Accel World Vol 3 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5
Not able to prioritize the matter that should be considered first, Haruyuki continued to stare for a while at the small shrimp on a slice of pizza held in his right hand.
After deciding, he took a bite of out of it, then raised his head and inquired.
”...Taku. That guy... Noumi is a Burst Linker right?”
”Suddenly facing it head on, huh?”
The right side of Tak.u.mu's mouth rose in a wry smile, as he too had bit into a slice of pizza at the same time.
8:30pm at night, they were in Haruyuki's room in his apartment. After Tak.u.mu finished his club activities, took a shower at his home, and came here; it was sort of late already.
As usual, Haruyuki's mother wouldn't be home till after midnight, but Tak.u.mu's mother allowing him to go to a friend's house for dinner, that would have been unthinkable while he was in elementary school. Haruyuki had not heard the details from Tak.u.mu about his transfer to Umesato middle school at the beginning of this year, but his parents seemed to be opposed to his decision.
The result, after many conditions Tak.u.mu himself put up, his parents finally allowed it, but of course Haruyuki did not know about the finer details. At the same time, he admired Tak.u.mu's struggle, with himself completely being neglected by his parent, which one is more blessed as a child? He pondered on these random thoughts.
”Aa, eating those kinds of things again!!”
It was during his 2nd bite of pizza, when that sudden voice broke through his thoughts.
Chiyuri came straight in from the open door, put her right hand on her waist, and yelled again.
”Geesh, Haru, I always told you to learn to make your own dinner!”
”M-Made it.”
”Just taking it out of the box and warming it up right!”
”P-Put it on a dish too.”
”That can't be called cooking!”
She pointed her finger at the tip of Haruyuki's nose, then lifted the paper bag in her left hand high and held it out.
”I thought it would be like this, so I asked Mama to make lasagna. There, lower your head!”
—You didn't make it yourself either!
He thought like that, but with the scent of cooked cheese drifting from the bag, Haruyuki could only prostrate himself and say ”Yeah yeah”.
The lasagna that sat in the rectangular heat resistant dish, was a masterpiece made with a lot of Chiyuri Mama's special bologna sauce, with a taste that the similar Italian cooking of frozen pizza could not compare to. They moved to the living room, with Haruyuki having 40% of the total, Tak.u.mu and Chiyuri having 30% each, it did not take them even 15 minutes to finish all of it.
”Thanks for the food. Chi-chan's mother, should open a shop.”
To the words said by a fully satisfied Tak.u.mu, Haruyuki also confirmed while nodding.
”Really. She can make j.a.panese, Western, and Chinese food.”
”Aa, no go, no go. Mama's cooking, when it's not for Papa, she only puts out 50% effort.”
After Chiyuri said that with a serious face, Haruyuki involuntarily looked down at the empty lasagna dish.
”Fo-For real? It's this delicious and yet it's just half the effort?”
”Ah, this is about 95% effort. Mama said that if it was for my future husband candidate, Gyaa, what did you make me say, I will knock you out!!”
With that sudden shout, and actually kicking Haruyuki's s.h.i.+n under the table, Chiyuri carried the stacked dishes and forks towards the kitchen.
While in agony, he exchanged slight wry smiles with Tak.u.mu, then Haruyuki cleared his throat and forcefully returned to their conversation topic.
”...So, about Noumi. That's right, what was the bottom part of his name?”
”I think it was Seiji. Spelled like this.”
Tak.u.mu created a holo paper on top of the table, and smoothly moved his finger tip. The name that was written on the virtual paper with virtual pen was «征二»[1].
”Hmm... does he have an older brother?”
After Haruyuki's murmur, Tak.u.mu also nodded after erasing the paper.
”Yeah. I checked the graduation alb.u.m, and there was a student called «Noumi Yuuichi» three years above us. But his home address is encrypted that it could only be read by the same graduation year students, so it is not yet confirmed if he is Noumi's onii-san or not.”
”Three years above? As far as age goes, that barely fulfills the first condition...”
With the first condition of a Burst Linker apt.i.tude being «Wear a Neuro Linker right after birth» fulfilled, then he must be a child that was born in the year when the first Neuro Linkers became available in the market. That is to say, the «First generation», is in the current 2nd year high school— that is looking from Haruyuki's point of view, three years above.
”However, if that Yuuichi-s.h.i.+[2] is a Burst Linker, then he would be in the school with Master for one year. But, I never heard Master mention having any of her senpai being Burst Linkers.”
”Is that so... that's right.”
After mumbling ”Uun”, Haruyuki said as to change the topic.
”Well, let's leave that Yuuichi-s.h.i.+ alone. For now the problem is the 1st year Noumi... Taku, that guy... «Accelerated» during the match with you right? If it wasn't for that, then you would not have lost like that...”
Hearing that, the edge Tak.u.mu's mouth had largely distorted smile.
”Not really, I am not that great. It would not be strange that I lost after the 2nd match. Without acceleration, I am like that.”
”That's not true. You were a lot stronger than the captain during the semi-final match!”
After Tak.u.mu's self deprecating speech, Haruyuki became irritated and retorted, then lowered his tone of voice.
”Instead of talking about that, what happened? I for sure saw Noumi sing something like the acceleration command.”
After a long silence, Tak.u.mu lightly nodded.
”...Aa. I also saw it...”
”What~!!”
That high pitched shout, was from Chiyuri who returned to the living room after having finished was.h.i.+ng dishes. She put the bottle of green tea and three gla.s.ses on the table roughly, then continued.