Chiba Station
June 11, 2016
12:00 p.m.
I was wearing a simple white shirt with a print that said, "Life is short, enjoy it." I had black pants on and a pair of white sneakers.
Hikigaya Hachiman was sitting in one of the central plazas of Chiba Station, waiting for Gokou Ruri to arrive. We had agreed to meet early so we could explore the area.
Akihabara.
The perfect city for anime and manga fans, or, in other words, otakus.
I knew a little about the place thanks to the cosplay hobbies I had taken up. I had always been curious about going there and exploring, but I had never gotten the chance.
So this would be my first time.
For the moment, I was doing the same thing I had been doing during my free time these past few days.
Checking social media.
More specifically, video platforms, such as TikTok, the most well-known of them all. A place where practically anything could be posted.
News was easy to find there. We were living in the age of social media, after all.
Everything that happened eventually appeared somewhere. There were even people who managed to become millionaires simply by living off it.
What an easy life.
Without working and doing whatever you wanted, you could make money as long as you had enough loyal followers.
I scrolled from one video to another, enjoying the content. Some were funny, while others were informative.
But the ones I liked the most were those epic anime and manga edits that appeared every now and then.
There was something about them that gave you a strange sense of excitement just by watching.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Hikigaya."
I raised my eyes from my phone.
Standing in front of me was Gokou, wearing her characteristic Nightmare Queen cosplay.
"No problem. I only got here a few minutes ago."
I raised an eyebrow, surprised.
Gokou looked up at me with a slightly skeptical expression.
"What? Is something bothering you?"
She looked somewhat challenging, although I knew she was probably nervous on the inside.
"I didn't think you'd wear contact lenses."
I smiled slightly when I noticed that her usual blue eyes had been replaced by a bright red.
"Hmm. There is nothing surprising about it. Obviously, I had to be completely prepared."
She said it confidently, raising her head.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. We'd better get going. That way, it'll be easier to explore the surrounding areas."
I took two cans of soda from my pocket. They were still nice and cold. I offered one to Gokou and kept the other for myself.
She stared at the can before looking back at me.
"Seriously, you're weird. How do those cans even fit in your pocket?"
She shook her head, clearly skeptical of my habits.
"Secret."
I said it while narrowing one eye and taking a sip of my soda.
She simply rolled her eyes.
Seriously, I was addicted to these drinks.
I liked all kinds of flavors, especially the bitter, sweet, and ice-cold ones.
They were my weakness.
"Train arriving. Please stand clear of the doors."
The announcement from the speakers signaled the arrival of the train.
Gokou and I boarded and took seats in one of the middle cars, which, fortunately, were only half full.
There weren't too many people.
"Please do not stand in front of the doors or obstruct the passageway. Thank you."
After the announcement, the doors closed and the train began its journey.
While drinking my soda, I looked out the window and watched the scenery pass by.
After a while, I glanced down at Gokou.
She was pretty quiet too.
"So, do you think you'll be able to keep up a conversation?"
I asked while looking at her from the corner of my eye.
She wasn't exactly good at socializing. She wasn't as bad as me, but I suspected that if the atmosphere made her uncomfortable, she would spend most of her time in silence or distracting herself with something else instead of talking.
"It'll be simple. And if I don't like it, we can leave. There is no reason for me to stay somewhere I don't enjoy."
She said this while also looking out the window.
"Mmh... sure."
I turned my gaze back outside.
I'd see what I could buy to bring something home for Komachi.
I didn't want to think about anything else for the moment.
It would only ruin my day.
....
Akihabara Station
12:45 p.m.
"Thank you for traveling with us. Have a pleasant journey."
The station announcements could be heard in the distance as we left the platform.
"Akihabara, huh..."
The moment we left the station, I could already see the entire anime culture on display.
Posters, public panels, advertisements, magazines and manga for sale... practically anything related to anime that you could imagine could be found here.
"So where do you want to go? Remember, you'll have to go to that maid café later."
"Let's check out the new anime releases."
"After that, I'll look for things from my anime."
We visited several different places, mainly the upper floors of some stores Gokou knew about.
We even came across several different styles of cosplay clothing that, to be honest, I found interesting. Maybe I'd buy one before heading home.
Masks, costume accessories...
I feel like I'm going to need some of these in the future.
I already don't want anyone recognizing me while I'm doing weird things.
As we walked around and checked out the various items, I managed to clear my head for a few moments and shake off some of the heaviness I'd been feeling.
But only for a few moments.
This city seems like a fun place to hang out.
After a few minutes, we found ourselves standing in front of a large Gee building. According to the sign, Curi Maid Café was located on the sixth floor.
I was already starting to get hungry.
Those little snacks aren't filling enough.
We took the elevator. It was easier, since climbing the stairs sounded like a pain.
When we reached the sixth floor, Gokou told me to keep my distance before we entered.
"Remember to sit at another table. This is a girls-only gathering, so don't draw attention to yourself."
"Yeah, yeah, got it. I'm also going to see what kind of food they have. I'm hungry, you know?"
"By the way, I'm going in first. You should probably wait for your... appointments. We'll see each other later."
She went inside first.
When I crossed the entrance, a small bell rang, announcing the arrival of a new customer.
"Welcome home, Master!"
Several girls greeted me at the same time.
Some of them looked like high school students working part-time, while others were probably regular employees of the café. They were all wearing the typical maid outfits, with black-and-white dresses decorated with ribbons, frills, and other details.
...
The menu consisted of traditional dishes, along with various foods and drinks themed around the café.
The dishes themselves were familiar, but each one had some kind of theme related to the café.
I'm hungry.
So I won't hold back.
I'll figure out how to make up for the money later. I can ask my parents for more, or, if it comes to it, I'll have to find a part-time job.
The sound of approaching footsteps made me raise my head.
One of the maids was standing in front of my table.
"Sir, do you have any preference for how you'd like us to address you?"
"Are there options?"
The titles they used in maid cafés seemed to be designed to satisfy the particular tastes of all kinds of otakus.
Not bad for a first time.
"You can choose any title you'd like us to use when addressing you. For example: Master, Sir, Rarito-kun, Onii-chan... and many more."
"Hmm..."
I kept my eyes closed while resting my chin on two fingers.
"How about Master?"
I'd always been interested in being called that.
I couldn't help it. It was a personal preference.
"Understood, Master."
She said it with a smile and a slightly playful look.
"So, what would you like to eat, Master?"
"Pork omelet curry rice and an omelet rice. Add an iced drink."
I listed everything I planned to eat.
I guess thinking too much makes you hungry.
"Understood, Master. You're quite a big eater."
"Would you like us to write a specific word or message on your food with ketchup?"
There it was.
The famous love message written by the maids for their customers.
"I'll leave it up to you."
I'd let them decide what to write. They had experience and probably knew what kinds of things customers usually liked.
"Understood. Please wait while we prepare your order, Master."
The maid walked away.
The whole place had a fairly traditional style, with wooden tables and chairs and a predominantly earthy color palette.
There were several guys sitting alone, while others had come with friends.
I wondered if there would be any surprises.
I activated my Spiritual Vision.
But there was nothing unusual.
Except that some people had darker areas within their auras than others.
From what I had learned so far, that could mean they were becoming ill or already suffering from some kind of health problem.
Tink, tink...
The sound of bells rang from the entrance.
"Welcome home, ojousama."
A fairly large group of eight or nine girls walked through the door.
Gokou was among them. Or, as she called herself, Kuroneko, the nickname she was using.
A rather strange and eccentric girl was leading them. She wore a pair of striking glasses that stood out even among the others.
As they began introducing themselves and mentioning their nicknames, I heard a muffled gasp.
I turned my gaze toward the source.
It was a fairly ordinary-looking boy in every sense. However, he kept his eyes fixed on the group.
How strange. Is he an acquaintance or a relative?
Either way, I decided to keep an eye on him.
I examined the aura surrounding his body, but I didn't notice anything unusual.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid.
So I simply waited for my food.
"Here you are, Master. Your dishes, complete with a love message. Please enjoy."
"Thanks."
From where I was sitting, I could hear their introductions and the various interactions between them.
And apparently, Kuro, as I had decided to call her in my head, remained silent. She wasn't talking to anyone and seemed more interested in distracting herself with her phone.
I sighed.
This girl... she came here saying she was going to do it, and now she's doing nothing.
But it wasn't like I was in any position to judge her.
I was worse.
Up until now, I still didn't have a single friend, and I wasn't making any effort to get one either.
For now, all I could do was fill my stomach.
Seriously, I needed to get more money if I wanted to enjoy places like this properly. Even after paying for only two dishes, I already felt like I wasn't going to have enough money left.
Tsk... what can I say? Being a Seer has its downsides too.
....
"All right, that's the end of today's meeting. Take care, everyone, and don't forget to keep an eye on your messages."
Apparently, the meeting had finally ended.
I saw Kuro leave before everyone else.
I sighed and started heading out as well. As I left, I heard the maids say goodbye.
"See you next time!"
Once outside, I found her waiting for me.
"Come on. I need to buy the new editions of Nightmare Queen."
"Okay."
At least she didn't seem discouraged.
Although I still didn't understand why I had to come in the first place.
Just before we left, someone called out to Kuroneko.
We both turned around.
It was the eccentric leader who had come after us.
"Administrator, what's the matter? Is there something else you need?" Kuroneko asked in her soft, quiet voice.
"I want to invite you two to grab something to eat. Don't worry, I'll pay."
The administrator looked directly at me.
"Kuroneko and her friend..."
"Hikigaya Hachiman," I said, introducing myself.
"Are you her boyfriend?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
"He isn't. He's just accompanying me," Kuroneko replied softly.
"Oh... I see..."
She said it as if she had understood something completely different.
"Anyway, come on. There's a McDonald's nearby. Let's go."
I wasn't going to refuse. If there was free food, you had to take advantage of it.
...
"Excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back. Don't worry, order whatever you want."
She hurried away.
Maybe she had forgotten someone.
"Hi, yes. I'd like this... and this..."
While placing my order, I ignored the looks Kuroneko was giving me.
Maybe I should get something to take home. Eating normally should be enough.
Normal...
Well, I suppose I'm eating a little more than usual.
But it's normal, you know?
A few minutes later, the administrator returned accompanied by two more people. One was the guy who had been staring constantly at their group, and the other was a blonde girl.
"Sorry for the wait, Kuroneko-shi, Hikigaya-kun."
Everyone introduced themselves.
I simply gave my name and remained quiet, listening to the conversation.
Apparently, those two were siblings.
Although, honestly, they didn't look anything alike.
Maybe they had different fathers?
Mmh... no one could compare to the close relationship Komachi and I had.
Thinking about that made me feel slightly superior to those two siblings.
Kuroneko asked about the small gathering, and the administrator explained that she simply wanted to get to know the people close to those she had interacted with better.
"And apparently, everyone came with a companion. So we can all have some fun together. What do you think?"
She said it with a crescent-moon smile.
Kuroneko didn't hold back and immediately started criticizing the administrator's old-fashioned clothes.
Wait a minute.
Don't you realize that she's paying for the food?
This girl was pretty ruthless when she wasn't in her loner phase.
After that...
Well, blah, blah, blah.
I didn't get too involved in their conversations or arguments.
I'd rather watch while eating these delicious pieces of crispy chicken.
I wasn't here to pay attention to an anime fight.
That's not my style.
Crunch.
The administrator didn't even blink when she paid.
She's definitely rich.
Hmm... having a wife like that would be nice.
I'd only have to take care of the household chores as a househusband.
...
We spent the afternoon visiting manga stores.
I even interacted with the administrator a little. I wasn't particularly interested in the others.
Although, when they first saw me, they looked up at me.
I guess I'm growing little by little.
A tall guy.
It was a rather refreshing afternoon.
At 2:56 p.m., we were all already at Akihabara Station, preparing to return to our respective destinations.
On the train back to Chiba, we all remained seated in silence.
"It was fun, Kuroneko. And you too, Hikigaya-kun. I had a great time today. I'll try to arrange an outing for everyone every weekend. What do you think?"
"I don't have a problem with that, Saori-san," Kuroneko replied softly.
Saori-san looked directly at me again.
Wasn't this supposed to be a girls-only gathering?
Why does she want my opinion?
"If it doesn't interfere with my activities, I'll see what I can do."
I don't think I'll be able to do it very often. I have to progress as a Seer.
This time, I only came because I had promised Kuroneko weeks ago.
"Great! Having everyone together is perfect. And if you have any trouble with transportation, don't forget to tell me. I'll take care of everything."
She said it cheerfully while raising both arms.
She's definitely loaded.
This is your chance, Hikigaya Hachiman.
There are still ingredients I need to obtain for the other potions.
...
"Bye-bye! See you!"
Saori-san waved from a distance.
"See you too. It was refreshing, and I got to eat as much as I wanted."
I really enjoyed the food.
Next time, I should tell her to invite me to eat again.
"See you, Hikigaya-kun."
"Okay."
As I walked away, I thought about what would happen tomorrow.
I'm scared.
But it's the sacrifice I have to make to make sure my sister stays safe.
"Tsk."
Damn those fake stories about priests and onmyoji.
How is it possible that all those people are frauds?
If they ever turn out to be real someday...
I won't hold back.
I'll beat the hell out of them.