23 Bonds - Part 3 (1/2)
If a classmate came up to me and asked what I was up to right now, I doubt I'd be able to give them a real answer.
If walking through the city's main outdoor mall while completely self-conscious about how terribly I smell right now weren't bad enough, I have these two idiots trailing behind me like I'm on some kind of dog leash. This situation couldn't possibly get any worse.
No matter how much I increase my pace, they move equally as quickly in order to keep themselves hidden behind my frame.
”Hey, can you two give me some more room? You're breathing down my neck.”
”We can't help it Scar-san! We'll be found out if we don't hide behind you!”
They have zero sense of personal space at all. These losers are just completely clueless about anything and everything social, aren't they?
”Oh be quiet, I'm sure a dirty thot like you is used to being this close to other men.”
”W-w-what the hell is wrong with you?! That's disgusting! Why would you even say that?!”
”Shhh! He'll hear you!”
Sigmund urges me to be quiet after I end up yelling one more time.
I am actually just so over this. Just get me home right now.
”You too Nick, chill out. You're going way too overboard today. You agreed that she's important for trailing him right? So there's no need to be a dick about it.”
”Fine man. Whatever. Sympathize with her for all I care. Fucking white knight. Let's just find out what Chase is up to.”
”Chase, huh…”
I sigh.
I don't know, I feel weird about all of this.
I didn't have to go as far as to stalk him like this. I could have been napping at home right now if I'd just ignored all of this and took the bus with Momo. I mean, that option was always on the table, but…
For some reason, I felt like I had to do this.
Maybe Jen's words had more of an impact on me than I thought.
”Hey, I don't think they had anything bad planned, but it's also true that they may have hit it off in there. Especially since you and Chase haven't been on good terms for a while.”
I don't know. Something about those words just… I don't know… Made me want to find out?
Because it'd ruin my status if they started dating or something?
Because I feel betrayed somehow?
Yeah, I really don't get this. Feelings are complicated.
”Seriously though, why'd Chase choose such a boring girl? All she's been doing so far is yelling and complaining about everything we've done so far. The worst part is that she's been making fun of us nonstop ever since she met up with us today. She must be a damn good with her mouth for him to put up with this shit every day.”
”W-we haven't kissed, idiot! And you guys are the boring ones! All you losers do is talk about geek stuff all day!”
”Oh, WE'RE boring, huh? Why don't you say that after you've played through an entire Hideki Kamiya game? You sound like you have absolutely no understanding of how deep an art-form videogames can be and you're just going off of what everyone else says.”
”Shut up! Don't just lump me with everyone else like I'm some sheep! I mean, even I… Even I like nerdy things sometimes, you know!”
As I say those words, I feel two strong gazes aimed directly at the back of my head.
”Ohhhh? Is that so?”
”Fufufu, interesting.”
I... I think I've made a mistake.
”Okay. How about we test how cool you really are then?”
I gulp. The way they're smiling is kind of scary, but it can't be that bad, right?
”S-sure! Bring it on!”
The moment I give in to their challenge, the two of them suddenly begin mouthing off a bunch of things I don't really understand.
In my defense, I was kind of tired from all the travelling so I challenged them without thinking much about what would happen, but…
Just what exactly did I sign up for?
”Okay then, let's start off simple. Anime or Manga?”
”WRPGs or JRPGs?”
”Love live or Idolmaster?”
”Nintendo or Sony?”
”Madhouse or Kyoani?”
”Dark Souls or Monster Hunter?”
”Dragon Ball or One Piece?”
”Story or Gameplay?”
”Subbed or Dubbed?”
”Dude, don't start this shit. You'd have to be a pretty fucking big weeaboo to not pick dubbed.”
”NICE, dude. You're REALLY gonna compare cringy gaijin voice actors to glorious Nippon? Are you actually just deaf?”
”You don't even speak Japanese! How do you know if the Japanese voices are cringe or not when you have nothing to go by?”
”You don't need to speak the language to feel the emotion in their voices. Quit looking for dumbass excuses!”
Ahh, no good. My head is spinning.
I'm hot and sweaty. This hoodie stinks. Nicholas and Sigmund are being confusing idiots.
This is quite possibly going to stand tall as one of the worst day of my high school career.
And yet still, despite that, I have absolutely no desire to quit and head home.
When on earth did I become this determined, anyway?
”H-hey, can you guys drop it? We're gonna lose sight of Chase.”
”Relax, we're not gonna lose him. Look, he's right th-”
I look over in the direction that Nicholas is pointing at, and I barely catch a glimpse of him leaving my vision.
It seems like he just entered a clothing store.
”Shit! This is all your fault Sig! Hurry up or we'll lose him!”
Nicholas dashes past me and towards the store.
”Ah, hey! Wait up!”
Sigmund also runs past me to catch up to his friend.