Chapter eight
Yuuichi happily moved through the crowd, having a distinct feeling of being more at home than home could ever be. This was The World in reality. More comfortable than reality. He loved it to no end, as people began talking to him, without having an odd silence. Just like in the game. It was so fascinating. So fascinating, in fact, that he forgot he was in the real world, and he crashed into something about hip level.
"Oh, geez. I'm sorry!" He sputtered out as soon as he realised that he nearly tipped a woman out of her wheelchair. Another woman rushed to her aid, and righted the other.
"You should look where you're walking." She said as soon as she was done fixing the other. Her hair was an interesting amber brown, that glinted in the falling sun like it was on fire. The woman in the wheelchair fixed her glasses, smoothed her long blue hair on her head, and smiled.
"No need to worry, An. I'm perfectly okay." She said, raising her hand in a wave-like gesture.
"Are you sure?" An asked her, turning from Yuuichi. The blue-haired woman nodded.
"I'm really sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?" Yuuichi asked rubbing his neck. He wondered if they were sisters, or just friends. They didn't look anything alike, but they were extremely familiar with each other.
"No, that's alright." The blue-haired woman said, at the same time An said, "Yes, get some drinks." They stared at each other.
"I thought you were going to get something to drink?" The blue-haired woman asked.
"I was, but then this guy ran into you." Anger flared in An's eyes as she looked at Yuuichi again. They said, clearly, Keep away, or I kill.
"I can get some." Yuuichi offered again.
The anger died in An's eyes, as she looked upon the other woman.
"Did you want a tea, Mariko?" An asked.
"Yes." Her blue eyes were soft behind her glasses, and looked on An with the utmost affection.
An turned back towards Yuuichi. "A lemon tea, and a Coke for me." She handed a few hundred yen to him, and told him they'd meet him right here.
"Yes!" Yuuchi promptly got the drinks for his party and An and Mariko, and walked back to the girls.
"Here." He said, offering the tea to Mariko first, because it was in one of those paper cups that had a flimsy plastic top that might spill.
"Thank you." She was a very smily person, albeit a quiet one.
"Here you go." An took the offered Coke, and said a quiet thanks.
"Well, if you're all good, then-" Yuuichi was about to walk away, when Mariko called him back.
"Please, sit with us for a while. You must tell us about this New World."
"Do you mean R:2? Don't you play it?" Yuuchi asked.
"No." An answered. "We were just passing through the city when we saw the crowd."
"We did play R:1, though." Mariko added as Yuuichi sat near them.
"Has it changed much?" An wanted to know.
"I'm not quite sure. You see, I never played R:1, so I wouldn't know how it was before now." Yuuichi said, sadly. Then he perked up. "But the graphics have gotten so much better from just within this version, so the visual is probably so much cooler, and the headsets are all new..." He stopped speaking when he saw the two automatically reach for each other's hand.
"What?" An asked to his questioning stare.
"It reminds me of how we were when we used to play." Mariko said, unaware of Yuuichi's watch.
"Excuse me for asking, but... Are you related?" Yuuchi had to ask.
An and Mariko glanced at each other, both smiling small secret smiles.
"Ah. No." Mariko said.
"That would be weird." An added.
"We're engaged." Mariko said, matter-of-factly.
Yuuichi must've let off one of those surprised signs that girls pick up on, even when you think you are keeping all sorts of cool, because both of them looked at him.
"Do you have a problem with that?" An asked, a predatorial look now present in her gray eyes.
"No! No... It's just that..." Yuuichi trailed off.
"Just what?" Mariko asked helpfully.
"I-I'm sort of having a problem, that... has something to do with, that." Yuuchi finally managed to spit out after a while.
"Ohhhh." The other two said in unison.
Silence ruled for a while as the two kept exchanging meaningful looks, and Yuuichi played with the grass. It was more night than day now, and he would soon be unable to find the others soon.
"Do you have... any... questions? About this, sort of thing?" An asked.
Yuuichi thought, finger to mouth. Did he have any questions? Well, the answer to that was a resounding "YES" but the problem was he didn't know how to ask any of them. How was it? Did it feel right or wrong? Is there any trouble? Are others alright with it? How are you going to have children? Poor Yuuichi's head was spinning with questions so drastically, that An and Mariko had time to exchange one more look.
"Do you love him?" Mariko asked.
That snapped Yuuichi to attention. Did he love Ryou? Uh... Did lust count? He couldn't really be sure about it, because they had only just met in real life.
But then again. He knew Haseo very deeply, even it was only on the internet. Maybe...
"Yes." Yuuichi answered before he realized he had an answer.
An and Mariko watched him carefully throughout his entire thought process, and each recognized that goofy-looking grin starting on his lips and that faraway look in his eyes. They had seen it many times on each other's faces.
Yuuichi looked up to find them both smiling. Then realixed what he said wasn't exactly the best thing in the world, this one or any other, for near complete strangers. He jumped to his feet bowed, and said, "I'm sorry! I'll leave now."
He turned and heard An shout behind him.
"You don't have forever to get her! You might want to hurry if you want to spend as much time with her as possible!"
Yuuichi was about to turn around and say, "No! We're talking about a firey hot man!" Then realized to the many bystanders, this was natural. This was okay. He realized that he did want to spend as much time with Ryou as possible. And he did not have anywhere close to forever to nab him. He had one night.
Just one.
He grinned at the two girls. "Thank you."
He sprinted to his target, now feeling much like a wolf on the hunt.
What he was hunting wasn't prey, it was flesh. Ryou's.