"W-Well, it was a bad idea-hahaha, s-sorry !"
"Yeah, yeah, just keep laughing." Ki grumbled, slumped over his desk with a less than good mood, with Mei tried (and failed) to hold back her laughter at his right.
It began like this. Ki had an idea : what if he tried reading during his lunch ? A book from one of his favorite authors just got out and he wanted to read it while eating. Unfortunately, when he hurried to the shop to buy it, all of the copies had been sold. He then tried to search elsewhere, but other shops in the vicinity that sold books were the same, with the closest being too far from the academy. The whole search took him too much time, time that was supposed to be used for the lunch break. That led to Ki eating quickly in order to be on time for class, and him getting a stomachache for half of the afternoon as a result. Not the best day ever.
Ki decided to take a small rest before heading home, lest his stomach decided that he hadn't suffered enough. And listening to those three right now made him regret his decision. Suzuki, Tanaka and Mei had decided to come talk to him since they saw he was feeling bad, but after hearing the story, they couldn't help but make fun of him, though Mei was doing her best to hold back and cheer him up, unlike the other two.
"Traitors."
"Come on, man, that's not on us ! It's just too funny!" Justified Suzuki.
"And if you were in our position, what would you do ?" pointed out Tanaka while snickering.
"Oh, I wouldn't be that bad. Hm, Raiden-san, this is...?" Ki noticed Mei talking to another girl and got curious.
"Hey, my name is Akia Uli. Nice to meet you ! I was just asking Raiden-san if she wanted to walk back home together for a while, since our houses are close to each other."
"Of course, Uli-san."
"Great !"
"Well then, we'd better be on our way, too." Ki said as he got up and prepared to say goodbye to them for the day.
"A moment, please. Could I have your attention ?" Everyone turned to Hashito. "I have a little proposition. Since classes finished early today,
Why don't we all hang out at the arcade ?"
...
I didn't expect this. Here we were, our little group of five, in front of the game machines. I almost never went to arcades so I had no idea on how to proceed. A place that was completely terra incognita. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for them, Suzuki and Tanaka quickly explained. Finally, game machines here are just bigger consoles, I guess. But maybe they shouldn't have told me so much.
Mei looked around her with sparkling eyes, eager to play. I was not the only who never came here apparently. I was pretty much the same, except that I had a revenge plan in the works. Suzuki, Tanaka, just you wait, hehe.
...
The gaming party went on for 1 hour without problems. With each person paying their part, of course. Ki's plan was executed at this moment.
"Raiden-san."
"Yes, Tengo-kun ?" Mei had just finished a game of race with Akia when he called out to her.
"How about we switch partners ? I'll play with Uli-san and you'll play with those two there." proposed Ki while wearing an angelic smile.
"No problem with me. Go have fun there while I demolish Tengo-kun here." declared Akia.
"That's what we'll see."
Mei chuckled at their exchange. «Then, I'll take you up on that." She then walked towards the two a few machines away.
Ki's smile turned to an evil one. 'All according to the plan.'
"What is going to happen, exactly ?" asked Akia, seeing the change.
He looked her into the eyes. "A good show."
...
"Don't worry, Raiden-san. I'll go easy on you since it's your first time here." assured Suzuki with a smug smile.
"A-Alright, then here I go !" nodded Mei as she took the controller of the fighting game.
'I'll play it leisurely for now.'
Player 1 wins !
Suzuki stared at the screen, dumbfounded. 'How...Her character still has 80% of health! How the hell did I lose this easily !?'
"I won !" rejoiced Mei as she lifted her hands along the controller in the air.
"N-Nicely done, Raiden-san ! But ! This time, I won't show so much mercy !" warned Suzuki as he recovered from his defeat. 'That's right, luck ! Beginner's luck, it's just that ! Time to show my numerous hours of training !'
Player 1 wins !
"Again !"
Player 1 wins !
"...Again !"
Player 1 wins !
"...again !"
Player 1 wins !
"..."
"Umm, Suzuki-kun, are you okay ...?" asked worryingly Mei as she saw the poor boy sprawled on the ground, his face devoid of any emotion, with his soul about to fly out of his mouth. 'My experience...all this time...was it worthless ?' He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Tanaka..."
"Don't worry, Suzuki-kun. I will avenge you !" solemnly uttered Tanaka to his dejected comrade.
"Brother...!"
"Raiden-san !"
"Y-yes !" she straightened herself immediately as Tanaka pointed to another game machine with his hand. "I humbly ask you for a match with Suzuki's and my honor on the line !"
"I accept, Tanaka-kun !"
Such a heavy atmosphere didn't really belong in a place of fun and relaxation like an arcade, but both of them seemed to have forgotten such a notion. As for Ki and Akia, they had already stopped gaming after they had their fill, and were now enjoying the show with a few drinks and snacks bought on site.
"See, I told you there was gonna be a good show."
"Damn right."
As both players took place in front of the Zombie Apocalypse game machine, Tanaka thought 'I must give my all and avenge Suzuki ! Even with her gift for fighting games, in front of my specialty, surely, she will fall !'
Player 1 wins !
Player 1 wins !
Player 1 wins !
Player 1 wins !
Without much surprise, Tanaka and Suzuki looked both dead now, Mei was panicking on how to deal with this while Ki and Akia were laughing, watching all of this from the side.
Hearing them, suspicion bloomed inside of Tanaka's and Suzuki's withered hearts. They both immediately looked at him due to a certain hypothesis forming in their minds. 'Could it be ...?'
"Did you two get it ?" grinned Ki. "You both challenged her to games that involved fighting with swords, reflexes and concentration. Such domains of fighting skills are what is taught in the Raiden household as part of their tradition, you know ? It's not like she doesn't know what games are, and since she's a fast learner, you quickly lost whatever meager advantage you had because of her unfamiliarity with this place."
Tanaka and Suzuki began to shake in anger. "Why, you !" "You little...!"
"I'll consider us even with this little "help", Raiden-san." Ki winked at a dumbfounded Mei. He then took his bag, and got up.
"So, how is it guys ? Having your pride crushed after opening your mouth like that ? The faces you were making after you got thrown from your high horses so violently were priceless ! " teased Ki.
They snaped. Jumping like demons, they rushed at Ki with not so kind intentions.
"You're dead meat !"
"Say your prayers !"
"In your dreams ! Let's hang out again, Raiden-san, Uli-san !" Ki quickly waved them goodbye as he ran for his life out of the arcade, fleeing his two bloodthirsty friends.
Mei and Akia looked at each other for 3 seconds before collapsing due to laughter.
This scene wasn't anything unique, or particularly meaningful. However, just some teenagers having fun in an ordinary way was precious precisely because it was ordinary, how it was meant to be like that.
Yet, away from the light of this event, hands worked in the shadows to draw a scheme that would involve the whole city.
...
...
A woman walked through a long and dark corridor. She had blonde hair, a calm face and eyes hardened by determination.
She was aware that she was making a dangerous bet, but if she wanted to take back an important member of her family, it was worth it.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she entered the room at the end of the corridor. Inside of the room was a screen suspended to the wall in front of her, and two seats. One of them was already occupied, the person on it waiting for her.
"I'm here, Gray Serpent." Cocolia took a seat and began the discussion.
"Thank you for coming, Cocolia. Now, let us begin our meeting." His tone would make one think the hacker was smiling.
Author's note :
Alright, with this chapter, I've finished the worldbuilding. Now it's time for a bit more action. Stay tuned for the next chapter ! Leave a fav/comment if you've liked the chapter, thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time !
PS : Check out my new story if you want ! The first chapter is out, and the second will be out soon !