be fucking amazed!"
I cleared my throat and adjusted my glasses like the magnificent bastard that I am as I prepare to educate these ladies:
"The Wakahisa family just doesn't own a bunch of fancy restaurants. We own and operate fifteen recognized five-star restaurants in Tokyo AND Kyoto and not counting the ones outside of Japan of course. We come from a long line of talented chefs dating back even before World War Two. All of the important culinary figures in the world know, fear and respect our family name. We are unmerciful in the kitchen. We don't see food as a work of art or something that is made with love. That's only for the soft-hearted and the idealists. No. Our dishes are a product of pure brutality and nothing but the broken and battered corpses of our enemies and boy that sounded so messed-up and...uh...yeah. Anyway! Our utensils are our weapons, our recipes are our stratagem and the ingredients are nothing but our intended victims. Victims we break and mold. We use our skills to bend any meat, fish and vegetable to our will. We have been following that principal for generations and we don't have any intention of changing our ways.
My family might be a little messed-up, but I am damn proud of my lineage. Sure we're full of our ourselves and we value pride and status, but with good reason. We work hard and people expect great things from us and that is why we act like a bunch of elitist assholes. That and we're actually elite assholes hence why we act like elitist assholes. I was once the heir of Scattering Wisteria Culinary School in Tokyo, but I was ordered to give up my position and rank because the family head now favors my 13 year old cousin. She is a cooking prodigy who earned the nickname Miracle Chef of Azabu at the tender age of eight. Truth be told, I bear no ill will towards her and I was actually glad to give up my position because I was happy getting back my freedom again. She's much more talented so she deserves the title. That's what I thought anyway until my parents ordered me to go here and become your landlord and discover my step-aunt is a master villain who threatens mankind with Bio Organic Weapons. Also, I was being a bum and did nothing but watch anime and play eroge all day and mooching off my folks because that's how Wakahisa Arisu rolls.
So there you have it. All of my uncles, aunts, cousins and siblings are all established chefs. Whether it's traditional Japanese or international cuisine, we can cook them all. With style, passion and skill. So yes I can do better and I will do better. I pretty much earned that maniacal and crazy laugh couple of minutes ago thank you fucking very much."
I crossed my arms like a boss and raised one of eyebrows. Man, that was a long speech and now I'm parched.
Mayumi stared at me intently and started biting her nails while the rest just kinda nodded their heads, looking bored and unconvinced. "Scattering Wisteria Culinary School? The internationally-renowned culinary school for aspiring chefs nationwide? You need to be truly recognized in the culinary world to attend that school and you were the former heir? Unbelievable! I refuse to believe it! I don't want to believe it. YOU IDIOT!" The grumpy princess screamed. My God. It's like she's throwing a tantrum.
"You don't believe me? Then I have no choice but to show you first-hand." I smiled. "AUNT SHION!"
"Yes!" She snapped to attention and saluted. "Wait, what? What the hell?"
"Throw away that failed biological weapon of yours and bring me a new pot." I ordered. "I'll prepare dinner tonight and you will all help me."
"You can't order me around. I'll-
"NEW POT. NOW. OR WE ALL STARVE AND I WILL CONTINUE LAUGHING LIKE A CRAZY PERSON!"
"Grrrr!" She turned around and started searching the cupboards.
I opened the fridge and gathered some ingredients. "Yutani-san, peel these apples and pears for me." The girl nodded without any objections and started working after handing the fruits.
"We're still making curry, right?" Konoe asked as she watched Manami. "Why apples and pears?"
"Grated apple helps with the sweetness and grated pears gives it texture." I explained.
"My grandmother sometimes add grated apple and pears when making curry. It's totally legit, Konoe-chan." Chizuru said before helping Manami with the peeling.
"Any more pork left, Aunt Shion?" I asked. "Chicken will do too."
"I used up all of the pork, but we still have that two pounds of ground beef I bought this morning."
"Ground beef it is." I said with a smile and the girls all look each other. I put on an apron, rolled up my sleeves and prepared to do my magic.
Later...
"Oh my God this is sooooo good!" Konoe almost screamed as she shoved spoonfuls of curry and rice in her mouth. Her cheeks were bulging like a chipmunk and I was terrified she would choke. She was also crying tears of joy. See. I told you my cooking can make people cry with bliss.
We all gathered around the dining table and were greedily eating non-stop like pigs. Well except for me. I didn't have much appetite because I was too busy thinking about Apple and Windy. Norisuki too. Well Tsuruya Norisuki seems like a nice and decent guy, but something really is troubling him. Apple was not the only one who noticed during the fight and I'm sure Fumi did too but he just kept quiet. I dunno if it's because of his little problem or out of consideration for a regular customer or he just didn't really wanna bother. Well it's not really my business what's bothering him so I really should thinking about him. I got plenty of crap to deal with already and dealing with more would drive me insane. "Arisu-kun, I gotta admit your curry is a hundred times more better than Souma's." Aunt Shion remarked after quietly chewing her food. Huh. I did not expect that. I must have humbled her. Ooooh I hope I humbled her.
"T-Thanks." I said. "No offense, but Uncle Souma's cooking skills weren't really that great compared to the rest of the family. He neglected training and refused to help in the business. He was...he was considered a failure and that was one of the primary reasons why he became a pariah and a black sheep."
"He...he didn't say anything about that." Aunt Shion put down her spoon and sighed.
"I guess it was for the best." I whispered and my step-aunt just stared blankly at me.
"Thanks for the meal." Mayumi stood up after wiping her mouth. She cleaned out two plates.
"How was the food, Matsubara-san?" I placed my hand in the steeple position after rubbing them.
"Hmph." She held up her head high like a true princess and left the dining room.
"So Wakahisa-kun, you gonna cook for us from now on?" Chizuru asked while her mouth is full.
"Only when I feel like it." I chuckled while standing up. "Thanks for the food and goodnight." I left the dining room too and I glanced at Aunt Shion one last time before closing the door. She was staring at the curry I made and it looked like she was about to break down. Weird. I turned my head and finally went upstairs.
"Eeeeeeeeh? Only when he feels like it? That's so lame." Chizuru pouted.
"I think it's for the best, Chizuru-nee-san." Manami said. "If we eat delicious food like this every day, then we'd gain a lot of weight before the end of the month."
"I suppose you're right." She sighed. "But still, this is really good. I guess he's telling the truth after all."
Later that night...
Twenty minutes before midnight...
At the top floor of some exclusive hotel somewhere in Kasumoto City...
Windy Winters and Apple politely greeted the young Japanese man who stepped out from the metallic elevator. He was tall and was wearing a blue Italian business suit. Everything about him screamed expensive and bourgeois. He had long brown hair and it was neatly tied into a ponytail. His eyes were menacing yet somewhat playful. "Good evening." The muscular man bowed his head. "Did you enjoy your trip, Bando-sama?"
"Good evening to you too, Windy Winters." Bando Kaoru shook his hand. "It was not bad overall. I enjoyed the accommodations you provided for me. I must say, the wine was spectacular. You have good taste. That's a big plus in my book."
"It is an honor to serve the Chief of Operations." Windy finally raised his head. Kaoru was taller compared to the regular Japanese male, but Windy still loomed over him like a giant.
"Drop the protocol, Windy. We're all good friends here." Kaoru laughed.
"If you insist, sir." He smiled.
Kaoru then set his sights on the red-haired girl. "So...this is her."
"Apple Bluewoods." Windy revealed her full name.
"One of the leftovers from the Flana Institute. You sure we can use her? She's not defective, is she?"
"Unfortunately, I still haven't received the full report." Windy said sadly. "You'll be the first one to know, sir. Don't you worry."
"Typical." Kaoru furrowed his brow. "I'll call the Director tomorrow morning and sort it out myself. We will start the operation soon and we need to be in tip-top shape. No slacking around. I can't wait to see my family again, especially my dear sister. I can't wait to see her reaction. But first I must head to Okinawa."
"Ah yes. Okinawa."
"Work just keeps piling up. So tell me, my good man, what's the status of the advance team here in Kasumoto City?"
"Satisfactory. We've talked to a few people. Influential people. They're ready to back us up."
"Good. Also, I heard this girl here made quite a show last night." Kaoru pointed to Apple. "Was that necessary?"
"Nothing to worry about, sir. They were nothing but a bunch of street thugs."
"Once we take care of the Masachika Group and the Kirishima Clan, Kasumoto City will be next. Then PPSE." Kaoru straightened his tie. "The Masachika Group's assets alone would be more than enough to fund our campaign."
"Your color..." Apple finally spoke.
"Hm?" Kaoru slowly approached her.
"You. Your color..."
"What about my color?"
"I don't like it. Your color...I don't know what color it is, but...but it's disgusting."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I was gonna post this sooner, but...well...a lot of stuff got in the way when I was writing this chapter. Internet problems, work and video games. Lots and lots and lots of video games. I mean November was just pure rape. I just got a PS4 and I had to play some games. Far Cry 4, Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Evil Within, Shadow of Mordor and plus Fantasy Life and Persona Q on the 3DS. Wasteland 2 on the PC and Tales of Hearts R on the Vita. Yaaaaargh! Pure rape! I barely got any sleep and my wallet is so empty right now.
Anyhoo...
This is probably the longest chapter I wrote lol. We learn more stuff about Arisu's family and the villains have been properly revealed. There's even a Kaoru Bando cameo! This chapter also introduces Norisuki Tsuruya, who's going to become one of Arisu's closest friends. And like most of the characters in Arisu in Wonderland, he's going to have a messed-up and a somewhat tragic backstory.
Well I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. If you got any questions, suggestions, criticisms, ideas or if you just wanna talk then feel free to PM me. Also, if you find any grammar or spelling errors, be sure to point it out so I can correct them.
Well I'm off to burn some giant turtles with a flamethrower and probably ride an elephant or two.