Chapter 2: Welcome to Reality!

"SATO! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN WORKING ON OUR GAL GAME FOR THE PAST WEEK, ALONE, AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN… LOAFING AROUND!"

I attempted at a reply, "I just… haven't felt that good. At all."

Yamazaki groaned. He put his palm to his face and turned in the other direction, away from me. He began mumbling to himself. The words were too quiet and slurred for me to understand them. The only words I could pick out were "Hikikomori", and "useless". Or maybe that was just my imagination. I thought about telling him to take this conversation indoors, instead of outside, on the complex's shared landing, but I realized that wasn't a good idea. Yamazaki wasn't in a good mood.

He turned back to me, and exclaimed, with a sudden good-natured grin, "Look, Sato! I understand… your 'condition'. And that's why we're friends! Buddies! And you know what friends do?" He moved his face forward, to where it was just a millimeter away from mine. "Friends. Help. Each. Other. Out." With each word he recited, a fume of his toxic breath entered my nose.

I pushed him away. "Cut it out! You're invading my personal space! If you come any step closer… I'll-," I paused, unsure on how to finish my sentence - I really didn't know what I would do - but then, like a miracle, the answer came to my mind, "I'll use my Kung Fu on you!"

Yamazaki started chuckling to himself. He then immediately rebuffed my claim, "Yeah, right. All you do is watch those bad seventies martial arts flicks, and then think you can imitate them. I know how you work, Sato."

"Oh yeah?" With the speed of a fox, I attempted a lower jab at Yamazaki! This was bound to impress him. Maybe then he would learn to leave me alone!

My fist hit the air.

Yamazaki just stood there.

He exclaimed, "I think… you have to shoot just a little bit closer to hurt me, let alone touch me… But! I have some skills of my own. Behold!" Yamazaki put his right foot forward, and got his miniscule arms ready, attempting at a fighting pose. "I will now show you the superb might of… PINK FIRE JET CHIMP OF NEPTUNE!" He whispered an epilogue to himself, as if nobody was listening, "…I got it from a favorite manga…"

Yamazaki hopped over and started slapping my head with his palms. He seemed to be playing my skull like a drum. It didn't hurt, but it was annoying. Really, really annoying. I started hammering at his sides with my clenched hands. We were both grunting and making a real production out of the whole thing. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see an elderly lady, from across the street, staring at us with a perplexed expression.

As I grabbed him, we flipped over and began rolling against the ground. Weak punch after weak punch, I could feel the bruises mounting all over my body. I didn't even know why we were fighting. I guess this was my fault. Goddamn, am I getting annoyed.

I yelled, "STOP!"

With a jet of momentum from my arms, I pushed Yamazaki off. Through the air, he flew a few feet backwards. He hit the ground with a loud thud. I wasn't intending it to be that strong of a push… I either underestimated my strength, or Yamazaki was being overly dramatic. Probably the latter.

"Hey, man… are you okay?"

He made a frustrated grunt as he shook on the floor. "OF COURSE I'M OKAY! Just got the wind knocked out of me… a little…"

I rested my back against the wall of my apartment. Closed my eyes. Tried to relax…

Out of breath, I barely mumbled, "Is this my life?" I gritted my teeth.

I never envisioned this. Something happened, something I can't even begin to understand, and now I'm here. When I was younger, I had a number of dreams. Astronaut. Politician. Fireman. Superhero. They were childish, stupid dreams. And that's exactly they always would be - dreams. I always fantasized about success, adventure, and romance. But in the end, I never achieved anything. I lacked the willpower and talent to carry them through. The moment I decided on my future, I was doomed. I wish I had known that earlier. Time continued on and on, and after a long enough time, I gave up on the things I cared for, and became something I couldn't even bare to look at in the mirror. The future doesn't exist. It never did. The future is itself a dream, because it is made of dreams. Those dreams, the future, never came to be. We create the future, but I am always in the present. I am always here, in this harsh, cruel reality.