DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM
CHAPTER FOUR
"ARE THESE GUYS ENEMIES OR SOMETHING?"
It's been three days since I've beaten Tsuruya Norusuki at Gunpla Battle...
Three days since I've met the lovely Bianca Guillory and the charmingly eccentric staff of her cafe slash bakery slash Gunpla hangout place, Lapin Blanc...
Things have been uneventful and peaceful so far. No incidents, crazy happenings, drama or whatever kind of hilarity that will put a damper on my already miserable life. Just the way I like it because I'm the type of protagonist who prefers an uneventful and peaceful life after all, and since I'm that type of protagonist, fate will drop the big and inevitable steaming pile of cow doo doo on my head anytime soon...
Because it's funnier that way...
Because that's how the Powers-That-Be get their shit and giggles...
That and we do need to get the plot moving after all...
So anyway, I spent those joyfully unexciting three days fixing my heavily-damaged Gundam Pixie and doing all kinds of back-breaking and insanity-inducing chores for my super awesome step-aunt while avoiding ANY kind of interaction with the tenants as much as possible. I cleaned the very spacious bathroom in the first floor, I pulled out weeds from the small garden located behind the dormitory as the sun gleefully roasted my fair and beautiful skin to yummy crispy brown perfection, I did some random maintenance crap on some tools and appliances, I aired out all of the futon mattresses and I even played errand boy for my step-aunt, buying groceries and everyday necessities for the girls. They even made me buy certain feminine products that brought me nothing but endless humiliation and embarrassment. Ugh. The stares I received will forever scar me and be etched in my mind until the day I die. Truly a pink hell of pink proportions. And I took it all. I took it all like a manly man and not once I uttered a single word of complaint or protest.
Like a manly man.
A manly abused man.
BUT...
But while I did all those things for them and tolerated all exploitation, I did not cook their meals and became their personal chef no matter how much they begged and threatened me. Not a single meal. Not a single damn meal. Not even rice or miso soup. Not even instant meals like cup ramen or those cheap curry or cream stew packets that you boil in water and pour over cooked rice when it's done. I let them suffer eating the failed and incredibly dangerous culinary concoctions of my dear and beloved step-aunt. My skills are my own and I only offer them to people I like. I only cooked my own meals and I do it when no one is around. Hell, I sometimes make do with cheap takeouts from the nearby convenience store if there's no choice. I'm totally fine with that. Convenience store meals aren't half bad as I mentioned before. I would totally live off them if they weren't so...unhealthy and packed with all kinds of chemicals and food coloring. Nothing beats a proper and home-cooked meal after all. No convenience store boxed lunch can beat the warmth and flavor of a meal labored with love and effort.
I also like to mention that Mayumi, Manami and the oldest tenant, Isumi, had been completely ignoring me these past three days. It's like I don't exist at all or something. Works for me because, like I stated earlier, I'm doing my best to avoid any kind of interaction with the tenants. I still feel hurt though. Nothing stings like girls treating you like you're nothing but air. Mayumi is obviously doing it out of pure hatred and annoyance. She totally has in it for me, there's definitely no doubt about that.
Manami, on the other hand, just wants to be left alone, I think. She's an awkward girl, but I don't think she's unsociable or introverted or something. I dunno but I feel like she's broken somehow. Maybe she suffered some kind of trauma perhaps? Well I guess it's none of my business as long she's not getting into trouble and digging into it could probably be fatal to my health. Still I am quite curious about her. Maybe I'll find out more one of these days.
As for Isumi... Well...uh... That lady is quite the mystery. I can't get a read on her. I have no idea what she's thinking most of the time because she rarely shows emotion and her face is always blank and dull. She's also a loner who avoids talking to the other tenants except during meal times and important meetings and gatherings and when she really needs to ask about something. I also noticed that...she doesn't really think much of Aunt Shion and I think she hates her guts or something. Their conversations with each other are nothing short of mechanical and wooden and full of thick uncomfortable tension that will make your blood run cold if you're listening nearby. I wonder what happened between the two. I kinda expected them to get along since they were the only two actual adults in the dormitory before my arrival and not to mention they're both mean and condescending and totally full of themselves. They have a lot in common with each other aaaaaaaaaand I think that's probably the reason why they don't get along. Maybe. I think. Oh man, if that's the case then what a wacky funhouse this place is, eh? She does show some semblance of sisterly affection to Mayumi from time to time, but I think even our Princess Grumpy is quite wary of her. I also found out that she's currently unemployed and yet she doesn't have any financial troubles. Weird and very...suspicious. I wonder how she interacted with Uncle Souma back when he was still alive. I guess I'll never know.
So while those three and I play the very awesome and the very fun game of uncomfortably-not-acknowledging-each-other's-existence-because-we-all-kinda-hate-each-other-and-other-weird-reasons-that-would-make-you-raise-your-eyebrows, the same can't be said for the last two girls, Chizuru and Konoe. Chizuru the skinny and sporty college girl always tried to chat me up with every chance she gets. She likes talking and she talks a lot and she never runs out of topics. Topics like stuff that happened in her university, her classmates and teachers, her ever-changing cellphone straps, random crap she saw on the way home, that nice old lady living near the shrine, this city's new-found dedication to Gundam and Gunpla and other mundane and asinine things that I don't really give a damn about because they're mundane and asinine. I always bail out every time she walks up to me and opens her mouth. Am I being mean and rude? Maybe. I mean she is the friendliest and most accepting of the bunch and maybe she really just wants to get know me better, but I just can't risk it. I just met her and know nothing about her. She could be the most cunning and scariest of them all. I feel guilty brushing her off since she's the only girl here who doesn't want to kick me out and send me packing back to my family, but I can't completely trust her yet. I'm sorry, Chizuru. Maybe we'll get along someday.
And finally, Konoe...
Oh boy...
Enatsu Konoe...
She's the most playful, mischievous and vile of the bunch. She is the worst. Worst than my Aunt Shion. She never fails to play demeaning pranks on me, she always disrupt my work and not to mention her colorful and creative insults about my manhood and sexuality make me shudder every time she spews them out. Her insults are so severe that I sometimes retreat to a corner to cry while in the fetal position when I think about them. She's really doing her damndest to make my life here in the dormitory...difficult. I tried ignoring her and focused on my job, but it's a rigorous test of the mind. Maybe the reason why Konoe is treating me like dirt because I...I slept with Aunt Shion. That's a possibility. I mean she's quite very close to my step-aunt after all and she always acts like her sidekick all the time. Maybe they're lovers or something. I dunno. I...I even suspect that Aunt Shion was the one who was encouraging her to mess around with me.
Oh man... So this is my life now?
Three days and I'm already this exhausted. I can't live here. Not with these people... These crazy, crazy people.
So that's what's been happening lately...
Three days after my match with Tsuruya Norusuki, on a late warm Sunday afternoon, I found myself once again within the welcoming walls of the coffee and bakery establishment owned and operated by a gorgeous middle-aged French woman, so I can escape the unforgiving hells and dread of my new home. That and it was also the perfect time to lounge around after being abused by several young women and enjoy some sugary cakes and hot beverages to soothe the weary and lonely soul.
Lapin Blanc was empty and devoid of activity when I stepped inside, save for two customers: An old man sitting near the entrance who was reading the latest issue of Gundam Ace and a well-dressed Caucasian foreigner with spiky blonde hair and frosty blue eyes. The old man was drinking a cup of black coffee while the foreigner was enjoying a small slice of Dacquoise and traditional Japanese green tea. The old timer gave me a friendly and warm look when I walked past his table to greet the beautiful owner, who was looking incredibly bored out of her mind while sitting behind the cash registry table, and I nodded in return while flashing a smile. The foreigner minded his own business and just glanced in my direction for a second when I was near his table. "Hi." I said to Bianca and the woman grunted as she stood up. "Yikes. Looks like a slow day for this place." I chuckled as I looked around.
"Yeah..." She said after yawning. "Fumi-kun is not here."
"O-Oh..."
"He left an hour ago. Some sort of family emergency or something."
I frowned. "I hope it's nothing too bad."
"I think it's nothing serious so there's nothing to worry about." She stretched her arms. "So Arisu-kun, what can I do for you today? You wanna order something? Please tell me you wanna order something."
"Of course." I smiled and found myself a small table. I pulled up a chair and carefully parked my butt. Bianca then snapped her fingers and a male waiter with a freckled face approached me and offered the menu while displaying an obvious fake smile. "Apple tea with honey and a slice of chocolate cake please." I said and the waiter quickly went into the kitchen to inform the chef or the patissier or whoever the hell is in charge right now back there. The old man stood up after finishing his drink and magazine and paid his bills without word and merrily went on his way. Bianca then joined me at my table after the old man left and I quickly smiled while making weird and playful gestures with my hand. The French woman responded by blowing a small raspberry at me and I laughed. The foreigner was still minding his own business and was now glued to his smartphone. Probably playing a game or something.
Bianca and I chatted for a while and ten minutes later, a brown-haired waitress with a slim body and long legs came out from the kitchen and brought my cake and tea. "Oh look who's here." Sumeragi Otoha or O-chan said as she placed the steaming teacup in front of me. The titillating aroma of apple and honey tickled my nostrils and made me smack my lips.
"Hi O-chan." I said before shoving a forkful of chocolate cake into my mouth. "I can call you O-chan, right?" I chewed loudly while talking and Bianca almost giggled.
"Sure. And I can call you Arisu-kun, right?"
"Please do." I nodded happily.
"Fumi just left a while ago." She said and turned her head to glance at the foreigner. "Some kinda emergency or something."
"I told him already." Bianca yawned lazily for a second time and O-chan faced us again.
"So you gonna battle again today, Arisu-kun? That match with Tsuruya-san was awe-inspiring. Too bad that creepy red-haired girl and her macho friend ruined it. Tsuruya-san hasn't come back ever since. Probably because of what that girl said." Something about losing color and becoming boring or whatever, right? Yeah, that was creepy alright.
"Not today, O-chan. I came here to relax. Maybe next time, after I patched up my Pixie."
"Too bad." She sighed. "Man, today is such a sloooooooow day. We're supposed to be super busy during Sundays because people are relaxing and stuff during Sundays and nothing says relaxing like coffee and cake and middle-aged French babes and cute waitresses like me. We're not getting any customers today because of that stupid Little Sister Maid Cafe that opened a few blocks from here. They also got a battle system and they say it's supposedly bigger than ours. Manager, we gotta do something. Competition is gonna be pretty stiff soon and we can't compete with their sex appeal approach. We need a new gimmick and we need it soon. Hey Manager, are you listening to me here? Manager!" She wailed.
"I'll do something about it, leave the worrying to me and calm that head of yours, O-chan." Bianca said softly. "Man, I wanna take a nap. Maybe we should close early."
"Geez." O-chan rubbed her forehead. "You need to take this seriously, Manager. Don't be so carefree about it."
"A Little Sister Maid Cafe? Crap. That's, like, straight out from Akiba." I said as I slowly devoured my cake. "Does that kind of stuff sell here? Isn't this city supposed to cater to Gundam and Gunpla maniacs?"
"Oh they got that covered. Besides the battle system, their maids sometimes cosplay as Gundam female characters. Sayla Mass, Relena, Puru and whatever. They even do gender bender versions of the male characters. I hear their female Garrod Ran cosplay is quite the hit. There are posters all around town showing said cosplay. Man, it makes me sick."
"F-Fascinating."
"Oh and when their customers play Gunpla Battle, the winner of the match then gets a free hug or cuddle! Talk about tasteless!" O-chan made a disgusted face. "God. That's not a maid cafe, it's a fucking pink salon! I wouldn't be surprised if they started offering oral services."
"I-Intriguing."
"Arisu-kun..."
"Yes?"
O-chan narrowed her eyes. "You're not thinking of going there, are you?"
"What!?" I gasped. "O-Of course not! It...it sounds like a horrible place! A horrible, horrible place. It's totally nothing like the relaxing atmosphere of Lapin Blanc."
"Oh God..." O-chan groaned. "Look, if I found out you-
"Oh let him be, O-chan!" Bianca rested her elbows on the table. Man, she really looks lethargic today. Maybe she's not getting enough sleep. "Why do we care if he wants to fondle girls pretending to be your little sisters and dressing-up like freaking Garrod Ran or whatever? That's his business and choice."
"Because we might go bankrupt if we lose our regulars! We can't let those little sister maids or whatever beat us!" O-chan shouted. "We can't let a bunch of floozies steal our precious customers! We need to fight back! We'll show those sluts that the T and A approach is not always the best approach! Good food and services is still number one!" Man, she's fired up alright. I'm surprised she actually takes her job and place of employment seriously. I guess I was wrong about her. I think better of you now, O-chan. But...I kinda want to check that Little Sister Maid Cafe out. The cosplays and hugs and cuddles calls for me I'm afraid. Sorry, O-chan. I'm only human after all. Such things are hard to resist.
"I told you, I'll take care of it." Bianca dismissively waved her hand and yawned once again. "Merde. I need an energy drink or something. Coffee's not cutting it."
"Ugh." O-chan groaned again as she glanced at the foreigner for a second time. "Holly sure is-
CRASH!
Suddenly, without warning, someone kicked the front door open and I nearly choke. It was another male Caucasian, a lanky guy with dark hair and bushy eyebrows. He was wearing a white hoodie with the hood down and blue jeans. "HOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYY!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Bloody hell..." The spiky-haired foreigner muttered and his face grimaced. It was the first time he spoke since I came here. "Marcus, you bloody buffoon, can't you see I'm trying to enjoy a quiet Sunday here? Go away."
"Not happening!" The hoodie-wearing foreigner said as he marched inside like he owns the place and slammed both of his hands on the guy's table, nearly spilling his tea. "I want a fucking rematch, boyo." He said with spit flying. Bianca shook her head and let out a long sigh. O-chan just stayed quiet and I gulped.
"A rematch?" Spikey raised one of his eyebrows. What does he mean by rematch? Gunpla Battle?
Hoodie nodded his head. "That's fucking right, boyo. A fucking rematch."
"For the love of..." Spikey gritted his teeth. "This is pointless, Marcus. Stop wasting your time."
"Pointless my ass!" Hoodie shot back and spit flew again. "It ain't over until I say it's over, boyo."
I...I just realized these two are speaking in Japanese. Perfect Japanese. Is Lapin Blanc the sort of place that attracts foreign weirdos like that red-haired girl and super macho dude? Yeeesh. And now we have these two.
"Also, Marcus, why do you smell like curry and ketchup?" Spikey asked with a look of disdain.
"A pissed off Little Sister Maid threw a bowl of extra-spicy beef curry and a plate of omelette rice in my face because I suddenly grabbed her huge rack." Heeey at least this guy is honest! Oh and he went to that place... Lucky you. Okay, maybe not so lucky, but well you know...
"Ah. Marcus Harper, truly you are a paragon." Spikey said sarcastically. "Now please leave me alone and take a bath. You smell spicy and eggy."
"Hey O-chan, should we call the cops or something?" I whispered. "This could get ugly."
She ignored me and continued watching the spectacle. She seem to be enjoying it because she was smiling now.
"Hey O-chan! O-chan!" I tapped her shoulder, but it was no use.
"Holly, you coward! Get your ass up and face me once again! That last match was a fluke!" Hoodie pointed.
"I will not entertain this ridiculousness any longer! Good day to you!" He sneered and turned his head.
"Hooooooooolly!" Hoodie stomped his feet like a child throwing a tantrum.
"No."
"Hooooooooooooooooolly!"
"No."
"C'moooooooooooooooon!"
"No."
"ENOUGH! I'D HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" Bianca suddenly stood up and kicked her chair, sending it sliding across the room. "Can't you morons see I'm trying to run a fucking cafe here? Take your homoerotic spat elsewhere or I will kick both of yer asses, you shitbirds. Merde!"
"Uh...you're not really running anything right now...you were just lazily sitting there, looking-
"Shut your mouth, Marcus! You're bothering the customers!" Bianca angrily wagged a finger.
"Uh...what customers? This dude?" Hoodie pointed to me and I waved a hand and smiled like an idiot. He then approached me and studied my face for a moment. "Hey..." He leaned closer. "We bothering you?"
"Well...uh...I guess so...I mean yeah." I nodded. "I'm trying to enjoy my...uh..." I trailed off like a wuss.
"He's fine!" Hoodie exclaimed and went back to Spikey to continue his pestering like nothing happened.
"I'm fine?" I sipped my apple tea. Bianca's eyes were twitching and I think she's about to explode. She doesn't look sleepy and lethargic anymore at least. "I'm fine..." I repeated under my breath. I am so not fine.
"I'm warning you, Marcus-
"Miss Bianca, please don't bother us. Holly and-
"Rrrrrrrrggrgrgrgrgr!" Bianca finally snapped. She grabbed Hoodie by the hair and slammed him down to the floor before putting him in a figure four leg-lock. A flurry of colorful French expletives filled the cafe. Spikey just sighed and signaled the waiter with the freckled face for a tea refill. The waiter calmly took his cup and returned after a few seconds, completely ignoring what's happening. Now that's a professional! Of course, I'm not a professional so I'm very much taken aback here and want this madness to end. Plenty of that to go around back at the dorm. I came here to relax and not watch a French woman cripple a rude moron.
"Uh..." I pointed as I slowly stood up. "Hey now... Violence is bad." I said with a trembling voice.
"This is awesome!" O-chan squealed. "Violence is awesome!"
I tapped O-chan's shoulder again. "O-chan, just who the heck are these guys?" I asked.
"These two mooks?" She gestured with her head. "They're regulars like Tsuruya-san. They come here at least once a week. The snobby spiky-haired guy is some rich dude from England. His name is Rupert Hollingberry, but we just call him Holly for short. The nincompoop with the foul mouth is Marcus Harper and he's an American." So a classy British gentleman and a loud and rude American? Talk about stereotypes.
"Are these guys enemies or something? Do they always argue like this? Do they hate each other's guts?"
"Rivals maybe, but these two knuckleheads are the best of friends. They may deny it and act like they can't stand each other, but they're very tight and got each other's back." O-chan explained.
"I...see..." I scratched my head as I continued to watch Bianca punish Marcus.
After a minute, O-chan loudly clapped her hands once. "Okay, Manager, that's enough now. Need I remind you that you have ungodly strength? You might break poor Marcus' legs here. C'mon."
"Aaaah...yeah...you tell her...O-chan." Marcus was sweating profusely as he endured the incredible and excruciating pain Bianca is inflicting. She was certainly not holding back. I can't imagine what Marcus is feeling right now and I don't want to. "Thank God you're here, O-chan. You may have small and under-developed boobs and you may be unpopular with guys because of said small and under-developed boobs, but you're an angel. An angel with angelic small boobs and...small boobs that are small because they're small boobs. You know...aaah! You know, I just wanna say you have small boobs."
"Die." O-chan's face turned red and jumped to drive her elbow into Marcus' back. She then immediately followed with a fierce chokehold. So yeah, Bianca is taking care of the legs while O-chan is doing the head and neck. Why in God's name am I watching this? I just want tea and cake. "Now you've done it, Marcus! You crossed a line there! I'll destroy you! DESTROY YOU!"
"Gaaaaaah! Is...is this heaven or hell?" Marcus exclaimed in English. "Let's rock! Gahahahahahaha!" He laughed maniacally. Is he a masochist or did he finally lose it? Man, this guy sure is over-the-top. Crazy cute psycho characters are sooooo last year. Reminds me of a certain glasses-wearing lesbian back home, but less annoying and actually threatening. Wonder how she's doing right now. Wonder how everyone is doing. I miss them so much.
Holly then finished his cake and drink before standing up to talk to me. "Apologies." He said in a gentle and sincere voice as he elegantly walked towards my direction. "Marcus can be quite...rude and obnoxious, but he's not a bad man. He's actually pretty nice. I hope this won't discourage you from visiting this place again. This cafe is amazing and the owner is an extraordinary woman. We all look up to her." He smiled.
"N-No biggie." I said. "I'm friends with Fumi, so I got plenty of reasons to come back here." I laughed. That aaaaand I really wanna avoid staying at the dorm as much as possible. Yeah.
"You're friends with Fumi-kun? That's great!" He suddenly grabbed my left hand and shook it vigorously. "Allow me to introduce myself then: My name is Rupert Hollingberry."
"I know and they call you Holly for short, right?"
"I...hate that nickname." His expression suddenly turned sour. "Rupert is fine."
"Eeeeeeh? I think Holly is a fine-
"Rupert is fine." His voice tightened and so is his grip as he continued to shake my hand. Wow. Mii-chan much? Wait a doodly minute, if Marcus is crazy and rude and this guy is somewhat a reasonable person who hates his nickname, then... What the hell? Are these two the Kasumoto City counterparts of Mii-chan and Keiko? Is there a Kasumoto City version of Griselda too? Lazy writing or a stupid gimmick? You be the judge. Are you losing your touch, Mr. Bread Person? Who am I kidding? You never had the touch in the first place.
"Uh...anyway! My name is Wakahisa Arisu! You can just call me Arisu."
"Arisu? What a strange name. Arisu as in like Alice?"
"Something like that. I know it sounds girly, but I love my name. So that's why I think Holly is-
"Rupert."
"But..."
"Rupert. Please. For the love of fudge. Please. I beg of you."
"O-Okay." My voice was almost a whisper.
"Anyway, Arisu-kun, are you new in town?" He asked.
I adjusted my glasses. "Why yes. How did you know?"
Holly smiled a bit smugly. "You see, I'm a bit of a small celebrity here. Everyone in town knows me and not because I'm a foreigner. So if someone doesn't recognize me in some way or another then that means that person is new in town. An outsider." Well this sure is a hoot. A foreigner calling me an outsider.
"Oh that nitwit is famous alright!" Marcus struggled to speak as Bianca and O-chan continued to deliver the pain and righteous justice he rightly deserve after saying all that crap. "The reason why this flop is so well-known because his wife owns and runs a super popular clothing company here in Kansai! She rubs elbows with some of the most famous fashion designers in Japan! Not only that, she also owns the biggest and ritziest shopping mall in Kasumoto City! He's popular because he's the husband of one of the most successful female Japanese entrepreneurs! His wife's business is so successful and so financially secured that he doesn't need to work anymore. So he just spends most of his time wandering aimlessly around town like the little pathetic NEET puppy that he is, challenging a few newbies and gullible tourists to a match of Gunpla Battle while proclaiming his so-called awesomeness and celebrity-like status." He snickered. "I dare say, Holly's only joy in life now is butting heads with this city's big-shot Gunpla Fighters and Builders and acting like a big-shot himself when he's really not."
Whoa. Man... Okay that kinda struck home for me since I'm a NEET myself. Was a NEET I mean. Yeeeesh.
Holly was silent for a long time and then he finally spoke. "O-chan... Miss Bianca... You can stop hurting him now. Looks like I'm giving him what he wants after all." His voice was cold as ice and full of fury. I guess Marcus hit a nerve.
"Eh?" Both women stopped before they can turn Marcus' body into a freaking pretzel and looked at each other for a moment. Then they let him go and the loud and rude American was finally free from painful captivity.
"You sure about this, Holly?" Marcus asked, his eyes sparkling with happiness and glee. Holy crap! He was moving like he wasn't hurt at all. Those two did a number on him and yet he looks and moves fine. Is he indestructible?
"Indeed." Holly crossed his arms and gnashed his teeth to suppress his growing anger and frustration. "You got your rematch, Marcus. I hope you're happy now, you twerp. I'll show you once and for all that-
"Hot diggity dang!" Marcus whooped in English and pumped both of his fists. He then did a little dance before running upstairs like a kid drunk on sugar and excitement. Wow. This guy is... This guy is...
"Oh dear..." Holly furrowed his brows after realizing Marcus pushed his buttons and baited him.
"It can't be helped..." I chuckled nervously. "I mean you took the bite and all. You shouldn't let that kind of talk get to you like that."
"Indeed. That wanker gets me every time... Well it'll be in bad taste if I back down now. You want to watch?"
"Heck yeah I do!" I said.
"We're gonna watch too!" Both Bianca and O-chan said at the same time. And so the four of us went upstairs, leaving the waiter with the freckled face to watch over the now-empty and deserted cafe. He didn't complain. He just stood there with a blank expression and scratched his butt. Truly, a pro among pros! A super pro!
A few minutes later, Fumi entered the cafe, looking jittery and nervous as usual. "I-I'm back, guys. Did I miss anything? Family emergency has been dealt with and...uh...uh...huh? Where the heck is everyone? Manager? O-chan? Hellooooooo? Everyone? Did everyone leave or something?" No response. The waiter with the freckled face didn't even acknowledge him and just continued standing there, looking impassive and inexpressive still.
"Please set your Gunpla." The voice of the battle system's AI commanded and the two foreigners placed their Gunpla on the table so the system can start the scanning process. Marcus Harper's machine was the RX-99 Neo Gundam from the Silhouette Formula 91 manga with a yellow and white paint job while Holly was using a customized ZGMF-1017M GINN High-Maneuver Type from SEED MSV. The Neo Gundam was not showing any signs of obvious modifications aside from the new color, but the GINN was packing all kinds of improved bells and whistles. The ZAFT mobile suit's physical weapons have been replaced with beam weaponry. The assault rifle was now a long beam rifle with a wicked-looking high-powered scope and the single heavy sword had been replaced by two beam sabers mounted and stored on both hips of the Gunpla. A pair of four-tube missile pods are mounted on the legs and it was also carrying a physical shield. It was definitely a well-made Gunpla with simple but effective tried-and-true armaments. Nothing fancy or gimmicky and I bet it gets the job done. I can't really say much about Marcus' Neo Gundam so we'll just have to see it in action.
"Oh?" Holly raised one of his eyebrows. "F91 era, eh? Interesting."
"Yep. Just built and tuned it a few days ago." Marcus nodded and smiled impishly. "I'm gonna lay off the usual transformable suits for a while and try something simple for change." He cracked his knuckles. "Heck maybe this type of mobile suit is finally my ticket to victory. You know what they say: Simple is best."
"Hmph." Holly shrugged. "We'll see, dear friend."
"Battle start." And the two launched their machines. They chose the first Field aka Space and the materialized battlefield is located on the surface of the moon, specifically the Federation Luna Base that was featured in the third arc of Mobile Suit Gundam AGE.
Marcus made the first move and fired the Neo Gundam's Generative Beam Rifle Device aka the G-BRD, but Holly's GINN High Maneuver Type was fast. Really fast. It dodged all of Marcus' shots easily and without any effort at all and fired back while hovering upside down. Marcus blocked the GINN's beam round with the Gundam's beam shield and charged towards his opponent as he fired his gun again. Holly evaded the first two incoming shots and blocked the last one with his physical shield. As the Neo Gundam drew closer, Marcus quickly pulled out of his beam sabers and tried to slice the GINN in half, but Holly anticipated the attack and his Gunpla boosted upwards before the energy blade made contact. "Ah fuck me!" Marcus shouted in English.
"You have to do better than that, my dear friend." Holly also spoke in English.
"Ah! These two are at it again!" Fumi suddenly appeared next to me and I screamed like a little girl.
"Holy fuck, Fumi! Don't scare me like that! You just appeared out of nowhere, dude." I said.
"Arisu, I didn't know you were coming. You should have texted me before dropping by." Fumi frowned.
"Hey, you two! Less talking and more watching." O-chan glared at us. "I really wanna enjoy this. I really wanna see Holly trash the living cobobbles out of Marcus."
"H-Hey did something happened?" Fumi asked. "O-chan looks pretty miffed. Oh and the Manager is here too."
"Explain later! Watch now!" O-chan's glare intensified and we finally shut our traps and focused on watching.
The Neo Gundam landed on the metallic circular surface of the Feddie base, while the GINN continued to hover above. Marcus raised his beam rifle and fired after locking on. The GINN's thruster engines roared ferociously as it continued to dodge the next wave of beam rounds coming from the Gundam's rifle with such speed and grace. Holly really makes it look good. The GINN High Maneuver Type was so fast that it almost looked like a blur. The Gundam then stopped firing because it needed to reload and the GINN used that opportunity to land next to its opponent. Wasting no time, the GINN charged forward and before the Gundam could aim the beam rifle again, Holly punched it right in the face. "Shit. You going all CQC on me now, Holly?"
"Indeed." Holly then repeatedly punched the Gundam's mid-section, his moves were lightning fast and sharp like a seasoned and hardened professional boxer. Each strike connected with such savagery that the Gundam danced crazily. "Who dares win." He smiled and sent Marcus flying after a devastating roundhouse kick. The Gundam crashed into a nearby building and made a dent in the structure's wall in an almost comical fashion.
"Goddamn you, Holly!" Marcus growled.
"It's time we end this joke of a fight." Holly emptied its right missile pod, but Marcus quickly reacted and shot down all the incoming missiles with the Gundam's vulcan guns. "Looks like there's still some fight left in you."
"Hey I still got plenty left in me, buddy boy!"
"Tch." Holly clicked his tongue and put away his beam rifle. He then pulled out one of his beam sabers and ran towards the downed Gundam, preparing to skewer or dismember the Gunpla.
The GINN swung the beam saber with both hands, but the Gundam blocked the blade with its beam shield as it slowly got up. The Gundam then used its free hand to push the GINN away with a quick palm strike to the face. The GINN staggered for a brief moment, but it was just enough time for the Neo Gundam to retrieve its fallen weapon so it can retaliate. Marcus fired, but the GINN dodged. He was about to fire again, but Holly was now on the move and going for another swipe. The Gundam ducked in time and slammed its right shoulder against the attacking GINN and sent it staggering back again. "Payback time, boyo." Marcus whistled.
"I...I...will not be bested! Not by you, Marcus Harper!" Holly shouted.
The Neo Gundam then took a step back and fired its beam vulcan guns. Oh yeah, the RX-99 Neo Gundam has two sets of vulcan guns: One that fires the usual regular shells and one that spits out beam rounds. Holly dashed sideways and barely avoided getting shot in the face. He put away his beam saber and pulled out the long beam rifle once again. He fired three precise shots and emptied his remaining missile pod. Marcus evaded the GINN's gunfire and shot down the missiles with his regular vulcans before boosting up. "Huh?" He noticed an open passageway leading inside the base next to a long line of gun turrets when he landed again. His radar chimed and saw Holly charging in his direction from above. "Okey dokey. Let's go for it." He muttered under his breath as he boosted up again. The Neo Gundam gave Holly the finger before entering the passageway and it infuriated the Englisman. His irritation was made obvious because he uttered a curse that would make any salty sailor blush and his right eye was twitching uncontrollably, a sure sign of vexation. "Gahahahahaha!" Marcus laughed that crazy Fon Spaak laugh of his. "Follow me, boyo! Let's go tight, baby! Real tight now. C'mon the fuck up, Holly-chan! Don't be a slowpoke now! Don't tell me you're scared." Geez. This guy is too much.
"Marcus...you... Oh bloody hell." The GINN followed the Gundam and gave chase. Holly reloaded his beam rifle while muttering more obscenities before heading inside the opening. Fighting indoors is a game-changer if you ask me. The GINN is fast, but if they're in a tight spot then Marcus might get the upper hand here. I wonder where this battle is headed now, but this is why this sport is so exciting. Marcus might have a chance here.
The passageway was long and narrow, just enough space for the two to maneuver around. Marcus and Holly then found themselves inside a large mobile suit hangar bay. The Gundam kicked a nearby pillar to propel itself towards the approaching GINN before hitting the floor, catching its opponent off-guard. Marcus squeezed off one shot as he drew closer, hitting the ZAFT mobile suit right in the left shoulder. Holly regained his momentum and did a corkscrew turn that turned into another roundhouse kick. It connected with the Gundam's beam rifle and sent it flying out of its hand. "Fuck me! Fuck me in the anus!" Marcus gasped.
"Fuck you indeed." Holly smiled and did a double palm strike that sent the Gundam flying towards the pillar that it used to propel itself. Holly fired his beam rifle and destroyed the Gundam's head with one well-placed shot. "Once again, the tables have turned, but this time I'll make sure you won't get any chances, Marcus."
"Fuck you!" The American screamed in English. I don't have to be a linguist to know what that means.
"Bite your tongue!" Holly fired his weapon again, but Marcus evaded the shot in time as he ran towards the retreating GINN, hitting and demolishing the pillar instead. The Gundam then pulled out both of its beam sabers and swung them upwards at almost the same time after leaping forward in the direction of its opponent. "Oh bollocks..." Holly frowned when his beam rifle got cut into two pieces and jumped back to avoid getting sliced Julienne-style. He tossed aside what was left of his gun and also pulled out both of his beam sabers. "I gotta admit this is getting a wee bit exciting now." Holly adjusted the collar of the white shirt underneath his uber posh black jacket. "Looks like there's hope for you yet, Marcus Harper." He chuckled.
"Eat shit and choke on it, Holly." Marcus tried to stab the GINN in the chest, but the ZAFT mobile suit boosted up really high after firing up its back thruster engine and landed behind the Gundam. "I don't think so!" Marcus spun around and kicked the GINN right in the face. He then swung the right beam saber, trying to bisect the GINN once again, but the Gunpla crouched down and blocked the incoming blade with the physical shield that's now fixed on the machine's left arm. "You are starting to fucking piss me off, Holly."
Both machines then stopped attacking each other and started circling around. The trash talking also stopped and the two men became silent, but there was still some lingering tension. For a couple of minutes, the two just stared at each other intensely while twirling their blades. Bianca leaned her head forward and gave me a confused look. I just shrugged in return and smiled nervously. O-chan crossed her arms and let out a sigh. Fumi started tapping the floor with his right foot and bit his nails. C'mon you two! The suspense is killing me!
"Let's fucking go, Holly! Let's dance the fucking Cha-Cha and the fucking Jitterbug!" Marcus lunged forward and what came next was an epic sword battle of epic proportions. The two Gunpla clashed swords for ten minutes straight and the whole hangar bay was completely trashed as their beam sabers grazed and skewered and ripped through the metallic floors and walls. "Whooooooooohooooooooooo!" Marcus howled.
"Calm down, you nutter of a muppet!" Holly said he blocked an incoming beam saber before it could stab the right shoulder of his GINN. "You'll pop a bloody artery if you keep screaming your head off like that, you git."
"Wow. Can you believe this guy is an educator?" O-chan mumbled. "Screaming like a frigging maniac."
"What? What did you just say?" I shot a baffled look in O-chan's direction, but the waitress ignored what I said and continued watching. An educator? Who? Marcus? What the hell? Are you saying he's a teacher?
"Merde." Bianca cursed in French again. "Holly, end this already. I think I have a headache now."
For the next five minutes, the battle turned into a standstill, each Fighter refusing to give in and relentlessly attacking each other with vicious determination. Until Holly managed to find an opening and stabbed the Neo Gundam in the abdomen before it could block or deflect the blade, just right below the Gunpla's cockpit, barely missing it. "Checkmate." The Englishman said loudly and my throat felt dry. Is it over? Did he win?
Marcus quickly put the Gundam's beam sabers back in the backpack. "Checkmate, you say? No way, boyo. This ain't checkmate yet, you stupid NEET." The Neo Gundam then suddenly ejected the backpack before powering down the main body and it transformed into a Core Fighter. "You want a checkmate? I'll give you fucking checkmate!" Using the beam saber handles as gun turrets, the Core Fighter fired with reckless abandon and destroyed the left arm and head of the GINN. "Gahahahahahaha!" Marcus was going wild now.
"Blast! I forgot about the RX-99's Core Fighter!" Holly immediately retreated without hesitation and headed back out via the long and narrow passageway. "Damn you, Marcus Harper! You'll pay for this!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! No bugging out now! I'm just a little Core Fighter now! You can take me on!" Marcus taunted as he followed the heavily-damaged GINN. It was his turn to give chase. As they pass the long and tight corridor, the Core Fighter switched to rapid fire mode and tried to shoot down the escaping GINN, but the Gunpla somehow managed to avoid getting hit. Fire and evade. Fire and evade. Fire and evade. It quickly became routine and it reminded me of actual aerial dogfights, but less exciting and more tedious. Marcus then almost squealed when he saw the opening and rubbed his hands. "Once we're out in the open, Holly, then you're dead meat. You hear me, Holly? You're dead meat! Dead meat, you hear me? Dead fucking meat!"
"Oh I hear you..." The GINN produced a small canister that was stored in one of the forearms before reaching the opening. The Gunpla then around and threw it at the pursuing Core Fighter. "I hear you just fine!" Holly shouted as the canister exploded and Marcus was suddenly engulfed by thick smoke, obscuring his visibility.
"A smoke grenade? What the fucking fuck!? Holly, you cheating trickster!" The Core Fighter emerged out from the smoky passageway, but the GINN was now nowhere in sight. "Shit. Where the hell are you, Holly?"
"He's done for." Bianca smiled. "It's too late for him now."
"Fuuuck me. Fuck me triple in the anus, you fucker." Marcus' radar started beeping after detecting something fast from above, but he didn't bother to check because he knew full well what's gonna happen next. Holly's GINN High Maneuver Type crashed down on the Core Fighter and pierced it with its remaining beam saber. "Curse you, Rupert Hollingberry!" Marcus screamed as he watched his machine explode. "Curse youuuuuuu!"
"Battle ended." And that's that.
"And with that, I have proven once again that I am the better Fighter." Holly said in a pompous and conceited tone of voice. "Give it up, Marcus Harper. You will never beat me."
"You won the battle, but the not the fucking war." Marcus shook his fist.
"What war are you talking about, you idiot? Give it a rest, mate. This is getting really tiresome." Holly sighed. "Still, I'd give credit where credit is due. Compared to our previous battles from before, which were a little one-sided, with me always completely obliterating you into oblivion in a matter of seconds, this time you managed to last a good long time and even got some good hits. Commendable. Very commendable, but not enough to best me, I'm afraid."
"Bah! I want another-
"Finish that sentence, Marcus, and I will turn you into mincemeat." Bianca grabbed him by the hair again.
"Aaah! Fine, fine, fine! But this ain't over yet! One day, I'll finally beat your ass, Holly."
"Good." Bianca nodded approvingly and released him.
"One day, I'll build a really kickass Gunpla and defeat you once and for all, Holly. Mark my words."
"My God... You are such a child, Marcus. You're already 26 years old and you're still acting like a middle schooler." Bianca chided him sharply. "Is it because you teach middle school kids? Are they rubbing off on you somehow and now you're nothing but a complete and utter manchild? You are pathetic, you know that?"
"Ooooooh that is harsh." O-chan giggled.
"I'm sorry, but this whacko here is a teacher? A teacher who teaches middle school students?" I pointed to Marcus.
"Quite the mind-boggler, eh?" Holly patted my back. "Believe it or not, Arisu, our beloved Mr. Marcus Harper here is a bonafide English teacher. He's teaching at one of the local schools near my neighborhood and the kids there love him for some reason. Well he's actually a pretty competent educator and knows how to handle teenagers. Why, a month ago, he just settled a very serious bullying incident and he settled it quite nicely. The school's reputation was even saved and you know how Japanese schools love reputation so much. No offense of course. Anyway, the principal and the parents were very much proud of his deed and he was even awarded."
Huh. I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover.
"I hate to admit it, but that's the truth." Bianca said and O-chan and Fumi agreed by nodding. "Marcus is really a productive member of society. A crazy and rude productive member of society."
"You forgot to add perverted." O-chan almost hissed.
"You folks done telling my life story?" Marcus said as he gathered up the scattered parts of his broken Gunpla. "Well I'm fucking starving here so how about we all go out and eat?"
"You're in my cafe. Go order something. I demand that you order something. I want your money." Bianca said.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah..." Marcus raised one of his eyebrows. "Say, you folks want to eat some okonomiyaki?"
"Oh! Oh, oh, oh! Me, me, me! I want to eat okonomiyaki!" O-chan's face beamed up.
Hmm. Okonomiyaki, eh? It's been a while...
"Awesome balls." Marcus rubbed his hands. "I found this really good okonomiyaki place that specializes in Hiroshima-style okonomiyakis in the Yuwa district. The owner is even from Hiroshima so it's authentic as authentic gets. They also serve some of the biggest okonomiyakis that I have ever seen."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!?" O-chan made a horrified expression. "Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki? Here? In Kasumoto City? That's freaking suicide if you ask me. That's gonna pissed off a lot of folks. No way in hell! Nuh-uh! We're in Kansai, buddy, so we go for Osakan-style okonomiyakis. Osaka-style is better because they're not overstuffed with cabbages unlike their Choguku counterparts. I'm a proud Kansai girl so it's my duty to enlighten outsiders like you, Marcus, and show you the proper path when it comes to okonomiyakis."
Ah yes...
As a culinary expert and a Japanese citizen, I'm well aware of this particular rivalry...
Kansai or Osakan-style versus Hiroshima-style... It's a never-ending battle.
Not trying to jump on the neutral train here, but I think both are fine. I can't really choose to be honest because both versions are really delicious and pretty unique in their own way.
"Don't be silly, O-chan." Marcus rolled his eyes. "The Osakan version is nothing but a scrambled mess. Hiroshima okonomiyakis are much more refined and are actually properly made."
"You're a stupid foreigner, what do you know about proper okonomiyakis!?" O-chan shot back.
"O-chan, that's a low blow." Fumi said, but the waitress ignored him.
"Holly, help me out here!" Marcus turned to face his friend.
Holly looked at his watch. "I'll be leaving soon."
"What? Dude, you ain't coming with us? Dude, we gotta eat some okonomiyaki, man."
"I promised Midori that I'd take her to Jenny's tonight." He said.
"Holly, why are you taking poor Midori to some fucking family restaurant when you three can go to some fancy pants Italian or French place and enjoy the night away?" Marcus frowned.
Holly chuckled. "Midori doesn't really like those kinds of places. They're too suffocating and fake, she says."
"Cripes. That's a pretty darn mature thing to say for a 7 year old kid."
"Besides, Midori absolutely loves Jenny's kiddie set and my wife thinks family restaurants are good bonding places for...err...families. You get what I'm saying here, right?"
"Yeah, yeah." Marcus dismissively waved his hand. "Bummer. Since it's for Midori then... Okay, fine."
"W-Wait...if Holly is not coming and it's just the two of us then...then it's a d-d-date!" O-chan blushed.
"Lucky you, O-chan!" Marcus pointed and laughed. "You wanna go to a love hotel afterwards?. Go easy on me now. You know how sadistic you can be when it comes to-
"Nooooooooooooooooooo! Fumi-kun, Arisu, you two numbskulls come along too."
"Sure! I can't say no to a free meal." I also can't say no when I find another excuse to stay away from that hellish dormitory. In fact, I wish one of these guys would invite me to stay over at a 24 hour internet cafe or something. With my current situation, becoming a cyber-homeless might not be a bad idea. Oh shit. What the hell am I thinking? Are things really that desperate? I wanna go home! I wanna go back to Tokyo!
"Okay, Fumi, O-chan and...and..." Marcus then turned in my direction and there was a genuine look of surprise on his face. "Who the fuck are you?" Really? T-This guy just noticed me now? After all of that? What the hell?
"His name is Wakahisa Arisu. I met him a couple of days ago." Fumi introduced me. "He's a good guy."
"N-Nice to meet you, Harper-san." I offered my hand.
Marcus took my hand and shook it. "Huh? Nice to meet you too, dude. Your name is Alice? Dude, did your parents hate you or something? Oh! I get it. You're one of those new-
"AH-RI-SU. Not Alice." I clarified.
"Ari...su." He finally got it right. "Arisu." He repeated and nodded his head. "Still sounds girly."
"Y-Yeah..." I smiled bitterly.
"Alright. You're coming with us then!" And with that settled, all of us went downstairs. We stayed for a bit and drank more coffee because we had to wait for Fumi and O-chan to finish their shifts. As I chatted with Holly and Marcus, I got to know more about them and now I have better opinions of the two. Holly was originally from Cornwall, England and he moved to Japan after marrying his Japanese wife, who was his piano tutor back when he was in high school. As mentioned before, his wife now owns and runs a famous clothing company and the biggest shopping mall in the city. They have a 7 year old daughter named Midori, who's very close with her parents. Holly talked nonstop about his daughter and even showed me pictures of her. Heh. So this cocky British NEET is actually a loving and doting father. As for Marcus, he originally came from San Diego, California. He didn't really say much about himself and his family, just some stuff about his workplace, his students and the apartment he's currently renting. He may be crude and has a potty mouth and can be really downright loud and obnoxious, but Marcus is actually a pretty sensible and sensitive guy who has a tendency to look after people. I had my doubts before, but I now know this guy is definitely teacher material.
When it was my turn to talk, I didn't mention the dormitory and my step-aunt. I just told them that I'm just some lazy freeter from Tokyo who moved here to find new opportunities and that I'm currently staying with a relative. I also left out details about my family and their line of work. I don't want people to think that I'm bragging or anything so I just let them figure it out for themselves. I'm not denying anything here, just picking out the right words to say and not divulging anything unnecessary. We're not like the Masachika family, but our family name is still pretty big. Humility and restraint are values that have been instilled in me by my father, back when I was still training to be the next heir.
Anyway, half an hour later, Holly said his goodbyes and left the cafe with a grin plastered on his face. He must be excited to see his family again. An hour passed, O-chan and Fumi we're done with their work.
We left around seven in the evening...
Then Marcus and O-chan wasted another hour still arguing which version of okonomiyaki we all should eat. O-chan won in the end and we all decided to split the bill. I learned that night how persuasive O-chan can be. Even with all the cursing and the childish bickering, the night still ended up pretty enjoyable. We ate to our heart's content while discussing about the most stupidest things like any group of young adults in their twenties. For a while, I forgot all about my miseries and woes, and once again felt the comfort of friends.
A big shiny red car...
A big shiny red European sports car...
That was the first thing I saw when I returned to the dormitory just minutes before midnight. It was parked in front of the building and sticking out like a sore thumb like it's supposed to do. It was red like Char Aznable red and I imagined the driver to be this sunglasses-wearing blonde dude with Ikeda Shuichi's smooth and awesome voice. Of course Char can't drive, right? Is that in-joke still popular? Well he did drove in that weird side-story manga, but I hated that manga and consider it nothing but fan wank trash so that doesn't really count. Anyway, as the new landlord, I gotta find out who is the owner of this car and know why he or she is visiting at this ungodly hour before I once again lose myself in one of my weird inner monologues. Of course that didn't took so long for the answer to my new lingering question came bursting out from the foyer. It was a young man wearing flashy and gaudy brightly-colored clothes and the guy immediately gave me the stink-eye. Who the fuck is this turd? An ex-boyfriend? A debt collector? A relative? A new tenant?
"Sooooo you're the new master of this place, eh?" He said with a sneer and spat on the ground. Classy. "So you're his nephew or something? You don't look like much. You look like a stinking otaku to me."
"Aaaaand you are?"
"You'll know very soon." He said before entering his car. I watched him drive away and just shrugged. Weird.
When I entered the dormitory, I found a crying Mayumi sitting at the foot of the stairs and very pissed Aunt Shion leaning against the wall, next to the open doorway leading to the dining room. Crap. An incident. Just what I need. The day is nearly over and yet fate still is being jerky face. I want nothing more to be in my room right now and not meddling in whatever the hell kind of scandalous affair this is, but I am the landlord now and I must know my responsibilities and that includes the welfare of my tenants. Bitchy as they may be. That and I'm very curious how that guy managed to reduce Princess Grumpy or the Grumpy Princess or whatever to the state that she is now. I'm going to regret this, but here goes...
"Hey did anything...happened? Matsubara-san, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did that guy do something to you? Did he hurt you?"
"Go away!" She screamed.
"Right." I sighed and gave Aunt Shion an annoyed look. I began to go up the stairs, carefully moving my feet so I won't brush against the crying Mayumi, and just lowered my head. I did my part and said my piece. I don't really care anymore.
Mayumi then screamed once again and ran outside.
"Go after her!" Aunt Shion snapped at me.
"W-What?"
"Go, you fucking idiot!" My legs moved on their own before my brain can process anything. I went outside again and chased after the running Mayumi.
"I don't have time for this..." I muttered angrily as I ran. What comes next would be one of the most weirdest and most messed-up family turmoil I would have the pleasure of experiencing in my twenty-two years of existence here on Earth. It involves a girl indulging herself in all kinds of scandalous pleasure just so she can rebel against strict tradition, a questionable marriage arrangement and a very, very twisted sibling who would do anything to get what he wants. Unreal things that I don't want to get involve with. But then again, I guess I'm already involved when I accepted this fucking job.
I would learn that my uncle had been protecting Mayumi all this time and now that he's gone, I guess it's now up to me to pick up where he left off. Dammit. I just wanna go home.
On the day I got here, my step-aunt told me that this place was a sanctuary for people like her and I had no idea how right she was.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This chapter introduces the two foreigners who are going to be a part of Arisu's gang... Marcus Harper actually first appeared in the first chapter. He was the dude who was sitting in front of the closed hobby shop when Arisu was stumbling in the shopping district during the wee hours of the morning, after having sex for the first time with his step-aunt.
I wanted to create a character that is so obnoxious and super rude at first, but turns out to be a really decent and upstanding guy when you get to know him better. As for Holly, I wanna explore the character of a happily married man who is currently living a boring, but very comfortable life. These two will always be together and they will serve as one of Arisu's most trusted and loyal friends during his stay in Kasumoto City.
Well that's it for now. I hope you enjoy the chapter and please post reviews. If you find any mistakes and errors, please inform me. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, criticisms or if you just wanna talk then feel free to PM me.
The Mayumi arc will start in the next chapter. Please look forward to it and thank you for reading my work.
Now time to continue Fantasy Life and make those omelettes. Also, I'm feeling really hungry now.